Autarkeia, or, The art of divine contentment by Thomas Watson.

SECT. 4.

4. Rule. Keep a cleare Conscience.

Contentment is the Manna that is laid up in the Arke of a good con∣science; Oh, take heed of indulging any sin. 'Tis as naturall for guilt to breed disquiet, as for putred matter to breed vermine. Sinne lies as Ionah in the ship, it raiseth a tempest. If dust, or motes be gotten into the eye, they make the eye water, and cause a sorenesse in it; if the eye be clear, then it is free from that sorenesse: If sin be gotten into the conscience, which is as the eye of the soule, then grief and disquiet breeds there; but keep the eye of conscience clear, and all is well. What Solomon saith of a good stomack, I may say of a good conscience: To the hungry soule every bitter thing is sweet; so to a

good conscience every bitter thing is sweet; it can pick contentment out of the Crosse. Good conscience turnes the waters of Marah in∣to wine. Would you have a quiet heart, get a smiling conscience. I wonder not to hear Paul say, he was in every state content; When hee could make that triumph, I have lived in all good conscience to this day. When once a mans reckonings are clear, it must needs let in abundance of contentment into the heart. Good conscience can suck content∣ment out of the bitterest drugge; un∣der slanders, This is our rejoycing, the testimony of our conscience: in case of imprisonment, Paul had his prison-songs, and could play the sweet les∣son of contentment when his feet were in the stocks; one calls it bonae conscientiae Paradisus, the Paradise of a good conscience; and if it be so, then in prison wee may be in Paradise. When the times are troublesome,

good conscience makes a calme; If conscience he clear, what though the dayes be cloudy? Is it not a content∣ment to have a friend alwayes by, to speak a good word for us? such a friend is conscience. Good consci∣ence, as Davids Harp, drives away the evil spirit of discontent. When thoughts begin to arise, and the heart is disquieted; Conscience saith to a man as the King did to Nehemlah, Why is thy countenance sad? So saith Conscience, hast not thou the seed of God in thee? art not thou an heir of the Promise? Hast not thou a treasure that thou canst never be plundered of? Why is thy counte∣nance sad? Oh keep conscience clear, and you shall never want con∣tentment. For a man to keep the pipes of his body, the veines and ar∣teries free from colds and obstructi∣ons, is the best way to maintaine health: So, to keep conscience clear, and to preserve it from the ob∣obstructions

of guilt, is the best way to maintaine contentment. First conscience is pure, and then peace∣able.

Notes

• 1 Tim. 3. 9.
• Pro. 27. 7.
• Act. 23. 1.
• 2 Cor. 1. 12.
• Acts 16. 25. Augustive.
• Neb. 2. 2.