The Excellency of a Gracious Spirit, Part 1 · Chapter 10
CAP. X.Cap. 10.
That all thoſe whoſe ſpirits God hath thus differenced, ſhould improve this Mercy, by walking not as other men.
IF God hath beene mercifull to you, in giving you another ſpirit, improve this mercy; ſhew in all your wayes that you are acted by another ſpirit: let the renewed ſpirit guide you, let the beauty and excellency of it appeare: If wee live in the ſpirit, let us walke in the ſpirit, ſayes the Apoſtle, Gal. 5. 25. The works of the fleſh are manifeſt, Gal. 5. 19. Why ſhould not the works of the ſpirit be ſo too? God hath beautified your ſpirits with his owne Image, in this hee hath honoured you, that you might honour him, in holding forth the beauty and excellency of his Image; he hath made you a peculiar people, to that end that you might ſhew forth the vertues of him, who hath called you out of darknes into his marvellous light, 1 Pet. 2. 9. It is a diſhonor to a parent, or any ſpecial friend, to hang his picture in ſome dark hole, in ſome obſcure contemptible place; it is expected we ſhould make it conſpicuous, that we ſhould hang it in ſome eminent place, ſo as to manifeſt that wee rejoyce in it, as an ornament to us. It is a great evill to obſcure the Graces of Gods Spirit, to keepe in the work of God upon our ſpirits, in which hee hath ſet out the glory of his owne Image, to that end, that he might be glorified in us before men & Angels. Every man delights in the expreſſion of that, wherin he eſteems his excellency to conſiſt, be it Eloquence, Wiſdom, or any Art, wherin he hath attained any eminency; yea, if he accounts his excellency to conſiſt in his riches, in his honor, in his beautie, he loves to make them appear before others; as the Prophet in another caſe, Eſa. 60. 1. Ariſe and ſhine, for the light is come, and the glory of the Lord is riſen upon thee. If God hath ſhined upon your ſpirits by his grace, let your lights ſhine before men, that the world may ſee, there are men of other ſpirits, who can doe ſuch things as they cannot. Oh what beautifull, convincing cōverſations would men live, if they were onelyonly acted by this renewed ſpirit! As it was ſaid of Steven, they could not reſiſt the Spirit by which he ſpake; ſo it would be true here, men could not reſiſt that ſpirit by which you live. What doe you more than other men? ſayes Chriſt to his Diſciples, Matt. 5. 47. Men of other ſpirits muſt manifeſt in their lives, that they can do more than other men. Let me in the name of the Lord plead with you for more honour and ſervice for the Lord, than he hath from others.
Firſt, your birth is from him, you are borne of God in another manner 1than others are, and therefore it muſt not be with you as it is with others. Men of high birth will not live as other men doe. Hence we read of a cuſtome amongſt the Heathen, they were wont to derive the pedigree of their valiant men from their gods; to this end, though the thing were not true, yet they beleeving themſelves to be a Divine off-ſpring, they might upon confidence there of, undertake higher attempts than others, with the more boldneſſe: Much higher things ſhould thoſe endeavour after, who are indeed borne of God.
Secondly, God hath put forth an other manner of power out upon 2your ſpirits, than upon other men; other men have but a generall common influence of Gods power let into their ſpirits: but he hath manifeſted the exceeding greatneſſe of his power in you; as, Eph. 1. 19. obſerve the gradation there; the Apoſtle ſpeaking of the power of God, put forth upon thoſe that doe beleeve, expreſſes it in a ſixfold gradation.
1 It is his power; onelyonly the power of a God could doe it.
2 It is the greatnes of his power.
3 It is the exceeding greatneſſe of his power.
4 It is the working of his power.
5 It is the working of his mighty power.
6 It is the ſame power by which he raiſed Chriſt from the dead, and ſet him at his right hand in the Heavens, farre above all Principality, and Power, and might. Now God doth not uſe to put forth great power, but for great purpoſes; he uſes not his extraordinary power, for ordinary things: when ſupernaturall power is put forth, it is, that it might raiſe to ſupernaturall operations.
