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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
book_n	common_a	prayer_n	set_v	2,812	5	5.7163	4	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A77983	Four books on the eleventh of Matthew: viz: I. Christ inviting sinners to come to him for rest. II. Christ the great teacher of souls that come to him. To which is added a treatise of meekness and of anger. III. Christ the humble teacher of those that come to him. IIII. The only easie way to heaven. By Jeremiah Burroughs, preacher of the Gospel at Stepny and Cripple-Gate, London.	Burroughs, Jeremiah, 1599-1646.; Goodwin, Thomas, 1600-1680.	1659 (1659)	Wing B6072_pt3-4; Wing B6116_PART; Thomason E965_1; ESTC R207640	203,123	309

perform holy Duties and keep their sins both together and this now they find very easie There is nothing in holy Duties that is against their sin yea there is somthing in holy Duties that makes for their sins I do not say holy Duties in their own natures makes for their sins but their performing of them makes for their sins makes them the more quiet in their sins As thus It makes more for their sins and they have more quiet in them upon two Peasons As first by this means sometimes their corruption and sin is hidden as you that have many Servants that are naught and vile they will be very forward in good things and go to Sermons and Prayer and the like that they might hide much of their sin that they might not be uspected to be such and such therefore they perform Duties of Religion and now these Duties must needs be very easie to them And so it is with many Hypocrites that go beyond civill men and the Duties of Religion that that they perform are more than civill men do they will not only come to Church but seem to be affected not only be ex●ercised in the ordinary Duties but in extraordinary Fasting and Prayer not only come to hear the word but repeat it in their Families afterwards not only pray here but pray in their Families and Closets yet so as to cover their corruption to cover their very filthiness now these Duties are very easie Or Secondly which is a amore close way Because it satisfies their Consciences their Consciences would not be at quiet except they did somthing a Man and Woman that walks in a carnall way that hath a vile Spirit a sensuall spirit in his constant way and course if such a one should not do some good thing having some enlightening of mind his Conscience being somwhat awakened and stirred he could not be at quiet if he did not now and then pray and now and then come to hear the word and desire Sacraments his Conscience would fly in his face and would not be at quiet now having many secret corruptions that he is loth to part with he is content to do somthing to take a Book and read a Chapter and go into his Closet and pray in his Family and will not neglect the word but come to hear the word all the Lords day come twice and thrice to hear the word now all these things are very good and they are to be encouraged in them but now examin I beseech you whether all the good and comfort that you find is not only this that by these things your Consciences are quieted and so you go on more easie in some sinfull way because of this you can with the more ease let out your heart unto the world you can with more ease take liberty to some haunt of evil that you are conscious of some secret sin you can take the more liberty because you have been exercised in holy Duties at another time I beseech you examin your heart in this there is a great deal of secret corruption in this it is not very rare not an extraordinary thing that I am speaking of but I fear it is an ordinary thing that I am speaking of that many people take the more liberty in some secret haunt of evil because they have been exercised in holy Duties at other times they have been at fasting and prayer and perhaps their hearts have been stirred in Fasting Prayer but now what use make they of this it is that they may be more sluggish at other times this is a cursed ease an ease that may stand not only with your corruptions but an ease to your corruptions make you to go on in the way of sin more quietly What a horrid sin is this for a Man Woman to make no other use of the Ordinances of Jesus Christ than this to this end that he may go on more quietly in the waies of sin now this is an abhorring thing to a gracious heart a gracious heart finds ease in the way of Duty but it is more easie because it strikes at their corruptions and mortifies their corruptions Oh! blessed be God for his Ordinances for before I came to be exercised in them and had power and life in the use of them I had ease in my sin but since the time I set my self to follow God indeed in his Ordinances and have had communion with God in his Ordinances I thank God I can have no ease in my sin that though my corruptions sometimes overcome me yet by the performance of holy Duties I find it makes my corruptions more burdensome to me and God that knows my heart knows this it is my desire that I may never find ease in any sinfull way and I love all the waies of God better because they will not let me be at quiet in the waies of sin And this is the reason that you that come to the word of God many times you hear many things that you like well and you love them wel but because they disquiet your corruptions and you cannot have quiet in your sinfull way therefore you sit at home and you wil not come to hear the word Oh many men they would love Sermons and love to hear such a man but only for this one thing that they wil not let them be at quiet they cannot go on fo quietly in some sinfull way which their hearts hanker after and therefore those Sermons that do not disquiet them in this kind Oh they love them exceedingly it is that I have observed you shall have many Women ignorant People and others when they come to hear a Sermon that hath a great deal of Latin and quaint expressions in it Oh how they commend this and what an excellent Sermon was this and what an excellent Man was this It may be said of those Sermons as Bradford said of the Mass The Mass doth not bite therefore you love it and so men used to love the common Prayer alas it did not bite they would come and stand and hear a man read out of a Book a while this did not bite whereas a Prayer that comes from the heart and fearcheth into mens hearts that stirs their corruptions and therefore they do not love it And so it is in regard of the word let the word come to search the heart and come neer to divide between the marrow and the bones to come into the secret of the hearts of men and women then for the soul to love the word so much the more and to say Oh! this is the word of God that gives ease to my soul I find more ease by such a ministry then I find by any ministry this is the ease of a Gracious heart but a corrupt heart wil have ease only in that way that is most subservant to his own lusts That is the third difference Fourthly Another difference is this The ease that a corrupt heart hath

