111111MPEft. Againfifkirititalwickedneffl. 277 fort of p rofeffours, who are all to be ferved in a lordly difb of rare gifts. The Church of Corinth wasfamous for gifts above o- ther Churches, t Cor. I. but not in grace; none fo ;charged for weakneffe in that, i Cor 3. 2. he calls them carnal, babes in Chrift, fo weak, as not able to digeft mans meat ; I havefed you, faith Pant, with milk and not with meat; for hitherto ye were nor able to beare it, neither yet now are ye able. Why ? what is the ,matter ? the reafon lies, verfe 3 7e are carnal, there is among you envie and firife, Onefaith, I am of Paul; another, I am Of A- PrIde makes them take parts, and make fides, one for this Preacher, another for that, as they fancied one to excel an- other. And this is not the way to thrive. Pride deftroyes love,' and love wanting edification is loft. The devil bath made foul work in theChurch by this engine. Zanchy tells of one in Gt% neva, who being defired to go hear Viretus, that preach't at the fame time with Calvin, anfwered his friend, If Pared were to preach, raid° Paolo Calvinum atidirem: I would leave Paul himfelf to hear Calvin, And will pride in the g ifts of another fo far tranfport, even to the borders of blafphemy what work then will pride make, when the gifts are a mans own ? SECT. Doth Satan thus flir upSaints to this fpiritual pride of gifts? vie firft, here is a word to you that have mean gifts, yet truth of grace, be content with thy condition. Perhaps when thou hear- eft others, how enlargedly they pray, how able to difcourfe of the truths ofGod, and the like, thou art ready to go into a cor- ner and mourn to think how weak thy memory, how dull thy apprehenfion, how ftraitened thy fork; hardly able (though in ferret) to utter and expreffe thy minde to God- in prayer. 0 } thou art ready to think thofe the happy men and women, and almoft murmur at thy condirion, well,canft thou not fay, though I have not words t hope I have faith, I cannot difpute for the truth, but lamwAing to fuller for it ' I cannot remember a Sermon, but never hear the Word, but I hate fin and love Chrift more then ever : Lord, thouknoweft I love thee? Truly Jt (Chriftian) thou halt thebetter part ; thou little think'il what t N n 3
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