to theE PH E S I AN S. 49 Yea farther there are a fort of things that are fpiritual , which of themfelves ~ taken or iouncl'apart feyered from Graces,are not Spirittlfll B!t/]ing!, thoughcal- Strm. IV~ led Spiritual Gzfts; as faith of Miracles, gtfts of1 ongues, and diVI~e knowledge ~ in the knowledge of the Scriptures, (which yet are afrmt ofChnft s afce~dmg.) Eph. 4• Thefe the Gofpel condefcends tocommend to the Cormthzmts '· as the ob;ects of our delires. 'Drjire Jpiritflalg_ijts..,yert, covet tartujl!y the bejlgifts, I Cor. 12. 11ft. and thefe (Chap. '4· I.) as tnfi~ttely more delireable then all other earthly excellencies whatever, as bemg of Immediate ufe m ed1fymg the Church of God : Yet if you will ~ave the Apoft!e fpeak his own heatt, he undervalues all thefe but as toys, which when Children even under the Gofpel Men are taken~1th, but in rhemfelvcs are nothing in comparifon of the leaft degree of true fpmtual heavenly graces; as faith unteigned and lively hope, which do intitle us to, and do accompany and carry us unto the very door of Heaven, and ~ncere love which goes in with us, and abides with us for ever. The~e other g~fts though fpirirual yet they are not of themfelves fpintual bleiiings m heavenhes, If love and fait!; be wanting; for they inrreft not the perfon in whom they are, in hea– venlies ; but men may go to Hell with a rich portion had of them here. Here the Apoftle himfelf fpeaks forth his own fenfe herein, I Cor. I l· v. I, 2, 3• Thottgh Ijpeak with the to~tgttes of men alld A•tgtis, mtd have not Cbarity, I am become as ji11mding brafs or a ti1JCI!li11g cymbal. Andtbo11gb I bave tbe gtjt of Prophecy, mtdu11derJ1and all m)f/tries a11dafl knowledge, mtd tbougb I have all faitb, fo that I could remove Mountai11s, mtd b.-;ve no Cbarity, I am 11othing• Thefe, when a Mari is a Child in Chriftianity, he may for a while valu~, ( v. r r. Wbm [ wM aChild, IJPake as a Child,&e;.) but after he is grown up, thefeother come in efreem with him. To the like purpofe we find him fpeaking, Heb. 6. of all thofe enlightnings and tall:ings of the heavenly gifts, which men that fall away,do partake of, v. 4, 'i· preferring infinitely the leall grain of true heaven– ly grace, fuch as lincere love to the Saints, unto the ..&!:eatell: abundance of thofe other, as better tbitJgs, infinitely better, upon the fame account that here in the text, that they accompa'!Y[alvattott,fo v.9.weare perjwaded better tbi11gs ofyou, a11d thi11gs tbat accompa'!Y [alvation, inftancing v. ro. in that of love to the Saints : ;for Godis 11ot tmr ighteotts, to forget your work and labotsr.of love, wbtchye havt jhewed towards bis 11ame, itJ tbatye hoiive mi11ij/red to the Saittts mtd do mit1ij/er. Even thofe elevations of the powers and principles in corrupt Nature, unto a tafring the heavenly gift, as alfo of the powers ot the World to come, as the object of them; yet are they not in themfelves fpiritual bleiiings in beavmlies, nor are they ordained as fuch,to bring the perfons that have them thither, which true fpiritual graces that are the image of God, and the new creature renewed in us, by our being begotten again, are ordained unto; To difiiriguiih therefore, even thefe though fpiritual gifts from thefe graces that are fp(ritual in heavenlies, and that appertain to and belong unto Salvation cloth this addition (in heavenlies,) as pertinently and properly ferve as either of the other two forementioned; arRI although they are fi·om Heaven as in refpect of the Gi– ver, which isChrifras afcended into Heaven, and the Holy Ghoftwhoisfrom Heaven; yet are they not (!,-o!il'fvt~) gifts fuperceleftial in themfelves or in the per– fans, fo as to raife their heart~ up unto things above the Heavens; that is, make t hetr hearts heavenly; nor will ever carry their perfons thither. They are ;. from Heaven, not ;, '""B''i'"• not feared in or conftituted of Heavenlies · but they are in the Receivers ~f them (if his heart be not renewed,) but ea;thly, becaufe they are but the ~Irnngsof felf-love in them, (which is a corrupt mem– ler upon earth, as ':"ell as any other luft) by heavenly enlightnings; though elev~ttng Self to ob;ects heavenly, 10 far as there is any confideration io them that fuiteth Self, (as the greatefi notion ofjoy, happinefs, and blelfednefs cloth;) yet not unto .,;;.,;n~;,,ei,.~, to the heavenly things themfelves in their fpiritual Heb.,: nature conlidered, as th7 Apofile diftinguifheth I Cor. 2.13 •'4· and fo the produCl:s of them m the fpmts ar.d affections of them in the Receivers are heavenly ~ootherwife than r,he Vapours and Clouds, or Meteors, that are exhaled by the Sun-beams out of ttlC earth and water, may be fa id to be heavenly, becaufe the light and mftuence of heaven extraCl:s and elevates them above that fphere, winch otherwife themfelves would rife up unto. And fo thofe are but ex mu2 H parte,
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