act ourselves, the less doth the spirit act in us. And therefore we must from day to day, cease from our own works, from the operations of our own minds, and understandings, and wills, and affections, and must not be the authors of our own actions. For we being flesh ourselves, whatever we do is fleshly, seeing the effect cannot be better than the cause. And if we mingle the works of our flesh, with the works of God's Spirit, he will cease from working in us. But the less we act in ourselves, according to the principles of our corrupt nature, the more will the spirit act in us, according to the principles of the Divine nature. But our own works are always a mighty impediment to the operations of the Spirit.

5. To increase the Spirit in us, we must give up ourselves to the Spirit, that he only may work in us, without the least opposition and resistance from us. That, as the soul acts all in the body, and the body doth nothing of itself, but is subject to the soul in all things: so the spirit may do all in us, and we may do nothing of ourselves without the spirit, but be subject to the spirit in all its operations. For the Spirit of God cannot work excellently in us, except it work all in all in us. And in such a man, in whom the spirit hath full power, the spirit works many wonderful things, that he, according to human sense, is ignorant of. For as the soul doth secretly nourish, and cherish, and refresh the body, and disperses life and spirits through it, even when the body is asleep, and neither feels it, nor knows it: so the Holy Spirit, dwelling in the soul, by a secret kind of operation, works many things in it, for the quickening and renewing it, whilst it oftentimes, for the present, is not so much as sensible of it.

6. The sixth means to increase the spirit, is to attribute the works of the Spirit to the Spirit, and not to ourselves. For if we attribute to the flesh, the works of the

Spirit; and take from the Spirit the glory of his own works, he will work no longer in us. Wherefore we must ascribe unto the Spirit the whole glory of his own works, and acknowledge that we ourselves are nothing, and can do nothing; and that it is He only that is all in all, and works all in all: and we ourselves, among all the excellent works of the Spirit in us, must so remain, as if we were, and wrought nothing at all; that so, all that is of flesh and blood may be laid low in us, and the spirit alone may be exalted: first to do all in us; and then, to have all the glory of all that is done.

And thus you see the means to increase the spirit, and so consequently strength, as well as to get it. And by the daily use and improvement of these means, we may attain to a great degree of spiritual strength, that we may walk and not be weary, and may run and not faint, and may mount up as eagles, yea, and may walk as angels among men, and as the powers of heaven upon earth; to His praise and honour, who first communicates to us his own strength, and then, by that strength of his own, works all our works in us: and thus is He glorified in his saints, and admired in all them that believe.

UNIFORMITY EXAMINED,

WHETHER IT BE FOUND

IN THE GOSPEL,

OR

IN THE PRACTICE OF THE CHURCHES

OF

CHRIST.

BY WILLIAM DELL,

Minister of the Gospel.