of any mercy as Hieram of the Cities that Solomon gave him what are these my Brother But what am I that I should have such a mercy Many because they have not what they would have they reject what they have as thus because they have not ful assurance of saving grace though God be putting them into the way that he useth to lead them that he purposeth to save this is nothing all is nothing Now thou shouldest say Lord Who am I that I should have the least mercy from thee This is the work of an humble spirit And if any affliction befal thee to be so far from thinking thy affliction great to say never any had such affliction as I Oh that is from the pride of thy heart it is because of thy pride that the affliction is so great were thy heart humbled the affliction would not seem so great but the mercy of God would seem great unto thee As now put a ball into a great Vessel and it seems to be nothing but put it into a little vessel and it wil seem greater so when the heart is little by humility then Gods mercy seems great and the truth is the lesse the heart is the mercy of God will seem the greater and the affliction seem the lesser it is because we are not sensible of our own vilenss and wretchedness and of what our condition might be that our afflictions are so great in our eyes as they are That is the next thing of an humble Spirit that it admires at the least mercy that it is so much and wonders at the greatest affliction that it is no more I am less then the least of all thy mercies 8. An humble spirit it is willing that God should put him into mean imployment and into hard imployment and into imployment that it can see no Reason for but only the wil of God Yea if the Lord should put him into the lowest work that ever creature was put into an humble spirit submits and thinks it is well if I may be in any service at al Let me be but as the hired Servant saith an humble Spirit As it was with the Gibeonites they were content that they might be but as Hewers of Wood and Drawers of Water So they might but live The very Angels shew themselves humble in this kind to be willing to be Ministring Spirits to the poorest Saint in the world the poorest Saint in the world hath a guard of Angels about him night and day this shews the Lowliness of Angels and therefore we should be willing to be serviceable from their example in the lowest work for God and not think that my parts and my Spirit is fit to be imployed in higher waies As a Servant to think why am not I a Govenor I but to think that it is the condition God hath put me into this is his Duty And so for Services hard to Flesh and Blood Yet an humble Spirit will go on and the truth is humility in the behavior of the Spirit towards God appears in this to be content to obey God in what I see no Reason for in the world I know it is the mind of God and though I can see no Reason for it yet I will be content to do it here is subjection of the heart to God not stand wrangling Why should I perform Duties And why should I do so and so No but this is that that shal sway my Reason and all because God cammands it Now these are the main frames of an humble heart tovvards God and as long as vve go along Oh that vve vvould examine hovv far short vve come of Lovvly hearts it may bâ— vve vvere taught before that vve ought to be lovvly but here vve may that vve find come short and there vve may find matter of humiliation in our Prayers 9. An Humble Spirit and one Lowly in heart is willing to wait upon God his own time and in whatever way or means God shall please to work in it is fit that I should wait upon God for any thing I have who am so unworthy of any mercy and the Lord being so high above me between whom and my self there is such an infinite distance in Isa 27. 8. saith the Church there humbling it self before the Lord they do manifest their Humility thus Yea in the way of thy judgments O! Lord have we waited it is easie to wait upon God in the way of his Mercy but not so easie to wait upon him in the way of his judgments but an humble Spirit is willing to wait upon God even in the way of his judgments So in Lament 3. 26. It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the Salvation of the Lord It is good for a man to bear the yoke in his youth An humble heart is willing to wait upon God in the waies of his judgments as wel as in the way of his mercies 10. The behavior of an humble heart in respect of God is this That it is resolved to do what it can to honor God whatever God doth with it though God destroy me and that everlastingly yet I desire to keep this resolution in my heart I will do what I can to Honor Him Many that are afflicted and troubled in Conscience they have some kind of Humiliation wrought but their Spirits have some kind of bitterness and sowrness against God and because they think somtimes God will cast them off therefore they are ready to cast off Duty too now that is an evident sign the heart is not throughly humbled so far as thou findest thy heart work thus when thou art afraid that God wil cast thee off therfore thou thinkest that it is best for thee to cast off Duty and to do no more Here is an Argument that thy heart is not humbled But now when thy heart is wrought to this that even at that tâ—me when thou art afraid that God will cast thee off for ever thou shalt resolve let God do with me what he wil though I perish for ever yet I am resolved I wil do what I can to Honor Him this is one that hath a lowly heart now the heart is brought low indeed such a heart is prepared for Gods mercies when it is in such a condition as this and this is that God expects from us we must not indent with God we must not thus stand upon our Tearms with God as many in time of trouble of Conscience when we speak to them to wait upon Him I they wil say they would be content to wait never so long if they might be sure at last that God would grant Mercy to them But wilt thou not be willing except thou maist be sure Thou must wait though thou art not sure it is thy Duty to wait though God do not for the present assure thee of Mercy Indeed if God were so much bound to thee as thou art bound to him then thou mightest
and do the thing that before you did not do or else never be absolved by them but Christ will absolve you though you should never come to do the thing that he would have you to do if there be a willingness of heart to inquire into his mind and a willingness to do so farr as you know Now what a deal of difference is here Though you do not reforme the outward action yet if your heart be upright I will pardon your offences come to me saith Christ for my Yoke is easier then the yoke of the Law then the Yoke of sin and then the yoke of Antichrist Oh how just were it for us to be brought under the Yoke of Antichrist indeed that are not willing to be brought under the Yoke of Jesus Christ it is a great argument indeed that we are under the Yoke of sin when we are not willing to be under the yoke of Christ In Exodus 12 25 You shall read there of the Passover which was to put them in mind of the bondage that they were in spiritually it was to put them in mind to bless God for the deliverance from that bondage now Saith the Lord there It shal come to pass when ye be come to the Land which the Lord wil give you according as he hath promised that he shal keep this Service Now the word that is Translated Service it is the same word in the Original that is used when they were in Service under Pharoaâ— in the first of Exodus 14. They made their lives bitter in al manner of Service Now when they were delivered saith God you shall keep this Service as if the Lord should say Oh this is a great deal better Service then the Service you were in under Pâ—aroah you shall keep this Service Oh if you did but think of the difference between the Service of Antichrist and the Service of Christ it would be a very strong motive to perswade us to this Service rather then the former And so the Scripture you shal find comparing the Service of sin and the Service of Christ together it is said of sin that the service of sin it is a hard service sin hath a great deal of hardness in it In Prov. 13. 15. The way of transgressors is hard That you may annex to the former about the way of Antichrist and yet it is strange to think how men had rather be under any yoke then the yoke of Jesus Christ Therefore the Apostle saith in 2 Cor. 11. 20. Ye suffer if a man bring you into bondage if a man devoure you if a man take of you if a man exalt himself if a man smite you on the Face If the false teachers did any thing against you whatever they did to you you suffered it though they would exalt themselves over you bring you to bondage make themselves Lords of your faith you would suffer them but you will not suffer me and this is usual with men to suffer any kind of bondage from fals teachers rather then from the ministers of Jesus Christ men will complain of any Service under Jesus Christ rather then they wil be under the yoke of Jesus Christ If you were under a great bondage in the Prelatical Courts you cannot but know that if a minister would be a slave to the Bishop he might inslave all his parrish As now any people in the country if he would be gracious with the commissary he would bring any gentleman into slavery to attend upon him as he pleased and yet how willing are many rather to be under that bondage then any other whatsoever and men are loath for to come under this though we shew it to be Canonical out of Scripture this shewes the perversness of mens spirits CHAP. CXLV Eâ—ght Consequences from the former Doctrin 1. The world is mistaken about the service of Christ 2. A great sin to reject Christ 3. Bless God for this easie Yoke 4. Bring not an evil report upon the waies of Christ 5. Christ wil expect much Service it being so easie 6. Make not the Yoke of Christ hard 7. We should give up our Selves to Christ 8. It is an accursed thing to be an apostat COme we now to the First for I have two things yet to do having opened in what respects the yoke of Christ is easie there is First The Consequences and Corollaries to be drawn from all this that hath been said by way of Use And Secondly To shew how you may make the yoke of Jesus Christ easie to you what it is that facilitates it Consequence 1. For the Consequences hence First Certainly That mistake of the world about the service of Jesus Christ is rotten how many men will rather venture all the hardship of eternal misery of Hell fire then come under the yoke of Christ for the present in this world Certainly This is a dreadful thing for a man to have hard thoughts not only without Reason but such hard thoughts as when both are laid together either thou must come under the yoke of Jesus Christ or perish eternally and endure al the hardship of eternal fire hereafter in hell Well saith a carnal heart rather then I wil endure the crossing of my sin I wil venture the other I hope the other will not be but I will venture it now what a dreadful thing is this that you will venture this I will grant you are not convinced of it but you hear this ouâ— of the word often threatned and you cannot but acknowledg it is a great venture that you venture all the wrath of God and the curse of the Law and all that that God threatens in the word that will pursue those that do perish Now this is a hard venture now you venture all this rather then you will come under the yoke of Jesus Christ Oh what a mistake is this What excuse can ye have for your selves that run upon such a mistake as this is That that hath been delivered to you shews the great aggravation of thâ—s sin Consequence 2. And that may be a Second Particular a great aggravation of the wickednesâ— of mens hearts and of their lives saith the Lord in his word â— have sent my Son into the World to bring my mercy and goodness and love unto you and he is come for to deliver you from a heavy yoke and to lay an easie yoke upon you and to bring you to Heaven that way but now you refuse and reject him and will rather endure more hardship in your refusing of him and in damning your Souls then in subjecting to him and saving your Souls eternally Oh it will be a dreadful aggravation of mens sins at the great day what a dishonor do men â—ut upon Jesus Christ whenas they by their actions do as much as if they should say Oh the yoke that Christ wil put upon mens Necks is into lerable we cannot bear it I will rather be under the yoke of sin and under
us be suspicious least God should not have the Glory we should lift up Gods Name as one that lifts up another upon the wall he that is lifted up sees but the other sees not so we should lift up God so as God should be alone seen though we be hidden our selves and if at any time there should any pride arise to take part of the Glory from him for we wil be ready to be fingring and filching of the glory of God from him then humility takes an advantage by pride as somtimes pride will take the rise from humility a man may be proud of his own humility so humility will take the rise from pride a gracious heart wil be humble for his pride and for this we have a notable example too in 2 Chron. 32. 25. It is the Example of Hezekiah But Hezekiah rendred not according to the benefit done unto him for his heart was lifted up verse 26. Notwithstanding Hezekiah humbled himself for the pride of his Heart If at any time an humble gracious Heart whom God is pleased to imploy in any great Service shal find his heart rising up to be filching any of Gods glory from him presently it beates down it self so much the lower and nothing will more humble him then to consider the vileness of his heart that would râ—b God of his Glory I but this is not al to be humble to have the Lord advanced every one wil say so but this makes the behavior of an humble heart indeed to be willing that God should be advanced his own way for God to chuse his own way to be advanced this goes hard we would fain have God advanced in our liberty in our comfort and our blessings But what if God wil have al our comforts Wil have himself advanced by our estates and by our liberty What if God wil have al our comforts and al we have to be but as a footstool to get up unto his glory And indeed an humble spirit appears not only in this because he submits to what is Gods due but if the Lord at any time cross him in any thing yet an humble heart will think al his crosses is made up in this that God may have any glory by it here is the genuine humble Spirit there is such and such a thing that I am crossed in that I have a mind unto yet it yields to this now that though I am crost yet God hath Glory and I can see this that God hath glory in my affliction Now when I can account that my afflicton is made up if any glory can come to God hereby here is the true Genuine and humble spirit when a man is called to any hard Service it may be he finds the Service harder then he thought of I but saith he God is glorified in this Service and whatever hardship I endure it matters not I account al is made up in Gods glory and now God is glorified by me in this way let God be advanced his own way Somtimes you think if you should be put into such and such a condition God may have more glory if you had more in largement and more comfort but what if God will chuse to glorifie himself in your affliction your low condition An humble heart wil be content that God should advance himself in his own own way 7. Another form of an humble spirit is this that it admires â—t the least mercy that it is so much and wonders at the greatest affliction that it is no more I wil give you one Scripture for it because it hath reference to what I named Last and this both together and it is a notable Scripture to shew the form of an humble Spirit it is that of David in Sam. 2. 7. in this Chapter God promiseth mercy to David and the first that I wil observe is that which concerns the former of advancing of God in whatsoever we have if you read this Chapter you shal find how God promiseth that he should be magnified and his name and house Magnified but now we find David he is more affected with Gods name being magnified than his own as if he should say Lord I bless thee for what thou hast done for me but this is that that rejoyceth me more that thy name is magnified Now is it thus with thee Art thou sollicitous that Gods name should be Magnified then rejoycest that thy Name is magnified I put this to thee when God bestows great things upon thee art thou Sollicitous that Gods name should be glorified rather then thine own And then for the other he admires Gods mercies that we have likewise in David in 2 Sam. 7. 18 19. When the Lord tels him what great things he would do Then went David in and sate before the Lord and said who am I O! Lord God and what is my House that thou hast brought me hitherto And this was yet a smal thing in thy sight O Lord God but thou hast spoken also of thy Servants House for a great while to come and is this the manner of man O Lord God What am I I bring this Scripture to this end to shew that the mercies of God will humble an humble Heart the more God bestowes any mercy upon an humble heart the more low wil it grow in admiring that God should deal thus and thus with it Whereas a proud heart when God bestows mercies presently his heart swels but novv if the higher that God raiseth you in your estates or othervvise the lovver you are here is true humility Let the Brother of high degree be so much the lower in Heart Because his degree is made higher So it vvas vvith David and Lord saith David Who am I That thou shouldest do these things And so Jacob you have him admiring Gods mercy to him in Genesis 32. 9 10. There you have the good man vvhen the Lord had manifested his goodness to him in his journey I am not worthy saith he of the least of all thy mercies and of all the truth that thou hast shewed unto thy Servant for with my staffe I passed over this Jordan and now I am become two bands I am not worthy of the least of all the mercies that thou hast shewed to thy Servant He stands admiring at the mercies of God tovvards him and doth look upon himself as vile because Gods mercies were so great There is nothing more proper to Christian humility then this therefore to look upon our selves as vile because God bestowes great mercies upon us Many men they seem to be low in time of affliction O then they are humble and low but when God raisth them in prosperity then their hearts are high now a Christian in affliction he is low too but in prosperity he is more humble humility takes as much advantage upon Gods mercies to be humble as in affliction and when it is thus with you then you have Christian humility in your hearts Humility doth not say
Do you look back to what you were and that in the presence of God and to that end that your hearts may be humble and low Do you make that use of what your poor condition was Or rather do not you forget your poor condition and now your mind is puft up this is an evil sight And another example for this you have likewife in David David was exceeding willing to be put in mind of the mean condition in which he was as that in 2 Sam. 2. when Nathan came to him when he would have built an House to God in 2 Sam. 7. the Lord bids Nathan go to him and say to him I have taken thee from the Sheep-fold verse 8. Thus saith the Lord of hosts I took thee from the Sheep-cote from following the sheep to be Ruler over my People over Israel Now David was not offended at this but he blessed God at verse 18. He went in and sate before the Lord and he said Who am I O Lord God and what is my House that thou hast brought me hitherto stands a wondring at Gods mercy that God had brought him so far as he had done unto such a comfortable condition as indeed the Lord had brought him to And so Paul in 1 Tim. 1. 13. he looks back to what he once was saith he who was before a Blasphemer and a Persecutor and injurious but I obtained mercy because I did it ignorantly in unbelief and the Grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant with Faith and Love which is in Christ Jesus who was before a Blaspemer and a Persecutor And so he saith of himself that he was the least of all which afterwards we shal further make use of the least of the Saints Thus one that is lowly in heart is willing to rip up his former life and consider what a poor wretch once I was what an Ignorant sottish Creature I was knew nothing of God nor Christ nor the things of eternity I vvas not able to open my heart to God in Prayer any further than I had learned it and could look upon a Book What a mercy of God is it in that God hath shewed himself further to me and so the heart vvorks upon the low condition that once it was in And so in Ezek. 16. vvhen the Lord vvould humble his People there the greatest part of the Chapter is spent in shewing vvhat they vvere Thy Father was an Amorite and thy Mother an Hitite shewing thereby that the Lord vvould have us look back to vvhat once we vvere that thereby our hearts may be kept low And indeed by this means an humble heart sees hovv strange the vvorkings of God vvas tovvards it and vvhat it might have been at present had it not been for the meer mercy of God This is the thing vvherein the frame of an humble heart consists in respect to it self it looks back to the poor mean condition that once it vvas in 4. In the midst of al the excellencies that God doth give unto an humble heart yet he is ashamed of himself or rather thus An humble heart is ashamed of it self yea even vvhen God bestovvs the greatest excellencies of all upon him In Ezra 9. vvhen Ezra vvas humbling himself before the Lord together with the Church he saith thus We are ashamed of our selves and confounded because of this And in Jerem. 31. 19. Ephraim humbles himself and smiting upon his Thigh he confesseth that he vvas ashamed And so the Church speaks in Jerem. 3. 25. We lie down in our shame An humble spirit is ashamed of himself vvhatever others think of him yet such a one is conscious of so much evill in himself that he is humbled vvhen he looks upon his black Legs though others may think O! such a one hath excellent abilities and the like yet an humble spirit hath such thoughts of it self as makes it ashamed of it self And so in Ezra 9. it was the time when God began to bring them from Captivity and yet that was the time when they were ashamed of themselves and were shaming themselves 5. One that is of a lowly heart the behavior of it self is to loath and abhor it self in Ezek. 6. 9. there saith the Prophet And they that escape of you shall remember me among the Nations whither they shal be carried Captives because I am broken with their whorish heart which hath departed from me and with their Eyes which go a whoring after their Idols and they shal loath themselves for the evils which they have committed in all their abominations It is an excellent Scripture this I am broken with your whorish heart and they shall see this how their sins they have broken the very heart of God we have not such an expression that I know in Scripture that might humble the heart of a sinner more than this What! have I by my sins broken the heart of God what cause is there that my heart should be broken and when they shall see this they shall loath themselves An humble heart when it sees what it hath done towards God doth loath it self looks upon it self with abhorring So you have it likewise in Ezek. 20. 4. And there you shal remember your waies and all your doings wherein ye have been defiled and you shall loath your selves in your own sight for all your evil that you have committed And the like expression you have in Ezek. 36. 31. Then shall ye remember your own evil waies and your doings that were not good and shall loath your selves in your own sight for your iniquity and for your abominations and this was in a time of mercy that is observable it was in a time when the Lord promised mercy and did shew mercy to them even then they shall loath themselves Many men they may be brought down so low upon their sick beds with some loathsome Disease that may be upon them that may force them to loath themselves but here is the property of an humble Spirit when the Lord shews the greatest mercy when it is in the greatest prosperity then an humble heart loaths it self before the Lord. And that is a notable Scripture that we have likewise in Job for this purpose in Job 9. 21. Though I were perfect yet would I not know my Soul I would despise my life though I were perfect I would even despise and loath my self that is though he were not so polluted as others charge him withall yea though he were not able to see nothing in himself yet because of â—he infinite distance between God and him and because of his mean condition that he was in as a Creature because of what he had been or what he might be without the Grace of God if God should withdraw his Grace from him therefore saith he though I were perfect yet would I not know my Soul I would despise my life How much more Cause have we to despise and loath our selves when we are conscious to our selves of so
much evil And so that other place in Job that I named about the Souls behavior before God when he saw the Glory of God In Job 42. 5. I have hâ—ard of thee by the hearing of the Ear but now mine Eyes see thee wherefore I abhor my self in dust and ashes this is the work of an humble heart to loath and abhor it self before the Lord. 6. The behavior of a Lowly heart in respect of it self it is to judg it selfe judgeth it self First Unworthy of any imployment unworthy of any service that ever God should imploy him in So you have it in that of Gideon in Judges 6. 15. when the Lord had revealed to Gideon what imployment he would use him in Who am I saith he or my Fathers House He judgeth himself unworthy of any such imployment one lowly in Heart doth think it a great mercy of God to be imployed in any work it judgeth it self unworthy of suâ—h a mercy as this May be you may think that God should be beholding to you to imploy you in any work or service for him but if your heart were Lowly you would judg your selves unworthy to be imployed in any work of God Secondly It judgeth it self unworthy of the least of the Creatures of God I am less then the least of all thy mercies saith Jacob unworthy of the to bread that it Eates and the Air that it breathes in it doth not think much that it hath not what others have but judgeth it self before God unworthy of what it hath acknowledging that it hath forfeited all the comforts that God hath vouchsafed to it Yea Thirdly It is ready to charge it self with any evil even that which comes in somtimes by temptation an humble heart is ready charge it self to be the only cause of it as other men Hipocrites they are ready to charge temptation with what comes from their own corruption So an humble heart rather chargeth its own corruption with what comes from temptation You shal have vaine and carnal Spirits think to excuse the evil that comes from them with this the Devil tempted them this was a temptation the strength and violence of a temptation and they were led to it by the Devil and so judg the Devil for it and not themselves whereas the truth is it was not thy temptation so much as thy corruption the heart that is lowly and humble chargeth himself with all this is my corruption this is my wretched and wicked heart it is true the Devil might tempt me but were it not for my corruption the Devil could never prevaile Yea Lastly It judgeth it self worthy to be destroyed So that place in Ezek. 36 31. Whereas some Books have it You shall loath your selves The old Translation hath it And shall judg your selves worthy to be destroyed A Lowly heart is willing to pass sentence upon it self to accuse it self before the Lord and therefore passeth the sentence of eternal death upon it self so as to justifie God God is clear when he judgeth whatever the judgment of God is against the sin that I have committed I joyn with it I close with the judgment and I judg my self as God doth judg in his word it takes the sentence of Gods word and laies it to it self and judgeth it self If you judg your selves you shall not be judged saith the Apostle 1 Cor. 11. 32. This is the work of a Lowly Spirit it judgeth it self before the Lord. That is the Sixth Seventhly An Humble Spirit denies it self First It denies its own Reason if the truth of God be revealed in his word he wil not set his own Reason against the evidence of the truth but though I cannot see a Reason of what is in the word it is fit that I should yeild to what the Lord reveales in his wodr it is willing to deny his Reason in matters of Faith and there is a great deal in this and a special ground why the Lord batters the Heart of sinners many times it is to bring them down to deny their own reason So I remember Luther hath a speech concerning Reason in matters of Faith Reason it is a most bitter enemy to God and of Faith he means unsanctified Reason now an humble heart can deny its own Reason Yea Secondly He is much in denyal of his own will though my will be set strong to have such and such a thing yet what great matter is it saith a Lowly heart for the will of such a wretched Creature as I am to be crossed What if my will be crossed and that for ever I that have been guilty of crossing God so much an humble heart never thinks much to have its will to be crossed whereas there is nothing more todious and grievous to a proud Spirit then to have its will crossed but now when we can get that power over our selves as to be willing to deny our own wils then our hearts are indeed broken and we are brought to be lowly in heart before the Lord the heart of a sinner is never broken and humble til it can deny its own will many of you would know when you are humble enough if you find this that whereas before you thought it very much to have your wils crossed you find now that it is a very little matter to you to have your wills crossed this is a sign that your heart is humble And Thirdly An Humble spirit can deny his own ends whatever my ends were wont to be what plottings contrivings what designes I was wont to aime at now I find I can deny them I can renounce mine own ends and am not for my self an humble Spirit is not a selfish Spirit not aiming at his own ends Yea Further An humble heart can deny its own lawful contentments for God even those things that are in themselves lawful contentments that it might have much liberty in yet if I see that God may have more honor by my being abridged of such lawful contentments and my Brethren may have more good I am willing to deny my self in them to let them go it is not fit I should look after my self such a wretched Creature as I am that might have been in Hell long ago it is not so much for me to look at my self but if God may have any Glory and my Brethren any good I am willing to deny my own lawfull contentments so that an humble Spirit denies not only its sinful self but its lawful self denies all its own excellencies whatever they be willing that they should be buried denies his own honor cares not for his own disgrace I have been perhaps of such an opinion and if I should alter I should be dishonored and disgraced but if the truth of God may come up let my honor lie in the dust let the truth of God be advanced he is willing to deny himself This is the behavior of a lowly Spirit in regard of it self it doth deny it self and that is
the righteous have a plain path to Heaven but the wicked they are upon the stones they are upon the dirt when one comes upon the stones and it be dirty too that is more difficult But the way of righteousness is plain And there is one Scripture more remarkable than these and that is in 1 John 5. 3. And his commandments are not grievous the commands of God have no grievousness in them there is nothing in Gods Commandments to be so much as grieving to a Gracious Soul It is said in the Scripture that God delights not to grieve the Children of Men certainly there is nâ—thing that God requires of thee if thou understandest it aright that will grieve thee when you tender a Child or a Friend you wil not require of them any thing that may grieve them now Christ hath so tender regard unto you that are the Servants of God that he will require nothing of you that wil grieve you and therfore if nothing be grievous in Gods Commandments surely his Yoke is eâ—sie and his Burden is light But now for the opening of this Point for there is a great deal that had need to be said to it for the opening of it and making it usefull and profitable I shall cast what my meditations have been about this Point into these Six heads The first is To give you some Evidences of it that this is so And then the second thing is The differences that there are between the ease that a carnall heart finds in the waies of Religion and the ease that a true Gracious heart finds in the waies of Religion those that are carnall and take up but a meer formality of Religion they find not ease but those that are truly religious they find rest And the third is this If the waies of God be easie How comes it to pass that many that we hope are truly Gracious and Godly yet make such complaints of so much difficulty as they do find in Gods waies And then fourthly We are to open which is the principal of all in the explication wherein the easiness of Gods waies appears what are those things that do make the waies of God so easie and in what particulars doth consist the easiness that there is in the waies of Religion And then fifthly Some Consequences that are to be drawn from this which is by way of Application And sixthly and lastly Some Directions what we should do to make the waies of God easie These are the six Heads that I cast the handling of this Point into CHAP. CXXXV Six Evidences of the former Doctrine in the last Chapter 1. Because the word that injoyns these waies is Sweet 2. A Gracious Soul counts his Duties his priviledges 3. He would rather come under any other Burden than cast off the Yoke of Christ 4. Because Christ whose Yoke it is is Gentle 5. Never any truly that put their neck under this Yoke would willingly take it out again 6. The Experience of all the Saints of God prove the Point FOr the first then The Evidences that do demonstrate that certainly the waies of God are easie and his Burden is very light unto those that have indeed submitted their necks unto the Yoke of Jesus Christ Evidence 1. First The first Evidence is this Surely Gods waies are easie unto them for there is none that is truly Gracious but they account the word of God that doth require them to walk in those waies very sweet unto them and they prize it highly now if there were difficulty and a harshness in Gods waies Certainly though the word of God may be accounted just and righteous yet it would not be sweet and comfortable unto the Soul but there is nothing more sweet and comfortable unto a Gracious heart than the word of God that doth require such waies of him Ye know the expression of David that It is sweeter than the Hony and the Hony Comb more precious than Silver or Gold or any riches of the world read but Psal 119. and there in every verse almost you find such expressions of much sweetness that David did find in the word of God if the word be sweet and delightful certainly the waies of God must needs be sweet and delightfull that are required in the word that is the first Evidence 2. Secondly Surely they are sweet and delightful for those that are in Gods waies do not account what they do only to be Duties but Priviledges they look upon every thing that Christian Religion requires of them not only as Duties but as Mercies as that wherein their happiness consists I have received mercy from the Lord that I may be faithful saith Paul I do not say I have received mercy from the Lord that I may go to Heaven that I may be rewarded and have such and such blessings but I count it mercy from the Lord that he makes me faithfull in this way not only dutifull but faithfull The Saints of God do not account the bonds of obedience to be fetters to them they account them chains of Gold about their necks for Ornament not bonds of necessity to tie them to obedience because otherwise they would not obey them but I say every Law of God is counted by the Saints of God to be as chains of Gold Ornaments to them that they account their Glory as wel as their Duty therefore in the Revelation we find the new City is described thus that her streets is paved with Gold that is the very way path of the Saints it is a Golden way it is paved with Gold it is a glorious way now that which a man accounts his Priviledg and Dignity Glory that must needs be easie their suffering actively and passively Paul counts his sufferings Glorious and Moses counts his sufferings more than the riches of Egypt If so be that you had given unto you as much Gold as you could carry the weightier the bag the lighter would your heart be you would count the burden so much the more lighter by so much the more was in it Certainly the suffering for Christ and dying for Christ is riches it is so to a Gracious heart may be this may be a Riddle to carnal hearts many carnall hearts think they must do such good things and if they do not they must perish and go to Hell and therefore they force themselves upon Duty I but it is otherwise with a Godly heart he doth not think I must do this but his work is wages every work that a Child of God doth is wages to him the man works hard I but he expects the more he expects wages So an Hypocrite may work he may do somthing but he expects wages but a Gracious heart his work is wages Receiving the end of your Faith the Salvation of your Souls there is receiving continually while we are working Saith Christ in Joh. 17. 4. Father I have finished the work that thou gavest me to do So the
