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then it dealeth with us more particularly; and besides that, it bringeth us unto a special grief for special sins, it doth bereave us of our chief desires, and bringeth us out of conceit and ⟨p. 147⟩liking with the best things that are in us: for, then it doth display before us the vanity and darkness of our understanding, how unfit and unmeet we are to understand and conceive those things, that do above all others especially concern us: then doth it let us see the perverse corruption of our judgement, that before God, and in things belonging to GOD, we be as brute beasts, not able to discern things that differ, nor to put a sound difference between good ad evill; then doth it let us see that our reason is unreasonable, nay, that it is hurtful unto us, a great enemy to faith, and a great patron of infidelity and unbelief. When it cometh to our affections, it turneth them upside down, it turneth our mirth into mourning, our pleasure into painfulness, and our greatest delight into most bitter grief: If it do proceed further, and come once to the heart, and to the stomach and courage that is in us, then it cutteth us to the quick, then doth it at once throw us down in humility under the hand of GOD: for while we had to deal with men, we were as stour as any, and would not start for the best, We had reason to say for our ⟨p. 148⟩selves, & courage to defend our selves against all them that did deal with us: but now the spirit draweth us into the presence of God, it letteth us see that we have to do with God, and that our strength is weakness in respect of him. Then doth our heart begin to fail us, then do we lay our hands on our mouths, and dare not answer, nay, then do we quickly take up our cross, because the Lord himself hath done it. Behold here how the spirit worketh, behold how sin is corrupted: and who so can behold here this in himself, may assuredly say, that the spirit of God is in him, that it is not in vain within him, nay, that it is mighty and lively in operation in his heart. The third note and effect, is the bringing on forward of this work unto justification: for when the spirit hath brought us thus far, then doth it begin to open unto us a door unto the graces and favour of God:

then it dealeth with vs more perticularly; and besides that, it bringeth vs vnto a speciall griefe for speciall sinnes, it doth bereaue vs of our cheefe desires, and bringeth vs out of conceite and