Tuesday Evening Service 19/8/25

What is Christian Contentment and How To Attain It - Part 1

Philippians 4:11

Drawn From Puritan: Jeremiah Burroughs

Watch the Full Sermon HERE.

Let me just give a brief biography of Burroughs.

Jeremiah Burroughs: Born 1599, died 1646.

He was part of those who wrote the Westminster confession of faith. And was known as the morning star of Stepney, where he preached in London.

He was part of the many puritans who studied at Emmanuel College Cambridge. He was known for his peace-making but also his preaching.

He was a nonconformist and was exiled to Holland where he preached for a few years. He was also one of the main preachers for a few years at the Cripplegate in London.

Burroughs works include what I will be drawing from tonight, which I will introduce in a moment.

Also, his extensive commentary on Hosea, which we have taught on, he never did finish it, but it was finished by fellow puritan friends, including Thomas Brooks and William Bridge – who drew from Burroughs’ notes.

It is 650, two-column written pages, so almost 1300 pages long.

Another wonderful work, again we taught on it, is ‘Moses Choice’ - drawing from Hebrews 11:24- 26

Hebrews 11:24-26

By faith moses, when he became of age, refused to be called the son of pharaoh’s daughter, choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin, esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt; for he looked to the reward.

700 pages are covered by those few verses.

However tonight, and over the weeks, we will be drawing from Burroughs’ work, entitled ‘The Rare Jewel Of Christian Contentment’. Where he teaches from Philippians 4:11 where Paul writes:

Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content:

We will call it: Christian Contentment And How To Attain It. Which is a chapter title in Burroughs’ work.

Note however Burroughs title, ‘the rare jewel’. It is for sure way rarer than it ought to be.

We have so many believers today overwhelmed by their circumstances, that contentment seems to be something they just never seem to taste, or if they do it is but fleeting.

Okay, before we delve into part one, let us as we always do read our puritan prayer, which is from the ‘Valley of Vision’ page 294 or 163 of the paperback, entitled: ‘Contentment’

HEAVENLY FATHER, If I should suffer need, and go unclothed, and be in poverty, make my heart prize thy love, know it, be constrained by it, though I be denied all blessings. It is thy mercy to afflict and try me with wants, for by these trials I see my sins, and desire severance from them. Let me willingly accept misery, sorrows, temptations, if I can thereby feel sin as the greatest evil, and be delivered from it with gratitude to thee, acknowledging this as the highest testimony of thy love. When thy Son, Jesus, came into my soul instead of sin, he became more dear to me than sin had formerly been; his kindly rule replaced sin’s tyranny. Teach me to believe that if ever I would have any sin subdued I must not only labour to overcome it, but must invite Christ to abide in the place of it, and he must become to me more than vile lust had been; that his sweetness, power, life may be there. Thus I must seek a grace from him contrary to sin, but must not claim it apart from himself. When I am afraid of evils to come, comfort me by showing me that in myself I am a dying, condemned wretch, but in Christ I am reconciled and live; that in my self I find insufficiency and no rest, but in Christ there is satisfaction and peace; that in myself I am feeble and unable to do good, but in Christ I have ability to do all things. Though now I have his graces in part, I shall shortly have them perfectly in that state where thou wilt show thyself fully reconciled, and alone sufficient, efficient, loving me completely, with sin abolished. O Lord, hasten that day.

In Burroughs work he covers 8 chapters. Tonight I want to cover the first, which is: ‘Christian Contentment Described.’

Again, this work is available in the puritan paperback abridged version from Banner of Truth for I think £6.00 or just under. I will be reading from the unabridged version.

However I state again, we will be a like a stone skimming the water, and then dive into the deep from time to time.

Again let me read the verse.

Philippians 4:11

Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content:

The NASB:

Not that I speak from want, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am.

I think ‘want’ is better.

Burroughs opens up by sharing the heart of Paul behind the statement made to the church in Philippi.

The church in Philippi was a generous, loving, supportive church, however false teachers found their way in, but also as a supporting church, Paul wanted to encourage and teach the church in Philippi, who gave to his ministry, that even though he faced much hardship, he had learned this wonderful mystery. That you can be content and fully satisfied, regardless of any and every situation. And not only that, that all can attain it and learn the art of contentment.

This art, is not as Burroughs says ‘self-sufficiency’. Rather, Burroughs states that Paul is saying:

“I find a sufficiency of satisfaction in my own heart, through the grace of Christ in him.”

He adds:

Although I have no outward comforts and worldly conveniences to supply my necessities, yet I have a sufficient portion between Christ and my soul abundantly to satisfy me in every condition.

