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

Again, consider what are your walks, that is do you follow your old evil haunts now as fast as ever you did? it is a sign that you have not the Spirit.

Again, consider what are your walkes, that is do you follow your old evil haunts now as fast as ever you did? it is a sign that you have not the Spirit.

Again, think not that it will excuse you to say, that whatsoever your actions be, yet you have good hearts: for you must know that your hearts are far worse then your actions, as I said before: for if you had the Spirit: it would not be idle in you. but as it makes the heart holy, so it sends forth holy speeches and actions in the life.

The working power of the spirit is excellently set forth in that passage between Elijah, and Elisha: in the Kings: It is said that Elijah cast his mantle about Elisha: ¹presently he cries out, let me go first (saith he) and take leave of my Father, and then I will go with thee. Elijah might well have reasoned thus with him: what have I done unto thee, or what have I spoken unto thee, that thou shouldest thus reply unto me, as if I tied thee unto the contrary? Said I any such word unto thee that thou mightest not go? But there was a necessity laid upon Elisha by the spirit to go with him, and therefore he could not choose but break out into these words: That is, the spirit now entered into his heart, that he was not now his own man, he must now go where the spirit would have him, and do that which the spirit bid him: and so we see in Act. 4. 20. ⟨p. 106⟩²