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The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment

Name: The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment
Author: Jeremiah Burroughs

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.

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Now, thus having dispatched the Third Head, the Lessons that we are to learn; we come to the Fourth, and that is, The excellency of this Grace of Contentment: And there is a great deal of excellency in Contentment; that's a kind of Lesson too for us to learn. And this Head likewise will be somewhat long.

Now, thus having dispach'd the Third Head, the Lessons that we are to learn; we come to the Fourth, and that is, The excellency of this Grace of Contentment: And there is a great deal of excellencie in Contentment; that's a kind of Lesson too for us to learn. And this Head likewise will be somewhat long.

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Saith the Apostle, I have learned. As if he should say, Blessed be God for this: Oh! it is a mercy of God to me that I have learned this lesson, I find so much good in this Contentment, that I would not for a world but have it: (I have learned it saith he.)

:235p. 100–101

Now the very Heathens had a sight of a great excellency that there is in Contentment: I remember I have read of Antisthenes a Philosopher, that desired of his gods, (speaking after the heathenish way) nothing in this world to make his life happy, but Contentment; and if he might have any thing that he would desire to make his life happy, he would ask of them, that he might have the spirit of Socrates, that he might have such a spirit as Socrates had, to be able to bear any wrong, any ⟨p. 101⟩injuries that he met withal, and to continue in a quiet temper of spirit whatsoever befell him; for that was the temper of Socrates, whatever befell him he continued the same man, whatever cross befell him no body could perceive any alteration of his spirit though never so great crosses did befall him. This a Heathen did attain to by the strength of Nature, and a common work of the spirit: Now this Antisthenes saw such an excellency in this spirit: As when God said to Solomon, What shall I give thee? he asked of God wisdom: so saith he, If the gods should put it to me to know what I would have, I would desire this thing, that I might have the spirit of Socrates: he saw a great excellency that there was in this. And certainly a Christian may see abundance of excellency in it: I shall labour to set it out to you in this Sermon that you may be in love with this Grace of Contentment.

Now the very Heathens had a sight of a great excellency that there is in Contentment: I remember I have read of Antistenes a Philosopher, that desired of his gods, (speaking after the heathenish way) nothing in this world to make his life happy, but Contentment; and if he might have any thing that hee would desire to make his life happy, he would aske of them, that he might have the spirit of Socrates, that he might have such a spirit as Socrates had, to be able to bear any wrong, any ⟨p. 101⟩injuries that he met withall, and to continue in a quiet temper of spirit whatsoever befell him; for that was the temper of Socrates, whatever befell him he continued the same man, whatever crosse befell him no body could perceive any alteration of his spirit though never so great crosses did befall him. This a Heathen did attain to by the strength of Nature, and a common work of the spirit: Now this Antistenes saw such an excellency in this spirit: As when God said to Solomon, What shall I give thee? he asked of God wisdom: so saith he, If the gods should put it to me to know what I would have, I would desire this thing, that I might have the spirit of Socrates: he saw a great excellency that there was in this. And certainly a Christian may see abundance of excellency in it: I shall labour to set it out to you in this Sermon that you may be in love with this Grace of Contentment.

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In the First place, By Contentment we come to give God that worship that is due to him: It is a special part of Divine worship that we owe to God, if we be content in a Christian way, according as hath been opened to you; I say it is a special part of the Divine worship that the creature owes to the infinite Creator, in that I do tender that respect that is due from me to the Creator. The word that the Greeks have that signifies to worship, it is as much as to come and crouch before another, as a dog should come crouching unto you, and be willing to lie down at your feet; so the creature in the apprehension of its own baseness, and the infinite Excellency that there is in God above it; when it comes to worship God, it comes and crouches to this God, and it lies down at the feet of God, then doth the creature worship God. When you see a dog come crouching to you, and you can make him with holding your hand over him to lie down at your feet; then consider, thus should you do before the Lord, you should come crouching to him, and lie down at his feet even upon your backs or bellies, to lie down in the dust before him, so as to be willing that he should do with you what he will; as sometimes you may turn a dog this way or that way up and down with the hand, and there he lies before you, according to your showing him with your hand: So when the creature shall come and lie down thus before ⟨p. 102⟩the Lord, then a Creature worships God, doth tender you that worship that is due to God. Now in what disposition of heart do we thus •ouch to God more, than when we have this Contentation in all conditions that God disposed us unto? This is a crouching unto Gods dispose, to be like the poor woman of Canaan, when Christ said, it is not fit to give Children's meat to dogs, but (saith she) the dogs have crumbs. I am a dog I confess, I but let me have but a crumb. And so when the soul shall be in such a disposition as to lie down and say, Lord I am but as a dog, yet let me have a crumb, then doth it highly honour God. It may be some of you have not your table spread as others have, but God gives you crumbs; now saith the poor woman, dogs have crumbs, and when you can find your hearts thus subjecting unto God, to be but as a dog, and can be Contented and bless God for any crumb:

