A30598:359
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.
the consideration of that should mightily quiet our hearts in all our private discontents, and if it doth not so, know that our sin is much increased by the mercies of God that are abroad. Now shall Gods mercies aggravate our sins? This is a sad thing, this is ⟨p. 153⟩to turn the mercies of God to be our misery. Didst not thou pray to God for these mercies that God hath sent of late to the public, these great victories that God hath given, didst not thou pray for them? now thou hast them, Is not there enough in them to quiet thy heart for some private trouble thou meetest withal in thy family? Is not there goodness enough there to cure thy discontentment? Certainly they were not such mercies worthy to be prayed for, except they have so much excellency in them as to countervail some private afflictions. Public mercies are the aggravation of private discontent, as so of public discontent too; if we receive so many public mercies, yet if every thing goes not in the public according as we desire, if we be discontent at that it will exceedingly aggravate our sin, God may say, what shall I bestow such mercies upon a people, and yet if they have not every thing they would have they will be discontent? Oh! it's exceeding evil. So in particular, the mercies that concerns thy self, thy family, if thou wouldest consider thou hast a great many more mercies than thou hadst afflictions, I dare boldly aver it concerning any one in this Congregation, (suppose thy afflictions be what they will) there is never a one of you but that have more mercies than afflictions.
the consideration of that should mightily quiet our hearts in all our private discontents, and if it doth not so, know that our sin is much increased by the mercies of God that are abroad. Now shall Gods mercies aggravate our sins? This is a sad thing, this is ⟨p. 153⟩to turne the mercies of God to be our misery. Did'st not thou pray to God for these mercies that God hath sent of late to the publick, these great victories that God hath given, did'st not thou pray for them? now thou hast them, Is not there enough in them to quiet thy heart for some privat trouble thou meetest withall in thy family? Is not there goodness enough there to cure thy discontentment? Certainly they were not such mercies worthy to be prayed for, except they have so much excellency in them as to countervail some private afflictions. Publick mercies are the aggravation of privat discontent, as so of publick discontent too; if we receive so many publick mercies, yet if every thing goes not in the publick according as we desire, if we be discontent at that it will exceedingly aggravate our sin, God may say, what shall I bestow such mercies upon a people, and yet if they have not every thing they would have they will be discontent? Oh! it's exceeding evil. So in particular, the mercies that concerns thy self, thy family, if thou wouldest consider thou hast a great many more mercies than thou had'st afflictions, I dare boldly aver it concerning any one in this Congregation, (suppose thy afflictions be what they will) there is never a one of you but that have more mercies than afflictions.