A30598:388
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
THE RARE JEWEL OF CHRISTIAN Contentment. › Sermon 9 › Part 2: The Second Plea.
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.
Secondly, Then thy great care will be rather for the removing of thy sin, than thy affliction, art thou more solicitous about the taking away thy sin, than the taking away of thine affliction?
Thirdly, If it be thy sin that troubles thee, if God should take away thy afflictions, yet except thy sin be taken away, and thy heart be better, this would not content thee, thou couldest not be satisfied: but we see it ordinarily, that if God removes their afflictions there's no more trouble for their sin. Oh! many do belly themselves in this, in saying, that they are so troubled for their sin, and especially those that are so troubled that they are in danger to miscarry, and to make away themselves, there's not one in ten thousand that are in such a condition as this is, but it is afflictions rather than sin that puts them to it; indeed you lay all upon this, as if it were the ⟨p. 167⟩work of the word or the spirit of bondage: I remember I heard not long since of a Divine that being judicious, and used to such kind of things, there came a man to him mightily troubled for his sin, and he could not tell what to do, he was ready to despair, the Divine looks upon him, saith he, are you not in debt? he confessed that he was; and at length the Minister began to find it out, that that was his trouble rather than his sin, and so was a means to help him that way, that his Creditors should not come upon him, and then the man was pretty quiet, and would not make away himself any longer, for it is a usual thing, that if any thing befalls a man that doth cross him, Oh then it's their sin that doth trouble them. Sometimes it is thus with servants, if their Governors cross them, then they are vexed and fre•, and come to deal with them, Oh then they will say they are sorrowful for their sin: but we must take heed of dallying with God▪ that is the Seer and Searcher of the secrets of all hearts, many of you go sullen and dumpish up and down your families, and then you say it's your sin that lies upon you, when God knows it's otherwise, it's because you cannot have your wills as you would have.