THE THIRD And FOURTH BOOK ON MATTHEW 11. VIZ I. Christ the Humble Teacher of those that come to Him II. The Only Easie Way to Heaven Wherein is shewed 1 What Humility or Lowliness is Not. 2 What that Lowliness of Heart is that Christ would have us to Learn of Him 3 Arguments from the Lowliness of Christ to work Lowliness of spirit in us 4 The properties of an humble heart towards God 5 The properties of an Humble and Lowly heart in respect of our selves 6 The properties of Humility in respect of others 1. It is fearful of giving or taking offence 2. It gives due honor to all 3. It is tender to others 4. It 's not needlesly singular from them 7 The Excellencies of Humility 8 Humility brings REST unto the soul 9 Means to get Humility In the only Easie Way to Heaven Is shewed 1 The Way to Heaven that Jesus Christ teacheth is an Easie way Six Evidences thereof 2 The Difference between the EASE a Carnal heart hath and the EASE a gracious soul hath in Religion 3 The Reason why some gracious souls complain of difficulty in Gods waies 4 What it is that makes the Waies of God so Easie 5 Consequences from the Easiness of Gods waies 6 Directions how we may make the Waies of God Easie By JEREMIAH BURROUGHS Preacher of the Gospel at Stepney and Cripple-Gate London London Printed by Peter Cole Printer and Book seller at the Sign of the Printing-press in Cornhil neer the Royal Exchange 1659. M R Burroughs Easie way to Heaven THE CONTENTS OF The Third and Fourth Book On Math 11. CHAP. 119. Lowliness what Negatively in Five Particulars 1 Not in Poverty 2 Nor in Words only 3 Nor Carriage 4 Nor Habit. 5 Nor Baseness of Spirit Page 477 Chap. 120 Lowliness of heart what it is positively and what it is in Christ in six particulars 1 He became Mediator 2 Man 3 Born of a poor Virgin 4 A Servant 5 A Curse Yea Sin 6 He was lowly in his carriage to men 490 Chap. 121 Six Arguments from the Lowliness of Christ to work Lowliness of spirit in our hearts 1 It was one special end of his coming into the world 2 His Humility makes pride in man a desperate Evil 3 The greatest excellency stands with the greatest Humility 4 His Lowliness stands with the greatest Wisdom 5 It is infinitly pleasing to God 6 It may stand with doing of great things 505 Chap. 122. The ground of Humility A knowledg and sense of our own vileness 513 Chap. 123. Of the behavior of humility before God in ten Particulars 1 It acknowledgeth the infinite distance between God and a Sinner 2 It hath a trembling Heart before God 3 A relenting Spirit 4 It makes Gods will its Rule 5 It is willing God should choose its condition 6 It is willing God should be advanced in all his waies 7 It admires the least mercy 8 It is willing to be put in a mean and hard employment 9 It is willing to wait upon God 10 It is willing to do what it can to honor God 521 Chap. 124. Twelve Properties of a Lowly heart in respect of it self 1 It is very suspicious of it self 2 It is willing to know the worst of it self 3 It is willing to look to his beginning 4 It is ashamed of it self 5 It loaths it self 6 It judgeth it self unworthy 7 It denies it self 8. It keeps down it self 9. It hides it self 10 Goes out of it self 11 Bemoans it self 12 Afflicts it self 541 Chap. 125. Three Consequences from the former Point 556 Chap. 126 The first Property of Humility in respect of others is that it thinks better of others then it self Which is laid open in divers Particular answers unto several doubts and Objections 558 Chap. 127 A second Property of Humility in respect of others is To be fearful of giving offence 570 Chap. 128. Other Properties of Humility in respect of others 3 It gives due Honor to all with whom it doth converse 4 It rejoyceth in their good 5 It is willing to receive good from them 6 It is tender towards others 7 It is not needlesly singular from them 576 Chap. 129. The excellency of Humility in thirteen particulars 1 God prizeth it 2 It is a convincing Grace 3 By it we walk worthy of the Gospel 4 It is an Evidence of Election 5 Better than Sacrifices 6 It serveth for the prevailing of Prayer 7 It is a tried heart 8 It is fit for great Services 9 It is the Ornament of all graces 10. It preserves all Graces 11 It makes all Duties and Crosses easie 12 It makes the life comfortable 13 It is most useful to give God the Glory of the new Covenant 586 Chap. 130. Humility brings Rest unto the Soul in Eight Particulars 1. It ventures upon nothing before it sees Gods call 2 The Heart of such is lower than their condition 3 He is never disappointed in the World 4. He would have God have his Glory 5 It freeth from opposition or maketh the Heart yeild to it 6 It makes the Heart rejoyce in the property of others 7 It is under many promises 8 All Crosses are smal to an humble Heart 605 Chap. 131. Exhortation to Humility with five several means to get it 1 Labor to see the excellency of it 2 Convince the Soul of its emptiness 3 Get the knowledg of God 4 Of Christ 5 Of our selves 609 Chap. 132. The knowledg of our selves further prosecuted with Six Means to get it 1. Consider what once we were 2. What we might have been 3. What it cost God to bring us out of that condition 4 What we are 5. What we would be if God should leave us a little to our selves 6 In what case we shall certainly be in one day 624 THE Contents of the Fourth Book on Matth. 11. 30. VIZ. The only Easie Way to Heaven CHAP. 133. The words in the 30. verse Opened and Explained Page 633 Chap. 134. Doct. The way of the Gospel that brings to Heaven is an easie way This confirmed and explained in six particulars 637 Chap. 135. Six Evidences of the former Doctrine in the last Chapter 1. Because the word that injoyns these waies is Sweet 2. A Gracious Soul counts his Duties his priviledges 3 He would rather come under any other Burden than cast off the Yoke of Christ 4 Because Christ whose Yoke it is is Gentle 5 Never any that truly put their neck under this Yoke would willingly take it out again 6 The Experience of all the Saints of God prove the Point 641 Chap. 136. The Second Particular mentioned Is opened in two differences between a Carnal heart and a Gracious Soul in the waies of God 1 The Hypocrite finds ease in the waies of God and Sin both 2 The Hypocrite hath some ease because he mistakes the Yoke of Christ contenting himself with the outward forme of Godliness but the beleevers ease comes from the power of it 649 Chap.
be upon a Soul they keep up their sailes stil it is just indeed that they should be drowned that will not pul down their Sails when the Lord causeth a grievous storm to come upon them how many that are in very low estate and yet have extreame stubborn hearts and stout Spirits as stout and stubborn as ever before they were they have envious Spirits at those that are above them because others are not as low as themselves and have sullen Spirits and sinking Spirits and froward Spirits in their low condition all these argues a great deal of pride that though their condition is low yet their hearts are not low the Devils themselves they are low enough they are cast down to Hell it self and yet the proudest creatures that are none so proude as the Devils are and their pride appears much in their discontentedness they are proude and discontented and the most discontented spirit is the proudest Spirit so that a man may be of a low condition and yet not lowly in Heart Learn of me for I am Lowly in Heart it is the Lowliness of Heart that Christ would have us Learn of him Secondly A man may be Lowly in words submissive in words and yet far from Lowliness in Heart in Isai 29. 4. There you may see what some afflictions may work to make us Lowly in words in expressions And thou shalt be brought down and shall speak out of the ground and thy speech shall be low out of the Dust and thy voice shal be as of one that hath a Familiar Spirit out of the ground and thy speech shall Whisper out of the dust I will bring thee down saith God Whereas in the time of mens prosperity they speak swelling words as the Apostle Jude 16. Speaks Great words high Words when they are in the ruffe of their pride and the height of their prosperitty but you shal have many of these brave spirits that have such swelling words when they are in their jollity and prosperity yet when God brings them down upon their sick Beds Oh then they Whisper and speak low as one out of the dust and then Oh! their words are very submissive and yeilding and will hearken to any thing that you say I but yet for al this their hearts are not brought down their Hearts remaine as stiff as before which appears by this that assoon as ever the hand of God is off from them they are as stout and stubborn as ever before So that there may be Lowliness in expressions where there is not Lowliness in heart And again many may be Low in Expressions of words in discommending themselves and yet be proud in heart either in accusing themselves of such things as they hope others will not beleeve them or denying such things as they hope others wil contradict them in you shal have many people that wil have a seeming kind of humility and be ready to speak very hard things of themselves and say they are very poor weak people and have but little strength in them and not fit for such and such imployments and it is fit that others should be chosen in those imployments rather than themselves and they have wretched and vile hearts and when they come amongst others they speak of their vile wretched heart and they cannot do thus and thus and very large they will be in speaking very ill of themselves and deny that they have any excellency as others have and yet their hearts extreamly proud which appears in this because if any body else should be of their mind they would be extreamly discontented if any others should say O! God hath given you great Gifts this pleaseth them whereas if others that are in Company and hear them charge themselves to have such vile and wretched hearts and to say they cannot do thus thus Suppose they should be of the same mind and they should say I thinke it is so that you are a poor silly Creature an ignorant Creature and you have a very hard heart and a proud and stubborn heart now if any should be of their mind they would be angry with them and be displeased Doth not this argue a great deal of pride of heart I remember Bernard hath such an expression in his Books saith he if another should accuse me as I accuse my self I were not able to bear it he confessed this pride of his heart though he did accuse himself yet if another should say the same thing of him he were not able to bear it and I am confident it would be fo with abundance of people when they come in company and speak thus of themselves it is but to fetch out commendations from them that others might commend them and they would be mightily displeased if others should say of them that which they say of themselves in Prov. 17. 7. Excellent speech becometh not a Fool much less do lying lips a Prince Now the words that are thus read in your Books you may in another way read them they seem to carry another expression than is carried here the word signifies Dignity So Arius Montanus The lips of Dignity becomes not a Fool that is it is not fit for one that is a Fool to speak of excellent things as if he had any excellent things in him much less do lying lips a Prince it is here but the word doth not only signifie a Prince but an Ingenious Man a man that hath an excellency and worth so you may turn it as a Lip of Dignity becomes not a Fool so neither do lying Lips become one that hath an Excellency in him one that is of an ingenious spirit it is not for him to dissemble it is a very unseemly thing for one that God hath given an excellency unto to dissemble In Job 13. 7. It is said there What wil you lie for God wil you speak that which is false even for God himself will you speak wickedly for God and talk deceitfully for him We are not to walk deceitfully no not for God not for the Glory of God though we should think there might come the greatest good from it yet we must not do it and therefore certainly not for our own praise to fish out praise for our selves this is to be lowly in words but not in heart Somtimes we do not only discommend our selves in a feigned manner to others but even to God also How do we in prayer tel God how wretched vile we are and deserve to be cast into the nether most Hell and what a wonderfull mercy it is that we have the least crumb of bread and unworthy of the least crumb of bread and drop of water thus we speak very lowly before God and yet in the mean time have very proud and stubborn hearts this is not to be lowly in heart Learn of me not lowly words not lowly speeches so much but learn of me to be lowly in heart Thirdly There may be a lowly carriage
doth order the heart according to this knovvledg therefore the Scripture speaks of humbleness of mind in Collos 3. 12. To be low in our mind First the mind must be lovv before the Heart be lovv in the judging of our selves vve must judg of our selves right before the heart can lie lovv vve must judg of our selves by the right rule by no false rule but by examining of our selves according unto the vvord according to vvhat the vvord of God doth reveal concerning us after Serious Faithfull and strict examination of our selves then follovvs the vvork of Humiliation a right judging of our selves first A Heathen Phylosopher being ask'd What is the hardest thing in the World He ansvvers Noscere teipsum to knovv thy self the bravest thing in the World for a man to knovv himself and indeed vve that profess our selves to be Christians vve may find it by experience to be so the hardest thing in the World to know our selves The heart of man is deceitfull above all things and who can know it The heart of man is Grande profundum a very great depth there 's not one of ten thousand that knovvs himself there is a great Art and Skil in being able to know ones self and that is the reason that there is so little Humility in the World because we do not knovv our selves every proud man is a Fool a Fool in this Because he knovvs not himself he doth not give a right judgment of himself Now for the way of knowing our selves and what the word of God doth help us to know our selves in that we shal not speak of in this place but only to shew the ground of Humility it is the knowledg of our own vileness and the judging of our selves according to what we know of our selves not according to what others think of us A humble man doth not much go according to what any body else knows of him or esteems of him but according to what he knows and esteems of himself It was a Speech of another Heathen Do not beleeve others of thy self more than thy self of thy self It is a Foolish thing for any man to go by the esteem that others have of him and not by the esteem that he hath of himself upon right examination it may be other men may in Charity judg that thou hast this and this such and such Graces and such excellencies while in the mean time thou mai'st know thy self to be a vile mean wretched base Creature Novv a proud heart will rather go according to what others think of him than indeed according to what he knovvs of himself it may be other men that live vvith thee that see but the outside they give a good report of thee But vvhat report doth thy ovvn Conscience give of thee What dost thou knovv of thy self That thou should'st look most after While our friends do rejoyce in those excellencies they esteem us to have in the mean time thou mai'st see the cause to be confounded in thine ovvn thoughts and to be ashamed before the Lord and to have such thoughts of thy self that if the Lord should discover unto thy friends that now esteem highly of thee what thou knowest of thy self thou would'st think that they would kick and spurn thee out of their Company and be ready to spit in thy face I make no question but those that look into their own hearts and observe the workings of their own spirit those that know what is within and are acquainted with themselves many times when others have high esteems of them they see cause to look upon themselves with such shame as to beleeve that if others should but see the inside if God should turn their insides outward all their friends that have such esteems of them now would be ready to abhor them and be ready to loath them if they did but know what they are of themselves And indeed it is a great Argument for to make those that have any acquaintance with their own hearts to be humble to suffer any outward meanness to be willing to suffer any thing that might make them low outwardly Why Because of the great mercy of God to conceal from men what evill is in them Thou art loth to suffer some outward affliction but if God should discover to all the world all that evill that is in thee and that thou art conscious to thy self of Yea take the best Man and Woman that is if all the evill that they themselves are conscious to themselves of were discovered it would make them more vile than any mean condition that ever God put them into Yea than any outward affliction can possibly put them into God rather doth esteem of us wil rather judg us according to what we esteem of our selves than according to what others think of us And therefore in 1 John 3. 20. that place that is well known If our Consciences condemn us God is greater than our Consciences and knoweth all things It is no matter what others say others may justifie us others may think we have excellent Gifts and exccellent Graces and we perform duties in an excellent manner but in the mean time our own Consciences may condemn us Now the behavior of a proud heart is rather according at what others think of him then what he thinks of himself though he knows never such vileness in his own heart as now in Duty he joyns with us in Prayer perhaps he hath excellent expressions in Duty in Prayer that the hearts of those that are with him are taken with him and bless God for the Gift of God in him and what Graces he exerciseth in Prayer and so others are blessing God for him and highly esteeming of him and themselves happy that they joyn with him now upon that he hath a proud heart and blesseth himself in that and rejoyceth in that while in the mean time his Conscience tels him that he hath a base heart a proud spirit an empty heart and a dead heart and that all this while there hath been a mighty unsutableness between his heart and the expressions Now if his heart be humble he will not look what others speak of him in this kind but be ashamed and confounded in his ovvn spirit because of vvhat he knovvs of himself Certainly vve may see some ground vvhy others should think vvell of us and yeâ— vve may be most vvretched and abominable and loathsome in the eyes of God at that present vvhen other Godly people have high thoughts of us Do not rest in that not only others but vvise men and Godly men have high thoughts of us and yet in the mean time we may be wretched abominable in the sight of God and our ovvn Consciences may condemn us We read of the spirit of Man in Prov. 20. 27. it is said of the spirit of Man That it is the Candle of the Lord searching all the the inward parts of the Belly Now you know that
by a Candle if you bring a Candle into a Room you may search in corners secret corners under every bench hole and see filâ—h in many places that perhaps the light of the Sun may not come to the light of the Sun may not come into some secret places in a House where is a great deal of filth but a Candle may discover it Now the Spirit of man is the Candle of the Lord That is a man by the help of his own Spirit may be able to search into the secret corners of his own Heart but no other light can discover it we are to labor to look into our selves and to make use of our own Spirits as a Candle to be searching into every corner of our own hearts that we may know our own meanness our own wretchedness a man that hath a proud spirit is satisfied that others have a high esteem of him though he knows himself to be vile As mark the difference between an humble Spirit and a proud spirit in this one that â—s a proud man he is dejected if others think ill of him whereas an humble heart takes advantage from the vile thoughts that others have of him to make himself more vile thinks thus Lord do I thus thus to make others think vilely of me Oh! What a deal of filth do I see more then they see and so likewise takes an advantage the more he finds that others honor him and respect him to be the more low in his own Eyes because he sees such a difference between what he knows of himself and what others know of him Yea And further because a proud heart rather cares for the credit he hath by what others think of him then takes care to make gâ—od what others think of him but an humble heart rather ingageth himself to make good what others think of him then look after the credit he hath by what others think of him Oh! Let me labor to attain unto it that they may not be deceived in the esteem they have of me this is the work of an humble heart not to rest in it but according to what esteem he hath of himself a right esteem he hath of his own meanness and sence of his own vileness but that must be added too not only Esteem but sence of his own vileness There must be such a cleer light as must convince him what a wretched creature he is in himselfe notwithstanding al the excellencies that God bestowes upon him and al gifts and parts yet still he keeps a right esteem of what he is in himselfe and he hath the sence of al he doth feel the Load burden and weight of this and his Heart is willing to acknowledg this for so it comes beyond the understanding it comes to the Heart that the Heart is willing to owne it as I am convinced that my Heart is vile and mean so Lord I am willing to acknowledg this in whâ—t ever way thou wouldest have it discovered It is true I am not bound to discover my own vileness and wretchedness to every one except in such a way as God may have glory and others may receive good but stil an humble Heart keeps this principle that though God doth not yet cal me forth to discover my own vileness yet I have this in my heart I am willing to do it when God calls me to it if God may have glory and good may be done to others I am willing to have all opened before men as wel as opened before God Many are willing to open all their vileness before God in Prayer what abundance can they speak in the presence of God of their own vileness but to be willing as wel that it should be opened before men so as it should be for the glory of God the heart to be willing to this I judg my self to be thus and I am willing to be dealt with as a Creature that thus judgeth it self to be though few come to have a right judgment of their own vileness but for a man to lie under this judgment and that willingly not to oppose it but let the truth of God that discovers my vileness let that have rule and câ—mmand and shine more and more I will not turne away mine Eyes from it but I will look to it and take it and apply it to my self in what I can and I will be content to be dealt withal according to what vileness I see in my self here is a sence of his own vileness For there are many that know much evil of themselves and yet have proud hearts Why Because they have not the sence of their own vileness that they are conscious to themselves of it may be said to them in this case as Daniel spake to Belshazar in Dan. 5. 22. And thou Oh Belshazar hast not humbled thy Heart though thou knewest all this These words may be very well applied to many men and Women God knows and thy conscience knows a great deal of vileness in thy self that that might make thee Low and humble thy Heart before the Lord but this may be said of thee That thou hast not humbled thy self before the Lord though thou knowest all this though thou knowest all this wretchedness and vileness of thy self that might have abased thee to the very dust yet thou hast not humbled thy self before the Lord therefore there must be those two CHAP. CXXIII Of the behavior of humility before God in ten Particulars 1. It acknowledgeth the infinite distance between God and a sinner 2. It hath a trembling Heart before God 3. A Relenting Spirit 4. It makes Gods will its Rule 5. It is willing God should choose its condition 6. It is willing God should be advanced in all his waies 7. It admires the least mercy 8. It is willing to be put in a mean and bard imployment 9. It is willing to waite upon God 10. It is willing to do what it can to honor God NOw these two being laid as the ground of Humility the proportion upon which an humble Soul goes Let us come to the Particulars It is that vertue whereby the Heart behaves it self towards God and it self and others according to the right low esteem that it hath of it self and the sence of its own vileness Having laid that first as the ground The right low esteem of it self and sence of its own vileness Now let us come to open the behavior of this humble Heart You will say it is a behavior answerable to this It is First in respect of God Secondly It self Thirdly Others First I should shew you what is in an humble Heart in this respect and then come to shew the great excellencies of a Lowly Heart First In regard of God as God hath a special Eye to a Lovvly Heart so a Lovvly Heart hath a special Eye to God there is no object that God Eyes more then an humble heart and there is no object that an humble
