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…

To this I answer; If you indeed should do as they do, if you should live after a different manner from the common course of the world, having no other principles than those you have, it would certainly be singularity, pride, hypocrisy, and humour in you; and thus your consciences would tell you, and that because you had not principles to carry you out in this way, you have not spirits suitable to it; and you judging of others, by that you see in your selves, this makes you to think, the different ways of Gods servants, is only from pride, and humorous singularity; yea, and they themselves know, that there was a time indeed, where in if they should have done, as now they do, it would have been no other in them, then that you ⟨p. 157⟩now accuse them of namely, when their spirits were, as other mens spirits are; but now they know, they have other principles, other qualifications of spirit then formerly they had. But surely, you do not think indeed, that their different lives do come from proud, and humorous singularity; for if you did, why do your consciences so well approve of them, when you lie on your sick beds? when you apprehend your selves going before the great God, then you could wish it were with you as it is with them.

To this I answer; If you indeed should do as they doe, if you should live after a different manner from the common course of the world, having no other principles than those you have, it would certainly bee singularity, pride, hypocrisie, and humour in you; and thus your consciences would tell you, and that because you had not principles to carry you out in this way, you have not spirits sutable to it; and you judging of others, by that you seele in your selves, this makes you to thinke, the different wayes of Gods servants, is onely from pride, and humourous singularity; yea, and they themselves know, that there was a time indeede, where in if they should have done, as now they doe, it would have beene no other in them, then that you ⟨p. 157⟩now accuse them of namely, when their spirits were, as other mens spirits are; but now they know, they have other principles, other qualifications of spirit then formerly they had. But surely, you doe not thinke indeed, that their different lives doe come from proud, and humourous singularitie; for if you did, why doe your consciences so well approve of them, when you lie on your sicke beds? when you apprehend your selves going before the great God, then you could wish it were with you as it is with them.