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

This I add that as we should exclude those that have no grace, notwithstanding they have some good intentions towards God; so we must be careful that we discourage not those that have some failing, and some expressions of their corruptions, yet the bent of their soul is set aright. This then is one thing wherein you shall see the evident power of grace when it is in the heart, it heals the hereditary diseases of the heart. Therefore let every man examine himself by that, whether that grace which is in him hath so much power in it as to cure those natural diseases ¹whereunto he is subject.

This I add that as we should exclude those that have no grace, notwithstanding they have some good intentions towards God; so we must be careful that we discourage not those that have some failing, and some expressions of their corruptions, yet the bent of their soul is set aright. This then is one thing wherein you shall see the evident power of grace when it is in the heart, it heales the hereditary diseases of the heart. Therefore let every man examine himself by that, whether that grace which is in him hath so much power in it as to cure those natural diseases ¹whereunto he is subject.

1. 1Grace raiseth common nature.

Now I say, it doth not only cure the diseases of the soul, but it elevates, and raiseth common nature to do more then that which otherwise it could do. That is, herein the power of grace is seen, that it makes you able to do that which no man else can do, and that which thou thy self couldest never do before. As for example, for a man to delight in the commandments of God, it is more then any natural man in the world can do: because delight (as we say,) ariseth from a suitableness in the subject to the object. Now unless there be a suitableness ⟨p. 197⟩