3 Againe, God doth put other abilities 3into you, that others have not: that grace with which hee hath endued your ſpirits, is a ſparke of his owne divine nature; as you have heard, it hath a divine power with it, and a divine activity in it; that is expected from you, that none can doe by an inferiour power, as by the ſtrength of parts, education, morall principles: if your lives bee not beyond the higheſt of thoſe who have none other principles than Vniuſcu juſque caſus, tanto majoris eſt crimin…s, quanto priuſquam caderet majoris crat virtutis. Be…n. de inter. domo. c. 50.ſuch to raiſe them; you diſhonour God, and his grace, and your holy profeſſion.
Fourthly, your ſpirits have beene made acquainted with more truths; God hath revealed to you the ſecrets of his Counſels, of his Kingdome; 4he hath ſhowne you himſelfe, his Glory, his Majeſty, Soveraingty, Holineſſe; he hath ſhowne you the reality, beauty, excellency, equity of his bleſſed wayes: Hee hath made known to you the certainty, the infinite conſequence of the things of eternitie; the vileneſſe, pollution, poyſon, danger of ſin: he hath given you experiences of the things of heaven, the ſweetneſſe of his wayes, the diſtreſſe of conſcience for ſinne.
Fifthly, he hath ſeparated you for himſelf, he hath takē you into a near 5communion unto himſelfe; though God is to be feared by all, yet more eſpecially in a higher degree, hee is to bee feared in the aſſembly of his Saints, and to be had in reverence of them that are about him, Pſa. 89. 7.
Sixthly, God hath put other dignities 6upon you, that hee hath not put upon other men; he hath made you Citizens of the new Ieruſalem, favorites of heaven, heires, co-heires with the Lord Jeſus Chriſt. God hath raiſed you above the condition of men; and therefore you muſt not walk as men. The Apoſtle, 1 Cor. 3. 3. blamed the Corinthians that they did walke as men: Hee hath redeemed you from the earth, Revel… 4. 3. Therefore you muſt not walke as the men of the earth: God hath not dealt thus with other people, they know not what theſe things meane. Therefore well may the Lord expect from you other manner of ſervice and honour, than he hath from other men.
Seventhly, more depēds upon you, 7than upon others; the waight of many ſervices depends all upon you, which are no wayes expected to bee performed by others: What ſhall become of Gods Name, his Glory, the fulfilling his will in the world, if men whoſe ſpirits are fitted for his ſervice, ſhould not live in a higher way of holineſſe, and doe more for him, than others? God expects great things from you, Eſay 63. 8. I ſaid, ſurely they will not lie: When others are baſe, unfaithfull and vile in their wayes, yet God rejoyceth in this, that hee hath a generation in the world; a choyce company of other ſpirits, pretious & excellent ſpirits, and hee ſhall have other dealings from them.
Eighthly, your ſinnes goe nearer to the heart of God than others: Other 8men may provoke God to anger, but you grieve his Holy Spirit. God tooke it very ill at Salomons hand, that hee dealt ill with him after hee had appeared twice to him, 1 King. 11. 9. How often hath God appeared to your ſoules? What gracious viſitatiōs have your ſpirits had from him? It is a ſhamefull thing indeed for you to fall as other men doe: It was an aggravation of the fall of Saul, 2 Sam. 1, 21. That the ſhield of the mighty was caſt downe, the ſhield of Saul, as though he had not beene anoynted with oyle; for you to fall, as though you had not beene anoynted, as others which have no ſuch oyntment powred upon them; this is a great and ſore evill.
Ninthly, the eyes of many are 9upon you; the Name of God, the cauſe of God is engaged in you.
