A30598:361
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.
Answ. Though I cannot know what your afflictions are, yet I know what your mercies are, and I know they are so great as I am sure there can be no afflictions in this world so great as the mercies you have: If it we•e but this mercy, that you have this day of grace and salvation continued to you, it's a greater mercy than any affliction, set any affliction by this mercy and see which would weigh heaviest, this is certainly greater than any affliction; that you have the day of grace and salvation, that you are not now in Hell, this is a greater mercy, that you have the sound of the Gospel yet in your ears; that you have the use of your reason; this is a greater mercy than your afflictions; that you have the use of your limbs, your senses, that you have the health of your bodies, health ⟨p. 154⟩of body is a greater mercy than poverty is an affliction, there is no man that is rich but if he be wise, if he hath a sickly body, he would part with all his riches that he might have his health, therefore thy mercies are more than thy afflictions. We find in Scripture how the holy Ghost doth aggravate the sin of discontent from the consideration of mercies, you have a notable Scripture for it in the 16, of Numb. 8. verse &c. It's a speech of Moses to Korah and his company when they murmured, And Moses said unto Korah, hear I pray you ye sons of Levi, (there's somewhat that you are sons of Levi,) Seemeth it but a small thing unto you that the God of Israel hath separated you from the Congregation of Israel, to bring you near to himself to do the service of the Tabernacle of the Lord, and to stand before the Congregation to minister unto them? Korah and his company were murmuring, but mark how Moses aggravates this; Seemeth it a small thing unto you that the God of Israel hath separated you from the Congregation of Israel to bring you near to himself to do the service of the Tabernacle of the Lord? &c. You see 'tis a great honour that God puts upon a man a great mercy that he doth bestow upon any man to separate him from others for himself, to come near to him, to employ him in the service of the Tabernacle, to minister to the Congregation in holy things, this is a great mercy, and indeed it's such a mercy as one would think there should be none that God bestows such a mercy upon that should have a murmuring heart for any affliction;
Answ. Though I cannot know what your afflictions are, yet I know what your mercies are, and I know they are so great as I am sure there can be no afflictions in this world so great as the mercies you have: If it wee but this mercy, that you have this day of grace and salvation continued to you, it's a greater mercie than any affliction, set any affliction by this mercie and see which would weigh heaviest, this is certainly greater than any affliction; that you have the day of grace and salvation, that you are not now in Hell, this is a greater mercie, that you have the sound of the Gospel yet in your ears; that you have the use of your reason; this is a greater mercie than your afflictions; that you have the use of your limbs, your sences, that you have the health of your bodies, health