A77983:347
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. CXXXVIII.
Containeth Six differences more of the former Point 5 A Carnal heart can take up and lay down duties when he will. 6 He hath ease in the remissness of his Spirit. 7 His ease is all alike. 8 The more ease he hath the more sluggish he is. 9 He hath but one principle in the heart that acteth him both in the ways of God, and the ways of the world. 10. His ease comes from the performance of duties in his own Strength.
Containeth Six differences more of the former Point 5 A Carnal heart can take up and lay down duties when he will. 6 He hath ease in the remissness of his Spirit. 7 His ease is al alike. 8 The more ease he hath the more sluggish he is. 9 He hath but one principle in the heart that acteth him both in the waies of God, and the waies of the world. 10. His ease comes from the performance of duties in his own Strength.
Fifthly, Another is this, A carnal heart finds ease, from the liberty of taking up and laying down the duty, it is easy because he can take it up and lay it down when he will, if a beast have a yoke that he can shift the collar when he will it is easy, when he can put in his head when he will, and slip out his head when he please, this is no grievousness to the beast, so it is with carnal hearts, the ways of ⟨p. 664⟩God are easy to them, why? because sometimes they can take up duties, and sometimes lay them down, when they are in a good mood, then they can take up duties, and read, and pray; and the like if any thing vex and trouble them▪ then they can lay them down again; and sometimes when they list they can come and hear Sermons, and when they list they can go into bad company, go into the Tavern, and the like; but now a gracious heart finds the greatest ease when it can be constant in the ways of God, when I can bring my heart to this, that there is an evenness and proportion between what I do at one time, and what I do at another time, there is the greatest ease to a gracious heart, and indeed, there can be no true comfort in any holy duty where the heart is not constant, the constancy and the evenness of spirit, and the proportion that there is between one thing and another, is that that makes the ways of God easy unto the Saints. As in going in any way or common path if a man have one leg long and another short, or if the way be uneven, sometimes plain, sometimes rugged, sometimes down hill, and sometimes uphill, that is hard to a man in his walking; and so it is with the work of a Christian, that that makes it difficult is this, Oh, I cannot find my heart in a constant evenness, were my heart so, then I should find ease, but that which makes it most difficult, it is the unevenness of my heart, on the contrary, put now a carnal heart to this, to a constancy in any duty or work for God, O! it will cry out of weariness in Gods ways, perhaps he will be content to be a while in holy duties, to hear a short Sermon, and go away again, but to spend the whole Sabbath, that is wearisome to him;