A77983:197
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.
CHAP. CXXIX.
The excellency of Humility in thirteen particulars. 1. God prizeth it. 2. It is a convincing Grace. 3. By it we walk worthy of the Gospel. 4. It is an Evidence of election. 5. Better than Sacrifices. 6. It serveth for the prevailing of Prayer. 7. It is a tried heart. 8. It is fit for great Services. 9. It is the ornament of all Graces. 10. It preserves all Graces. 11. It makes all Duties and Crosses easy. 12. It makes the life comfortable. 13. It is most useful to give God the Glory of the new Covenant.
The excellency of Humility in thirteen particulars. 1. God prizeth it. 2. It is a convincing Grace. 3. By it we walk worthy of the Gospel. 4. It is an Evidence of election. 5. Better than Sacrifices. 6. It serveth for the prevailing of Prayer. 7. It is a tryed heart. 8. It is fit for great Services. 9. It is the ornament of all Graces. 10. It preseves all Graces. 11. It makes all Duties and Crosses easie. 12. It makes the life comfortable. 13. It is most usefull to give God the Glory of the new Covenant.
The excellency of this Grace of Humility, Learn of me, for I am meek and Lowly in heart. This Grace is above all Graces, next to Faith it self, and mightily extolled in Scripture, and it is proper indeed to Christianity, if you read in Philosophers that speak of moral virtues, you shall find high commendations of Justice, Virtue, and the like, and little or nothing said of Humility, No, it is the Christian that counts Humility to have an ⟨p. 587⟩Excellency in it, it is Christ that is come from the Bosom of his father into the world, to be an example and a pattern to hold forth the excellency and glory of this Grace before the world, and that was one Reason why Christ came into the world, Namely, to hold forth the Glory, and excellency of his Grace: Humility may say but little of its own praise, God takes care for the Glory of it, it will discover it self by the fragrancy of it self; as violets discover themselves by the sweetness of them, though they be covered with Leaves, so the excellency of humility will discover it self by its sweetness, and no man or Woman needs to take care for the discovery of its excellency, and therefore it is abundant folly for a man or woman to be proud of their humility, or to show themselves humble that others may take notice of it, and so commend them for it, but true humility shows forth it self, and it must not be forced but let it alone, and let it appear in it self in a genuine way, and its excellency of its self will be best discovered. Let us see the wherein the true excellency of a Lowly heart appears, that we may be in Love with this Grace.