Tenthly, you are appointed by God to be the Judges of other men; 101 Cor. 6. 2. Doe you not know that the Saints ſhall judge the world? yea, Verſe 3. Know you not that wee ſhall judge the Angels? God will bring your lives and wayes before all the world to judge the world by, and therefore they had need to bee very exact, and to have ſomething in them more than ordinary. It is a ſhamefull way of reaſoning, for any man to reaſon for ſinne, by examples; as it like a theeſe, he would faine ſcape in the crowd; but much more ſhamefull is it, that any godly man ſhould bee found to argue for ſinne this way, for this is an aggravation of ſinne, not a leſſening of it, as if I ſhould ſay, God hath diſhonour by ſuch and ſuch, and therefore why may he not have ſome more by me? Sinne is a ſtriking at God, and every ſinner ſtrikes at him, and thou commeſt running for thy ſtroake too. What? wilt thou have thy blow alſo at him? and, what thou? for whom the Lord hath done ſuch great things? as Caeſar ſaid to Brutus, when foreign.in the Senate-houſe, tho Senators had wounded him, with many ſore wounds, and Brutus hee comes alſo for his ſtroake, whereupon Caeſar lookes on him, and ſayes to him; What? and thou my ſonne Brutus too? Conceive as if thou ſaweſt the Lord looking on thee, and ſaying thus to thee, when thou ventreſt upon any ſinfull way upon the example of others.
But in what particulars ſhould we manifeſt this choicenes of our ſpirits, in wayes differing from others?
Anſw. In theſe eſpecially:
1 In ſelfe deniall: ſhew that you can deny your opiniōs, your deſires, your wills, though you have a ſtrong mind to a thing, though you have fit opportunities to enjoy your deſires, yet if you ſee God may have more honor any other way, you can freely & readily without diſturbance, without vexing yeeld; and doe not deceive your ſelves in this, be eaſily convinced in particulars, which are for God againſt your ſelves; the excellency of a mans ſpirit is much ſeen in this. Many conceit an excellency of ſpirit to bee in ſelfe-willedneſſe, in being paſſionate, froward, and boiſterous; Certainly this comes from weaknes of ſpirit, no excellency is required for this, every foole can bee thus; but that is excellency, to bee able to ovērcome, to rule ones ſpirit, to have command of ones ſpirit, to ſubdue and bring in order paſſions, and violent ſtirrings of ſpirits; this is pretious and honourable in the eyes of God and man: this is a well tempered ſpirit indeed, that can be ſtrong, zealous, full of courage, unyeeldable in the cauſe of God and the Church; but meeke, quiet, yeeldable, ſelfedeniable in its own cauſe: thoſe who uſually are the moſt boiſterous, and paſſionate for themſelves, are the pooreſt ſpirited men, and the moſt baſely yeelding, when it comes to the cauſe of God.
2 Shew the excellency of your ſpirits enabling you to doe that which others cannot doe, by loving your enemies, praying for them; doing them all the good you can; this is the ſpeciall thing our Saviour commands to his Diſciples in that 5. Mat. when he would have them doe more than others doe.
3 Feare the leaſt ſinne, more than the greateſt ſuffering; Morality raiſes the ſpirit higheſt next to Grace, and yet a meere morall man, accounts it fooliſhnes, to be ſo nice as not to yeeld in little things, for the avoyding of great ſufferings; but a gracious ſpirit thinks the leaſt truth of God worthy to bee witneſſed to, by the loſſe of his deareſt comforts, It was a brave ſpirit of Zwinglius expreſſing it ſelfe thus, in his 3. Epiſt. Q…as non oportet mortes praeetigere, quod non ſupplicium putius ferre, into inquam proſundim inferni ab…ſtum non incrare, quam contra conſcientiam atteſtari?and ſuffering the greateſt evils; yea, he accounts ſuffering for ſmall things the moſt honourable ſufferings of all, as teſtifying the greateſt love; as Davids Worthies ſhewed their deareſt love to him, in ventring their lives to get him a little water.
