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…

First that the heart is readily brought over, that that one doth freely there is no great stir to bring them to it, there are many men and women when their afflictions are grievous upon them, with much ado they are brought to be contented, a great deal of stir there is to quiet their hearts when they are under affliction, yet at last perhaps they are brought to it, I but •ow this doth not come off freely, if I desire a thing of another and I get it perhaps with much ado, and a great deal of stir there is, but here's no freedom of spirit, but when a man is free in a thing do but mention it and presently he comes off to ⟨p. 16⟩it. So if you have learned this art of Contentment, you will not only be contented after a great deal of do to quiet your hearts but readily, as soon as ever you do come to think that it is the hand of God, your heart presently closeth.

First that the heart is readily brought over, that that one doth freely there is no great stir to bring them to it, there are many men and women when their afflictions are greivious upon them, with much adoe they are brought to be contented, a great deal of stir there is to quiet their hearts when they are under affliction, yet at last perhaps they are brought to it, I but •ow this doth not come off freely, if I desire a thing of another and I get it perhaps with much adoe, and a great deal of stir there is, but here's no freedom of spirit, but when a man is free in a thing do but mention it and presently he comes off to ⟨p. 16⟩it. So if you have learned this art of Contentment, you will not only be contented after a great deal of doe to quiet your hearts but readily, as soon as ever you do come to think that it is the hand of God, your heart presently closeth.

Secondly freely, That is not by constraint, not patience by force (as we use to say.) As many will say that you must be content, this is the hand of God and there is no help for it; O this is too low an expression for Christians, yet when Christians come to visit one another, they say friend or neighbour you must be content, this is to low an expression for a Christian, Must be conent, no, readily, and freely I will be content. It is suitable to my heart to yield to God, and to be content, I find it is a thing that comes off of it self, that my soul will be content. Oh you should answer your friends so that come and tell you you must be content, nay I am willing to yield to God, and I am freely content, that's the Second. And then a free act it comes after a rational way, that's freedom, that is, it doth not come through ignorance, because I know no better condition, or that I know not what my affliction is, but it comes through a sanctified judgement, for that is the reason that no creature can do an act of freedom, but the rational creature, the liberty of action is only in rational creatures, and it comes from hence, for that's only freedom and out of liberty that's wrought in a rational way, as a natural freedom is when I by my judgement see what is to be done, understand the thing, and then there is a closing with what I do understand in my judgement, that is freely done, but now if a man doth a thing, and understands not what he doth, he cannot be said to do it freely. So if men are contented, but it is because they understand not what their affliction is, or because they understand no better, this is not freely, as for instance, Suppose a Child born in a prison and never in all his life went out, the Child is contented, why? Because he never knew better, but this is no free act of Contentation, but now for men and women that do know better that know that the condition in which they are in it is an afflicted condition, and a sad condition, and yet they can bring their hearts to a Contentation out of a sanctified judgement, this is freedom.