the divine nature hypostatically joyned to the humane nature I that was one that God intended to make use of for the greatest purposes that ever he did in the world I did not enjoy the world I had no honor in the world I had no honor nor esteem among men I had no riches no hole to hide my head and yet I have that that hath more excellency than all the things in the world and therefore Children of men you may see by this that God intends humane nature for higher things than these below and therefore it should humble thee that the Son of God should be so low and thou so lifted up And for this example take this one thing that is of great use to help us to lowliness of heart Do but consider the way of God towards Jesus Christ and how Jesus Christ submitted himself unto the way of God towards him as in this one thing especially when God manifested himself in the fullest way to him yet Jesus Christ presently comes into a low condition as in that famous example in Math. 3. 4. when God manifested so much of his Glory then presently Jesus Christ was content to be low to come down And I will give you another tha● is as famous as this and that is in the transfiguration that you heard lately opened to you in Math. 17. there his Glory was let forth His face did shine like the Sun and it came through his rayment a great deal of Glory appeared but now observe presently upon this Jesus Christ is not lifted up but begins to talk of his Sufferings and Death that he must die and suffer and fall into the hands of men of sinners see twice this Moses and Elias talked with him and his Disciples being afraid he comes to them at the 7. verse and said arise and be not afraid and when they had lift●d up their Eyes they saw no man but Jesus only and as he came down from the Mountain Jesus charged them saying tel the Vision to no man til the Son of man be risen again from the dead and his Disciples asked him saying why then say the Scribes that Elias must first come He speaks of his Death and they wondred why Elias must first come Jesus Answered at the 11. verse And said unto them Elias truly shall first come and restore all things But I say unto you that Elias is come already and they knew him not but have done unto him whatsoever they listed likewise shal also the Son of man suffer of of them as they did to Elias so the Son of man shall suffer of them They wil deal with me as they did with him presently he talks with his disciples of his sufferings The Son of man must suffer And further at verse 22. And while they abode in Galilee Jesus said unto them the Son of man shall be betrayed into the hands of men and they shal kill him Presently you find the discourse of Christ was about his low condition after any glory put upon him you when you have any glory put upon you and God hath lifted you up more then your brethren you talk of that and live upon that but Christ when he had been transfigured he talked of his sufferings and if we did but know what Christ is and his sufferings that such a one being so high yet was brought so low it would make us to be humble But now compare this with that you have in Mark 14. And there you shall find that when Christ was in an Agony and when he was in trouble of Spirit then in his Agony in the Garden when the hand of his Father was upon his spirit who did Christ take with him into the Garden Only these three Peter James and John at verse 33. And he taketh with him Peter and James and John and began to be sore amazed and to be very heavy and saith unto them my Soul is exceeding sorrowful unto Death Now the thing I would note from hence is this the Reason why Christ would take only those three that had seen him in his glory to see him in his Agony it was because they were the fittest of all those that saw Christ in his Glory to see him in his Agony they would make the best use of this more then any If the other disciples had seen him only in his Agony and not in his Glory they might have been offended to have seen their master so when he came to die to be so amazed they might say Lord is this he we have trusted so long unto that now when he comes to die he sweats blood I but these that saw him in his Glory they would rather think Oh How willing should we be to suffer for Jesus Christ that he that is so glorious as we saw him but the other day now we see him in such a case if God should alter our condition and bring us never so low we have cause to humble our selves because he was so Low And that he might prepare their hearts also to suffer for James was the first of the Apostles that suffered for him Steven indeed suffered before but of the Apostles James was the first and Peter you know what he was to suffer and John he was the beloved disciple and one of an humble Spirit and of a loving spirit therefore he was taken in now the sight of these two together was a special means to help the humility of the spirits of these three Disciples that they saw him in his glory and Agony And so for us to meditate first on his Glory and then of his condition in his Agony it is a mighty means to humble our spirits 5. But now the last thing is The right knowledg of our selves this is another Means to make us humble now the right knowledg of our selves is that which should bring our hearts low it was that that the Heathen did admire Sotrates was accounted the famous man for this sentence I know nothing because I know my self you may conclude it a man or woman that is lifted up in pride it is a sign thou dost not know thy self if thou knewest all the Mysteries in nature the nature of the Sun Moon and Stars and Arts and Sciences all is nothing to the knowing of thine own heart Dost thou know thine own heart prize this as a choice thing it is such a thing thou shouldest spend much time to read many of you perhaps cannot read in a book I but you must be learned in the books of your own heart read that well and you will know enough there Further For the knowledg of our selves take pains in frequent examining and observing of thy heart and examin it by the holiness and justice of God set Gods infinite holiness and justice even with thine own heart and that wil make thee know thy heart And if you would know your selves you must not judg of your selves by what you are in a fit at a

