* Cf. for a very full and ingenious exLibition of these and kindred ' analogies,' Thomas Adams' Soul's Sickness, Practical "Works, Vol. I. page 471, seq. — G. t Misprinted ' stamped.' — G.
2 CORINTHIANS CHAP. IV, VER. 10. 421
Creatures have their instincts. There is a natural instinct in every creature to run to that that feeds it, as himbs and other creatures as soon as ever they are born run ; they know whither to go to suck, because that is ordained by nature for its preservation. So there is an instinct in the soul to carry it to that tliat feedeth and maintains it. Bees go naturally to the flowers by au instinct ; so the spiritual soul that hath the hfe of Christ runs to whatsoever may feed and maintain that life.
I beseech you, therefore, not to speak of the outward actions that are objected to hypocrites. Look therefore to the sympathy and antipathy of your souls and your instincts. Whither doth the bent of the soul lead you ? Wherewith do you preserve the inward man ? How is the soul taken np ? And this will discover the frame of the soul more than any- thing else. Every creature that hath life, hath an element wherein it is preserved above another place, as the fish in the sea, the birds in the air. So the element of a Christian is holy, he is jiiscis in oviclo,--- when he is in other courses and company. He walketh by the Spirit, he liveth by the Spirit, and he walks in the Spirit. He liveth in the Spirit as in his element. So that spiritual things and good company is his element. Till in heaven, indeed, he is never in his centre, in his proper place till he is in heaven. But in the mean time his element here is in heaven on earth ; that is, spiritual actions wherein he walks and solaceth himself, as fish in the sea, wherein he draweth in the breath that is suitable to his disposition. Ill company or evil hearts will not suit with that spiritual life ; and by these ordinary resemblances we may judge a little of the frame of our spirits, whether they be living souls or no.
But to go a little higher.
The life of Jesus, as it riseth from Jesus, from as high as heaven, so it leadeth to Jesus. It makes the soul to look to Jesus, to look to Christ. It subordinateth all things unto Christ. It takes all things in the way as furtherances for Christ, and considers of his hindrances as they hinder the main, and of furtherances as they further the main. It looks on all things below, as they further and do hinder the main. It is a life bred from heaven, and aims at heaven, and cares for no more of these things than can stand with a spiritual and eternal state. It considers of things, and reasoneth of things, how doth this help or hinder the main ? And when it doth anything it fetcheth reasons for it from Christ, and from heaven, and from the main end. As a man that hath life of reason, that is adorned with policy and wisdom, it considers of things as they help his state ; or if he be a man of narrow apprehension, as the sot with his particular good, and goeth no higher. So a man that hath the life of Christ, hath a larger soul than any of these, for he hath a larger end, and an higher end, be- cause he hath a higher light to discover that end. Light is the fu-st thing in life, and that discovers greater things than any other man can appre- hend. His spirit is too narrow for them. And when by a supernatural light he apprehends a glorious condition in heaven, he makes that his aim. And as he hath large aims, so he hath large affections, and nothing below can satisfy him, because his soul is enlarged by the hfe of grace, and by the life of the Spirit to see better into things, and to have better aims. Therefore let every man look what his ordinary aims are, whether he rest in any thing below, whether he maketh things below serviceable to greater things. If he delight in inferior things, he hath but a common life. Many think their conditions good, because they attend religion, but there is false-
* Qu. ' arido ' ?— G.
422 COMMENTARY ON
hood in that ; for a man that hath not the life of grace, that makes the practice of religion serviceable to his base ends, he makes heavenly things serviceable to his ends ; that is, out of self-love, because he would not be damned, or he \yould be so reputed, but he hath not the aim of spiritual actions : he doth not spiritual things from a spiritual life, but from self- love, from a false principle within. Now where the life of Jesus is, it resteth not in anj-tliingbut in Jesus, and makes all things serviceable to that. The skill of referring things to the main end is one main property of spiritual life.
First hj, For a man may do the same thbuj, and yet from divers prin- ciples : one from flesh and blood, and vain-glory, and base ends, and the other from higher considerations, as men and beasts. A man hath a higher life than the other creature hath. Both may refresh themselves, but a man doth it as a man, and directs that strength of his to human actions. If he be a Christian, he directs not only human actions, but refers human actions and all to serve God in his place. So that he works like a man, though for the actions they be the same. So the shallow creatures that be determined to one, and have not latitude of reason to look to many things. Thus you see there is great difference between men and men.