Eleventhly, It is an active, lively 1spirit, serious but not sullen, not heavy, dull; solid but not stupid, 1 Pet. ⟨p. 71⟩2. 5. The godly are called lively stones; stones, because of their solidness; lively, because of their activeness; God is himself a pure act, and these spirits have some likeness to him, and nearness with him; the higher things are, the more active; water more than earth, air more than water, fire more than all; these spirits are raised to the highest excellencies of any creature in this world. They are of quick understanding, as Isaiah 11. 3. And ready prepared to every good work, as 2 Tim. 2. 21. The most noble, excellent activeness is from life, and the more noble & excellent the life, the more noble and excellent activeness; as sense more than the plants, and the rational life more than the sense, and grace more than that, and glory more than all; the more spiritual, the more active; the more power the form hath over the matter, the more active the thing is; and the more the form is sunk, as it were into the matter, there the less activeness, as in the earth, and all ⟨p. 72⟩heavy bodies; now where life is, there the form hath most power, and the higher the life, the greater the power; Godly spirits therefore are not melancholy, for melancholy makes dull, but they are active and lively, though they may be heavy and sad, if put to some employment not suitable to their spirits; but put them upon spiritual employments, and then you shall find them lively and active; when they have to deal with God, when drawing near unto him in spiritual exercises, then they are full of life, they are fervent in spirit, serving the Lord, as Rom. 12. 11. Boiling in spirit, (so the word signifies) when serving the Lord. The effectual fervent prayer of the righteous avails much, saith S. James 5. Chapter 16. verse; The working prayer, so the word signifies, and such a working, 2that notes the most liveliest activity that can be. Birds, whose motion is on high, fly swiftly when they are got up, but flutter when they are below; so the spirits of the godly, ⟨p. 73⟩when they are got up on high to God, in spiritual exercises, then they move lively: but when they are busied in inferior things, they are oft-times dull and heavy.
Eleventhy, It is an active, lively 1spirit, serious but not sullen, not heavy, dull; solid but not stupid, 1 Pet. ⟨p. 71⟩2. 5. The godly are called lively stones; stones, because of their solidnesse; lively, because of their activenesse; God is himselfe a pure act, and these spirits have some likenesse to him, and nearenesse with him; the higher things are, the more active; water more than earth, aire more than water, fire more than all; these spirits are raised to the highest excellencies of any creature in this world. They are of quick understanding, as Esay 11. 3. And ready prepared to every good work, as 2 Tim. 2. 21. The most noble, excellent activenesse is from life, and the more noble & excellent the life, the more noble and excellent activenesse; as sense more than the plants, and the rationall life more than the sense, and grace more than that, and glory more than all; the more spirituall, the more active; the more power the forme hath over the matter, the more active the thing is; and the more the forme is sunk, as it were into the matter, there the lesse activenesse, as in the earth, and all ⟨p. 72⟩heavy bodies; now where life is, there the forme hath most power, and the higher the life, the greater the power; Godly spirits therefore are not melancholy, for melancholy makes dul, but they are active and lively, though they may bee heavy and sad, if put to some imployment not sutable to their spirits; but put them upon spirituall imployments, and then you shall find them lively and active; when they have to deale with God, when drawing neare unto him in spirituall exercises, then they are full of life, they are fervent in spirit, serving the Lord, as Rom. 12. 11. Boyling in spirit, (so the word signifies) when serving the Lord. The effectuall fervent prayer of the righteous availes much, saith S. Iames 5. Chapter 16. verse; The working prayer, so the word signifies, and such a working, 2that notes the most liveliest activity that can bee. Birds, whose motion is on high, fly swiftly when they are got up, but slutter when they are below; so the spirits of the godly,
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