4 Prize opportunities of ſervice more than al outward contentments in the world; a gracious heart thinks it honor enough, that Gods imploies it; he is not onelyonly willing to goe on in his worke, though outward contentments come not in, but increaſe of ſervice for God, hee eſteemes ſo great a good, as hee accounts the want of outward things made up in it; Though I get not ſo much by that I doe as others, yet I bleſſe God, I can goe on in my worke as chearefully as others, for contentment is made up to mee in this, that God will imploy mee in his ſervice more than others.
5 Make conſcience of time; this felv doe; few regard the fillings up of their time, their ſpirits having no excellencie in them, they cannot make uſe of their time in any worthy employments for God, to themſelves, or others; but a man of an excellent ſpirit knows how to employ himſelf in things that are excellent, and therfore prizes the time he hath to worke in, and is conſcientious in the ſpending of it.
6 Make conſcience of thoughts, and ſecret workings of heart, of ſecret ſinnes to avoid them, and ſecret duties to performe them; a man that hath a pretious ſpirit, doth not like to have it runne waſt in extravagant thoughts, and affections; the thoughts of his minde are pretious, the affections of his heart are pretious, as his ſpirit is pretious: Wee let water runne waſt, becauſe wee put no price upon it; we think it little worth, and therefore we let it run to no uſe; but if it were ſome pretious liquor, ſome pretious oyle, compounded of deare ingredients, wee would not doe ſo, but would be carefull to ſave every drop; this is a pretious ſpirited man indeed, who knowes how to lay out his thoughts, and his affections at the beſt advantage, and will not laviſh them our to no purpoſe.
7 Make conſcience of the manner 7of performing holy duties, as well as of the doing of them, and looke after them, what becomes of them when they are done; this is not according to the common ſpirits of the world, who thinke to put off God with flat, poore, and dead ſervices; A gracious ſpirit hath much of the excellency of his ſpirit acting in holy duties, and therefore hee doth much mind them, and lookes much after them; but others have little of their ſpirits acting in them, and therfore they are little regarded, little looked after by them.
8 Rejoyce in the good of others, 8though it eclipſes thy light, though it makes thy parts, thy abilities, thy excellencies dimmer in the eyes of others; were it not for the eminency of ſome above thee, thy parts perhaps would ſhine bright, and bee of high eſteeme; yet to rejoyce in this from the heart, from the ſoule to bleſſe God, for his gifts and graces in others, that his Name may be glorified more by others, than I can glorifie it my ſelfe, to bee able truly to ſay, Though I can do little, yet bleſſed be God, there are ſome who can doe more for God than I, and in this I doe, and will rejoyce; this is indeed to be able to doe much more than others, this ſhewes a great eminencie of ſpirit: All the parts, gifts, abilities, that any man in the world hath, where this is not, come farre ſhort of this excellencie; to be able to doe this, is more than to bee able to …xcell others in any excellencie whatſoever, if this bee wanting: If God hath given thee this, hee hath given thee that which is a thouſand times more worth than ſtrong parts, and abilities, in which thou might'ſt have been farre more eminent, than thou now art, or than others are.
9 If thou wilt ſhew the excellency 9of this ſpirit in ſome choyce thing, then labour to keep the heart low in proſperitie, and man heavenly cheerefulneſſe in adverſitie; not only contented, but joyfull, in a quiet, ſweet, delightfull frame: In the greateſt difficulties and ſtraits, when you are put upon hard things, go on in your way with what ſtrength you can, without vexing, diſtracting thoughts, let your ſpirits bee ſtayed on God quietly, & meekly committing your ſelves and cauſe to him, as the people of God in the 26. Eſay 8. They profeſſe their willingnes in all quietneſſe to wait upon God, in the wayes of his judgements; and they give the reaſon, becauſe the deſire of their ſoule is to his Name, and to the remembrance of him. If in the times of our troubles, the deſires of our ſoules were to Gods Name, and to the remembrance of him, and not unto our own names, and to the remembrance of our ſelves, we ſhould not have ſuch ſinking, diſcouraged, diſquiet, vexing ſpirits as we have. The ſpirits of moſt men, if any difficult thing befall them, they are preſently in a hurry, ſo diſquiet and tumultuous, that all the peace and ſweetneſſe of them is loſt, and they hinder themſelves exceedingly, both in the buſineſſe they are about, adding much to the difficulty of it, and in all other buſineſſes that concerne them. This notes much diſtemper of ſpirit, like diſtempered fleſh of a mans body, if it be but toucht with the finger, or the leaſt aire come to it, it preſently feſters and ranekies.