Thats an important statement.

‘Although I have no outward comforts and worldly conveniences, to supply my needs…’

Isn’t the issue that we are surrounded by outward comforts, we chose to be comforted and provided by the convenient, that stops any seeking, any delay in gratification, any form of discomfort?

How unable are so many believers to be uncomfortable?

The moment they are, they seek the abundance of comfort from all around them. Then if they don’t get it, they make that the actual issue and thing.

“I didn’t get the comfort I looked for”

Burroughs says at one junction in his writing, that ‘the devil loves to fish in troubled water’.

Burroughs again, in describing how it cannot come from the world or man, writes:

In the strictest sense it is only attributed to God, who has styled himself God all sufficient, in that he rests fully satisfied in and with himself alone.

Oh how many a false teaching I hear about how God needs us, and can’t do anything without us, and our participation, and all this partnership jargon.

God needs not anyone, or anything, but through His love desires to share it.

Or as Burroughs puts it:

He is pleased to freely communicate his fullness to the creature, so that from God in Christ the saints receive grace for grace.

Okay that’s Burroughs introduction to describing Christian contentment. He then gives nine points on what Christian contentment truly is and it’s characteristics.

I will share 5 of his points that feed into one another.

Point 1:

Contentment is a sweet inward heart thing.

Burroughs explains:

It’s not only that we don’t seek to help ourselves by outward things (violence). But it is the inward man’s submission of the heart.

It’s a strong word ‘violence’, however, I believe it’s a profoundly accurate word to describe a heart that is trying to find comfort outside of God.

How many times has the Lord been teaching us that lately, about submission?

Burroughs says:

Many may even sit in silence refraining from discontented expressions, yet inwardly they are bursting with discontent.

Silence is no evidence of peace, in fact some of the most violent people I’ve met are passive aggressive.

Burroughs says of the quietly discontented:

This shows a complicated disorder and great perversity in their hearts… …outwardly there may be great calmness and stillness, yet within is amazing confusion, bitterness, and disturbance.

I add this quote to conclude Burroughs’ first point:

If the attainment of true contentment were as easy as just keeping quiet outwardly, it would not need much learning.

There is more to it than just silence, as I paraphrase Burroughs. Godly contentment is not simply going to be attained by silence, it is again as Burroughs says: ‘an inward heart thing’.

Point 2:

One of the characteristics of Christian contentment is that:

It is the quiet of the heart.

(As opposed to the quiet of the mouth)

So often Christians are judged for being outspoken, or even classed as just being controversial for controversial sake, and many are.

But some are judged as not being Christlike due to their speaking, and classed as ungodly, or unruly, or angry.

Yet many of these people are some of the most content, because there is a stillness in their hearts.

In fact, I think that is the criteria for speaking in the first place

.

Any time you lose it, or get caught up in saying things, it’s because that speech has lost its stillness, its contentment.

Burroughs writes:

When affliction comes, whatever it is, you do not murmur, though you feel it.

Wow what a characteristic isn’t it?

Point 3:

Burroughs says:

You have a gracious frame of spirit.

He continues:

Contentment is a soul business.

Burroughs explains:

That it is grace that spreads itself through the whole soul.

Isn’t it the case that we too often don’t have a depth of the knowledge of grace in which we have been given, that it only is surface?

Contentment is to be deeply enshrined by grace for it to live way beyond the surface. For it to touch every part of our being.

Contentment is deep, deep gratitude. That as Burroughs says:

That it….

Stills and quietens the heart, that I’m satisfied.

To know the hand of God and His grace is on your life, is to truly quieten your spirit and brings a deep sense of contentment.

Point 4:

The fourth characteristic of Christian contentment is:

Freely submitting to and taking great pleasure in God’s disposal.

There that word again: ‘submitting’. What does he mean by the point?

Well it’s in the statement, the word is ‘freely’.

Isn’t it hard to get someone to follow if they are not free? If they are holding on. What is a lack of contentment truly, but a real lack of freedom? A lack of willingly choosing to.

The least contented Christian is the reluctant Christian.

And I would add that, that reluctance leads to seeking more earnestly and habitually for worldly comfort.

Forced submission is not submission, and will never produce contentment. Its only in willing submission that we will learn the art of contentment.

Okay…

Fifth and last point.

Point 5:

Contentment is taking pleasure in God’s disposal.

Now Burroughs explains, that it doesn’t mean whatever we are going through that we have no desire to not come through that.

For instance, in affliction, or trials or persecution. It’s not a lack of contentment that we would desire for us to be free from it. But that we can be content that as Burroughs puts it:

God’s hand is in it.

Amen.