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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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3. If I get Content by having my desire satisfied, that's but self-love; but when I am Contented with the hand of God, and am willing to be at his dispose, that comes from my love to God in having my desire satisfied, there I am contented through self-love, but through the Grace of Contentment I come to be contented out of love to God; and is it not better to be contented from a principle of love to God, than from a principle of self-love.

3. If I get Content by having my desire satisfied, that's but self-love; but when I am Contented with the hand of God, and am willing to be at his dispose, that comes from my love to God in having my desire satisfied, there I am contented through self-love, but through the Grace of Contentment I come to be contented out of love to God; and is it not beteer to be contented from a principle of love to God, than from a principle of self-love.

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4. If I am contented because I have that that I have a desire to, perhaps I am contented in that one particular, but that one particular doth not furnish me with Contentment in another thing; perhaps I may grow more dainty and nice, and froward in other things: if you give children what they would have in some things, they grow so much the more coy and dainty, and discontented if they have not other things that they would have; but if I have once overcome my heart, and am contented through the grace of God in my heart, then this doth not content me only in a particular, but in general, whatsoever befalls me. I am discontented, and would fain have such a thing, and afterwards I have it: now doth this prepare me to be contented in other things? no, but when I have gotten this Grace of Contentment, I am prepared to be contented in all conditions: and thus you see that Contentment doth bring comfort to a mans life, fills a mans life full of comfort in this world: yea, the truth is, it is even a Heaven upon Earth, why? what is ⟨p. 114⟩Heaven, but the rest and quiet of a mans spirit; what's the special thing that is in Heaven, but rest, and joy, that makes the life of Heaven, there's rest and joy, and satisfaction in God: so it's here in a contented spirit, there's rest, and joy, and satisfaction in God: In Heaven, there's singing praises to God; a contented heart is always praising and blessing God; thou hast Heaven while thou art upon earth when thou hast a contented spirit, yea, in some regards it's better than Heaven. How is that you will say? there's some kind of honour that God hath in it, and some excellency that he hath not in Heaven, and that's this,

4. If I am contented because I have that that I have a desire to, perhaps I am contented in that one particular, but that one particular doth not furnish me with Contentment in another thing; perhaps I may grow more dainty and nice, and froward in other things: if you give children what they would have in some things, they grow so much the more coy and dainty, and discontented if they have not other things that they would have; but if I have once overcome my heart, and am contented through the grace of God in my heart, then this doth not content me only in a particular, but in general, whatsoever befals me. I am discontented, and would fain have such a thing, and afterwards I have it: now doth this prepare me to be contented in other things? no, but when I have gotten this Grace of Contentment, I am prepar'd to be contented in all conditions: and thus you see that Contentment doth bring comfort to a mans life, fils a mans life full of comfort in this world: yea, the truth is, it is even a Heaven upon Earth, why? what is ⟨p. 114⟩Heaven, but the rest and quiet of a mans spirit; what's the special thing that is in Heaven, but rest, and joy, that makes the life of Heaven, there's rest and joy, and satisfaction in God: so it's here in a contented spirit, there's rest, and joy, and satisfaction in God: In Heaven, there's singing praises to God; a contented heart is alwaies praising and blessing God; thou hast Heaven while thou art upon earth when thou hast a contented spirit, yea, in some regards it's better than Heaven. How is that you will say? there's some kind of honour that God hath in it, and some excellency that he hath not in Heaven, and that's this,

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In Heaven there is no overcoming of temptations, they are not put to any trials by afflictions: there in Heaven they have exercise of grace, but they have nothing but encouragement to it, and indeed those that are there their grace is perfect, and in that they do excel us; but there is nothing to cross their grace, they have no trials at all to tempt them to do contrary; but now for a man or woman to be in the midst of afflictions, temptations and troubles, and yet to have grace exercised, and yet to be satisfied in God and Christ, and in the Word and Promises in the midst of all they suffer, this may seem to be an honour that God hath from us, that he hath not from the Angels and Saints in Heaven. Is it so much for one that is in Heaven that hath nothing else but good from God, hath nothing to try them, no temptations, is that so much for them to be praising and blessing God, as for the poor soul that is in the midst of trials and temptations, and afflictions, and troubles? for this soul to go on praising and blessing, and serving God; I (say) it is an excellency that thou shalt not have in Heaven, and God shall not have this kind of glory from thee in Heaven, and therefore be contented, and prize this Contentment, and be willing to live in this world as long as God shall please, and do not think, Oh that I were delivered from all these afflictions and troubles herein this world! if thou wert, then thou shouldest have more ease to thy self: but here's a way of honouring God, and manifesting the excellency of Grace here when thou art in this Conflict of temptation that God shall not have from thee in Heaven, and therefore be satisfied and ⟨p. 115⟩quiet, be contented with thy Contentment: I want such and such things that others have, but blessed be God I have a contented heart that others have not, then I say be content with thy Contentment, for that's a rich portion that the Lord hath granted unto them, if the Lord should give unto thee thousands here in this world, it would not be such a rich portion as this, that he hath given thee a contented spirit:

