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…

It is observed, the Pope was so busy and hot against Luther, that he neglected to look to all Christendom against the Turk; such baseness was in a Popes breast, that he could easier have digested Mahumetisme; than Lutheranism; & may we not think the Alcoran would be welcome to those Confessors, who have enjoined their burdened in conscience to burn their Bibles for Penance; this, some living know to be a truth. There is much baseness in the spirits of men, and upon little occasion it vents it self: ¹Doeg had […] malicious murderous spirit in him, ⟨image 8⟩& spared not those that ware the Linen Ephod. The rich man, Luk. 12. 19. was all for earth, & nothing for heaven. A great man finding his sickness increasing, caused his bed to be made between, or upon his Coffers, where he had much gold; a Lord came to him, and wished him to go to his Chamber, and not lie there; his answer was, I am well where I am, so long as I can tarry, for I am near unto my friends, meaning his Coffers and his gold. What drossy corporal souls have such men? The Gadarenes drove Christ out of their Country; they esteemed their Swine above a Saviour: Demas embraceth the present world; Ananias and Sapphira reserve a portion for themselves: such spirits ever have been, and will be in the world. Spirits they are as much beneath common reason, as those mentioned in this work are above it. It is choice, not common spirits, that will honour God in stormy times. Had not a choice and excellent spirit been in Nehemiah, the plots and practices of enemies would have daunted ²him; but take a view of his spirit; Should such a man as I am flee? and who is there, that being as I am, would go into the Temple to save his life? I will not go in. He had a good cause, a good conscience, ³a good God, which advanced his spirit to such resolvedness, that he would not take Sanctuary, and disparage either of them by his fear or faint-heartednesse; when he saw the Sabbath profaned, he hid not his eyes from it, but ⟨image 8⟩contended with the Nobles about it. What Divine spirits were in the three Children? Could Nebuchadnezzar's greatness, mandates, threats of