The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment

By Jeremiah Burroughs

This work The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment examines that contentment that a Christian should have. Described, Mystery of, Christ teaches, excellence of, evils of a murmuring spirit, aggravations of murmuring, excuses of a discontented heart, how to attain.

Contents

1. CHRISTIAN CONTENTMENT DESCRIBED – 7
I. It is inward
II. It is quiet. What this is not opposed to. What it is opposed to
III. It is a frame of spirit
IV. It is a gracious frame
V. It freely submits to God’s disposal
VI. It submits to God’s disposal
VIII. It submits and takes please in God’s disposal
IX. It does this in every condition

2. THE MYSTERY OF CONTENTMENT – 23
I. A Christian is content, yet unsatisfied
II. He comes to contentment by subtraction
III. By adding another burden to himself
IV. By changing the affliction into something else
V. By doing the work of his circumstances
VI. By melting his will into God’s will
VIII. He lives on the dew of God’s blessing
IX. He sees God’s love in afflictions
X. His afflictions are sanctified in Christ
XI. He gets strength from Christ
XII. He makes up his wants in God
XIII. He gets contentment from the Covenant, He supplies wants by what he finds in himself. He gets supply from the Covenant
1 . The Covenant in general
2 . Particular promises in the Covenant
XIV. He realizes the things of Heaven
XV. He opens his heart to God

3. HOW CHRIST TEACHES CONTENTMENT – 51
I. The lesson of self-denial
II. The vanity of the creature
III. To know the one thing needful
IV. To know one’s relation to the world
V. Wherein the good of the creature is
VI. The knowledge of one’s own heart
VII. The burden of a prosperous condition
VIII. The evil of being given up to one’s heart desires
IX. The right knowledge of God’s providence

4. THE EXCELLENCE OF CONTENTMENT – 71
I. By it we give God his due worship
II. In it is much exercise of grace
III. The soul is fitted to receive mercy
IV. It is fitted to do service
V. It delivers from temptations
VI. It brings abundant comforts
VII. It gets the comfort of things not possessed
VIII. It is a great blessing on the soul
IX. A contented man may expect reward
X. By it the soul comes nearest the excellence of God

5. THE EVILS OF A MURMURING SPIRIT – 83
I. It argues much corruption in the soul
II. It is the mark of an ungodly man
III. Murmuring is accounted rebellion
IV. It is contrary to grace, especially in conversion
V. It is below a Christian
VI. By murmuring we undo our prayers
VII. The evil effects of murmuring
VIII. Discontent is a foolish sin
IX. It provokes the wrath of God
X. There is a curse on it
XI. There is much of the spirit of Satan in it
XII. It brings an absolute necessity of disquiet
XIII. God may withdraw his protection

6. AGGRAVATIONS OF THE SIN OF MURMURING – 104
I. The greater the mercies the greater the sin of murmuring
II. When we murmur for small things
III. When men of gifts and abilities murmur
IV. The freeness of God’s mercy
V. When we have the things for the want of which we were discontented
VI. When men are raised from a low position
VII. When men have been great sinners
VIII. When men are of little use in the world
IX. When God is about to humble us
X. when God s hand is apparent in an affliction
XI. When God has afflicted us for a long time

7. THE EXCUSES OF A DISCONTENTED HEART – 113
I. It is a sense of my condition’
II. ‘I am troubled by my sin’
III. ‘God withdraws himself from me’
IV. ‘It is men’s bad treatment that troubles me’
V. ‘I never expected this affliction’
VI. ‘My affliction is so great’
VII. ‘My affliction is greater than others’
VIII. ‘If the affliction were any other, I could be content’
IX. ‘My afflictions make me unserviceable to God’
X. ‘My condition is unsettled’
XI. ‘I have been in a better condition’
XII. I am crossed after taking great pains’
XIII. ‘I do not break out in discontent’

8. HOW TO ATTAIN CONTENTMENT – 127
I. Considerations to content the heart in any afflicted condition
1 . The greatness of the mercies we have
2 . God is beforehand with us with his mercies
3 . The abundance of mercies God bestows
4 . All creatures are in a vicissitude
5 . The creatures suffer for us
6 . We have but little time in the world
7 . This has been the condition of our betters
8 . We were content with the world without grace, and should be now with grace without the world
9 . We did not give God the glory when we had our desires
10. The experience of God doing us a good in afflictions
II. Directions for attaining contentment
1 . There must be grace to make the soul steady
2 . Do not grasp too much of the world
3 . Have a call to every business
4. Walk by rule
5. Exercise much faith
6 . Labour to be spiritually-minded
7 . Do not promise yourselves great things
8 . Get hearts mortified to the world
9 . Do not pore too much on afflictions
10. Make a good interpretation of God’s ways to you
11. Do not regard the fancies of other men
12. Do not be inordinately taken up with the comforts of the world

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