2 On the Exceiency ®f the Seul. tures as are capable of it. Now it is true, if you fhould dye in your fins , then it might bee laid at that inftance when you dye in your fins ; that it had been better that you had been Toads or Serpents , or any thing in the world : But were not this a fad thing for a man that hath fuch an excellent nature , to live and dye fo that they may wif4 hereafter that the' had been Toads or Dogs? how many are there that are willing , fo they may live like a beaft, to dye like a beaft , I but that thou canfl not bring thy felf to dye like a beaft, thou mutt be infinitly worfe, or infinitly better than the brute beafts. But biefs God that thou haft a na- ture capable of fo much good, whatfoever thou art in other refpeas, though God hath made a great difference between thee and others that are of the fame kinde in thy outward edare, God hath made a great deal of difference between poor and rich , between a poor Aims -body that lives in fo mean a condition , and between a Noble-man , a Prince, an Emperour ; I but this difference is made in the outward eftate and body , but there is no fuch difference made in their fouls, thou haft as precious a foul within thee , thatil naturally as good as ever any Emperour had in the world, fo Philofophers fay of the fouls of men , mens fouls are equal, and one is not better than another by nature , what they are better by is afterwards by education, or by com- mon gifts of the graces of God , but by nature all men are equal And therefore that wherein mans excellency is, is in his foul, thou art as high as any Emperour in the world,and therefore it is that the Scripture would have no difference made between the fouls of men, in Exoel.3o.i 5. you (hall finde there by that Scripture, that God would not have dif- ference made of the fouls of men, it is laid in the 14. verfe, Every one that paffeth among you, that are numbred from twenty years old aed above , (hall give an offering unto the Lord; God would have an offering from every one of them : Now mark what hee faith in the i 5. verfe, The rich fholleotgive more , and the poor fhall plot give It than half n fhekel when they give an o f fertng unto the Lord to snake an at- tone-
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