Chap. 42. efln Expofition upon the Book of Jo it. Verf. a §, 1009 hinted before, namely, that his daughters were excellent, both for the one beauty and for the other,Yet,I conceive, the fairnefs Pulcritudo ter here fpoken of, was that of the body ; and we muff reckon it as a rend fe1iciia- part ofrobs renewed felicity,noc only that he had three daughters to exi, e, fl, ad dr as he had before, but that his daughters were fairer thanany in the pen;ationem land. veterii teffa- menti porei- Hence note ; nens. The bodily beauty of oar children is ei gift of God, and nq fruallone. Beauty is not onlyone of the excellencies of nature, but Tome part of Gods image inman, and much refpe6ted in women. The Specie:corp .; beauty of the body, bears the image of a beautiful mind, and is ß ,menuuha a figure of holinefs ; hence that Scripture phrafe, The beauty of figura probite. holtnejs. It is faid of Moles, He was a goodly child ; and of too. Amb,1.z. Sarah, that the was a very beautiful woman ; fo beautiful., that de virgin. Abraham was afraid her beauty might endanger him among flrangers. Rebecca!, alto was beautiful, and very fair ; and Grader eftpul. though beauty is no grace, yet it is a grace to grace. Beauty si Ore teníensc and duly may be, a great attraáiive of love and affection : Though córpore viri,,e we know it is often an incentive to lull, yet it is anattraétive of true love. What is faid of the Church (?fal. 4 t a,) So(hall the King greatlydefire tby beauty, thy fpiritual or inward beauty, is true an of outward or corporal beauty. Beauty to force is a portion among men;toothers,a favour fromGod,Beauty is a (lent eloquence, a tacit perfwafion, it works much. But confider, i (peak of that beauty firf't, which is natural, not artificial ; I fpeak not of beauty out ofa box, but of that which is laid on by the hand of,God, that'sa bleffing and a meroy, then efpecially, when it is joyned with better beauty. Only remember, though bodily beau- ty be a bleffing, it is but an inferior biding ; it is a gift of God, yet an inferior gift t And there are many confiderations which may keep them humble in their own thoughts,who are moa beau- tiful in the eyes of others. For, Firft, As beauty isa bleffing, fo it is a fnare oftentimes; and that in two refpeEts. Firtf, It proved, a fnare to them that have it. If they have net Faßus in e, grace, it maketh them proud and vain ; fuch are often given up pulchris,fequi- to new- fangled inventions ; their natural beauty will not ferve torquefuperbi® Nnnnnn them,fortnam.
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