The Whole Duty of Man Epitomized, Part 7
PARTITION VII
Of Contentedneſs, and the contraries to it; Murmurings, Ambition, Covetouſneſs, Envy; Helps to Contentedneſs; of Duties which concern our Bodies; of Chaſtity, &c. Helps to it; of Temperance.
THE next Duty Contentmentto our ſelves is contentedneſs, which conſiſts in an evenneſs and an humble acquieſcenſe under any State it ſhall pleaſe God to allot for us; and without this, 'tis impoſſible we ſhould be in any tolerable Condition of Happineſs. The The contraries, murmuring, Ambition and Covetouſneſs.Contraries to it, are Murmurings and Impatience under God's Diſpenſations, all Ambitious Thoughts and Deſires, an… all ſorts of Covetouſneſs, Griping… and Extortions.
Covetouſneſs is a very great and high Covetouſneſs contrary to our Duty to God, our Selves, and our Neighbours.Offence, and directly oppoſite to the great Duties we owe to God, our Selves and our Neighbours▪ 'tis oppoſite to our Duty to God, by taking our Minds off from him, and embaraſing them with the Cares and Troubles of the World; 'tis oppoſite to our Duties to our Selves, both with regard to our Souls and Bodies by urging us to ſacrifice the firſt to a little Pelf and Droſs, and the latter to Pains and Diſappointments, and ſo 'tis oppoſite to our Duties to our Neighbours, both in our Juſtice and Charity, by forcing us upon unlawful Means, and by ſetting us upon falſe and indirect meaſures; contentedneſs Contentedneſs contrary to Envy.is alſo contrary to all kind of Envy and Malice, and can never inhabit in any Breaſt, that is the leaſt tinctur'd with Prejudice or Revenge.
Helps for Contentment Helps to contentment.are the Conſideration of God's Goodneſs, Power, and Juſtice, and his univerſal Care of the World, that all our Affairs are in his hand who knows our Wants better than our ſelves; Secondly, We ſhould conſider the Vanity of all earthly things, by comparing them with the eſſential Joys of Heaven; that we are here but as Strangers and Pilgrims, and that whatever our outward Condition may be, there's a time coming when we ſhall be deliver'd from the burthen of all our Sins and Sorrows. and be enſtated in a Happineſs large as our Wiſh and laſting as our Souls.
A Fifth Duty is Diligence, which is a Diligence. It conſiſts in Watchfulneſs and Induſtry to improve the Gifts of Nature and Grace.Duty which we likewiſe owe to our Souls by watching carefully over them, and diligently guarding the… againſt all Dangers, and then improving them induſtriouſly in every Vertue, and in all the Gift… of Nature, and the accompliſhments of Grace.
We muſt likewiſe improve and cheriſh Good Motions to be improv'd, the danger of defe…ing themall good Motions, and make the moſt of every Holy Suggeſtion, leſt upon our diſpiſing the overtures of Grace, God withdraws from us all manner of kindneſs, and turns us up to a reprobate Sence; and thus far of the Vertues which belong to our Souls, I come next to thoſe that belong to our Bodies.
In the front of theſe I place Chaſtity, a Chaſtity, forbids all manner of uncleanneſs.Vertue which ſtrictly forbids all manner of wantonneſs and uncleanneſs, not only the groſſer Acts of Adultery and Fornication, but likewiſe all impure Thoughts, and all unchaſt Looks and Geſtures.
The Beauty of Chaſtity The miſchief of it, both to Body and Soul, and God's Judgments againſt it.can be no how better deſcrib'd, then by comparing it with the loathſomeneſs of Luſt, and the many Evils and miſchiefs that ſpring from it. Luſt defaces the Dignity of our very Souls, and ſinks the rational Creature into a Bruit; it makes our Minds foul and filty, and loads our Bodies with Diſeaſes and Deformity, and what's worſt of all, does generally call down Gods great and heavy It ſhuts us out from Heaven.Judgments upon us, and ſhuts the Gare of Heaven againſt us Eternally.
Theſe and many other are the ſad effects of Uncleanneſs, againſt which we Helps to Chaſtity.ought to fortifie our ſelves, by avoiding Idleneſs, and improving our Mind in all kind of active Vertue; by avoiding all manner of Temptation and all leud Company, but above all, by praying earneſtly, that God would give us a Spirit of Purity.
The ſecond Vertue relating to our Bodie… Temperance in Eating.is Temperance, and the Exerciſes of tha… are divers, i. e. in Eating, Drinking, Sleeping, Recreation, and Apparel; I ſhall ſpeak of them ſeparately, and begin with Eating.
Temperance in Eating, is then obſerved The ends of it to preſerve Life and Health.when we make it agreeable to the end for which God and Nature deſign'd i… to wit, the Preſervation of Life and Health; thoſe are the ſole end of it, and he that propoſes it either to gratifie his Taſte, or Pamper h… Body, Croſſes Gods original Purpoſe in it, and breaks all the Rule of Temperance by which it ſhould be regulated; nay, he Sacrifice …ll his other Sences to his Taſte, expoſes Rules for Temperance, and the means of it.himſelf to the Character of a Glutton, and what's worſt of all, to the Fate of that rich Glutton, that after all his Dainties wanted at laſt a drop of Water to cool his Tongue.