The excellency of a gracious spirit Delivered in a treatise upon the 14. of…The excellency of a gracious spirit Deliuered in a treatise upon the 14. of…

A poor low spirit, thinks every difficulty an impossibility; but this spirit will not easily entertain thoughts of impossibility in services that are noble and worthy of choice spirits; it will rather think with it self; Was there never any such thing done before? or was there never any thing that had as much difficulty as this in it? that was as unlikely as this, to come to a good issue and yet was at last accomplished? why may not this then be done? and so sets about it, without any more objectings against it, with this resolution; Quic quid sieri potuit, potest; That which hath been done, may be done. Such a spirit as this is ashamed to see and hear, & read what great things ⟨p. 68⟩have been done by others, and what poor things it hath all this while been employed in. Suetonius reports of Julius Caesar, that seeing Alexander's Statue, he fetched a deep sigh, because he at that age had done so little. Yea, so far is a true heroical spirit from being discouraged by difficulties, as its raised by difficulties; thus its said of a true godly man, that he stirs up himself against the hypocrite, that he holds on his way, and grows stronger and stronger, Job 17. 8, 9. When a difficulty, when any opposition, or danger comes in Gods ways, now it sees an opportunity offered of showing so much the more love to Jesus Christ, so much the more sincerity, and power of grace, to bring so much the more honour to God and his cause, and in this it rejoices; this was the reason why the Apostles and Martyrs, rejoiced so much in their sufferings for Christ.

A poor low spirit, thinks every difficulty an impossibility; but this spirit will not easily entertain thoughts of impossibility in services that are noble and worthy of choice spirits; it will rather thinke with it selfe; Was there never any such thing done before? or was there never any thing that had as much difficulty as this in it? that was as unlikely as this, to come to a good issue and yet was at last accomplished? why may not this then be done? and so sets about it, without any more objectings against it, with this resolution; Quic quid sieri potuit, potest; That which hath been done, may be done. Such a spirit as this is ashamed to see and heare, & reade what great things ⟨p. 68⟩have beene done by others, and what poor things it hath all this while been imployed in. Suetonius reports of Iulius Caesar, that seeing Alexanders Statue, he fetched a deepe sigh, because he at that age had done so little. Yea, so farre is a true heroicall spirit from being discouraged by difficulties, as its raised by difficulties; thus its said of a true godly man, that hee stirres up himselfe against the hypocrite, that hee holdes on his way, and growes stronger and stronger,