yet himselfe could bee contented to bee accounted an off-scouring for Christ the sublimity of his spirit was not a greater glory to him in the one than the humility of it was in the other Though a godly man minds high things above others yet can be well contented to be used in the meanest services for the good of others though he be raised above the world yet judges himselfe lesse than the least of the Saints Though he aimes at the highest pitch of godlinesse yet blesse God for and makes much of the least breathings of his Spirit and such a heart is pretious indeed in Gods eies this O Lord thou canst not despise Psa 51. 17. so the words are God can despise Kings and Emperours God can despise the glory and lustre of the world but a humble broken spirit the Lord cannot despise There is no object that God accounts worth the looking at in the world but such a one Esa 66. 2. To him will I looke sayes God The highest heavens and the lowest heart are the two places of Gods most glorious residence Seventhly it is a publike spirit enlarged for publike good not a narrow base straightned spirit Godlinesse doth mightily enlarge the heart of a man The Lord perswade Iaphet to dwell in the Tents of Shem the words signifie The Lord enlarge the heart of Iaphet When a man is converted his heart is enlarged and it must needs bee so for now the spirit makes after the enjoyment of God an infinite universall good now it opens it selfe to receive and imbrace a God in whom it expects all good before it followed after some poore drops of good in the creature but now findes all is to bee enjoyed in God himselfe and being thus enlarged to receive an universal good it desires to enlarge it selfe as much as it can to be an universall good but that is proper to God yet a publike good it may be and therefore spreads it selfe as farre as it can Now it loves good as good not upon particular private grounds and therefore the more good the more beloved It mindes good as in reference to God and therefore where God may bee most honoured there the heart most sollicitous most industrious it is willing therefore to empty it self of it's private good that the publike may bee furthered If Nature will venture it 's own particular good for the generall as heavy things will ascend contrary to their natures to keep out vacuity and so to preserve the Universe much more then will Grace Every godly man one way or other according to the abilities he hath is a publike blessing to the place where hee lives The Saints of God are compared to a cloud Heb. 12. 1. the comparision is true in this respect a Cloud waters the earth as a common blessing so are they not as water-pots that water but a few spots of ground in a garden And this publikenesse of spirit is then right and truely gracious First when it is content to doe publike good where it selfe shall be taken little notice of as many times the Engine that doth all in great workes is inward hidden not taken notice of Secondly when he can bee glad that any publike good worke goes on and prospers though others bee used in it and not himselfe to the eclipsing of his light Thirdly when he is willing to be used in any service though but to prepare worke for others which they not hee shall have the glory of after he is gone As Luther writing to Melancthon encouraging him against the strong opposition that they met with in the cause of God God sayes hee is able to preserve his owne cause falling and to raise it fallen if we be not worthy let it be done by others Such a publike spirit as this is is an excellent spirit indeed Eighthly it is a sanctified spirit 1 Thess 4. 8 He hath made us partakers of his holy spirit Chap. 5 23. I pray God sanctisie you throughout your whole spirit and soule Sanctified that is 1 Not such a mixt spirit as the common spirit of the world hath not that mixture of filth and drosse in it but is pure purity consists in freedome from mixture with that which is of a baser nature if mixt with that which is of a superiour nature that doth not make the thing impure as when silver is mixed with gold but when it is mixed with lead or drosse The spirits of the godly are mixed with grace but that makes them more excellent and pure such mixture of spirituall excellency that is above the excellency of the soule their spirits close with but if there come any mixture with that which is base beneath the excellency of the spirit this defiles and this their spirits cannot close with but are sensible of the evill of it and never leave working till they have purged it out from them 2 Sanctified that is God hath set them apart for himselfe as Psal 4. 3. Know that the Lord hath set apart him that is godly for himselfe and they have devoted dedicated and consecrated themselves to and for God they are spirits resigned given up to the Lord. 3 All the parts abilities common gifts of this Spirit are sanctified a higher excellency is put upon thē than they have in the spirits of other men weake naturall parts in these are more excellent than the strongest not sanctisied As the consecration of Wood and Leather and meane things put greater excellency upon them than Gold and Silver had that were not so consecrated yet the larger the naturall parts are of a sanctified spirit the more excellent it is 4 It is able to make a sanctified use of what it meddles withall of what it hath to deale in of all the workes and wayes of God it makes all to be holy to the Lord. Ninthly It is a true heroicall spirit none have such brave heroicall spirits as Gods servants have it is not discouraged by difficulties it wil set upon things a sluggish spirit thinks impossible it will goe through that which such a one thinks can never be it breaks through armies of difficulties that it might goe on in its way and accomplish its worke not discouraged as the sluggish spirit who cries out there is a Lyon in the way It is not the difficulty of the worke but the basenesse of our spirits that ordinarily hinders us in our way some difficulties that others count great hinderances it slights and contemns as reproach and scorne in the wayes of God it can contemn contemners and vilifie those who account the wayes of God as vile this the true spirit of Iesus Christ of whom it is said Hebr. 12. 2. He endured the Crosse and despised the shame the shame whereby others despised him was despised of him not accounting it a thing worthy for his spirit to be troubled at no more is a true godly spirit hindered in his way by this than
Lord the apprehension of the presence of the Lord damps all and therefore they desire not to have mention made of the Name of the Lord Amos 6. 10. So to rejoyce as to be able to blesse God for our joy so to rejoyce as to make the presence of God the chief matter of 〈…〉 joy indeed this 〈…〉 for the spirit to feed upon such comforts is a choyce blessing indeed They are spirituall comforts for they are administred to the soule by a speciall worke of the Holy Ghost it is the office that the Holy Ghost is designed to by the Father and the Sonne to bee the Comforter to bring in sutable comforts to the spirits of his setvants and surely the holy Ghost will not be failing in this worke of his as the Father and the Sonne have been full and glorious in all their workes so is the Holy Ghost in his and therefore such must be the comforts of the spirits of Gods servants as must manifest a glorious worke of the Holy Ghost in the discharge of that he is sent to doe by the Father and the Sonne No marvaile then though the Apostle called this joy unspeakeable and glorious Consider what a difference must there needes be betweene the comfort that a little meat and drinke and vaine sports afford and the comforts of the Holy Ghost which hee conveyes into the soules of the godly by the appointment of the Father and the Sonne Surely these must needs be soule-satisfying soule-ravishing consolations God is the God of all consolation therefore here are all consolations There is surely infinite good sweetnesse treasures of all excellency in God and what are they all for but to bee comforts for the spirits of his servants to rejoyce in these are not for common ordinary spirits they have meate the world knowes not of a stranger shall not intermeddle in these joyes men of ranke quality as they are in higher condition than others so their comforts and delights are much different from the delights of ordinary people As God hath raised the condition of his people higher than other men so he hath raised their comforts Childrens bread from the Lords owne table is provided for them while husks and swill serves worldly spirits Their comforts such as are the delights of God himselfe of Iesus Christ they partake with them in their joyes and surely such joyes as they come and joyne with them in must needs be sweet and glorious indeed I and my Father sayes Christ will come and sup with them and they shall sup with mee They have dainties which their spirits feed upon that are savoury even to the Father and the Lord Iesus Christ Surely the world mistakes who thinks the life of godlinesse not to be a comfortable life as if the most excellent and highest life should have the worst and lowest condition surely it is a grosse mistake to think that the spirits of the Saints should bee the most sad and melancholy spirits Gods Spirit witnesses of them that they are the children of the Light yea that they are light If they be sad it is because they meddle too much with things below it is when their spirits are down when they get up their spirits to heavenly things then they can rejoyce and sweetly delight themselves their hearts are inlarged their soules are filled with joy The Birds doe not use to sing when they are on the ground but when got up into the ayre when on the top of trees then they sing sweetly If they be sad and melancholy it is because they differ no more from the world than they doe because they retaine so much likenesse to your spirits stil in them were they freed altogether from the likenesse there remaines in them to your spirits they would never be sad more but their spirits would be filled with everlasting joy For the present they joy in things sutable to them and sutablenes is the thing that causes comfort in any creature If the Swine could expresse it self it would tell you that no such comfort as in Swill and Dung and wonders that any other creature can take comfort in any other thing like to this because this is the most sutable to their natures Thus worldly brutish spirits because these low vile things are so sutable to them they thinke there can bee no such comfort in any other thing these things they rejoyce in for they know no better but if their natures were changed their greatest comfort would be in the despising and vilifying such comforts S. Augustine before his conversion could not tell how hee should want those delights hee found so much contentment in but after when his nature was changed when hee had another spirit put into him then he sayes O how sweet is it to bee without those former sweet delights You thinke we have no comforts or at least not like yours know we can taste naturall comforts as well as you if the poyson of sinne bee not mixed with them and God gives us leave to reioyce in them God hath made these outward comforts for his setvants Surely God hath not made the flowers for Spiders and Frogges but rather for the Bee to suck honey out of them wee can taste another manner of sweetnesse in them than you can for we can taste the love of God through them we can taste them as the comforts that flow from that God in whom all comfort is we can taste them as fore-runners of eternall comforts A Bee can sucke her honey out of a flower that a Flie cannot doe But besides these there are other conveyances of comforts through which our spirits finde comforts to feed on namely the Ordinances where the Lord lets out himself in a blessed sweet manner to the soules of his servants and yet besides God communicates many comforts immediately 2 Thess 2. 16. Now our Lord Iesus Christ himselfe and GOD even our Father which hath loved us and hath given us everlasting consolation Doe you thinke we have no comforts What did Iesus Christ come into the world suffer so many sorrowes and miseries die such a painfull death and all to bring us to a more sorrowfull estate than we had before Let us alone with our comforts wee envy not yours As Tertullian sayes in his Apologie against the Gentiles Wherein doe we offend you If we beleeve there are other pleasures if wee will not delight in our selves it is our own wrong wee reject those things that please you and you are not delighted with ours CAP. 11. Wherein the excellencie of this gracious spirit appeares THus they are men of another spirit and this is their excellencie A spirit thus differenced from the world where all this is found is an excellent spirit indeed Here is true worth all the bravery and glory of the world not worthy to be mentioned with this The soule is the excellencie of a man and this is the excellencie of the soule