time he is overcome with any corruption with any sin he is like one in the Gally Oh this soul considers I am in a different way from what I was wont to be I was wont to be in the service of Jesus Christ and my heart had soul satisfying contentments while I was there but O what a difference is there in this work here is a base drudgery in comparison of what I was wont to have Oh the sweet communion I had with Jesus Christ while my heart kept close to him but now now I am raking in kennells and rowing in Gallies Oh! wretched man that I am who shal deliver me from this burden now this is a wide a broad difference between the easiness of the yoke of Christ to one and to the other one finds a great deal of ease in the yoke but the other finds all one if he goes amongst company that are vaine and sleight and prophane and when he comes to hear the word to read or receive the Sacrament almost all one and indeed if there be any difference his greatest ease is in that of sin he hath ease in the duties of religion in performing duties but his greatest ease is in the other way I but now the ease of a Saint is such as cannot stand with the ease of sin a child of God can beare the yoke of Christ with ease but he cannot beare the yoke of sin it is death to him to beare the yoke of sin that is the First Secondly Another difference is this a carnall heart may have some ease in duties of religion in the yoke of Christ but it is because he mistakes the yoke of Christ it is because he doth not know the yoke of Christ he thinks that the yoke of Christ is only some external duties that Christ requires or to keep from some grosse sins and now and then to say his prayers and now and then to read a chapter and come to Church and to receive Sacraments he thinks this is all that Christ requires of him what needs any more to do then this May not I go to Heaven as well with this as with keeping so much a do as others do and he thinks here is the yoke of Christ and this is fine and easy indeed If this were the way that would bring to Heaven it were a very easy matter to go to Heaven that is for a man to keep from a gross foul sin that would make him odious in the place where he lives and for him only to come from his house and sit an hour or two and heare a Sermon and come at Easter and other times and receive the Sacrament this is the easiest thing in the world who would not go to Heaven if this were all But now if thou wert acquainted with the spiritualness of holy duties that Jesus Christ requires with the power of Godliness that there is in holy duties that Christ requires in the word mortification of thy Lust and the keeping of thy thoughts and of thy heart holy and spiritual he requires that thou shouldest serve the Lord thy God withal thy heart and all thy might if thou knewest I say the spiritualness of holy duties and the power of Godliness that is in holy duties then it would be an intolerable burden to thee it would be very grievous to a carnall heart to put it self under the spirituall acts of Religion to put it self under the outward acts of Religion that is easie but to put it self upon the inward acts of Religion they would find that to be somwhat indeed For one that hath learned a Prayer to go and say it over and read it in a Book What an easie matter is that part of Religion for a man in the morning and evening to go and turn over two or three Leaves and shake himself and go away and then there is Religion for all that day But now if you would set your selves to the power of Godliness in Prayer that is when you come to Prayer to meditate what an Infinite and Glorious and eternall God you have to deal withall in Prayer I am now coming to tender up that high respect that I owe to the infinite God that which the Creature ows to an infinite Creator now I am coming to open my Soul to God to search out all the corruptions of my heart and I am now coming to bewail them in the presence of the infinite God and to set my self before the Lord as in my self a condemned Creature before an infinite Judg I am coming now to plead with God for my life for my Soul for my eternall estate I am now coming to engage my Soul to God that as ever I expect mercy in the day of Christ so I am willing to give up my self to God here is some power of Godliness in this now I would have you put your selves to this divine ease the more a Gracious heart doth this the more ease he hath in Prayer as I will appeal to you Take a carnall heart such a one thinks he must pray and so he comes in the morning and speaks a few words such words as he was wont to do and such words as may be he hath heard other men speak when he joyns with others in prayer and he hears some expressions in prayer from them and he gets them and comes in the morning and speaks them and perhaps gets into his Closet and barely speaks them over now if it be one that hath true Grace alas he is in a troublesome condition all the day after if he find not the power of Godliness in it such a one hath no quiet in his Spirit al the day after Why because there hath not been the power of Godliness in his Duty and therefore he is troubled all the day long But now let such a one come to Prayer to purpose in the morning and stir up the life and power of Godliness in Prayer worshipping God as a God Oh! the ease and quiet that such a one hath all the day he can go on in his work and can sing at his work So that the ease of a Gracious heart comes from the power of Godliness in a Duty and from the spiritualness that is in a Duty but the ease of a carnall heart comes from the formality of a Duty as because the Duty is formall and he thinks that it is the Yoke of Christ and this is pretty wel it is easie indeed to have no other Yoke than this to worship God in a few words and not to have the power of Godliness in the Duty And so we might instance in the hearing of the word you come to the word barely you rise out of your bed and come and sit here an hour that is easie enough but now if you come to the word with preparation and think now I am going into the presence of God to hear what God hath to say to my Soul this morning Oh my Soul