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 Twelfth Direction.

Be not inordinately taken up with the comforts of this world when you have them▪ When you have them do not take too much content in them, that's a certain rule that look how inordinate any man or woman is in sorrow when a comfort is taken from them, so much immoderate were they in their rejoicing in the comfort when they had it: as now for instance, God takes away a child and you are inordinately sorrowful, beyond what God allows in a natural or Christian way, now though I never knew before how your heart was towards the child, yet when I see this, (though you be a mere stranger to me) I may without breach of charity conclude that your heart was immoderately set upon your child or husband, or upon any other comfort that I see you grieving for when God hath taken it away; If you hear ill tidings about your estates, and your hearts are dejected immoderately, and you are in a discontented way because of such and such a cross, certainly your hearts were immoderately set upon the world; and so likewise for your credit, if you hear others report this or that il of you, and your hearts are de•ected because you think you suffer in your name, your hearts were inordinately set upon your name and credit; now therefore the way for you not to be immoderate in your sorrows for afflictions, it is not to be immoderate in your love and delights when you have prosperity. And these are the principal Directions for our help that we may live quiet and contented lives

Be not inordinately taken up with the comforts of this world when you have them▪ When you have them do not take too much content in them, that's a certaine rule that look how inordinate any man or woman is in sorrow when a comfort is taken from them, so much immoderat were they in their rejoycing in the comfort when they had it: as now for instance, God takes away a child and you are inordinately sorrowful, beyond what God allows in a naturall or Christian way, now though I never knew before how your heart was towards the child, yet when I see this, (though you be a meer stranger to me) I may without breach of charity conclude that your heart was immoderatly set upon your child or husband, or upon any other comfort that I see you greiving for when God hath taken it away; If you hear ill tydings about your estates, and your hearts are dejected immoderatly, and you are in a discontented way because of such and such a crosse, certainly your hearts were immoderatly set upon the world; and so likewise for your credit, if you hear others report this or that il of you, and your hearts are deected because you thinke you suffer in your name, your hearts were inordinatly set upon your name and credit; now therefore the way for you not to be immoderate in your sorrows for afflictions, it is not to be immoderate in your love and delights when you have prosperity. And these are the principal Directions for our help that we may live quiet and contented lives