:237p. 102–103

I say this is a great worship of God, you worship God by this more than when you come to hear a Sermon, or spend half an hour, or an hour in prayer, or when you come to receive a Sacrament; These are the acts of Gods worship, I but these are but external acts of worship, to hear, and pray, and receive Sacraments: But now this is the Soul-worship, to subject its self thus to God. You that often will worship God by Hearing, and Praying, and receiving Sacraments, and yet afterwards will be froward and discontented, know, that God regards not that worship, he will have the soul-worship in this subjecting of the soul to God. Observe it I beseech you, in active obedience, there we worship God by doing that that pleases God, but by passive obedience we do as well worship God by being pleased with that that God doth. Now when I perform a duty, I worship God, I do what pleases God: why should I not as well worship God when I am pleased with what God doth? As it was said of Christs obedience, Christ was active in his passive obedience, and passive in his active obedience: So the Saints they are passive in their active obedience; they are first passive in their reception of grace, and then active: And when they come to passive obedience they are active, they put forth grace in active obedience, when they perform actions to God, then saith the Soul, Oh! that I could do that that pleases God, when they ⟨p. 103⟩come to suffer any cross, Oh that what God doth might please me. I labour to do what pleases God, and I labour that what God doth shall please me, here's a Christian indeed that shall endeavour both these; now this is but one side of a Christian, to endeavour to do what pleases God, but you must as well endeavour to be pleased with what God doth, and so you shall come to be a complete Christian when you can do both. And that's the first thing in the excellency of this Grace of Contentment.

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The Second thing in the opening of this excellency of Contentment is, That in Contentment there is much exercise of Grace, There is much strength of Grace, yea there is much beauty of Grace in Contentment, there is much exercise of Grace, strength of Grace, and beauty of Grace, I put all these together.

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1 Much exercise of Grace, There is a composition of Grace in Contentment, there is faith, and there is humility, and love, and there is patience, and there is wisdom, and there is hope, all graces almost are compounded, it's an oil that hath the ingredients of all kind of graces, and therefore though you cannot see the particular grace, yet in this oil you have it all; God sees the Graces of his Spirit exercised in a special manner, and this pleases God at the heart to see the Graces of his Spirit exercised. In some one action that you do you may exercise some one grace especially, but now in Contentment you exercise a great many graces at once.

1 Much exercise of Grace, There is a composition of Grace in Contentment, there is faith, and there is humility, and love, and there is patience, and there is wisdom, and there is hope, all graces almost are compounded, it's an oyle that hath the ingredients of all kind of graces, and therefore though you cannot see the particular grace, yet in this oyl you have it all; God sees the Graces of his Spirit exercised in a special manner, and this pleases God at the heart to see the Graces of his Spirit exercised. In some one action that you do you may exercise some one grace especially, but now in Contentment you exercise a great many graces at once.

