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…

9 The hopes we have of the continuance of our peace in the happy enjoyment of those precious liberties of the Gospel, that in so great mercy have been continued unto us, depends much upon the work of Gods grace upon your souls: If God takes off your spirits from common vanities, the pleasures of the flesh, from the poor low things of the world, from your own private ends, and causes the fear of his great Name to fall upon them, and raiseth them to the love of, and delight in the great things of godliness, to be given up wholly to him, to lift up his great Name; we shall then look upon you as the joyful hopes of our souls, that God still doth & will delight in the blessing, peace & prosperity of his people: But if we see darkness upon your spirits, then a dismal night of darkness is upon us. As when we see it wax dark in the valleys, we say, it is towards night; if it begins to be dark upon the hills, it ⟨p. 215⟩is nigh night; but if it be dark in the sky, it is night indeed: So where we see the works of darkness amongst the people, it is a sign that a night is coming; but where we see them in those of a higher rank, in the Gentry, it makes us fear that the night is nearer; but if in the Nobility, and the great men, then it is a dismal night indeed.

9 The hopes we have of the continuance of our peace in the happy enjoyment of those pretious liberties of the Gospel, that in so great mercy have been continued unto us, depends much upon the worke of Gods grace upon your souls: If God takes off your spirits from common vanities, the pleasures of the flesh, from the poore low things of the world, from your own private ends, and causes the feare of his great Name to fall upon them, and raiseth them to the love of, and delight in the great things of godlinesse, to be given up wholy to him, to lift up his great Name; we shall then look upon you as the joyfull hopes of our souls, that God still doth & will delight in the blessing, peace & prosperity of his people: But if we see darknesse upon your spirits, then a dismall night of darknes is upon us. As when we see it wax dark in the valleys, we say, it is towards night; if it begins to be dark upon the hills, it ⟨p. 215⟩is nigh night; but if it be dark in the skie, it is night indeed: So where we see the workes of darknesse amongst the people, it is a signe that a night is comming; but where we see them in those of a higher ranke, in the Gentry, it makes us feare that the night is nearer; but if in the Nobility, and the great men, then it is a dismall night indeed.