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…

It's an excellent speech that I remember Luther hath, (saith he) this is the Rhetoric of the Spirit of God, (it's a very fine speech of his) to extenuate evil things, and to amplify good things, if there falls out a cross to make the cross to be but little, but if there be a mercy to make the mercy to be great, as thus, if there be a cross, if the Spirit of God prevails in the heart, such a man or woman will wonder that it is no greater, and will bless God that though there be such a cross yet that it is no more, that's the work of the Spirit of God; and if there be a mercy, wonders at Gods goodness that God granted so great a mercy: The Spirit of God extenuates evils, and crosses, and doth magnify and amplify all mercies, and makes all mercies seem to be great, and all afflictions seem to be little. But saith he the Devil goes quit contrary, the rhetoric of the devil is quit otherwise, he doth lessen Gods mercies, and amplify evil things, as thus, a godly man wonders at his cross that it is no more, a wicked man wonders his cross is so much, Oh saith he none was ever so afflicted as I am: If there be a cross, the Devil puts the soul ⟨p. 137⟩upon musing on it, and making it greater then it is, and so it brings discontent: And then on the other side, if there be a mercy, then it's the Rhetoric of the Devil to lessen the mercy, I indeed (saith he) the thing is a good thing, but what is it, it is no great matter, and for all this I may be miserable. Thus the Rhetoric of Satan doth lessen Gods mercies, and doth increase afflictions: And for this I'll give you a notable example that we have in Scripture, it is the example of Korah, Dathan & Abiram, In Numb. 16. 12, 13. And Moses sent to call Dathan, & Abiram, the sons of Eliab: which said we will not come up: Is it a small thing that thou hast brought us up out of a Land that floweth with milk and honey, to kill us in the wilderness, except thou make thy self altogether a Prince over us? Mark, they slighted the land that they were going unto, the Land of Canaan, that was the Land that God promised them that should flow with milk and honey:

It's an excellent speech that I remember Luther hath, (saith he) this is the Rhetorick of the Spirit of God, (it's a very fine speech of his) to extenuate evill things, and to amplyfie good things, if there falls out a crosse to make the crosse to be but little, but if there be a mercy to make the mercy to be great, as thus, if there be a crosse, if the Spirit of God prevails in the heart, such a man or woman will wonder that it is no greater, and will blesse God that though there be such a crosse yet that it is no more, that's the worke of the Spirit of God; and if there be a mercy, wonders at Gods goodnesse that God granted so great a mercy: The Spirit of God extenuats evils, and crosses, and doth magnyfie and amplyfie all mercies, and makes all mercies seem to be great, and all afflictions seem to be little. But saith he the Devill goes quit contrary, the rhetorick of the devill is quit otherwise, he doth lessen Gods mercies, and amplyfy evill things, as thus, a godly man wonders at his crosse that it is no more, a wicked man wonders his crosse is so much, Oh saith he none was ever so afflicted as I am: If there be a crosse, the Devill puts the soul