Remains of that reverend and learned divine, John Preston, Dr. in Divinity, chaplain in…Remaines of that reverend and learned divine, Iohn Preston, Dr. in Divinity, chaplaine in…

A blind man might see if he had but the faculty of seeing, so a spiritual blind man will see when he hath the spirit.

A blind man might see if hee had but the faculty of seeing, so a spirituall blind man will see when hee hath the spirit.

The third benefit, that a Christian hath by the ¹Spirit, is this, it breeds heavenly and spiritual effects in the soul, as joy, and comfort, and the like: and therefore in John 14. he is called the Comforter. First, I say, the Spirit will beget joy in the soul, ²and therefore saith Christ, he will (speaking of the Spirit) lead you unto all peace, and joy in believing: now I make a difference between joy and comfort thus; joy is unto the soul, as a wall is unto a City, the wall doth compass the City, and so is a defence for it, that is, it keeps petty dangers out; so doth joy, it walls and fences the ⟨p. 164⟩soul, and keeps out many enemies, that otherwise would destroy it. (2.) effect is comfort, and this I call a Bulwark: because a Bulwark is of ³greater strength to beat back, and keep out any that shall besiege it, and makes the Citizens more secure; so comfort is the Bulwark of the soul, against the greatest temptations and trials, it makes the soul secure, resting upon Christ. (3.) effect, that the Spirit begets, is boldness, that is, ⁴there is no true boldness without the Spirit: Let Adam witness it, ask him what boldness he had when he hid himself from God, and what was the reason of it; but because he wanted the Spirit, and on the contrary, when the Disciples had received the Spirit, they spake with boldness. (4.) effect, that the Spirit begets, is, holy and heavenly desires in the soul, therefore the Church in