A30598:374
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.
A Ninth Aggravation of the sin of murmuring is this, For us to be discontent at that time when God is about to humble us. It should be the care of a Christian, to observe what are Gods ways towards him, what is God about to do with me at this time? Is God about to raise me, to comfort me? let me close with Gods goodness, and bless his Name, let me join with the work of God, when he offers mercy to me to take the mercy he offers. But again, Is God about to humble me? is God about to break my heart, and to bring my heart down to him? let me join with God in this work of his, this is for a Christian to walk with God. It is said that Enoch, and Noah walked with God; walked with God, what's that? That is, To observe what is the work of God that God is now about, and to join with God in that work of his; so that according as God turns this way or that way the heart should turn with God, and have suitable workings unto the workings of God towards him. Now then, I am discontented and murmuring because I am afflicted; Therefore thou art afflicted ⟨p. 162⟩because God would humble thee, and the great design that God hath in afflicting of thee, is to break and humble thy heart; and wilt thou now maintain a spirit quite opposite to the work of God? for thee to murmur and be discontented is to resist the work of God, God is doing thee good if thou couldst see it, now if he be pleased to sanctify thy affliction to break that hard heart of thine, and humble that proud spirit of thine, it would be the greatest mercy that ever thou hadst in all thy life, now wilt thou yet stand out against God? it's even as if thou shouldest say, well, the Lord is about to break me, and humble me, but he shall not; this is the language of thy murmuring and thy discontentedness, though thou darest not say so, but though thou sayest not so in words, yet it is certainly the language of the temper of thy spirit, Oh consider what an aggravation this is: I am discontented when God is about to work such a work upon me as is exceedingly for my good, but yet I stand out against him and resist him, and that's another aggravation.
A Ninth Aggravation of the sin of murmuring is this, For us to be discontent at that time when God is about to humble us. It should be the care of a Christian, to observe what are Gods waies towards him, what is God about to do with me at this time? Is God about to raise me, to comfort me? let me close with Gods goodnesse, and blesse his Name, let me joyn with the work of God, when he offers mercy to me to take the mercy he offers. But again, Is God about to humble me? is God about to break my heart, and to bring my heart down to him? let me joyn with God in this work of his, this is for a Christian to walk with God. It is said that Enoch, and Noah walked with God; walked with God, what's that? That is, To observe what is the work of God that God is now about, and to joyn with God in that work of his; so that according as God turns this way or that way the heart should turn with Grd, and have sutable workings unto the workings of God towards him. Now then, I am discontented and murmuring because I am afflicted; Therefore thou art afflicted