A30598:83
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.
Seventhly, Taking a [complacency] in Gods dispose. That is thus, I am well pleased in what God doth, so far as I can see God in it, though as I said, I may be sensible of the affliction, and may desire that God in his due time would take it off, and use means to take it off; yet I may be well pleased so far as Gods hand is in it. To be well pleased with Gods hand, that is a higher degree than the other: and this comes from hence, not only because I see that I should be content in this affliction, but ⟨p. 18⟩because I see that there is good in this affliction. I find there is honey in this rock, and so I do not only say, I must, or I will submit to Gods hand: no, but the hand of God is good; it is good that I am afflicted. That it is just that I am afflicted, that may be in one that is not truly contented; I may be convinced that God deals justly in this, God is righteous and just, and tis fit I should submit to what he hath done, O the Lord hath done righteously in all his ways: but that is not enough, but thou must say Good is the hand of the Lord, the expression of old Ely, Good is the word of the Lord, when it was a sore & hard word, that word that did threaten very grievous things to Ely and his house, and yet, Good is the word of the Lord, saith Ely. Perhaps some of you may say as David, It is good that I was afflicted; nay, you must come to say thus, It is good that I am afflicted. Not good when you see the good fruit that it hath wrought, but when you are afflicted to say, It is good that I am afflicted: Whatever the affliction be, yet through the mercy of God my condition is a good condition; it is the top indeed, and the height of this art of Contentment to come to this pitch, to be able to say, Well, my condition and afflictions are thus and thus, and is very grievous and sore, yet I am through Gods mercy in a good condition, and the hand of God is good upon me notwithstanding. Now I should have given you divers Scriptures about this, I shall but give you one or two that are very remarkable; you will think this is a hard lesson to come thus far, not only to be quiet, but to have a complacency in affliction. Prov. 16.6. In the house of the righteous is much treasure, but in the revenues of the wicked is trouble. Here's a Scripture now that will show that a gracious heart hath cause to say, it is in a good condition what ever it be.
Seventhly, Taking a [complacency] in Gods dispose. That is thus, I am well pleased in what God doth, so far as I can see God in it, though as I said, I may be sensible of the affliction, and may desire that God in his due time would take it off, and use means to take it off; yet I may be well pleased so far as Gods hand is in it. To be well pleased with Gods hand, that is a higher degree than the other: and this comes from hence, not only because I see that I should be content in this affliction, but