The rare jewel of Christian contentment.

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Reprinted (retypeset) 2022.

Biographical introduction -- I. Christian contentment described -- A. It is inward -- B. It is quiet -- What this is not opposed to -- What it is opposed to -- C. It is a frame of spirit -- D. It is a gracious frame -- E. It freely submits to God's disposal -- F. It submits to God's disposal -- G. It takes pleasure in God's disposal -- H. It submits and takes pleasure in God's disposal -- I. It does this in every condition -- II. The mystery of contentment -- A.A Christian is content, yet unsatisfied -- B. He comes to contentment by subtraction -- C. By adding another burden to himself -- D. By changing the affliction into something else -- E. By doing the work of his circumstances -- F. By melting his will into God's will -- G. By purging out what is within -- H. He lives on the dew of God's blessing.

I. He sees God's love in afflictions -- J. His afflictions are sanctified in Christ -- K. He gets strength from Christ -- L. He makes up his wants in God -- M. He gets contentment from the covenant -- IV. The mystery of contentment- concluded -- N. He supplies wants by what he finds in himself -- O. He gets supply from the covenant -- 1. The covenant in general -- 2. Particular promises of the covenant -- P. He realizes the things of heaven -- Q. He opens his heart to God -- V. How Christ teaches contentment -- A. The lesson of self-denial -- B. The vanity of the creature -- C. To know the one thing needful -- D. To know one's relation to the world -- E. Wherein the good of the creature is -- F. The knowledge of one's own heart.

VI. How Christ teaches contentment-concluded -- G. The burden of a prosperous condition -- H. The evil of being given up to one's heart's desires -- I. The right knowledge of God's providence -- VII. The excellence of contentment -- A. By it we give God his due worship -- B. In it is much exercise of grace -- C. The soul is fitted to receive mercy -- D. It is fitted to do service -- E. It delivers from temptations -- F. It brings abundant comforts -- G. It gets the comfort of things not possessed -- H. It is a great blessing on the soul -- I.A contented man may expect reward -- J. By it the soul comes nearest the excellence of God -- VIII. The evils of a murmuring spirit -- A. It argues much corruption in the soul -- B. It is the mark of an ungodly man -- C. Murmuring is accounted rebellion -- D. It is contrary to grace, especially in conversion -- E. It is below a Christian.

IX. The evils of a murmuring spirit-concluded -- F. By murmuring we undo our prayers -- G. The evil effects of murmuring -- H. Discontent is a foolish sin -- I. It provokes the wrath of God -- J. There is a curse on it -- K. There is much of the spirit of Satan in it -- L. It brings an absolute necessity of disquiet -- M. God may withdraw his protection -- X. Aggravations of the sin of murmuring -- A. The greater the mercies the greater the sin of murmuring -- B. When we murmur for small things -- C. When men of gifts and abilities murmur -- D. The freeness of God's mercy -- E. When we have the things for the want of which we were discontent -- F. When men are raised from a low position -- G. When men have been great sinners -- H. When men are of little use in the world -- I. When God is about to humble us -- J. When God's hand is apparent in an affliction.

XII. How to attain contentment -- A. Considerations to content the heart in any afflicted condition -- 1. The greatness of the mercies we have -- 2. God is beforehand with us with his mercies -- 3. The abundance of mercies God bestows -- 4. All creatures are in a vicissitude -- 5. The creatures suffer for us -- 6. We have but little time in the world -- 7. This has been the condition of our betters -- 8. We were content with the world without grace, and should be now with grace without the world -- 9. We did not give God the glory when we had our desires -- 10. The experience of God doing us good in afflictions.

XIII. How to attain contentment-concluded -- B. Directions for attaining contentment -- 1. There must be grace to make the soul steady -- 2. Do not grasp too much of the world -- 3. Have a call to every business -- 4. Walk by rule -- 5. Exercise much faith -- 6. Labor to be spiritually-minded -- 7. Do not promise yourselves great things -- 8. Get hearts mortified to the wSorld -- 9. Do not pore too much on afflictions -- 10. Make a good interpretation of God's ways to you -- 11. Do not regard the fancies of other men -- 12. Do not be inordinately taken up with the comforts of the world.

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