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…

now if thou hast that God to be thy portion, why shouldest not thou be contented with him alone? God is contented with himself alone▪ if thou hast him thou mayest be Contented with him alone, and it may be, that is the reason that thy outward comforts are taken from thee, that God may be All in All to thee: It may be whilst thou haddest these things here they did share with God in thy affection, a great part of the stream of thy affection ran that way, now God would have the full stream run to him: As you know it is with a man that hath water come to his house, and if there be several pipes, upon which he find the water come but scantly into his wash-house▪ he will rather stop the other pipes that he may have all ⟨p. 51⟩the water come in where he would have it. So here it may be, God had some stream of thy affection that ran to him then when thou diddest enjoy these things; Yea, but a great deal was let out to the Creature, a great deal of thy affections did run waste, now the Lord would not have the affections of his Children to run wast, he doth not care for other mens affections, but for thine they are precious, and God would not have them to run waste, therefore hath he cut off thy other pipes that thy heart might run wholly upon him: As if you have Children, because you have servants perhaps do feed them and give them things, you perceive that your servants do steal away the hearts of your Children, you would hardly be able to bear it; you would be ready to turn away such a servant, and when the servant is gone, the Child is at a great loss, it hath not the nurse, but the father or mother intends by her putting away, that the affections of the Child might run the more strongly towards himself, or herself, and what loss hath the Child that the affections that run in a rough channel before, towards the servant, it runs now towards the mother? So those affections that runs towards the creature, God would have them run towards himself, that so he may be All in All to thee here in this world: And a gracious heart can indeed tell how to enjoy God to be All in All to him, that is the happiness of heaven to have God to be All in All: The Saints in heaven have not houses, and lands, and money; and meat and drink, and clothes, you will say, they do not need them, why do they not?

now if thou hast that God to be thy portion, why shouldest not thou be contented with him alone? God is contented with himself alone if thou hast him thou mayest be Contented with him alone, and it may be, that is the reason that thy outward comforts are taken from thee, that God may be All in All to thee: It may be whilst thou hadest these things here they did share with God in thy affection, a great part of the stream of thy affection ran that way, now God would have the full stream run to him: As you know it is with a man that hath water come to his house, and if there be severall pipes, upon which he finde the water come but scantly into his washhouse he will rather stop the other pipes that he may have all