Riches of mercy to men in misery, or, Certain excellent treatises concerning the dignity…

The fourth Motive to persuade you to strengthen the inward ¹man is, because a man is that which he is in the Inward man. A man without the Inward man is but a scabbard without the sword, that is worth nothing, and therefore the wise man saith, that The righteous man is more excellent then his neighbour, That is the excellency wherein he doth exceed him is the Inward man, and therefore Christ in the Canticles when he would set forth the excellency of his spouse, he saith that She was fairer then the daughters of men, That is she is fairer because she is more excellent to the inward man, she is All glorious within: Psa. 45. ²That is the holy man doth as far exceed the natural man in beauties, as pearls do exceed pebble stones, as gold excels brass, or silver copper: I know that every one doth desire to be in some excellency, I say it is a property in nature to seek for some excellency. Then is it not the best wisdom to seek it in the best things, that is in the inward man? Now as there is means to be rich in the outward man, so there is means to be rich in the inward man. Therefore I beseech you use the means that you may be rich in grace and Holiness. In the Prov. 30. 4. The wise ³man sets forth the excellency of that man that is strong ⟨p. 66⟩in the Inward man. There are four things saith he that are excellent: a Lion a he goat, a grey Hound and a King, before whom there is no standing; first he is a Lion, That is ⁴he is strong in grace; secondly be is a grey hound, That is he is swift in the performance of all holy duties: Thirdly a he goat, serviceable to God and profitable to the Church; fourthly a King to rule, and over-rule his Justs. Every spiritual man is a King because he bears rule in the inward man; but it is not so with a wicked man, his lusts rule him that he is a slave, and not a King, and therefore the Apostle saith: let not sin reign in your bodies to obey it in the lusts thereof: That is; if it once reign, it will rule, and if it rule, you must obey whatsoever drudgery or slavery is enjoined you. Therefore labour to get strength in the Inward Man, And know also that you shall not only be free from the slavery of sin but you shall also keep your excellency. And therefore it may be said of every one that is weak in the inward man as Jacob said of Reuben in the 42. of Genesis, Thou art become as weak as water: