The Excellency of a Gracious Spirit, Part 1 · Chapter 3 – Chapter 4
CAP. III.Cap. 3.
A diſcovery to the men of the world, whereby they may ſee that their ſpirits are not like the ſpirits of godly men.
HEnce let the men of the world ſee, there is a great difference between their ſpirits, & the ſpirits of the godly. There are men indeed of excellent ſpirits, God hath ſuch in the world, in whom he delights, with whom he converſes, whom he employes in high and excellent ſervices: but you are of baſe, ſordid, uncleane ſpirits; the ſpirit of whoredome, of lying, ſtubbornneſſe, vanity, folly is in you; your ſpirits droſſie, ſenſuall, froward, malicious, profane, ſleight, empty, unſavory, unfaithfull, perverſe: What delight can the Lord, who is an infinite, holy, glorious Spirit, take in ſuch? How farre are theſe from any communion with God? No marvell though nothing of God, or any ſpirituall thing bee ſavory to them. Oh the corrupt principles that mens ſpirits are poſſeſſed with, the corrupt rules they goe by, and corrupt ends they have in what they doe! the baſe imployments they put their ſpirits to, the noiſome diſtempers of them, and baſe comforts they feed upon! The heart of the wicked is little worth, ſayes the Scripture, Pro. 10. 20. Perhaps your Lands, your houſes may be ſomething worth, but what are your hearts worth? they are worth nothing, full of chaffe and droſſe; like childrens pockets, full of ſtones and dirt, while the ſpirits of the godly are Store-houſes of moſt choice and pretious treaſures.
When Grace is gone from the ſoule, the excellency is departed from it; as it was ſaid of Ruben, his excellency was departed, in reſpect of that ſinne of his. How many a man or woman, who have faire comely bodies, good complexion, beautifully dreſſed up; but within, ſpirits moſt ugly and horrid; ſpirits full of filth, full of venome & loathſome diſtempers; ſpirits full of wounds and putrified ſores, breeding filthineſſe continually; nothing elſe but filth and corruption iſſuing out from them: Men of corrupt mindes, as the Apoſtle ſpeakes? How unſavory to any who have the leaſt of God in them? If the Lord ſhould give men but a view of the horrid deformedneſſe, and filthineſſe of their ſpirits, it would amaze them, and ſinke their hearts in wofull horrour; they could not but abhorre themſelves, as loathſome creatures, fit to be caſt out from the Lord, as an everlaſting curſe: eſpecially, if together with the filth of their owne ſpirits, they had a ſight of the infinite brightneſſe, and glory of the holines of God, who is an infinite, pure, glorious Spirit. God abhorrs not any other filthineſſe, but the filth of ſpirits. The Devills are abhorred of God, becauſe they are uncleane ſpirits. There is no other object of Gods hatred, but the corruption of ſpirits. God made mans ſoule at firſt, a moſt excellent creature, the very glaſſe of his owne infinite wiſedome and holineſſe; but now, what an ugly, baſe, loathſome creature is it, where it is not renewed? If mens bodies were deformed, and ranne with loathſome iſſues, and putrified ſores, how dejected would they be in their owne thoughts? But certainly this ſpirit-defilement is incomparably worſe. If mens bodies were ſo putriſied, that they bred vermine continually (as it is reported of Maximinus) how grievous would it be to them? Their ſpirits have theſe loathſome diſeaſes upon them, by which they are infinitely more miſerable. If they had ſuch a diſtemper of body, as their excrements came from them, when they knew not of it; this would be accounted a grievous evill: but their ſpirits ſo corrupt, that much filth comes from them, and they know not of it. Many are ſo deeply putrified in their ſpirits, that they uſually ſweare and ſpeak filthily, and know not of it; and think this a ſufficient excuſe, that they did not thinke of it.
