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Reading Classics Together - The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment (XIII)
- 09/17/09
- 9
We made it! And honestly, it was barely even a challenge. There have been some classics that I’ve had to struggle to finish. Sometimes, by the end, it is hard work just to turn the next page. But that was not that case, at least for me, with The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment. I found it a joy to read from beginning to end and it is one I know I will return to in the future (though I may need a copy that is no quite so thoroughly highlighted). Today I am simply going to provide a very brief overview of the chapter and then offer a few of my favorite quotes.
In this final chapter, Burroughs concludes his thoughts on how to attain contentment. Here are the twelve directions he gives:
1. All the rules and helps in the world will do us little good unless we get a good temper within our hearts.
2. If you would get a contented life, do not grasp too much of the world, do not take in more of the business of the world than God calls you to.
3. Be sure of your call to every business you go about.
4. I must walk by rule in the work that I am called to.
5. Exercise much faith.
6. Labor to be spiritually minded.
7. Do not promise yourselves too much beforehand; do not reckon on too great things.
8. Labor to get your hearts mortified to the world, dead to the world.
9. Let not men and women pore too much upon their afflictions: that is, busy their thoughts too much to look down into their afflictions.
10. Make a good interpretation of God’s ways towards you.
11. Do not so much regard the fancies of other men, as what indeed you feel yourselves.
12. Be not inordinately taken up with the comforts of this world when you have them. When you have them, do not take too much satisfaction in them.
Let me share just a few favorite quotes that I had to highlight on my way through:
“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. And so, there is nothing outside us that can keep our hearts in a steady, constant way, but what is within us: grace is within the soul, and it will do this.”
“Nothing in the world will quiet the heart so much as this: when I meet with any cross, I know I am where God would have me, in my place and calling; I am about the work that God has set me.”
“Exercise faith, not only in the promise that all shall work together for good to them that fear God, but likewise exercise faith in God himself; as well as in his Word, in the attributes of God.”
“Let afflictions and troubles find you with a mortified heart to the world, and they will not break your bones; those whose bones are broken by crosses and afflictions are those who are alive to the world, but are not dead to the world. But no afflictions or troubles will break the bones of one who has a mortified heart and is dead to the world; that is, they will not be very grievous or painful to such a one as is mortified to the world.”
“You find many people, all of whose thoughts are taken up about what their crosses and afflictions are, they are altogether thinking and speaking of them. It is just with them as with a child who has a sore: his finger is always on the sore; so men’s and women’s thoughts are always on their afflictions.”
The Next Classic
Stay tuned and in a couple of weeks I’ll announce the next classic we’ll be reading together. Feel free to offer suggestions in the comments here.But for now, I’d love to hear your concluding thoughts on The Rare Jewel…
I am a follower of Jesus Christ, a husband to Aileen and a father to three young children. I worship and serve as a pastor at 
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Comments (9)
Tim, thank you for selecting The Rare Jewell of Christian Contentment. That was a quick three months. We started the book the week I needed to learn to be content in Christ-the week I became laid off. It has encouraged me each week. I am still in my affliction, but I have learned much about contentment (and not to murmur!) This book will stay on my desk to reference and remind. My book too, is heavily highlighted; with whatever highlighter was handy-2 shades of yellow, blue, and orange, God has used this book at the right time in my life.
#6 “the reason why we are so troubled with any wants we have, is because we converse so little with God, so little with spiritual things; conversing with spiritual things would lift us above the things of the world.”
I am looking forward to the next classic you choose for us to read with you.
Tim, This has been a good book for me as well. Thanks for reading it with us. I was pondering Burrough’s statement in this chapter: “Make a good interpretation of God’s ways towards you.” This got me thinking about Samson. Samson had a lot of negative character traits, but he is commended in Hebrews 11. I’ve always puzzled at this, seeing as Samson is, in so many ways, not a man I’d want to imitate. But God puts the best interpretation on his life, and he is commended. This provides me with the hope that Burroughs was talking about, that God sees me in the best possible light, and I ought to interpret his character and deeds in the same way.
Blessing to you, Gale, as you go through this particular trial. My husband has been unemployed since April, and we’ve seen God provide for us in many ways.
My thoughts on this final chapter are posted here: http://lauriemo.blogspot.com/2009/09/how-to-attain-contentment-concluded.html
I’ve also posted a final “cheat sheet” for contentment for quick reference which is not specifically drawn from this work, but has been extraordinarily helpful to me over the years: http://lauriemo.blogspot.com/2009/09/cheat-sheet-for-contentment.html
Thank you so much for this study. I will read this book again for sure! It was all good, but what is helping me a lot lately is to concentrate on all the mercies God has blessed me with. “Truly, you may know it [if your sorrow in affliction is going beyond the bounds] by this, does the sense of your afflictions take away the sense of your mercies? If it does then it goes beyond the bounds.” p185-186
It has definitely been a great study. Like you guys, my copy is heavily highlighted, which I don’t always do with a book. So that’s a sign that I really liked it.
I have also definitely enjoyed reading the notes that others have posted, and benefited by the comraderie of “reading together”, even if only through the web.
I haven’t gotten my notes together on this last chapter yet. Probably tomorrow…. I’ll look forward to the next book that Tim chooses!
I didn’t get to read along on this one, Tim, but perhaps the next one will fit the schedule better. What would you think about “Why Revival Tarries” by Leonard Ravenhill?
“Oh, do not be content with yourselves till you have learned this lesson of Christian contentment, and have obtained some better skill in it than heretofore.”
My eyes were opened through reading this book. I thought I was a fairly content person, but now I see how much further I need to grow. I pray for better skills, and I thank God for lending us Jeremiah Burroughs to help point those out.
My review of this last chapter is here:”12 Final Suggestions on Contentment”
Hey, Tim. Thanks for introducing this book to all. Good choice. And … uhm … I may be able to put my hands on a clean copy of “Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment” in this warehouse of ours for your next read.:-)Steve B.
My notes and thoughts on the final chapter are here:http://reformedbookclub.blogspot.com/2009/09/rare-jewel-of-christian-contentment.html