A30598:346
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.
Oh how far art thou then that hast a murmuring heart, from serving the Lord with joyfulness?
Oh how far art thou then that hast a murmuring heart, from serving the Lord with joyfulnesse?
The Eleventh evil of discontent and murmuring is this. There is much of the spirit of Satan in a murmuring spirit. The Devil is the most discontented creature that is in the world: He is the proudest creature that is, and the discontentedst creature; and the most dejected creature. Now therefore so much discontentment as thou hast, so much of the spirit of Satan thou hast. It was the unclean spirit that went up and down and found no rest; so when a man or woman's spirit hath no rest, it is a sign that it hath much of the unclean spirit, of the spirit of Satan, and thou shouldest think thus with thy self, Oh Lord what have I the spirit of Satan upon me? It is Satan that is the most discontented spirit that is, and Oh! how much of his spirit have I upon me that can find no rest at all?
The Eleventh evill of discontent and murmuring is this. There is much of the spirit of Satan in a murmuring spirit. The Devil is the most discontented creature that is in the world: He is the proudest creature that is, and the discontentedst creature; and the most dejected creature. Now therefore so much discontentment as thou hast, so much of the spirit of Satan thou hast. It was the unclean spirit that went up and down and found no rest; so when a man or womans spirit hath no rest, it is a sign that it hath much of the unclean spirit, of the spirit of Satan, and thou shouldest think thus with thy self, Oh Lord what have I the spirit of Satan upon me? It is Satan that is the most discontented spirit that is, and Oh! how much of his spirit have I upon me that can find no rest at all?
Twelfthly, Murmuring and discontent hath this evil in it, There is an absolute necessity that thou shouldest have disquiet all the days of thy life. As if a man that is in a great crowd should complain that other folks touch him; While we are in this world God hath so ordered things that afflictions must befall us, and if we will complain and be discontented upon every cross and affliction, why we must complain and be discontent all the days of our lives, yea God in just judgment will let things fall out on purpose to vex those that have vexing spirits, and discontented hearts, and therefore there is a necessity that they should live disquiet all their days: and men will not much care to disquiet those that are continually murmuring, Oh they will have disquiet all their days.