10 Be more carefull to know the 10fountain from whence all your mercies come, & to have a ſanctified uſe of them when you enjoy them, than to have the poſſeſſion of them, or delight in them: An ordinary ſpirit lookes at nothing, but only to have the thing it deſires, is not ſolicitous about the fountaine from whence they ſpring, nor carefull to attaine any ſanctified end, to which they tend, looks not at them as from God, neither uſes them for GOD; but where all theſe are, here is the work of a choice pretious ſpirit indeed, the peculiar work of it; this is to do more than others, and thus Gods ſervants muſt doe, or elſe they can never live convincing lives. While Pharaoh and his Magicians ſaw, that Moſes did no more than they could doe, they were not convinced; but when Moſes did that which they could not doo; then they acknowledged the finger of God: So it is here, while wicked men ſee thoſe that are religious, doe onelyonly ſuch things as they could doe if they would, as going to Sermons, ſpeaking of good things, they are never convinced by them; but when they fee them do ſome thing, which their conſciences tell them they cannot do, then they are forced to acknowledge, that there is a reall excellencie in godlineſſe which they have not, as Chriſt ſaid once, If I had not done thoſe things that no man did, they had not had ſinne, Ioh. 15. 24. It aggravated the ſinne of the Jewes, that they did not beleeve in Chriſt, notwithſtanding he did thoſe works amongſt them that no man ever did. So, if godly men did manifeſt the choiceneſſe of their ſpirits amongſt the men of the world, in doing ſuch as none other can doe, this if it did not convert them, and bring them in love with Gods wayes, it would certainly much aggravate their ſinne, and increaſe their condemnation. It is therfore a moſt ſhamefull thing, that thoſe who make a great ſhew and profeſſion of godlineſſe, ſhould in their lives be no more than equall unto, yea be lower than others, who are meerly Morall; lower than a Socrates, than a Fabritius, than others of the Heathen. How many civill morall men go… beyond them who would be taken for godly? they are more meeke, and patient, more courteous, more faithfull and truſty, more liberall and helpfull, more ingenuous and candid. Many ſervants who would ſeeme godly, are not ſo obedient, ſo diligent, ſo humble, and ſubmiſſive, ſo conſcionable in their worke, as others, whom they judge meerly carnall: So, many wives, not behaving themſelves with that quietneſſe, reſpectiveneſſe, love, and obedience to their husbands, as others, whom they themſelves judge to be onelyonly civill: In like manner, many husbands, and maſters of families, who profeſſe godlineſſe, yet in their houſes are more froward, more dogged, more churliſh, cruell, and bitter to wife and ſervants, than others, whom they eſteeme onelyonly carnall: So, many children more ſtout to their parents, and parents more negligent in the care they ought to have of their children, than others.
What a ſhame is it, ſaies S. Hierom, that faith ſhould not be able to doe Vt non praſtet ſides, quod praſtitit infide… as.that, that infidelity hath done? What? not better fruit in the garden, in the vineyard of the Lord, then in the wilderneſſe? What? not better fruit grow upon the tree of life, than upon the root of nature? Cap. 11.Where lies the power of godlineſſe? If it carries, not men beyond theſe, what is it to live godly in Chriſt Jeſus? in the vertue, in the power, and life of Chriſt Jeſus, if it doth not enable to go beyond others? There needs no ſuch vertue, power, life of Chriſt Jeſus, to enable one to dof that, which others can doe. What? is godlineſſe but a notion, but a conceit, that it will not carry men beyond the light of nature?