Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	work_v	worker_n	wrought_v	33	3	7.2744	4	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A10024	Sins overthrow: or, A godly and learned treatise of mortification Wherein is excellently handled; first, the generall doctrine of mortification: and then particularly, how to mortifie fornication. Vncleannes. Evill concupiscence. Inordinate affection. and, covetousnes. All being the substance of severall sermons upon Colos. III. V. Mortifie therefore your members, &c. Delivered by that late faithfull preacher, and worthy instrument of Gods glory Iohn Preston, Dr. in Divinity, chaplaine in ordinary to his Majestie, master of Emanuel Colledge in Cambridge, and sometimes preacher of Lincolnes-Inne.	Preston, John, 1587-1628.; Preston, John, 1587-1628. Three godly and learned treatises. Selections. aut	1633 (1633)	STC 20275; ESTC S115103	166,961	286

request amongst us The third meanes if you would have your sinnes mortified is To labour to get the assistance of the Spirit for this must of necessity follow or else the other two will nothing availe us for what will it availe us though wee have a willing heart to part with sinne and what though we take paynes in the mortifying of our lusts if the Spirit doe not accompany us all is nothing worth therefore if thou wouldest have this worke effectually done thou must getthe Spirit But this may seeme a strange thing a thing of impossibility to get the Spirit for you will say How is it in our power to get the Spirit How can wee cause the Spirit to come from heaven into our hearts seeing our Saviour saith Iohn 3. 8. that the wind bloweth where it lusteth that is the Spirit worketh where it listeth now if the Spirit bee the agent and worker of every grace then how is it in our power to get him To this I answer howsoever I grant that the Spirit is the agent and worker of every grace yet I say there may bee such meanes used by us whereby wee may obtayne the Spirit and therefore the Apostle saith Rom. 8. 13. If you live after the flesh you shall dye but if you mortifie the deeds of the flesh you shall live which must bee done by the Spirit for the Apostle makes us the Agents and the Spirit the Instrument whereby hee shewes us thus much that it is possible not onely to get the Spirit but also have the worke of the Spirit ascribed unto us Now as there is a meanes to get the Spirit so also there is a meanes to hinder the Spirit so that the Spirit may be won or lost either by the doing or the not doing of thesethreethings First if thou wouldest have the Spirit then thou must know the Spirit that is so to know him as to give him the glory of the worke of every grace for how shall wee give the Spirit the glory of every grace if wee know not the Spirit And therefore our Saviour makes the want of the knowledge of the Spirit the reason that men doe not receive the Spirit Ieh 14. 17. I will send unto you the Comforter whom the world cannot receive because they know him not that is the world knoweth not the preciousnesse of the Spirit therefore they lightly esteeme of him but you know him and the excellency of him therefore you highly esteeme of him The first meanes then to have the Spirit is Labour to know the Spirit that you may give him the glory of every grace Secondly if thou wouldest have the Spirit then take heed that thou neither resist the Spirit nor grieve nor quench it First take heed thou resist not the Spirit now a man is said to resist the Spirit when against the light of nature and grace he resisteth the truth that is when by arguments and reasons and ocular demonstrations layd before him whereby he is convict of the truth of them yet knowing that they are truth he will notwithstanding set downe his resolution that hee will not doe it this is to resist the Spirit Of this resisting of the Spirit we read in Acts 6. 10. compared with Act. 7. 51. it is said of Stephen that they were not able to resist the Wisdome and the Spirit by which he spake that is hee overthrew them by argument and reason and they were convinced in their consciences of the truth and yet for all this it is sayd Acts 7. 51. Yee have alwayes resisted the Spirit as your fathers have done so doe yee that is howsoever yee were convict in your consciences of the truth of this Doctrine which I deliver yet you have set downe your resolution that you will not obey Now this is a grievous sinne for sinnes against God and Christ shall be forgiven they are capable of pardon but the resisting of the Spirit that is sinning against the light of the Spirit is desperate and dangerous Secondly what is meant by grieving of the Spirit Now a man is sayd to grieve the Spirit when he commits anything that makes the Spirit to loath the soule and therefore the Apostle saith Grieve not the Spirit Ephes. 4. 