meditate power to love power to obey all above nature and a power to forsake life and libertie riches and honour pleasure and all things which no man will do except he have the Spirit Secondly as it gives a strength and an excellent qualitie above nature so it adds unto it holiness that is it puts a tincture of goodness upon all your actions it warmeth the gifts of the minde and puts the heart in a frame of grace many men have a kind of strength but they want holiness and sanctification with it Now a man is said to be a holy man when the soul is separated and divided from things that are contrarie to its salvation and happiness and joyned And then joyned and united unto Christ wholly and totally Then and not until then is a man a true holy man it is with a holy man in this case as it is with a spouse she is separated from others and united to her husband are joyned to the Spirit have holiness with it and separated from sin The vessels in the time of the Law they were holy vessels because they were appointed to Gods worship in like maner when the Spirit comes into the heart it sanctifies it and makes him a holy man by making him in all his aims and ends to pitch upon Gods glory And this can no man do till the spirit of Christ be his In Cant. 6. 3. The Church saith I am my Beloveds and my Beloved is mine That is because he is my husband and I am his spouse therefore I will labour to be like him in holiness And our Saviour prayeth for this holiness for his Disciples In Ioh. 17. 17. Sanctifie them through thy truth thy word is Truth That is the word is the means to work holiness in them when they want holiness they want all things for when profit and pleasure comes then the Spirit of holiness is as it were plucked from them but when they have the Spirit then they see the vanitie of these earthly things therefore it is that men are deceived with false and counterfeit wares because they want the Spirit of discerning but when the Spirit of God comes into the heart of a Christian then it shewes him the vanitie of these things and this he doth by enlightning the mind and therefore it is that they are kept from playing the Adulteresses with these things because they have the Spirit of discerning Now examine what strength above nature what conjunction of holiness have you with it what Spirit of discerning have you are not these things in you then you have not the Spirit The third sign whereby you shall know whether you have the Spirit or no is this examine when and by what means it came into thy heart This is the sign that the Apostle makes in Galat. 3. Did you saith he receive the Spirit by the work of the Law or else by Faith preached That is if you have the Spirit then tell me how you came by it how and by what means came he first into the heart But here all the Question is how a man may know whether the Spirit be come into the heart in the right manner or no. To this I answer That this you must know that the onely means to receive the Spirit into the heart that is the right conveyance of the Spirit into the heart is by the word purely preached That is when it comes in the evidence of the Spirit purely without the mixture of any thing of mans with it and further you shall know whether you have received the Spirit by the Preaching of the word by these two things 1. By the Antecedent 2 By the Consequent First I say you shall know it by that which went before I say if the spirit hath been brought into the heart by the word then there will be a deep humiliation wrought in the soul for sins And then Christ and the Spirit comes into the heart begins to cheer up the dejected sou and hereupon there will be a through change wrought in the whole man and it must needs be so because the nature of the spirit is first to pull down what mans corruptions have built And then to lay the foundation of the spiritual building Humilitie And then afterwards to rear the buildings of grace in the soul. As for example if you would know whether the plants receive vertue from the Olive or no Then you must know that first they must be cut off from their own stock and then they must be ingrasted into that and then see whether they have the fatness of the Olive and then whether they bear the Olive leaves So a Man that hath not received the the spirit by the word he shall see it by the ripeness of sin the corrupt branches the bitter fruit that comes and is brought forth by him But on the contrarie if the word by the spirit hath cut you down and humbled you throughly by the light of your sin and then ingrafted you into Christ by working in you a saving a justifying faith and if it hath made you fat and well liking in grace that you have brought forth better fruit then you could do before then surely the spirit came into the heart the right way and works in the right manner but as I said it will first humble you by the word as in Iohn 1. 8. The Spirit shall reprove the world of sin of Righteousness and of judgement First he will reprove them of sin to humble them Secondly of righteousness because they have not believed the all-sufficiencie of Christ. Thirdly of judgements that they might change their opinions that they might do those things and bring forth that as fruit is agreeable to Gods will Secondly consider the consequence that is look to the thing that followeth the spirit where it comes in Where the spirit comes it works a through change in the soul I call it not a bare change but a through change for as there may be a glistering shew of something like gold that is not gold so there may be a cessation and a change from sin but not throughly or heartily and so not at all for what will it avail Herod to forsake some and like of Iohn Baptist in some things well if he will not forsake all and like of Iohn Baptist in reproof of all In like manner what if you change your opinions of some sins That is what if ye esteem some sins to be sins indeed if you have no the like opinion of all whatsover you think of your selves as yet you never had the spirit Therefore if you would know whether you have the sanctifying spirit or no in you then examine whether there be a through change wrought in you That is whether you do not esteem every sin to be sin but also what spiritual life you finde in you I say you shall know whether the holy spirit be in you by this
