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

Water you know of it self is cold, but if you would have it of another quality, then you must put a quality of fire in it: so the soul is dead and cold by nature: but if a quality of the fire of the spirit be added unto it, then it will be able to do more then it naturally can do: Therefore examine what new habits and qualities be in you: that is, whether you have new habits of patience, love, hope, experience, That is, as patience begets experience, and experience, hope: so where the spirit is it doth beget new habits and qualities in the soul: by which it is able to do more then naturally it can do: as I said, it first builds the house, and sweeps the rooms, and then it fills and furnisheth the Rooms with new habits and qualities of grace.

Water you know of it self is cold, but if you would have it of another qualitie, then you must put a qualitie of fire in it: so the soul is dead and cold by nature: but if a qualitie of the fire of the spirit be added unto it, then it will be able to do more then it naturally can do: Therefore examine what new habits and qualities be in you: that is, whether you have new habits of patience, love, hope, experience, That is, as patience begets experience, and experience, hope: so where the spirit is it doth beget new habits and qualities in the soul: by which it is able to do more then naturally it can do: as I said, it first builds the house, and sweepes the rooms, and then it fills and furnisheth the Roomes with new habits and qualities of grace.

The third way how the Spirit strengthens grace is this, when it hath given us new habits, then it enables ¹and helps us to use those habits to good when we have them, for herein appears the power and the excellency of the spirit, not only to give spiritual life and strength, but also to enable us to the use of that strength for the ⟨p. 85⟩strengthening of the inward man. There may be qualities and habits in the soul and yet want of power to use them. As for example a man that is asleep, he hath habits and qualities, but he wants power to use them, so it is with those that are not strengthened in the inward man. But he that hath the spirit, hath power withal to use those habits to good, therefore it is said that They spake as the spirit gave them utterance, that is they had power from the spirit to speak, to do and use those habits that were in them. Thus Sampson by the power of the spirit had power to use his strength, And in the