In Heaven there is no overcoming of temptations, they are not put to any trials by afflictions: there in Heaven they have exercise of grace, but they have nothing but encouragement to it, and indeed those that are there their grace is perfect, and in that they do excel us; but there is nothing to cross their grace, they have no trials at all to tempt them to do contrary; but now for a man or woman to be in the midst of afflictions, temptations and troubles, and yet to have grace exercised, and yet to be satisfied in God and Christ, and in the Word and Promises in the mid'st of all they suffer, this may seem to be an honour that God hath from us, that he hath not from the Angels and Saints in Heaven. Is it so much for one that is in Heaven that hath nothing else but good from God, hath nothing to try them, no temptations, is that so much for them to be praising and blessing God, as for the poor soul that is in the mid'st of trials and temptations, and afflictions, and troubles? for this soul to go on praysing and blessing, and serving God; I (say) it is an excellency that thou shalt not have in Heaven, and God shal not have this kind of glory from thee in Heaven, and therefore be contented, and prize this Contentment, and be willing to live in this world as long as God shal please, and do not think, Oh that I were delivered from all these afflictions and troubles herein this world! if thou wert, then thou shouldest have more ease to thy self: but here's a way of honouring God, and manifesting the excellency of Grace here when thou art in this Conflict of temptation that God shal not have from thee in Heaven, and therefore be satisfied and

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Oh go away and praise the Name of God, and say, Lord, it's true these and these comforts that others have I should be glad if I had them, but thou hast cut me short, but though I want these, yet thou hast given me that that is as good and better, thou hast given me a quiet contented heart, to be willing to be at thy dispose.

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SERMON VII.

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PHILIPPIANS. 4.11. For I have learned in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.

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WE proceed now. There are some two or three things more of the excellency of Contentment and then we are to proceed to Application of the point.

WE proceed now. There are some two or three things more of the excellency of Contentment and then we are to proceed to Applycation of the point.

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The Eight excellency is, Contentment is a great blessing of God upon the Soul. There is Gods blessing upon those that are content, the blessing of God is upon them, and their estates, and upon all that they have. We read in Deut. of the blessing of Judah the principal Tribe; this is the blessing of Judah, And he said hear Lord the voice of Judah and bring him unto his people, let his hands be sufficient for him, and be thou an help to him from his enemies. Let his hand ⟨p. 116⟩be sufficient for him, that is, bring in a sufficiency of all good unto him that he may have of his own, that's the blessing of Judah. So when God gives thee a sufficiency of thine own, (as every contented man hath) there is the blessing of God upon thee, the blessing of the principle Tribe of Judah is upon thee. It is the Lord that gives us all things to enjoy, we may have the thing and yet not enjoy it except God comes in with his blessing now whatsoever thou hast thou dost enjoy it: Many men have estates and do not enjoy them, it's the blessing of God that gives us all things to enjoy, it is God that through his blessing, hath fashioned thy heart and made it suitable to thy condition.

The Eight excellency is, Contentment is a great blessing of God upon the Soul. There is Gods blessing upon those that are content, the blessing of God is upon them, and their estates, and upon all that they have. We reade in Deut. of the blessing of Judah the principal Tribe; this is the blessing of Judah, And he said hear Lord the voice of Judah and bring him unto his people, let his hands be sufficient for him, and be thou an help to him from his enemies. Let his hand ⟨p. 116⟩be sufficient for him, that is, bring in a sufficiency of all good unto him that he may have of his own, that's the blessing of Judah. So when God gives thee a sufficiency of thine own, (as every contented man hath) there is the blessing of God upon thee, the blessing of the principle Tribe of Judah is upon thee. It is the Lord that gives us all things to injoy, we may have the thing and yet not enjoy it except God comes in with his blessing now whatsoever thou hast thou do'st injoy it: Many men have estates and do not enjoy them, it's the blessing of God that gives us all things to enjoy, it is God that through his blessing, hath fashioned thy heart and made it sutable to thy condition.