them Although God takes it well at the hands of those whom hee hath raised in the things of the world higher than others when hee seeth them forward in setting out his praise yet he would not have them thinke that he is beholding to them as if the honour of God depended so upon them as it would faile did not they put to their helpe No God can raise his honour by other meanes he can glorifie himselfe and get himselfe a great name by low meane and contemptible things It is not because God hath need of honour from you but because he delights to honour you that he is pleased to use you in his service It is an advancement to whatsoever greatnesse you have in the world to bee imployed for God were it but in the meanest service he hath to doe Where the heart is right even in that it gloryeth more than in all the dignity that earth can put upon it But yet the greater Instruments the Lord raiseth up for his glory the greater services he cals them unto the greater things may wee hope he intends for his Church When S. John saw the Elders casting downe their crownes before the Throne saying Thou art worthy O Lord to receive glory and honour and power Apoc. 4. 10. soone after S. John heard every creature in heaven and on earth and sea saying Blessing honour glory and power be unto him that sitteth upon the Throne and unto the Lambe for evermore cha 5. 13. And soone after that hee saw Christ with his Crowne upon him going forth conquering and to conquer Chap. 6. 2. What great mercies might we expect did we see God raysing up truely noble and generous spirits more generally in the great ones of the earth did we see the Elders and Nobles casting downe their Crownes before the Throne of the Lambe willing to deny all their glory and excellencies and estates for the raising up the glory of Iesus Christ Certainly God hath great things to doe in this latter age of the world and hee is a God with whom there is as great abundance of spirit as ever when his time comes how soone will such a thing bee as the raising mens spirits to higher and more noble designes than now we can imagine The observing the frame and work of your most pretious noble spirit Right Honourable put mee upon the thought of this Argument The chiefest book that I made use of for the inlarging 〈◊〉 Meditations in it next the Scripture was that which I joyfully beheld in you 〈…〉 selfe and your Noble and much honorred Lady highly honoured and lov 〈…〉 and that deservedly in the esteeme and hearts of all who know her and the truth John Ep. 2. ver 1. Such gracious principles appeared in your spirits such divine rules by which yee were guided those high and noble employments in which yee delighted those blessed qualifications which as so many Diamonds in their lustre and beauty sparkled that light that freenesse that strength that publikenesse that holinesse c. Those comsorts of a higher nature than the common drossie comforts of the world that yee chose to your selves to satisfie your spirits in and found contentment in the enjoyment of that caused the dilating of my thoughts about these things and now making knowne themselves publikely they crave patronage from your Lordship who have beene the originall from whence they came And here I humbly present them to your Honour and to your vertuous and noble Lady as a glasse wherein your selves and others may see the frame and workings of your spirits I dare say that all who know you and know that I had the happinesse to bee so neare unto you and to have excited to look about thee if false Art thou indued with such a spirit as here thou maist find nothing in the world in hell or in thy flesh shall be able to conquer thee as Christ himself thou shalt indure such crosses and contradiction of sinners as these times are big with thou shalt despise the shame and be able to resist to bloud if God should call thee to that honour What excellency of spirit was in S. Paul when he took it ill that they diswaded him from going up to Jerusalem where he was to meet with sharp afflictions What mean you to weepe and break my heart saith he for I am ready not to be bound only but also to die at Jerusalem for the Name of the Lord Jesus Moses refuses to be called the son of Pharaohs daughter though himselfe or some of his posterity might happily have come to the Kingdome by it and chuses afflictions rather with the people of God c. He would not become an Egyptian though of the Royall Stem but abide an Hebrew who were abomination to the Egyptians He knew that the reproach of the Members did redound to the Head and would bee well recompenced by him and therefore he will suffer afflictions and esteeme the reproaches of Christ above all the treasures of Egypt a greater patrimony saith Ambrose So base are many spirits in this age that they had rather censure than trace his practice Scaliger tels of a Tree to which when a man cometh Ramos constringit but when he departs ramos pâ—dit Too many are like this tree when any Ministers or Christians that have the reproach of Christ upon them come neare them and have to deale with them let relations promises ingagemeÌ„ts be what they wil they shrink up themselves are troubled sadded and perplexed thinking it disgrace unto theÌ„ to have to do with such but when they are gone then their hearts dilate again their faces grow pleasant such an adulterous generation there is that are ashamed of Christ in any of his poore reproached despised Members not only ashamed but like that Plant called the Tartarean Lamb which in shape and proportion answers the Lambe but grazeth and eateth up the grasse round about it suffering no green thing to be neare and these men are Lambes in shape but eating up every green thing that is neare unto them Psa 14. 4. They eate up my people as bread they are the food their malice feeds upon It is observed the Pope was so busie and hot against Luther that he neglected to look to all Christendome against the Turk such basenesse was in a Popes brest that he could easier have digested Mahumetisme than Lutherdnisme may we not think the Alcoran would be welcome to those Confessors who have enjoyned their burthened in conscience to burne their Bibles for Pennance this some living know to be a truth There is much basenesse in the spirits of men and upon little occasion it vents it selfe Doeg haead 〈◊〉 malicious murderous spirit in him spared not those that ware the Linnen Ephod The rich man Luk. 12. 19. was all for earth nothing for heaven A great man finding his sicknesse encreasing caused his bed to be made between or upon his Coffers
God himselfe workes as like him as may be it is the glory of God to bee the first cause and last end and to worke from himselfe and for himselfe No creature can worke from it selfe but as it hath his principle from God so it workes for him giving him the glory as the first cause and last end and this is the great worship that God hath from his creature both in this world and eternally in heaven We speake much of honouring God and serving God and worshipping of him wee doe nothing except wee doe this God made the world that hee might have some creatures to worke thus to make him the highest and last end of all many who have excellent naturall parts are often busied about deeper things then other men but their spirits being corrupt not carried to God in that they doe they dive deepe but all comes to nothing are like children diving deepe in the water and bring up nothing but shels and gravell Now where the spirit is carried to God as the last end there first the beauty excellency glory of what ever it hath or doth is iudged according to the reference it hath to God It s true I have these mercies I do such and such things but is God honoured by all al things are as dead to this spirit where it sees not Gods Name lifted up and so the excellency and beauty of what others have or do if God is not honoured by them it lookes on them as dead things Secondly all it hath is or doth lies in an absolute subiection under God to bee at his dispose all things are absolutely subject to the last end Thirdly where God is aimed at as the highest end there Gods glory is willed infinitely no limits no bounds set to the desires or endeavours of the soule after it Fiftly thjs spirit hath other qualifications the spirits of the godly are glorious within As 1. it is an enlightned spirit the light of the glory of God in the face of Iesus Christ hath shined into it and transformed it into the same image Dan. 5. 11. They said he was a man in whom the spirit of the holy Gods was because light and understanding and wisdome was found in him surely the spirit of the living God is here for light understanding wisdome is found here this is the true light the light of life that hath a quickning power and influence of life in it There is a great difference between the light of the Sunne shining in a garden and the light of torches there is the influence of an inlivening power in the one not in the other such difference there is between the light in the spirits of wicked men and the light in the spirits of the godly it is the knowledge of the holy that is true understanding Prov. 9. 10. And a man of such understanding is of an excellent spirit indeed Prov. 17. 27. This is that which the Holy Ghost calls Spirituall understanding Col. 1. 9. to distinguish it from that understanding there is in naturall men they see into Spirituall things after another manner than other men they see the reality beauty excellency glory of them which are hidden from drossie vile spirits the Gospell is said to bee a mystery revealed to the Saints Col. 1. 26. The Law and Testimonies are sealed and bound up amongst the disciples Esay 2. 16. The Lord delights to reveale himselfe to men of excellent spirits who are onely fit to close with divine and spirituall truths As none can teach so as God teacheth Iob 30. 22. so none knowes the things of God so as the godly doe they behold them as with open face they walke on in the light of the face of God Psal 89. 15. their spirits elevated by such a light as is sutable to that light there is in God himselfe and that lustre of his Image that shines in the face of Iesus Christ but the spirit of the world is a spirit of darknesse even that light which is in them is darknesse Secondly it is a free spirit Psa 51. 12. Establish me with thy free Spirit and this freedome makes it indeed a true royall princely spirit for so the word signifies that is translated in that place a free spirit The words are Establish mee with thy royall princely spirit 1. A free disingaged spirit not entangled nor insnared with base earthly engagements like the spirits of the world but a spirit that is at liberty Where the Spirit of the Lord is there is liberty 2 Cor. 3. 17. How doe the engagements of worldly spirits miserably enthrall them that notwithstanding convictions of conscience notwithstanding much unquietnesse of their hearts in their way many checks secret wounds of spirit sinking damps and feares yet they cannot get off their hearts from those engagements they are so miserably so dangerously entangled in this is a woefull bondage Those who are godly can remember a time since their hearts were thus insnared but it was the blessed worke of the Lord to set them at liberty and now they have ease now sweer quiet and rest to their spirits 2. Free from the bondage of sinne not under the power and command of it it hath command over it selfe over its owne passions not in a base slavery to Satan not in servile subjection to men not brought under the power of any creature It was a notable free expression of two blessed Martyrs Surgius and Bacchus who were two great Courtiers being accused for Christians and commanded to offer unto the Idols they refused to goe to the Temple and gave this answer unto the Emperour Wee o Emperour are bound unto you onely in an earthly warfare you have no right over our soules God onely is the Lord of them It will not be forced to any thing that is base God leaves the body and estates of his servants to the power of men oft times but their spirits are free It is to base a disposition of a servant of GOD to plead necessity of sinning no creature can compell another to sinne Tertullia◠hath an excellent expression to this purpose The state of faith doth not admit the alledging a necessity of sinning in those to whom the onely necessity is not to offend 3. It 's free in regard of slavish feare it 's able to looke upon the face of God with ioy Iob 22. 6. Thou shalt have delight in the Almighty and shalt li 〈…〉 up thy face to God The Scripture speaks of a spirit of feare and a spirit of bondage from both which this spirit is set a liberty it can looke upon the power soveraignty justice holinesse of God and rejoyce in them glad that God is so holy and just and that it hath to deale with such a God It hath accesse to his presence with boldnesse and liberty of speech Ephes 3. 12. as the word signifies there It hath sweet and blessed freedome in the performance of holy duties
