A77983:203
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.
First, There is no grace in Scripture that God speaks more honourably of, that the Lord hath a more honourable esteem of. In Prov. 16. 19. See what the Testimony of God is of an humble spirit, Better it is to be of an humble spirit with the lowly, than to divide the Spoil with the proud.. Here is Gods Testimony, here is two sorts of people compared one with another, the humble spirit, and he that divides the Spoil with the proud, there is no time wherein the heart of man is more lifted up, than when a man hath overcome his enemy, and is triumphing and dividing the spoil, Oh, Now his spirit is above, Now (saith God) you poor creatures, ⟨p. 588⟩when you can get victory, and make a prey of your enemies, then your hearts are lifted up, and you think such a man hath a brave conquest over his enemy, and now he is triumphing, Well, saith God, there is a poor humble contrite heart that the world takes no notice of, and I count it better for one to be of an Humble Spirit with the Lowly, than to divide the Spoil with the proud. Take men in their greatest jollity, and height, and glory, and lustre, that ever men were in the world, yet the poor humble, Lowly spirited men, are more glorious in mine Eyes, I count a poor S•ul, a Child, a Servant, that hath gotten into a hole, humbling their Souls before me, I look upon these as a more glorious object for me to behold, than great Alexander, and Caesar, and the greatest conqueror in the world. We call the proud happy, but the Lord calls the humble happy. And so in Isa. 66. That Famous place, The Lord that dwells on high, be looks on him that i• of an humble and contrite spirit, As if there were no object for the Eye of God to feed upon, to be pleased withal but the humble spirit, whereas the proud he looks afar off upon them, Psalm. 138. 6. Though the Lord be high, yet he hath respect unto the Lowly, but the proud he knoweth afar off, The humble he looks upon; as if God should say, there is nothing in all the world that is worth my looking upon but an humble spirit yea, and God loves to be near to them, in Psal. 34. 18