after an admirable Manner. Therefore it were better the Sun fhould be extinguished, than the World be deprived of Chriftian Friendship; for many feeing the Sun, have inward Darkness and Sadness: But they that have Chriftian Friends, cannot but receive fome Comfort. Nothing, nothing is more sweet than this Charity. For what will not a genuine Friend do for you? What Pleasure, what Profit, what Safety and Security is there, that he doth not afford you? If you tell me (as he ftill adds) of Thousands of Jewels, they will not be found comparable to this that I have named. Which made Alexander himfelf, when one ask'd him, πο τες θησαυρές Eyes? Where are thy Treafures? point him to his Friends, and fay, There they are: I have none greater than thofe. We have the reft, if we have thefe; and whatsoever we have of other Things, it is for thefe. According to that memorable Saying of Antiphanes, an Ancient Poet, recorded by Athenaus in these Terms, * To 20 As anλs, &c. To what other Purpose, for God's Sake, is it, that a Man defires to be rich, and to abound in Money and Wealth; but that he may be able to help and fuccour his Friends, and fow the Fruit of Charity, the fweeteft of all the Goddeffes? So they loved to fpeak in those Days, till the Knowledge of one God was multiplied; when St. John better declared his Mind in the like Words, faying, God is Love; and he that dwelleth in Love, dwelleth

* Lib. 1. Deip. cap. 3.

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in God, and God in him; 1 Joh. iv. 16. And if he be inhabited by fo Glorious a Gueft; how is it poffible that he fhould want Contentment in the Abfence of many other Things; which the Divine Love may think fit to deny, but cannot envy to any, efpecially to his Friends? He bids them be of chear; for all is well as long as he lives in them; whether they be full, or whether they be empty of other Things. If they be full, the Divine Love bids them empty themselves into others; if they be empty, it bids others fill and fupply them.

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7. And to all this it may be added, that in thofe Days when the Apostles writ, there was a Fulness of the Spirit ; many rare Gifts, which marvelloully comforted the Hearts of those in whom they were; and caus'd great Joy to those that felt the happy Effects of them in their Souls, or in their Bodies. Be filled with the Spirit, (faith St. Paul, Ephef. v. 18.) finging to your felves in Pfalms and Hymns, &c. And thefe two, I obferve, are join'd together, A&t. XV. 52. the Difciples being filled with Joy, and with the Holy Ghoft. It ftrangely ravifhd their Hearts, to feel themselves fo transform'd, and fuddenly rais'd fo much above themselves, in Wisdom, Power, and Largeness of Soul, by this Power from on high which came upon them. And tho' we do not partake of the like Miraculous Gifts, yet this is a great Satisfaction of Heart to every one of us; that we have a full Affurance of this Spirit to be our Helper, in seeking the Knowledge of our Saviour, in doing

what

what he requires of us; in furthering our Joy, and rejoicing in him; in infpiring us with the Love of God and Virtue, and lending us Strength from above to compleat our Christian Plety, by making even Patience have its perfect Work; that we may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.

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And therefore, when the Apoftle had faid, that he had learnt in every Condition to be con tent, Phil. iv. 12. he immediately adds, as if he would give the Reafon of it, v. 13. I can do all Things, thro Chrift which strengthneth me.No wonder that I can endure Poverty, Hunger, and fuch like Things, as well as enJoy Plenty, and Abundance of Riches, if God pleafe: The Power of Chrift is in me; and by his Strength, I am fufficient for all Conditions of Life. The fame Spirit and Power he hath promifed to give to thofe that ask him which will affift us in the obtaining and keeping all this Divine Fulness which I have fpoken of; and doth therefore add a greater Fulness and Sufficiency to us, than we could otherwife hope for, if we were left to our felves.

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Now let us review briefly what hath been faid, and behold how full the Gofpel makes the Souls of thofe that entertain it. Here is Knowfedge, or Faith; and here is Love; and here are the Fruits of Righteoufnefs; and Hope; and Joy, of divers Sorts; and good Company; aud the Spirit of God: Which are all, fure, able to give us great Satisfaction. Efpecially, which is chiefly to be confider'd, fince there is a Fulnefs,

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;

an Abundance of every one of thefe. They therefore, who are poffefs'd with them all, and with the Fulness of them, can have no Space left, one would think, to give Entertainment to any Thing elfe: At leaft, there must be the prevailing and ruling Party, which will have the Command of every Thing befide that comes there. There can be no great Vanities, or empty Places remaining, where a Mind is furnih'd with fo many Goods, and with fuch Plenty alfo of them. Whatsoever elfe is received there, muft lye (as I may fay) together with them, and fo be difpofed by them, according to their Order. And they will forbid, fure, any Tumults to be rais'd, or inftantly quell them; as inconfiftent with their sweet and peaceable Difpofition.

That's the next Thing, in the Defcription of Contentment; which I fhall but briefly touch. For having spoken fo largely of the firft, from whence I told you the reft would naturally if fue; there remains the lefs to be fpoken of that which ftill follows: Viz.

Secondly, A Quietnefs, Stillnefs and Rest in the Defires of the Soul; which, in a contented Man, prevent his ftill pufhing forward to feek a Change. Where there is a Fulnefs, there will ever be fome Reft. For what is there that we fhould violently move towards, when we have that which we ufed to run after; viz. Fulnefs and Satisfaction? When Things are full and weighty, they can make a ftronger Refiftance,than light and empty Things, to the Impulfe of exter

nal

nal Objects. Now what Objects are there, weighty and ftrong enough, to move a Soul that is before poffefs'd with fuch Great and Maffy Things, (as I have mention'd) to any one of which all the World cannot be compard And as for internal Defires, when the Sharpness of the Appetite is allay'd by this full Satisfaction, they will no more vex and trouble our Minds, than the Stomach, when it is well fatiated, is any longer prick'd and twitch'd by the Acrimony that is in it. All Longings are very much appeas'd in this Cafe; because we have what our Souls long for. All Defires come towards an End; because there are fo few Wants that remain to be fupplied.

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But by Defires, I hope you think I mean not bare Wishes of a Change, or Inclinations to it; no, nor those Motions which in Purfuance of our Inclinations we ufe, in a fober, pious, and fubmiffive Diligence, to accomplish our just Ends; but thofe tumultuous and troublesome Appetites, which are perpetually ftimulating us to fuch la borious Cares and Drudgery for the Things of this Life, as if they were our only or chief Good, or as if without fo much of them as we wish for, we could not be at reft. Whatfoever is too toilfome, vexatious and irkfome to our Souls, that ought to ceafe; and may, by this Fulness and Satisfaction which we have in Spiritual Goods, be quite taken away. If I should but instance in all the Fruits of Righteousness, wherewith the Soul of a Chriftian is filled, you would foon fee how they quiet all Defires; their ve

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