is not forced and haled to them doth not take them up as tiresome burdens Gods Commandements are not grievous they are not as fetters of iron but as chaines of gold for beauty and ornament there is a readinesse of spirit to what ever is good they are vessels of honour ready prepared to every good worke 2. Tim. 2. 21. It is written in the volume of thy booke I should doe thy will and â—o I come psalm 40. 7 8. There is a sutablenesse betweene the law and the spirit the law is written in it never so in it's element as when it is in the wayes of obedience there is not that straitnesse of spirit as in others but here the heart sweetly enlarges it selfe as the flowre that opens it selfe to the shining of the Sunne Thirdly a sublime spirit raised high by spirituall heavenly influences not swelling by pride a spirit that hath all earthly things under feet as the Holy Ghost sets out the Church Revel 12. 1. Things received with admiration by other spirits it looks on with contempt as things infinitely inferiour to it a godly mans feet are where other mens heads their heads that is the pitch and height of all their aimes is upon things that are on the earth but the Saints have these things under their feet When Valence sent to offer Basil great preferments to tell him what a great man he might be Basil answers Offer these things to children not to Christians When some bade stoppe Luthers mouth with preferment one of his adversaries answered It is in vaine he cares not for gold his spirit was too noble and high to bee tempted with gold base low spirits would have beene taken with such things such a spirit as Demas who forsooke Paul to imbrace this present world but a spirit raised by God is above them How was S. Pauls spirit above mony when he speaks of lucre he cals it silthy lucre 1 Tim. 3. 3. A godly mans spirit is sutable to the high dignities put upon it and priviledges it hath Saul when made a King had another spirit put upon him contemning former things highly esteemed of a man raised on high lookes on things below and they appeare small things to him so here Reason may raise the spirits of men above the common sort a rationall man lookes at many sinnes as too mean and base for him scornes to staine his excellency with them as the sinnes of sensuality and filthy lusts Tully thinkes him not worthy the name of a man that spends a whole day in the pleasures of the flesh and Socrates had such a vile esteeme of sinne as he thinkes it shall be one of the greatest torments of men in another life to be tied and bound to the sinnes they most delighted in here Seneca hath a notable expression to this purpose I am too great and borne to greater things theÌ„ that I should be a slave to my body But if Reason raises the spirit so high how high then doth Grace raise it This spirit cannot be satisfied with small low things as it is reported of Luther when great gifts were sent to him hee refused them with this most brave and excellent speech I did earnestly protest that God should not put mee off with these things meaning that hee would not be satisfied with anything that was here below All the things in the world are farre from being able to satisfie this spirit it accounts all yea if they were a thousand times more than they are but a poore pittance for the portion of an immortal soule If God should make more worlds for it yet if he give not himselfe to it it would not be satisfied nothing but a God an infinite universall eternall Good can fill up the desires of this spirit Thou hast made us O Lord for thy selfe saies Saint Austin and our hearts are unquiet till they come unto thee It is the worke of a base drossy spirit to thinke If I had but so much or so much yearely I should have enough how base the spirit of that rich man blessing himselfe in his goods Soule take thine ease thou hast goods laid up for many yeares what were all those to his soule to the happinesse of his soule These are spirits that have higher designes theÌ„ so their designes no lesse than a Kingdome yea than God himselfe Rom. 2. 7. They seeke for glory honour immortality eternall life Though they can bee content with little of the world for their use yet they cannot bee content without that Good Happinesse that is infinitely higher and better than all the world for their portion As Abraham said concerning his child when God promised him a great reward Gen. 15. 2. Lord what will thou give me so long as I goe childlesse Lord what is all the reward I can have except I have this mercy except I have a child because the Messias was to come out of his Ioines So the soule here if God should promise it never such great things yet Lord what are all these things to me if I have not thy selfe All the gifts that God can give to this spirit will not satisfie it except he gives himself to it As God is not pleased with what wee tender to him except we give our selves to him So a godly heart is not contented with all that God gives to it except hee gives himselfe to it Thus Bernard exceeding sweetly As what I have if offered to thee pleaseth not thee O Lord without my selfe so thy good things we have from thee though they may refresh us yet they satisfie us not without thy selfe Yea further the enjoyment of God is not enough except they may have a full enjoyment of him they are not satisfied except they bee filled with the fulnesse yea with all the fulnesse of God Ephes 3. 19. See a notable example of this in Moses Exod 33. 12. and so on The Lord had done great things for Moses many wayes but besides all hee had done for him hee told him that hee knew him by name and that he had sound favour in his sight one would have thought this might have satisfied him No Moses must have more Verse 13. I pray thee if I have found grace in thy sight shew me thy way that 〈◊〉 know thee and that I may finde grace in thy sight God grants him this and rels him Verse 14. that his presence shall goe with him and hee will give him rest surely this will satisfie him No Verse 16 Moses must have yet more hee must have such a presence as the world may know that God doth goe with him and that hee and his people are a separated people from all the people that are upon the face of the earth and Verse 17. The Lord saith to him I will give thee this thing also that thou hast spoken Surely this will satisfie him No Moses is not satisfied yet Verse 18. I beseech thee
shew mee thy glory Hee must have more of God yet God grants him this also Verse 19. I will make all my goodnes passe before thee And so the Lord passes by him and proclaimes his great and glorious Name before him Hee shewes him so much of his glory as he was able to behold Surely Moses hath enough now No not yet Chap. 34. 9. God must pardon the sinne of his people too and take him and them for his inheritance Hee must have this fruit of Gods favour as a higher than all the rest See how as wee may so say with holy reverence he incroaches as it were upon God as one that could never have enough and yet this God liked exceeding well Here 's a spirit indeed that is not satisfied with meane and ordinary things In a spirituall sense the godly doe seeke great things for themselves and it is their glory so to doe God delights to have the spirits of his children thus raised he would not have them to bee of such sordid spirits as to minde no higher things than the base drudges of the world doe as a Prince or Noble-man delights to see the spirit of his childe raised to higher designes than the ordinary sort of men Fourthly a firme strong spirit Esay 11. 2. The spirit of Christ is a spirit of might First strong to resist strong temptations Secondly strong to overcome strong corruptions Thirdly strong to beare strong afflictions For the first it is not every temptation that can prevaile with these little things will draw weak childish spirits but such temptations as others know not how to resist these can stand before them and go on in their way without any alteration of spirit by them though they live in the middest of temptations yet they are able to keep thēselves unspotted like the three Children who walked in the fire and yet the smell of the fire came not upon them nor their garments or like the children of Israel walking on the dry land safely and the seas on each side of them they are ashamed to complaine of temptations to excuse themselves by their temptations for wherefore hath the worke of God beene so mighty upon their spirits but to strengthē them against temptations many temptations which others thinke to bee strong they scarce take notice of so farre are their spirts above them Luther was so farre above the sin of covetousnesse as he saith of himself he found no temptations to that sinne though his spirit was much pestred with temptations in other kindes The Devill will not set upon such with ordinary temptations hee knowes it is in vaine when he comes upon them it is with temptations of a higher nature of stronger efficacy as some mens bodies are of such strong constitutions as that which will work mightily upon others will not stirre them So it is with mens spirits the devill need not trouble himself much about many the poorest sleightest temptatiōs are enough to draw them to what hee would have yea and such who account themselves to be of brave of more than ordinary spirits too who can stand out strongly against GOD and his truth against the strongest arguments the drawing motives the powerfull perswasions of the Word they move them not at all but every poore temptation of the Devill drawes them any way they have no power to resist but are led as the Oxe to the slaughter and as the foole to the stocks The godly man is strong in the Lord and in the power of his might Ephes 6. 10. Other men are strong in their lusts and in the power of them against the Lord and his truth Secondly they can overcome strong corruptions temptations from without have not such power as corruptions that are within yet when these rise up like a flood This spirit of the Lord in them sets up a standard against them Esay 59. 19. Yea by a contrary streame opposeth and overcomes them The more sutable any corruption is to the naturall disposition the more powerfully it hath heretofore prevailed the more strongly it would now put forth it selfe the more doth this spirit keepe it under above all others Every ordinary spirit can oppose and be able to resist some meane contemptible sinne which brings little pleasure or profit with it when sin is as it were weakned and benummned by afflictions then they can cast it off when the strength of it is abated for want of fewell for want of opportunities of acting for want of bodily strength to put it forth then they can leave their sinne as Simeon and Levi came upon the Sichemites when they were sore and overcame them so they can come upon their sinne in times of affliction and overcome it this they thinke to be repentance which is a mistake But this spirit can oppose sinne when it is in the vigour and strength and activity of it and overcome it then Let God put this Spirit into one who is yong strong whose bones are full of marrow who hath the world smile on him and may have opportunities to the full to enjoy his lust yet now he shall be able to overcome his corruption prevaile against the strongest lust As it is said of Moses Hebr. 11. 