A77994:279
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…
The rare jewel of Christian contentment. By Jeremiah Burroughs, preacher of the Gospel to two of the greatest congregations in England; viz. Stepney and Cripplegate, London.The rare jevvel of Christian contentment. By Jeremiah Burroughs, preacher of the Gospel to two of the greatest congregations in England; viz. Stepney and Criplegate, London.
London: printed for Peter Cole, 1648
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. If I get Content by having my desire satisfied, that's but self-love, but when I am Contented with the hand of God, and am willing to be at his dispose, that comes from my love to God, in having my desire satisfied there I am contented through self love, but through the Grace of Contentment I come to be contented out of love to God, and is it not better to be contented from a principle of love to God, then from a principle of self-love?
3. If I get Content by having my desire satisfied, that's but selfe-love, but when I am Contented with the hand of God, and am willing to be at his dispose, that comes from my love to God, in having my desire satisfied there I am contented through selfe love, but through the Grace of Contentment I come to be contented out of love to God, and is it not better to be contented from a principle of love to God, then from a principle of selfe-love?
4. If I am contented because I have that that I have a desire to, perhaps I am contented in that one particular, but that one particular doth not furnish me with Contentment in another thing, perhaps I may grow more dainty and nice, and froward in other things; if you give children what they would have in some things, they grow so much the more coy and dainty, and discontented if they have not other things that they would have, but if I have once over-come my heart, and am contented through the Grace of God in my heart, then this doth not content me only in a particular but in general, whatsoever befalls me. I am discontented, and would fain have such a thing, and afterward I have it: now doth this prepare me to be contented in other things? no, but when I have gotten this Grace of Contentment I am prepared to be contented in all conditions: and thus you see that Contentment doth bring comfort to a mans life, fills a mans life full of comfort in this world; yea, the truth is, it is even a Heaven upon earth, why, what is ⟨p. 114⟩Heaven, but the rest and quiet of a mans spirit; what's the special thing that is in Heaven, but rest and joy, that makes, the life of Heaven, there's rest and •oy, and satisfaction in God, so its here in a contented spirit, there's rest and joy, and satisfaction in God: In Heaven there's singing praises to God, a contented heart is always praising and blessing God, thou hast Heaven while thou art upon earth when thou hast a contented spirit, yea, in some regards it's better then Heaven. How is that you will say? there is some kind of honour that God hath in it, and some excellency that he hath not in Heaven, and that's this.