Preston - Houston-Packer Collection BX5133.P74 S2 1637

T'heSaintr spirituall.1rength. theft for ber, far. filve,r. and digg&for her d4 fer hid treafùre , then thon Jbalt find , &c. If you did but eíleeme the inward man , as men doe liver, and prize it as a rich treafure at a high rate , then the effect would fallow , you (hould find : fo then, if you will delire falvation , and happineffe , and tthe ftrength of the in\vard man , you (hall bee la- ved ; but you will never thrive in grace till you have a delire to thrive, grace will not grow till there bee a delire wrought in the foule : for when men doe not delight in the inward man , they ne- ver grow in grace and holineffe; they are not as trees planted that bring forth feafonable fruit but barren : doe what you will to it , the foyle is naught , for the fpirit bath not yet tilled the heart-, and fowne in it the firft beginning of the feeds of grace, which is a delire after it: now , as it is good in the bodily fickneffe to know the meanes of recovery , fo in the fickneffe and weakneffe of the inward man: it is 'good to know the meanes by which it may be flrengthned,therefore we will now come unto the particular meanes for the I- ftrengthening of the inward man. The firft meanes to firengthen the inward man is, to abound in f irituall knowledge: becaufe the more knowledge the more flrengch, for the fpiri- tuall knowledge of divine truths is the flrrength of the foule; for as the foule is unto the body, fo is "the knowledge of the word unto the inward man. The body is dead without the foule , not able to doe any thing,fo the inwatd man without this fpi. P3 i to7, r.1{leaness

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