Gods husbandry

CHAP. XII. Showing the means and manner of the Lords pruning.

CHAP. XII. Shewing the meanes and manner of the Lords pruning.

Now having sufficiently manifested the present point to be true, let us, for the better clearing thereof, and to make it more easily and plentifully useful, acquaint you with two necessary points about this pruning. First,¹ by what means it is effected, and then in what manner. For the first, the means of purging are of two sorts, proper,² (that are fit to bring forth that effect, of their own nature) and accidental, that do not of their own nature serve for so good a purpose, but by Gods wisdom and power are over-ruled to the helping forward thereof. The proper means are also of two kinds, principal, and instrumental. The principal is the blessed Spirit of God,³ for that reason termed a Spirit of burning, because it serveth to consume the corruptions out of our souls, as fire doth the dross out of the metal. The holy Ghost is given unto them that believe, that they may mortify the deeds of the flesh by the Spirit, which bestoweth his efficacy upon them, in those spiritual ordinances of his that he hath appointed: & they are then said to crucify their lusts by the ⟨p. 110⟩Spirit, when they do carefully use those spiritual weapons, wherewith the holy Ghost will never fail to cooperate. And if there were not a supernatural operation of the Spirit of Christ Jesus in us, to heal and help us against these evils, never should we, by all our own endeavours, attain any sound and through purging, but alone a slight and superficial washing of the outside. And it is of great importance for us to understand, that the holy Ghost is the chief worker in this work, without whom it would never succeed happily, though we should labour therein with all our might, both that we may be able with a more abundant thankfulness to acknowledge his care of us, and love to us in so great and beneficial a service, giving away the whole praise from our selves to him; and also that we may be ready with more humble carefulness to receive and yield our selves up unto this heavenly work of his, which can by no means be hindered or interrupted, but by our not regarding, or not submitting our souls unto it. We must be strong in Christ Jesus, and in the power of his might. His Spirit must clothe us, and come upon us; through him we must do valiantly in this spiritual warfare, and he must tread down those lusts that rise up against us: