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grace_n	john_n	thomas_n	william_n	13,938	5	9.8148	5	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A30598	The rare jewel of Christian contentment wherein is shewed, I. What contentment is, II. The holy art or mystery of it, III. Several lessons that Christ teacheth, to work the heart to contentment, IV. The excellencies of it, V. The evils of murmuring, VII. The aggravations of the sin of murmuring / by Jeremiah Burroughs.	Burroughs, Jeremiah, 1599-1646.	1649 (1649)	Wing B6103; ESTC R32016	217,805	276

THE RARE JEWEL OF CHRISTIAN Contentment Wherein is shewed I. What CONTENTMENT is II. The holy Art or Mystery of it III. Severall Lessons that Christ teacheth to work the Heart to Contentment IV. The excellencies of it V. The evils of Murmuring VI. The aggravations of the sin of Murmuring By Jeremiah Burroughs The first of the three Volumes that are published by Thomas Goodwyn William Greenhill Sydrach Simpson Philip Nye William Bridge John Yates William Adderley London Printed for Peter Cole at the Printing-Press in Cornhil near the Royall Exchange 1649. THou hast here a true Catalogue of all the works of Master Ieremiah Burroughs that are Published by us Thomas Goodwyn William Greenhil Sydrach Simpson Philip Nye William Bridge Iohn Yates William Adderly The first Volume The rare Jewel of Christian Contentment Wherein is shewed 1. What Contentment is 2. The holy Art or Mystery of it 3. Severall 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 The second Volume Gospel-Worship Wherein is shewed 1. The right manner of Sanctifying the Name of God in general and particularly in these three great Ordinances 1. Hearing the Word 2. Receiving the Lords-Supper 3. Prayer The third Volume Gospel-Conversation Wherein is shewed 1. That the Conversation of Believers must be above what could be by the light of Nature 2. Beyond those that lived under the Law 3. Suitable to what Truths the Gospel holds forth All Printed for Peter Cole at the Printing-Presse in Cornhill near the Royal Exchange London 1649. To the READER THis worthy Man especially in his latter times was surrounded through Gods blessing on him with a very great confluence of what might give forth Contentment to a vast spirit of his ranck and calling He was enriched with a large measure of abilities and opportunities in serving his Lord to glorifie whom and do much good to others is the divine part of a man gracious which he was the highest and most solid satisfaction and in many respects exceeds what personall communion with God singly considered brings in Besides he lived and dyed in a fulnesse of honor and esteem with the best of men of Saints yea the worst of enemies Likewise of estate and outward comforts within his sphaere and rank all which might and did afford Contentment to what was outward in him In the midst of these his study was to finde out a more sublime way and hidden art of selfe sufficiency then was in the power of all things to contribute or teach Such a skill as did not only poyse compose his spirit in the present enjoyment of all but might fortifie and furnish him with provision for the future against the losse of all in times wherein no man knoweth what evil will be in the earth This mark his first lines shew he shot at This Art some Philosophers of old pretended themselves Masters of and to instruct other in through the assistance of Natural and Moral elements elevated to the utmost height their Principles could carry them but in vaine Their Chymistry in this kinde being able to produce no more but a sullen obstinacie and obduratenesse of minde The natural Spirit of a man feeling it selfe greater then all creatures gathering up and consolidating it self into it self is able as Solomon saies to sustaine its owne and all other infirmites But that Autarchy this Author here presents is a Mystery which none of these Princes of the world knew or the wisdome of man teacheth but the holy Ghost teacheth and which few but those that are perfect do attaine Teaching the soule to deny it selfe into weaknesse emptinesse in and to its selfe and all things else and thus dissolved to unite it selfe to him who onely hath blessednesse and all-sufficiencie with whom associated and made intimate it melts it selfe into all his interests making them its owne and thereby comes to have all that All-sufficiency of the High God to be its self-sufficiency And then what state can that soule be in wherein it may not be content seeing it hath God to be the chiefest comfort in its best times and onely comfort in its worst This though it be the inheritance of every Saint in the right and title to it yet the possession and enjoyment of it depepends upon an improvement of this inheritance and that upon a skill which is to be learned by experience and much exercise as Paul speaks I have learned in whatsoever estate I am therewith to be content This piece of learning this serious spirited man inured himselfe unto and digging for it as Rubies as Solomons scholler for wisdome hath found it and hath hewen forth this Jewel a Title given neither by himselfe not us the Publishers to the subject it selfe yet the materials themselves deserving it out of the Rock and hath artificially cut it that the innate rays of this so glorious a Grace might shine forth to others And here it comes to be presented though set forth as the richest Jewels are often for awhile in ruder mettal untill bargained for but then are placed in Tablets worthy of them The onely seat this is ordained for is the precious Tablets of mens Hearts in and from which alone the native lustre of it will be made conspicuous Reader buy it set and wear it there and it shall as Solomon speaks be life unto thy soul and grace unto thy neck Thou shalt not be afraid when thou liest down yea thy sleep shall be sweet unto thee for the Lord will be thy confidence Thomas Goodwyn Sidrach Simpson William Greenhil Philip Nye William Bridge John Yates William Adderly THE CONTENTS OF THE INSUING TREATISE OF Contentment SERMON I A HE Words opened Page 2 Doctrine To be well skil'd in the mystery of Christian Contentment is the duty glory and excellency of a Christian Page 3 Christian Contentment described Page 4 1 It is inward Ibid 2 It is quiet which is not opposed 1 To sence of affliction Page 5 2 To complaint to God or man ibid 3 To a lawful seeking of help Page 6 But it is opposed 1 To murmuring ibid 2 To fretting and vexing ibid 3 To tumult of spirit ibid 4 To unsetledness of spirit Page 7 5 To distracting cares and fears ibid 6 To sinking discouragments ib. 7 To sinful shifting Page 8 8 To rising of the heart against God Page 9 3 It is a frame of spirit 1 It is spread through the whol soul 10. 2 It is a frame of soul Page 11 3 It is a habitual frame Page 13 4 It is a gracious frame opposed 1 To natural stilness ibid 2 To sturdy resolutions ibid 3 To strength of natural reason Page 14 5 It is a frame of spirit freely submitting 1 The heart is readily brought over Page 15 2 It is not by constraint Page 16 3 It is not out of stupidity 17 6 Freely submitting ibid 7 Taking

It is a speech of Ambrose Even poverty it 's self it is riches unto holy men Godly men do make their poverty turn to be riches they get more riches out of their poverty then ever they get out of their revenues out of all their trading in this world they never had such incomes as they have had out of their poverty this a carnall heart will think strange that a man shall make poverty to be the most gainfull trade that ever he had in the world I am perswaded that many Christians have found it so that they have got more good by their poverty than ever they got by all their riches you find it in Scripture therefore think not this strange that I am speaking of you do not find any one Godly man that came out of an affliction worse than when he came into it though for a while he was shaken yet at last he was better for an affliction but a great many Godly men you find have been worse for their prosperity scarce one Godly man that you reade in Scripture of but was worse for prosperity except Daniel and Nehemiah I do not reade of any hurt they got by their prosperity that they had scarce I think is any one example of any Godly man but was rather worse for his prosperity than better so that you see it 's no such strange thing neither to one that is gracious that they shall get good by their affliction Luther hath such an expression in his Comment upon the 5. Chap. of the Galatians in the 17. verse in his Comment upon that place saith A Christian becometh a mighty worker and a wonderful creator that is saith he to create out of heavinesse joy out of terrour comfort out of sin righteousnesse out of death life and brings light out of darknesse It was Gods prerogative and great power his creating power to command the light to shine out of darknesse now a Christian is partaker of the divine nature so the scripture saith Grace it is part of the Divine Nature and being part of the Divine Nature it hath an impression of Gods Omnipotent power that is to create light out of darkensse to being good out of evill now by this way a Christian comes to be content God hath given a Christian such a vertue as can turn affliction into mercyes can turn darkenesse into light if a man had the power that Christ had when the water pots were fil'd he could by a word turn the water into wine if you that have nothing but water to drink yet if you had a power to turn it into wine then you may be contented Certainly a Christian hath received this power from God to work thus miraculously it is the nature of grace to turn water into wine that is to turn the water of your affliction into the wine of heavenly consolation If you understand this in a carnal way I know it will be rediculous for a Minister to speak thus before you and many carnal people are ready to make such expressions as these to be rediculous understanding them in a carnal way Just as Nicodemus in the 3. of John What can a man be born when he is old can be enter the second time into his mothers womb and be born So when we speak of grace that it can turn water into wine and turn poverty into riches and make poverty a gainful trade saith a carnal heart Let them have that trade if they will and let them have water to drink and see if they can turn it into wine Oh take heed thou speakest not in a scornful way of the waies of God grace hath the power to turn afflictions into mercies Two men shall have one affliction and to one man it shall be as gall and wormwood and it shall be wine and honey and delightfulness and joy and advantage and riches to another This is the mystery of Contentment not so much by removing the evil as by Metamorphosing the evil by changing the evil into good The Fifth thing is this A Christain comes to this Contentment by making up the wants of his condition by the performance of the work of his condition This is the way of Contentment There is such a condition that I am in many wants I want this and the other comfort well how shall I come to be satisfied and content A carnal heart thinks this I must have my wants made up or else it is impossible that I should be content No but saith a gracious heart What is the duty of the condition God hath put me into Indeed my condition is changed I was not long since in a prosperous condition but God hath changed my condition the Lord hath called me no more Naomi but Marah Now what am I to do what can I think now are those duties that God requires of me in the condition that he hath now put me into and let me put forth my strength in the performance of the duties of my present condition Others they spend their thoughts in those things that shall disturb and disquiet them and so they grow more and more discontented yea but let me spend my thoughts in thinking what my duty is what is the duty of my present condition which I am in O saith a man whose condition is changed and he hath lost his estate Had I but my estate as I had heretofore how would I use it to his glory But God hath made me to see that I did not honour him with my estate as I ought to have done Oh had I it again I would do better than ever I did but this may be but a temptation therefore you should rather think What doth God require of me in the condition I am now brought into And thou shouldest labour to bring thy heart to quiet and Contentnent by setting thy soul on work about the duties of thy present condition And the truth is I know nothing more available for the quieting of a Christian Soul and getting Contentment then this The setting thy heart on work about the duties of the very present condition that now thou art in and take heed of thy thoughts about other conditions as a meer temptation I cannot compare the folly of men and women that think to get Contentment with their musing about other conditions better than to the way of Children perhaps they are gotten upon a hill and they look a good way off and see another hill and they think if they were on the top of that then they were able to touch the clouds with their fingers but when they are on the top of that hill alas then they are as far from the clouds as they were before So it is with many that think If they were in such a condition then I should have Contentment and perhaps they get into that condition then they are as far from Contentment as before But then they think if they were in another condition they would be contented