3$4 Chap.9.O f the honour due to thofe thatexcel ingifts,&c. Com.5. I Cít. r2.4. was called Pharaohs Father, for his Wifdom and Policy, and Art in governing E- gypt. And fuch gifts as thefe are called by the Schoolmesi Gratisgratis date, graces given freelyby the Spirit of God. And upon whom thefe,Charifnéata are bestow- ed, they are to be reverenced and honoured , in refped of the giver`, and the end for which he gives them, which is sreìt To os .s v, the profit of the whole body. And though thefe giftsbe in fame that want the true love of God, ( which is that gratia gratum facient, the Grace which makes a man accepted of God as a Son ) and that the moft ableand fufhcient men be not always the moll re- ligious , yet there may be ufe made of his gifts, and his dona endowments mutt have honour ; for vas propter donum, the very veffel for the gift mull have refped. I. The reverence to any filch is : firft, freely to acknowledg that to be in him, which he hash, and commend it, and praife God for beftowing it on him, as if he had imparted it to our felves, and pray that God would encreafe it in him, and make it become profitable to others. Not to think it a derogation to our felves to honour him that hath it, not to beof their mind that fay 9_0 auget alienam fámam, detrahit fue, that he which honoureth another, dermas fromhis own worth. It was not Ezechiels opinion in commending Daniel for his Wifdom Ezek. a. 3. as in that fpeech ; Art thou wifer than Daniel ? nor of Saint Peter that com- z Pet..3. 15: mended Saint Paul, Epiftles, and acknowledgeth a great meafure of high and ab- Gal. 2. 11. thine wifdom to be in him; efpecially confidering that Saint Paul had reproved him to his face. Nor of Saint Paul concerning the other Apoftles , when (peak- ing of lames, John, and Peter, he calls them Pillars of the Church. Nor of Saint in the commendation ofChrifl, not worthy to loofe the latchet ofhisfhoes. Match. 3. II. And this is to be donenot only to good men, but to evil alto. Gideon fetteth out the deeds of the Ephraimites , acknowledging his own infufliciency, in refped of Judges 8.s3. their great atchievements : And as in outward gifts, fo in inward. Achitophel is z Sam.r6. z. highly extolled for his wifdom by David, though he proved his Enemy, yet David accountedhim as an Oracle of God. And this is the firfi kindofReverence due to them. The contrary to this is, I. When we Rand affe&ed as Saul who (beingvex- r Sam.18.7,8. ed with an evil fpirit) was much moved that Davids ten thoufand fhould be pre.. ferred before his one thoufand. 2. Secondly, as force deny, foothers extenuate the gift that is in another. Themanner is to fay, it is true, he hath filch a gift, but it is not fo muchas the world conceives it to be. As,the. Devil Paid of rob, He is righte- Joti r. ous indeed, but not ashe ought ; he ferves God,but it is for a reward,not freely out of love. 3. Whenmen canneither deny the gift, nor extenuate it for the meafure where- in it is ; then they will undervalue the gift it felf,and vilific it, Paying, it is but a mean gift, little profit comes by it, either to theChurch. or Common - wealth. It is better to be well read, &c. 4. When the gift is fuch, as it is rare and excellent in the view of approbation ofall men, that we our felves cannot but confefs as much, then we either tax and upbraid him with thewant of other gifts, or with theabufing of this ; or lafily, we find Come fault in his life ; one thing or other Rands in our way, that..we have not power to reverence it for it. We fee it was fo in Chrifis own cafe, when he caP out a Devil, which one would think was a work worthyofhonour ; tetatth. 9 34- yet inftead of that the Pharifees told the people, he wrqught this Miracle by the power of the Devil. And then they fell upon his breeding : what great mattercan r3. there be in himmore than others ? He is but a Carpenters fon, &c. And then they 55 r r. fell uponhis life and converfation, and fife and examine that, be is a friend ofPubli- cans and finnprs. Anfwerable to this,there is a Duty alto required in him that bath the gift. a .That James 1. 57. he acknowledg whence he hath it, and fay with Saint James, it is defuper from r Col.. 15. ro. above. SaintPaul confefi as much : by the graceof God I am that I am s nothing grewnaturally inhim. And confequently this ought to teach him humility and Ezech. 28.17. not to be lifted up with it, as the Prophet fpeaks. This want of humility fpoilsall graces whatfoever. Saint Gregory faith, jui fine humilitate virtutes congregat quafi ' 6. in ventum pulverem portal; He that bath graces and gifts without humility dotb s
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