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2 There is a great deal of strength of Grace in Contentment, It argues a great deal of strength in the body, the body to be able to endure hard weather and whatsoever falls out, and yet not to be much altered by it; so it argues strength of Grace to be content: You that complain of weakness of memory, and weakness of parts, you cannot do what others do in other things, but have you this gracious heart-contentment that hath been opened to you; I know that you have attained to strength of Grace in this, when it is so spiritual as hath been opened to you in the explication of this point. As it is with a mans brain, if a man be distempered in his body and hath many obstructions in his body, hath an ill stomach, and his spleen ⟨p. 104⟩and liver obstructed, and yet for all this his brain is not distempered, it is an argument of a great strength of brain, and though there be many ill fumes that riseth from his corrupt stomach, yet still his brain is not distempered but he continues in the free exercise of the use of his reason and understanding; every one may understand that this man hath a very strong brain, that such things shall not distemper him, whereas other people that have a weak brain, if they do not digest but one meals meat, the fumes that do arise from their stomachs, doth distemper their brain and makes them unfit for every thing, whereas you shall have others that have strong heads, and strong brains, though their stomachs be ill that they do not digest meat, yet still they have the free use of their brain, this argues strength: So it is in a mans spirit, you shall have many that have weak spirits, and if they have any ill fumes, if accidents befall them, you shall presently have them out of temper, but you shall have other men that though things do fume up yet still they keep in a steady-way, and have the use of reason and of other graces, and possess their Souls with patience. As I remember it's reported of the Eagle, it's not like other fowls, other fowls when they are hungry make an noise, but the Eagle is never heard to make an noise though it wants food, and it is from the magnitude of his spirit that it will not make such complaints as other fowls will do when they want food, it is because it is above hunger, and above thirst:

2 There is a great deal of strength of Grace in Contentment, It argues a great deal of strength in the body, the body to be able to endure hard weather and whatsoever fals out, and yet not to be much altered by it; so it argues strength of Grace to be content: You that complain of weaknesse of memory, and weaknesse of parts, you cannot do what others do in other things, but have you this gracious heart-contentment that hath been opened to you; I know that you have attained to strength of Grace in this, when it is so spiritual as hath been opened to you in the explication of this point. As it is with a mans braine, if a man be distempered in his body and hath many obstructions in his body, hath an ill stomack, and his spleen

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So it is argument of a gracious magnitude of spirit that whatsoever befalls it, yet it is not always whining and complaining so as others are, but goes on still in it's way and course, and blesses God and keeps in a constant tenor whatsoever thing befalls it, such things as causes others to be dejected and fretted and vexed, and takes away all the comfort of their lives, it makes no alteration at all in the spirits of these men and women, I say this is a sign of a great deal of strength of Grace.

So it is argument of a gracious magnitude of spirit that whatsoever befals it, yet it is not alwaies whyning and complaining so as others are, but goes on still in it's way and course, and blesses God and keeps in a constant tenour whatsoever thing befals it, such things as causes others to be dejected and fretted and vexed, and takes away all the comfort of their lives, it makes no alteration at all in the spirits of these men and women, I say this is a sign of a great deal of strength of Grace.

:242p. 104–105¶3

3 It's also an argument of a great deal of beauty of Grace. It's a speech that Seneca a Heathen once had, saith he, When you go abroad into groves and woods; and there you see the tallness of the trees and their shadows, it strikes a kind of awful fear of a Deity in you, and when you see the vast rivers and fountains, ⟨p. 105⟩and deep waters that strikes a kind of fear of a God in you but (saith he) do you see a man that is quiet in tempests, and that lives happily in the middest of adversities, why do not you worship that man? he doth think him a man even to be honoured that shall be quiet and live a happy life though in the middest of adversities. The glory of God appears here more than in any of his works; there is no works that God hath made, the Sun Moon and Stars and all the world wherein so much of the glory of God doth appear, as in a man that lives quietly in the middest of adversity. That was that that convinced the King, when he saw the three Children could walk in the midest of the fiery furnace & not be touched, the King was mightily convinced by this, that surely their God was a great God indeed, & that they were highly beloved of their God that could walk in the midst of the furnace and not be touched, whereas the others that came but to the mouth of the furnace were devoured, so when a Christian can walk in the midst of fiery trials, and not his garments singed, but have comfort and joy in the midst of all (as Paul in the stocks) can sing, (that wrought upon the jailer:) so it will convince men when they see the power of grace in the middest of afflictions, such afflictions as would make others to roar under them, yet they can behave themselves in a gracious and holy manner; Oh it's the glory of a Christian. It is that that is said to be the glory of Christ, (for so by Interpreters it is thought to be meant of Christ) In Micah, 5.5. And this man (the text saith) shall be the peace when the Assyrian shall come into our land, and when he shall tread in our palaces. This man shall be the peace when the Assyrian shall come into our land; for one to be in peace when there is no enemies it's no great matter, but saith the text when the Assyrian shall come into our land, then this man shall be the peace; that is, when all shall be in an hubbub and uproar yet then this man shall be peace.

