The Spirit of Man, Inference 4
INFERENCE 4.
Hence also will naturally follow … Exhortation of the Apostle, (Eph. 4. 23.) Be ye Renewed in the Spirit of your min…s. This means not, that you should hav… New Powers, or Faculties Natural (wh…ther Superiour or Inferiour) But new Inclinations, new Dispositions; The Spirit of the mind, cannot be here new Intellec…s, or new Wills (which some would ha… to be the Spirit of Man) But new Lig… in the Understanding, new Bent in th… Will; This is to have new Spirits of the mind, by Sanctification.
In the Old man, they were Corru…, according to Lusts (v. 22) But in th… New Man (v. 24.) after (or according to) God, they are Created anew … Righteousness, and True Holiness. This …ho…tation [Be ye Renewed] Does no… Suppose in man a power of Self-Renov…tion; or Require of man, that which must be done by God, if ever done; But it Requires, that man should do▪ what in him Lyes, to Regulate, and O… der his Spirit or Inclination: It Require… our Endeavour (to the best of our A…lities or Means) to Reform our Spirits, where they are apt to be Exuberant; and bring our Reasons to Act, in Subordaination to God in the Renovation of them. And after all; because our Endeavours in themselves (in this matter of Governing our peculiar Spirits) we see by daily sad Experience, they Do, and will miserably fall short of Effect, Therefore to Invocate Divine Assistance, and Influence, That the work may be Accomplished; (as we shall again touch in the End.)
Of these Endeavours in Subordaination to Gods Working a Chief one is,
1. To Discover and Know our own Spirits (GNOTHI SEAUSON) Know thy Self, was (I think, in This Respect) meant by the Ancient Morallist. In This Respect also (as to the General) was that Caution of the Prophet; (Mal. 2. 16.) Take heed to your Spirit; Tho' it was there Applied to a particular Case. And our Saviours Rebuke to his Disciples. Ye know not, what manner of Spirit, you are of, (Luk. 9. 55.) Referrs to the same matter; namely, That men should be well acquainted with their own Spirits, and Inclinations; so will they be better Enabled, To Resist Sin, and Address to Duty, in which two, consist… That Renovation of their Spirits, to whic… they are Exhorted.
1. To Resist Sin; That you may kee… your s…lves (like David) from your Ini…quity. (Psal. 18. 23.) Know and Beway… your Infirmity; That particular Breach i… your Spirit; (Prov. 15. 4.) wher… th… Devil can most easily make his Assaults and Entrance. In the Spiritual Warfare of the So…l, Corruption in General is a Treacherou… Party, within the Garrison; But the mos… Active and Dangero…s Traytors of that Party; are (as it were) by Name Particularly Discovered, and brought forth, by a due study of our Own Spirits. The Blameless in the Text Notes, where the Blameable is usually to be found.
2. To Address to Duty, That we may be more Eminently Serviceable to God and Men in our Generation. Then are men most Servic…able when their Spirits are suited to their business; and therefore a fit Choice of Callings in General, may much Depend on the Knowledge of our Spirits.
When Other men make a Choice for an Affayr if they act prudently, they view … Spirits of their Candidates. So the Apostle ordered the Primitive Christians … …o. (Acts 6. 3.) Look you out among … seven men of honest Report, full of the Holy Ghost, and Wisdom, whom we may Appoint over this Business. Every Believer was not qualified for the Service. Every Godly Minister was not so fit to be sent to the Phillippians, as Timotheus; … whom 'tis said, I have no man like minded who will naturally care for your … (Phil. 2. 20.)
Now as the Electors, do Regularly …ind mens Spirits, so much more should … Elected, in their Acceptance of Employments, to which they are Chosen. The … of this Care makes many to vent… on Depths beyond their Stature; Burdens beyond their Strength: Like the Ridiculous Aspiring of the Bramble (in …thams Parable, Iudg. 9. 15.) to be King of the whole Forrest; Come (says the silly Shrub) and put your Trust in my Shaddow.
Some are Imposed upon, by Others Hypocritical Flattery; And they again Impose upon themselves, by their carel…s Self-conceit. Some are over-valued by th… Esteem, that the partial Love of their Friends do put upon them: Passions are violent, and commonly Over-lash: Love thinks all Excellent, and Hate thinks nothing good. A mans Own Prudence, should rather guide him than Others Mistaking Affections. And truly, in those things wherein others may be greatly Deceived; A man, who is well Acquainted with his Own Spirit, may rightly, and easily Inform himself.
This is not said, that men should only Contemplate their Own Infirmities; for then no Humble, Honest Man would ever be Employed; All such would be ready to Answer with Moses upon a Great, and Illustrious Call; I am not Eloquent; I am slow of Speech; I pray thee send by the hand of him, whom thou wilt (or marg: shouldst) send. (Exod. 4. 10) Or with Holy, Humble Ieremiah (ch. 1. 6.) Ah Lord— I cannot speak, for I am a Child.
But the meaning is; every man (prudently allowing graynes for Humane Infirmity) Does, or may (by the Study of his Own Spirit) know, what in some …asure, he is good for; and should ac…dingly apply himself to business. As … is true (on the one hand) what is con…ed in that old Proverbial Rithm.
…emo adeo est Tusus, quinullos Serviat Usus.
… is so good for nothing, but may be us'd in something
And 'tis as true (on the other hand) … omnia possum…s omnes. We are not all … for every thing. Invita Minerva, a … Genius will never do Noble… ploits.
And thus much of Knowing our Spirits.
…. But when we know them, and … Labour…d to Govern them according … our best Discretion and Ability; … then finding an Insufficiency in … selves, well to manage those Head…ong, and Impetuous things: we shall … cause (besides our own Endeavours, … our own Spirits) Humbly, Earnest … and continually to crave Assistance … on High; That God by his …ctifying Grace would do that for … which our Natural Powe… will never be able to Compass for our selves. Not to Expell our Natures; but to Order and Govern our Natural Dispositions and Inclinations, as may be most for His Glory and Service; and so for our own Comfort and Advantage. We should Incessantly Pray for our selves, the same which the Apostle here does for the Thessalonians. That we may be wholly Sanctified, and that our whole Spirit, both Soul and Body, may be preserve… Blameless to the Coming of our Lord Iesus Christ.
I have done; and shall conclude this Discourse, with that frequent Benediction of the same Apostle: As to Timothy, (2 Epist. 4. 22.) The Lord Iesus Christ be with your Spirit. Which is the same in Sense with that to the Galatians, (ch. 6. 18.) and Philemon, (v. 25.) Th… Grace of our Lord Iesus Christ be with your Spirit. Amen.
FINIS.
Advertisement
… little Treatises formerly Published by this Author.
…. THe Little Peace-maker, Discovering Foolish Pride the Make-bate; from … 13. 10. Only by Pride cometh Con…ion; but with the well-advised is Wis….
…. The Way of Good Men, for Wise … to walk in; from Prov. 2. 20. That … mayst walk in the way of good men, … keep the paths of the Righteous.
…. Debts Discharge, being some Consi…ations on Romans 13. 8. Owe nothing … man, but to Love one another.
… The Gaming Humour Considered and …proved, or, The Passion-Pleasure, Ex…sing Mony to Hazard, by Play, Lot, … Wager. Exami…ed.
There are also two little things in English Meeter.
The one, Meditations on the History Recorded in the First Fourteen Chapters of Exodus.
The other, The Ark, its Loss and Recovery; being like Meditations on th… beginning of 1 Sam,
End of the text · Charles Morton, The Spirit of Man (1692)