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I. WHAT THAT OTHER SPIRIT IS WHICH A GODLY MAN HATH DIFFERING FROM THE WORLD.

1. A spirit that hath other principles, a better principled spirit than the spirit of the world. Where the spirit is well principled, it is carried on strongly in God's ways; though the natural parts be weak, though objections against them many, pretences for evil ways fair, it cannot but hold the conclusion, Surely God's ways are good.

2. It works by another rule. When God erected the frame of the world, which was to last but for a few years, He made all by measure. The frame of man's actions here must be for eternity, and therefore a godly man dares venture upon no other rule but that which is Divine; he looks at the Word as a light to his feet, a lantern to his steps; knowing that every step he goes is either to hell or to heaven. God (1 Samuel 2:9) keeps the feet of His saints. His way is like the way of the mariner, guided by the heavens.

3. Another spirit — that is employed about other things; it is not for mean services, but set on work about high and honourable employments.

4. This spirit is carried to other ends; the spirit of the world looks at ease, pleasure, honour, gain, and self in all; it is a low spirit. The most excellent of the heathen, who had the most brave spirits the world had in their time, aimed no higher than to work according to reason, and a natural conscience; knew not what it was to aim at God in all they did: but the spirit of the godly is a raised spirit, looks at God and eternity in all it doth, carries things up to the highest good, and in this comes as near the working of God Himself as may be. Now where the spirit is carried to God as the last end, there the beauty, excellency, glory of whatever it hath or doth is judged according to the reference it hath to God.

5. This spirit hath other qualifications; the spirits of the godly are glorious within. As —

(1) It is an enlightened spirit; the light of the glory of God, in the face of Jesus Christ, hath shined into it, and transformed it.

(2) It is a free spirit (Psalm 51:12).

(a) A free, disengaged spirit, not entangled with earthly engagements like the spirits of the world, but a spirit that is at liberty (2 Corinthians 3:17).

(b) Free from the bondage of sin. Not brought under the power of lust or Satan. Not in servile subjection to men.

(c) Free in regard of slavish fear. Able to look upon the face of God with joy (Job 22:26).

(3) A sublime spirit, raised high by spiritual, heavenly influences, not swelling by pride; a spirit that hath all earthly things under feet, as the Holy Ghost sets out the Church (Revelation 12:1).

(4) A firm, strong spirit (Isaiah 11:2). The Spirit of Christ is a spirit of might.

(a) First, strong to resist strong temptations.

(b) Secondly, strong to overcome strong corruptions.

(c) Thirdly, strong to bear strong afflictions.

(5) They are generous spirits, as —

(a) They are not mercenary, they will not indent with God for what they do; so much as they may get by their service, so much service, and no more. No, they go on in their work, and leave themselves to God.

(b) A true generous spirit cannot endure basely to subject itself to any; it knows how to lie under the feet of any to do them good, where God may have honour; but to be serviceable to any man's lusts whatsoever it cannot endure.

(c) A true generous spit it is not ready to take advantages against those that are under it.

(d) A generous spirit is diligent to return good, as well as desirous to receive good (as David, Psalm 116:12).

(e) A generous spirit loves to be abundant in service; it is not satisfied in doing ordinary things; they prize their service as well as their wages (as John 17:4).

(6) Though sublime and raised as before, yet withal it is an humble, broken, and contrite spirit, one who is poor in spirit; this a blessed conjunction indeed, though it thinks itself too good for any lost, yet not too good to be subject to the least commandment; though not satisfied with mean things, yet accounts itself less than the least of all God's mercies.

(7) It is a public spirit, enlarged for public good; not a narrow, straitened spirit. Godliness doth mightily enlarge the heart of a man.

(8) It is a sanctified spirit (1 Thessalonians 4:8; 1 Thessalonians 5:23).

(a) Net such a mixed spirit as the common spirit of the world: hath not that mixture of filth and dross in it, but is pure.

(b) God hath set them apart for Himself (Psalm 4:3).

(c) All the abilities, common gifts of this spirit are sanctified, a higher excellency is put upon them than they have in the spirits of other men; weak, natural parts in these are more excellent than the strongest not sanctified.

(d) It is able to make a sanctified use of what it hath to deal in; of all the works and ways of God, it makes all to he holy to the Lord.

(9) It is a true heroical spirit; it is not discouraged by difficulties, it will set upon things a sluggish spirit thinks impossible; it will go through that which such a one thinks can never be.

(10) It is a solid, serious spirit; it examines the ground of actions, compares one thing with another, looks much at the issue of things; and this must needs be, because the fear of the great God and of eternity is fallen upon it (Isaiah 11:2).