30. that is by foule speeches and rotten communication for the Apostle in the former verse had exhorted them from naughty specches Let saith hee no evill Communication proceed out of your mouthes and then presently adjoynes and grieve not the Spirit for if you give your selves to corrupt Communication and rotten speeches you will grieve the Spirit it will bee a meanes of the Spirits departure the Spirit is a cleane Spirit and he loves a cleane habitation a heart that hath purged itselfe of these corruptions Therefore when you heare a man that hath rotten speeches in his mouth say that man grieves the Spirit for there is nothing so odious and contrary to men as these are to the Spirit and therefore if you would keepe the Spirit then let your words be gracious powdred with salt that is with the grace of the Spirit proceeding from a sanctified heart and as speeches so all evill actions in like manner grieve the heart Thirdly what is meant by quenching of the Spirit A man is said to quench the Spirit when there is a carelesnesse in theusing of the meanes of grace whereby the Spirit is increased that is when men grow carelesse and remisse in the duties of Religion either in hearing reading praying or meditating Againe when a man doth not cherish every good motiō of the Spirit in his heart either to pray or to heare c. but lets them lye without practice this is a quenching of the Spirit therefore the Apostle saith 2 Thes. 5. 19. Quench not the Spirit that is by a neglect of the meanes Thirdly if you would get the Spirit you must use prayer for prayer is a speciall meanes to get the Spirit and it is the same meanes that Christ us●d when hee would have the holy Ghost for his Disciples hee prayed for him as you may see Ioh. 14. 14. I will pray the Father and hee will send the Comforter unto you that is the holy Ghost for hee can comfort indeed and hee is the true Comforter and indeed there is no true Comfort but what the Spirit brings into the heart Now that the Spirit may bee obtayned by prayer is proved Luk. 11. 13. where our Saviour makes it playne by way of opposition to earthly parents For saith hee if your earthlie parents can give good things unto their children then how much more will your heavenly Father give the holy Ghost unto them that aske him Therefore if thou wouldest draw the holy Ghost into thy heart then pray for him prayer is a prevayling thing with God it is restlesse and pleasing unto God it will have no deniall and to this purpose saith God to Moses Wherefore

dost thou trouble me that is wherefore art thou so restlesse with mee that thou wilt have no deniall till I grant thee thy desire so then if you will prevayle with God by prayer you may obtaine the Spirit The fourth meanes if you would have your sinnes mortified is To walke in the Spirit that is you must doe the actions of the new man and therefore the Apostle saith Galat. 5. 16. Walke in the Spirit Now here by the Spirit is not meant the holy Ghost but the regenerate part of man that is the new man whose actions are the duties of holinesse as Prayer hearing the Word receiving the Sacraments workes of Charity either to the Church in generall or to any particular member of it and there must not onely bee a bare performing of them for so an hypocrite may doe but there must bee a delight in them thatis it must rejoyce the soule when any opportunity is offered whereby any holy duty may bee performed But on the contrary when wee grow remisse in prayer or in any other duty the devill takes an occasion by this to force us to some sinne hereupon wee presently yeeld because wee want strength of grace which by the neglect of that duty wee are weake in Wee know some physicke is for restoring as well as for weakening thereby to preserve the ftrength of the body now this walking in the actions of the new man is to preserve the strength of the soule it preserves spirituall life in a man it enables him to fight against Corruption and lusts for what is that which weakens the soule but the actions of the old man Therefore if you would mortifie your lusts you must walke in the Spirit The fifth meanes if you would mortifie your lusts is this you must get Faith so saith the Apostle Acts 15. 9. Faith purifieth the heart that is it slayeth the corruption of the heart it mortifies every inordinate desire of the heart it purgeth out the filthinesse of our nature it makes it a new heart in quality that is it makes it fit to receive grace and who would not have a heart thus fitted to good Againe It is said Ephes. 3. 17. that Christ may dwell in your hearts by Faith as if hee should say Faith will purge the heart for where Faith is Christ is and Christ will not dwell in a rotten heart that is impure and not in some measure sanctified by the Spirit But you will say there are divers kindes of Faith What Faith is this then that thus purifieth the heart By Faith in this place is meant a Justifying Faith Faith that applyeth Christ and his righteousnesse in particular unto a mans selfe for his justification and hereupon he is raysed up to holinesse and enabled out of love unto Christ to mortifie sinne Now the order of this grace in a regenerate man is wonderfull for first the Spirit which is the holy Ghost comes and enlightens the mind then it works Faith and then Faith drawes downe Christ and when once Christ comes he takes possession of it never resting till he hath rid the heart of the evill disposition of nature with a loathing of it then the regenerate man hereupon out of love unto Christ and hatred unto sinne begins to mortifie his corruptions But you will say How can the Spirit of Christ which is the holy Ghost dwell in the heart seeing he is in heaven To this I answer that the Spirit dwells in the heart as the Sunne in a house now we know that the proper place of the Sunne is in the Firmament yet wee say the Sunne is in the house not that wee meane that the body of the Sunne is there but the beames of the Sunne are there in the house so wee say that the proper place of the holy Ghost is in heaven and when we say hee is in the heart of a regenerate man