25. When he was of full years he then could deny himself and refnse the pleasures of the flesh The word in the Originall When he was great when he was growne up to ripenesse when he might have injoyed his pleasure to the full yet now he was able to overcome himself the world and this requires strength of spirit indeed Thirdly it is strong to bear strong afflictions as a strong bodyed man can indure cold and hard weather which others dare scarce put out their heads into such difference is there in the spirits of men in regard of their bearings of afflictions some are alwayes complaining murmuring whyning at every little affliction their hearts fret vexe and rage under it like some mens flesh if their skin be but razed with a pin it presently festers and rankles Iob 23. 2. He saith that his stroke was heavier than his groaning but these mens groanings are heavier then their strokes like rotten boughs of trees if a little waight be hung on them they presently break A little thing will break the spirits of these men a little thing will cause them to sinke and pine away and in a desperate sullennesse to make away themselves If thou faintest in adversity thy strength is small saith Solomon Prov. 24. 10. What poore things are they that many mens spirits are not able to beare Not a frowne from a great man not a conceit of the least disparagement that they suffer in any thing that is but a toy and trifle which a man of an excellent spirit would scorne to bestow a thought about the losse of a little money as I have read of one who hung himselfe onely upon a dreame that hee had that hee had
lost his money Others if they meet but with a little disturbance in their family from husbands or wives if their parents doe but crosse them if their hopes bee frustrated in things of no great moment they cannot beare it but they sinke downe in such desperate discouragements as their lives are bitter unto them they are weary of them and they seeke to ease themselves by putting an end to them Impatient sinking desperatnesse ever proceeds from base weaknesse of spirit Despaire is a sinne exceeding vile and contemptible Gulielmus Parisiensis speaking of despaire hath this expression I despaire Oh word of eternall reproach and confusion of dishonour never to be blotted out it publisheth the Devill to be the Conqueror and would thou didst see the devil crowned as a Conquerour to whom thou dost so shamefully lie under These sinking sullen-spirited people may please themselves in the froward sullen distempers of their hearts and conceit as if they were fruits of humility but let them know that the devill is the most sullen spirit that is and yet the most proud Though in thy frowardnesse thou flyest from God and lettest thy spirit sinke down even as low as the bottome of the Sea yet even there the wrath of God will follow thee As Amos 9. 3. Though they hide themselves in the bottome of the sea I will command the Serpent to bite them Thus those whose spirits are sunk into the bottome of the sea of desperation they shall have no ease there even there the Lord will cōmand the Serpent to bite them the devill shall vexe and torment them there Many while in their prosperity while the world smiles on them they seeme to bee of brave and stout spirits to bee sure they are scornefull proud and high enough they are all for mirth and jollity they are so afraid of sadnesse as they banish all seriousnesse But when affliction comes upon these when God toucheth them with sicknes what poor spirited men are they then how doe their hearts sinke like lead how disconsolate how dejected are they then none more Manasseh was of a bold presumptuous spirit and exceeding scornfull in time of his prosperity he went on with a high hand against God as if he meant to contest with heaven it selfe but marke in the 2 Chron. 33. 11. when he was brought into trouble what a poore base spirit he had he runnes amongst the thornes he hides himselfe in the bushes and from thence he is taken and bound in Fetters As it was said of Alexander it was nothing for him to carry himselfe bravely because he alwayes conquered but for Caesar to behave himselfe wisely and to uphold his spirit when he was conquered and others fainted this was an high praise unto him You talke of merry hearts and joyfull spirits but can you be joyfull in affliction will your spirits hold out in tribulation Can you rejoyce in the greatest troubles Will your comforts hold out in sore and grievous distresses this were a signe of strength of spirit indeed The spirit of a man can sustaine his infirmity saith Salomon This is the strength of a mans spirit to be able to carry it selfe bravely undauntedly in the middest of greatest afflictions your spirits can beare nothing they are childish poore weake spirits not to be accounted the spirits of men Lactantius boasts of the bravenesse of the spirits of the Martyrs in his time in this respect Our children and women not to speake of men doe in silence overcome their tormentors and the fire cannot fetch so much as a sigh from them Fiftly they are generous spirits as 1 They are not mercenary they will not indent with God for what they doe so much as they may get by their service so much service and no more No they goe on in their worke and leave themselves to God let the benefit of that they doe be what it will they lose not their end if they be imployed for God men doe very ill for themselves in indenting with God for any service for their strait spirits cannot imagine or desire that latitude of good that the infinite bounty of God would give if they left themselves wholly to it Seneca reproves the opinion of such who said a man should choose a friend that he might have one who might relieve him in his want who might visit him in his sicknesse c. No saith he this is mercenary but I will choose a friend that I may have one to shew love unto to visit if hee bee sick to help if hee bee in want So for men to choose a God unto themselves that they may be helped out of troubles that they may have their estates blessed that they may get such and such things by to make this the highest end is mercenary and too low for a true gracious generous spirit but to choose a God to be my God that I may honour love fear worship him for ever this is true Christian generousnesse 2 A true generous spirit cannot endure basely to subject it selfe to any that is to flatter and fawne and to be serviceable to mens lusts and base humours for advantage sake It knowes how to lie under the feet of any to doe them good where God may have honour but to be serviceable to any mans lusts whatsoever it cannot endure As we reade of Dionysius his flatterers who were so grosse in their flatteries that when he did spit they licked up his spittle and said it was sweeter than Nectar and Ambrosia It is reported likewise of Cambyses who falling in love with his sister he asked the Iudges whether it were lawfull for him to marry her they answered That they had no such law but they had another that the King might do whatsoever liked him whereupon he married her Such base-spiritednesse cannot stand with Christian generousnesse 3 A true generous spirit is not ready to take advantages against those that are under it Men of these spirits love to pity and relieve those whom they have at advantage as Elisha 2 King 6. 22. when hee had the Syrians in the midst of Samaria and the king of Israel askt him Shall I smite them shall I smite them He answered Thou shalt not smite them set bread and water before them that they may eate and drink and goe to their Master and he prepared great provision for them and when they had eaten and drunk he sent them away As is reported of the Lyon it spares those things that fall down and submit to it but the Wolfe Beare Dog rend and teare what they get hold of To bee able to doe one hurt and not to doe it that is truely noble It is the glory of a King yea of God himselfe to passe by an offence To shew mercy saith S. Chrysostome is a more glorious thing than to raise from the dead and a greater worke than to build most magnificent Temples Many base-spirited men who will crouch
receive great things but are content in doing little they put off God with ordinary flight services but the spirits of the Saints are more generous than so if it were possible they would bee infinite in service to God they never thinke they have done enough for him I will yet praise thee more and more saith David Psal 71. 14. I will adde to thy praise so the words are in the Originall as if he should say God hath had some praise in the world already I would faine adde something for my part I would come in withmy share that he might have some more praise for mee and this not an ordinary praise but endeavoures to have the high praises of God in heart and mouth Psal 149. 6. desires to make the praise of God glorious Psal 66. 2. he would faine be eminent in good workes Tit. 3. 14. Let ours also learne to maintaine good workes the words are let them learn to be eminent in good works above others there is a holy ambition in them to get above others in godlines this is indeed to walk circumspectly that the Apostle exhorts to in the 5. Eph. 15. the word there translated Circūspectly signifies To get up to the top of godlines to perfect holinesse in the fear of God therefore he sets the highest pitch of the rule before him would not have the rule come down to him but indeavours to get up to the rule sets before him the highest examples he can he is not willing to offer that to God which cost him nothing but if any thing more choice more excellent better then others it shall be for God he loves to bee abundant in duty hee would not scant God to give onely that which he must of necessity but loves to bee fruitfull in all good works The reasonings of many mens spirits shewes much basenesse in them Why are wee bound to doe this is it absolutely necessary cannot a man bee saved except hee doe thus may not such a thing be lawfully done If thou hadst a raised generous spirit for God it were enough to thee that such a thing is good is commendable it may bee serviceable God may have glory by it I may do good by it and such a thing hath no excellency in it God shall have no glory by it This were enough to cause the soul greedily and delightfully to embrace the one and freely and strongly to reject the other A generous spirit strives to be abundant in doing good and leaves it selfe with God let God doe with him what seemes good in his eyes it doth not maintain jealous suspicious thoughts of God as if it were best to provide for it selfe and not dare to venture upon God Base unworthy spirits discover themselves much in this they will part with nothing but first will see what they shall have they must have present pay bee sure of it in the hand they are jealous and suspicious of every one they are conscious to themselves of basenesse this way and therefore look upon all others as if there were onely for themselves too but a generous spirit findes in it selfe a disposition ready to doe good to others though they can doe little for him yet if they need and he able he finds hee can freely and readily doe it and this makes him to venture upon others that they will likewise out of freedome and generousnesse bee helpfull to him if occasion if need serve though they should not receive recompence from him and therefore he is not ready to entertaine jealous suspicious thoughts as other baser spirits doe Thus in respect of God hee knowes God is infinitely good and blessed in himselfe and that he out of his own infinite goodnesse is ready to doe good and helpe those in want who are able to doe little againe in way of requitall but that he for his Names sake shewes mercy and loving-kindnesse to his poore creatures because Mercy pleases him and therfore he can venture himselfe upon God Base spirits as they are very jealous in regard of trust so they are very suspicious of love and thinke because themselves are conscious to themselves of unworthinesse and that they themselves love onely for their own ends therefore they think they cannot be truly beloved of others but so farre as they are usefull to them But one of a generous spirit knowes in himselfe that he can love others not onely because he receives good from them but that he may do good to them and therfore sees this to be infinitely more in God and therefore can relie upon Gods love in sense of his owne unworthinesse Though the Lord can receive no good from me yet he can doe good unto me and this I beleeve is the glorious excellency of the Lord and therefore my spirit shall not give way to suspicious thoughts of his love As David 2 Sam. 23. 