52 Thefirfi Sermon. ward buddeand become fruitfull ; fo this continue in theirmindes, till theyhave rafted (in fotne goodforc)ofthe fpiritof God,and thenbreede inthem fomecarefulnes thatthey doe not quench it. Well tlun,tothem thathave feltand found thefpirit ofGod in them, to themfaith S.Paul inthis place,7akebeede thatyequench notthefpirit. Of this,ifwee doe fomewhat ferioutly confider,thefe two quettions will offerthemlelues, and foonearife in mogrief/ion our minde. First, howwemayknow whetherwe haue thefpirit ofGod,orno. Secondly, grannagF the if wehaue it, whetheritmay be loftagaine,or no : which iftheybee welland fuñiciently thefpirit. aniwered,theywill doubtleflè giuegreat forcevntothis precept. For the firft then, Wine will knowwhetherwe haue thefpirit orno ; wemuft furely vnderltand,that ashe know- ethbeftthat he bath life,whichfeeleth it in himfelfe : fohebelt knowethwhether heehaue the fpirit ofGod,thatfeeleth thefpiritworking inhim.And ifweewill furtherknow this by the peculiarworkingand effeas ofthefpinrehen let vs marke tltefé. Fillof all,ifthere bee nothing inmanbut the natureofman ; if nothingbutthatmay be attained bythe areeand indultrie ofa man; then finely in that manis not thefpiritof efpiejeutelt God : for thefpirit is fromGod, it is from aboue, itisabouenature: and therefore theA- tnazisindeed oftleclothferthef iritofGod,a ainftthef irttofthewórld whenhe faith :wehauere- pen :a- P P $ p , trarallgif}s. ce:ued the f irit,not ofthe world, butofGod. Befides,tlte fpirit ofGod is eternall,and endureth for euer : but all the doings and&- slicesof men they perifh, and intime they Isaacanend. Therefore though a man haue wifedomewith greatknowledge,though inwit andskill hee paffeandexcell thecommon fort ofmen:yét,tffrom aboue hebath not beeninitghtened; iffrom heauenhis wifedome hathnotbeenfanlified, his knowledge fhalldecay, his wifedome(hall wither like grafte; he bath not asyet tattedofthe fpiritofGod, that endurethfor euer. And therefore fayth Saint Paul: We teach the myrteriesof God, which none,no not thePrinces,and the menof this world,whichareabone others moftexcellan,are able tovnderîtand. Áfßiritaa! Secondly confider,whether in thee therebeany alteration or change. For the wifemen atrerúrba a which wereexpert innature,couldfay,thatin currygeneration thereisacorruptiontAnd ortbanat wefee, thatthe feede fowen is muchchaunged before it grow vpand bracefruite:Then needful( it is that in regeneration,therebe a corruption of fine,fo that as feedein the ground,fo finneinourmortali bodìesmay decay,that thenewman may beraifcd vp,the Io'a6. fpiritofGodtakingpolfefhonofourfoules.ThereforetheEuangelift fobsdothmakethis, thefirft tvorkeof the fpirit, that it ¡hall rebuke the world offinne : and this foneedful(, thatwithoutit, there isnot the fpirit of God, neitheryetcan Chrift come and enter into that man.Hereof itwas that Chrift comparedtheIewes tochildrenin the marketplace,who wouldnot dance though they werepipedwnto: and the reafon was, becaufe they hadnot firft learned with John to mounte: for they that by the preachingof John, learned to lament their finnes, and for their finneswere penfiue in theirownefoules, they receiued Chrift, they danced and did reioyce toheare theioyfull tidingsoftheGofpell. ThereforeChrift biattG.tr. faith,Thatwhoresandharlotsoaredinto the kingdomeofheauen, (feeing they lamented their finnes) before the proud Pharifer, whichweretouched with no resnorce for their fumes. And forthe famecaufeit is that Chrift callethvnto him,themonly that labour andarebea- nie laden: teaching, thatifthey findenot finneto be a heauieloade and burthen to them, they haue not thefpiritofGod,neither arethey fit toreceiveChrift. Then to berebukedof finne,is the firftworke ofthe fpirit ; which the fpiricworked' invs by their degrees. First, Ageneralla- itraifethvpinvsa great and generallaftonifhment,by reafon ofallthofe greatand enor- fionifhment mous finesthat we hauecommitted,andthis clothftrike vs downe,it cloth terrificvs,and forfisse. hold vs amazed wonderfully: then it dealeth with vs more particularly; it bringethvs vistoafpeciallgriefefor fpecsall finnes,it clothbereauevsof our chiefedefires,andbrin- 4f¡eciall gerhvs out ofconceit and liking with the beft things that are invs : for then it clothdif- griefeforfbe- play beforevs thevanitieand darknes ofour vnderftanding, how vnfitand vnmeetewee tiedfiner. are tovnderftandandconceiuethofethings, thatdoeaboueallothersefpeciallyconcerne vs : thenBoth is let vsfee theperuerfe corruptionofour iudgement, and thatbefore God, r.Cor.s.ta. and in things belonging toGod,we beasbruit bealts,notable to dtfcerne things thatdif- rbil.t.9.to. fer,uorto puta found differencebetweene good andeuill :then clothkid vs feethat our reafon
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