we doe not meane essentially but by a divine power and nature that is by sending his Spirit into the heart not onely to worke grace in the heart but to dwell therein Now when the Spirit hath taken possession of the heart it drawes and expells away all the darkenesse of the minde and makes it to looke and to see Christ in a more excellent manner than before assuring him of perfect Justification and remission of his sinnes And here the error of many is met withall in the matter of Mortification they will have Mortification first wrought and then they will lay hold upon Christ for remission of sinnes Oh say they if I could but finde this sinne or that sinne mortified then I would lay hold upon Christ then I would beleeve for alas how can I looke for remission of sinnes how dare I lay hold or how can I lay hold upon Christ when I finde that my corruptions have such hold on mee But these are deceived for this is contrary to the worke of the Spirit for first Faith assureth of pardon and then followes Mortification that is when a man is once assured of pardon of sinne then hee beginnes to mortifie and to slay his corruption for Mortification is a fruit of Faith and therefore the Apostle saith Phil. 3. 10. That I may feele the power of his death and the vertue of his resurrection Now what is meant by this but the two parts of repentance Mortification and Vivification The Apostle beleeved before and now he would have his faith appeare in the grace of Mortification that he might sensibly feele it And therefore if you would have your sinnes mortified you must by Faith draw Christ into your hearts The sixth meanes if you would have your sinnes mortified is to get spirituall Joy But this may seeme a strange thing to mortifie corruption by a man or a woman would rather thinke that this were a meanes to encrease sinne but it is not so for spirituall Joy is a speciall meanes to mortifiesin if we doe but consider the nature of Mortification for as I sayd before what is Mortification but a turning of the heart a working in it a new disposition Now wee know when the heart is not regenerate it is full of sorrow and joy in this estate encreaseth sinne But when the heart is turned from sinne to grace that is heavenly disposed there is a pleasant object represented unto the eye of the soule as Christ Justification Remission of sinnes and Reconciliation and hence ariseth a spirituall Joy in the soule which rejoycing is a Mortification of sinne for when a man or woman sees such excellencies in Christ as before hee so rejoyceth in them that hee loatheth whatsoever is contrary to them As a man that hath gotten a faire Inheritance which formerly was content with a small Cottage but now the right that hee hath to the other makes him despise that so it is with a regenerate man this spirituall Joy makes him basely to esteeme

senses and affect that which the minde affects and thus the will and affections hanging upon the minde it is unpossible that the will of a man should will and affect any other thing then that which the minde is affected with But here some Questions may be moved the first Question is this But is there such light in the understanding as you say then it seemes that a naturall man m●y by the light of nature come unto true knowledge To this I answer that a naturall man may come for substance as farre as a spirituall man but not in a right manner the Apostle saith Rom. 8. 5. They that are of the flesh doe savour the things of the flesh and 1 Cor. 2. 14. The naturall man perceiveth not the things of the Spirit where the Apostle saith he doth not know them at all for he wants a sanctified knowledge of them hee knowes them but not by that knowledge which is wrought by the Spirit alwaies accompanied with sanctification he knowes them for substance but not in the right manner as to be a rule to his life A carnall man may speake of spirituall things but not religiously that is with an inward feeling of that in his heart which he speakes of so also a carnall man may have light but it is but a darke light hee may have light in the understanding but it is not transcendent unto the rest of the faculties to transforme and enlighten them and therefore though he have light yet stil he remains in darkenesse The second thing to bee considered is this What it is to be heavenly minded A man is said to be heavenly minded when there is a new life put into him whereby he is able both to see and to speake of spirituall matters in a more excellent manner then ever he was And therefore the Apostle saith Ephes. 4. 23. and be renewed in the spirit of your mindes that is get a new kinde of life and light in your soule for when Christ enters into the heart of any man or woman hee puts another kinde of life into them than that which hee had by nature the Spirit workes grace in the heart and grace makes a light in the soule it makes another kinde of light then before for before there was but a naturall light a sight of Christ and salvation but with a naturall eye but now there is a spirituall light in his soule whereby he is able to see Christ in another manner and therefore it is called the light of the mind the boring of the eares and the opening of the eyes that is there is a change and alteration wrought in him wherby he can perceive spirituall things his eares are opened to heare the mysteries of salvation with a minde renewed to yeeld obedience unto them making them the rule of his life and his eyes