What do you think?
Rate this book
The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment
The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment, by Jeremiah Burroughs, is a classic work of Puritan literature that has been widely read and studied since its first publication in 1648. We have updated this book into updated, modernized English so you can understand exactly what Burroughs wrote nearly 400 years ago.
In this book, Burroughs examines the nature of Christian contentment and how it can be cultivated within the soul. He argues that contentment is essential for a Christian’s spiritual life, and that it can be found through the practice of prayer, meditation, and submission to the will of God.
Burroughs also encourages readers to practice self-denial, to be thankful for what they have, and to focus on the eternal rather than the temporal. Burroughs’ approach to contentment is both practical and theological. He provides practical advice on how to cultivate contentment in one’s life, and he also draws on Scripture to explain the importance of contentment for a Christian life. He argues that contentment is a sign of true faith and that it is a sign of a person’s complete submission to God’s will. He also explains that contentment is a sign of a person’s trust in God and his sovereignty.
The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment is an invaluable resource for anyone seeking to deepen their understanding of Christian contentment. Burroughs’ thoughtful analysis of the subject provides readers with an invaluable insight into the nature of contentment and how it can be cultivated in one’s life. His practical advice and theological reflections offer an invaluable guide for anyone seeking to become more content with their life and to live in accordance with God’s will.
In this book, Burroughs examines the nature of Christian contentment and how it can be cultivated within the soul. He argues that contentment is essential for a Christian’s spiritual life, and that it can be found through the practice of prayer, meditation, and submission to the will of God.
Burroughs also encourages readers to practice self-denial, to be thankful for what they have, and to focus on the eternal rather than the temporal. Burroughs’ approach to contentment is both practical and theological. He provides practical advice on how to cultivate contentment in one’s life, and he also draws on Scripture to explain the importance of contentment for a Christian life. He argues that contentment is a sign of true faith and that it is a sign of a person’s complete submission to God’s will. He also explains that contentment is a sign of a person’s trust in God and his sovereignty.
The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment is an invaluable resource for anyone seeking to deepen their understanding of Christian contentment. Burroughs’ thoughtful analysis of the subject provides readers with an invaluable insight into the nature of contentment and how it can be cultivated in one’s life. His practical advice and theological reflections offer an invaluable guide for anyone seeking to become more content with their life and to live in accordance with God’s will.
182 pages, Kindle Edition
Published February 6, 2023
222 people are currently reading
128 people want to read
About the author
Jeremiah Burroughs
127 books89 followersJeremiah Burroughs (or Burroughes) was baptized in 1601 and admitted as a pensioner at Emmanuel College, Cambridge, in 1617. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1621 and a Master of Arts degree in 1624. His tutor was Thomas Hooker.
Burroughs’s ministry falls into four periods, all of which reveal him as a zealous and faithful pastor. First, from about 1627 until 1631, he was assistant to Edmund Calamy at Bury St. Edmunds, Suffolk. Both men became members of the Westminster Assembly. Both men strongly opposed King James’s Book of Sports. Both refused to read the king’s proclamation in church that dancing, archery, vaulting, and other games were lawful recreations on the Lord’s Day.
Second, from 1631 to 1636, Burroughs was rector of Tivetshall, Norfolk, a church that still stands today. Despite the best efforts of his patron, Burroughs was suspended in 1636 and deprived in 1637 for refusing to obey the injunctions of Bishop Matthew Wren, especially regarding the reading of the Book of Sports, and the requirements to bow at the name of Jesus and to read prayers rather than speak them extemporaneously.
Third, from 1638 to 1640, Burroughs lived in the Netherlands, where he was teacher of a congregation of English Independents at Rotterdam, formerly ministered by William Ames. William Bridge was the pastor and Sidrach Simpson had established a second like-minded church in the city. Thus, three future dissenting brethren were brought together, all of whom would serve as propagandists for congregationalism later in the 1640s.
In the final period from 1640 to his death in 1646, Burroughs achieved great recognition as a popular preacher and a leading Puritan in London. He returned to England during the Commonwealth period and became pastor of two of the largest congregations in London: Stepney and St. Giles, Cripplegate. At Stepney, he preached early in the morning and became known as “the morning star of Stepney.” He was invited to preach before the House of Commons and the House of Lords several times. Thomas Brooks called him “a prince of preachers.”
