A30598:533
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 SAINTS DUTY IN TIMES OF EXTREMITY.THE SAINTS DVTY IN TIMES OF EXTREMITY.
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.
3. There is a third stand-still, and the truth is, though it be not through Ignorance, it is though a worse principle, and that is of Neutralizing; that is, when men though they are informed well enough, yet they stand still to see which will be the strongest side, and are loth to appear yet, they know not which side will most prevail, but they have such a principle in their spirits, to go to the strongest side, which way soever it be, only they will stand still till it appear: My brethren, certainly we can admit of no Neuters in these times; the times ⟨p. 306⟩are grown to a greater height, than that any should be admitted as a Neuter, either for us or against us; whatsoever is not for us at this time, now coming to this straight, may well be concluded to be against us.
3. There is a third stand-still, and the truth is, though it be not through Ignorance, it is though a worse principle, and that is of Neuteralizing; that is, when men though they are informed well enough, yet they stand still to see which will be the strongest side, and are loth to appear yet, they know not which side will most prevail, but they have such a principle in their spirits, to go to the strongest side, which way soever it be, only they will stand still till it appear: My brethren, certainly we can admit of no Neuters in these times; the times ⟨p. 306⟩are grown to a greater height, than that any should be admitted as a Neuter, either for us or against us; whatsoever is not for us at this time, now coming to this straight, may well be concluded to be against us.
4. There is a fourth wicked stand-still, and that is out of sullenness of spirit; and that is more particular, and that is of many men and women, especially that are in some troubles of conscience, and when they are seeking of God, and performing duties that God requires of them, and do not find that encouragement that their hearts desire, they leave off all, and have no mind to do any thing, but even stand still and die, and will even sink in a sullen discouragement, and go no further, leave off their work, leave off duty, what should I go on in doing duty, for I get no good by it, I am never a whit the better? and so they stand still out of a sullen discouragement: The Devil himself is the most discouraged Spirit in the world, and yet he is the proudest Spirit in the world; and this standing still out of discouragement, may come out of pride, and stoutness of heart, though you think it is out of Humility.