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…

1 Because the ways of God are supernatural, and therefore there must be something in the spirit of a man which is supernatural, that must reach to them; this which is supernatural in the spirits of godly men, we see it in the effects, and we know it is above reason, and all natural principles whatsoever. But what ⟨p. 415⟩is, is very hard to express; and therefore men of parts in the World, are mad to think, that any should imagine, that those who are of weaker parts than themselves, should have any thing in them, to carry them on in other ways, than they walk in; which they do not understand, because they do not know, what that same thing is, which is called supernatural; they will rather think it a conceit and fancy, than any real excellency: because they can apprehend other things better than others, they think, why should they not apprehend this better than others, if there were any real excellency in it.

1 Because the wayes of God are supernaturall, and therefore there must bee something in the spirit of a man which is supernaturall, that must reach to them; this which is supernaturall in the spirits of godly men, wee see it in the effects, and we know it is above reason, and all naturall principles whatsoever. But what ⟨p. 415⟩is, is very hard to expresse; and therefore men of parts in the World, are madde to think, that any should imagine, that those who are of weaker parts than themselves, should have any thing in them, to carry them on in other wayes, than they walke in; which they doe not understand, because they doe not know, what that same thing is, which is called supernaturall; they will rather think it a conceit and phansie, than any reall excellency: because they can apprehend other things better than others, they thinke, why should they not apprehend this better than others, if there were any reall excellencie in it.

2 The ways of God are not only above nature, but contrary to nature, and therefore there must be needs, some special choiceness of spirit, to carry a man on in them; there must be a contrary stream, to over-power the stream of nature, and this stream must be fed by some living fountain, or else there will