are opened to see the excellencies that are in Christ as remission of sinnes justification and reconciliation in a more excellent manner then before hee is as it were in a new world wherehee sees all things in another mannerthen before Now I doe not say that hee sees new things but old things in a new manner hee saw Justification Remission of sinnes and Reconciliation before but now hee sees these and Christ in a more excellent manner there is as it were a new window opened unto him whereby hee sees Christ in a more plaine and excellent manner and hereupon hee is assured in the way of Confirmation of the remission of sinnes hee had a generall trust in Christ before and he saw a glimpse of him but now hee enjoyes the full sight of him that is such a sight as brings true comfort unto the soule As a man that travels into a farre Countrey sees at last those things which before he saw in a Map he saw them before but in a dar●e manner but now he hath a more exact and distinct knowledge of them even so it is with a regenerate man hee saw Christ and the privileges that are in Christ before but darkely as it were in a Map onely by a common Illumination but now hee sees them by the speciall Illumination of the Spirit through grace And therefore the Apostle saith 1 Cor. 2. 9. The eye hath not seene nor the eare heard neither hath it entred into the heart of man to conce●ve of those things that God hath prepared for them that love him Howsoever this place of Scripture bee generally expounded and understood of the Joyes of heaven yet in my opinion it is much mistaken for by this place is meant those spirituall objects that are showne unto a man when the Spirit beginnes first to enlighten him the eye hath not seene that is which it hath not seene in a right manner he never saw them in such a manner as now they are showne unto him he now sees heavenly things in another manner he sees Justification in another manner then before hec sees remission of sinnes in another manner than before so likewise hee sees sinne in another hew than before for now he sees remission of sinnes follow them as a medicine to heale them Againe hee sees Justification and Remission of sinnes in another hew he sees them in an higher manner then before he sees them now as sutable to himselfe and necessary to salvation before he saw them as good but now he sees them as most excellent As it is with a man that is well so it is with a man that is not regenerated now tell a man that is well of Balsome and Cordials what restoratives they are and what good they will doe to the body yet hee will not listen unto them because he is well and needs them not but tell them unto a man that is sicke and diseased he will give a diligenteare unto them because they are sutable for his disease so it is with a spirituall man before he be regenerate he listens not he regards not spirituall things when hee heares of Justification and Remission of sinnes hee sleightly passeth them over because he feeleth himselfe in health and findes no want of them for what should a man take and apply a plaister to a whole place that hath no need of such a thing but when hee is once renewed and mortified then hee findes these sutable to his disposition and this is to bee heavenly minded A naturall man or wom●n may talke of grace of Justification and Remission of sinnes but they cannot say that these are mine or that I stand in need of them for so saith the Apostle 1 Cor. 2. 14. The naturall man perceiveth not the things of the spirit that is he may talke of deepe points of Divinity but not by the feeling of the Spirit he may see God and Christ but not in a right manner But you may say unto mee If a man heavenly minded may see thus farre then when hee comes once unto this estate hee needs not

Apostle saith 2 Corinth 4. 5. I Preach not my selfe unto you that is I sought not mine owne prayse by using Eloquence of words but I Preach the Word purely without any mixture of any thing with it againe hee saith 2 Cor. 1. 17. When I came among you I came not in the entising words of mans wisdome lest the Crosse of Christ should be of none effect that is I came not with words more for shew than for substance hee calls the Preaching of the Word that hath any thing mixed with it wh●ther Wit or Eloquence but entising words such words as doe rather feed the humour than worke upon the conscience of a man Now a man is said to be entised when he is drawns away from that which is good unto that which is either evill absolutely or else not so good as that from which he is drawn and the truth is hee that ●seth Eloquence in the preaching of the Word doth nothing else but draw the heart away from affecting the pure Word unto that which hath no vertue in it to save Againe he Preach'd not with entising words lest the Crosse of Christ should be of none effect that is if I should preach my selfe in mixing any thing with the Word that would take away the power of the Word the Word would not be effectuall to worke grace in the heart therefore I dare not Preach after this manner lest I should deprive the Chuch of the power of the Word for if it want power to worke it will also want power to save therfore the Apostle saith 1 Cor. 10. 