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The Ninth excellency, Those that are content they may expect reward from God, that God shall give unto them the good of all those things that they are contented to be without, and this brings in abundance of good to a contented spirit: There is such and such a mercy that thou thinkest would be very comfortable unto thee if thou hadst it, but canst thou bring thy heart to submit to God in it? thou shalt have the blessing of the mercy one way or other; if thou hast not the thing it self in re; thou shalt have it made up one way or other, thou shalt have a bill of exchange to receive somewhat in lieu of it, there is no comfort that any soul is content to be without, but the Lord will give either the comfort or somewhat in stead of it: Thou shalt have a reward to thy soul for what ever good thing thou art content to be without. You know what the Scripture saith of active obedience, and the Lord doth accept (of his servants) their will for the deed, though we do not do a good thing, yet if our hearts be upright, to will to do it, we shall have the blessing though we do not do the thing: You that complain of weakness, you cannot do as others do, you cannot do as much service as others do, if your hearts be as upright with God, and would fain do the same service that you see others do, you would account it a great blessing of God upon you, the greatest blessing in the world if you were able to do as others do; now you may comfort your selves with this, having to deal with God in the way of the Covenant of Grace you shall have from God the reward of all you will do, as a wicked man ⟨p. 117⟩shall have punishment for all the sin he would commit, so thou shalt have the reward for all the good thou wouldest do. Now may not we draw an argument from active obedience to passive; there is as good reason why thou shouldest expect that God will reward thee for all that thou art willing to suffer, as well as for all that thou art willing to do, now if thou beest willing to be without such a comfort and mercy when God sees it fit, thou shalt be no looser, certainly God will reward thee either with the comfort or with that that shall be as good to thee as the comfort, therefore consider how many things have I that others want, and can I bring my heart into a quiet contented frame to want what others have?

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I have the blessing of all that they have, and I shall either possess such things as others have, or else God will make it up one way or other, either here, or hereafter in eternity to me; Oh what riches are here! with Contentment thou hast all kind of riches.

I have the blessing of all that they have, and I shall either possesse such things as others have, or else God will make it up one way or other, either here, or hereafter in eternity to me; Oh what riches are here! with Contentment thou hast all kind of riches.

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Tenthly and lastly, By contentation the soul comes to an excellency near to God himself, yea the nearest that may be, for this word that is translated Content, it is a word that signifies a Self-sufficiency, as I told you in the opening of the words. A contented man is a self-sufficient man, what is the great glory of God but to be happy and self-sufficient in himself? Indeed he is said to be All-sufficient, but that's but a further addition of the word All, rather than of any matter, for to be sufficient, is All-sufficient, now is this the glory of God to be Sufficient, to have sufficiency in himself, Ell-shaddai, to be God having sufficiency in himself? now thou comest near to this, thou partakest of the Divine Nature, as by grace in general, so in a more peculiar manner by this grace of Christian Contentment, what's the excellency and glory of God but this? Suppose there were no creatures in the world, and that all the creatures in the world were annihilated, God would remain the same blessed God that he is now, he would not be in a worse condition if all creatures were gone, neither would a contented heart if God should take away all creatures from him, a contented heart hath enough in the want of all creatures and would not be more miserable than now he is. Suppose that God should continue thee here, and all creatures that are here in this world were taken ⟨p. 118⟩away, yet thou still (having God to be thy portion) wouldest be as happy as now thou art, and therefore contentation hath a great deal of excellency in it.

