Of E/eClion. ~ And the Comparifon of thofe two words is exceeding eleganr. BooK IV. 1. ThefecommonimperfectGifts had been mofi aptly compared to thofe l.fY"'to.) graffy, earthly Fruits, which the Sun brings forth, in the qouy and thorny Grotmd: For indeed, how is it that the Sun cloth bring forth thefe, or indeed any other other, not immediately, but out of the Principles which are in the womb of the Earth, only the Sun quickens and enlivens them, and draws them forth, by the influence of his Being,Liglu,and Heat; but creates them, not immediately, but educeth them as forms are out of the Principles in the Matter, as Vapours that it draws up out of the Earth. And although Chrifi in the Parable inllituted his Comparifon only between thefe Fruits that are but Grafs, and thofe other good Fruits of the Earth that are Grain and Corn riling up to perfection; yet James his new Cornparifon , Ver{. '7· rifeth far higher (as in the fequel will appear, ) and further lets eut thefe firll fruits by their high defcent (as I may tearm it, in alluf10n to Jamrs · his Phrafe of them ) as being in their original meerly celeftial , and in that ref– pect no fruits on Earth to be compared with them, and this heavenly OJiginal of them; the Parable took no notice of, but compared them only to thofe pretious Fruits of the Earth, of Cor11, &c. So as the comparifon here, as .'lr1mn advanceth it, runs between fuch fruits as are but meer Grafs, and fuch as are fuppofed heavenly and celdlial: And this their original is here emblafo– ned in three fevcral Phrafes. That they are from above, which is all one as to fay, from God ; yea, and from God wholly, as of Chrifi 'tis faid, in Joh1l ~· ~1. He that cometh from above i& above a/J: He that is of the Earth is earthly, and fpeaketh of the Earth; hetbat cometh from Heaven, is above all. And fuch, in refpect of their origine , are thefe firfi fruits, in comparifon to thofe others. And to this very purpofe cloth James himfelf ufe the Phrafe in this Epiflle, when fpeal<ing of the difference of true zeal, and counterfeit zeal, about matters of Religion, he fets that difference forth by their different original , as well as by their effells : That true ztal is a Wifdom (or Grace ) from above, &c. P'er{: J7•.The W:fdom that i&fromr~bovt ufirfl pure, tbm peaceahte, gmtlt, a11d eafie to6e mtreated, j11tt of mrrcy a1tdgood fmits > witbom partiality, and without hfpocrifie; but bitter zeal, "'"fl' {;;.-,, which we tranflate bit– ter envying, Ver(: 14, and {/rife in your Hearts, though about matters of Religion; Thi& ~ijdom, Verj't). defcendtth notfrom above, but u earthly, Jmfuat , devitipJ; It is but the acting the corrupt Principles, that are in the H eart already, Principles of Flejh, &c. which the Devil alfo will llrike in withal to make divifions; and therefore, fays he, Glory·11ot in fuch a~zeal ( as Jehu did, ) and lye 110t again}/ the truth, in judging that to be true Grace: No. The like may be faid of other Graces, and of their Counter.faith, for all have their Counter-faith, Thefe differ thus in their original, and therefore in their kind, and in their effects. 2. Tbefe perfect gifts are faid to defcend, """'~.:,.,, as the Holy Ghofi him– felf is faid todo,Joh. , ; ~ ~· that is , wholly and purely comes down from God, and nothing of it is from what is beneath. ~· Thefe firfi fruits are wholly by Creation, yea, and by a fecond Creati– on, being the firfi fruits of the whole Creation, and fo excelling the firll; and yet the firll Creation was totitU mti&, of the wholt being of what was then created ; and therefore hereby thefe are imported to be wholly from him, in the whole being, or entity of them. 'Tis the Seed of God which is let fall into th.e Heart from above, and fo wholly Heaven-born for kind, though in de– grees imperfect, and though accompanied in the Heart where it is, with in– numerable mixtures of Selfand Corruptions, Now as to thofe othe.r imperfect gifts, this vifible Sun brings forth Common Herbs,as Dazies,Primrofes, and fuch as grow alone in the Wildernefs; and fuch , and no better , are Moral Vertues , which are produced in Heathens , and without the Word, and are but Grafs, as all will acknowledg. And the fame Spirit produceth, with and by the means of the Word, Enlighmmgs, and Affections fiirred by thefe enlightnings towards thefe Objeels or thmgs held forth in the Word; yet llill, the work it felf, if it be examined to the bottom,
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