A30598:307
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.
how low and beneath this condition is a murmuring and discontented heart for want of some outward comforts here in this world: How unseemly is it that thou shouldest be a slave to every cross, that every affliction shall be able to say to thy soul, bow down to us: We accounted that a great slavery, when men would say to our souls, bow down: As the cruel Prelates were wont to do in imposing things upon mens consciences, they did in effect say, let your consciences, your souls bow down to us, that we may tread upon them; that is the greatest slavery in the world, that one man should say to another, let your consciences, your souls bow down that we may tread upon them; but wilt thou suffer every affliction to say, bow down that we may tread upon thee? truly it's so, when thy heart is overcome with murmuring and discontent: Know that those afflictions which have caused thee to murmur, have said to thee, bow down that we may tread upon thee; nay, not afflictions, but the very Devil doth prevail against you in this: Oh! how beneath is this to the happy estate that God hath raised a Christian unto! What! the son of a King, shall he have every base fellow to come and bid him bow down that he may tread upon his neck? thus doest thou in every affliction: the affliction, the cross, and trouble that doth befall thee, saith bow down that we come and tread upon thee.
how low and beneath this condition is a murmuring and discontented heart for want of some outward comforts here in this world: How unseemly is it that thou shouldest be a slave to every crosse, that every affliction shal be able to say to thy soul, bow down to us: We accounted that a great slavery, when men would say to our souls, bow down: As the cruel Prelats were wont to do in imposing things upon mens consciences, they did in effect say, let your consciences, your souls bow down to us, that we may tread upon them; that is the greatest slavery in the world, that one man should say to another, let your consciences, your souls bow down that we may tread upon them; but wilt thou suffer every affliction to say, bow down that we may tread upon thee? truly it's so, when thy heart is overcome with murmuring and discontent: Know that those afflictions which have caused thee to murmur, have said to thee, bow down that we may tread upon thee; nay, not afflictions, but the very Devil doth prevail against you in this: Oh! how beneath is this to the happy estate that God hath raised a Christian unto! What! the son of a King, shal he have every base fellow to come and bid him bow down that he may tread upon his neck? thus doest thou in every affliction: the affliction, the cross, and trouble that doth befal thee, saith bow down that we come and tread upon thee.