Except a man be born again of water 〈◊〉 John the sixt chapter unlesse ye eate the flesh and drink the blood of Christ ye have no life in you 〈◊〉 these conditions and for these uses are we commanded to drink of the same spirit If we drink the blood of Christ we shall drink the spirit of life which it gives and so shall we live by him John the sixt chapter and the fifty seventh verse Christ shall live in us 〈◊〉 the second chapter There are that doe not potare in eundem spiritum Water of it self is not able to purge from original corruption without the spirit and Potus vappa sine spiritu The flesh 〈◊〉 nothing it is the spirit that gives life John the sixt chapter The word it self preached 〈◊〉 not unlesse God giveth increase the first epistle to the 〈◊〉 the third chapter nay this spiritual food kills some for they eat and drink their own damnation the first epistle to the Corinthians the eleventh chapter Therefore if we will drink the spirit it is required First That he thirst after spiritual things no lesse than after worldly things John the seventh chapter Si quis sitit ad me veniat bibat vers the thirty seventh Secondly He must pray for the spirit 〈◊〉 God giveth his spirit to them that ask it Lake the eleventh chapter So while Jesus was baptized and prayed the Heavens opened and the holy Ghost came down upon him Luke the third chapter and the 〈◊〉 verse We must both 〈◊〉 after the spirit and pray for it else we cannot have it But if we come non sitientes omnino without any sense of our own want or come only with a form of Godlinesse the second epistle to Timothy the third chapter and the fift verse we may drink the outward object but not the spirit for they that come thus pray not to God to be made partakers of the spirit as of the object And to this we may add as a reason of our unprofitable drinking how can we 〈◊〉 the spirit seeing we sow only to the flesh Galatians the 〈◊〉 chapter In as much as we sow no spiritual works we cannot be partakers of the spirit These are the means to obtain the spirit Then when we have drunk we must examine our selves whether we have drunk the spirit which we shall know thus A drink and potion is either for recovery of health or for comfort or refreshing If we finde that the blood of Christ hath purged our consciences from dead works Hebrews the ninth chapter and that we mortifie the deeds of the flesh by the spirit Romans the eighth chapter then have we drunk of the same spirit If we 〈◊〉 the power of sinne abated in 〈◊〉 and the will of sinne by this Sacrament then have we drunk the spirit Secondly For refreshing which is the other use of drinking as Psalm the seventy eighth and the sixty fift verse The Lord arose out of sleep as a 〈◊〉 refreshed with wine there comes courage to a man by drinking of the spirit so as he hath a desire to spiritual drink Ephesians the fift chapter Be not drunk with wine but be filled with the spirit Now they call the holy Ghost new wine Acts the second chapter these men are filled with new wine For indeed as the one so the other gives greater alacrity and cheerfulnesse In respect of these two effects it is termed the holy spirit of God and therefore First He that having drunk findes in his soul a comfortable anointment the first epistle of John the second chapter the seal of the spirit Ephesians the first chapter and the thirteenth verse and the earnest the second epistle to the Corinthians the first chapter and the twentieth verse he hath a signe that he hath drunk the spirit But these sensualiter are not enough they may deceive us there were that eat and drank in Christs presence but he told them I know you not Luke the thirteenth chapter Therefore to the comfort of the spirit we must add the holy spirit and see what operation he hath we must see if we can finde sanctificationis spiritum the second epistle to the Thessalonians the second chapter and the fruits of the spirit wrought in us after we have drunk Galatians the fift chapter and the twenty second verse whether we be transformed by the same spirit the second to the Corinthians the third chapter Thus we see the Apostle in this place against the spirit that lusteth after envy and contention James the fourth chapter useth the Sacrament of unity to perswade men to unity and love and against the unclean spirit he useth the Sacrament of cleannesse as in the first epistle to the Corinthians the sixt chapter Shall I take the members of Christ and make them the members of an Harlot By the effects that the spirit worketh in us we may know whether we have the spirit for we are not only made partakers of Christs body in Baptism but of the spirit in the Lords Supper If we cleave to the Lord Christ we are made one spirit the first epistle to the 〈◊〉 the sixt chapter Whereupon this ensueth That as he and his Father are one so are we one with Christ and consequently being one with him we can want no happinesse for his will is That we should be with him where he is and behold his glory John the seventeenth chapter and the twenty fourth verse Ex eo quòd maxima illa nobis ac pretiosa promissa donavit c. 2 Pet. 1. 