or no. Now that a man may know this the better I will make it cleere by this example Take a bottle that is full of water and another that is full of Aqua-vitae looke upon them outwardly and they are all one in colour but if you taste the one is hote and lively but the other is cold and rawe so if you looke unto the outward formall actions of wicked men they have the same colour that the actions of the holy men have but if you taste them examine their lives and search into their hearts you shall finde a great difference the one of them it may be may seeme to have life and heate in them but they want the Spirit for they have neither a loathing of sinne nor power to resist sinne they may put a false colour upon their actions but it will not hold they may restraine some lusts for some ends but such cannot master and subdue them and it may heat a part of his heart but it cannot heat all his heart but where the sanctifying Spirit comes it heats all the soule kindles a holy fire in all the faculties to burne up sinne which is there And this was the difference betweene Iohn Baptists Baptisme and the Baptisme of Christ. Iohn would baptize them with water but Christ in the spirit and with fire therefore examine what heat there is in you against evill and what zeale there is in you to good are you cold in prayer in conference in the Communion of Saints it is a signe that you have not the spirit it may be you heare and reade and pray and conferre but see with what heat you doe them Is it with you in these things as the Apostle would have you to be in earthly 1 Cor. 7. 30. 31. To sorrow as if yee sorrowed not to use the world as if you used it not doe you performe holy duties with that coldnesse as if you cared not whether you did them or did them not doe you heare as if you heard not and doe you receive the Sacrament as if you received it not and doe you pray as if you prayed not and doe you love as if you loved it not then surely you have not the Spirit And on the contrary if you finde spirituall heat and zeale in you a nimblenesse and quicknesse to good it is a signe that you have the Spirit for it is the propertie of the Spirit to heate the soule therefore the Prophet saith That the zeale of thine House hath even eaten mee up Intimating I have such a measure of zeale wrought in mee by thy Spirit that I cannot see thee in the least measure dishonoured but I must burne with zeale Therefore examine what zeale you have for God and godlinesse are you hot for the things of the world and cold for grace and holinesse whatsoever you thinke of your selves yet you have not the sanctifying Spirit There is not a holy man or woman that belongs unto Christ but they have this holy fire in them and yet I would not have you to mistake mee as if every Christian did attaine unto the like heate and zeale as others doe For you must know that some have more some have lesse according unto the measure of the sanctifying Spirit that they have but this you must know that you must be full of heate full in some measure answerable unto the measure of the sanctifying Spirit but if you finde no heate at all in you then you have not a graine of the Spirit not to be hot is to bee luke-warme and luke-warmenesse is that which God hates it is a temper mixt which is both loathsome to nature and odious to God Revel 3. 15. the Laodiceans were neither hotte nor cold but luke-warme that is they had neither heate to good nor so cold as to forsake the truth Sinne and holinesse stood in aequilibrio together and they had as good a minde unto the one as unto the other now because it was thus with them therefore saith God I will spue them cut and then in the next verse hee exhorts them to be zealous and amend except you labour to bee hot in the Spirit you cannot be saved Titus 2. 14. the Apostle saith That Christ dyed that hee might purchase unto himselfe a people zealous of good workes this zeale must not bee a constrained zeale but a willing zeale and if there were no other motive to move men to bee zealous but this because Christ came to redeeme them for this end that they might be zealous for his glory if there bee any sparke of the fire of the Spirit in him it will burne at Christs dishonour and if Christ came unto this end to make men zealous then surely Christ will not loose his end but they that Christ will save shall be zealous therefore I beseech you labour to be strong in the inward man and labour to get the Spirit that you may be zealous but alas men have drunke too much of this Cup of giddinesse they thinke they need not be so zealous as they are but I say if you be not it is a signe that you have not the Spirit especially it stands men now upon if they have any holy zeale in them to show it I say it is time you should show it when you see such halting betweene two opinions show your zeale by hating and abhorring popery and by labouring to draw men from it especially now when we see men so desirous to goe into Egypt againe which is to be lamented in these dayes for which the Lord hath stretcht out his hand against us but where is our zeale what spirituall heate is there in us where are these men that at such a time would have beene hot and zealous nay where are the generation of these men surely they are all gone for there is no heate and zeale left it is true we abound in knowledge we have the same knowledge that they had but we want their zeale and spirit and we have the same gifts