420 / 808
404
e/Inf.
i.
How
the Spi-
rit doth
ftteng
then us.
rohn
rG.;;.
Ephefans,Chap.3.,
V
E
R.
I.
ofaman
hash no
ftrcng,h
of
its
owne but the
Spirit
of
God
is
the
only
firength
of
our
fpirits:
For looke from
whence every creature
bath
its being and
nature, thence
it hach its
ftrength
:
Things
bred
of
the
earth
have
their nourifhment
and
ftrength from the
earth,
as
trees
beafts; and
fillies
from the water: So the
fpirits
of
men from
God the
Father
of
fpirits and
from
his
holy Spirit.
This
fpirit
of
Christ
in u9
enables
us
to
doe things
far
above the
power of nature, to
doe
that
which we could never doe
before,
it will enable
us
to
walke above
this
world,
treading
all
troubles,
calamities and
afflictions
under our
feet, and
triumphing over
all
miseries.
It
enables
us
to
command
the windes
and
ftormes
of
our finfull lulls and
Pallions,
which
with
all
the
power,
and vertue
of
nature and naturalireafon,
we can!
not
reftraine
:
By
the
power
of
this quickning Spirit
,wecan
call out
all
the
Devils temptations,quench
all his fiery
darts,and
by
the
fword
of
the
Spirit drive Satanaway:
In fumme,whatfoever Christ
did, we
may
doe
in
fome
proportion,
as all
the members are
in
Come
meafure
qualified with power fumbleto
the
Head. As
Chrift
rifen
from the
dead and mounted
up
to
Heaven, and fitteth
at
the right
hand
of
God
:
So
this Spirit enables
us
to
mount
up
with
him, and to
feat
our
felves
in
heaven
with him,
affecting and feeking
the things that
are
above.
But how doth the
Spirit
of
God
Strengthen
us
By conveying fuch fpirituall
Strength
as
is agreeable to the
nature
of
our fpirits
;
Our
fpirits are reafonable
fpirits,
and
the
Strength
of
them,
is
fpirituall wifdome, reafon and
understanding,
as
the'weakneffe
of
our
fpirits
is
ignorance,
error
and blindneffe
in
the underftanding, which
makes all
the
inferiour powers
of
the
fouleweake,
ficke
and and faint
with
feare,
horror,
forrow
and trou-
ble: So
then
the
Spirit
Strengthens
our reafonable fpirits by com-
municating fpirituall
reafon , counfell and inftrur
lion
:
For how
comes
it
that
we are weak and faint
in afflictions
and temptations,
that
we
are call downe with feare,
care and Sorrow
e
It
is
for want
of
Wifdome
by the corruption
of
our understanding darkened by
Satan,
we conceive our evils and miferies
moll great
and into-
lerable,
fuch as
neither our
felves
by
any Strength
we have, nor any
other
can
overcorre,
and
therefore we think we have
caufe
and
rea-
fon
to feare, care and grieve, being fo overmaftered by
firmes
and
other evils.
But
the
fpirit revealeth
to
us
and teachcth
us
what
God
is
to
us,
a
Father
most
loving, mercifull,
gracious and power
-
full, and
that
all our
fenes,
evils and miferies are
nothing to
his
love,
mercy, goodneffe and power,
and
that
Jefus
Chrift
is
ours,
who
bath vanquifhed
ill
enemies, finnFs and
evils
for
us
,
as
he
faith
:
Be
ofgood Comfort,
I
have
overcome
the world
: Thus
the Spirit
teaching
us
wifdome
, gives
us
to
underftand wee have
no caufe
to feare,
because
more are .for
us
then againfl
us.
And
therefore
werejeyce when
we
fall
into
divers
temptations,
knowing by the
Spirits
light
and
infpirationthe, profit and fruit thereof,and that Christ
is
ours.
a
It