grace andLove beyondyifts. 57 pray as never man prayed with praying gifts, yet if I want Love,I am but as founding braffe, and as a tinkling Cymbal : What though I confer & chfcourfe of al things, as never man did, yet if I want Love, I ambut as a founding braffe,and as a tinkling Cymbal : Yet,Good Lord I howmany are there that bear themfelves upon thefe bladders of gifts and parts(which wil ere long be prickt ) and neglect this way of Love I Are there not fomeProfelfors that do fomtirnes queftion their e- verlafting condition for the want of gifts, yet can go up and down a whol year together in the breach of Love, and never queftion their condition for want of that ? Yea,are there not fome Preachers that fetch the great part of their evidence for heaven from their gifts,& the exercifing oftheir gifts,whileft they lie in the breach of LoverrheApofile,you fee here,doth advance Love above al gifts;And I pray let us confider a little what thefe gifts are, that are thus funk down before Love, which Love is advanced above : the Apofile tels us they are Spiritual gifts,not Natural gifts: Suppofe now I be to Preach,. and I go from one book to another out of one book I take one thing, out of another book I take another thing, out of a third book I take another thing, and I do but onlyput thefe together that I haveout of feveral books ; Is this any more then a Natural gift ? Suppofe aBook-binder be to bind up di- vers fheets ofPaper, and he ftitcheth them up together, Is it any more then a Natural gift? So,fuppofe I be to Preach,or I be toPray,& I take this expreffion from one,& that expreffion from another, and this thing from one, & that from another, and I do only put thefe things together, Is this any more then a natural gift ? I, but they are Spiritual gifts that the Apoftle Both fink before Love,& doth advance Love above ; yea,and ifyou obferve this Scripture, you Thal find that they were the higheft gifts, for faith he,at the .2,S.Verfe, Godbathfetfome in the Church, firft Apoftles, fecondly Prophets,thirdly Teachers,af- ter that Miraeles,thengifts ofHealing : And though (faith he . Chap. i 3.) iffreakyitIfthe tongue of men andAngels, and have not Love, Iam becom asfounding brafs,anda tinkling Cymbal: Though I be an Apofile,have the gift ofan Apofile;be a Pro- _ . . phet,
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