but we want their Spirit but let us now at length shew our selves to be in the spirit to have the Spirit in vs by our zeale against evill But you will say that many holy men that have the Spirit yet are not so hot and zealous against evill but are marvellous milde and patient therefore a man may have the Spirit and yet not bee zealous First to this I answer that holy men may have pits wherein they may be falne They may have drosse aswell as Gold and hence they may bee drawne by a strong passion and lust not justly to weigh sinnes aright whence ariseth remissenesse and neglect both in doing good and resisting evill but this in a regenerate man I call but a passion because it continues not for prayer and the preaching of the pure Word will recover this againe that is will recover his strength and make him zealous against sinnes but if you see a man whatsoever
profession hee makes of Christ that can winke at sinne and not bee moved at it and the Word nor prayer doth not kindle this holy Fire in him then certainely that man is a dead man there is no sparke of holinesse in him therefore I may say unto every holy man as they were used to say to Haniball that hee had fire in him but hee wanted blowing so I say unto you if you have the Spirit you have heate in you but if this heate doth not appeare at all times or at sometimes it is because it wants blowing for when they have a just occasion to exercise the strength of the inward man for Gods glory they will show that they have zeale in them and be hot and lively to good and not dead in sinne for this is the difference betweene a man that is dead and a man that is in a swone take a man that is in a swone if Aqua-vitae and rubbing of his joynts will not recover him it is a signe that he is dead so if the Word will not worke heate in you it is a signe that you are more then in a swone you are already dead in the inward man it is said of the Adamant it will not be heated with fire so I may say if the Word will not heate you when you are rubbed with it is a signe you are like the Adamant dead unto grace Secondly to this I answer that howsoever some men that are sanctified are not so zealous as are some hypocrites which is true yet I say it is no good argument to say that because counterfeit druggs and wares have the same sent and smell that the good wares have that thererefore they are as good or that the good wares have not the like but it were better to say that they have not the same and that the difference is in this that the affections have a false dye and glosse put upon them and so there is a false and counterfeit zeale and there is a true zeale As there may be yellow peeces counterfeit aswell as yellow peeces true mettall so there may be counterfeit fire as well as true fire this then I say men may bee sanctified and yet be milde and not of so hot and fiery a disposition They may not so burne in the Spirit as others doe but yet it is not good to conclude that it matters not therefore whether you be zealous or no for howsoever it is true in him yet it may be false in thee and know also that this meekenesse is joyned with much holy Zeale though it be not outwardly expressed for as certainely as where true fire is there is heate so where there is the Spirit there is zeale therefore examine whether you have heate in you if you have not you have not the Spirit The second signe whereby you shall know whether you have the sanctifying Spirit or no is this If you finde that you are not onely able to doe more then you could naturally but you have also holinesse joyned with it This signe I make of two parts because a man may do many things that may carry a show above nature and yet want holinesse but if they bee above nature and then have holinesse joyned with them then it is a signe that you have the sanctifying Spirit First I say it will make you to doe more then you could doe by nature it puts another manner of strength in you by which you are able to doe these things which before you were not able to doe as for example it will worke in you a patience above a naturall patience this wee see in Christ himselfe when he was crucified he opened not his mouth he was like a lambe he had more then naturall patience this is true in Paul Peter and the rest of the Saints Againe it works in us love above a naturall love therefore it is said that Christ was full of love hee had compassion on the multitude Againe it works in a man a joy more then naturall joy this wee see in Paul and Silas when they were in prison they sang for Ioy and the Disciples in the Acts rejoyced that they were thought worthy to suffer for Christ. Againe it workes in a man boldnesse above naturall boldnesse and therefore it is said Acts 4. 14. that they preached the Word with great boldnesse that is with a boldnesse above a naturall boldnesse and so Luther he was indued with this Spirit of boldnesse because else he would never be so bold in the defence of the truth if he had not had another Spirit in him Againe it workes in a man wisedome above a naturall wisedome 1. Sam. 18. 