Heb. 11. That is faith in Christ made him to chuse grace before the things of this world but it was not thus with the other he chose it not out of faith as Moses did that is he saw not Gods Commandments carnal men they do many things but they do them not to this end for then and not till then is a spiritual man strong when he will let life riches honor pleasure liberty and all go for Christ which he cannot do without faith The natural man will never do this this is the only property of faith which is a supernatural work in the soul and therefore the Holy Ghost saith they suffered with joy the spoiling of their goods that is they let them willingly go life and liberty and all shall go before Christ shall go A noble Romane may do some thing for his country and for himself but there is a by end in it that is he doth it not in a right manner to a right end but the spiritual strong man doth all things in a spiritual manner to a saving end the one doth it for vain glory but the other in uprightness of heart For in faith there is a double work First it empties a man that is as a man that hath his hands full cannot take another thing till he hath let his handful fall so when faith enters into the heart of a man it empties the heart of self-love self-will that is it purgeth out the rubbish that is naturally in every mans heart and lets all go to get hold on Christ all shall go then life and honour profit and pleasure and he is the truely spiritual man that can thus lose the world to cleave to Christ and miserable are they that cannot and by emptying himself of himself he is filled with the power of Christ. Secondly As it empties the heart of that which may keep Christ out of the soul so in the second place he seekes all things in God and from God that is he first seekes Gods Love and Gods blessing upon what he doth enjoy and then he goes unto secondary means and useth them as helpes but a man that wanteth faith he will not let all go for Christ he will not seek first unto God in any thing but unto secondary means and then if he fails that is if he want power to supply then it may be he will seek unto God and hence it is that he will not lose his life or liberty or honour for Christ because he sees more power and good in the creature then in God Again this makes the difference between the Christian and Christian namely Faith and hence it is that some are weak and others are strong hence it is that some are more able then others for the greatest duties of Religion as for example Caleb and Ioshua can do more then the rest of the people and what is the reason but because they were stronger in the faith then others And so Paul said of himself that he could do more then they all because Paul had a stronger faith for the truth of a mans strength is known by his strength of faith that he hath it discovers whether he be naturally strong or spiritually strong for this is the first work of the spirit after Humiliation in the conversion of a sinner namely to work faith in him and no sooner faith but assoon strength and the promise followes faith He that believeth and is baptixed shall be saved but he that believeth not shall be damned Mar. 15. 15. And this is the course that we take first we preach the Law unto you and we do it to this end to humble you and to break the hard disposition of your hearts that so they may be fit to receive Christ And when we have thereby humbled you then we Preach unto you the Gospel beseeching and exhorting you to believe in Christ for the pardon of sins past present and to come and to lay down the arms of Rebellion which you have taken up against Christ and you shall be saved And yet notwithstanding how few are either humbled by the one or perswaded and provoked by the other but are as the Prophet saith having eyes and see not ears but they hear not that is seeing they do not see and hearing they do not hear as for example when a man is shewed a thing but yet he mindes it not that is the eye of the mind is upon another object that man may be said to see and not to see because he doth not regard it or a man that hath a matter pleaded before him hears it but his mind being otherwise imployed he regards it not in that respect he may be said to hear and not to hear because he mindes it not And what is the Reason that we Preach the Law and the judgements of God so much unto you and what is the Reason that we beseech and intreat you so often to come in and receive Christ and you shall be saved time after time and day by day and yet we see how little efficacie the word hath what is the reason that the word wants this effect in you as not to humble you what is the reason that you are not more affrighted with the judgements of God then you are what is the reason that you remain as ignorant and careless as ever you were but because you do not believe that is you want a true saving and applying faith for if you had the word would work other effects in you then it doth as for example if one should tell a man that such a benefit or Legacie is befaâ—n him that would raise him to great honour though before he lived but in a mean condition if this man did but believe it surely he would be affected with it and rejoyce So truly if you did but believe that Christs Grace and Salvation were so excellent and that Holiness and the strengthening of the Inward man would bring you to so happy a condition and estate as to be the heirs of Heaven you would rejoyce in Christ and grace onely Again if you did but believe that the word of God is true and that God is a just God I say if the drunkard did but believe that the drunkard shall be damned or if the Adulterer did believe that no Adulterer should inherit the Kingdom of God and of Christ or if the prophane person and the Gamester did but know that they must give an accompt for all their mispent time and idle words and vain communication they would not sport themselves in their sins as they do Again if we did but believe that God calleth whom and when he pleaseth and that many are called but few are chosen that is if a man consider that though here be a Church full of people yet it may be but a few of them shall be saved I say if a man did but believe this surely they would not defer their repentance That
