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…

Fifthly, wicked men do fully follow ¹after that which is evil; an infinite shame & confusion then would it be to us, an infinite dishonour likewise unto God, if we should not as fully follow the Lord in that which is good? Ecclesiastes 9. 3. The heart of the sons of men is full of evil: and Chap. 8. 11. The heart of the sons of ²men is fully set in them to do evil: The Seventy translate this, The heart of man hath a Plerophory to evil; it is set upon it without any doubt, or ⟨p. 377⟩suspicion; there is a plerophory of boldness to sin in them; why should there not be a plerophory, (that is) a full persuasion of faith in Gods servants to that which is good? Micah 7. 3. the Scripture saith, that wicked men do evil with both hands, earnestly: Isaiah 57. 5. Idolaters there are said to inflame themselves with their Idols; and Jeremiah Chap. 8. 2. they are said, 1. To love their Idols: 2. To serve them: 3. To walk after them: 4 To seek them: 5. To worship them: all these 5. expressions together in one Verse, to set forth the earnestness and fullness of the spirit of Idolaters towards their Idols. Where have we five such expressions together, to set out the fullness of the work of mens spirits in following after the Lord? It was said of Ahab, that he sold himself to work wickedness; what a fullness of spirit was there in him, in doing wickedness? Jer. 23. 10. It is said there of the people, that their course was evil, and their force was not ⟨p. 378⟩right. That vis, that strength, and force that was in their spirits, was not right; it was not after God, but after the ways of sin. How many difficulties will men pass through for their lusts? what cost will they be at? how great things will they suffer? nothing is so dear unto them, but they will be content to part with it for, and bestow it upon their Idols. How soon did the people,