Is it possible to be content when life is painful and disappointing?
The Art of Divine Contentment considers the implications of the Apostle Paul's claim that he had learned to be content in any situation (Phil 4:11). Our discontent is sinful when we murmur against God and accuse Him of injustice or cruelty. But by frequently beholding God's sovereignty, love, and grace, we can learn to be more content in all circumstances.
Thomas Watson (1620-1686) was an English Puritan preacher and author. Watson originally published
The Art of Divine Contentment around 1660. The source text for this edition is from an 1829 printing by L. B. Seeley and Sons in London. This book is a complete sentence-by-sentence modern update of Watson’s original text. Updates include:
- New descriptive chapter and section headings.
- Modern English sentence structure.
- Modern English vocabulary.
- Added paragraph breaks for topic transitions.
- English Standard Version (ESV) scripture references.
- Full scripture quotations and annotations in footnotes.
- Active table of contents.
Christian classics from this time period are filled with Biblical wisdom, but they are often hard to read. This is an unabridged, sentence-by-sentence update of Thomas Watson's original book. My prayer is that you find this edition much easier to understand and that God would bless you through any teaching that is in line with His Word and the gospel!