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…

Answ. Though I cannot know what your afflictions are, yet I know what your mercies are, and I know they are so great as I am sure there can be no afflictions in this world so great as the mercies you have. If it were but this mercy, that you have this day of grace and salvation continued to you, it's a greater mercy then any affliction, set any affliction by this mercy and see which would weigh heaviest, this is certainly greater then any affliction; that you have the day of grace and salvation, that you are not now in hell, this is a greater mercy: That you have the sound of the Gospel yet in your ears; that you have the use of your reason, this is a greater mercy then your afflictions, that you have the use of your limbs, your senses, that you have the health of your bodies, health ⟨p. 154⟩of body is a greater mercy then poverty is an affliction, there is no man that is rich but if he be wise, if he hath a sickly body, he would part with all his riches that he might have his health, therefore thy mercies are more then thy afflictions We find in Scripture how the Holy Ghost doth aggravate the sin of discontent from the consideration of mercies, you have a notable Scripture for it in the 16. of Numb. 8. verse &c. It's a speech of M•ses to Korah and his company when they murmured, And Moses said unto Korah, hear I pray you ye s•ns of Levi, (there's somewhat that you are sons of Levi,) Seemeth it but a small thing unto you that the God of Israel hath separated you from the Congregation of Israel, to bring you near to himself to do the service of the Tabernacle of the Lord, and to stand before the congregation to minister unto them? Korah and his company were murmuring but mark how Moses aggravates this; Seemeth it a small thing unto you that the God of Israel hath separated you from the Congregation of Israel to bring you near to himself to do the service of the Tabernacle of the Lord? &c. You see 'tis a great honour that God puts upon a man, a great mercy that he doth bestow upon any man to separate him from others for himself, to come near to him, to employ him in the service of the Tabernacle, to minister to the Congregation in holy things, this is a great mercy, and indeed it's such a mercy as one would think there should be none that God bestows such a mercy upon that should have a murmuring heart for any affliction;