4. The weapons of our warfare are not carnall but mightie through God c. that is the weapons by which wee slay your corruptions and lusts are not carnall that is to say are not eloquence of speech or any human art but are mighty through God that is by God there is a secret power given unto his Word wherby it over-mastereth the lusts in the heart and worketh in it a new kinde of quality But you will say unto mee What must we doe with our learning or what must we not learne Sciences or must we shew no learning in Preaching To this I answer It is true that we had need to use all the Arts Sciences and knowledges that we can and all will be little enough for as the Apostle saith Who is sufficient for these things that is who hath the knowledge of Arts or Learning or Eloquence sufficiently to preach the Word but yet wee must take heed that wee doe not bring them unto the Word as wee finde them neither in them to shew our selves but onely mak● them as a meanes to helpe us for this worke As for example The Children of Israel might whet their sithes upon all the stones of the Philistims so a Minister may sharpen his faculties with Arts. A man that keepes sheepe he feeds them with hay not because he lookes that they should bring forth hay but Lambs and Wooll even so let a man use these Arts and Sc●ences yet not to bring forth Eloquence but to make us more able to Preach the pure Word It is good therefore that wee take heed that wee doe not ecclipse the excellencie of the Word by these Wee know apparell though it bee laid in pure gold yet so much as is covered of it detracts from the excellencie of it therefore it were better that it were alone so it is the Word though the Word may seeme to bee gilded with Eloquence or Philosophy yet it were better that it were alone for so much of it as is covered with these so much of the excellencie of the Word is hid But you will say unto me that wee use Eloquence and the like that men may the better conceive us and that our ministerie may the better bee respected for we finde this kind of teaching most pleaseth them and which most men affect therefore if we shall not use such and such phrases of Eloquence we shall be little respected amongst them To this I answer that every Minister is or should be a Physician now we know that the part of a wise Physicianis not to satisfie the humour of his Patient for so hee may encrease the disease but to labour to cure him by ministring such Physicke unto him as he knowes by experience the necessitie of the disease requireth even so to humour men in Preaching is not the way to cure them or to change the evill disposition of their nature but rather a meanes to encrease their disease and to make them obstinate and rebellious against the Word when it shall come home unto them For what is the reason that the Word is so opposed when it is Preached as the Apostle saith by the evidence of the Spirit and in power but because it crosseth their corruptions It comes not in the same manner that it was wont to doe therefore the best way should be to Preach in the Spirit that is to apply the pure Word of God unto the Consciences of men and so to purge out the sicknesse of the soule before it grow incurable There is a disease that many women have at their stomackes whereby they desire to eat ashes and other things which poysons nature now if they be not cured of it by purging out the humours that lye there but be satisfied in it it will at last destroy them so it will be with these men to satisfie them in this sicknesse of the soule is not the way to cure them but to make them more incurable therfore let Ministers looke that they Preach the pure Word and nothing but the pure Word and let men examine themselves whether they bee heavenly minded or no by their rasting and rellishing of the Word when it is Preached purely without any mixture or else when it is mixed with eloquence The fourth signe whereby you may examine your selves whether you be heavenly minded or no is to try the opinion and judgement you have of heavenly things how you conceive of spirituall things Rom 12. 2. The Apostle saith And bee renewed in the spirit of your mindes that you may know what that good and holy and acceptable will of God in Christ is Hee that is heavenly minded hath a new judgement given unto him whereby he is able to see spiritually all things in another manner then hee did before I say not that hee saw them not at all before but he saw them not in that manner that hee doth now for he is renewed in the spirit of his mind saith Saint Paul he hath a change wrought in his heart and understanding whereby hee is able to know and to doe the will of God in a more sutable manner then before he hath a new light in his soule whereby he is able to know what the will of God in Christ is that is hee knowes what God doth require to bee done by him for Christ not

carnally by a bare understanding but spiritually by the worke of the Spirit and therefore s●ith Paul 2 Cor. 5. 