A choice Bed of Slimes. are weakan71 light, little, and parts low, and grace fmall ; 0 who yet look witha fquint eye, an envious eye upon every 'Sur) that outshines their own, upon every ones graces and lexcellencies that are more fparkling than their own. Though pride and envy have received their deaths-wound at the fouls firft converfion, yet they are not quite (lain in a be- iliever ; there is an aptnefs even in real Saints, to grudge and repine at thofe gifts,' graces and excellencies in others that their own. Yohn's difciples muttered and murmur- ed, becaufe Chrifi had more followers and admirers than John ; and that fpirit thatlived in John 's difciples, is 1E11 alive to this very day. Ths is and this muff be for a lamen- tation. Well Sirs, look as ;he fairefl clay hash its clouds, the fineftiinnen its fpots, the richeft jewels their flaws, the fweeteft fruits their worms; fo when many precious Chri- (Hans are not themfelves, when they are in an hour of tem- ptation, when their corruptions are up, and their graces down, they may and too often do, envy and repine at thofe 29. graces, excellencies and abilities that do over7caft, cloud, darken and outfhine their own. The bell of men are but men lieb. 12. If. at the belt, and there is flill thofe bitter roots of pride, vain- glory, felf-love, envy, &c. remaining in them, that occa- lions their hearts to rife and fwell, yea fometimes to calf difgrace upon thofe excellencies in others that themfelves Eufe want : As that p,reat man that could not write his own name, of hi bius (peaks m, in his Fc- and yet called the liberal Arts, A publick Poyfon and Petli- clefiaitical Hia,- - lence. This fpiritual difeafe is moldy "to be. found among ry, scc. Chriftians that are got into forne of the highell forms in Chriflianity; take your ordinary -common Chriftians, and they commonly rejoyce molt where they fee moll grace : And fo do your Chrifliank in a higher form too, when they come to themfelves l and to make up their accounts, and have wept over thofe curfed roots of bitternefs that are fo apt to be fprouting out. Now, there is no greater argument that our grace is true, and that we do lore others for grace fake, than our loving them bell that have molt grace, though they have but little, of the world. A pearl is rich if found on a dunghil, though it may glitter more when fet in a ring of ld 7 Luk.7. I CI1,18, 1940)2,1)21,23.
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