A.'i, 18- '1 :;~s, z6 FOil.,_: 4 J Cor.lo 33 1Sam. x8.I col.; 1; 1"'"·3· 8.--• J, 26 Chap. !I t.SeCl:.r. humble learn of all, and fo receive much benefit in communion from all : This Grace theh gives him a fimeffc forth is Society. i. Ack._nowledgement, and che prizing ofothers gifts: It is faid of Apollos, That though he wrre an C!o1r;ent man ,' and mtght)' in the Scripwres, yet hefo _far ack!zowledgtd and ho~ /lored rhe Gram of God, andthe gifts that were in Aquil,_and Prifcilla, (a plain couple an handy-crafts man his wife) thac he was content eo Learn of chem: 0 let not Brethren envie and grudge at one another, but acknowleage and prize the gifts ofothers as theit own gifts. 3-. Self denyal: Lee nothing be done through jlrife or vain glory, but in Lowlinefs of minde, in each cjteem other~ better then thenfelves: Look._not tvery man pn his own-thz.l!.gs, bm every man alfo on the thmgs ofother): How goodly is it t<:>.fee a man who hath parts, and gifts, and graces, to deny himfelf, and all for the edifying of the body? Paul could endeavour to plcafe all men in all things,Noc[eekj11g his own proft, bm the profit ofma11y: He hath a true publtque fpirit, that prefers the body of Chritt, before his own private· thit can deny himfclf, fo that God may be glorified. ' 4· Love : A grace of fuch ufe and influence , that without love there can b~.po eh, ijlian-Societ)'; it is love that joyns hands and hearts: So the foul of Jon<tman was knit to the foul of Dt~v•d, For Jonarhtm loved him as his ownJ011l. Love di$ofeth men to all fpiritual Offices, to ptay together, fing together, talk or confer toge~her; <in the contrary,all the gifts in the world, how excellent foever, arc nothing worth witho~t love, Tboughljpakswith thetongues ofmen and Angel>'; Though I hadthe gifts ofall proph<ty, and ;Jnderjfood all myflerzes, and allluowledge, and have not love, I amnothinff, 5. Amiahlcncfs, Facility or Condeji:enfion : R,ugged ll:ones unhewn and unfquat:';,d, cannot fitly lie aHd joyn together in one building; fowrc,harfh and fullen fpirits,are not fit for focicty : If there be a Nabal, who is fuch a fon of Belial,that no man can fpeak·to him , he may not be entertained: I know :here are fome good men of an harfh and rigid difpofition,wbo make many a poor Chrill:ian to ll:artle back, though he came with a refolution to confult and learn fomething of them: But there is in fome otheri(whom I alwaJs prefer ) an alluring facility , t\)at doth call iri the inode£1: and blufhing, ,;,ho would otherwife ftep back :. Now this fweet difpofition f9r gaining of fouls into the liking 11nd relifhing of. the good ways 9-f God, is a,commcndable Grace. . 6. Sobriety offpzrit, in the fufpending of all rafhncfs of cenfures, and a patient bear– ing with fome errors and offences, which unavoidably will fometimes fall out : Th~ ApofHe had refpcCI: unto this, when he admonifhed the Cfloffians; To forbear one ana– theY} andto forgive one another, if any.man have a quarreL againft any, or a matter of com-, plainr (as the word fignifieth) even a1 Chrijlforgave you: How quarrellous are fome men? Hew loud and fhril, andthunuer-fl:ormy in their complaints? on the contrary, heavenly fouls refolve to do good, and to fuffer evil: Such was David; carriage to– wards Shimci, when Shimei curfed him : Come out 1hott bloody man, .thOII man of ,/felial: D_avid faid no more, but , Lie him curfe , · becaufe the Lord haa faid nruo him, Curje David. ' . .. . 7· lnnocency, harmlefne{{e, or inoff,nfiwncjfe ofconv,fation: Nothing more dell:royes Chrijlian-Society, then frequent !yes, flatteries, whifpering, fcoffs, calumnies, and invented flanders : Henc~ Jamcs calls the tongue, An 1mrnly evil, full of dcdly poi- . Jon ; --And if this member be not tamed, all Religion is in vain; and confequently all Religious Society. . 8. AI< holy coveting •f excellent gifc; : Emulation ordinarily engenders ll:tife, and tt Csr. 12. ;1 overthrows Chrij/ian-Society ; But this holy contention, this fpiritual emulation, thi> zeal after more perfection of gifts and graces, th,e Apoll:le enjoynet~, Cover carn,jlly the bejl gifts: q. d. affect , emulate , be zealous after a further growth or improvement. · · ' · 9· Wifdome: lloth to difcern where the ,-ich treaf4re lies, and to be able to draw it forth : There lies many times a great deal of fpiritual wealth, in fomc obfcure and neglected Chrifl:ians which many fupercilious and conceited profetfors do paffe by and neglect' One would not think what dexterity in &riptures, what judgement in con· trovorfies, what fervency and exprcffions in Prayer, what acquaintance with God and his Providence, what ftrength of Faith, what Patience, Meekneffe, M6defati~n, Con, tentedne.ffe, Heavenly mindedneffc, may be now and then found out and dtfcovered m p!ain pe~ple, th~t have plain carriage and plain fpcech: ):!ere then is the neceffary u_r~ · of wifdome, to difcover thofe gif~s and graces; and when_we find fuch a vein, to dtg110 and
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=