A77983:99
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: An humble heart in the presence of God, hath a relenting spirit, humility of spirit manifests it self in walking towards God in this disposition, that it relents and melts in Gods presence at any manifestation of Gods displeasure against him. And this is likewise clear in Scripture, that Famous Example of Josiah in 2 Kings 22. 19. Because thine heart was tender, or because it did Melt, for so some Books hath it, And thou diddest humble thy self before the Lord, Mark how these two are put together, a melting heart, and an humble heart, whereas if Josiah had had a proud heart, he would have contemned the reading of those papers that was brought unto him, as his Son afterwards did, he took a Pen-knife, cut them, & threw them into the fire, the Son of this Josiah, but Josiah being a man of a very lowly heart, though a King, upon reading of the Law of God that was found in a corner of the Temple, his heart did tremble presently. And hence in Matth. 5. those two are put together, Blessed are the poor ⟨p. 526⟩in spirit, and blessed are those that mourn, so that one that is of a poor and low spirit, I mean, low in a gracious manner, not in a base way, is one that mourns, is not of a hard heart. It is said of Belshazzar that he did harden his heart in pride, Pride had hardened his heart in Dan. 5. 20. But when his heart was lifted up, and his mind hardened in pride &c. Certainly, a hard heart is a proud heart: So far as a heart is hard, it is proud, and it is proud against God, and that is the worst pride in the world, for a Creature to be proud in its behaviour before God. When you come to hear the Word, now you come near to him, and •he Lord reveals his displeasure against you, and expects your heart should melt before him, and you harden your heart, you gather those thoughts together that may harden your hearts, Oh! this is the pride of thy Heart, the Lord looks upon thee as a desperate proud heart, that shall thus harden thy Heart, but now if upon the least manifestation of Gods displeasure to thee thy heart melts, here is an humble heart now, that according to the esteem of its own meanness, and sense of its vileness behaves it self thus.