16. Henceforth know we no man after the flesh yea though we have knowne Christ after the flesh yet now henceforth know wee him no more that is wee knew him before in a carnall manner as he is man or as he was a man amongst us but now we know him in another manner as he is our Saviour and our Redeemer Christ my Saviour and my Reconciliation to the Father Now it is not a bare knowledge that I speake of such a knowledge as is attained unto by Learning and Art for so a man may have knowledge and yet not be heavenly minded but that knowledge I speake of is a knowledge that is wrought by the Spirit when it hath changed the heart then hee is able to judge both of Perso●s and Things 〈◊〉 for Persons hee is able to judge of the per●●●s of men and accordingly to make a difference betweene men if hee see a poore man that is a sound Christian though hee bee contemned in the eyes of the world yet if it appeare to him that he hath grace in his heart or if hee make an outward profession of love to God hee doth highly esteeme of him because of grace on the contrary if hee see a great man though in great honour and esteeme with men yet he respects him not if he want grace Therefore examine your selves whether you are able to distinguish of persons in this kinde Secondly for things he is able to judge of things whether they be spirituall or earthly he is able now to know what is truth and to embrace it and what is error and to refuse it hee hath now a Touch-stone in himselfe that is hee hath the Spirit of discerning whereby he makes tryall of graces and layes hold on those which will endure the touch those hee will receive as spirituall the other which will not he casts out as counterfeit therefore the Apostle saith 1 Cor. 2. 9. The eye hath not seene nor the eare heard neither have entred into the heart of man the things that God hath prepared for them that love him that is hee was not able to judge of things in that manner as now hee can Therefore examine your selves whether there bee a new life put into you whereby you are able to judge of persons and things in another manner than you did before But you will say unto mee How shall I know that my heart is renewed by the Spirit and that there is a new life put into me To this I answer that you shall know whether your heart is renewed by the Spirit by these three things first by thy affections secondly by thy speeches and thirdly by thy actions First I say thou shalt know it by thy affections for by these thou maist know whether thou be heavenly minded or no and that thou maist not doubt of it our Saviour gives the same marke of a renewed heart Mat. 6. 21. Where your treasure is there will your hearts be also you may know that where your heart is there is your treasure what your heart is set upon there your affections are for the proper seat of love is the heart Now if the heart be renewed and regenerated by the spirit there will be a love of spirituall things and this love will be get heavenly affections A man may certainly know what estate he is in whether hee be regenerate or no by his affections how he is affected what love hee beares unto heavenly things for there is life in affections and as a man that lives knowes that hee lives so a man that hath spirituall love in his heart towards God cannot but certainly know it except it be in time of temptation and then it may be he may not find that love of God in his heart but this sense of the want of the love of God is but for a time it continues not therfore the holy Ghost when hee would describe a heavenly minded man hee describes him by his affections as the best marke to try him by as Abraham would command his servants to serue God and Nehemiah feared God and David Psal. 112. 1. delighted greatly in the commandements of God now wherfore did they obey God and feare God and delight in the Commandements of God but because of that inward love they beare unto him We know every man can tell whether he loves such a man or such a thing or whether hee hates such a man or such a thing by the affection hee beares to them in like manner a man may know whether hee be heavenly or earthly minded by the affections he carries towards the things he affects therefore examine your selves what are the things that you love most that you thinke upon most that you take care of most that you take most care to get and to keepe are they earthly or heavenly things those things you doe love best and your affections are most set upon that your thoughts are most troubled withall if they be earthly you may iustly feare your estates for the affections flow from love and therefore if you did not love them you would not set your hearts and affections upon them Secondly you shall know whether your hearts be renewed by your Speeches now this may seeme but a slender signe of a renewed heart because it is hard to iudge aright by outward appearances to know the sincerity of the hart by the speeches yet seeing Christ makes it a signe of a renewed heart I may the more safely follow him our Saviour saith Mat. 12. 34. that out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh that is there is abundance in the heart either of good or evill Now if the heart be full of heavenly mindednesse if I say this abundance that is in the heart be grace then it will appeare in the speeches for the speeches doe naturally flow from the affections that are in the heart but if the abundance that is in the heart be evill then the heart cannot but send out foule speeches and rotten communication and therfore our Saviour saith A good tree cannot bring forth evill fruit nor an evill tree good fruit it is unpossible that a heart which doth abound and is full of earthly mindednesse but it will breake forth and appeare by his speeches the filthinesse that is in his heart if it have not vent it will burst as wee know a new vessell that hath wine put into it must have a vent or else it will burst and by the vent you may know what wine it is so the speeches are the vent of the heart and by them you may see what is in the heart if grace be there the speech s will favour of it as a Caske will taste of that which is in it But you will say The heart is of a great depth