12. it is said of David that the Spirit of the Lord was with him and therefore Saul was afraid of him and so Abimelech feared Abraham because he saw in him a great measure of wisdome and discretion Againe it works in a man strength above naturall strength because with the strength of nature they have another added to it Againe it will make you see above a naturall sight therefore it is said they shall not need to teach one another but they shall bee all taught of God they shall see into the excellencies that are in God Now examine your selves whether you have the Spirit or no I say by this if you have this power to worke above nature For if you haue the Spirit you shall finde your selves able to keepe downe your lusts have power and abilitie to sanctifie the Sabbath power to pray power to heare power to conferre power to meditate power to love power to obey all above nature a power to forsake life and libertie riches and honour pleasure and all things if they come in competition with Christ which no man will doe except hee have the Spirit Secondly as it giues strength and other excellent qualities above nature so it addes unto it holinesse it puts a tincture and a good dye upon all your actions it warmeth the gift of the minde and puts the heart in a frame of grace many men have a kinde of strength but they want holinesse and sanctification with it now a man is said to bee a holy man when the soule is separated and divorc'st from things that are contrary to its salvation and happinesse and joyned and united unto Christ wholly and totally then and not till then is a man a true holy man it is with a holy man in this case as it is with a spouse shee is separated from others and united unto her husband therefore they that have the Spirit have holinesse with it the vessels in the time of the Law they were holy vessels because they were appointed for Gods worship in like manner when the Spirit comes into the heart it sanctifies it and makes him a holy man by making him in all his aymes and ends to pitch upon Gods glory and this can no man doe till Christ bee
Spirit comes and workes holy affections they widen the soule and make it large and firme therefore that you may have large hearts in praier in meditation labour to get the Spirit that you may have holy affections kindled in you The fourth benefit that a Christian hath by the Spirit is this it will make the heart good because it is the proper worke of the holy Ghost to sanctifle the heart to cleanse and change and so make it good it is the worke of the Spirit to worke repentance in us a thorow change in us I call repentance a thorow change because men for the most part mistake repentance taking that for repentance which is no repentance men thinke that if they be turned this way and that way from this sinne and that sinne though it be not from every sinne and evill way that they have true repentance but they are deceived for repentance is a thorough change of the whole man consisting both of soule and body whereby the parts and faculties of both are turned a quite contrary way the heart is turned out of the way of sinne into the way of holinesse now that a partiall turning is not repentance I will make cleare by this comparison take any naturall thing that is of an earthly substance whose nature is to goe downeward yet you may force it upwards by meanes that you may use as for example water you know is of an earthly substance and the nature of it is to descend yet you see by the force and strength of the Sunne it is drawne upward first into vapors and then congealed into ice and snow and raine and then it will not rest till it descend againe but there is another ascent of the fire and that is upward and not forced but naturally doth ascend up even so a carnall man may doe the same things that a spirituall man doth hee may keepe downe some lust and he may forsake some evill he may forsake his drunkennesse and uncleannesse and his old evill haunts yea he may doe some good but yet he doth not forsake the evill neither doth he doe the good by the power of the sanctifying Spirit but by a naturall strength if he doth a good action it is by constraint he is forced by something Spirit is a free agent it workes freely of himselfe therefore to whom it goes it goes as a free gift Now that the Spirit is a free agent it appeares by this that reason makes man to be a free agent but it is the Spirit that gives reason therefore the Spirit must needs be most free Thirdly the Spirit must be a free gift by his carriage to them hee will save hee might have chosen the elder and not the younger hee might have chosen Esau and not Iacob or if he would have chosen the younger then hee might have brought him first out of the wombe but he will not because he is most free in his choice he will save Iacob and cast off Esau and so he might have chosen honourable and noble men to have both preacht the Gospell and to be all saved by the Gospell he might have chosen them only for salvation but he will not but the poore they shall receive the Gospell he will make choice of them for salvation he might have chosen Simon Magus aswell as Simon Peter but hee will not therefore you see he is free Fourthly the Spirit is free which appeares by the paucitie of them he choses he is at libertie he might have saved more but this shows his freedome he is not tyed to one more then unto another the winde bloweth where it listeth Iohn 3. 