Tenthly and lastly, By contentation the soul comes to an excellencie neer to God himselfe, yea the neerest that may be, for this word that is translated Content, it is a word that signifies a Self-sufficiencie, as I told you in the opening of the words. A contented man is a self-sufficient man, what is the great glory of God but to be happy and self-sufficient in himself? Indeed he is said to be All-sufficient, but that's but a further addition of the word All, rather than of any matter, for to be sufficient, is All-sufficient, now is this the glory of God to be Sufficient, to have sufficiencie in himselfe, El-shaddai, to be God having sufficiency in himself? now thou comest neer to this, thou partakest of the Divine Nature, as by grace in generall, so in a more peculiar manner by this grace of Christian Contentment, what's the excellency and glory of God but this? Suppose there were no creatures in the world, and that all the creatures in the world were anihilated, God would remain the same blessed God that he is now, he would not be in a worse condition if all creatures were gone, neither would a contented heart if God should take away all creatures from him, a contented heart hath enough in the want of al creatures and would not be more miserable than now he is. Suppose that God should continue thee here, and all creatures that are here in this world were taken

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Thus we have showed in many particulars the excellency of this grace, labouring to present the beauty of it before your souls that you may be in love with it.

Thus we have shewed in many particulars the excellency of this grace, labouring to present the beauty of it before your souls that you may be in love with it.

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Now my brethren what remains but the practice of this, for this Art of Contentment it's not a Speculative thing, only for contemplation, but it is an art of Divinity, and therefore practical, ye are now to labour to work upon your hearts, that there may be this grace in you, that you may honour God and honour your profession with this grace of Contentment, for there is none doth more honour God, and honour their profession than those that have this grace of Contentment. Now that we may fall upon the practice there, is required,

Now my brethren what remains but the practice of this, for this Art of Contentment it's not a Speculative thing, only for contemplation, but it is an art of Divinity, and therfore practicall, ye are now to labour to work upon your hearts, that there may be this grace in you, that you may honour God and honour your profession with this grace of Contentment, for there is none doth more honour God, and honour their profession than those that have this grace of Contentment. Now that we may fall upon the practice there, is required,

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First, That we should he humbled in our hearts for the want of this, that we have had so little of this grace in us. For there is no way to set upon any duty with profit, till the heart be humbled for the want of the performance of the duty before; many men when they hear of a duty that they should perform, they will labour to perform it, but first thou must be humbled for the want of it, therefore that's the thing that I shall endeavour in the Application, to get your hearts to be humbled for the want of this grace; Oh had I had this grace of Contentment, what a happy life I might have lived? what abundance of honour I might have brought to the Name of God? and how might I have honoured my profession? and what a deal of comfort might I have enjoyed? but the Lord knows it hath been far otherwise, Oh how far have I been from this grace of Contentment that hath been opened to me? I have had a murmuring, a vexing and a fretting heart within me, every little cross hath put me out of temper and out of frame, Oh the boisterousness of my spirit, what a deal of evil doth God see in my heart, in the vexing and fretting of my heart, and murmuring and repining of my spirit? Oh that God would make you to see it: Now to the end that you might be humbled for the want of this, I shall endeavour in these particulars to speak unto it.

First, That we should he humbled in our hearts for the want of this, that we have had so little of this grace in us. For there is no way to set upon any duty with profit, till the heart be humbled for the want of the performance of the duty before; many men when they hear of a duty that they should perform, they will labour to perform it, but first thou must be humbled for the want of it, therefore that's the thing that I shall endeavour in the Application, to get your hearts to be humbled for the want of this grace; Oh had I had this grace of Contentment, what a happy life I might have lived? what abundance of honour I might have brought to the Name of God? and how might I have honoured my profession? and what a deal of comfort might I have enjoyed? but the Lord knows it hath been far otherwise, Oh how far have I been from this grace of Contentment that hath been opened to me? I have had a murmuring, a vexing and a fretting heart within me, every little crosse hath put me out of temper and out of frame, Oh the boisterousnesse of my spirit, what a deal of evil doth God see in my heart, in the vexing and fretting of my heart, and murmuring and repining of my spirit? Oh that God would make you to see it: Now to the end that you might be humbled for the want of this, I shall endeavour in these particulars to speak unto it.

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First, I shall set before you, The evil of a murmuring spirit, there is more evil than you are aware of.

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In the Second place, I will show you some aggravations of this evil, It's evil in all, but in some more than in others.

In the Second place, I will shew you some agravations of this evil, It's evil in all, but in some more than in others.

Reformers309

Puritans1,782

Westminster Assembly24

Evangelicals36

SERMON VII.