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I HAVE perused this Treatise, entitled "The Remedy of Discontentment ;" and, judging it to be very pious, profitable, and necessary for these Sad and Distracted Times, I License it to be printed and published; and should much commend it to the Christian Reader, if the very name of the Author were not in itself sufficient, without any further testimony.

JOHN DOWNAME.

TO

THE CHRISTIAN READER,

GRACE AND PEACE,

WHAT can be more seasmable, than, when all the world is sick of Discontentment, to give Counsels and Recipes of Contentation?

Perhaps the patient will think it a time ill chosen for physic, in the midst of a fit: but, in this case, we must do as we may. I confess, I would rather have staid till the paroxysm were happily over; that so, the humours being somewhat settled, I might hope for the more kindly operation of this wholesome medicine. But, partly, my age and weakness, despairing to outlive the public distemper; and, partly, my judgment, crossing the vulgar opinion for the season of some kind of Recipes; have now put me upon this safe and useful prescription.

God is my witness, that I wrote this in the depth of mine own afflictions; the particulars whereof, it were unseasonable to trouble the world withal: as one, that meant to make myself my own patient, by enjoining myself that course of remedies, that I prescribe to others; and as one, who, by the powerful working of God's Spirit within me, labour to find my heart framed to those holy dispositions, which I wish and recommend to every Christian sout.

If there be no remedy, but the worst of outward troubles must afflict us; it shall be happy yet, if we may find inward peace in our bosoms: which shall be, if we can reconcile ourselves to our offended God; and calm our spirits to a meek undergoing of those sufferings, which the Divine Providence hath thought fit to measure forth unto us. This is the main drift of this ensuing labour.

Now the same God, who hath, in these blustering times, put into my heart these quiet thoughts of Holy Contentation, bless them in every hand, that shall receive them; and make them effectual to the good of every soul, that shall now and hereafter entertain them! that so their gracious proficiency may, in the day of the appearance of our Lord Jesus, add to the joy of my account; who am the unworthiest of the servants of God and his Church,

J. N.

Contentation in knowing

HOW TO WANT.

THE METHOD* OF THIS TREATISE.

I. WHAT IT IS, to know how to want
and to be abased.

II. HOW TO

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I. CONSI

DERATIONS
which re-

spect

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(a.)Expose to Envy. (b.) Macerate with

Cares.

(c.) Danger of Distemper, both bodily and spiritual. (d.) Torment in parting.

(e.) Account to be rendered.

(a.) Freedom from Cares.

(b.) Freedom from Fears of Keeping. (c) Freedom from Fears of losing.

[6.] Of how little will suffice Nature.
[7.] Of the Miseries of Discontentment.
[8.] Of the Vicissitudes of Favours and
Crosses.

[9.] Examples of Contentation, both with-
out and within the Church of God.
(a.) Necessity and
Benefit of Death.
(b.) Conscience of a
well-led Life.
(c.) Final Peace
with God.

[1.] Remedies
against the Ter-

rois of Death.

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(d.) Efficacy of

Christ's Death applied. (e.) Comfortable Expectation of certain Resurrection and immediate Vision of God. ́(a.) Defilement of Sin Original. (b.) Proneness to

Sin. (c.) Difficulty of doing well. (d.) Dulness of Understanding.

(e.) Perpetual Conflicts.

(f.) Solicitude of Cares.

(g.) Multiplicity of Passions.

(h.) Retardation of Glory.

HOW TO ABOUND.

1). Humility.

2. DISPOSITIONS. (2.) Self-Resignation.

3. RESOLUTIONS.

(3.) True Inward Riches.

(1.) That our Present Condition is best for us.
(2.) To abate of our Desires.

(3.) To digest smaller Inconveniencies.
(4.) To be Frequent and Fervent in Prayer.

This Analysis is arranged somewhat differently from that printed in the former editions, to render it more conformable to the Treause itself.

EDITOR.

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