8. hee calles when and whom he will Let them come in that my house may bee full none shall come no more no lesse then I have chosen Fifthly the Spirit is a free gift which appeares by the prosecution of his decree both of Election and Reprobation nothing more free then the Spirit is he might as I said have chosen Esau and not Iacob for there cannot a reason be given wherefore he should chuse the one and not the other he will choose the wife and not the husband hee will choose the husband and not the wife hee will choose the childe and not the father and hee will choose the father and not the childe againe he will choose this man and that woman and not another man or another woman and what is the reason of it surely there can be no reason given of it but because the Spirit is free to choose and choose not thus briefely I have shewed you that the Spirit is a free gift Is the spirit a free gift and doth it worke freely then let them consider this and tremble that are not sanctified by the Spirit and in whom the spirit hath not yet wrought his good worke least they may seeme to be deprived Againe if the wind bloweth where it listeth then it stands you upon to doe as Millars are wont to doe to watch the opportunity and grind if the Spirit doth blow upon you if at any time the Spirit doth kindle any sparke of grace in you take heed of neglecting the opportunity doe not say in this case unto the spirit as Festus said unto Paul that you will heare him another time but bee sure if the spirit commands doe you runne or if he cals be sure to answer him least he call you no more I have often told you that there is a time when he will call you no more therefore thinke with your selves what a time of darkenesse and sorrow it will bee to you then when with the five foolish Virgins you shall be shut out of heaven and happinesse I say there is a time when he will sweare that you shall not enter into his rest and doe not onely labour and watch for the opportunity to take the Spirit when it is offered but labour to get the opportunity Vse the meanes whereby you may get him and for your helpe herein I will lay downe some meanes whereby you may get the spirit The first meanes to get the Spirit is this you must labour to know the Spirit for what is the reason that men doe not receive the spirit but because they know him not they doe not know him in his purity in his free working in his incomprehensible greatnesse in his increate holinesse and therefore they put off the working of the Spirit Men thinke that now their sinne in this kind is not so great as Simon Magus was it is true say they Simon Magus sinne was a great sinne and worthy of punishment because hee thought to have bought the Spirit with money but if wee well consider mens dealings now with the Spirit wee shall finde that the same sinne is committed now I say men thinke they doe not commit this sinne of Simon Magus when indeed you doe you know how great the sinne was in him and what a judgement was inflicted
comming unto him or him from receiving of him he might doe both but he will doe neither and you know the promise the Disciples they must goe unto Ierusalem and he will after a certaine time send the spirit but they must waite for him and this they did by constant prayer and they had the promise made good unto them for the holy Ghost came upon every one of them in Acts 2. 4. so if you be constant in prayer what though for the present you get him not yet at last you shall have him thus much for this meanes if you would have the Spirit you must pray and desire him earnestly The fourth meanes to get the Spirit is to obey him and this you doe when you make him good entertainment when you feed him with heavenly thoughts and doe what he would have you to doe but if you slight him set light by him and will not obey and be ruled by him you will never get him and this you doe when you resist greive and quench the spirit you resist the spirit when you resist that light which the spirit hath wrought in you when you fight against it against its reason and arguments this is a great sinne you grieve the spirit when you mingle two contraries PAVLS CONVERSION OR THE RIGHT VVAY TO BE SAVED As it is excellently well set out in divers Doctrines raised from ACTS 9. 6. And he trembling and astonished c. By the late faithful and worthy Minister of Iesus Christ IOHN PRESTON Dr. in Divinity Chaplaine in Ordinary to his Majestie Master of Emanuell Colledge in Cambridge and sometimes Preacher of Lincolnes-Inne Printed at London for Andrew Crooke 1634. The Contents of PAVLS Conversion NOthing can deject a sinner so much as the fearefull power of God pag. 108 Three things cause an astonishment Suddennesse of evil p. 181 Greatnesse  Inevitablenesse  DOCTRINE I. He that will receive Christ or the Gospell must first bee humbled p. 182 Humiliation how t is call'd in Scripture 1. Pricking of the heart ibid. 2. Poverty in Spirit p. 183 3. A melting heart ibid. 4. A trembling at the Word p. 184 Humiliation of necessity to salvation because without it men keepe backe from Christ. Two hinderances that keepemen from Christ. 