The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment
Drawn from sermons on Philippians 4:11, Burroughs treats contentment as a learned spiritual art rather than a natural temperament, defining it as a quiet, gracious frame of spirit that freely submits to and even delights in God's dealings in every circumstance. He explains the mystery of how a believer can be full in want and calm under affliction, then diagnoses the sin of discontent and prescribes practical remedies.
Based on The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment (1648), by Jeremiah Burroughs
Puritan quotes
Quotes by Jeremiah Burroughs
“Christians miss a great deal of comfort which they might have from the particular promises in the gospel, if they would consider their connection to the root, the great Covenant that God has made with them in Christ.”
“Contentment is the inward, quiet, gracious frame of spirit, freely submitting to and taking pleasure in God's disposal in every condition.”
“Christian contentment is that sweet, inward, quiet, gracious frame of spirit, which freely submits to and delights in God's wise and fatherly disposal in every condition.”
“Be sure of your call to every business you go about. Though it is the least business, be sure of your call to it; then, whatever you meet with, you may quiet your heart with this: I know I am where God would have me.”
“If I become content by having my desire satisfied, that is only self-love; but when I am contented with the hand of God and am willing to be at His disposal, that comes from my love to God.”
“A Christian comes to contentment, not so much by way of addition, as by way of subtraction.”
“One drop of the sweetness of heaven is enough to take away all the sourness and bitterness of all the afflictions in the world.”
“Oh, that we could but convince men and women that murmuring spirit is a greater evil than any affliction, whatever the affliction!”
“You can never make a ship go steady by propping it outside; you know there must be ballast within the ship to make it go steady. So there is nothing outside us that can keep our hearts in a steady, constant way, but grace within the soul.”
“While I live in the world my condition is to be but a pilgrim, a stranger, a traveler, and a soldier.”