°T'he Preface. are exercifid upon Objects of limited Good- nef, and muff be regulated both in our Af- feciions and Aétions, correflondent.y to the degrees of their Goodnef Thus Fortitude is in the middle, between bafe Fear and rap Boldnef ; and the more firm and cooant the habitual quality of Fortitude is, the more eminent and prat je-worthy it appears. But in f1iritual Graces, that raife the Soul to God, whole Perfellions are truly infi- nite, there can be no excej. The divineSt degrees of our Love to God, and fear to offend him, our endeavours in their heigth and excellency to obey and pleafe him, are our Wifdom and Duty. That part of the Objetlion, That ftric`l Ilolinef will expo ffs to Scorn, is palpa- bly unreafonable, Did ever any Artill blufh to excel in the Art that he profeffes ? Is a Scholar afham'd to excel in ufeful Learn- ing? And [hall a Chriftìan, whole high and holy Calling obliges him to live be- coming its dignity and purity, be aJharn'd of his accurate Conver/ation ? Can we be too like God in his IHolinefs, his peculiar Glory ? Can that be matter of Contempt; that is the fupreme honour of the intelli- gent Creature ? A Saint, when de,/ifed with titles of ignominy by the Carnal World, fhould bind their Scorns as a Dia- dem about his Head, and wear them xi A 4 beau
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