5¢ Thefrrft Sermon. .fGalfsn. thefpirit,.kdohueaccordingly,bringingforththefruitsofthe<fpirit.Butthishathweak- nes ioyned with it,and men throughfrailtie may foonefall,and therefore their life is fayd tode hidinChri:ß,becaufe infull andperfect manner it dothnot appeare. Therefore,ifnot- withftanding there frailtiesand falles, weewill knowwhetherwee l}ill retainethe 1piricof t God,we mutt fearch ourfelues,and trie our.hearts by thefe rules. Firft, ifthrough frailtie mhleeherknow we hauefallen (for who is hethatfallethnot ? ) wewill then know whetherby our fall we wh thee e,u haue loft thefpirit ofGod or no, let vs feewhatliking, ormillikingwehaue of liane :for ifafter Ourfall, wee doe hold ourformer hatred of fnne,and the ofrner wefall,rhemore thorough and deadlyhatredwe concerne againft lìnne,vndoubtcdly thatfraileie bathnot z asyet deprived vs of the fpirit. Secondly,comeand feehow it ftandeth with thy forrow: for fo longas thy forrow encreafethfor thy finnes,ic cannotbethoughtthat Gnne and the 3 flelh,haueouercomeand utterlyquenched thefpirrt in thee. Thirdly, trie thycare : and ifthougroanein a godly care, both how thou mail}beable towage battenagainft firne in theplain field,and how thoumail}prevent linnein allhis policies, thou haft a further alfurance,that finne,althoughit beasgreat asGoliah,yetit bathnot hitherto preuailed a- gain!} thy pooreand little Darúd,l fay,againit tholefew and final' graces,which the good fpirit of Godhach beftowed vpon thee: but the la& is molt certaine, and that is chis: 4 When thouart careful' to redeeme that, which by thy fall thou haltloft, and hafta care Simile. to runne fo much fatter forward, byhowmuch morethou halt beenletted by thy fall; then it doth appeare that thefpirit is in thee, yea it is huely andmightie in operation, and fuel: as(hall neuer be taken from thee,vntillthe dayofChril}. Thus maywe infóme good and competent meafuretrie and proue, whether weehave thefpirit of God orno :forwhere there fruites are to be found, there is alto the Ijairit of God. For furtherconfirmation whereof,weemay note the manner of fpeech, where het faith,xeruhnot thefpirit. Wee doe commonlyvfe to fay,thefire is quenched, when the light and heatethereof is takenaway : and indeedenothing can properly bee laidto bee quenched, butthe fire. Now whereas the Apoftlefáith,Quenchnotthefpirit, hegiuethvs tovnderftand, that the fpiric is in force refpeLl like vino fire: therefore ifwee doebuta littleconfider of thenature offire,we (hall a greatdeale betteriudgeof thefpirit. And a- Yheproperties mongothers,thefe propertieswefindetobein thefire.Firft ofall itwillburnevp,andcon- effrre,whereby fumethings that may bee burned and confirmed : and therefore lighting vpon ftraw, thegrrtresand Bubble,l}ickes,or'fuch like,it bringeth them to allies, and doth make them as though ¡figs ie isel me the they hadnot been at all. Secondly, it dothpurge and purifie thofe things that can abide jemb[ed. to bepurged : and thisit doth, fir'} by takingaway the fuperfiuitieof diode, that batho- uercouered the thingto be purged.Thenby fining the thingit felfe,and bymaking it pu- rer and purer. Thirdly,itgiueth light euenin the moll: dimine and larked places.Andfait ofali,itgiuethbeate, and withal', dothas itwere put life into ehofe things which are ca- pable of life : for while'}a man is frozenand flamed forcold,he isnumbde,and asit were without life : but beingbroughtto thefire, he is het,he is reuiued, he is cheered,anddsen becommeth aetiue and nimble.Thefeare thepropertiesoffire,and thefedoein fomeman- ner refemble and (hadowout vntovs theworkes and effó}s ofthe fpirit. For fiat ofall, othe Forgeefe s f when the fpirit ofGod feafeth vpon a man, and entreth intohis lóule,then it beginneth to burne,towafleand confumeinliim,thiofr thingsthat will bewailed: after this fort mill affefiìions,noyfome lufls,and otherftubble whichts inman, by thefpirit of God arc con- ,r fumed & burned.Secondly,itdothpurgevsfrom grolfefins, and dailymore Semore doth purifie vs,thatwe may be a cleane andholyvefiell andtemple for him to ref}and dwellin. 3 Thirdly,it is a fhihing lampe,euer burning and continually giuing lightvino vs, in that 4 way which we haue to walke. And laftly, itdoth fee vsonheate, and inflamed]vs with a zeale of Gods glorie,with a care ofour dutie,and witha loueof mankinde :yea, with- all itpotteth lifeand tuft into vs, to walke in that good way which leaded]voto life,and todoe all ehofegood workes whichmay glorifie God,orbe commodiousvnto men. Thus wefee what likelihood thereisbetween thefpirit and fire,forwhich caufethe fpi- rit in theScripture is compared vnto fire : nay it is fometimescalled fire: for Johnfayth, ThatowSattioarAmidbaptize with theholyGbofr,etidwithfire: thatis,with the holyGhoft, which
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