As a member of the Westminster Assembly, Burroughs sided with the Independents, but he remained moderate in tone, acting in accord with the motto on his study door: Opinionum varietas et opinantium unitas non sunt ασυστατα (“variety of opinion and unity of opinion are not incompatible”). Richard Baxter said, “If all the Episcopalians had been like Archbishop Ussher, all the Presbyterians like Stephen Marshall, and all the Independents like Jeremiah Burroughs, the breaches of the church would soon have been healed.”
In 1644, Burroughs and several colleagues presented to Parliament their Apologetical Narration, which defended Independency. It attempted to steer a middle course between Presbyterianism, which they regarded as too authoritarian, and Brownism, which they regarded as too democratic. This led to division between the Presbyterians and Independents. Burroughs served on the committee of accommodation, which tried to reconcile the differences, but on March 9, 1646, he declared on behalf of the Independents that presbyteries were “coercive institutions.” Burroughs said he would rather suffer or emigrate than submit to presbyteries. Ultimately, the division between Presbyterians and Independents helped promote the cause of prelacy after the death of Oliver Cromwell.
Burroughs pursued peace to the end. He died in 1646, two weeks after a fall from his horse. The last subject on which he preached became his Irenicum to the Lovers of Truth and Peace, an attempt to heal divisions between believers. Many of his friends believed that church troubles hastened his death.
Burroughs was a prolific writer, highly esteemed by Puritan leaders of his day, some of whom published his writings after his death. Nearly all of his books are compilations of sermons.
Burroughs’s ministry falls into four periods, all of which reveal him as a zealous and faithful pastor. First, from about 1627 until 1631, he was assistant to Edmund Calamy at Bury St. Edmunds, Suffolk. Both men became members of the Westminster Assembly. Both men strongly opposed King James’s Book of Sports. Both refused to read the king’s proclamation in church that dancing, archery, vaulting, and other games were lawful recreations on the Lord’s Day.
Second, from 1631 to 1636, Burroughs was rector of Tivetshall, Norfolk, a church that still stands today. Despite the best efforts of his patron, Burroughs was suspended in 1636 and deprived in 1637 for refusing to obey the injunctions of Bishop Matthew Wren, especially regarding the reading of the Book of Sports, and the requirements to bow at the name of Jesus and to read prayers rather than speak them extemporaneously.
Third, from 1638 to 1640, Burroughs lived in the Netherlands, where he was teacher of a congregation of English Independents at Rotterdam, formerly ministered by William Ames. William Bridge was the pastor and Sidrach Simpson had established a second like-minded church in the city. Thus, three future dissenting brethren were brought together, all of whom would serve as propagandists for congregationalism later in the 1640s.
In the final period from 1640 to his death in 1646, Burroughs achieved great recognition as a popular preacher and a leading Puritan in London. He returned to England during the Commonwealth period and became pastor of two of the largest congregations in London: Stepney and St. Giles, Cripplegate. At Stepney, he preached early in the morning and became known as “the morning star of Stepney.” He was invited to preach before the House of Commons and the House of Lords several times. Thomas Brooks called him “a prince of preachers.”
As a member of the Westminster Assembly, Burroughs sided with the Independents, but he remained moderate in tone, acting in accord with the motto on his study door: Opinionum varietas et opinantium unitas non sunt ασυστατα (“variety of opinion and unity of opinion are not incompatible”). Richard Baxter said, “If all the Episcopalians had been like Archbishop Ussher, all the Presbyterians like Stephen Marshall, and all the Independents like Jeremiah Burroughs, the breaches of the church would soon have been healed.”
In 1644, Burroughs and several colleagues presented to Parliament their Apologetical Narration, which defended Independency. It attempted to steer a middle course between Presbyterianism, which they regarded as too authoritarian, and Brownism, which they regarded as too democratic. This led to division between the Presbyterians and Independents. Burroughs served on the committee of accommodation, which tried to reconcile the differences, but on March 9, 1646, he declared on behalf of the Independents that presbyteries were “coercive institutions.” Burroughs said he would rather suffer or emigrate than submit to presbyteries. Ultimately, the division between Presbyterians and Independents helped promote the cause of prelacy after the death of Oliver Cromwell.
Burroughs pursued peace to the end. He died in 1646, two weeks after a fall from his horse. The last subject on which he preached became his Irenicum to the Lovers of Truth and Peace, an attempt to heal divisions between believers. Many of his friends believed that church troubles hastened his death.
