with your felves, what a fenfeleffe and unreafonable thing it is, that this heavenly borne foule fhould be fubject to a little walking earth, and that a piece of clay fhould rule over it? Are not men, in this kinde, like to beasts, subject to senfuality, that cate that they may play, and play that they may eate? and the foule is not confidered all this while, how it is a fpirit, that is like to God himfelf,who is a Spirit. Alas,what is the body to it? It is in it as in a prifon : fuch is the body to the foule, not to be regarded in comparifon of it. Therefore adde this to the other, that the foule may still be advanced, and that it suffer not bodily actions to bring it into subjection, left you be as bruit beafts, fubject to fenfuality, made to be taken, and to bee defiroged.

THE

THE

ELEVENTH

SERMON.

Exopvs 3. 13, 14.

13 And Mofes faid unto GOD; Behold, when I come unto the Children of Ifrael, and fhall Jay unto them; The GOD of your Fathers bath fent mee unto you, and they hall (ay unto me, What is bis Name? what fball 1 fay unto them?

14 And GOD said unto Mofes, I AM THAT I AM, UC..

Second ufe from this point is this: If God be a Spirit,then his dominion, government,and providence is chiefly exercifed on the fpirits of men. It is true, his providence is over all things that belong to us : but, as he is in himfelfe 4 Spirit, fo hee puts forth, and exercifeth this power of his principally in guiding the fpirits

of

Rom. 14-17.

of men, and in that you are chiefly to observe his providence toward you. And that you shall fee in Rom.14.17.The Kingdome of God (that is his rule and government) is not in meat and drinke, for they are outward things, and he that is a fpirit regards them not; but it is, in righteoufneffe and peace and joyvin the Holy Ghoft: that is, in the things that belong to the fpirit, therein is his kingdome, and dominion chiefly exercised. So Pfal.3344,15. alfo, Pfal. 33, 14, 15. From the place of his habitation hee looketh downe upon all the Inhabitants of the earth: he fashioneth their hearts alike, bee confidereth all their workes. Marke it, when God lookes downe from heaven, and beholds the children of men, the chiefeft thing that hee doth, wherein his government is exercised, is, that hee fafhions their hearts and fpirits: and therefore thofe eternall fubjects of his that live with him for ever are Spirits, as the Angels and the Soules of men. Therefore if thou wouldeft obferve the will of the Lord towards thee, and wouldeft fee, wherein his providence is chiefly exercifed, looke upon thy fpirit on all occafions; that is, what bents, what inclinations, what hopes and defires hee hath put into thy foule. If you looke upon men in the world, you shall fee them diverfe in their fpirits, one man lufts after riches, honour and preferment, another after gaming, fporting and drinking now looke oke upon this temper of fpirit as the greateft judgement of all others, Againe,looke upon the fpirits of other men, they are fashioned a

Spirituall judgements the greatest.

་་

contrary

contrary way,to deny them felves, to fecke grace, and avoid finne; to be content to have God alone, to doe his worke, to leave their wages to Go D, to live a painefull life, ferving GoD, and men with their sweet conversation: this is a quite contrary spirit, and this is the greatest bleffing, as the other the greatest judgement. Therefore you shall fee, that when the Lord is angry with a man, fo that his anger is woond up to the higheft peg, then he gives him over to this judgment: as it is, Pfal. 81. 12. So I gave them over to Pfal. 81.13. their owne hearts lufts; and they walked in their owne counfels that is,my judgement fhall be executed upon their fpirits,to leave them to an unjudicious mind. Againe, on the other fide, when the Lord would doe a man the greatest kindneffe, then he fashions his fpirit anotherway. Deut. 30.6. And Dent: 30.6. the Lord thy God will circumcife thine heart, and the heart of thy feed, to love the Lord with all thine heart and with all thy foule, that thou maist live: as if he should fay, when I'mind to doe you a kindneffe,then I will thus fashion your hearts aright. So Ezek. 36.26. A new heart also will I give unto you, and a new spirit will I put within you, and I will take away the ftony heart out of your bodies, and will give you an heart of fltfb. The Scripture is plentifull in this: Therefore if thou wouldest observe what the Lord is to thee, looke how hee fashions thy fpirit; if thou findeft that he leaves thee to unruly affections and lufts, and gives thee over to be glued to that from which thou fhouldst be divorced; or that hee hath left thee in bondage

to

Ezek. 36, 26.

2 Tim. 4.28.

Proved by 3.

to the feare of men, as a fnare to thee, there is no greater judgement in the world than this, as the contrary is the greatest mercy. Therefore in a Tim. 4. 22. Paul prayes, The Lord Iefus Chrift be with thy Spirit as if he should fay, this is the grea teft mercy that I can with thee, and the greatest good that God can doe thee, and therefore hee wifheth God to be with his spirit.

Now to preffe this point a little further, and Demonftrati- to make it plaine unto you; you shall see it in thefe three things:

ons.

1 Outward

things difpenfed promifcuoufly.

Ecclef. 9.1.

2

the spirit be. longs oncly to God.

1 Because all other things, as riches, poverty, health, fickneffe,&c.he difpenceth thefe promifcuoufly; fo he gives riches to wicked men, &c. because as it is Ecclef. 1.9. His love, or hatred, eannot bee knowne by these things. Whence I reason thus, That wherein the love and hatred of God is most seene, therein his providence chiefly exerciseth it felfe, but in the fashioning of the spirits of men, there, and there chiefly, is his love and hatred moft feene; for other things come alike to men, to him that facrificeth, and to him that facrificeth not: therefore he governeth the fpirits.

2 The difpofing of other things is much in The guiding the power of men; A Prince, or a man that hath power to kill, or to fave, hee can give riches, and honour, and take them away at his pleasure : But to rule the fpirits, and compofe, and guide the apprehenfions, and affections of the foule, that belongs to GoD alone; a man is no more able to doe it, than to rule the raging Sea. For

as