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…

Fourthly, proud, conceited singularity acts it self especially in things ¹that are taken notice of by others; if others look not after them, and will not vouchsafe to take notice of them, they quickly grow weary of that they do, and this is the best way to deal with such people, to neglect them; Let them perceive no body thinks them worthy of regarding, of once minding them, and this makes them sooner weary then all the opposing of them that can be: The end of singularity is, that it might be observed; this is the humour ⟨p. 163⟩of these people, they would fain be taken notice of for something, let it be what it will be; observance is the thing that feeds this humour; where this is not, it soon grows weary of it self; and hence when these people are alone, when none can observe them, they do but as other men do. But now the special work of godliness, wherein Gods people differ from other men, in which their souls most delight, and are most fully exercised in, it is in secret things, not subject to the view of the world, The Kings daughter is all glorious within; If there be a little godliness outwardly, there is much more inward, as where there is a little wickedness without, there is abundance in the heart; Godly men are most eminently godly in inward things; The countenance and voice of the Church, is most sweet and comely in secret places, Cant. 2. 14. My Dove that art in the holes of the rock, in the secret places of the stairs, show me thy sight, let me hear ⟨p. 164⟩thy voice, for thy voice is sweet, and thy sight is comely: Godly men dare not indeed, but be godly before men, for so Christ commands them, Let your light shine before men, that others may see your good works; but it is one thing to do that which may be seen, and another, to do it to that end that it may be seen, and to make that the highest end. If they make their end, that the light may be seen, and not that themselves may be seen; and that their Father in heaven may be glorified, and not themselves glorified, it is no other than Christ would have. But between God and their own souls, there is the chief work of godliness; there the souls of Gods servants do most expatiate themselves, there they are most themselves, there is their most proper Element; wherefore surely it is not a humour of singularity.