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…

A godly man sometimes may be busied in mean low things, but his spirit not contented, not taken up, not satisfied in those things, as adequate objects for him, as the spirits of the world are, they are objects adequate to any principles they have: A man sometimes that is understanding, may condescend to sport with children in low things, but these take not up his spirit, as adequate objects to what he hath in him; if indeed he should take content and satisfaction in such things, it would argue a childish spirit in him; So here.

A godly man sometimes may be busied in meane low things, but his spirit not contented, not taken up, not satisfied in those things, as adequate objects for him, as the spirits of the world are, they are objects adequate to any principles they have: A man sometimes that is understanding, may condescend to sport with children in low things, but these take not up his spirit, as adequate objects to what hee hath in him; if indeed hee should take content and satisfaction in such things, it would argue a childish spirit in him; So here.

Fourthly, this spirit is carried to other ⟨p. 16⟩¹ends; the spirit of the world looks at ease, pleasure, honour, gain, and Self in all; it is a low spirit in an ill sense, subjecteth not only ordinary actions, but the best things it doth, even the duties of Gods worship to base, low, unworthy ends: At the highest, the most excellent of the Heathen, who had the most brave spirits the World had in their time, aimed no higher than to work according to reason, to satisfy the dictates of rational principles, and a natural conscience; knew not what it was to honour God; to aim at God in all they did: but the spirit of the godly is a raised spirit, looks at God and eternity in all it doth, carries things up to the highest good, restless till it gets through all creatures, and closes with God; it accounts the excellency of what it is, and what it hath, to be in order to God, and directs what it doth to him, and in this comes as near the working of God himself, works as like him, as may be; it is the glory of God to be the first cause, and last end; and to work from himself, and for himself;