d 150 The Saints Spiritiiall ßrength. ther you have the fpirit or no, is this : if it be but a common fpirit you (hall find that it will doe by you as the Angels doe by affumed bodies, they take them up for a time, and doe many things with them to ferve their owne turnes, but they doe not put life in the-n : fuch is the common fpi- ric, but the fanetifying fpirit puts life into the foule. Wherefore examine your (elves whether the fpirit makes you living men, or no, for when the fanuifying Spirit (hall joyne with the foule of a man, it will make him to doe futeable things, and bring forth fineable actions : for as the body is dead without the foule, fo the foule bath of it felfe no fpirituall life to good without the fpirit : wherefore as Paul fpeakes of unchaft widdowes, that they are dead while they live : i Tim. S. verf. 6. fo I may fay of every man that bath not the fpi- rit, they are dead men, dead to God , to good, to grace, to holineffe : I fay, there is no life with- out the Spirit, men are not living men , becaufe they walke, and talke, and the like: but they are living men that live in the fpirit , and by the fpirit: and on the contrary, there is no true life, nei- ther are men to be e(feemed living men that want the fpirit. Now for the examination of our felves by this rule, confider: Firft, wee have but an affumed body of grace and holineffe, when in the practice of life we afl'ume unto our felves, onely the out- ward forme of godlineffe, but regard not the power : cleaving in our affec`fions to that which is evill :
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