Jeremiah Burroughs (1600–1646)

J.I. Packer once said that the puritans stand like the mighty redwoods across the landscape of evangelicalism in the past two millennia. Author Jeremiah Burroughs was one such puritan. He played a role in the Westminster Assembly and became a preacher at Cripplegate, one of the most prominent churches in London during the 17th century. As the cover bio suggests, he is indeed reckoned as belonging to the front rank of English puritan preachers.

Building his case from Scripture, Burroughs show more opens up his magisterial work defining contentment with a number of its inherent features. He moves on to display its mystery, how Christ teaches it, its excellence, the evils of a murmuring spirit, excuses of a discontented heart, and how to attain contentment. Though many have touted Burrough's Rare Jewel as a worthwhile read, it truly deserves to enjoy lasting influence in the church. His reminders and counsels provide a needed corrective for wayward, discontented, and covetous hearts. The essential nature of man has not changed since the dawn of time. Again and again, God's people who witnessed his awesome deeds complain incessantly for lack of comforts. Truly, the heart of man is never satisfied.

From ancient times to the present day, the human heart seeks contentment in worldly goods. Greedy and dissatisfied hearts reside within every man since Adam. Only through the new Adam will hearts drink from springs of living water and turn away from empty wells that promise refreshment but contain no water. Contentment's fruit will yield sturdy believers who are weaned off the requirements of external delights for happiness. Contentment graces the mature who have learned it and results in inward peace and cheerful hearts, no matter the circumstance. Indeed, godliness with contentment is great gain (1 Tim. 6:6). show less

This should be required reading! My heart still delights in earthly things rather than the loving, gracious presence of Jesus, so I am trying to take all this to heart. This brief publication from a puritan makes it clear that seeking earthly things is the essence of idolatry. But it's nothing that Jesus didn't already tell us (Matt 6:19-34) or Paul (Col 3:1-8) or John (1 John 2:15-17). But it seems like 99% of professing Christians do everything they can to try to violate these commands: Do show more not store up treasures on earth. Do not set your mind on earthly things. Do not love the world. My heart is still stuck in the tar pit of selfishness too, so please don't think I'm trying to be sanctimonious. We all need help. We need a miracle.

This is a free resource on monergism.com and podcast. Please listen. show less

""The devil loves to fish in troubled waters"--from Jeremiah Burroughs's Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment Jeremiah Burroughs reminds us that peace and calm in the midst of great troubles is a requirement for a Christian, and that learning contentment is the ABCs of the Christian life. But contentment does not come naturally. We excuse our stress, anxiety, and discouragement by claiming that we are just planning for the future and reacting normally to trials. But in this Puritan classic, show more Burroughs presents readers with the high calling to be content whatever the circumstances: "Christian contentment is that sweet, inward, quiet, gracious frame of spirit, which freely submits to and delights in God's wise and fatherly disposal. " "Burroughs, being a wise pastor, works the teaching of contentment into every possible nook and cranny in the Christian life. If you want to read something to make you feel you have arrived, this is not the book for you. Burroughs understands that contentment is a mystery and cannot be taught lightly. It requires diligent application if we are to say with Paul that we have learned the secret of being content in all circumstances"--from Nancy Wilson's introduction"-- show less

This work was originally intended as an appendix to [b:The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment|770478|The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment|Jeremiah Burroughs|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1178207200s/770478.jpg|756536]. It's a bracing pastoral exhortation on how to live contentedly and to glorify God when you are materially prosperous (and by "prosperous," Burroughs really refers to anyone whose material needs are supplied on a daily basis). His thoughts grate against a lot of contemporary show more instincts about wealth, though perhaps not in the ways I expected when I got the book. Provocative for almost any reader.

Fuller review: http://awonderfulprovidence.blogspot.com/2013/05/book-review-contentment-prosper... show less