A30598:125
The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment
The rare jewel of Christian contentment wherein is showed, I. What contentment is, II. The holy art or mystery of it, III. Several lessons that Christ teacheth, to work the heart to contentment, IV. The excellencies of it, V. The evils of murmuring, VII. The aggravations of the sin of murmuring / by Jeremiah Burroughs.The rare jewel of Christian contentment wherein is shewed, I. What contentment is, II. The holy art or mystery of it, III. Several lessons that Christ teacheth, to work the heart to contentment, IV. The excellencies of it, V. The evils of murmuring, VII. The aggravations of the sin of murmuring / by Jeremiah Burroughs.
London: printed for Peter Cole, 1649
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
2. What they have it is sanctified to them for good; Other men have what they enjoy in a way of common providence, but the Saints in a special way; Others have what they have and there is all, they have meat, and drink, and houses, and clothes, and money and that's all. But a gracious heart finds contentment in this, I have it, and I have a sanctified use of it too; I find God going along with what I have to draw my heart nearer to him, and sanctify my heart to him: If I find my heart drawn ⟨p. 42⟩nearer to God by what I enjoy; it's more a great deal than if I have it without any sanctifying my heart by it; there's a secret dew that goes along with it, there's the dew of Gods love in it, and the dew of sanctification.
2. What they have it is sanctified to them for good; Other men have what they injoy in a way of common providence, but the Saints in a special way; Others have what they have and there is all, they have meate, and drink, and houses, and cloaths, and money and that's all. But a gracious heart finds contentment in this, I have it, and I have a sanctified use of it too; I find God going along with what I have to draw my heart neerer to him, and sanctifie my heart to him: If I find my heart drawn ⟨p. 42⟩nearer to God by what I injoy; it's more a great deal than if I have it without any sanctifying my heart by it; there's a secret dew that goes along with it, there's the dew of Gods love in it, and the dew of sanctification.
3. A gracious heart what he hath he hath it upon free-cost, he is not like to be called to pay for what he hath: The difference between what a godly man hath; and a wicked man is in this: A godly man is as a child in an Inn; an In-keeper hath his child in his house, and the Father provides his diet, and lodging, and what is fit for him; Now there comes a stranger, and the stranger hath dinner and supper provided, and lodging, but the stranger must pay for all; it may be the child's fare is meaner than the fare of the stranger, the stranger hath boiled, and roast and baked; but he must pay for it, there must come a reckoning for it. Just thus it is, many of Gods people have but mean fare; but God as a father provides it, and it is on free-cost, and they must not pay for what they have, it is paid for before; but the wicked in all their pomp, and pride, and bravery, they have what they call for, but there must come a reckoning for all, they must pay for all in the conclusion, and is it not better to have a little upon free cost, than to come to have all to pay for? Grace doth show a man that what he hath, he hath it on free cost, from God as from a Father, and therefore must needs be very sweet.