4. A Scripture applyed to this time wherein we solemnize the memory of his taking of our nature as we have here a promise of being partakers of his and it conteins as all other Scriptures of comfort a Covenant between God and us That which is performed on Gods part is That he hath made us most great and pretious promises The condition on our partie is That we eschue the corruption that is in the world through lust In the former part there is a thing freely bestowed on us Secondly That is a promise Thirdly The promise is That we shall be partakers of the divine nature Concerning which A promise being once past is no more a free thing but becomes a debt and in justice is to be performed in which respect the Apostle saith in the second epistle to Timothy the fourth chapter There is laid up for me a crown of righteousnesse which the Lord the just judge shall render to me and hence the Prophet is bold to challenge God with his promise Psalme the hundred and nineteenth Perform thy promise wherein thou hast caused me to put my trust and therefore Augustine saith Redde quod non accepisti sed quod premisisti Promises doe affect two wayes because they stand upon two points First The party promising Secondly The thing promised If it were the promise of a man it were to be doubred of for all men are lyars Psalm the hundred and sixteenth They
it is spiritus Dei which he breathed into our bodies Now to consider of the words somewhat more seriously we see that the soul is a breath but so that it is Neshema a spirituall and celestiall breath which properly is understood of the winde and ayre by which we see that is next of kynne to the Spirits which have no body as our bodyes are next of kynne to the wormes that are in the earth which soul for that cause is invisible but not unperceiveable As we cannot see the winde and the pulse yet we perceive them by divers effects So is our Soul and the excellency of it made known and discerned And that it might not be imagined or thought to be only a bare blast of breath or as a puffe of winde he therefore addeth a spirit of lives And least we should deem the soul and the life to be but one thing and to end and vanish away together Job telleth us 27. 3. that the spirit or soul of a man is one thing and 〈◊〉 life is another distinct Though there be a spirit of life in beasts and not only in earthly creatures but also in celestiall spirits yet only the spirit of man is spiritus vitarum that is of more lives than one which our Saviour Christ telleth us in Matth. 10. 28. Men may take away the one life of our body but they cannot the other life of the soul that is only in Gods power This then is the difference between the soul of a man and all other things which confuteth the Epicures 1. which held that the Soul was but a hot salt humor to keep the body from rottennesse and corruption Moses maketh choice to compare the Soul to breath First because it hath a piercing and a searching quality being Totus in toto totus in qualibet parte Pro. 27. 2. This candle of the Soul diffuseth his light and heat and life in every member searching and piercing all Secondly the Soul is compared to breath to humble us and not make us presume on this life seeing the soul and body is but knit and conjoyned together vinculo aëreo by an airie thred Esay 2. 22. Mans breath is in his nostrills which being stopped his life is gone Psal. 103. 14. 15. which causeth our life sodainly oftentimes to be taken away and our soul and our body in an instant or moment to depart a sunder Psal. 78. 39. Even because the union that holdeth soul and dody together is but a little blast of aire and winde easily broken and smitten asunder so sodainly doe we passe away and are gone This may teach us the shortnesse and sodainnesse of this life and death The use of which is that seeing we received our life from God therefore we must now live the life of all godlynesse seeing we live by the spirit of God naturally we must seek for the spirit of God and the graces of it that we may live holily seeing our Soul is the light of God let not this light become darknesse in us for then great is that darknesse Seeing our Soul is the Image of God we must not deface it with the ugly form of Sathan The holy man Job 26. 