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…

How full is the work of many mens spirits, in their working after some poor, little, scant good in this world? whereas if they had all the world, they had but an empty husk, in comparison of that glory that is set before us: They pant after the very dust; what cause is there then, that our hearts should pant in the strong workings of them, after those high and glorious things, that are reserved in heaven for us? It was the goodness of the land of Canaan, that was a strong motive to draw Caleb and Joshua's heart fully after the Lord, through many difficulties. Canaan ⟨p. 398⟩was but a dark Type of the glory of Heaven, which God hath promised to reward the full followers of himself withal. It was once a speech of Anselm, If a man should serve God zealously here a thousand years, yet should he not thereby deservedly merit to be one half day in heaven. Let us be as forward, let our hearts be as strong and zealous in Gods ways as possibly they can be; yet I may say as Abigail did to David in that particular case, it shall not repent my Lord when he comes into his Kingdom; so it shall never repent you of any thing that ever you have done for the Lord, when you come into your Kingdom. But if it were possible there could be sorrow in heaven, you would be sorry that you did no more. It was a speech of one Gordius a Martyr, that the threats of his enemies were but as seeds, from which he should reap immortality, and eternal joys; so all the hardship and troubles that we meet with all in our way here, in following the Lord, ⟨p. 399⟩are but increasers of that glory that is to be revealed: why then should any thing hinder us, or stop us in our way? And thus I pass to the second thing propounded in this Use, namely, to show what are the Causes that hinder men from following the Lord fully; and they are five especially; which I shall but name.

How full is the worke of many mens spirits, in their working after some poore, little, scant good in this world? whereas if they had all the world, they had but an empty husk, in comparison of that glory that is set before us: They pant after the very dust; what cause is there then, that our hearts should pant in the strong workings of them, after those high and glorious things, that are reserved in heaven for us? It was the goodnes of the land of Canaan, that was a strong motive to draw Caleb and Ioshuahs heart fully after the Lord, through many difficulties. Canaan