Blog Journeys of a Lifelong Learner

From The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment by Jeremiah Burroughs:

In general, you would submit to anything; but what if it is in this or that particular case which crosses you most? — Then, anything but that! We are usually apt to think that any condition is better than that condition in which God has placed us.

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Whatever particular afflictions God may place us in, we must be content in them.

There must be a submission to God in every affliction, as to the time and continuance of the affliction.

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We must not be our own disposers for the time of deliverance any more than for the kind and way of deliverance.

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God calls those in public positions to stand longer in the gap and place of danger than other people, but we must be content to stay even in Jordan till the Lord shall be pleased to call us out.

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We must be content with the particular affliction, and the time, and all the circumstances about the affliction—for sometimes the circumstances are greater afflictions than the afflictions themselves—and for the variety.

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It is very rare that one affliction comes alone; commonly, afflictions are not single things, but they come one upon the neck of another. God may strike one man in his possessions, then in his body, then in his name, wife, child or dear friend, and so it comes in a variety of ways; it is the way of God ordinarily (you may find it by experience) that one affliction seldom comes alone. Now this is hard, when one affliction follows after another, when there is a variety of afflictions, when there is a mighty change in one's condition, up and down, this way, and that: there indeed is the trial of a Christian. Now there must be submission to God's disposal in them.

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Contentment is the inward, quiet, gracious frame of spirit, freely submitting to and taking pleasure in God's disposal in every condition: That is the description, and in it nine distinct things have been opened up which we summarize as follows: First, that contentment is a heart-work within the soul; Secondly, it is the quieting of the heart; Thirdly, it is the frame of the spirit; Fourthly, it is a gracious frame; Fifthly, it is the free working of this gracious frame; Sixthly, there is in it a submission to God, sending the soul under God; Seventhly, there is a taking pleasure in the hand of God; Eighthly, all is traced to God's disposal; Ninthly, in every condition, however hard it be and however long it continue.