thou shalt chuse our inheritance thou shalt lay out our lot and our portion that is the behavior of an humble spirit in respect of God Yea And whatever befals it it looks upon God rather then the thing it self and that is the thing I speak of now whatever befals it it looks upon God and its own meanness and so makes it willing that God should order al things There is nothing wherein the pride of a mans heart appears more then in this that he would fain be his own disposer and orderer of himself would fain put himself into what rank he pleaseth and order his own actions and waies this is as much as to say I would fain be in Gods place that God would come down and let me be in his Throne and let me order things that concern my self thou dost not think that there is so much evil in thy discontentedness it is as much as if thou shouldest say Lord do thou come down and let me come into thy place into thy Throne and order and dispose of things that do concern my self One said to the King of Spain one that was a Schollar and had great skil in Arts and Sciences a great Phylosopher he had this Blasphemous speech That if he had been at the making of the world he would have disposed of things better then they are now any one would shake at such a Speech such a thought as this but yet in a discontented Spirit there is this language if I had the ordering of my affairs and condition I could dispose of them better than they are a great deal yea there is this in those that do beleeve that God loves them too and yet they cannot submit to the dispose of God they cannot say in the truth of their heart Lord thou shalt chuse an inheritance for me 6. The behavior of an humble Soul is in this and this mainly That it is willing that God should be advanced in all and that in his own way and the latter branch hath most dependance upon this it is willing that God should be advanced above all and in his own way First an humble Spirit is willing that God should be advanced and above all it is willing that God should be advanced as the highest of all the first cause of all I look upon my self as nothing but look upon God as the first cause of all and therefore I being nothing and having nothing and am worthy of nothing it is fit that God should have all Glory though I have no share many would be content that God should have Glory so they might have some share I but an humble heart is content that God should have all Glory alone being willing to lift up Gods Name and advance him above all Here is the right temper of an humble heart Let him increase though I decrease as John saith Joh. 3. 27. he rejoyced that he should increase though himself decreased so saith an humble heart leâ— God be magnified though I be mean God hath given me many mercies but the Glory of all he reserves to himself the rent penny he reserves to himself and now an humble heart is willing to this Oh blessed be God that I may share in the comfort and blessing though I do not share in the Glory Now a proud heart would not only have the comfort and blessing but the Glory too an humble heart saith thus Oh it is mercy that God will imploy me in any thing it is a wonder that God will use me in his service when he hath used me there is infinite cause that what is done he should have the Glory of all after it is once done So if I be made a Vessel of mercy that I may retain that if I am not made a Vessel of Glory to retain that indeed we are Vessels of Gods mercies that we may keep them but we are Vessels of Gods Glory that may run through us and we should satisfie our selves thus that we may be Vessels of Gods mercy to keep them in us and to be Vessels of Gods Glory to have that run through us Not unto us not unto us saith the Psalmist Psal 115. 1. and least it should arise not unto us not unto us not unto us the third time but unto thy Name be praise reflects all upon the Lord. I remember Gulielmus Parisiensis hath this expression concerning the Grace of Humility concerning Praise saith he Get you unto God unto Praise I repel you and I transmit you unto that God whose proper Propriety you are Thus an humble heart would be when there would be any pranking of it self in what he hath or is or doth he should with an holy indignation repel the Glory to God Get you away to God as a man would send away a Run-way Servant Away get you gone to your Master and you are your Masters you do not follow your work it werâ— an evil thing you would say in any to entertain a Run-away Servant though you should not inveigle him away So we should still repell and cast it upon God that is the way As I remember the same learned man speaking of applause saith he it is like unto the Wind now if a man turn his back to the Wind it will help him to go his Journey but if he go against the Wind it will hinder him So in applause if he turn his back it will help him in his Journey but if he think to take it to himself it will hinder him and make him go slower but let all return to that God to whom it is due The example of Joab is very Famous to this purpose in 2 Sam. 12. 18. Joab was there sent to fight against the City he sends to David at verse 27 and said I have fought against Rabbah and have taken the City of waters I have as good as taken the City that thou sentest me against Now therefore gather the rest of the People together and encamp against the City and take it least I take the City and it be called after my Name Here Joab shewed himself a faithfull Servant to David he had almost taken the City and he thought the City should be called by his Name and David should have no part in it now Joab having endured the hardship of the work he was content to have David his Master to have the Glory of it and therefore he saith come and you shall have the Glory Least I take the City and it be called after my Name Here what a faithful Servant was Joab though an excellent Warrier and yet generally it is questioned whether he had Godliness in him or no though some think there was some Godliness in him he was of an excellent Spirit and Joab he regarded more to do a worthy work than to have the Glory and the Name afterwards Now if Joab shall do this for his Master how much more should we do for God when God sets us about a work let
condemn thy self before God they do it a hundred times it may be a thousand times and God knows they judg of themselves worse than thou dost of thy self thou goest on merrily and thinkest thy self in a good condition but they are daily judging of themselves and humbling themselves before God and admiring Gods goodness that they are out of Hell but thou dost not so and therefore they may look upon themselves as more vile and so be more humble Object But you wil say If the best should judg of others better than themselves this may be well then for others for they may say then our condition is not so bad if the best of all may be as bad as we Now to that I answer Though they are to judg of themselves worse than others yet if thou wouldst look into thine own heart thou mai'st see a great deal more evil in thy heart than is in theirs it may be they may judg themselves to be worse than thee so far as they see into themselves but thou maist see more evil in thy heart than is in theirs Object But then may not this make wicked men secure and say Well we may find mercy and be saved as well as the best for the best may know so much evill of themselves that they may judg themselves worse than others To that I answer For Mercy I grant you it is possible thou maist have as much mercy as they it is possible thou maist come into as good a condition as they and therefore thou maist make this use of it and much good it may do thee that is to say well it is then possible that my Soul may be saved and find mercy as well as the best of them all I but do not say it may be so and thou remainest as bad as thou art there must be then that change in thee that is in them Well but then this may not be abused that we speak of Know this that Gods Grace is free God may let them be saved and yet damn thee And yet Lastly I would have thee raise thy meditations upon this What! Are they as vile as I of themselves and yet do I continue in an unconverted estate Oh! How fearfull is my condition then that God hath manifested that he hath chosen some as vile as I and hath left me hath taken others that are as vile as I and may be worse than I and leaves me to go in the common road of death and destruction Oh! the sad condition that that man is in the truth is it is a very daunting consideration for a man to think thus there are such and such that are as bad as I and have as bad hearts as I and yet God for the present hath left me unchosen and hath chose them this should daunt the heart of any man Hast thou not known some wicked Companion of thine own some wicked Woman or Sister that God hath been pleased to dart light into them and humbled and converted them and hath left thee that art not so vile Oh! thou shouldst tremble and fear at the thoughts of this What am I though I lived more civilly than they did yet shal God choose them and leave me What a dangerous sign is this that I am not one that God will choose though I do not know what God may do hereafter but for the present I say thou hast cause to be humbled and not to rest in this condition Wel That is the first thing The behavior of an humble Spirit in respect of others is To judg of others better than themselves Oh! what a great deal of mischief would 〈◊〉 hinder in the world What a great deal of hurt is there in the world for want of this humble heart What quiet lives might Men and Women live amongst themselves How would they enjoy this Promise in the Text Learn of me for I am meek and lowly in heart and you shall find rest unto your Souls It would keep us from censoriousness which makes a great deal of disturbance in the world Oh the disturbance that censoriousness makes in the world the giving rigid censures of others keeps many from professing Religion and makes them complain of those that profess Religion you complain that when you profess Religion you are so hated of others and you think it is only because the world loves only their own therefore because you are of the world therefore the world hates you Nay it may be it is because of the Pride of your hearts and censoriousness of others had you an humble heart to look upon your own Spirits and judg of others better than your selves you might live more quiet lives and have more respects from others that you converse withall and sooner convince them and draw them to the love of Godliness for one that hath an humble Spirit will be willing to take notice of any good in others now because there is not so much good in others as in you therefore you take no notice of others but an humble Spirit takes notice of any good in others and if his judgment fails in any thing it shall be in this that he wil judg others better than himself that is the first CHAP. CXXVII A second Property of Humility in respect of others is To be fearfull of giving Offence SEcondly Another thing in the behavior of an humble Spirit in respect of others is this It is very fearful of giving offence to others and not very ready to take offence from others I will put both together It will not give offence to others and that you have very frequently in Scripture in Rom. 14. 10. But why dost thou judg thy Brother or why dost thou set at naught thy Brother We shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ Now this is in case of giving offence to others that is the plain scope of this place the Argument that is driven at in this 14. of the Romans it is the Argument of giving offence to our Brethren and here you may perceive in this place the Reason why men do not care what offence they give unto others why they set at naught their Brethren and judg them Why dost thou set at naught thy Brother Why dost thou make thy Brother as no body to thee so the Greek one that hath a proud heart if he think he hath liberty himself for such and such things what cares he for others Others are offended and grieved but what cares he for others they are no body to him he maketh nothing of them For that is the word Why dost thou set at naught thy Brother in being careless in giving offence unto thy Brother Oh this is the pride of thy heart a gracious heart is loath to grieve any body in the world so in the 15. verse of this Chap. But if thy brother be grieved with thy meat now walkest thou not Charitably destroy not him with thy meat for whom Christ dyed There the
