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…

6 Make conscience of thoughts, and secret workings of heart, of secret sins to avoid them, and secret duties to perform them; a man that hath a precious spirit, doth not like to have it run wast in extravagant thoughts, and affections; the thoughts of his mind are precious, the affections of his heart are precious, as his spirit is precious: We let water run wast, because we put no price upon it; we think it little worth, and therefore we let it run to no use; but if it were some precious liquor, some precious oil, compounded of dear ingredients, we ⟨p. 193⟩would not do so, but would be careful to save every drop; this is a precious spirited man indeed, who knows how to lay out his thoughts, and his affections at the best advantage, and will not lavish them our to no purpose.

6 Make conscience of thoughts, and secret workings of heart, of secret sinnes to avoid them, and secret duties to performe them; a man that hath a pretious spirit, doth not like to have it runne wast in extravagant thoughts, and affections; the thoughts of his minde are pretious, the affections of his heart are pretious, as his spirit is pretious: Wee let water runne wast, because wee put no price upon it; we think it little worth, and therefore we let it run to no use; but if it were some pretious liquor, some pretious oyle, compounded of deare ingredients, wee ⟨p. 193⟩would not doe so, but would be carefull to save every drop; this is a pretious spirited man indeed, who knowes how to lay out his thoughts, and his affections at the best advantage, and will not lavish them our to no purpose.

7 Make conscience of the manner ¹of performing holy duties, as well as of the doing of them, and look after them, what becomes of them when they are done; this is not according to the common spirits of the world, who think to put off God with flat, poor, and dead services; A gracious spirit hath much of the excellency of his spirit acting in holy duties, and therefore he doth much mind them, and looks much after them; but others have little of their spirits acting in them, and therefore they are little regarded, little looked after by them.