A30598:238
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.
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.