I beseech you to consider that God does not deal by you as you deal with him.

Your mercies are more than your afflictions.

It is a special part of the divine worship that we owe to God, to be content in a Christian way, as has been shown to you.

To be well skilled in the mystery of Christian contentment is the duty, glory and excellence of a Christian.

the disorders of your hearts, and their sinful workings are as words before God.

My brethren, the reason why you have not got contentment in the things of the world is not because you have not got enough of them-that is not the reason-but the reason is, because they are not things proportionable to that immortal soul of yours that is capable of God himself.

When [the saints] perform actions to God, then the soul says: 'Oh! that I could do what pleases God!' When they come to suffer any cross: 'Oh, that what God does might please me!' I labour to do what pleases God, and I labour that what God does shall please me: here is a Christian indeed, who shall endeavour both these. It is but one side of a Christian to endeavour to do what pleases God; you must as well endeavour to be pleased with what God does, and so you will come to be a complete Christian when you can do both, and that is the first thing in the excellence of this grace of contentment.