Jeremiah Burroughs

Jeremiah Burroughs was born around 1600 and educated at Emmanuel College, Cambridge. He was a student of Thomas Hooker and became a convinced Congregationalist early in his ministry, which put him at odds with the Church of England establishment.

Unable to conform to the required ceremonies, Burroughs left England in the 1630s for the Netherlands, where he served as pastor of the English congregation at Rotterdam alongside William Bridge. He returned to England after the Long Parliament was summoned in 1640 and the political situation shifted.

Back in London, Burroughs became one of the most popular preachers in the city. He held two lectureships simultaneously, preaching at Stepney in the morning and at Cripplegate in the afternoon, drawing large crowds at both. He was appointed one of the dissenting members of the Westminster Assembly, where he argued for Congregational church government against the Presbyterian majority.

Despite sharp ecclesiastical disagreements, Burroughs was known for his irenic spirit. His work Irenicum argued for peace and mutual toleration among Christians who differed on church government. This earned him respect from both Presbyterians and Independents at a time when both sides were becoming increasingly hostile.

Burroughs's most enduring work, The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment, was published posthumously in 1648. It teaches contentment as a skill to be learned through spiritual discipline rather than a natural temperament. His other important works include The Evil of Evils, Gospel Worship, and an extensive commentary on Hosea.

Burroughs died in 1646 at the age of forty-six, reportedly from complications after falling from his horse. Thomas Goodwin preached his funeral sermon.