The souls exaltation A treatiseThe soules exaltation A treatise

The second rule is this, as we must have an eye daily upon the promise, so we must labour to yield the soul to the power of that Spirit, and to the virtue of that Grace which is in Christ, and would work upon thee; do not only eye a Saviour, and behold grace in the promise, but yield thy self and give way to the stroke of the promise, and to the power of the spirit; that by the power thereof, thou mayest be enabled to do what God requires. 2 Cor. 3.18. The holy Apostle, disputing there how men should be transformed into the glorious Image of God; or as the word is, metamorphosed from one degree of glorious grace unto another; more holy, and more meek, and more patient, and more heavenly minded: He that was cold before, should now become more zealous; he that was faint hearted before, should now become more courageous how is this done? even as by the Spirit of the Lord, saith the Text, as if he had said, it is not by your spirits ⟨p. 110⟩that this must or can be done, do not think that you can master your own corruptions, or that you can pull down the distempers of your own hearts, and get what grace you list; no, no, it is not your spirits can do this, it must be the Spirit of Christ, as by the Spirit of the Lord, so the Apostle. The phrase of the Prophet David is sweet in his kind, Teach me the way unto thee; thy Spirit is good; as who should say, O Lord, my spirit is a naughty spirit; my spirit is a proud spirit; my spirit is a profane spirit; my spirit is a weak spirit; my spirit is an ignorant and a blind spirit; but oh, thy Spirit is a good Spirit, thy Spirit is a blessed Spirit: by the virtue of that Spirit, Lord, teach me the way to thee, and let it lead me into the land of uprightness. We know, a child that hath his hand to write, if he will not be ruled by him that teacheth him, but will take the pen into his own hand and write after his own scauching fashion, he will never write well, nor make a letter handsomely as he should do; but let his hand write by the mans hand, and that will guide him, and that will teach him quickly to write well in a short time: so, wouldst thou have thy heart framed aright?

The second rule is this, as we must have an eye dayly upon the promise, so wee must labour to yeeld the soule to the power of that Spirit, and to the vertue of that Grace which is in Christ, and would worke upon thee; doe not onely eye a Saviour, and behold grace in the promise, but yeeld thy selfe and give way to the stroke of the promise, and to the power of the spirit; that by the power thereof, thou maist bee inabled to doe what God requires.