512 Noab's Dove. --- hunger· 01hers Lord itin lofty fearo, I am trod under their foor-froo\es; Others are eloque~t lamaframmerrr : Othersocellin the lk•l\ofArtsandTongues, I am a filly igno~ant, Andwhy (bould oot I? Oh foole,thefe thatthou talkefr of, are gifts, and therfore fredy befrowed where it pleafes the giver; What doth he owe to thee, that hatbgiven rhefe things ro others? Witb•ll, know, rhere are diverfities ofgifr•, God bath perhaps denied thee beapes ofred and white earth, but he bath given thee frrengrhofbody; Arhow high a rate would t~atonesoftbe~rlc;lbuyrhat bleffingofrhine_? He harh denied thee eloque~ce,he hatli yet given rheefhaq~nes of wit· he bath demed thee hnnor, but"hehathg1ven thee fweet refr, qmet fecumy; he hath denied theepreferment, he hath nor denied thee health. Goe then, and envie the greatmans weakefromack, lleeples n1hts, racks ofcares;envy, ro him, ifthou B canfr, the llippery frairesoftheCourr,an the common envyofthe mofr; He wants fomthing that rhou enjoyefr,and fomthing he bathwhich isdenied thee: He had rathermake choiceofthy condition, thou of his : Each ofyou bath his own, nei1her ofyou (ball have all;Neither !ball have both: There are diverjitieJDfgiftt. Yea,andwe new-blown bladders, howeafily are we/'rufr up with everyblafr of gifts· I amnotlikeothcr men, How bafe are the vulgar o men ? I fir glorioutly impurpled,other fellows may be glad ro lick the dnfr ofmy foot froole; I am enriched with allliberall fcience;, this people which know not theLaw, are accuried; I have lkillofrongues,others are rude Idiots 1 I leadetheamazed hearers by the eareswhidler I lifr, through the power ofmy orarory,orhers freeze and languifh in their Pulpits. Heare, 0 thou proud man, Thefe thingswhereofthou braggell:, are not thine own; what hafrthou rhat rhouhafinotreceived>' All thefe aregifts; And art thou c rhus happy al e? Voin boafrer, thouknowefr not others, thou knowefr notthy felf; There., • litttsofgifuwhich thy thoughts reach not unto : S1tthou aloft, and cheer tl,Y felt ith thebowed knees ofthy fuppliams, they are happiermen than thyfelfthat are-glad to lie dofe, &f\d affe~ aquiet and lafe ob~urity: Be thoumore learned than another, thatother perhap• IS wiferrhan thou: be thou more eloquent than anotherman, that other is perhaps more juditious: if thy tongue be richer than anothers,hismind is richer than thine. It is reported, thar in the houfe of worthy M. LNtherwas found written, Ker & verb~ PhilipptH, KuJineverhk LYthmn,rerb•finereErafmiH: Mel•rKion waswords and matter: l.Ntber, marrer wirhoucwords: Erafmw, words without maner: Every D one bathhis own ll)are:Neither art thou furni!bed with all gifts;nor that other with none: Let not him envie thee, neither doe thou contemn him; