A30598:231
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.
Object. But you will say, What do you understand by Gods ways?
Object. But you will say, What do you understand by Gods waies?
Answ: By that I mean these Three things. And when we come to know them we shall not wonder so much at the providence of God, but be quiet and contented with them.
1. The First thing is this, Gods ordinary course is, that his people in this world should be in an afflicted condition: God hath revealed in his Word, and we may there find he hath set down to be his ordinary way even from the beginning of the world to this day, (but more especially in the times of the Gospel,) that his people here should be in an afflicted condition. Now men that do not understand this, they stand and wonder to hear of the people of God that they are afflicted, and the enemies prosper in their way; for those that seek God in his way, and seek for Reformation, for them to be afflicted and routed and spoiled, and the enemies to prevail, they wonder at it: but now, one that is in the School of Christ, he is taught by Jesus Christ that God by his eternal Counsels hath set this to be his course and way, to bring up his people in this world in an afflicted condition, and therefore saith the Apostle, Account it not strange concerning the fiery trial. 1 Pet. 4.12. We are not therefore to be discontented with it seeing God hath set such a course and way, & we know such is the will of God that it should be so.
1. The First thing is this, Gods ordinary course is, that his people in this world should be in an afflicted condition: God hath revealed in his Word, and we may there find he hath set down to be his ordinary way even from the begining af the world to this day, (but more especially in the times of the Gospel,) that his people here should be in an afflicted condition. Now men that do not understand this, they stand and wonder to hear of the people of God that they are afflicted, and the enemies prosper in their way; for those that seek God in his way, and seek for Reformation, for them to be afflicted and routed and spoiled, and the enemies to prevail, they wonder at it: but now, one that is in the School of Christ, he is taught by Jesus Christ that God by his eternal Counsels hath set this to be his course and way, to bring up his people in this world in an afflicted condition, and therefore saith the Apostle, Account it not strange concerning the fiery tryal.