A77983:374
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.
Thirdly, Thou complainest of difficulty that thou findest in Gods ways, do not therefore complain of the yoke of Christ, it may be it is from the distemper of thine own heart, not from Christs yoke, we know that a light yoke to one that hath a sore neck, seems to be very grievous, but the fault is not in the yoke, but in the soreness of the neck if the neck were sound, and made whole, the yoke would seem light, so it is with many that profess religion, and it may be have true grace, they find the yoke very ha•d to them, and they complain of the yoke, and think that which Christ requires of them is grievous to them, but truly it is the distemper of thy heart, and the unsoundness of thy spirit that makes it so if so be thy heart were but healed, if thy hear• were but sound, thou wouldest not find any such difficulty in any way of Christ. In 2 Tim. 1. 7. There the spirit of power, of love ⟨p. 678⟩and of a sound mind are joined together, where there is a sound mind a sound spirit, the•e will be power, there will be strength, there will be love and sweetness, but where the mind and the heart is unsound, and distempered▪ there you will find a great deal of difficulty in the yoke of Christ, so that I say, where you find the yoke of Christ difficult, do not complain of that so much, as of your own heart, and labour to heal your own soul, and then it it will not be so difficult, and that is the third answer I would give to the Godly that yet find difficulty in the ways of religion, it is not because of the yoke, but it is because you are not enough under the yoke, that is the difficulty, if your hearts were under it more then it is, it would not be so difficult, and this expression may serve to enlighten us into the fourth answer which is this.
Thirdly, Thou complainest of difficulty that thou findest in Gods waies, do not therefore complaine of the yoke of Christ, it may be it is from the distemper of thine own heart, not from Christs yoke, we know that a light yoke to one that hath a sore neck, seemes to be very grievous, but the fault is not in the yoke, but in the soreness of the neck if the neck were sound, and made whol, the yoke would seem light, so it is with many that profess religion, and it may be have true grace, they find the yoke very had to them, and they complain of the yoke, and think that which Christ requires of them is greivous to them, but truly it is the distemper of thy heart, and the unsoundness of thy spirit that makes it so if so be thy heart were but healed, if thy hear were but sound, thou wouldest not find any such difficulty in any way of Christ. In