a choice anda precious [ irit, 20! wife faid ofAntonius Philo f phus, that he was of fuch a fweet temper, that hewas never much puft up in profperity, nor cart down in adverfity. Th.s wee fee, menmay have excel- lent gifts ofmorality, andyet all thefe but as the flowers that growon bram- bles, far dií rent from thofe gracesof this other fpirit that we fpeak;of, which onely grows upon the TreeofLife: As many a faire flower may grow out of a ftinking root , fo many fweet difpof - tions, and faireactions may bee , where there is onely the corrupt root ofna- ture. It is true, learningandmorality are lovely, they are pearls highly robe efleemed , they are great bleffings of Gods but there is a pearl ofprice that is beyond them all, which the truewife Merchant will labour toget, and will becontent ro feil all toobrain,as Matth. 13.45,46And this peas l ofprice is that, by which this other fpirit comes tobee fo exce lent above all that learning and rclorali y, or an' common gifts can make it, It is laid in that place ofSaint 'i cmatthew, That the wife Merchant fought other goodlyPearls : common i gifts
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=