5. Although sayes he my house bee not so with God yet he hath made with me an everlasting Covenant ordered in all things and sure for this is all my salvation and all my desire although hee maketh not to grow And this is observable that it is said of him in Vers 1. that when he spake this hee was a man who was raised up on high It is true even in this sense that that expression of his in Verse 5. was an argument of a man whose spirit was truely raised on high and the rather doth a generous spirit abandon base jealous suspicious thoughts of Gods faithfulnesse and his love because it knowes in it self that it hath not such a vile disposition as to abuse this gracious blessed nature that it apprehends of God so as to bee the more secure and loose to give liberty to it selfe in any evill because of this Oh no God forbid this farre from a true generous spirit this the spirit of basenesse this a sordid disposition indeed that it loathes it abhorres the thought of it it findes in it selfe that the sight of this grace of God this blessed nature of God drawes it most sweetly to him to close with him to delight in him it is the strongest Motive to draw it up to holinesse yea To perfect holinesse in the fear of God 2 Cor. 7. 1. And therefore it casts out jealous suspicious thoughts of the goodnesse and love of the blessed God as fruits of basenesse of spirit Sixthly though sublime raised as before yet withal it is an humble broken and contrite spirit one who is poor in spirit this a blessed cōjunction indeed though it thinks it self too good for any lust yet not too good to be subject to the least Commandemēt though will not be under the power of any creature yet will lie flat and trembling under the least word of the Lord Esa 66. 2. Though not satisfied with meane things yet accounts it self lesse than the least of all Gods Mercies How sublime was Pauls spirit when hee accounted all things dung
other succeeding Ages CAP. IV. The Reason why the men of the world and the Godly can never agree HEnce wee see the Reason why the men of the world and the godly can never agree they are men of another spirit Where there is difference of spirits there can be no agreement Water and oile cannot mingle no agreement betweene light and darknesse they looke at them as men whose lives are after another fashion That Apocryphall Authour in that book of Wisdome hath an excellent expression to this purpose Chap. 2. 12. he brings in wicked men saying of the godly He is cleane contrary to our doings he is grievous unto us to behold his life is not like other mens his wayes are of another fashion wee are esteemed of him as counterfeits he abstaineth from our wayes as from filthinesse he commendeth greatly the latter end of the just Verse 19. Let us examine him with rebukes and torments c. Let the relation and the ingagements be what they will yet so long as of different spirits they cannot close What a differeÌ„t spirit was there betweene Iacob and Esau who lay in the same wombe at the same time 〈◊〉 There may be outward peace fo 〈…〉 while betweene Gods people and some wicked men but inward closing of spirit there can never bee The spirit that is in you the world cannot receive sayes our Saviour Iohn 14. 17. Antipathies are irreconcileable no arguments no meanes ever used can cause an accord except there be a change in nature Nothing in the world puts mens spirits in such a distance as Grace when that comes and therefore where the most eminent grace there the greatest disagreement betweene them and wicked men How many wicked men cannot but be convinced of some godly who live with them that they are better than themselves that they are conscientious men whose Principles are truly godly and that they walke close to them they are not able to charge them with any ill carriage towards them they seeke to doe them all the good they can and yet their spirits cannot close but as they were wont to say in former times Caius Seius was a good man but hee was a Christian so now such are good men but they are too strict this enough to keepe a perpetuall breach betweene them CAP. V. Learne to have a right esteeme of such pretious spirited men IF the godly be of such excellent spirits learne wee then hence to have a right esteeme of them they surely are worthy of pretious account of most honorable esteem who are men of such excellent spirits Let them bee what they will in regard of their outward condition though never so meane and poore No matter what the Ring bee if the Pearle in it be pretious Many most pretious spirits have very mean outsides The Tabernacle was beaten Gold within but the out side covered with Badgers skines If the treasure be rich what though the vessell be earthen Surely these are the excellency of the earth the very light and beauty of the world the glory of Gods Creation they give a lustre to the places where they live to the families in which they are especially if they walke close and faithfully with God indeed manifesting the excellency of their spirits in their wayes so that when they are taken away the very places where they lived are darkened This other spirit of the godly makes a Iob scraping his soares on the dung-hill and a Ieremy sticking in the myrie dungeon more glorious than Kings and Princes sitting crowned upon their Thrones these are glorious within God is a Spirit and he looks on men to see what they are in their spirits and he esteems accordingly of them and so should we What doth brave cloathing what doth money what doe titles of honour raise the dignity what are these to the excellency of mans nature No certainly the excellency of man must bee that which mustmake the most excellent and noble part truly excellent which is the spirit of a man If a man would know the excellency of any thing as of a sword or of any other instrument he judges it not by the Hilt or the inferour part but by what excellency the principle part hath There is a spirit in man and the inspiration is from the Almighty a spirit inspired by the Almighty and beautified with his heavenly graces this innobles a man indeed it is the ornament of the hidden man of the heart the glorious cloathing of that which makes truely beautifull and glorious How did many of the Heathen highly prize those in whom they saw any naturall excellency of spirit differing from other men Those amongst the Romanes who were called the Curii and â—abritii they lived very poorly and meanly yet being perceived to have more excellent spirits than other men they were taken from their dinner of Turnips and Watercresses to lead the Romane Armie How much more should we honour men in whom we may see Divine spirits the lustre of heavenly graces shining in them But to shew more particularly that godly men are to be highly prized in regard of this other spirit as they have received a spirit differing from other men so they are to have esteem and honour differing from other men not to bee looked at as common men for First this difference of their spirits from other men is a certaine signe of the eternall love of God unto them it comes from the treasure of Gods everlasting love of that choyce speciall love of God from the bowels of Gods deepest mercies it is a most infallible argument that God hath set his heart upon them for good as for other favours a man may have them more than other men yet they are no such but may stand with Gods hatred and with his eternall wrath and this is a great difference betweene spirituall mercies and outward mercies which sets an exceeding high prize upon spirituall mercies aboue all others these are the distinguishing mercies which others are not But Secondly the spirit receiving these spirituall excellencies from Gods choyce everlasting love receives likewise all other mercies from the same fountaine though in their owne nature they bee common mercies yet where this other spirit is there they are received from another Fountaine than other men receive them which addes much sweetnesse and excellencie to the mercies we have they come as fruits of the common bounty and generall goodnesse of God to ordinary men but to men thus differenced from others they come out the spring of the rich treasures of Gods grace tending to the furtherance of eternall mercies Thirdly The Lord hath an especiall eye upon and delight to dwell with these who are of choice and excellent spirits Hee will dwell with the contrite heart to revive the spirit of the humble Esay 57-15 Hee hath a speciall care of these spirits that they doe not faile before him hee puts under his hand to support comfort revive
meere creatures but the righteousnesse of the Saints is the righteousnesse of that Person which is both God and man 3 The sonneship of the Saints is founded in a higher right then that of the Angels namely in the Sonneship of the second Person in Trinity 4 They are the members of Jesus Christ and so in a nearer union with him then any other creature 5 They are the Spouse of the Lambe whereas the Angels are but ministring spirits as the servants of the Bridegroome but the Saints are the Bride Surely then the mercies reserved for these choice spirits are choice and glorious not onely other mercies then others have or they themselves have now but other mercies then they are able to imagine these therefore wee are to looke upon as most blessed and honourable creatures CAP. VI. A Rebuke to this vile world who have vile conceits of this spirit and abusemen of such excellent spirits IF the spirits of godly men bee thus pretious how vile then is this base world which hath such irrationall absurd conceits of this spirit and which so scornes and abuses men of such excellent spirits There are two branches of this use In the first the vile conceits that men of this world have of this spirit are rebuked For 1 they thinke godlinesse befooles men 2 They thinke it makes them cowards to bee men of no metall and valour poore spirited men 3 They thinke this spirit to bee a turbulent spirit as Ahab said of Elijah Art thou hee that troubles Irael Luther was called the trumpet of rebellion 4 And lastly They thinke them to be factious spirits For the first of these What more ordinary than to cast this aspersion upon Godlinesse that it makes men to be dull heavie stupid fooles not sit for the great and high things of the world and therefore they labour to stifle any beginnings of godlinesse in their children or in any neare to them for feare it should â—inder their parts and take away the quicknesse of their wits and bravenesse of their spirits Except you think that to be the only bravenesse of spirit to venture upon any thing that may further your owne ends not to feare sinne nor the displeasure of an infinite God to let out your hearts to the utmost to the satisfying your owne desires to examine nothing by rule but to doe whatsoever is good in your owne eyes to rejoyce in the wayes of sin and to blesse your selfe in the proud swellings of your owne heart to be able to scorne at conscience humiliation for sinne strictnesse in Gods wayes as too meane a thing for men of such qualitie of such birth as you are of such estates hopes preferments and designes as you have things fitter for poor snakes meaner people contemptible silly soules to looke