(11) It is an active, lively spirit, serious, but not sullen, not dull; solid, but not stupid (1 Peter 2:5).

(12) The spirits of the godly are faithful spirits, faithful to God and men, such as will certainly be true to their principles.

6. Another spirit, it feeds upon other comforts, differing from those that common spirits feed upon. They are spiritual comforts, for they are administered to the soul by a special work of the Holy Ghost.

II. WHEREIN THE EXCELLENCY OF THIS GRACIOUS SPIRIT APPEARS.

1. These spiritual excellencies have this propriety in them — they make a man a better man, wheresoever they are, which bodily excellencies do not, nor all the riches nor honours in the world.

2. These spiritual excellencies are the beginnings of eternal life, the same life we shall have in heaven.

3. This is not only the life of angels, the life of heaven, but the life of God Himself; for so it is called by God Himself (Ephesians 4:11).

4. This makes him, wheresoever it is, fit to glorify God in the world, and so the soul thus endued is not only a glass to represent, but as a glass to reflect upon the face of God Himself the glory of His own image, and that by a principle within itself.

5. These are such as are fit to stand before the Lord, to have converse and enjoy communion with Him.

6. This spirit is fit for any service, any employment God calls it to; it is a vessel of mercy, fitted for the Master's use.

7. This spirit puts a lustre of majesty and beauty upon a man.

8. This spirit makes men fit for any condition that God shall put them into; they know how to yield to God, to find out God's meaning, to carry themselves in every condition, so as to work out that which God would have by it; which men of ordinary spirits cannot do.

III. A DISCOVERY TO THE MEN OF THE WORLD, WHEREBY THEY MAY SEE THAT THEIR SPIRITS ARE NOT LIKE THE SPIRITS OF GODLY MEN. When grace is gone from the soul the excellency is departed from it; as it was said of Reuben, in respect of that sin of his. How many a man or woman, who have comely bodies, good complexion, beautifully dressed up, but within, spirits most ugly and horrid; spirits full of filth, full of venom and loathsome distempers; men of corrupt minds, as the apostle speaks. How unsavoury to any who have the least of God in them! It is a rule in nature that the corruption of the best thing is always the worst, as a stain in fine cambric worse than in a coarse cloth. So by how much the spirit of a man is more excellent naturally than the body, which is the brutish part, by so much the corruption of the spirit is a greater evil than any the body is capable of. Spirit defilement is such a defilement as defiles everything you meddle with (as Titus 1:15).

IV. THE REASON WHY THE MEN OF THE WORLD AND THE GODLY CAN NEVER AGREE. Water and oil cannot mingle; no agreement between light and darkness: they look at them as men whose lives are after another fashion.

V. LEARN TO HAVE. A RIGHT ESTEEM OF SUCH PRECIOUS-SPIRITED MEN. There is a spirit in man, and the inspiration is from the Almighty; a spirit inspired by the Almighty, and beautified with His heavenly graces; this ennobles a man indeed; it is the ornament of the hidden man of the heart, the glorious clothing of that which makes truly beautiful and glorious.

1. This difference of their spirits from other men is a certain sign of the eternal love of God unto them.

2. The spirit receiving these spiritual excellencies from God's choice everlasting love, receives likewise all other mercies from the same fountain.

3. The Lord hath an especial eye upon and delight to dwell with these who are of choice and excellent spirits.

4. The excellencies of this spirit are eternal excellencies.

5. But principally, these other spirits are most honourable creatures indeed, because they are reserved for other mercies; God gives common mercies to common spirits, but He reserves His choice mercies for choice spirits (2 Samuel 22:27). Other mercies (in some respect higher) than the very blessed angels themselves have.

VI. A REBUKE TO THIS VILE WORLD, WHO HAVE VILE CONCEITS OF THIS SPIRIT, AND ABUSE MEN OF SUCH EXCELLENT SPIRITS. Certainly the Lord will not always suffer choice-spirited men to betrampled under feet; He looks upon them in their lowest estate as His jewels; but the time will come when He will make up His jewels (as Malachi 3:17); and then there shall be seen a difference between the righteous and the wicked (ver. 18). God will own the excellency of the spirits of His servants to be the image of Himself; and what confusion will this be to the ungodly of the world!

VII. No DISHONOUR TO BE SINGULAR. SEVEN NOTES TO DISCOVER THAT GODLY MEN DIFFERING FROM OTHER MEN PROCEEDS NOT FROM PROUD HUMOROUS SINGULARITY, BUT FROM THE CHOICENESS AND EXCELLENCY OF THEIR SPIRITS.

1. Where humour and conceited singularity prevails with men, there is no evenness, no constancy in their ways, no proportion of one thing with another in their course; they are singular and humorous in some odd foolish things, but in other things where they have as much reason to be singular, they do as others do. But in God's people you shall see an evenness, constancy, and proportion in the course of their lives; that which makes them singular in one thing, makes them so in all other of the same nature.

2. Those who do things out of singularity, they care less for such things they do out of that principle, when they come to be common, than they did before. But it is not so here in the ways of godliness; the more common they grow the better they are; the more doth God's people rejoice and bless themselves in them, they are the more lovely and amiable in their eyes.

3. Humorous, singular men differ exceedingly one from another, one will be singular in one thing and another in another; but God's people go all the same way, they have the same course with such as they never saw.

4. Proud, conceited singularity acts itself especially in things that are taken notice of by others; if others look not after them, and will not vouchsafe to take notice of them, they quickly grow weary of that they do, and this is the best way to deal with such people, to neglect them. But now the special work of godliness, wherein God's people differ from other men, in which their souls most delight, is in secret things not subject to the view of the world. "The King's daughter is all glorious within."

5. If it were humorous singularity, it would not bring them so much sweet peace and heavenly joy when they are upon their sick-beds and death-beds; and when they have to deal with God in a special manner, to receive the sentence of their eternal doom, how many then bless God that ever He put it into their hearts to go another way, not according to the common course of the world.

6. Surely it is not humorous conceited singularity, because most men who have enlightened consciences, when they are most serious in their best moods, are of this mind.

7. It is not singularity, for we have the prophets, apostles, martyrs, saints of God before us, clouds of witnesses, and every one of them worth ten thousands of others. It is safe to follow the way of good men, according to that in Proverbs 2:20.

VIII. BLESS GOD FOR MAKING THIS DIFFERENCE BETWEEN YOUR SPIRIT AND THE VILE SPIRITS OF THE MEN OF THE WORLD. Spiritual blessings have this excellency in them, they cause a man to feel no need of many outward things which others know not how to want; and it is good to be in such an estate, to have no need of a thing, as to enjoy it when we want it. And, further, it is the excellency of spiritual blessings to keep down the body, and to carry the spirit above the body.

IX. COMMUNION AND CONVERSE WITH MEN OF SUCH EXCELLENT SPIRITS IS A MOST BLESSED THING. Seneca saw so much excellency that morality put upon man, that he says that "the very lock of a good man delights one." The very sight of such servants of God, who walk close with God, who are careful to keep their spirits clear and shining; truly, it is very delightful, it hath much quickening in it; the uprightness, holiness, spiritual enlightenings, that their souls have, will guide them to advise for God in safe and good ways.

X. THAT ALL THOSE WHOSE SPIRITS GOD HATH THUS DIFFERENCED SHOULD IMPROVE THIS MERCY BY WALKING NOT AS OTHER MEN.

1. Your birth is from Him, and therefore it must not be with you as it is with others. Men of high birth will not live as other men do. Hence we read of a custom amongst the heathen, they were wont to derive the pedigree of their valiant men from their gods; to this end, though the thing were not true, yet they believing themselves to be a Divine offspring, they might upon confidence thereof undertake higher attempts than others with the more boldness. Much higher things should those endeavour after who are indeed born of God.

2. God hath put forth another manner of power upon your spirits than upon other men; other men have but a general common influence of God's power let into their spirits; but He hath manifested the exceeding greatness of His power in you; as Ephesians 1:19.

3. God doth put other abilities into you that others have not: that grace with which He hath endued your spirits is a spark of His own Divine nature.

4. Your spirits have been made acquainted with more truths; God hath revealed to you the secrets of His councils, of His kingdom; He hath shown you Himself, His glory, His majesty, sovereignty, holiness; He hath shown you the reality, beauty, excellency, equity of His blessed ways. He hath made known to you the certainty, the infinite consequence of the things of eternity.

5. He hath separated you for Himself, He hath taken you into a near communion unto Himself.

6. More depends upon you than upon others; the weight of many services depends all upon you which are no ways expected to be performed by others. What shall become of God's name, His glory, &c.?

7. Your sins go nearer to the heart of God than others. Other men may provoke God to anger, but you grieve His Holy Spirit.

8. The eyes of many are upon you; the name of God, the cause of God is engaged in you.

9. You are appointed by God to be the judges of other men (1 Corinthians 6:2). God will bring your lives and ways before all the world to judge the world by, and therefore they had need to be very exact, and to have something in them more than ordinary.

(1) In self-denial show that you can deny your opinions, your desires, your wills; though you have a strong mind to a thing, though you have fit opportunities to enjoy your desires, yet if you see God may have more honour any other way, you can freely and readily, without disturbance, without vexing, yield.

