A77983:81
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. CXXII.
The ground of Humility. A knowledge and sense of our own vileness.
Well then, having showed the lowliness of Christ, and the force of his Example: Let us now come to show how we should be lowly in Heart, and that according to the description that we gave of Lowliness of heart, that concerns us, for there is something indeed wherein we are to be lowly otherwise then Christ was capable of, according to the description, It is that virtue whereby the heart behaves it self towards God, and it self, and others, according to the right low esteem it hath of it self, and the sense of its own vileness. That is the Description of Humility as it concerns us▪ Now then here observe, First, What rule an Humble Heart goes by, And then Secondly, The behaviour of an Humble Spirit according to those three Objects, God himself, and others, the rules that an humble heart goes by, it is the right esteem of its own meanness, and sense of its own vileness, That is the first thing that is in humility, a right knowing our selves, not knowing our own excellencies, as men are too too ready to know their own excellencies. We use to say of a man, •uch a one hath excellent parts, and he knows it himself; but the knowledge of our selves that way may puff up, but this knowledge of our selves, to know our own meanness and vileness, and wretchedness, this is that that humbles us; and so an humble Heart makes that to be the rule of his behaviour, ⟨p. 514⟩according to what he shall have made known to him of his own meanness, and vileness. This knowledge of our selves is that that the Heathen did commend, to know thy self, it was a great Maxim of theirs, a great point of Wisdom for them to know themselves, but certainly, they meant especially their own excellencies, but a Christian that knows himself, it is especially to know thine own vileness, and thine own wretchedness, and because humility doth order the heart according to this knowledge, therefore the Scripture speaks of humbleness of mind, in Collos. 3. 12.