after If this be the excellency of your spirits then godlinesse debases them indeed yea it debases them as low as hell it selfe it casts shame in the faces of and breaks in pieces such haughty swoln spirits as these are it brings them down to lie at Gods feet as poore contemptible creatures in their own eyes loathing and abhorring themselves as there is infinite cause they should and judging themselves worthy to bee destroyed but as for any true naturall excellency of spirit godlinesse doth not quench it but raises it and beautifies it and perfects it It is either grosse ignorance or desperate malice that causes these conceits of the worke of godlinesse in the spirits of men yea there is much blasphemy in them What shall the worke of Gods grace wherein the glory of God consists which is the life of God the Image of God the Divine Nature as hath been shewne shall it be the debasing the besotting the befooling of mens spirits What doth holinesse that makes God glorious make man contemptible and vile doth that which makes God so honourable in the eies of the blessed Angels and Saints make man a sott and a foole in the eyes of men Oh! that ever there should bee such malice in the hearts of men against the grace of God ever to have such vile conceits of it pray if it be possible that this thought of thy hart may be forgiven thee Did not malice blind men they might see that the Lord hath had and still hath some of his Saints as emineÌ„t in any outward true excellency as any in the world as great Schollers as brave Courtiers as any living as deepe in policie as profound in learning as compleat every way as any whosoever Who more eminent in learning than Moses who was learned in all the learning of the Aegyptians who ever had a higher straine of eloquence than Esay who ever more profound than S. Paul And in later times yea even in our dayes the Church hath not wanted worthy and glorious lights who have beene exceedingly eminent in all that naturall excellency could make them even their enemies being Judges What braver Courtiers ever lived than Ioseph Nehemiah and Daniel Could godlinesse in the power and life of it in the strictnesse of it stand with bravenesse of spirit naturall excellencies then and can it not do so now Though God choseth oft-times the poore in the world to bee rich in faith the foolish things in the world to confound the wise and weake things of the world to confound the strong and base things and things despised c. 1 Cor. 1. 26 27. Yet when men are godly their parts are not by their godlines debased but raised many poore weake men who before were of mean naturall abilities yet put them now upon spirituall things and what strength of parts doe they shew in prayer in conference about the mysteries of God in discerning the subtilities and wiles of Satan in finding out the corruptions of their owne hearts in wisely ordering their affaires for God and the furtherance of their owne eternall good Wise in the right choice of the highest end and prudent in the right disposing of the best meanes tending thereunto These things are not the works of fooles of poore silly simple men they require quicknesse of understanding depth of judgement There are five reasons why godlines must needs raise a mans parts 1 Because it purges from many lusts that darken and besot men in their parts 2 It imployes men in conversing with high spirituall and heavenly things 3 It makes men serious and so strengthens their judgements in the apprehension of things 4 It makes men make conscience to improve their time in the use of all meanes and helps they can to enable and fit themselves for service Fifthly it causeth to imploy their parts faithfully and so they come to have the blessing of God upon them for the encrease of them according to his promise To him that hath it shall bee given Againe Godlinesse doth not make men cowards surely it hinders not spirituall valour who ever were greater souldiers more eminent in true valour and fortitude then Ioshua
David Gideon Barak others who through faith subdued Kingdomes Hebr. 11. 32 33. That is basenesse of spirit and want of valour that makes a man a slave to sin and the Devill so a slave as he hath no heart to any worthy service to free himselfe from it but lies down under it and carries the fetters and yoake of his bondage about with him withersoever he goes That is cowardly basenesse that brings conscience into a servile subjection that cowardly basenesse that will suffer the cause of God to be betrayed rather than venture any thing for it what greater argument that men want true spirit than this Godlinesse puts a spirit of fortitude into men that will not suffer them to bee thus debased and where appeares the like courage in any as in these when they are called to stand for the truth Though all the Tiles of the houses in the City of Wormes were Devils yet thither would I goe to testifie to the truth saith Luther Againe it is not a turbulent spirit for turbulency of spirit makes men cruell and malicious this spirit causes men to love their enemies to do all the good they can to them turbulent spirits seeke onely their own ends they care not what becomes of others so it bee that they may but warme themselves they care not what house bee on fire They are boysterous in things that concerne themselves But the Saints of God in whom this other spirit rules they are meeke and gentle and yeeldable in their owne cause ready to put up wrong in all quietnesse take them in things that onely concerne themselves and you shall find none so readily so freely so chearfully denying themselves as they And againe turbulent spirits doe not love to examine things by rule to call things to account but follow their owne fiery humour and set upon their own will with violence but godlinesse takes off men from this ruggednesse and turbulency of spirit makes them gentle and peaceable let them bee never so active never so forward never so zealous in any thing yet if you wil call them to examine things by rule they will meekly and patiently heare you yea a childe shall leade them Esay 11. 6. And yet further turbulēt they are not for none more obedient to authoritie than they none see that Majestie of God in Autority as they doe none obey Authority out of conscience so as they doe If the will of men in authority rather than authority shall require any thing that the authority of Heaven forbids that they do not because they cannot obey for conscience sake And so sacred do they account Authority that they would have no obedience performed to it but obedience for conscience sake Blind obediēce the Church of God hath long agoe exploded as too servile for Christian spirits this were more servile than selling mens bodies in the Market for slaves which Christianity abhors It were too uncharitable a conceit of Christian Magistrates to thinke that they should require of or expect from any other obedience than in and for the Lord and in this obedience those who are godly are so forward as they are judged turbulent for being over-forward to maintaine the honor of Authority as some think when according to their places they promote the execution of laws made by authority and that of those lawes which are of the highest consequence for the furtherance of Piety and Peace Againe factious spirits they are not because they seeke above all things to keep to the maintenance of obedience to the Primitive truth that is faction that sides against that Tertullian hath a notable expression in his Apology for the Christians against the Gentiles to cleare Gods people from being men of factious spirits it seemes that aspersion was cast upon them then which was about 1400 yeares agoe his expression was this When good men when honest men meet together when godly men are gathered together it is not to bee called a faction but a Court and on the contrary the name of faction sayes hee is to bee applyed to them who conspire to the hatred of good and honest men And thus much of the first branch of the Vse which was the reprehension of the vile cōceits that men had of this other spirit Now the second followes which is the rebuking of the men of the world for the ill use they give to men who are of such excellent spirits The excellencies of the spirits of the godly do challenge all the good use that can bee but it is little they meet withall they are for the most part abused by the men of this vile world as if they were the vilest scurfe and filth of the earth yea so indeed they account them so saith S. Paul 1. Cor. 4. 13. We are made as the filth of the world and are the off-scouring of all things unto this day Why what was S. Paul and what were those that were with him who was so accounted of were they not men of most excellent and admirable spirits S. Paul was one of the most excellent spirited men that ever lived upon the earth and did as much service for God as ever any meere man did since the beginning of the world and yet how vilie was he thought of how contemptibly was hee used put into stocks and whipped wanted cloathes and victuals And for the others that were with S. Paul they were men of whom the Holy Ghost gives this witnesse that they were the very glory of Jesus Christ 2 Cor. 8. 23. Oh unworthy world that ever they should have such men live amongst them Those who are the delight of Angels yea of God himselfe how are they abused in this wicked world as if they were dogges or the basest scumme and filth of the earth What scorne and contempt is cast upon them the most abject of men think themselves good enough to reproach and abuse them Were it not a grievous sight to see some base drudge to have power over the body of some noble Prince to abuse it by stripes or any other contumelious sordid manner but a more grievous thing it is to see the vile and base spirits of the world who are nothing but sinks of filth themselves to abuse men of such noble and excellent spirits as if they were more vile than dirt It was the bitter complaint of Ieremy Lament 4. 2. that the pretious sonnes of Sion comparable to fine gold were esteemed as earthen pitchers Such as blessed spirits would honour if they had them with them yet here they are cast out as filth What griefe sufficent to lament the seeing of such filthy swine to trample under their feet such pretious pearles in all ages thus it hath beene Those who were indeed the true honourable upon the earth such pretious and excellent spirited men as of whom the world was not worthy and yet they have beene most vilely abused and are so still by this wretched world