plyable then it is a sign the spirit is there It is true a strong man may have passion but it is but now and then that is it continueth not it is not alwayes yet so much passion as he hath it is so much weakness in him therefore labour to overcome your passions The third sign whereby you shall know whether your judgements are rectified or no is this Examine what contentment you have to bear losses and crosses I gather this out of the Phil 4. I can saith the Apostle want and abound I can do all things through Christ that strengtheneth me examine then whether when you are abused and reproached for Christ whether you can bear it patiently that is can you be content to suffer reproach and disgrace for Christ if you can then it is a sign that you are strong in judgement if not you are weak whatsoever you think of your selves In the Prov. 17. saith Solomon A wise man is known by his dignitie so I may say a man that is strong in the inward man is known by his bearing of reproach without seeking for revenge again this man is spiritually strong in judgement Therefore try your judgements by your contentedness and ability to bear the reproaches of Christ. The fourth sign whereby you shall know whether you have rectified judgements is this examine whether you find your selves easie to be deceived if so it is a sign that you are weak in judgement And therefore this is the Argument that Paul useth to women that they should not usurp authority over the man 1 Tim 2 12. I permit not a woman to bear rule because she was first deceived That is she is easilier deceived then the man in the judgement between good and evil As for example a man that is weak in judgement is like a childe and you know children will be won with Counters feared with bugbears so if you love the world and the things of the world and are won by them and feared with the losse of them you are weak in judgement That is you are weak in the inward man Again in things that are good in themselves if you use them immoderately and then seek to excuse them by putting a false gloss upon them you are weak in judgement As for example In studying the Law the thing in it self is good but if you by studying it seek to excuse your selves from strengthening the inward man that you have no time nor leisure you are weak in judgement because you are easie to be deceived Therefore as you are affected with these things and as they prevail with you so you may judge of your selves The fifth sign whereby you shall know whether your judgements are rectified is this examine whether you are in the times of tryal as you are in these times so you are either strong or weak and so God esteems of you for God esteems a man strong as he is in the times of trial Thus he approved of Abraham for Abraham in the time of tryal was strong and Paul in the time of tryal was strong and therefore God set a price upon them that is he prized them at a high rate Abraham is his friend and Paul is his chosen vessel and not only when the temptation is past but when the temptation is present Then see your strength whether you have strength to Master particular corruptions if in this time you start aside you have flawes and much weakness in you That is you are like a broken bowe that will serve for shew as well as the best but when a man comes to draw it then it breaks so some men seem to be strong in Christ till they are tryed but when they are drawn up then they break That is they have no strength to withstand sin And therefore it is that God many times sends temptations and afflictions to try men That is to see what is in them whether they be such as they seem or not not that he knowes not before but because by his tryal others may know what they are And here God makes a difference in tryals some are tryed by small others by great tryals partly because Hypocrites may be known and partly because he may stir up the godly to get more strength As also warn them not to depend on their own strength therefore in the Isai 40 last of strong they became weak That is he that thought himself to be strong in his own apprehension is weak and thus much for the third means The fourth means if you would grow strong in the inward man is this you must remove the excuses and those impediments which hinder the growth of the inward man The first hinderance is this when you spend your strength upon other things and not in the strengthning of the inward man therefore you must be wise to take away those things that you spend most of your time about and set them for the strengthning of the inward man This is the reason you grow not all your time and affections are so after the things of the world and how you may grow strong in that that you cannot minde heavenly things Again you hinder the growth of the inward man when you set your mind affections upon base and vile things this hindereth the growth of the inward man such a man is a weak man in grace As for example A man that hath mony to bestow at market if when he shall come there he shall bestow it upon bawbles and not upon the things he was sent to buy this man were a foolish man especially he knowing that he shall be called to an accompt for it how he hath laid it out even thus and much more foolish are men when they spend their time on their pleasure and lusts which are base things and not in strengthning the inward man they forsake a great prize that would inrich them but because they want knowledge that is they are weak in the inward man They are not able to judge of spiritual things Therefore never bragg of your strength except it be the strength of the inward man and take heed of neglecting the time Paul would have the gathering for the poor before he came that that might not hinder him from strengthning of the inward man though that was a holy work It was a good speech of one after he had spent much time in writing about controversies at last concludes I have saith he spent a great deal of time but not in strengthning the inward man the Divel hath beguiled me but he shall never go beyond me any more that time that I have I will spend to another end It were wisdom in you to do the like You that have spent and do spend your time upon trifles and bawbles that is about your lusts conclude that now for your time to come you gather your strength and bend all your labours and pains to this end for