3 It's also an argument of a great deal of beauty of Grace. It's a speech that Seneca a Heathen once had, saith he, When you go abroad into groves and woods; and there you see the talnesse of the trees and their shadows, it strikes a kind of awful fear of a Deity in you, and when you see the vast rivers and fountains,

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That's the trial of grace when you find Jesus Christ in your hearts to be peace when the Assyrian shall come into the land. You may think you find peace in Christ when you have no outward troubles, but is Christ your peace when the Assyrian comes into the land, when the enemy comes? Suppose you should hear the enemy come marching to the City & had taken ⟨p. 106⟩the works, and were plundering, what would be your peace? Jesus Christ would be peace to the soul when the enemy comes into the City, and into your houses; If there be any of you that have been where the enemy hath come, what hath been the peace of your souls? That that's said of Christ may be applied to this grace of Contentment, when the Assyrian, the plunderers, the enemies, when any affliction, trouble, distress doth befall such a heart, then this grace of Contentment brings peace to the soul; at that time brings peace to their soul when the Assyrian comes into the land: The grace of Contentment it's an excellent grace, ther•'s much beauty, much strength in it, there is a great deal of worth in this grace, and therefore be in love with it.

That's the tryal of grace when you find Jesus Christ in your hearts to be peace when the Assyrian shall come into the land. You may think you find peace in Christ when you have no outward troubles, but is Christ your peace when the Assyrian comes into the land, when the enemy comes? Suppose you should hear the enemy come marching to the City & had taken ⟨p. 106⟩the works, and were plundering, what would be your peace? Jesus Christ would be peace to the soul when the enemy comes into the City, and into your houses; If there be any of you that have been where the enemy hath come, what hath been the peace of your souls? That that's said of Christ may be applyed to this grace of Contentment, when the Assyrian, the plunderers, the enemies, when any affliction, trouble, distresse doth befal such a heart, then this grace of Contentment brings peace to the soul; at that time brings peace to their soul when the Assyrian comes into the land: The grace of Contentment it's an excellent grace, ther•'s much beauty, much strength in it, there is a great deal of worth in this grace, and therefore be in love with it.

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The Third thing in the excellency of Contentment is this, By Contentment the soul is fitted to receive mercy, and to do service, I'll put those two together, Contentment makes the soul fit to receive mercy, and to do service; no man or woman in the world is so fit for to receive the Grace of God, and to do the work of God as those that have contented spirits.

The Third thing in the excellency of Contentment is this, By Contentment the soul is fitted to receive mercy, and to do service, I'le put those two together, Contentment makes the soul fit to receive mercy, and to do service; no man or woman in the world is so fit for to receive the Grace of God, and to do the work of God as those that have contented spirits.

