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…

Thirdly, labour to keep thy heart low and humble; when the flesh swells, ¹it cannot bear any hard thing upon it: though a member grows bigger when it swells, yet it grows weaker; so it is with the soul.

Thirdly, labour to keepe thy heart low and humble; when the flesh swels, ¹it cannot beare any hard thing upon it: though a member growes bigger when it swels, yet it growes weaker; so it is with the soule.

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Fourthly, labour to keep the spirit ¹heavenly; mixture of dross will ⟨p. 430⟩weaken it, convince thy soul, that a little of the Creature will serve turn, to carry thee through this thy Pilgrimage well enough. One told a Philosopher; If you will be content to please Dionysius, you need not feed upon green herbs: The Philosopher answers him, And if you will be content to feed upon green herbs, you need not please Dionysius. So if men would be content with a little in the World, to be in a low and mean condition, they need not flatter; those things that draw others from following after the Lord, would not move them at all.

Fourthly, labour to keepe the spirit ¹heavenly; mixture of drosse will ⟨p. 430⟩weaken it, convince thy soule, that a little of the Creature will serve turne, to carry thee thorow this thy Pilgrimage well enough. One told a Philosopher; If you will be content to please Dionysius, you need not feed upon green hearbs: The Philosopher answers him, And if you will be content to feed upon greene hearbs, you need not please Dionysius. So if men would be content with a little in the World, to be in a low and meane condition, they need not flatter; those things that draw others from following after the Lord, would not move them at all.