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The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment

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After you've read through the first chapter of this book, you will think most modern evangelical writing should be shelved next to Dr. Seuss.

This is a fantastic and profound book, HOWEVER . . .

DON'T BUY THIS EDITION! The print is miniscule and very difficult to read! Try the Banner of Truth Edition.

This is 'the book' on the doctrine of Christian contentment. The depth of the Puritans is rarely even approached by modern authors. Burrough's takes you through some of the ABC's of Christian living. For example on p.87-88 "We deserve nothing and therefore why should we be impatient if we do not get what we desire." Perhaps at the root of discontentment is that we really do not desire God's will in everything, at least in some things we want the Lord to rubber stamp and implement our will even if it is contrary to His. A Christian can be content no matter what their circumstances because contentment comes from the inward state of the heart and not from outward circumstances as the author ably instructs the reader. The importance of a believer learning to be content(and it is a lifelong process)would be difficult to overstate. It helps in dealing with temptation, it prepares the Christian for any type of service their Lord and Master requires of them, and it brings great comfort no matter how bleak things may appear to be. The writer also enables the reader to understand how that comfort is brought, on p.130 " Certainly our contentment does not consist in getting the thing we desire, but in God's fashioning our spirits to our conditions." God works in us to view things by faith, and by doing so , we see things more and more filtered through God's perspective. By doing that we can see a little more of the big picture of all of the Lord's dealings with His people and bring that to bear on what is happening in our life. Any Christian who learns to be more content both glorifies God and becomes increasingly useful in His service and thats why this book is so important and useful for the Lord's people.

Look at the self-help secion and Christian Living section in bookstores and you will find hundreds if not thousands of books professing to help the reader to contentment and happiness. Very few, if any, survive the test of time much less the test of human experience.

This great book, written almost 400 years ago, addresses the basic problem of human discontent, suffering and offers a timeless and tested solution. 16th and 17th century Divines did not mince words, cater to the fickle tastes of the reading public or care about being poitically correct. They preached the truth.

True contentment, argues the author, is achieved by subtraction and not by addition; by surrender and not struggle.

Read this great work and toss all those written by people who will be forgotten next year. It will set your heart on fire and elevate your soul.

I am still reading this book, but I've read enough to have it significantly change my outlook on life and afflictions. I have learned in abundance what it means to trust the Lord in troubles and to realize that God will bring me out of them in His time, and it is my duty to praise the Lord and devote my heart to Him. My cup runs over when I read Jeremiah Burroughs.

There is more than one edition for this title, and I'd like to recommend the particular edition published by the Banner of Truth (ISBN # 0851510914).

The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment is a classic and "rare jewel" of a book itself (especially in our modern time) on the subject of contentment based on Paul's words in Philippians 4:11, "I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content." Burroughs explains the nature of Christian contentment (what it is), the art and mystery of it, the excellence of it, the evils of a murmuring spirit, why we are to be content, what lessons must be learned to bring the heart to contentment, how Christ teaches contentment, and directions for us to attain contentment.

