“Contentment is not such a poor business as many make it. They say, ‘you must be content,’ and so on. But Paul needed to learn it, and it is a great art and mystery of godliness to be content in a Christian way, and it will be seen to be even more of a mystery when we come to show what lessons a gracious heart learns when it learns to be contented. Take a scholar who has great learning and understanding in arts and sciences; how did he begin? He began, as we say, his ABC, and then afterward he came to his Testament, and Bible and accidence*, and so to his grammar, and afterwards to his other books.“
Jeremiah Burroughs, The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment, 45.
Jeremiah Burroughs (1599–1646) was born in London, England. He was educated at Emmanuel College, Cambridge, and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1621 and a Master of Arts degree in 1624. During his studies, Burroughs was tutored by Thomas Hooker, a prominent British American colonial clergyman. After obtaining his M.A., Burroughs was removed from the university due to his nonconformist views on the Church of England.
Burroughs’ first ministerial position only lasted four years (1627–1631). He was an associate pastor to Edmund Calamy (also a Puritan minister) in Suffolk. Burroughs and Calamy were removed from their positions at the church for refusing to cite and read aloud the proclamation of King James’ The Book of Sports in church, which declared only specific recreational activities such as dancing, archery, and others were permissible on the Lord’s Day.
Burroughs’ second ministerial position did not last much longer either. From 1631–1636 he was the Rector of Tivetshall, Norfolk, and as soon as he was appointed as Rector, he was in “hot water.” Burroughs did not agree with the direction of Archbishop Laud, who demanded conformity in the Church of England. The conformity demanded the communion table be placed in a specific location in the church, encouraged “superstitious gestures” during mass, prohibited afternoon sermons on Sunday, required clergy and congregants to bow at the name of Jesus, and forced the reading of prayers rather than the Holy Spirit led and required reading of The Book of Sports at some point in the service. Many of these were even contrary to the Prayer Book that Laud was supposed to follow. Burroughs did not agree with these laws nor took kindly to Laud, which resulted in his suspension from Tivetshall. In nine years, Burroughs was removed from two churches and a university for not adhering to the Act of Uniformity, but that did not sway him from proclaiming the Gospel and writing.
As tensions grew in England, Burroughs decided to leave England and live in the Netherlands with other English Independent Nonconformists. From 1638 to 1640, while in the Netherlands, he was a preacher and teacher in Rotterdam and soon became friends with two other independent ministers, Sidrach Simpson and William Bridge. These three labored together within their respective churches as propagandists for congregationalism in the 1640s.
In 1640, the rules once implemented by Laude came to an end with the Long Parlament. Burroughs soon returned to England and served as a pastor in two large congregations. Burroughs’ preaching became so renowned in London that he preached in the House of Commons and House of Lords on multiple occasions. Another Puritan, Thomas Brooks, called Burroughs the “prince of preachers.”
When he was not preaching, he was part of the impactful Westminster Assembly. However, he was among a small group of five Independents who opposed certain forms of church government in the Presbyterian structure. Even though Burroughs sided with the Independents, the Assembly respected him. Puritan 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.” Even though Burroughs was an Independent, he desired unity and peace amongst the brethren of other denominations and to not cause fractures over matters of dispute.
While laboring for his congregation and working with the Assembly, Burroughs’ life on this earthly plane ended in 1646. He fell off his horse and succumbed to his injuries.
Even though the Lord only granted Jeremiah Burroughs 47 years of life, he had a profound impact through his preaching and writing. Many scholars today hold him in high regard as a prolific writer, a leader, and one who many respected. Further emphasizing this point, The Banner of Truth website says, “[Burroughs’] grasp of doctrine, discernment into the very recesses of the human heart, comprehensive and profound knowledge of Scripture and ability to apply it, and superb gift of illustration, are all exemplified in them.” Christian Blogger and theologian Tim Challies said, “If you are going to read just one work by Jeremiah Burroughs, make it The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment. This, of all his works, has stood the test of time as a truly unique work. It is among the very first Puritan works I read and one that made a deep impact in my life.”
To learn more about the writings of Jeremiah Burroughs and how Christ worked through his life, read The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment.