A77983:367
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.
1. They do not know wherein the true spiritual excellencies of the ways of Christ doth consist, they do not understand what the excellency of Christs ways are.
1. They do not know wherein the true spirituall excellenc•es of the waies of Christ dorh consist, they do not understand what the excellency of Christs waies are.
2. The things that are required are unsuitable to them, they are not suitable to what there is in their spirits, and to put a man upon a work that is no way suitable to his spirit must needs be difficult, must needs be tedious, it is not suitable to them; Yea, it is contrary to them, contrary to the spirits of those that are natural, cross unto the grain, they go quite contrary to their own spirits, when they venture upon doing what is required in the ways of God.
2. The things that are required are unsutiable to them, they are not suitable to what there is in their spirits, and to put a man upon a work that is no way suitable to his spirit must needs be difficult, must needs be tedious, it is not suitable to them; Yea, it is contrary to them, contrary to the spirits of those that are natural, cross unto the grain, they go quite contrary to their own spirits, when they venture upon doing what is required in the waies of God.
3. They are weak, and have not the strength that should carry them on in the ways of God, indeed it must needs be difficult, to think to do that which is supernatural & have nothing but a natural strength, it must needs be hard to nature that hath nothing but weakness, it must needs be hard to the men of the world, for they have a great many prejudices against the ways of Christ, they must deny themselves in many things that are as dear to themselves as their very Souls, and their lives, and they have nothing to make up their comforts, they must deny their comforts, and have nothing to make up their comforts, this must needs be difficult and hard, and so many grounds might be shown, that the way to Heaven is hard to the men of the world, a hard thing for them to enter upon the way to Heaven, and so it is strait to them in their esteem.