1. Vnbeleefe p. 187 2. Neglect of Christ which is twofold 1. Totall refusing all offers of grace p. 188 2. Partiall having a mixture of the love of the world and Christ. p. 189 Men compared to the three grounds in the Gospel p. 190 Whether Humiliation bee absolutely necessary or no p. 191 A two fold sorrow Preparative p. 193  Godly p. 194 Godly and worldly sorrow differ in the Objects p. 195 Causes ibid. Effects p. 196 They are distinguished by the Ingredients p. 197  Continuance p. 198  Event ibid. The degrees of godly sorrow p. 199 The least measure of Humiliation is that which makes a man beleeve in Christ. p. 200 USE I. To examine our selves whether wee have received Christ or no for it must be by a deepe Humiliation p. 201 Without Humiliation no receiuing the Gospell shew'd in five particulars 1. A man will not find any need of Christ. p. 202 2. He will not hold out to entertaine Christ. p. 203 3. He will not for sake all things for Christ. p. 204 4. He will not wholly depend on him p. 205 5. He will not undergo any thing for Christs sake 206 Meanes to attaine humiliation of Spirit are I. A rectifi'd Iudgement p. 207 From a rectifi'd Iudgement proceeds sorrow for sinne in respest 1. Sinne is evill of its owne Nature p. 208 2. It is the greatest evill because it deprives us 1. Of the best outward good which is God ibid. 2. Of the chiefest good within us For 1. It deformes the beauty and strength of the inward man 2. It weakens grace within us p. 209 3. It produces evill effects ibid. 4. It needs the greatest medicine to beale it even Christ himselfe ibid. II. Humility of heart p. 210 The way to get our hearts humbled is 1. To labour for some sense of holinesse p. 211 2. To consider the punishment of sinne ibid. III. Application p. 213 IV. Bringing things to a propinquity p. 216 V. The removall of all excuses p. 818 Excuses or deceits are 1 We doe as well as the best p. 219 2 We have as good meanings as the best p. 221 3 It is our Nature to be thus and thus p. 222 4 Our condition privilegeth us p. 223 The better the condition the more reason to serve God 1 Because a greater account is to be rendred p. 224 2 Because their knowledge is the more p. 225 3 Because a greater Iudgement will bee inflicted p. 226 VI. The obtaining of the Spirit ibid. VII A joyning the Word with the Spirit p. 228 The Word will effectually humble us 1 If we get saving knowledge of the Word ibid. 2 If we receive it as the Word of God p. 229 3 If we bring it home to the Conscience p. 231 Three Rules that the Word by Application may be effectuall to humble us 1 Not to defer or put off the worke of the Spirit p. 232 2 Not to make too much haste out of humiliation p. 233 3 To proportion humiliation to the sinnes p. 235 USE II. To exhort us to get our selves throughly humbled p. 236 Motives hereunto are 1. All we doe till we be humbled is but lost labour p. 237 Reasons hereof are because 1 A broken heart is the Altar on which we must offer ib. 2 An humble soule is a fit habitation for Gods Spirit 238 3 Without humiliation no keeping close unto Christ. ib. 2. Whatsoever profession we make it is worth nothing without humiliation Reasons hereof are because without humiliation 1 A man withers will not hold out in his profession 239 2 He will not grow strong in Christ. ibid. 3 Good duties wil be chok'd as the seed amongst thornes p. 240 3. There can be no sound cōfort without humiliation 241 Two Questions answered 1 What kind of sorrow meant here p. 242 2 Whether it be of absolute necessity to salvation 243 Signes to know whether we be truly humbled or no are I. To love much p. 247 Motives to love Christ grace and holinesse are 1 To consider the goodnesse and exoellency of the thing you are perswaded to ibid. 2 To consider the good you see in Christ is yours if you be his p. 248 II. To tremble at the Word Preached p. 249 III. To be affected with the Word when it comes in the edence of the Spirit p. 251 In the Word two things 1 Meat ibid. 2 Medicine p. 253 IV. To be little in ones owne eyes p. 254 V. To yeeld a generall obedience unto Christ. p. 255 Humiliation fits the soule for obedience because 1 It makes a man see God in his holinesse and power 256 2 It makes him desire the favour of God ibid. 3 It makes him chuse God
is this seeing the object of godly sorrow is sinne whether there be any degrees of this godly sorrow To this I answer that howsoever sinne is the chiefest cause of godly sorrow yet notwithstanding it admits of degrees there are divers degrees according unto the apprehension of the thing conceived some sorrow more and some lesse according to the proportion of grace received every one in one degree or other but the cause in every one is properly sinne but these degrees of sorrow proceed from a three-fold cause First because God will give more grace unto one then unto another where he doth intend to make a great building of grace there hee will lay a deepe foundation of godly sorrow and on the contrary where he doth intend to bestow lesse grace there a lesser foundation will serve as in a temporall building no wise man will lay a great foundation to a little house but will proportion it according to his building Secondly because he seemes to love some above others hee expresses himselfe more unto some then unto others now where God will expresse a large measure of love there hee will worke a great measure of godly sorrow as a father loves that childe best that hee beats most Thirdly because some have a greater measure of knowledge then others some have received a greater measure of illumination then others now there is nothing more forceable to make a man humble then to be spiritually inlightned so long as a man or woman doth not come unto the true knowledge of sinne and the excellencies that are in Christ and grace he will never be humbled The seventh question is this what is the least measure of humiliation To this I answer the least measure of humiliation necessary is that which makes a man beleeve in Christ viz. makes him to flye unto him and to prize Christ above all things as the Prodigall he did not at the first goe unto his father but hee considered