Therefore I say it is an excellent sign, whereby a man may know, whether he hath the spirit or no: Now that a man may know by this, I will make it clear by this example. Take a bottle that is full of water, and another that is full of Aqua vitae, look upon them outwardly and they are all of one colour: but if you taste them, the one is ⟨p. 89⟩hot and lively: the other is cold and raw: So look unto the formal outward actions of wicked men, they have the same colour which▪ the actions of holy men: but if you taste them, that is examine their lives, and search into their hearts you shall find a great difference; It may be they may seem to have light and heat in them, but they want this Spirit; for they have neither a loathing of sin nor power to resist sin. They may put a false colour upon their actions but it will not hold, And by this they may restrain lusts for some end; they cannot Master and subdue them: and it may heat a part of his heart, but it cannot heat all his heart: But where the sanctifying Spirit comes, it heats all the soul: That is, it kindles a holy fire in all the faculties to burn up sin that is there. Therefore this was the difference between John the Baptists Baptism and Christs; John could baptize them with water, but Christ with the Spirit and with fire. Therefore examine what heat there is in you against evil, and what zeal there is in you to good: Are you cold in prayer, in conference, in the Communion of Saints? it is a sign that you have not the Spirit: It may be you read, hear, pray and confer•; but see with what heat you do them; is it with you in these things as the Apostle would have you to be in earthly things in the 2 Cor. 7. 30. 31. To sorrow as if you sorrowed not, to use the 1world as if you used it not; That is, do you perform holy duties with that coldness, as if you cared not whether you did them or did them not? Do you hear, as if you heard not, and do you receive the Sacrament as if you received it not, do you pray, as if you prayed not? do you love, as if you loved not? then surely you have not the Spirit; And on the contrary if you find spiritual heat and zeal in you, a nimbleness and quickness to good• ▪ it is a sign that you have the Spirit: •or it is the property of the Spirit to heat the so•l, therefore the Prophet saith, The zeal of thy house hath even eaten me up;
Therefore I say it is an excellent sign, whereby a man may know, whether he hath the spirit or no: Now that a man may know by this, I will make it clear by this example. Take a bottle that is full of water, and another that is full of Aqua vitae, look upon them outwardly and they are all of one colour: but if you tast them, the one is ⟨p. 89⟩hot and lively: the other is cold and raw: So look unto the formal outward actions of wicked men, they have the same colour which▪ the actions of holy men: but if you tast them, that is examine their lives, and search into their hearts you shall find a great difference; It may be they may seem to have light and heat in them, but they want this Spirit; for they have neither a loathing of sin nor power to resist sin. They may put a false colour upon their actions but it will not hold, And by this they may restrain lusts for some end; they cannot Master and subdue them: and it may heat a part of his heart, but it cannot heat all his heart: But where the sanctifying Spirit comes, it heats all the soul: That is, it kindles a holy fire in all the faculties to burn up sin that is there. Therefore this was the difference between Iohn the Baptists Baptisme and Christs; Iohn could baptize them with water, but Christ with the Spirit and with fire. Therefore examine what heat there is in you against evil, and what zeal there is in you to good: Are you cold in prayer, in conference, in the Communion of Saints? it is a sign that you have not the Spirit: It may be you read, hear, pray and confer•; but see with what heat you do them; is it with you in these things as the Apostle would have you to be in earthly things in the 2 Cor. 7. 30. 31. To sorrow as if you sorrowed not, to use the 1world as if you used it not; That is, do you perform holy duties with that coldness, as if you cared not whether you did them or did them not? Do you hear, as if you heard not, and do you receive the Sacrament as if you received it not, do you pray, as if you prayed not? do you love, as if you loved not? then surely you have not the Spirit; And on the contrary if you find spiritual heat and zeal in you, a nimbleness and quickness to good• ▪ it is a sign that you have the Spirit: •or it is the propertie of the Spirit to heat the so•l, therefore the Prophet saith, The zeal of thy house hath even eaten me up;
- 12 Cor. 7. 30. 31.