4. hearing his friends speak foolish and vain words asketh 〈◊〉 spirit cometh out of them As who should say seeing you have the spirit of God speak not such words as if an evill or vain spirit were in them So must we say to those men that doe evill works Whose spirit or what spirit hast thou in thee These deeds are the works of evill Spirits but thou had'st in thee the good spirit of God 2. Now we are come to the second estate of our soul which is set down in this So man became a living Soul which is added to shew that God not only gave that spirit inspired into him a power of life by which it could live but also another power unto the body which before was a dead peece of Earth wherefore the soul being in every part of the body so made by and by it was lively in every part and stood up and performed the actions of life which now it doth in us This is a good and profitable sense of these words as some doe understand But the best Divines weighing these words more deeply doe finde out another state of the soul which sheweth another priviledge of the soul of man For besides that it is as we have seen a spiritual essence occupied in spiritual actions being immortall and pertaining and leading to another life Besides this speciall priviledge it hath here also another common prerogative namely to enforme the body that is in a word besides being a spirituall essence it is also a natural essence it had hath and shall have a power to live without the body and also it hath a power in the body to quicken and give life to it and every part thereof that is it can animare informare corpus which we know the Angels and celestial spirits cannot for when they appeare in a body their souls of life though they live yet they doe not informe that body but they are in it as in a Case which they take to them and leave off again But our soul is not only a spiritual essence and consistence as the Angels but also a natural consistence in the body to inform and animate it which the Angels have not And this is the other prerogative There is none that doe doubt but they have naturalem animam and thereof they are called naturales homines 1 Cor. 15. 46. But by their actions one would think that their souls were only fleshie souls because they never give them selves to spiritual and heavenly actions as a Celestiall spirit shall move them But only they are given to actions of this bodily life which is temporall yea to earthly fleshie and sinfull actions as if the soul that were in them were but after that fort a natural soul of life for a time They see by their natural studies senses motions and actions that they have a natural soul of life quickning the body which else could not live But they think not that it is a spiritual soul and heavenly essence which shall have an eternall being after this life and therefore they never care to 〈◊〉 for such heavenly and spiritual actions of Godlinesse wherefore we will briefly prove and shew that the state of the soul is celestial and 〈◊〉 that we may be moved to think of such actions as that estate doth require And first that the soul and the life and estate thereof doth not depend upon the body but hath his being and life without the body after the body is dead and turned to the Earth because it hath his dependence on God which is immortall and eternal which appeareth to reason in the judgement of the Heathen because the soul hath in the will a power and faculty and ability to effect and perfect an action
the eighth chapter If we will come 〈◊〉 we must not be 〈◊〉 but diligent and watchfull We must use both attention Luke the twenty first chapter Take 〈◊〉 to your 〈◊〉 and contention Luke the thirteenth chapter Strive to enter Therefore the Prophet saith Psalm the thirty seventh Hope in the Lord and 〈◊〉 doing good there is both hope and diligence The Apostle saith We have great and 〈…〉 made us the second epistle of Peter the first chapter and the 〈◊〉 verse That is our hope but we must be diligent adding to our hope virtue to virtue knowledge and these if we be without we 〈…〉 of the promises which 〈◊〉 with 〈◊〉 the fift chapter That faith worketh by 〈◊〉 And he that hath this 〈…〉 himself the first epistle of John the third chapter and the third 〈◊〉 Job 〈◊〉 did perfectly hope was not negligent as he 〈◊〉 〈…〉 in eum Job the thirteenth chapter and the 〈◊〉 verse so he sheweth his carefulnesse Veritas omnia opera 〈◊〉 Job the ninth chapter Paul that said He was sure of the love of God Romans the eighth chapter doth not cease to be diligent lest he should be vexed first epistle to the Corinthians the ninth chapter The same Paul saith Philippians the third chapter and the tenth verse I forget that which is behinde and indeavor towards that which is before This is that which concludes this point i. seeing faith sheweth it is possible to attain to Heaven though it be hard we must use diligence which may make it a thing possible Not that we are sufficient of our selves as from our selves to think any good or to use any diligence to bring this to passe for all our sufficiencie is of God the second epistle to the Corintbians the third chapter And therefore the Apostle when he had said I labored more than they all correcteth himself yet not I but the grace of