Logs so an humble heart will get somthing from the meanest he will go away blessing God for the comfort he hath by the company of those that are meaner than himself Mark Paul saith he in Jesus Christ that you would strive together with God for me What! this Apostle that was so much above them for them to strive together with God for him Yes thus it is with a true gracious heart I remember I have read of a German Divine when he lay sick and some of his friends came to him and would be speaking to him and they thought it would be grievous to him because he was so weak Oh saith he though they were but those that you cal Lay-people if so be that when I die I shall learn any thing of any body I should account my departure more sweet to me And so it was the Speech of Oecolampadius If a truth come though by a Child by the meanest we must not refuse But know sometimes that God may speak by a poor body when he doth deny to speak by those of greater abilities and therefore we do not know what we lose by contemning those that are under us for God I say many times may speak that to our hearts by those that are beneath us when he denies to speak it by those that are above us Now an humble Spirit is willing to learn of every body of the meanest Oh if there were such a temper in the hearts of Men Women what abundance of sweetness and peace might we have Now by that we have said you may see how the promise may be fulfilled if we had but an humble heart there would be abundance of rest that we should have in this Oh the abundance of peaceableness that there would be in the world were it not for this pride of heart it is Pride of heart that makes all this ado and combustion in the world and were we thus carrying our selves lowly in heart one towards another Oh! the rest that there would be in the world and in our own Spirits Sixthly Another is this An humble heart is a tender heart towards others a lowly heart is a melting heart In Colos 3. 12. you have those two put together Put on therefore as the elect of God Holy and beloved bowels of mercies and kindness humbleness of mind Bowels of mercies and humbleness of mind are put together an humble Spirit is merciful towards others is of a tender heart either to forgive others or to give unto others he readily passeth by the offences done by others he forgives others he reasons with himself What am I that I should think it so great a matter for me to be offended that hath sinned so much against God as I have done Who am I to take so much upon me against my Brother that hath offended when I deserve to be roaring and yelling in Hell I that have so many talents forgiven me Why should not I forgive to others And then for giving unto others he considers Who hath made the difference between me and others Why is it that I should be able to give and not to have need of others Why should my Brother be in such a poor condition and I have such accomodations An humble hearâ— loves such reasoning hath his bowels yern towards the necessities of his Brethren whereas a proud Spirâ—t thinks all is for himself Shall I give my bread and my flesh and my Beer that I have provided for my Servants saith Nabal but an humble heart thinks all that he hath is mercy and therefore gives to others That which makes men and women stand so much upon it that they will not forgive wrongs and makes them so merciless towards others in misery it is from the pide of their Spirits an humble heart is a heart tender and melting towards others Seventhly And then the last that I shall name is this That an humble heart is not needlessly singular from others abundance of pride appears in singularity there is a singularity that is of necessity that is we must do our Duty what Conscience requires in Duty towards God though none in the world should do the like So we should be singular What singular thing do you but I say an humble heart is not needlesly singular from others and that you have in Rom. 12. 16. it is a notable Scripture for this Be of the same mind one towards another mind not high things but condescend to men of low estate Now the words I confess as they are in your Books do not seem to hold forth that I bring it for yet if it be examined as the learned know in the originall it is thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 So it is translated Go the same way with those that are of a low estate go on in the same way together with them Do not go in a singular way by your selves there is the danger of Pride for men to go in the way of those that are not mean they will go on in the way of those that have credit and esteem in the world they will not be singular from them here is the Pride of singularity for men to be singular from poor Godly Gracious People thou Professest thy self to be a Christian and thou canst comply with men that are full of Pomp and Glory of the world and wilt not be singular from them but thou wilt be singular from those that are mean Godly and gracious souls that is Pride we must go on in the way with those that are most Godly and most Holy and most Gracious Now there is a great deal of Pride in singularity in going in waies from them that are Holy Godly in matter of things that are indifferent and you your selves acknowledg it and yet you must have a peculiar Garb by your selves as some have a singular tone of speech and an affected gate and strange kind of fashion and a sullen kind of way of keeping what they have had heretofore many yeers though there be no body else have the same thing yet they think it is humility when indeed there is a sullenness of Spirit and a proud singularity in it and wilfulness when they wil go in a different way even from the way of Godly Holy and Gracious Christians and would have somwhat peculiar to themselves For any man to affect singularity in things wherein he may lawfully suit himself with others this is Pride wherever it is and especially those that are Godly they should suit themselves with others wherein they can because there is something wherein their Conscience will not give them leave to suit with others being bound in Conscience they have not that liberty that other men have to do this or that to go this way or that way that other men can do or go in for their own ends that which they apprehend to be according to the Rule they must go on to the utmost in every thing whatever men do that they
further sence in it God gives a Grace to that God puts a Beauty and Ornament upon the Humble for Humility doth so beautifie a Christian that whatever they do they do it with a Grace there is no Christian that doth things with such a Grace as the Humble and it is that that doth adorn all Graces Humility Graceth all Graces whatsoever Tenthly And then it is that that preserves all Graces too and so some take the word there to come from a word that signifies a knot because it ties all Graces as it were with fast knots together as I find some Interpreters carry the word it unites and knits and strengthens all Graces Paul walked humbly with God walked constantly with him whatever fell out it did not hinder them from serving God As in Acts 20 the place I named before when he called together the Elders of Ephesus at verse 19. when they were come he speaks to them thus Serving the Lord with all Humility of mind and with many tears and temptations which befell me by the lying in wait of the Jews whatever temptations did befall Paul yet he was able to go through them for he served the Lord with all Humility it is the proud swollen heart that is the backsliding heart but the humble heart is the heart that keeps constant with God it preserves all the Graces of the Spirit of God in vigor and in strength uniting of them together and uniting the Soul to the Fountain of all Grace it is the preservative of all Grace Eleventhly And again Humility it is that that makes all Duties and all Afflictions to be easie therefore this follows that I shall speak to afterwards Learn of me and be lowly in heart and then My Yoak is easie and my Burden is light it is an easie thing for a man to do any thing that God sets him about if he be once humble there is no difficulty that a man finds in the service of God but it is through pride of heart And so there is an ease in all Afflictions in being humble that that yeilds you know can bear opposition without any great noise indeed the tall Cedars are broken with winds but the poor shrubs below they do not suffer so much but these two will fall more seasonably in when we come to shew how humility gives quiet and rest unto the Soul Twelfthly Again There is nothing that makes the life of a man and woman more joyful and more comfortable than Humility You think the proud have the jolly lives and the comfortable lives No but the humble have most comfortableness because it makes them to prize the least mercy Chrisostome upon Acts 7. hath this expression None saith he live so comfortably as the humble and he gives the reason for it Because the least thing he enjoyes he sets such a price upon the mercy and therefore rejoyceth in it you shall observe it come to a poor Godly Family and you hear nothing but blessing and praising of Gods mercy and wondring at Gods mercy you that have great Houses and great Tables furnished you are wrangling and snarling at this and the other thing but an humble heart is praising and blessing God for his mercy and enjoy more of the mercies of Gods that they have than you do in all your abundance If a man have his flesh swollen he will not be able to bear it but it will be mighty toublesome to him So when the heart is swollen it will bring trouble to thee but this likewise will come more fully in when we come to speak of the Promise I will give you rest But now there is only one thing more for opening the excellency of this Grace and that is the many gracious Promises in Scripture that are made to humble hearts as now to name a few That God will guide the humble in their way Psal 25. 9. I confess your Books have it Meek and so I made use of it in opening Meekness but the word in the Hebrew is Humble and you may take it both waies and therefore in Prov. 11. 2. you have an excellent Scripture there With the Lowly there is Wisdom No man or woman hath that Wisdom for the guiding and governing of their waies as the Lowly Proud men will run on upon their own heads rashly because they be conceited of their own waies but the Lowly will examin and wait and suspect themselves they wil try and examin their waies and go in an humble way With the Lowly there is Wisdom Oh! into what Labyrinths straits aed extremities do proud people hurry themselves but now the Lowly they have the guidance of the Spirit of God carrying them on in their way and therefore they can quiet their hearts and listen to know what the mind of God is And another Promise is That God will revive the Humble the humble is ready to be trod under foot but in Isay 57. 15. The Lord saith he will revive the humble And another is that in Peter He will give Grace to the Humble And that same Promise that you have in Prov. 3. That he will give Grace to the Lowly Thou wouldest have more Grace it is taken for the Graces of Gods Spirit you would fain have more Grace to subdue your corruptions Are you thankful for what you have An humble heart will take notice of every little it hath wait upon God for more Make use of this Promise true Lord I have not such Grace as I would have but I have my heart subdued to this condition then here is the Promise The Lord will give Grace to the Humble And then there is the Promise of Exaltation in Prov. 15. 33. and Math. 23. 12. Those that do most abase themselves shall be most exalted by God It was an Answer that a Phylosopher gave to one that asked him What God did in Heaven he gives this Answer He is beating down the Proud and lifting up the Humble that is the thing that he is doing in Heaven and therefore those in Scripture that have been lowest you see how afterwards God hath exalted them Humble your selves under the mighty hand of God and he shall exalt you in due time in 1 Pet. 5. 6. speaking there of Humility there is but one word in the Greek there for due time 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the opportunity of time God will exalt you when a fit opportunity comes And then there is the Promise of safety also to the humble in Job 22. 29. God makes a Promise there to keep those that are humble in a safe condition whatever danger is abroad the Lord will preserve them When men are cast down then thou shalt say there is a lifting up and he shall save the humble Person the Lord wil save the humble Person in time of trouble He shall find mercy frrom God in troublesom times And so in Zeph. 3. 12. I will also leave in the midst of thee an afflicted and poor People and