of it and when hee sees no way to escape then he saith I will goe unto my father so a Christian that hath the least measure of humiliation and godly sorrow it will make him to flye unto Christ the least measure will give him such a sight of sinne and such a glimpse of glory that hee will prize it above all things it will shew him that there is no way to escape hell but by going unto Christ that nothing will satisfie for sin but the blood of Christ nothing so excellent as grace and holinesse is it will tell him that he that will bee Christs Disciple must doe these two things First he must deny himselfe he must renounce all trust and confidence in any thing for salvation without Christ and hee must deny all abilitie to worke that which is good without the Spirit Secondly he must take up the crosse that is he must suffer what God will have him either in his name or body or goods this is the last measure requisite without which thou wilt not receive Christ and thus much for this last question Is it so that humiliation is so necessary to the right receiving of Christ and the Gospell this should teach us to consider our condition and estate whether we have this condition in us or no let every man by this try his condition whether he hath received Christ or no and this must not be outwardly but inwardly not a sorrow in shew but in substance and thinke not that a little sobbing and sighing will serve the turne a little ringing of the hands a few teares and a little hanging downe of the head but it must be a deepe humiliation such a humiliation that proceeds from the spirit in Romanes 8. 15. you have not received the spirit againe to feare but the spirit of Adoption you once had a slavish feare a feare contrary unto this true feare which was the spirit of bondage but you shall not have it againe but that humiliation shall proceed from another ground namely from the spirit of Adoption whereby you shall feare him not as a Iudge but as a Father therefore let every man enter into his owne heart and see whether this condition bee in him or no and thinke not to come unto Christ or to bee ingrafted into Christ without it for as I said howsoever it is not simply necessary on Gods part yet it is necessary on our parts because wee will not receive Christ and the Gospell till we be thorowly humbled And that you may see the necessity of this duty of humiliation I will shew you in five particulars that a man cannot receive the Gospell except he be humbled First a man or woman must be humble or else he will not receive Iesus Christ. To receive Iesus Christ is the first act of the Gospell and therefore we preach the Gospell generally unto all that whosoever will may have Christ but you must first receive him and this you will not doe till you be humbled till yee thinke you stand in need of Christ till then you will thinke the worke too great and wages too small as for example A woman must first receive her husband and bee united unto him before shee can bee made partaker either of his riches or honour so before a Christian can bee made partaker of the benefits of Christ he must deny himselfe and cleave wholly unto Christ and receive him so as to be ruled by him and to suffer for him But some men will say this is too much what must I so receive Christ that I must forsake all things for him To this I answer it is no marvaile though thou thinke so because thou art not as yet humbled but if thou wert humbled thou wouldest never sticke at any thing when a man is humbled hee is then in the condition that hee should bee both to deny himselfe take up the crosse and to follow Christ when a man is humbled then he cares not to bee trampled under foote for Christ to suffer disgrace reproach and shame for Christ but till then a man will not somethings a man will doe but not this therefore it is necessary to the receiving of the Gospell that a man be humble Secondly to receive the Gospell is to entertaine Christ into the soule hee that entertaines Christ so must retaine him and continue with him he must not take Christ for a day or a yeere but he must take Christ as a woman doth her husband for terme of life nay after life and that in such a manner with such a holy demeanor of himselfe that he may not give the least occasion of evill that may be to Christ. You must take heed of grieving the spirit and you must resist the workes of the devill if you contract with Christ you must takeheed of despising him take heed of giving the Spirit a non-plus And you must continue in all estates and keepe as the Apostle saith your profession
iudgements shall bee more if you be an example either of euill to others or evill to your selfe I say the greater you are in place the greater should be your care because the greater is your sinne Inferiors depend upon superiors consider I pray if you bee eminent in place what a good example from you will doe unto others that are under you and on the contrary what evill will follow from being carlesse and prophane they will marke you for an example to euill therefore you see that the greater conditions that you are in the more cause you haue to be humble The sixt meanes to get humiliation is this you must be earnest with God to get the spirit for this makes the law effectuall the flesh profiteth nothing it is the spirit that quickneth the law and the letter of the law will not worke grace in you no more then the flesh will except the spirit goe with it