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…

4. There is a great deal of folly in discontent and murmuring, for it doth eat out the good and sweetness of a mercy before it comes, if God should give a mercy that we are discontented for the want of, yet the blessing of the mercy is as it were eaten out before we come to have it. Discontent is like a worm that eats the meat out of the nut, and then when the meat is eaten out of it then you shall have the shell. If a child should cry for a nut ⟨p. 140⟩that hath the meat eaten out, or all worm-eaten, what good would the child have by having the nut, so such an outward comfort you would fain have and you are troubled for the want of it, but the very trouble of your spirits is the worm that eats out the blessing of the mercy, and then perhaps God gives it you, but gives you it with a curse mixed with it that you were better not have it then have it. That man or woman that is discontented for want of some good thing, if God doth give that good thing to them before they be humbled for their discontent that did proceed from them, such a man or woman can have no comfort of the mercy, but it will be rather an evil then a good to them: And therefore for my part if I should have a friend or brother or one that was as dear to me as my own soul, that I should see discontented for the want of such a comfort, I should rather pray, Lord keep this thing from them, tell thou wilt be pleased to humble their hearts for their discontent, let not them have the mercy till they come to be humbled for their discontent for the want of it, for if they have it before that time they will have it without any blessing: And therefore it should be your care when you find your hearts discontented for want of any thing, to be humbled for it, thinking thus with your selves, Lord if that that I do so immoderately desire should come to me before I be humbled for my discontent for want of it, I am certain I can have no comfort of it, but I shall rather have it as an affliction to me. Many things which you desire as your lives, and think that you should be happy if you had them, yet when they do• come you find not such happiness in them, but they prove to be the greatest crosses and afflictions to you that ever you had, and upon this ground because your hearts were immoderately set upon them before you had them.

4. There is a great deal of folly in discontent and murmuring, for it doth eate out the good and sweetnesse of a mercie before it comes, if God should give a mercie that we are discontented for the want of, yet the blessing of the mercie is as it were eaten out before we come to have it. Discontent is like a worm that eates the meat out of the nut, and then when the meat is eaten out of it then you shall have the shell. If a child should crie for a nut