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The rare jewel of Christian contentment Wherein is showedThe rare jewel of Christian contentment Wherein is shewed
The rare jewel of Christian contentment Wherein is showed; 1. What contentment is. 2. The holy art or mystery of it. 3. Several lessons that Christ teacheth, to work the heart to contentment. 4. The excellencies of it. 5. The evils of murmuring. 6. The aggravations of the sin of murmuring. By Jeremiah Burroughs. The first of the eleven volumes that are published by Thomas Goodwin, William Greenhil, Sydrach Simpson, Philip Nigh, William Bridge, John Yates, William Adderly.The rare jewel of Christian contentment Wherein is shewed; 1. What contentment is. 2. The holy art or mystery of it. 3. Several lessons that Christ teacheth, to work the heart to contentment. 4. The excellencies of it. 5. The evils of murmuring. 6. The aggravations of the sin of murmuring. By Jeremiah Burroughs. The first of the eleven volumes that are published by Thomas Goodwin, William Greenhil, Sydrach Sympson, Philip Nye, William Bridge, John Yates, William Adderly.
London: printed for Ben. Billingsley, 1666
THE RARE JEWEL OF CHRISTIAN CONTENTMENT. › Sermon 10 › Plea 4: The Fourth PLEA.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
The Fourth PLEA.
Methinks I could be content with Gods hand (saith one) so far as I see the hand of God in a thing I can be content: but when men deal so unreasonably and unjustly with me, I know not how to bear that; I can bear it that I should be in Gods hands, but not in the hands of men; my friends or acquaintance when they deal so unrighteously with me, Oh this goes very hard unto me, that I know not how to bear it from men.
For the taking away of this reasoning, first, Though they be men that bring this cross upon you, yet they are Gods Instruments, God hath a hand in it, and they can go no further than God would have them go. This was that that quieted David ⟨p. 171⟩when Shimei curst him, saith he, God hath a hand in it, though Shimei be a wicked vile man, yet I look beyond him to God. So, Is there any of your friends that deal injuriously with you, and cross with you? look up to God, and see that man but as an instrument in Gods hands.
Secondly, If this be your trouble that men do so wrong you, you are rather to turn your hearts to pity them, than to murmur or be discontented; for the truth is, if you be wronged by other men, you have the better of it, For it is better to bear wrong, than to do wrong a great deal; If they wrong you, if your heart can submit, you are in a better condition than they, because it's better to suffer, than do wrong. I remember it is said of Socrates, that being very patient when wrong was done to him, they asked him how he came to be so? Saith he, If I meet with a man in the street that is a diseased man, shall I be vexed and fretted with him because he is diseased? Those that wrong me, I look upon them as diseased men, and therefore pity them.