Hall - HP BX5133 .H34 1647

Noah's Dove. A thyofthisname;IrisnotamiUi: that HMgo reckons up threefortsofGodsgiftsto man: Giftsofnature, ofgrace, ofglory : By the ~iftsofnoture we aremen, by the giftsofgracewe are holy, by thegifrsofglory we !hall be blel1e!f, The giftsofnature arememory, reafon, will, wherein we exce:I the brute creatures; Thegifts ol grace are faith, hope, charity, wherinwe goe beyond the Devils. Thegifts ofglory, e<ernall and tme ble!Tednelle; blelfed a"d eternall truth, true and ble!Ted eternity, wherein we are equall to th ng s : Amonglhhe giftsofnature the fame Author reckons fome to be ofrhc Jowell: ranke, fome ofrhe meane, fome ofthe highell:: In the lowefl,he accounts beautyand health of body :In the meane he account' the fu. cultitsofrhcminde: In the highell: the virtues of the foule; Thus thm are diverfitis ofgiftJ. There are fome gifts ofRegeneration ; there are fome giftsofour calling: by the former we areborne againe for our own good; with the latter we arc furni!hed, for the good ofothers : Thefe latter arc peculiarly be!lowed upon feverall men, the furmerarebyacertain common propriety bell:owed upon all the Saints ofGod; For, as in rhemoll: wife difpofition ofthis univerfe, the bell: things, and rhofe which are necelfary for the luflencarion of life, asayre, I iglu, lire, water,are abundantlygiven r0 all, bm rhoferhingswhich ferve only for ornament and plealine, asGold, Pearle, Precious-flones, ore more fparingly be!towed upon fome few; fo every Caving grace is abundantly difpenfed to all Saints, by the liberall hand ofGod; Whereas tongues, prophecy,powerofmiracles, asalfo eloquente,1kill, honor,and the re!lofrhis kind, arerefervedonlyforfom few receivers; And in all rbefe what ll:ran!(e diverlity there is? Theydilferinrefpefrofthemfelves, being in nature divers fromeachorher: C They differ in rcfpect ofthe Subjell, as beingdiver!ly given roon dother; for as the blind Bard faw rruly, God dorh not give all roall; The l'in retpellof degree, as theyaremoregivenroone, than to other. Thus ever way'I'heroredi· v.rfitiuofgifts. It is the common voice ofnatnre, thatthe fame remayning the fa•ne cannot produce but the flmc; bur,when we fpeak ofthe God ofNature; that word ofBon4ventHreis more trne: JJb uniffimo De11 »J~tJ~nt multifornul; a!; teter11o temporalia: From that moll: one God flowes multiformityofelfells, and from that erernallGod,temporal! effects: H"go CJid well, ln le v•ri•t*'•1Ni i11 fo """mHI•tNr,he is varied in thee who is not <hanged in himfdf: Ifthe divine power had made only one creature,that D alonly workofhis had been worthy ofaGod,and fuch as could proceed from no les than an onmipotent hand; Bur now he bathcreated many things, yea innumerable; lfGod hadmadt rhefemany creatures alrogetber uniform and like rhemfelves; only dill:ing,uiOted in tutmher, not in form; the workhad beenmore excellent and admitJble, than rhc frame ofany one creature alone; but now, that he harh n,ade rhefe many, thcle innumerable;:rearures,no leOe difFerent from themfelves,and fo,as that the dif!Crenceof their forms ll:riveswiththe praifeofrheir number : Ochedepth of divine wifdom! 0 rhell:uperdious workmanlhipofomniporency! And yerrhereis noSobjdt wherein thepower and providence ofthe Almighty doth fo much magnifieir felfas in thediversOeconomy ofman; In fomuch asin thil little world,rhere isaworld ofdiverfities; Marvell at your felves, brethren , and be afloni!hed at your E ownc profpells ; Whetherwe looke ar the fa!hion ofrhemce, orthe proportion of pares,or rhecolourof chc lkin, or the ll:arureofrhe body, or rhe indowmenrs ofthe mindc, thedegrees offaculries, the difpofitionofnature, themeafureofgraces, the oporruniries offbtions, or lall:ly the outward condition ofourlife; Ogood God what wondrous diverfitic is here; how impoflible is it fur the eye to meete twife with the like objell, whirherfoever it roveth? Thus there#re dhlerjiti11• gift~;vay now from hence withal! haughrinesofpride, all imuinies ofenvy; Thefe rwo dangers will befure ro haunt themofl ju!l inequality; the needy is envious,the rich is proud. Poore I am conternned,orhers ate fer up;orhers fhine in fcarlet,and purple,whiles I am parchingofnafty rags, otherswallow in theirwealth and e~celfe, I fami!h for x~3 huner

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