It is the spirit that alwaies enlighteneth the minde and workes a change in the whole man and puts new habits on the faculties and objects sit for those habits and here now appeares the difference betweene the Law and the Gospell nothing will make a man truely humble without the spirit If the Lord should speake unto you this day as he spake heere to Paul yet if the spirit did not shine into your hearts it would not bee effectuall to humble you it is not the word but the spirit in the word that is able to change you and make you new creatures I say if Eliah should preach unto you or one in the spirit of Eliah hee would never humble you except the spirit accompany it it will be but like the shaking of the earth unto the Iayler Acts 16. but it must bee the spirit that changes your hearts but when the spirit comes and gives but a glimps of that light in the soule then hee can cry to Paul Sirs what shall wee doe to bee saued Felix at the preaching of Iudgement can tremble but it is the spirit that opened Lydias hart to beleeue I say if you had Paul and Eliah and Iohn Baptist that came in the spirit of Eliah yet it were nothing worth if you get not the spirit therefore be ye earnest with God to get the spirit and never rest till you finde him in your soule and remember that there was a time when the Angel stirred the water at the Poole of Bethesda that they that first stepped in were healed of what disease soeuer they had So there is a time when the Lord turnes and when the spirit mooues the heart to good let vs make vse of this opportunity and strike while the Iron is hott and grinde while the the windes blow and watch euery opportunitie because the spirit will come and mooue the heart as the Angel did the water that so wee may first steppe in and bee healed therefore if you would get humiliation bee earnest for the spirit and you may haue him for asking it is Christs promise to give him if you want him it is because you doe not aske him aske therefore that you may have him and be humbled The 7th meanes is this that as we must get the spirit so we must adde the word it is true that the spirit is the only meanes to make us humble it is the efficient meanes without which nothing will humble us it is as true also of the word because the spirit makes the word as the instrumentall meanes to humble us and therefore if you would be humble you must joyne with the Spirit the Word and that you may have the word effectually to humble you you must doe these things First you must labour to get the saving knowledge of the word because it is the meanes to humble you that is the Word with the Spirit inlightens the soule for as a man that is in the darke cannot see any thing till hee have a candle so he that is ignorant of the Word he is in darknesse and cannot see his sinnes in such a manner as to humble him or as a man cannot see the motes that are in the house till the Sunne shine into the house though they were in the house before so hee that hath not the saving knowledge of the Word in his heart cannot see the severall windings and twinings and corners corruptions of his heart till by the Spirit he come unto the saving knowledge of the Word Ahab saw not the chariots and Horsemen of Israel which Micha saw because he was Ignorant of the Word and therefore the Lord saith Ierem. 31. 34. they shall know mee from the greatest unto the least they thinke they do know me but indeede they doe not but then they shall know me that is when I haue giuen them my spirit and by the spirit they haue attained unto the true knowledge of the word then they shall know me they knew me before and they knew sinne before but now they shall know sinne by the word in another manner then they did so Paul Rom. 7. saith I knew sinne by the law that is I knew sinne before but now I know sinne by the word in another manner then I did I saw it but not with that hew as I did before the law had made mee to see things in another colour then afore Labour as to get the spirit so to get the sauing knowledge of the word The Apostle saith 1 Cor. 2. 10. that the spirit searcheth the deepe things of God now these things are showne unto us by the word they are plainely discouered unto the soule in another manner then before Knowledge workes a deepe impression unto the soule of a Christian and searcheth into the corruptions of the heart into the diuers lusts of the flesh findes them poysonable and hence is humbled for where there is the greatest knowledge there is the greatest light and where there is the greatest light there is most filth seene and where there is most corruption seene there is greatest cause of humiliation therefore that the word may humble you labour to abound in knowledge Secondly as you must know the word so you must receiue the word as the word of God if you will haue the word to humble you you must receive it as Gods Word and from God for if it doe come unto you and be not received of you as the Word of God but as the word of man it will neither enlighten you nor humble you this is the difference betweene the word that is received as from God and the Word that is received as from men if you receive it as from God it will worke effectually in you it will make you to renounce the world it will worke feare and humiliation in you but if it come as the word of man it will be slighted by you it will take no solide roote in you it will wither and bring forth no fruite in you and therefore