as it is proper to GoD alone, to compofe the winde, and to rule the waves: fo it is proper to him alone to rule the turbulent affections, to compofe and guide them. If there be any difordered affections in the heart, as an immoderate love of any thing, or an impatient defire to any thing, who is able to remove it, but the LORD who is a Spirit? So, who can implant holy affe&tions in thee, but he alone? as for example, to thinke a good thought, a man cannot doe it without him, who is the Father of spirits: fo to perfwade a man, no man can doe it, it must bee the LORD; as Noah faith, God fball perfuade laphet to dwell in the Tents of Sem. So to fee the hainoufnes of fin,and the evill of it,no man can doe it but by the Spirit of God: as it is said, toh. 16.9. The Spi- lehn 16. 9, rit convinceth men of finne. So to will this, or that, which is good, It is he that workes both the will and the deed. A man cannot mourne for fin without the Spirit of God, and he cannot chufe but bee fwallowed up with worldly griefe, for worldy loffes, except God keep him, he cannot feare God, and hee cannot chufe but feare men, except God guides his fpirit; for this is one of Gods preroga tives royall,to rule in the affections,and apprehenfions of men. 3 of the spirit of greatest confequence, 3 Because the guiding of a mans spirit is of the greatest confequence of all other things elfe. The guiding Now God is a wife Commander,and therefore he will not exert, and put forth his power, but in things of greateft moment: and indeed the guiding of our affections is all in all to us, for, in a mans every thing heavie or plea fant. : mans outward eftate, what things foever befall him, all are nothing; but what his apprehenfion is of them, and how hee is affected with them, makes them croffes or comforts; if a mans fpirit be whole, the greatest croffe is nothing, and the least is intolerable, if his fpirit be broken. And againe,what are all pleasant things,if a man hath not a heart to apprehend them? As to Paul, what was all his perfecution? as long as his spirit was whole within him, hee carried it out well: and what was Paradife to Adam, and a Kingdome to Mans appre-Ahab,when their spirit was broken? It is the aphenfion makes prehenfion that makes every thing to a man heavie, or unheavie, pleasant or unpleasant, fweet or fowre and therefore this is the ufe to be made of it, to behold Gods providence chiefly on our fpirits, and not only on our own fpirits, but what he doth upon the fpirits of others alfo. It is a thing wee ftumble at when we fee a wicked man profper, and carry all things in the world before him; wee fhould not fay, where is Gods providence,and the truth of his promife? but see what he doth upon the spirit of that man. If thou seest fuch a man more malicious to the Church and children of God, and growing more carnall and abominable in his courses, therein is Gods curfe feene more, than in all the difpenfation of outward curfes: for that treasure of finne which he layes up for himselfe, will draw on a treasure of wrath, which will bee expended upon him in due feafon. Behold then your fpirits alwayes and Gods providence upon them. Lam. 3. 65. Lam.3.65. Give them forrow, or obftinacy of heart, thy curfe upon them: the words fignifie, which is thy curfe upon them. Therefore if you fee an obstinate heart in a man, that is the greateft curfe of all: As in receiving the Sacrament,there we doe pronounce a curfe to him that receives it unworthily, and profanes the Lords body. But (it may be) hee goes on and fees it not: let him looke upon his fpirit, and fee how God deales with that, whether his heart doth not grow harder, and more obdurate, which is the greateft curfe. You may obferve this every where: if thou feeft one that hath a vaine and idle fpirit, that cannot studie, that cannot pray, that cannot chuse but bee carried away by an unruly luft to this or that thing, beleeve it,this is a greater judgment than all the difeafes in the world, than all shame and dif grace, that wee account so much of, than poverty and croffes, as it is the greatest mercy on the other fide, when a man is able to ferve God with an upright heart,and to be fincere in all his carriage. Thus it is with other men, and this thou fhould ft obferve in thy felfealfo from day to day. Let us not observe so much, what accidents befall us, what good is done to us, or what croffes we have, (it is true indeed, God is feen in all thefe things:) but chiefly looke what God hath done to our fpirit, what compofing of minde, or what turbulency of affections, or what quietneffe, what patience, or what impatience; and for this be chiefly humbled, or be chiefly thankfull:for to take away from Christ the praife of fanctifi cation, Vse 3. Iohn 4.24. Worship him in spirit. Rom. 1.9. What it is to ferve God in the fpirit. Col. 3. 16. cation, is as much as to take away the praise of his redemption. Herein thou shalt fee his love or hatred manifefted to thee; his greatest judgement, or his greatest mercies. The third Vfe is that which the Scripture makes of it, Iohn 4. 24. If God be a Spirit, then worfbip him in fpirit and truth. What it is to worfhip Go in fpirit and truth, you shall fee, if you compare this place with that in Rom.1.9. For God is my witneße, whom I ferve with my fpirit in the Gospel of his Sonne, that without ceasing i make mention of you alwayes in my prayers. The meaning of it is this; When Paul had taken this folemne affeveration, God is my witneffe, &c. doe not thinke, faith bee, that I have done this feinedly, I am no fuch man; for in preaching the Gospel of lefus Chrift, I ferve God in my spirit: that is, I doe it not for by-ends, not in appearance and fight of men, or the like, but I doe it in my spirit, that is, plainly,heartily,and fincerely. So that to worship God in fpirit, is to have a plainneffe, and fincerity in our worshipping him, that is, to doe heartily what wee doe to him, in our praying, and worshipping him; when it is not formally, and cuftomarily done, but our fpirit feconds it within, this is to worship him in fpirit. So that the scope of our exhortation is, that you would worship God chiefly in your fpirit. As it is faid of finging Pfalmes, Col. 3.16. Admonish one another in Pfalmes, and Hymnes, and spirituall fongs, finging with grace in your heart,&c.that is,let your fpirit joyne with the outward performance. And the ground ground of it is, because God is a spirit, and therefore he beholds at any fuch time,when you come before him,the inward behaviour of your spirits: that is, hec obferves when you come to preach, or pray, what fquint-ey'd ends, what vaine glory, what refpect to men you have. Yea, he obferves how far naturall confcience leades you, fo that you doe it as a taske,out of custome,&c. he obferves what worldly-mindedneffe, and carnall affections creep into the foule, at that time, that makes you either to poft off the duty,or elfe to doe it in a customary manner. All this doth he behold, hee lookes to the inward carriage of the fpirit: and therefore doe you looke chiefly to the inward carriage, to the inward frame of your minde. But what is that more particularly? Particularly in three things. Anjw. I bec as neer lal. 19.13. 1 See that thy fpirit bee as neere him as thyeji. lippes are. Ifai. 29. 13. Hee complaines of a fort of people, that draw nigh unto God with their mouth, and with their lippes doe honour him, but have removed their heart farre from me, and their feare towards him is taught by the precepts of men. So Ier. 1.2.2. Thou, O Lord, art neere in their mouth, and farre from their reines. Now if thou wouldest worship him in fpirit, fee that thy fpirit be as neere him as thy words are. As for example, in prayer thou confeffeft thy finnes, and profeffeft that thou doest hate them, thou prayeft for mor tification, and grace, and for weanédneffe from the world; herein thy words and Gods will doe Cc agree |