In yesterday’s devotion we talked about Jeremiah Burroughs’ classic book on Christian contentment called, The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment, and how we as Christians should always live in a state of joyful contentment.
Jeremiah Burroughs (1599–1646) was an English congregationalist and a well-known Puritan preacher. Below are many quotes, some from his wonderful book, on how we can learn the great secret of being content at all times. I pray that you will be blessed by his wisdom and rejoice in our Lord more and more as you spend time in these precious quotes.
“You may think you find peace in Christ when you have no outward troubles, but is Christ your peace when the Assyrian comes into the land, when the enemy comes?…Jesus Christ would be peace to the soul when the enemy comes into the city, and into your houses.”1
“Now this is a mystery to a carnal heart. They can see no such thing; perhaps they think God loves them when he prospers them and makes them rich, but they think God loves them not when he afflicts them. That is a mystery, but grace instructs men in that mystery, grace enables men to see love in the very frown of God’s face, and so come to receive contentment.”
“Thus, a godly man wonders at his cross that it is not more, a wicked man wonders his cross is so much.”
“If I become content by having my desire satisfied, that is only self-love; but when I am contented with the hand of God and am willing to be at His disposal, that comes from my love to God.”
“Your mercies are more than your afflictions.”
“Holiness is the very principle of eternal life, the very beginning of eternal life in the heart, and that which will certainly grow up to eternal life.”
“One drop of the sweetness of heaven is enough to take away all the sourness and bitterness of all the afflictions in the world.”
“We should study Christ, and praise and bless God, and have our hearts enlarged for Jesus Christ. This is the duty of believers to whom God has revealed Christ as wonderful, that in their conversations they should hold out the wonderful glory of Jesus Christ. You should so walk before men as to manifest to all the world that your Savior is a wonderful Savior.”
“A noble heart is a thankful heart that loves to acknowledge whenever it has received any mercy.”
“To be well skilled in the mystery of Christian contentment is the duty, glory and excellence of a Christian.”
“Contentment is not by addition but by subtraction: seeking to add a thing will not bring contentment. Instead, subtracting from your desires until you are satisfied only with Christ brings contentment.”
“You will not find one Godly man who came out of an affliction worse than when he went into it. Though for a little while he was shaken, yet, at last, he was better for an affliction. But, a great many Godly men have been worse for their prosperity.”
“This is the great difference between a wicked man and a godly man: one minds earthly things, and the other has his conversation in heaven.”
“Here we see the infinite love of God, that He has been pleased to think of us poor creatures from everlasting, and make it His work to reconcile us to Himself.”
“Grace teaches us how to make a mixture of gracious joy and gracious sorrow together.”
“The great design God has in afflicting you is to break and humble your heart.”
“Temptations will no more prevail over a contented man, than a dart that is thrown against a brazen wall.”
“In active obedience, we worship God by doing what pleases God; but by passive obedience, we do as well worship God by being pleased with what God does.”
“It is the peace of God that guards the heart from temptation.”
“While I live in the world my condition is to be but a pilgrim, a stranger, a traveler, and a soldier.”
“Every Christian should say: ‘Have I wealth now? I should prepare for poverty. Have I health now? I should prepare for sickness.’”
“The lesson of self-denial is the first lesson that Jesus Christ teaches men who are seeking contentment.”
1 All of these quotations listed in this devotion are from the following websites:
Jeremiah Burroughs Quotes (Author of The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment)
Top 50 JEREMIAH BURROUGHS quotes and sayings
Top 40 Jeremiah Burroughs Quotes (2025 Update) – QuoteFancy
Best quotes by Jeremiah Burroughs on a variety of subjects on the Words and Thoughts website
Best Quotes Of The Rare Jewel Of Christian Contentment With Page Numbers By Jeremiah Burroughs