174 THE COMPLETE ANGLER. PARTI. 



can make us happy. I kne.w a man that had health and riches, 

 and several houses, all beautiful, and ready furnished, and would 

 often trouble himself and family to be removing from one house 

 to another ; and being asked by a friend, why he removed so 

 often from oneji^"^ f o another, replied. "It was to find content 

 ingnniejDne of them." But his friend, knowing his 'temper, told 

 him, If he wotrt4-^4-eontent in any of his houses he must leave 

 himself behind him ; fcu^cpntent will never dwell but in a meek 

 dquiet soul. Aftd thin rrnny appcaj^iMvcTc'a-d and consider 

 aviaur__says in St. Matthew's gospel ; for he there 

 cd j^^thcTmerchul. ior they shall OhtTTin mercy. 

 Tieart7fr>r they shnjl sec Gqd^ Blessed 



for theirs is thf> kingdom o. c heaven." And, 

 X Blessed be the meek, for they shall possess the earth." Not 

 that the meek Shall no? also obtain mercy, and seeTTotl, and be 

 comforted, and at last come to the kingdom of heaven ; but in 

 the meantime he, and he nn1 Vj prx^pw*; the r>nrth ) HQ K/* goes 

 to^ardsjjiat kingdom of heaven, by being humblo-ael cheerful, 

 aru3-p<=mterif \yith what his good Cod has allotted frim^ He has 

 nn-turbnlent, repining vexatious 



bettor] nnr-Is vext whpn ho sees nfhprq pnqqpqf nf morehnnnnr 

 or more riches than his wise God has allotted for his share ; but 

 he possesses what he has with a meek and contented quietness. 

 * qmVtnpqQ as mnkos his very dreams pleasing.J)oth to 



My honest scholar, all this is told to incline you to thankful- 

 ness ; and to incline you the more, let me tell you, that though 

 the prophet Davu} was guilty of murder and adultery, and many 

 other of the most deadly sins, yet he was said to be a man after 

 God's own heart, because he abounded more with thankfulness 

 than any other that is mentioned in Holy Scripture, as may 

 appear in his book of Psalms ; where there is such a commixture 

 ofjjis confessing of his sins and tinworthinesg, a.Qt^iich thankful- 

 nsss ifor God's pardcm and mercies, as did make T h linTTTT* be 

 accounted, _even BvGod himself, Jo, be a^man aftei^his own 

 Ixgart : and let us, in that, labour to be as like him as we can ; 

 let not the blessings we receive daily from God make us not to 



