A77996:392
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 8: The Eighth 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 Eighth PLEA.
Another Reasoning that murmuring hearts have is this, why they think that if the affliction were any other than it is, then they would be more contented.
First, You must know that we are not to choose our own rod, that God shall beat us with. Secondly, It may be if it were any other than it is, it were not so fit for thee as this is, it may be therefore God chooses it because it is most cross to thee, as seeing it most suitable for the purging out of that humour that is in thee. If a Patient comes to take Physic, and finds himself sick by it, shall he say, Oh! if it were any other potion I could bear it, it may be if it were any other than it is, it would not fit thy disease; yea, if it did not work as it doth, it would not fit thy disease: so when thou sayest of an affliction, if it were any other than it is thou couldest bear it; do but answer thy self with this, it may be if it were any other than it is, it would not be fit for me, it would not be right to that sinful humour that there is in my soul, and therefore God sees this to be the fittest and the most suitable for me. Thirdly, Know that this is the excellency of Grace in a Christian, To be fitted for any condition; not only to say, If it were this or that, but if it be any. As now, a Mariner if he hath skill, he would not say, if it were any other wind but this, if the wind blow in any point but this, I could tell how to manage my ship, I could show skill in other points, but not in this; would not Mariners laugh at such a one? it would be a shame for him to say, that he hath skill in any other point but this: So it should be a shame for a Christian to say, that he hath skill in any other affliction but this: A Christian should be able to manage his Ship if the wind blow any way, to guide his soul any way. The fourth and last answer is this, Know that the Lord hath