quite otherwise with a carnal heart when he pleads for moderation this vertue of moderation that he pleads for it is not a middle of participation the middle in which virtu consists it is not a middle that doth participate of a degree of both the contraries but a denying of the extreams of both as the true virtue of liberality consists not between prodigallity and covetousness but denies the extreams of both it will have nothing to do with either of both the etreames but that which a carnal heart calâ— for in moderation is the mixture of both extreames together and so makes up a religion of the mixture as thus there is open profaneness that is one kind of extream and there is deadness of spirit the other way that that is opposite unto the open profaneness in wickedness of many people that of drunkennhss and uncleanness and the like they will none of this And then there is the Strictness of power and life in the waies of God in the other way that that is in their hearts is a deadness of spirit there is a mixture there is some profaneness of heart though they would have somwhat of religion too of that which is the hypocrisy not the power of religion there is hipocrisy and profaneness those are the too extteams he will not be a profane man in the grossness of it nor will he be strict in the waies of God in the exactness of them but mix them both he will not be only profane and only have a shew in religion but he will retain some profaneness of heart that is though he wil not be drunk prophane yet he wil retain an inward prophaneness of heart that is when he comes to perform holy duties he counts them but as common things the blood of Jesus Christ he counts it as a common thing and so he hath a profaneness of heart when he comes to perform holy duties and yet he will not be profane neither and so he will have a mixâ—ure of both and this makes up a civil man and yet the civil man will cry out for both he thinks he is not an hipocrite and he thinks he is not profane but he is a middle man a mixture of a profane person and a strict person he is between both But now a gracious heart equally opposeth profaneness and hipocrisy so that the right moderation is such a moderation as is a middle between two evills and partakes of none the ease of a carnal heart lyes in his moderation of holy duties and therefore those duties that would lift up the heart high those are troublesom unto him As now you shal find in some beasts a horse that is a jade and tyred wil go pretty well in some smoth way but if he come to the least rising of a hill Oh how hard is it for such a beast to draw and how ready is he to stand still perhapps when the way is down hill he will draw but at no rising or up-hil now it is otherwise with a horse of mettle you shal find no difference between one way another nay he will go better up-hill then down hill So it is with Carnal hearts perhaps in some kind of things that may be suitable to them and are smoth they may go apace but in that that raiseth his spirit that that is uphill Oh that is difficult but now a Godly heart is lively and spiritual and joyful and finds most quiet and ease when he riseth highest Seventhly A carnal heart the ease that it hath in Gods waies it is all a like aswel one time as at another time it is not so with the Saints they have ease but they do not find it all alike when indeed they can be constant in Gods waies then they find constant ease but because sometimes they find corruption prevail then indeed the waies of God are difficult more difficult then at other times when they find a temptation that overcomes their hearts they find a great deal of difficulty before they can get it off but this will discover many men to be naught when you find your corruptions prevail you can have as much ease as at other times As suppose you have been the last week drunk or have been committing uncleaness or have been in Company and you can come to the Sacrament on the Lords day and joyne with the Minister when at prayer you can come and put on your sunday clothes as you cal them and sit at the word and it is as easy to you as any other thing surely now thy heart is but carnal wert thou spiritual if thy heart were conscious of some sin committed the week before when thou wert in company Oh! when thou comest to the word thou wouldest find the word as a dagger stuck to thy soul thou wouldest find the presence of God terrible to thee in prayer and in the word and Sacrament but canst thou give way to thy sin in the week time and God knows that thou hast not been humbled before the Lords day and yet canst thou come and joyn in prayer and the word and Sacrament with ease this is a sign of a carnal heart that thou art not acquainted with God or any of his waies but it is otherwise with a gracious heart he hath ease the presence of God is comfortable unto him so long as he can keep his reckoning even between God and his Soul but if he should give way to sin and draw the power of the devil upon him when he comes into the presence of God he finds the presence of God terrible unto him Eightly Another Difference between the ease of a carnal heart and a gracious heart is this In the effect of it there are other manner of effects that are produced by the ease of a Gracious heart than of any carnall heart As thus A carnall heart the more ease he hath the more sluggish he is and the more barren he is but a gracious heart the more ease it hath in Gods waies the more fruitfull it is As we say of States and Kingdomes that peace in States and Kingdomes brings plenty and so it doth we have had experience of it so peace in the Conscience of one that is Gracious makes him plentifull in all good works a heart that is truly Godly is never so fruitfull in the waies of God as when he hath the most ease and rest in Gods waies but now take a carnall heart if his Conscience be troubled Oh then he will set upon holy Duties but if he be at ease and quiet he grows more barren and more sluggish by how much the more ease he hath I do not know any one thing to help you better to exam in your own hearts in a great case of Conscience than this How do I know when I have peace and quiet whether it comes from presumption or from true Faith I bless God I have hope of Gods mercy and so I have quiet
the yoke of the Devil and under the yoke of Antichrist then under the Yoke of Jesus Christ whereas the truth is Jesus Christ is come into the world to bring such a way of Sweetness and Love and Mercy and Ease unto us as if all the Angels in Heaven and men in the world had set all their Wisdomes on work from the beginning of the world to find out a way to bring us to Heaven they could not have found out such a way as this and yet this way to be refused Oh the aggravation of men at that day And the truth is that which I have delivered to you out of this Text if you shall yet continue under the yoke of your sins and be bond-slaves to the Devil in your wicked courses these things shall another day rise up in Judgment to stop your Mouths when this shal be brought against you did not you live in such a Town And such a place And where you heard such a Text opened to you that if you would come to Jesus Christ his yoke was easie and his burden was light and that the way of Jesus Christ brought such sweetness and love and mercy And yet you refused it and you would chuse rather to be a bondslaves to my enemy the Devil then come under the yoke of my son Oh How will this aggravate your sin another day I beseech you let not what we speak unto you be an aggravation of your sin the Reason why I have been so long upon this Text was to take away the stumbling blocks that men laid in the waies of Christ and to draw your hearts to the Love of the waies of Jesus Christ But now if you should reject the waies of Christ and continue under the yoke and bondage of sin after all this will be the fruit of the Sermons that they will be called over again at the day of judgment to make your yoke and burden heavier when you are under the wrath of God to all eternity And that may be a second use of this Point Consequence 3. Thirdly If the Yoke of Christ be thus easie and his Burden light then you that are the people of God that are come under this yoke and have felt the easiness of this yoke bless the Lord for it and bless your selves for what ease you find in the waies of Jesus Christ Think but thus with your selfe there are others indeed they have a strange conceit of the waies of Jesus Christ and think them hard and indeed if their natures be not changed they wil be hard unto them but blessed be God I find them otherwise when I began to turn my face to Jesus Christ my Father or Mother called me Fool and said you will have no comfort and my Uncle and kindred they told me that my comfort would all be gone but blessed be God I did not harken to them but I find them otherwise I do not find that these things bring me into any such bondage but blessed be God I never had that comfort that now I have Nay I have that sweetness ease and comfort that I cannot but think that if al the men in the world did seek now and feel that comfort that I feel they would be in Love with the waies of God I hope there are many that can think with themselves did but all my kindred and my friends Yea did but all the world feel that sweetness ease and comfort that I feel in the waies of Christ they would be in love with them If you can speak so Oh blessed be God for this easie yoke of Christ There might have been required a hard yoke if Christ should say Well I endured a hard yoke for you I came from the Bosome of my Father and came under the curse of the Law for you and if you will be delivered you must have a heavy yoke upon you too if Christ should have required that we should have been tied unto a Stake and endured the fire and have been held unto it and saved at last yet we had cause to fal down and bless God for ever for this but Christ requires no such thing Christ reveals not only Salvation at last but he reveals a fair way he paves our way with Gold so that we go through Canaan unto Canaan not through the wilderness It is true before we came under the yoke of Christ fully there was some trouble but take it in respect of the inward man I say their way to a Heavenly Canaan is through Canaan here in this world they have a Canaan that flows with Milk and Honey It is true the Jews were in a servile way and God would not bring them into Canaan but through the Wilderness and it is true in outward view there is a great deal of trouble to come to you but in regard of the inward man there is a spiritual Canaan to bring us to the Heavenly Canaan and the Saints they may suck Milk and Honey continually if they do not hinder themselves all the way they are going to the Land of Canaan the Lord hath appointed them to suck sweetness and honey out of the Promise of the Gospel all the way they go while the wicked have nothing but Swill and Dogs meat â—o suck and to feed upon And here is the difference between a Godly man and a wicked man an ungodly man or woman is appointed for execution and he lives upon the basket in the mean time he hath nothing to maintain him as a Prisoner he lives upon the basket this is his life in comparison of a Godly mans life he is going on to execution even in this world now between the greatest Prince that is and what the Saints have in this world there is this difference the one is appointed to execution and lives upon the basket to maintain him till the day of execution and the other is going to immortality to receive a Kingdom to live upon the greatest dainties that Jesus Christ brought from the bosom of his Father from the Riches and Glory of his Father here in this world he hath that that sweetens his life and hath his food in some respects better than the food of the Angels he feeds upon Manna that comes from Heaven though he be in the Wilderness of this world Oh bless God and Jesus Christ that hath made such a way for thee to Heaven and love these waies of Christ and speak well of them and labor to promote them and all that ever you can and live so as you may not bring an â—ill report upon the waies of Christ that others may not be deterred from the waies of Jesus Christ by your lives Consequence 4. And that may be another Use if the waies of Christ be so easie then do not bring an ill report upon them Do not lead such discontented sullen dejected lives especially you that have carnal Husbands carnal Wives carnal Parents carnal Masters and Mistresses they look upon you