God to receive the sentence of their eternall doome when they are to enter upon eternity how many then blesse God that ever he put it into their hearts to go another way not according to the common course of the world Though humour and conceitednesse may please and give content for a while yet it can never bring such peace and joy in sicknesse and death and when the soule sees it hath to deale with such an infinite holy God such a dreadfull Majesty none apprehend the glory and Majesty of God so as the godly doe none understand what eternity means so as they doe the sight of these things would shake men out of an humour it is not humour that can stand before God and the eternall misery or happinesse of the creature rightly apprehended it is time now to lay aside humours and conceits and yet then when these things are most clearely most powerfully apprehended by Gods servants even then they are most for the wayes of God in which they differed from the world than ever they were before it is now their greatest griefe that they have no more differed from them than they have and if they were to begin againe they would differ farre more than ever they did Sixtly Surely it is not humourous conceited singularity because most men who have enlightned consciences when they are most serious in their best moods are of this mind If you will needs go by multitudes we dare venture upon this yea we dare challenge upon this argument onely with these two Cautions 1 That the men you bring in be men of inlightned consciences for what have we to doe with others who are blind and ignorant though there were never so many thousands of them they can adde nothing at all to the cause 2 Let the judgements of men be taken when they are most serious when they are best able to judge doe not take them when they are in passion when their lusts are up but when their spirits are calmed and in the best temper when conscience hath the most liberty to speake indeed what it thinkes and of such men in such times we shall have the most on our side and therefore surely it is not a humour of singularity that acts the in the way of godlinesse Seventhly It is not singularity for we have the Prophets Apostles Martyrs Saints of God before us cloudes of witnesses thousand thousands of them and every one of them worth ten thousands of others as S. Chrysostome hath an expression in one of his Sermons to the people of Antioch It is better to have one pretious stone than to have many halfpenies so one godly man is better than multitudes of others And S. Cyprian hath the like expression in one of his Epistles Doe not attend to the number of them sayes he for one that feares God is better than a thousand wicked It is safe to follow the way of good men according to that in the Proverbs 2. 20. Walke thou in the wayes of good men and keep the wayes of the righteous Now then let neither the wayes of godlinesse or godly men ever be blamed for their singularity other spirits must needs lead into other wayes It was laid to Luthers charge that he was an Apostate he confesses himselfe to be one but a blessed and a holy Apostate one that had fallen off from the devill So wee confesse this is singularitie but a blessed and a holy singularity which differences Gods servants from this vile wicked world in which they live whereby they live as men of another world as indeed they are CAP. VIII Blesse God for making this difference betweene your spirit and the vile spirits of the men of the world SEeing this other spirit is so excellent and blessed then doe you to whom God hath given other spirits learne to blesse GOD for them the mercies of GOD to mens spirits are the greatest mercies though your conditions be meaner than others in other respects yet if your spirits be raised to an higher excellency than others you have infinite cause to blesse the Lord as S. Paul Ephes 1. 3. Blessed be the Lord which hath blessed us with all spirituall blessings in heavenly things in Christ What though God hath not abounded to you in outward honours estates delights yet if he hath abounded to you in wisdome holinesse faith humility c. you have no cause to complaine Where God gives his Spirit in the gifts and graces of it there hee gives all good things hence whereas S. Matthew sayes Chap. 7. 11. How much more shall your Father in heaven give good things to them that aske him S. Luke 11. 13. bringing in Christ speaking upon the same occasion sayes How much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Ghost to them that aske him as if all one to give his Spirit and to give all good things Spirituall blessings make all outward crosses light and easie as Prov. 18. 14. The spirit of a man will sustaine his infirmities Spirituall blessings have this excellency in them they cause a man to feele no need of many outward things which others know not how to want and it is as good to bee in such an estate to have no need of a thing as to enjoy it when we want it And further it is the excellency of spirituall blessings to keep downe the body and to carry the spirit above the body It was the excellencie and glory of the Martyrs that their spirits were so satisfied with mercies they had that they so little regarded their bodies when they suffered grievous torments as if they had not been their own Thus Zozomen reports of them Spirituall blessings are such as inable men to improve all other blessings they enjoy without these the greatest of other blessings would prove to bee the greatest curses to us and yet further These blessings upon our spirits cost God infinitely more than other blessings doe Other blessings God can give at a lower rate but these cost the dearest heart blood of his owne Sonne and therefore above all let God have the praise of these Outward bodily mercies we are unworthy of but when we consider of these let us say as David Psal 66. 14. Come and hearken all ye that feare God I will tell you what he hath done to my soule There God hath magnified his mercies toward me indeed You may remember how base your spirits once were how blinde foolish drossie sensuall and it may bee malicious This S. Paul cals to minde to stirre up himselfe and others to praise God for that blessed change he had wrought in his and in their spirits Tit. 3. 3. For we our selves also were in times past saith hee unwise disobedient deceived serving divers lusts living in maliciousnesse and envie hatefull and hating one another but when the bountifulnesse and love of God our Saviour appeared c. But if your spirits have not beene so vile as
a great and sore evill Ninthly the eyes of many are upon you the Name of God the cause of God is engaged in you Tenthly you are appointed by God to be the Judges of other men 1 Cor. 6. 2. Doe you not know that the Saints shall judge the world yea Verse 3. Know you not that wee shall judge the Angels God will bring your lives and wayes before all the world to judge the world by and therefore they had need to bee very exact and to have something in them more than ordinary It is a shamefull way of reasoning for any man to reason for sinne by examples as it like a theese he would faine scape in the crowd but much more shamefull is it that any godly man should bee found to argue for sinne this way for this is an aggravation of sinne not a lessening of it as if I should say God hath dishonour by such and such and therefore why may he not have some more by me Sinne is a striking at God and every sinner strikes at him and thou commest running for thy stroake too What wilt thou have thy blow also at him and what thou for whom the Lord hath done such great things as Caesar said to Brutus when in the Senate-house tho Senators had wounded him with many sore wounds and Brutus hee comes also for his stroake whereupon Caesar lookes on him and sayes to him What and thou my sonne Brutus too Conceive as if thou sawest the Lord looking on thee and saying thus to thee when thou ventrest upon any sinfull way upon the example of others But in what particulars should we manifest this choicenes of our spirits in wayes differing from others Answ In these especially 1 In selfe deniall shew that you can deny your opiniōs your desires your wills though you have a strong mind to a thing though you have fit opportunities to enjoy your desires yet if you see God may have more honor any other way you can freely readily without disturbance without vexing yeeld and doe not deceive your selves in this be easily convinced in particulars which are for God against your selves the excellency of a mans spirit is much seen in this Many conceit an excellency of spirit to bee in selfe-willednesse in being passionate froward and boisterous Certainly this comes from weaknes of spirit no excellency is required for this every foole can bee thus but that is excellency to bee able to ovērcome to rule ones spirit to have command of ones spirit to subdue and bring in order passions and violent stirrings of spirits this is pretious and honourable in the eyes of God and man this is a well tempered spirit indeed that can be strong zealous full of courage unyeeldable in the cause of God and the Church but meeke quiet yeeldable selfedeniable in its own cause those who usually are the most boisterous and passionate for themselves are the poorest spirited men and the most basely yeelding when it comes to the cause of God 2 Shew the excellency of your spirits enabling you to doe that which others cannot doe by loving your enemies praying for them doing them all the good you can this is the speciall thing our Saviour commands to his Disciples in that 5. Mat. when he would have them doe more than others doe 3 Feare the least sinne more than the greatest suffering Morality raises the spirit highest next to Grace and yet a meere morall man accounts it foolishnes to be so nice as not to yeeld in little things for the avoyding of great sufferings but a gracious spirit thinks the least truth of God worthy to bee witnessed to by the losse of his dearest comforts and suffering the greatest evils yea he accounts suffering for small things the most honourable sufferings of all as testifying the greatest love as Davids Worthies shewed their dearest love to him in ventring their lives to get him a little water 4 Prize opportunities of service more than al outward contentments in the world a gracious heart thinks it honor enough that Gods imploies it he is not onely willing to goe on in his worke though outward contentments come not in but increase of service for God hee esteemes so great a good as hee accounts the want of outward things made up in it Though I get not so much by that I doe as others yet I blesse God I can goe on in my worke as chearefully as others for contentment is made up to mee in this that God will imploy mee in his service more than others 5 Make conscience of time this felv doe few regard the fillings up of their time their spirits having no excellencie in them they cannot make use of their time in any worthy employments for God to themselves or others but a man of an excellent spirit knows how to employ himself in things that are excellent and therfore prizes the time he hath to worke in and is conscientious in the spending of it 6 Make conscience of thoughts and secret workings of heart of secret sinnes to avoid them and secret duties to performe them a man that hath a pretious spirit doth not like to have it runne wast in extravagant thoughts and affections the thoughts of his minde are pretious the affections of his heart are pretious as his spirit is pretious Wee let water runne wast because wee put no price upon it we think it little worth and therefore we let it run to no use but if it were some pretious liquor some pretious oyle compounded of deare ingredients wee would not doe so but would be carefull to save every drop this is a pretious spirited man indeed who knowes how to lay out his thoughts and his affections at the best advantage and will not lavish them our to no purpose 7 Make conscience of the manner of performing holy duties as well as of the doing of them and looke after them what becomes of them when they are done this is not according to the common spirits of the world who thinke to put off God with flat poore and dead services A gracious spirit hath much of the excellency of his spirit acting in holy duties and therefore hee doth much mind them and lookes much after them but others have little of their spirits acting in them and therfore they are little regarded little looked after by them 8 Rejoyce in the good of others though it eclipses thy light though it makes thy parts thy abilities thy excellencies dimmer in the eyes of others were it not for the eminency of some above thee thy parts perhaps would shine bright and bee of high esteeme yet to rejoyce in this from the heart from the soule to blesse God for his gifts and graces in others that his Name may be glorified more by others than I can glorifie it my selfe to bee able truly to say Though I can do little yet blessed be God there are some who can doe more for God than
