A77983:124
Four books on the eleventh of Matthew
Four books on the eleventh of Matthew: viz: I. Christ inviting sinners to come to him for rest. II. Christ the great teacher of souls that come to him. To which is added a treatise of meekness and of anger. III. Christ the humble teacher of those that come to him. IIII. The only easy way to heaven. By Jeremiah Burroughs, preacher of the Gospel at Stepney and Cripple-Gate, London.Four books on the eleventh of Matthew: viz: I. Christ inviting sinners to come to him for rest. II. Christ the great teacher of souls that come to him. To which is added a treatise of meekness and of anger. III. Christ the humble teacher of those that come to him. IIII. The only easie way to heaven. By Jeremiah Burroughs, preacher of the Gospel at Stepny and Cripple-Gate, London.
London: printed by Peter Cole, 1659
Title page typeset from the transcription.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
5. One that is of a lowly heart, the behaviour of it self is to loath and abhor it self, in Ezek. 6. 9. there saith the Prophet. And they that escape of you shall remember me among the Nations whither they shall be carried Captives, because I am broken with their whorish heart, which hath departed from me, and with their Eyes which go a whoring after their Idols, and they shall loath themselves for the evils which they have committed in all their abominations, It is an excellent Scripture this, I am broken with your whorish heart, and they shall see this how their sins they have broken the very heart of God, we have not such an expression that I know in Scripture that might humble the heart of a sinner more than this, What! have I by my sins broken the heart of God? what cause is there that my heart should be broken? and when they shall see this, they shall loath themselves. An humble heart when it sees what it hath done towards God, doth loath it self, looks upon it self with abhorring. So you have it likewise in Ezek. 20. 4. And there you shall remember your ways, and all your doings, wherein ye have been defiled, and you shall loath your selves in your own sight, for all your evil that you have committed. And the like expression you have in Ezek. 36. 31. Then shall ye remember your own evil ways, and your doings that were not good, and shall loath your selves in your own sight for your iniquity and for your abominations, and this was in a time of mercy, that is observable, it was in a time when the Lord promised mercy, ⟨p. 547⟩and did show mercy to them, even then they shall loath themselves. Many men they may be brought down so low upon their sick beds, with some loathsome Disease that may be upon them, that may force them to loath themselves; but here is the property of an humble Spirit when the Lord shows the greatest mercy, when it is in the greatest prosperity, then an humble heart loathes it self before the Lord. And that is a notable Scripture that we have likewise in Job for this purpose in Job 9. 21. Though I were perfect, yet would I not know my Soul, I would despise my life though I were perfect, I would even despise and loath my self, that is, though he were not so polluted as others charge him withal, yea, though he were not able to see nothing in himself;