A77983:133
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.
Yea, Secondly: He is much in denial of his own will, though my will be set strong to have such and such a thing, yet what great matter is it, saith a Lowly heart, for the will of such a wretched Creature as I am to be crossed? What if my will be crossed, and that for ever? I that have been guilty of crossing God so much, an humble heart never thinks much to have its will to be crossed: whereas there is nothing more tedious and grievous to a proud Spirit, then to have its will crossed, but now when we can get that power over our selves, as to be willing to deny our own wills, then our hearts are indeed broken, and we are brought to be lowly in heart before the Lord, the heart of a sinner is never broken and humble till it can deny its own will, many of you would know when you are humble enough, if you find this, that whereas before you thought it very much to have your wills crossed, you find now that it is a very little matter to you to have your wills crossed, this is a sign that your heart is humble.
Yea, Secondly: He is much in denyal of his own will, though my will be set strong to have such and such a thing, yet what great matter is it, saith a Lowly heart, for the will of such a wretched Creature as I am to be crossed? What if my will be crossed, and that for ever? I that have been guilty of crossing God so much, an humble heart never thinks much to have its will to be crossed: whereas there is nothing more todious and grievous to a proud Spirit, then to have its will crossed, but now when we can get that power over our selves, as to be willing to deny our own wils, then our hearts are indeed broken, and we are brought to be lowly in heart before the Lord, the heart of a sinner is never broken and humble til it can deny its own will, many of you would know when you are humble enough, if you find this, that whereas before you thought it very much to have your wils crossed, you find now that it is a very little matter to you to have your wills crossed, this is a sign that your heart is humble.
And Thirdly, An Humble spirit can deny his own ends, whatever my ends were wont to be, what plottings, contrivings, what designs I was wont to aim at; now I find I can deny them, I can renounce mine own ends, and am not for my self, an humble Spirit is not a selfish Spirit, not aiming at his own ends.