The rare jewel of Christian contentment. By Jeremiah Burroughs, preacher of the Gospel to…The rare jevvel of Christian contentment. By Jeremiah Burroughs, preacher of the Gospel to…

and that is the reason that many that are godly men that are in a low condition live more sweet and comfortable lives then those that are richer: Contentment is not always clothed with silk, and purple, and velvets, but Contentment is sometimes in a russet suit, in a mean condition, as well as in a higher; and many men that sometimes have had great estates, and God hath brought them into a lower condition, they have had more contentment in that condition then the other. Now how can that possibly be? Thus easily, For if you did but understand the root of Contentment it consists in the suitableness and proportion of the spirit of a man to his estate, and the evenness, when one end is not longer and bigger then another; the heart is contented, there is comfort in that condition; now let God give a man never so great riches, yet if the Lord gives him up to the pride of his heart, he will never be contented: But now, let God bring any one into ⟨p. 31⟩a mean condition, and then let God but fashion and suit his heart to that condition and he will be content. As now in a mans going, Suppose a man had a mighty long leg, and his other leg were short, why though one of his legs be longer then ordinary, yet he could not go so well as a man that hath both his legs shorter then he. I compare a long leg, when one is longer then another, to a man that hath a high condition, and is very rich, and a great man in the world, but he hath a great proud heart too, and that is longer and larger then his condition; now this man cannot but be troubled in his condition: Now another man that is in a mean condition, his condition is low, and his heart is low too; so that his heart and his condition is both even together, and this man goes on with more ease abundantly then the other doth: So that now a gracious heart works after this manner, The Lord hath been pleased to bring down my condition, now if the Lord bring down my heart and make it even with my condition, then I am well enough: And so when God brings down his condition, he doth not so much labour to raise up his condition again as to bring down his heart to his condition. The Heathens themselves they had a little glimpse of this; they could say, That the best riches that is, it is the poverty of desires:

and that is the reason that many that are godly men that are in a low condition live more sweet and comfortable lives then those that are richer: Contentment is not alwaies cloathed with silk, and purple, and velvets, but Contentment is sometimes in a russet suit, in a mean condition, as well as in a higher; and many men that sometimes have had great estates, and God hath brought them into a lower condition, they have had more contentment in that condition then the other. Now how can that possibly be? Thus easily, For if you did but understand the root of Contentment it consists in the sutablenesse and proportion of the spirit of a man to his estate, and the evennesse, when one end is not longer and bigger then another; the heart is contented, there is comfort in that condition; now let God give a man never so great riches, yet if the Lord gives him up to the pride of his heart, he will never be contented: But now, let God bring any one into