A77983:176
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.
For Mercy, I grant you, it is possible thou mayest have as much mercy as they, it is possible thou mayest come into as good a condition as they, and therefore thou mayest make this use of it, and much good it may do thee, that is to say, well, it is then possible that my Soul may be saved, and find mercy as well ⟨p. 568⟩as the best of them all, I but do not say it may be so, and thou remainest as bad as thou art, there must be then that change in thee that is in them.
For Mercy, I grant you, it is possible thou maist have as much mercy as they, it is possible thou maist come into as good a condition as they, and therefore thou maist make this use of it, and much good it may do thee, that is to say, well, it is then possible that my Soul may be saved, and find mercy as well ⟨p. 568⟩as the best of them all, I but do not say it may be so, and thou remainest as bad as thou art, there must be then that change in thee that is in them.
Well, but then this may not be abused that we speak of: Know this, that Gods Grace is free, God may let them be saved and yet damn thee.
And yet Lastly, I would have thee raise thy meditations upon this, What! Are they as vile as I of themselves, and yet do I continue in an unconverted estate? Oh! How fearful is my condition then, that God hath manifested that he hath chosen some as vile as I, and hath left me, hath taken others that are as vile as I, and may be worse than I, and leaves me to go in the common road of death and destruction? Oh! the sad condition that that man is in! the truth is, it is a very daunting consideration, for a man to think thus, there are such and such that are as bad as I, and have as bad hearts as I, and yet God for the present hath left me unchosen, and hath chose them, this should daunt the heart of any man. Hast thou not known some wicked Companion of thine own, some wicked Woman or Sister that God hath been pleased to dart light into them, and humbled and converted them, and hath left thee that art not so vile? Oh! thou shouldst tremble and fear at the thoughts of this! What am I? though I lived more civilly than they did, yet shall God choose them and leave me? What a dangerous sign is this that I am not one that God will choose? though I do not know what God may do hereafter, but for the present (I say) thou hast cause to be humbled, and not to rest in this condition. Well, That is the first thing. The behaviour of an humble Spirit in respect of others is, To judg of others better than themselves, Oh! what a great deal of mischief would […] hinder