If there is only one lesson I learn from this book, it would be on how to be contented by laboring to get a good interpretation of God's dealings in my life. But there is certainly much more to learn from the text, which I consider the best exposition on Phil 4:11. Burrough's coverage seems to be more comprehensive than that of Watson's who also wrote a treatise on the same subject 'The Art of Divine Contentment' 5 years after Burrough did. What I particularly enjoy is the lessons on the mystery of contentment, the excellence of contenment, how Christ teaches contentment, the evil and aggravation of a murmuring spirit, and how to be content. I found some examples used to clarify certain points are both humbling and humorous, whether they were intended to be so or not, some of which are given ch.7 that talks about one of the excellencies of a contented spirit being the soul is fitted to receive mercy and to do service. "No man or woman in the world is as fit to receive the grace of God, and to do the work of God, as those who have contented spirits. So if we would be vessels to receive God's mercy, and would have the Lord pour his mercy into us, we must have quiet, still hearts. We must not have hearts hurrying up and down in trouble, discontent and vexing, but still and quiet hearts, if we receive mercy from the Lord." Then two illustrations were presented which I thought are hilarious. "If a child throws and kicks up and down for a thing, you do not give it him when he cries so, but first you will have the child quiet. Even though, perhaps, you intend him to have what he cries for, you will not give it him till he is quiet, and comes, and stands still before you, and is contented without it, and then you will give it him." The second illustration is not only hilarious, but also humbling because it reminds me that I am indeed a beggar knocking on God's door for mercy every day. "If a beggar knocks once or twice at the door and you do not come, and thereupon he is vexed and troubled and thinks it much that you let him stand a little while without anything, you think that this beggar is not fit to receive an alms. But if you hear two or three beggars at your door, and out of your window you hear them say, 'Let us be content to stay, perhaps they are busy, it is right that we should stay, it is well if we get anything in the end, we deserve nothing at all, and therefore we may well wait a while', you would then quickly send them an alms." The chapter that deals with how to obtain contentment is full of precious practical, profound exhortations. But I decide to restrain from revealing more than what I pointed out at the beginning of this review, that is, to labor to get a good interpretation of God's dealings in our life, so I won't spoil the enjoyment of those who read this review and decide to buy and read the text. If you are looking to enjoy God and his Word through God-centered, God-exalting expository texts, even on a Scripture verse as simple as Phil 4:11, this is one of them.

I'm a prolific reader, and have read a fair number of Christian books dealing with a variety of subjects. This book is in the top 3 of books I've read in terms of having a profound impact on my life.

As an attorney, I appreciate logical arguments, and that's what you get from Burroughs. He challenges the reader to retool his or her philosphy on contentment in view of the Grace of God. It's a hard book to read, but worth every second. I can't say enough about this book!

Josh

I read this book shortly after my mom died of cancer. I was frustrated and annoyed with where I was, the job I had, and a million other things. God used Burroughs' powerful book to be the single greatest influence in helping me to work through that.

Burroughs shows how our desires are a sphere, like the earth's atmosphere. Our possessions (who we are, what we have, our station in life) are a smaller sphere within the first. To attain contentment, we must understand God in such a way as to shrink our desires to match our possessions, because we understand that God knows that what we have is exactly what we need. This continual shrinking of desires helps us to love and enjoy all the wonderous things God has given us. The further we go on this path, the smaller our sphere of desires becomes, until eventually we realize that we deserve nothing we have, and can only praise God with gratefulness for all he has given.

Read this book when you are hurt. Read it when you are tired. Read it when you are frustrated. Read it when your dreams are deflated and deferred, like "A Raisin in the Sun." God will bring you contentment.

This book was life changing for me. I was sure I understood contentment and after the first several chapters could not fathom what more Burroughs could have to say for another 100 pages. By the end of the book I understood God and my relationship to him more deeply than anything I have read short of direct study of the Word.

Jeremiah Burroughs (1599-1646), was a member of the grand Westminster Assembly as an Independent (Emmanuel College graduated 1624; preacher at Stepney and Cripplegate, London), and in "The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment" he offers a scripture-based practical book for edification and sanctification. This volume was written to encourage joy and faith resulting from the reception and application of solid doctrine.

Often within the vicissitudes of mundane life one loses sight of important truths as one's contentment decreases. Herein this towering Puritan instructs the reader in the necessity and means of attaining and practicing contentment.

This is an outstanding and useful book for the modern teen (he may need assistance in understanding the text) or adult, if you, like most believers:

- base your happiness on present conditions

- grumble and complain

- lack joy in life's daily work and pleasure.

Philippians 4:11: "Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content."

Other works by the author:

- "Commentary on the Prophecy of Hosea"

- "Learning to be Happy"

- and many others.

Burroughs' treatment of the subject of contentment focuses on the cause and fruit of the sin of petulance and complaining that so easily beset Christians as he provides Bible-based solutions that will promote reasoned and heart-felt obedience in the believer as the faithful embrace ongoing contentment.

see my apologetic books:

There Are Moral Absolutes: How to Be Absolutely Sure That Christianity Alone Supplies

or

"The Necessary Existence of God: The Proof of Christianity Through Presuppositional Apologetics"

or

Presuppositional Apologetics Examines Mormonism: How Van Til's Apologetic Refutes Mormon Theology