It is a rule in nature, that the corruption of the beſt thing, is alwayes the worſt; as a ſtain in fine Cambrick worſe than in a courſer cloth: So by how much the ſpirit of a man is more excellent naturally, than the body which is the brutiſh part; by ſo much the corruption of the ſpirit is a greater evill than any the body is capable of. The reaſon why the Devils are ſo vile and miſerable now, is becauſe ſinne ſeized upon natures which by Creation were moſt excellent. When diſeaſes ſeize on the naturall ſpirits in the body, they are the moſt dangerous & deadly. Souldiſeaſes, of al diſeaſes are the greateſt evils, and uſually prove deadly; yea, the leaſt ſpirit-corruption would moſt certainly prove deadly, were it not for the application of that blood that is more pretious than ten thouſand worlds. Spirit-defilement is ſuch a defilement as defiles every thing you meddle with; as, Tit. 1. 15. To the impure all things are impure. Of what uſe are men whoſe ſpirits are ſo vile? many make no other uſe of their ſpirits, but to be, as the Philoſopher ſaid of the ſenſitive ſoul of the Swine, it ſerved for no other uſe, but to be as ſalt to keepe the fleſh from ſtinking. How are many mens ſpirits employed about nothing elſe but to make proviſion for the fleſh, and the filthy luſts of it? O that an immortall ſpirit capable of eternall communion with the bleſſed God, and to be employed in ſuch high and heavenly exerciſes, as for which it was made, ſhould now come to be ſo farre degenerated and debaſed! Eſpecially, how vile is this, that men who in regard of eſtates and place, are raiſed above others, and be truſted with large and bleſſed opportunities of worthy ſervices for God and the Church; but they minde nothing but ſatisfying their luſts, to have their ſports; let the cauſe of God, Church, or Common-wealth lie bleeding, they regard not. What a lamentable thing is it, to have the weight of great buſineſſes of conſequence, to depend upon ſuch weak-ſpirited men, who minde nothing but vanity and baſeneſſe? they have no worthy enterprize in their thoughts, their ſpirits ſo effeminated, that they will do or ſuffer any thing for the ſatisfying of their luſts? Others there are, who have remaining in them many excellent parts, pretious naturall endowments; but of what uſe are they, but to enlarge their ſpirits to be capable of more wickedneſſe than the ſpirits of other men are, wiſe to doe evill, the fitteſt inſtruments for Sathans depths? Who ſuch enemies to Chriſt; as the Scribes and Phariſes, men of the ſtrongeſt parts? Who ſuch enemies to S. Paul when hee came to Athens, as the Philoſophers there? and no Church was founded at Athens, which was the place of the greateſt learning in the world. And thus it hath beene in other ſucceeding Ages.
CAP. IV.Cap. 4.
The Reaſon why the men of the world, and the Godly can never agree.
HEnce wee ſee the Reaſon why the men of the world, and the godly can never agree; they are men of another ſpirit. Where there is difference of ſpirits, there can be no agreement. Water and oile cannot mingle; no agreement betweene light and darkneſſe: they looke at them, as men, whoſe lives are after another faſhion. That Apocryphall Authour in that book of Wiſdome, hath an excellent expreſſion to this purpoſe, Chap. 2. 12. he brings in wicked men ſaying of the godly, He is cleane contrary to our doings, he is grievous unto us to behold; his life is not like other mens, his wayes are of another faſhion; wee are eſteemed of him, as counterfeits; he abſtaineth from our wayes, as from filthineſſe; he commendeth greatly the latter end of the juſt, Verſe 19. Let us examine him with rebukes and torments, &c. Let the relation, and the ingagements be what they will, yet ſo long as of different ſpirits, they cannot cloſe. What a differēt ſpirit was there betweene Iacob and Eſau, who lay in the ſame wombe at the ſame time … There may be outward peace fo… while betweene Gods people, and ſome wicked men; but inward cloſing of ſpirit there can never bee: The ſpirit that is in you, the world cannot receive, ſayes our Saviour, Iohn 14. 17. Antipathies are irreconcileable; no arguments, no meanes ever uſed can cauſe an accord, except there be a change in nature. Nothing in the world puts mens ſpirits in ſuch a diſtance, as Grace when that comes; and therefore where the moſt eminent grace, there the greateſt diſagreement betweene them and wicked men. How many wicked men cannot but be convinced of ſome godly who live with them, that they are better than themſelves, that they are conſcientious men, whoſe Principles Cap. 5.are truly godly, and that they walke cloſe to them? they are not able to charge them with any ill carriage towards them; they ſeeke to doe them all the good they can, and yet their ſpirits cannot cloſe: but as they were wont to ſay in former times, Caius Seius was a good man, but hee was a Chriſtian; ſo now, ſuch are Caius Seius ho…us vir, ſed Chriſtianus.good men, but they are too ſtrict, & this enough to keepe a perpetuall breach betweene them.