A77983:243
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.
Quest. You will say. How shall we come to get an humble heart.
Quest. You wil say. How shal we come to get an humble heart.
Answ. First: Labour to set the excellency of this Grace before your Souls set this Grace in the excellency of it much before you, and meditate on the beauty and excellency of this Grace of Humility, so as to account your excellency to be in Humility, that which a man accounts his excellency to be in, he is in a good forwardness to get it especially in morals. Look upon Humility as your excellency, as a glorious beautiful Grace, and set it before your Soul as that that hath a great deal of beauty and excellency in it, to be in love with this Grace. As sin prevails in the heart by meditation, a corrupt heart by meditating and plotting about a corruption or sinful distemper, comes to defile it self with that corruption: So a gracious heart by meditation of the sweetness and excellency of a Grace, comes to be adorned with that Grace: How comes it that men fall into wickedness and sin, but at first this is the beginning of it, they by meditation suck out the sweetness of sin into their Souls, and look upon it as that which they may get so much good by, now by delighting in the thoughts of a sin, they come to fall into a sin, therefore take heed of delighting in the thoughts of sin, it is the way to come to fall into a sin: So by delighting of our selves in the meditation of the excellency of Grace, we may come to have that Grace.
Answ. First: Labor to set the excellency of this Grace before your Souls set this Grace in the excellency of it much before you, and meditate on the beauty and excellency of this Grace of Humility, so as to account your excellency to be in Humility, that which a man accounts his excellency to be in, he is in a good forwardness to get it especially in morals. Look upon Humility as your excellency, as a glorious beautifull Grace, and set it before your Soul as that that hath a great deal of beauty and excellency in it, to be in love with this Grace. As sin prevails in the heart by meditation, a corrupt heart by meditating and plotting about a corruption or sinfull distemper, comes to defile it self with that corruption: So a gracious heart by meditation of the sweetness and excellency of a Grace, comes to be adornd with that Grace: How comes it that men fall into wickedness and sin, but at first this is the beginning of it, they by meditation suck out the sweetness of sin into their Souls, and look upon it as that which they may get so much good by, now by delighting in the thoughts of a sin, they come to fall into a sin, therefore take heed of delighting in the thoughts of sin, it is the way to come to fal into a sin: So by delighting of our selves in the meditation of the excellency of Grace, we may come to have that Grace.