Burroughs was a prolific writer, highly esteemed by Puritan leaders of his day, some of whom published his writings after his death. Nearly all of his books are compilations of sermons.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
September 25, 2025
A long and arduous read, but a topic that is important to every believer. I learned a lot, but I think there are other books on the topic in which I could learn just as much, without trudging through the book. The last chapter was the most practical about how to foster contentment and it was my favorite.
September 11, 2023
I love a Banner of Truth Puritan Paperback. But I opted for this copy in modern English so that I might share it with others.
We live in a society that views the Puritans as looming villains in the tapestry of history that fought fun at every corner, and took every opportunity to burn witches. This work alone should be enough to break this myth in the minds of the public.
I loved the content of this work. Even in modern English this took much longer to read than it should have. The content was incredibly challenging because I know that I am one bent away from contentment.
Great read with great editing.
We live in a society that views the Puritans as looming villains in the tapestry of history that fought fun at every corner, and took every opportunity to burn witches. This work alone should be enough to break this myth in the minds of the public.
I loved the content of this work. Even in modern English this took much longer to read than it should have. The content was incredibly challenging because I know that I am one bent away from contentment.
Great read with great editing.
September 19, 2025
6 billion 🌟s!
honestly i should just read this one on repeat
honestly i should just read this one on repeat
December 5, 2023
Christian contentment can be learned and taught.
I read this classic work by Jeremiah Burroughs because it was recommended by Rosaria Butterfield in her book, “Five Lies of our Anti-Christian Age.” She observed that LGBTQ+ identities are a consequence of discontentment with the order of Creation. While I wanted to explore this idea for the sake of someone caught in that vortex, I soon realized the need to address aspects of my own discontentment despite God’s lavish goodness to me.
As I read Burroughs, I was aware of internal murmuring about its repetitive content and the annoying grammatical shortcomings that resulted from an attempt to modernize the old English in which it was originally written. For example, plural pronouns are frequently used with singular antecedents (now accepted, but still annoying). Then it hit me. My reaction demonstrated the point of the book. Instead of appreciating the book’s many good insights that were often well illustrated, I allowed myself to be distracted by a few supposed flaws.
Contentment with God is indeed a rare jewel because even Christians often fail to realize their completeness in Christ. Grumbling comes naturally when we focus on what we don’t have rather than all we do have which, in God, is everything! This is devilish. Instead of responding with humble gratitude for the honor of being the highest archangel God created, Lucifer’s pride was apparently offended by the fact that he wasn’t God himself! Similarly, instead of enjoying every tree in Eden that had been given to Adam and Eve for food, and shade, and beauty, they suspected God was holding out on them by prohibiting the one tree He said would bring death. So it goes.
But, depending heavily on the apostle Paul’s claim to have learned to be content, the author contends that contentment is a skill that can be learned, therefore, taught. What’s more, failure to be content is a great sin—especially the more we have been blessed and the longer God has been at work to make us content. Chapters 5, 6, and 7, address the seriousness of grumbling in view of all the things God has done for, and given to, the child of God.
I do think the author could have gotten his points across in a book half its length, hence my 4-star assessment. But if you are content to put up with its unnecessary length in order to glean its truths, I think you will find the book—like Christian Contentment itself—to be a rare Jewel.
I read this classic work by Jeremiah Burroughs because it was recommended by Rosaria Butterfield in her book, “Five Lies of our Anti-Christian Age.” She observed that LGBTQ+ identities are a consequence of discontentment with the order of Creation. While I wanted to explore this idea for the sake of someone caught in that vortex, I soon realized the need to address aspects of my own discontentment despite God’s lavish goodness to me.
As I read Burroughs, I was aware of internal murmuring about its repetitive content and the annoying grammatical shortcomings that resulted from an attempt to modernize the old English in which it was originally written. For example, plural pronouns are frequently used with singular antecedents (now accepted, but still annoying). Then it hit me. My reaction demonstrated the point of the book. Instead of appreciating the book’s many good insights that were often well illustrated, I allowed myself to be distracted by a few supposed flaws.
Contentment with God is indeed a rare jewel because even Christians often fail to realize their completeness in Christ. Grumbling comes naturally when we focus on what we don’t have rather than all we do have which, in God, is everything! This is devilish. Instead of responding with humble gratitude for the honor of being the highest archangel God created, Lucifer’s pride was apparently offended by the fact that he wasn’t God himself! Similarly, instead of enjoying every tree in Eden that had been given to Adam and Eve for food, and shade, and beauty, they suspected God was holding out on them by prohibiting the one tree He said would bring death. So it goes.
