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 was S. Pauls spirit above money? when he speaks of lucre, he calls it, filthy lucre, 1 Tim. 3. 3. A godly mans spirit is suitable to the high dignities put upon it, and privileges it hath. Saul when made a King, had another spirit put upon him, contemning former things, highly esteemed of: a man raised on high, looks on things below, and they appear small things to him; so here, Reason may raise ¹the spirits of men above the common sort: a rational man looks at many sins as too mean and base for him, scorns to stain his excellency with them, as the sins of sensuality, and ²filthy lusts. Tully thinks him not worthy the name of a man, that spends a whole day in the pleasures of the flesh; and Socrates had such a vile esteem of sin, as he thinks, it shall be one of the greatest torments of men in another life, to be tied and bound to the sins they most delighted in here. Seneca hath a notable expression to this purpose; I am too great, and borne to greater ⟨p. 26⟩things, than that I should be a slave to my body: But if Reason raises the spirit so high, how high then doth Grace raise it? This spirit cannot be satisfied with small low things; as it is reported of Luther, when great gifts were sent to him, he refused them, with this most brave and excellent speech; I did earnestly protest, that God should not put me off ³with these things; meaning that he would not be satisfied with anything that was here below. All the things in the world are far from being able to satisfy this spirit; it accounts all, yea, if they were a thousand times more than they are, but a poor pittance for the portion of an immortal soul; If God should make more worlds for it, yet if he give not himself to it, it would not be satisfied; nothing but a God, an infinite, universal, eternal Good, can fill up the desires of this spirit. Thou hast ⁴made us, O Lord, for thy self, says Saint Austin, and our hearts are unquiet till they come unto thee. It is ⟨p. 27⟩