5 graceand Love beyond Os. ifyou have not, take heed that youdo not envy thole that have;take heed you 'donot defire grace forgifts fake as Hy- pocrites do,but rather defire gifts for gracefake,as the godly do;as your gifts grow upon you,labor to growproportionabl in'grace;for if a man have a great Farm,& have no ftock,or a fmal flock, it is the onlyway to break him ; fo if a man have great gifts, &but little grace; it is the only way to undo him. 31y, But, above al things, take heed that you do not lay your gifts at the foundationofyour Religion; gifts are good in the building, but they are naught in the foundation ; gifts are good above, but they are naught beneath: you fee how it is in fome Trades , if men have gun-powder, barrels ofgun- powder, or cOmodities that are apt to take fire, they lay them in the upper rooms on the top of their houfes, and if you ask them the reafon, why do not you lay thefethinti below? theywil fay, Nay, but they are apt to take fire, and if theyfhouldbut take fire,the whole houfe might be blown up therwitbal: Beloved,gifts and parts are as gun-powder, they are very apt to take tire ; and what is the reafon that many a profeffor is blown up,and the whole building ofhis Religion ruined, but becaufe,when firfl he began to look towards Heaven, he laid his gifts at the foundation of his profeffion , whereas Chrift only is our foundation,and if any man witbuild upon gifts and parts,his whole building wil come to nothing : Take heed therefore that gifts and parts do not come into the foundation of your Religion. So' uch forthe fecond Conuideration. The Third follows: This Do6lrine looks wifhly alfo upon al ofus:-Is this true,that though the way ofgifts be an excelent way,yet the wayof grace is a more excellent way,& the way of Love a more excellent way,and more to be clefired ? Why Hand we then fo much uponour gifts & parts ? andwhy look we no more after Love ? Love is the great Ce'imand, the moll excellent way ; the ApoIlle faith in this .-i- 3 Chap. Though I jpeakyrith the tongue ofmen and alxgels,and havenot Love,I ara become a-s founding brafs,and a tinkling Cymbal: What though I Preach as never man Preached, yet if l want Love, I am but as founding braffe, and a tinkling Cymbal: What though I pray
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