God within me the first epistle to the Corinthians the fifteenth chapter and the tenth verse He did not say before It was I that persecuted the Church but the sinne that dwelleth within me but ascribes that wholly to himself But if we doe any good thing we must wholly ascribe that to God who by his spirit doth give us grace and ability to doe it And therefore whosoever feel themselves to receive grace the second epistle to the Corinthians and the sixt chapter and be indued with virtue from above Luke the twenty fourth chapter they must take heed they be not wanting to that grace and heare it in vain but having grace from God we must labour to make that possible which faith sheweth to be possible Secondly They must 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 make it apparent there is a secret diligence but that which the Apostle requireth is an ostensive diligence For as James saith Ostende mihi fidem ex operibus James the second chapter and eighth verse So the Apostles meaning is I care not for the concealed diligence let me see it appear by your outward conversation For if the Heathen being indued with the light of Nature only did shew the work of the Law written in their hearts by doing moral virtues Romans the second chapter much more ought Christians that are indued with grace from above to shew forth this diligence that it may be visible to the world The Apostle shews there are two hopes Spes internae dulcedinis extremae operationis the one is concealed and inward the other is apparent and to be seen The inward hope bringeth this to passe That the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts Rom. 5. 5. and therefore is to be likened This hope doth likewise effect this That we have the spirit of God bearing witnesse to our spirits that we are the Chrildren of God Rom. 8. It is as it were absconditum Manna Apoc. the second chapter which doth inwardly feed our souls But howsoever this be good yet not without danger for as the Apostle sheweth there are that have been lightned with knowledge and have tasted of the Heavenly gift and were made partakers of the holy Ghost and have tasted of the good word of God and the powers of the world to come and yet fall away Hebrews the sixt chapter and the fourth verse Therefore he calls not for this diligence but will have them make it evident which he expresseth in these words that it be the same diligence which is the third point Wherein he teacheth in what this demonstrative diligence standeth that is as the former verse sheweth in the work and labour of love and in ministring to the Saints that is the doing of works of charity makes the oftensive diligence Whereby he teacheth that this oftensive or demonstrative diligence is the touch stone of our hope as the Apostle saith The works of love are the touchstone of faith for true faith worketh by love Galatians the fift chapter This diligence cannot deceive us of which our Saviour Christ saith John the fift chapter They that have done good shall come forth into 〈◊〉 life and the comfortable sentence pronounced by the Judge at the 〈◊〉 day upon all those that have shewed forth this diligence in doing the works of mercy shall be Come ye blessed possesse the kingdome prepared for 〈◊〉 Matthew the twenty fift chapter It 〈◊〉 not to say to a brother or sister that is naked and destitute of daily food Depart in peace warm your selves fill your bellies but the inward compassion must shew it self outwardly by giving them those things which are needfull to the body James the second chapter and the fifteenth verse Therefore the Apostle Peter willeth them that are perswaded of the great and pretious promises that are made them not to stay there but make their election sure to them by this oftensive diligence that to their faith they add virtue to virtue knowledge which if they doe they shall never fail the second epistle of Peter the first chapter And the Apostle St. John saith Hereby we know that we are translated from death unto life because we love the brethren and that not in word and tongue only but in deed and truth the first epistle of John the third chapter and the fourteenth verse God to assure us of his mercifull promises in Christ is said not only to have sealed us but also to have given us the earnest of the spirit into our hearts the second epistle to the Corinthians the first chapter and the twenty second verse The concealed diligence is as the earnest which a man puts in his purse but the oftensive diligence is like to a seal which may be shewed to all men for as Christ witnesseth Our lights must so shine before all men that the wicked and ungodly by seeing our good works may take occasion to glorifie God and be converted Matthew the fift chapter If we use diligence and shew forth our diligence in doing those works of love we shall attain to hope and that not faint or