I and in this I doe and will rejoyce this is indeed to be able to doe much more than others this shewes a great eminencie of spirit All the parts gifts abilities that any man in the world hath where this is not come farre short of this excellencie to be able to doe this is more than to bee able to â—xcell others in any excellencie whatsoever if this bee wanting If God hath given thee this hee hath given thee that which is a thousand times more worth than strong parts and abilities in which thou might'st have been farre more eminent than thou now art or than others are 9 If thou wilt shew the excellency of this spirit in some choyce thing then labour to keep the heart low in prosperitie and man heavenly cheerefulnesse in adversitie not only contented but joyfull in a quiet sweet delightfull frame In the greatest difficulties and straits when you are put upon hard things go on in your way with what strength you can without vexing distracting thoughts let your spirits bee stayed on God quietly meekly committing your selves and cause to him as the people of God in the 26. Esay 8. They professe their willingnes in all quietnesse to wait upon God in the wayes of his judgements and they give the reason because the desire of their soule is to his Name and to the remembrance of him If in the times of our troubles the desires of our soules were to Gods Name and to the remembrance of him and not unto our own names and to the remembrance of our selves we should not have such sinking discouraged disquiet vexing spirits as we have The spirits of most men if any difficult thing befall them they are presently in a hurry so disquiet and tumultuous that all the peace and sweetnesse of them is lost and they hinder themselves exceedingly both in the businesse they are about adding much to the difficulty of it and in all other businesses that concerne them This notes much distemper of spirit like distempered flesh of a mans body if it be but toucht with the finger or the least aire come to it it presently festers and ranekies 10 Be more carefull to know the fountain from whence all your mercies come to have a sanctified use of them when you enjoy them than to have the possession of them or delight in them An ordinary spirit lookes at nothing but only to have the thing it desires is not solicitous about the fountaine from whence they spring nor carefull to attaine any sanctified end to which they tend looks not at them as from God neither uses them for GOD but where all these are here is the work of a choice pretious spirit indeed the peculiar work of it this is to do more than others and thus Gods servants must doe or else they can never live convincing lives While Pharaoh and his Magicians saw that Moses did no more than they could doe they were not convinced but when Moses did that which they could not doo then they acknowledged the finger of God So it is here while wicked men see those that are religious doe onely such things as they could doe if they would as going to Sermons speaking of good things they are never convinced by them but when they fee them do some thing which their consciences tell them they cannot do then they are forced to acknowledge that there is a reall excellencie in godlinesse which they have not as Christ said once If I had not done those things that no man did they had not had sinne Ioh. 15. 24. It aggravated the sinne of the Jewes that they did not beleeve in Christ notwithstanding he did those works amongst them that no man ever did So if godly men did manifest the choicenesse of their spirits amongst the men of the world in doing such as none other can doe this if it did not convert them and bring them in love with Gods wayes it would certainly much aggravate their sinne and increase their condemnation It is therfore a most shamefull thing that those who make a great shew and profession of godlinesse should in their lives be no more than equall unto yea be lower than others who are meerly Morall lower than a Socrates than a Fabritius than others of the Heathen How many civill morall men goâ— beyond them who would be taken for godly they are more meeke and patient more courteous more faithfull and trusty more liberall and helpfull more ingenuous and candid Many servants who would seeme godly are not so obedient so diligent so humble and submissive so conscionable in their worke as others whom they judge meerly carnall So many wives not behaving themselves with that quietnesse respectivenesse love and obedience to their husbands as others whom they themselves judge to be onely civill In like manner many husbands and masters of families who professe godlinesse yet in their houses are more froward more dogged more churlish cruell and bitter to wife and servants than others whom they esteeme onely carnall So many children more stout to their parents and parents more negligent in the care they ought to have of their children than others What a shame is it saies S. Hierom that faith should not be able to doe that that infidelity hath done What not better fruit in the garden in the vineyard of the Lord then in the wildernesse What not better fruit grow upon the tree of life than upon the root of nature Where lies the power of godlinesse If it carries not men beyond these what is it to live godly in Christ Jesus in the vertue in the power and life of Christ Jesus if it doth not enable to go beyond others There needs no such vertue power life of Christ Jesus to enable one to dof that which others can doe What is godlinesse but a notion but a conceit that it will not carry men beyond the light of nature CAP. XI An Exhortation to labour to get this excellent spirit IT is an use of Exhortation let us labour to get this other spirit Every one desires to be eminent to be above others in estate in esteeme in naturall excellencies if we would faine be eminent let us labour to be eminent in spirituall blessings in getting our souls endued with higher spirituall excellencies than others have It is coÌ„mendable to strive to be as eminent here as we can especially you whom God hath raised higher than your brethren in other things in the Nobility of your births the eminency of your places the greatnesse of your estates Doe you labour to be as high above others in the excellencies of your spirits that as your birth is other your places other your estate other than coÌ„mon mens so your spirits may be other spirits What an excellent thing is it to have a spirit sutable to ones condition A great mind becomes a great fortune sayes Seneca He means greatnes of minde in the exercise of vertue
mans spirit strengthens it against the impressions that sensitive objects use to leave upon soft and weake spirits Most men have their spirits formed and fashioned according to sensitive objects it is not what they apprehend in abstract notions that works upon them let them bee what they will yet when they have to deale with sensitive things the sweetnesse desireablenesse glory of them works the most powerfully their hearts are altered according to the impression that they leave upon them and this is great weaknesse and an effeminate softnesse of spirit Hence the word translated Effeminate 1 Cor. 6. 9. signifies soft-spirited men This distēper in the spirit is like that in the flesh when it is corrupted with the dropsie the flesh is soft and if you put your finger to it the impression of your finger sticks in it and pits the flesh so the impression of sensitive objects sticks in distempered weake soft spirits as it was in the other Spies who were sent with Caleb and Ioshuah the terrible things they saw in the land stucke mightily in their hearts they brought with them the impressiō of them fastened in their spirits hence Numb 13. 33. according to the translation of the Greek Translators it is They brought the feare of the land with them But this choicenesse of spirit that was in Caleb and is in those who are truely godly keepeth from this and there must bee this firmnesse in the spirit of a man or else it will never cary him after the Lord fully 2 Sam. 22. 26. With the upright thou wilt shew thy selfe upright the word translated upright signifies strong and perfect There is required strength and that more than ordinary too to cary on the soule to perfection Thus you see what there is in this choice spirit that caries it on fully after the Lord Now there must of necessity be this or else this full following of the Lord will never be nothing else will doe it And that 1 Because the wayes of God are supernaturall and therefore there must bee something in the spirit of a man which is supernaturall that must reach to them this which is supernaturall in the spirits of godly men wee see it in the effects and we know it is above reason and all naturall principles whatsoever But what is is very hard to expresse and therefore men of parts in the World are madde to think that any should imagine that those who are of weaker parts than themselves should have any thing in them to carry them on in other wayes than they walke in which they doe not understand because they doe not know what that same thing is which is called supernaturall they will rather think it a conceit and phansie than any reall excellency because they can apprehend other things better than others they thinke why should they not apprehend this better than others if there were any reall excellencie in it 2 The wayes of God are not only above nature but contrary to nature and therefore there must bee needs some speciall choycenesse of spirit to carry a man on in them there must bee a contrary streame to over-power the streame of nature and this streame must be fed by some living fountaine or else there will never bee a holding out In following after the Lord all naturall abilities and common grace will doe no more but stop the streame of corrupt nature they cannot so overpower it as to carry the soule another way but the worke of grace in this choicenesse of spirit will doe it 3 The streame of times and examples of men are exceeding strong and it is not a little matter that will carry on the soule against them The dead fish is carried down the streame though the winde serves to blow it up all naturall abilities of the soule will no more helpe a man against the streame of examples than the winde can carry the dead fish up the stream but if there were life put into the fish it were able then to move against the winde and streame too 4 There are so many strong alluring temptations where in the wiles subtilties depths of Satan are very powerfull to draw the heart away from God that except there bee some speciall worke of Gods grace to give wisdome to discerne the deceits of sin to make the soule spiritually subtill to find out the cunning devices of Satan and to discerne the danger of them the soule most certainly could never hold on in the way of its following after the Lord. 5 There are so many troubles oppositions that it meets withall in this way that most certainly would drive it out were it not for some choyce Worke of Gods grace in it but this choycenesse of spirit will carry a man through all them It is Gods promise Esay 59. 19. That when the enemy shall come in like a floud the Spirit of the Lord shall lift up a standard against him We made use of this Scripture before for opposition of strong corruptions but it is true here now for the resisting of strong spirituall enemies of strong oppositions when they come in like a floud against the soule to carry it out of Gods wayes the Spirit of God in it doth lift up a standard against them were it not for this it could not hold It is this good and sound constitution of the soule that makes it endure those oppositions that it meets withall An aguish heat may bee greater than that which ariseth from a good constitution but it is not able to resist cold so there may be a naturall violence in a mans spirit for a while in the profession of Religion which may seeme to be zeale but not arising from the good constitution of the soule when troubles come it vanishes giving no strength at all 6 There are so many scandals and reproaches that rise against the ways of God so many aspersions that are cast upon them that if a man hath not more than an ordinary spirit hee most certainly will be offended Blessed are they that are not offended in mee saith Christ It is a great blessing when there fals out scandals and when we see grievous aspersions cast upon Gods wayes yet not to be offended there needs be some more than ordinary light to discover to a man the certainty of that good there is in the ways of God he had need be sure of his principles and know in whom he hath beleeved 7 Yea God many times hides himselfe from his servants while they are following after him and this oftentimes proves the sorest temptation of all and a greater discouragement then all the rest for as for oppositions scandals reproaches these are things they make account of and can often lightly passe them over but when God hides his face this puts them at a stand now they are in the dark and know not what to doe Christ was not much troubled at the reproaches of men at the oppositions hee met withall