(2) Show the excellency of your spirit's enabling you to do that which others cannot do, by loving your enemies, praying for them, doing them all the good you can.

(3) Fear the least sin more than the greatest suffering.

(4) Prize opportunities of service more than all outward contentments.

(5) Make conscience of time.

(6) Make conscience of thoughts and secret workings of heart, of secret sins to avoid them, and secret duties to perform them.

(7) Make conscience of the manner of performing holy duties, as well as the doing of them, and look after them, what becomes of them when they are done.

(8) Rejoice in the good of others, though it eclipses thy light, though it makes thy abilities, thy excellences dimmer in the eyes of others.

(9) If thou wilt show the excellency of this spirit in some choice thing, then labour to keep the heart low in prosperity, and an heavenly cheerfulness in adversity; not only contented, but joyful, in a quiet, sweet, delightful frame.

(10) Be more careful to know the fountain from whence all your mercies come, and to have a sanctified use of them when you enjoy them, than to have the possession of them or delight in them.

XI. AN EXHORTATION TO LABOUR TO GET THIS EXCELLENT SPIRIT.

1. You had need of other spirits, more need than others for the improvement of those great mercies that you have above others. As some fowl that have great wings, yet can fly but little; so many men have great estates, but not having spirits to improve them, they are of little use. Know that your estates are either mercies or miseries, blessings or cursings to you, according as you have hearts to improve them.

2. You had need of other spirits for the improving of the large opportunities of service for God and His church that you have more than others; these are as great blessing as your estates or any other dignities you have above others.

3. You who are in high and eminent dignities, you have the earnest prayers of God's servants in all places, that God would raise you up with truly noble, excellent, and gracious spirits, that you may be instruments of His glory. How blessed you if God fulfils the prayers of His servants upon you!

4. Again, you have need of other spirits, for your example is looked at more than others, either in good or evil.

5. Their sin is worse than others, for it doth more hurt, and therefore their punishment will be greater than others.

6. And yet, further, you have need of other spirits because you have temptations greater and stronger than others; you are in greater danger than others. The high estate of great outward dignity is a very dangerous estate if God gives not an extraordinary spirit.

7. Above all, you who are honourable and great in the world, you had need labour to be gracious, because sin is more unsuitable to your condition than to others.

8. And would it not be a grievous thing to you to see poor, inferior men and women to be lifted up to glory, and yourselves cast out an eternal curse? Have not many of them most excellent precious spirits? Do they not do God far more service than you? Do they not bring more honour to His name than ever you did? Think then with yourselves, why should God put those who are of such choice precious spirits into such a low condition, and raise me to such an high? Is it not because He intends to give me my portion in this life, but reserves better mercies for them afterwards?

9. The hopes we have of the continuance of our peace in the happy enjoyment of those precious liberties of the gospel, that in so great mercy have been continued unto us, depends much upon the work of God's grace upon your souls. You, therefore, whom God hath honoured with excellent parts, that you may not be confounded another day before the Lord and His blessed angels and saints, be you restless in your spirits till you find God hath added a further beauty to them, even the beauty of holiness, the sanctifying graces of His Holy Spirit, that may make you lovely in His eyes, truly honourable before Him, and for ever blessed of Him. Take heed you rest not either in gifts of learning or in gifts of morality; the gifts of morality are yet a further ornament to men's spirits, but yet they come short of those Divine excellences of spirit that will make it blessed for ever.

(1) This other spirit is a renewed spirit (Ezekiel 2:19).

(2) This other spirit works from God, and for God.

(3) Where true spiritual excellency is, there is a connection of all spiritual excellences, of all graces (Ephesians 5:9).

(4) Where there are true spiritual excellences there is an impulse of heart, a strong bent of spirit in following after the Lord; there is such a powerful impression of Divine truths upon the soul as presses it on with strength in God's ways, for that it cannot easily be hindered, as the prophet saith (Isaiah 8:11).

(5) Where there are only moral principles, there the soul sees not into, turns not from the evil of sin; it sees not such evil in it as to make it subscribe to the righteousness of God in all those dreadful things that are threatened against it, but thinks they are too hard. Surely God is not so severe a God. God forbid things should be so as those we read of in the gospel.

(6) Where there are only natural and moral excellences, they do not raise the soul to a love of the strictest ways of God.

(7) Where there is only nature or morality, there is no sense of the breathings of God's spirit in His ordinances.

(J. Burroughes.)

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KJV: But my servant Caleb, because he had another spirit with him, and hath followed me fully, him will I bring into the land whereinto he went; and his seed shall possess it.

WEB: but my servant Caleb, because he had another spirit with him, and has followed me fully, him will I bring into the land into which he went; and his seed shall possess it.