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…

But now you shall have others that have an affliction upon them, that have not this good temper in their hearts, their afflictions are very cold upon them and grievous; and it may be if you bring them some external arguments, somewhat from without, as the fire that warms the clothes, perhaps they will be quiet for a while; but alas, wanting a gracious disposition within in their own hearts that warmth will not hold long. The warmth of the fire, that is▪ a Contentment that comes merely from external arguments will not hold ⟨p. 13⟩long, but that holds that doth come from the gracious temper of the Spirit. It is from the frame and the disposition of the spirit of a man or woman, there's the true Contentment. But this we shall speak too further in the opening of the Mystery of Contentment.

But now you shall have others that have an affliction upon them, that have not this good temper in their hearts, their afflictions are very cold upon them and greivous; and it may be if you bring them some externall arguments, somwhat from without, as the fire that warmes the cloathes, perhaps they will be quiet for a while; but alas, wanting a gracious disposition within in their own hearts that warmth will not hold long. The warmth of the fire, that is▪ a Contentment that comes meerly from externall arguments will not hold ⟨p. 13⟩long, but that holds that doth come from the gracious temper of the Spirit. It is from the frame and the disposition of the spirit of a man or woman, there's the true Contentment. But this we shall speak too further in the opening of the Mystery of Contentment.

The Third thing is this, It is the frame of Spirit, that shows the habitualness of this grace of Contentment. Contentment is not merely one act, a flash in a good mood; you shall have many men and women, that take them in some good mood and they will be very quiet; but this will not hold, this is not in a constant way, there is not a constant tenor of their spirits to be holy and gracious under affliction. But I say, It is the quiet frame of spirit, by that I mean, The habitual disposition of their Souls, that it is not only at this time, and the other time when you take men and women in a good mood, but it is the constant tenor and temper of the heart; that is a Christian that hath learned this lesson of Contentment, that in the constant tenor and temper of heart is contented, and can carry its self quietly in a constant way, or else it is worth nothing; for there is no body that is so furious in their discontent, but will be quiet in some good mood or other. Now First it is a heart-business; Secondly, it is the heart-quiet; and then Thirdly, it is the frame of the heart.