So it is said, Lot had his righteous soul vexed with the unclean ⟨p. 133⟩conversation of the Sodomites, that is, he had a holy soul, and in this his holiness was seen, that he vexed, &c. So Moses, his holiness appeared when he wept, when he 1saw the people commit idolatry; so Paul, his spirit was stirred within him, when he saw the idolatry of the people of Athens. So when a mans spirit stirreth it self after this manner, when from that new quality that is put into it, it works out the uncleanness that is in it: this is the holiness of the spirit, and no man hath it but from Christ. As the needle, unless it have it from the Lodestone, 2could not have that property of looking to the North; so it is with the spirit of a man, before Christ dwelleth in him, before he hath put a new quality of holiness, he never looks towards God, but when it is done once, it cannot do otherwise; therefore those in whom Christ dwelleth cannot sin, that is, cannot delight in sin: this is a great benefit therefore, and this holiness of spirit they have in whom Christ dwelleth, To be holy in all manner of conversation, to be holy at all times in all places, in all that he doth to have a holiness of spirit acting and appearing therein. It is a hard thing, and therefore the benefit is the greater: so now how much unholiness we may find in the spirits of men, when the spirit of a man steppeth out and doth what it doth to its own ends, and looks not to Christ, but to other ends, this is unholiness and adultery of the spirit; therefore those, the trade of whose life is not to look at God in their actions, but to themselves, to pass from pleasure to pleasure, and from sport to sport, and all for themselves; those also that are so much occupied in worldly businesses that God is forgotten, this is exactly contrary to holiness, for here the spirit turneth it self from God, whereas we should be holy in all manner of conversation, holy in every thing, holy in eating, holy in drinking, holy in recreation, holy in all our business, holy in mirth, &c.
So it is said, Lot had his righteous soul vexed with the unclean ⟨p. 133⟩conversation of the Sodomites, that is, he had a holy soul, and in this his holiness was seen, that he vexed, &c. So Moses, his holiness appeared when he wept, when he 1saw the people commit idolatry; so Paul, his spirit was stirred within him, when he saw the idolatry of the people of Athens. So when a mans spirit sti•reth it self after this manner, when from that new quality that is put into it, it works out the uncleanness that is in it: this is the holiness of the spirit, and no man hath it but from Christ. As the needle, unless it have it from the Loadstone, 2could not have that property of looking to the North; so it is with the spirit of a man, before Christ dwelleth in him, before he hath put a new quality of holiness, he never looks towards God, but when it is done once, it cannot do otherwise; therefore those in whom Christ dwelleth cannot sin, that is, cannot delight in sin: this is a great benefit therefore, and this holiness of spirit they have in whom Christ dwelleth, To be holy in all manner of conversation, to be holy at all times in all places, in all that he doth to have a holiness of spirit acting and appearing therein. It is a hard thing, and therefore the benefit is the greater: so now how much unholiness we may find in the spirits of men, when the spirit of a man steppeth out and doth what it doth to its own ends, and looks not to Christ, but to other ends, this is unholiness and adultery of the spirit; therefore those, the trade of whose life is not to look at God in their actions, but to themselves, to pass from pleasure to pleasure, and from sport to sport, and all for themselves; those also that are so much occupied in worldly businesses that God is forgotten, this is exactly contrary to holiness, for here the spirit turneth it self from God, whereas we should be holy in all manner of conversation, holy in every thing, holy in eating, holy in drinking, holy in recreation, holy in all our business, holy in mirth, &c.
- 1Heb. 17. 16.
- 2Simile.