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1 Those are fitted to receive mercy from the Lord that are contented: As now, if you would have a vessel to take in any liquor, you must hold the vessel still, if the vessel stir and shake up and down you cannot pour in any thing, but you will bid hold still that you may pour it in and not loose any; so if we would be the vessels to receive Gods mercy, and would have the Lord pour in his mercy to us, we must have quiet still hearts, we must not have hearts hurrying up and down in trouble discontent and vexing, but we must have still and quiet hearts if we would receive mercy from the Lord: If a child throws and flings up and down for a thing, you will not give it him then when he cries so, but first you will have the child quiet, though perhaps you do intend the child shall have the thing he cries for, but you will not give it him till he is quiet and comes and stands still before you and is contented without it and then you will give it him: and truly so doth the Lord deal with us, (for our dealing, with him are just as your froward children's are with you) as soon as you would have a thing from God if you have it not you are disquieted presently and all in an uproar (as it were) ⟨p. 107⟩in your spirits: God intends mercy to you, but saith God you shall not have it yet, I will see you quiet first, and then in the quietness of your hearts come to me and see what I will do with you. I appeal to you, you that are any way acquainted with the ways of God, have you not found this to be the way of God towards you, when you have been troubled for want perhaps of some spiritual comfort, and your hearts were vexed at it, you get nothing from God all that while; but now if you have got your heart into a quiet frame, and can say, well, it's fit the Lord should do with his poor creatures what he will, I am under his feet, and am resolved to do what I can to honour him; and let him do with me what he will I will seek him as long as I live, I will be content with what God gives; and whether he gives or no I will be content; yea, are you in this frame (saith God) now you shall have comfort, now I will give you the mercy.

1 Those are fitted to receive mercy from the Lord that are contented: As now, if you would have a vessel to take in any licquor, you must hold the vessel still, if the vessel stir and shake up and down you cannot powre in any thing, but you will bid hold stil that you may powre it in and not loose any; so if we would be the vessels to receive Gods mercy, and would have the Lord powr in his mercy to us, we must have quiet still hearts, we must not have hearts hurrying up and down in trouble discontent and vexing, but we must have still and quiet hearts if we would receive mercy from the Lord: If a child throws and flings up and down for a thing, you will not give it him then when he cries so, but first you will have the child quiet, though perhaps you do intend the child shall have the thing he cries for, but you will not give it him till he is quiet and comes and stands still before you and is contented without it and then you will give it him: and truly so doth the Lord deal with us, (for our dealing, with him are just as your froward childrens are with you) as soon as you would have a thing from God if you have it not you are disquieted presently and all in an upprore (as it were)

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A prisoner must not think to get off his fetters by pulling and tearing, he may gall his flesh and rend it to the very bone, certainly he will be unfettered never the sooner, but if he would have his fetters taken off he must quietly give up himself to some man to take them off; If a beggar after he hath knocked once or twice at the door and you come not, and thereupon he is vexed and troubled and thinks much that you let him stand a little while without any thing, you think that this beggar is not fit to receive an alms, but if you hear two or three beggars at your door, and if you hear them out of your window say, let us be content to stay, perhaps they are busy, it's fit that we should stay, it's well if we have any thing at last, we deserve nothing at all, and therefore we may well wait a while; you would then quickly send them an alms; so God deals with the heart, when it is in a disquiet way then God doth not give; but when the heart lies down quietly under Gods hand, then is the heart in a fit frame to receive mercy: Your strength shall be to sit still (saith God,) you shall not be delivered from Babylon but by your sitting still.

A prisoner must not think to get off his fetters by pulling and tearing, he may gall his flesh and rend it to the very bone, certainly he will be unfettered never the sooner, but if he would have his fetters taken off he must quietly give up himself to some man to take them off; If a begger after he hath knockt once or twice at the door and you come not, and thereupon he is vext and troubled and thinks much that you let him stand a little while without any thing, you think that this begger is not fit to receive an almes, but if you hear two or three beggers at your door, and if you hear them out of your window say, let us be content to stay, perhaps they are busie, it's fit that we should stay, it's well if we have any thing at last, we deserve nothing at all, and therefore we may well wait a while; you would then quickly send them an almes; so God deals with the heart, when it is in a disquiet way then God doth not give; but when the heart lies down quietly under Gods hand, then is the heart in a fit frame to receive mercy: Your strength shall be to sit still (saith God,) you shall not be delivered from Babylon but by your sitting still.

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2 As fit to receive mercy, So fit to do service, Oh the quiet fruits of righteousness, the peaceable fruits of righteousness; they indeed do prosper and multiply most when they come to be peaceable fruits of righteousness. As the Philosophers say ⟨p. 108⟩of every thing that moves, nothing that moves but it moves upon something that is immovable; as a thing that moves upon the earth, if the earth were not still it could not move.

2 As fit to receive mercy, So fit to do service, Oh the quiet fruits of righteousnesse, the peaceable fruits of righteousnesse; they indeed do prosper and multiply most when they come to be peacable fruits of righteousnesse. As the Philosophers say ⟨p. 108⟩of every thing that moves, nothing that moves but it moves upon something that is immovable; as a thing that moves upon the earth, if the earth were not still it could not move.

:248p. 108

Object. The ships move upon the Sea, and that is not still.

In the First place, By Contentment we come to give God that worship that is due to him: It is a special part of Divine worship that we owe to God, if we be content in a Christian way, according as hath been opened to you; I say it is a special part of the Divine worship that the creature owes to the infinit Creator, in that I do tender that respect that is due from me to the Creator. The word that the Greeks have that signifies to worship, it is as much as to come and crouch before another, as a dog should come crouching unto you, and be willing to lie down at your feet; so the creature in the apprehension of its owne basenesse, and the infinit Excellency that there is in God above it; when it comes to worship God, it comes and crouches to this God, and it lies down at the feet of God, then doth the creature worship God. When you see a dog come crouching to you, and you can make him with holding your hand over him to lie down at your feet; then consider, thus should you do before the Lord, you should come crouching to him, and lie down at his feet even upon your backs or bellies, to lie down in the dust before him, so as to be willing that he should do with you what he will; as somtimes you may turn a dog this way or that way up and down with the hand, and there he lies before you, according to your shewing him with your hand: So when the creature shall come and lie down thus before ⟨p. 102⟩the Lord, then a Creature worships God, doth tender you that worship that is due to God. Now in what disposition of heart do we thus •ouch to God more, than when we have this Contentation in all conditions that God disposed us unto? This is a crouching unto Gods dispose, to be like the poor woman of Canaan, when Christ said, it is not fit to give Childrens meat to dogs, but (saith she) the dogs have crums. I am a dog I confesse, I but let me have but a crum. And so when the soul shall be in such a disposition as to lie down and say, Lord I am but as a dog, yet let me have a crum, then doth it highly honour God. It may be some of you have not your table spread as others have, but God gives you crums; now saith the poor woman, dogs have crums, and when you can find your hearts thus subjecting unto God, to be but as a dog, and can be Contented and blesse God for any crum:

and deep waters that strikes a kind of fear of a God in you but (saith he) do you see a man that is quiet in tempests, and that lives happily in the middest of adversities, why do not you worship that man? he doth think him a man even to be honoured that shall be quiet and live a happy life though in the middest of adversities. The glory of God appears here more than in any of his works; there is no works that God hath made, the Sun Moon and Stars and all the world wherein so much of the glory of God doth appear, as in a man that lives quietly in the middest of adversity. That was that that covinc'd the King, when he saw the three Children could walk in the midest of the fiery furnace & not be toucht, the King was mightily convinc'd by this, that surely their God was a great God indeed, & that they were highly beloved of their God that could walk in the mid'st of the furnace and not be toucht, whereas the others that came but to the mouth of the furnace were devoured, so when a Christian can walk in the mid'st of fiery trials, and not his garments singed, but have comfort and joy in the mid'st of all (as Paul in the stocks) can sing, (that wrought upon the jaylour:) so it will convince men when they see the power of grace in the middest of afflictions, such afflictions as would make others to rore under them, yet they can behave themselves in a gracious and holy manner; Oh it's the glory of a Christian. It is that that is said to be the glory of Christ, (for so by Interpreters it is thought to be meant of Christ) In Micah, 5.5. And this man (the text saith) shall be the peace when the Assyrian shall come into our land, and when he shall tread in our pallaces. This man shall be the peace when the Assyrian shall come into our land; for one to be in peace when there is no enemies it's no great matter, but saith the text when the Assyrian shal come into our land, then this man shall be the peace; that is, when all shal be in an hubbub and uprore yet then this man shal be peace.

Reformers309

Puritans1,782

Westminster Assembly24

Evangelicals36