But, depending heavily on the apostle Paul’s claim to have learned to be content, the author contends that contentment is a skill that can be learned, therefore, taught. What’s more, failure to be content is a great sin—especially the more we have been blessed and the longer God has been at work to make us content. Chapters 5, 6, and 7, address the seriousness of grumbling in view of all the things God has done for, and given to, the child of God.
I do think the author could have gotten his points across in a book half its length, hence my 4-star assessment. But if you are content to put up with its unnecessary length in order to glean its truths, I think you will find the book—like Christian Contentment itself—to be a rare Jewel.
December 31, 2025
I will admit there were a few good *ahem* gems in this book that I added to my book quote app, but I felt that this was mostly a very angry, close-minded white man ranting about the privileged people in London. He kept going on and on and on about how God wants us Christians to all be physically poor, submit to His will with no questions asked, we’re nothing, and for some strange reason he believes it a sin to rejoice when others are suffering? I mean yes, people can get too caught up in their material blessings and start worshiping their blessings instead of the One who gives the blessings but also how many Scriptures are there about God wanting us to enjoy His blessings? I don’t believe it’s unbiblical to enjoy material blessings if God has blessed you thusly. How many Psalms are there where David, others cry out to God and wonder what the point of life is? I don’t feel like they aren’t not submitting to God’s will, they just are having a hard time seeing the end of the tunnel. They still usually end up praising God but like it’s okay to lament ya’ll. The Psalms is full of ‘em for a reason? There’s a whole book called uh LAMENTations? It’s not a sin to question God. I do get his point that grumbling like the Israelites did is a sin but like I feel like most people in real suffering don’t do that. It’s more lamenting “How long must this go? How long will You hide Your face from me?” kinda thing. And where is the Scripture that says it’s a sin to rejoice in your own personal prosperity while the Church is being persecuted and sorrow in your own personal sorrows when the Church is being prosperous? I would love that Scripture please.
November 28, 2023
Wow. I'm absolutely blown away by these sermons. I've never been so convicted by a book. Sure, I've had books that have convicted me before, but not as frequent as The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment did. I'm so grateful for this book and the work the Holy Spirit has done in me through it. I strive to master the art of Christian contentment. Or at least try for the rest of my days.
November 14, 2024
There were parts of this book that were very helpful and powerful. Most of the book was extremely redundant, which made it hard to read. Especially toward the end when he goes on and on about why you shouldn't be discontent. A lot of what he is saying there is true, just hard to read and seems grumpy/angry. Overall there are a lot of really sweet truths. Is just hard to read.
July 28, 2023
What a convicting book. As I read, I kept thinking that every point must have been covered in the subject, but the author kept going and going with them. I tried to imagine listening to him preaching. It's crazy how 400 years later, the same principles apply.
October 24, 2025
excellent!
It is a long and heavy read but well worth it. Full of helpful truth to help you realize how empty and short this life in contrast to the fullness of the blessings of God.
It is a long and heavy read but well worth it. Full of helpful truth to help you realize how empty and short this life in contrast to the fullness of the blessings of God.
December 5, 2025
This is a really solid read, particularly in the beginning. However, at times the overly legalistic puritan theology creeps through to make certain portions a bit pharisaical. However - the vast majority of the chapters and content are solid and Christians today can glean from the wisdom!
August 18, 2023
Honestly didn’t love it. I wish I liked it more, but there were several things that I didn’t agree or align with. He did have several thoughts that were good though.
October 25, 2023
Convicting. Not doubt about it, I’m marked by this one and will come back to it again and again.
December 2, 2024
Amazing!
February 2, 2025
Still a banger.
March 22, 2025
My favorite Puritan classic so far. It sets the bar high for the call of a content life as a Christian.
This is a must-read!
This is a must-read!
July 13, 2025
every Christian ought to read this book!
July 15, 2025
I knew I struggled with discontent, but I had no idea just how much until I read this. a challenging read--not to understand but to implement.
February 24, 2024
A powerful and convicting book that would be good for every Christian to read. Burroughs does NOT sugar-coat sin, whether it's a "large" or "small" sin. This was a breath of fresh air. He is very blunt and it might be jarring for some readers, but I felt like it came from a genuine place of wanting to honor and love God with everything we have. This is a compilation of sermons, so keep that in mind as well. Contentment is so hard in our culture, but this book was a wonderful reminder of what we should be striving for.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews