A17286:470
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…
The excellency of a gracious spirit Delivered in a treatise upon the 14. of Numbers, verse 24. By Jer. Burroughs minister of Gods Word.The excellency of a gracious spirit Deliuered in a treatise upon the 14. of Numbers, verse 24. By Ier. Burroughes minister of Gods Word.
London: printed by Miles for R. Dawlman, 1639
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
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 ⟨p. 416⟩never be a holding out. In following after the Lord, all natural abilities, and common grace will do no more but stop the stream of corrupt nature; they cannot so overpower it, as to carry the soul another way; but the work of grace in this choiceness of spirit will do it.
2 The wayes of God are not only above nature, but contrary to nature, and therefore there must bee needs, some speciall choycenesse of spirit, to carry a man on in them; there must bee a contrary streame, to over-power the streame of nature, and this streame must be fed by some living fountaine, or else there will ⟨p. 416⟩never bee a holding out. In following after the Lord, all naturall abilities, and common grace will doe no more but stop the streame of corrupt nature; they cannot so overpower it, as to carry the soule another way; but the worke of grace in this choicenesse of spirit will doe it.
3 The stream of times, and examples of men, are exceeding strong, and it is not a little matter that will carry on the soul against them. The dead fish is carried down the stream, though the wind serves to blow it up: all natural abilities of the soul, will no more help a man against the stream of examples, than the wind can carry the dead fish up the stream; but if there were life put into the fish, it were able then to move against the wind and stream too.
3 The streame of times, and examples of men, are exceeding strong, and it is not a little matter that will carry on the soule against them. The dead fish is carried down the streame, though the winde serves to blow it up: all naturall abilities of the soule, will no more helpe a man against the streame of examples, than the winde can carry the dead fish up the stream; but if there were life put into the fish, it were able then to move against the winde and streame too.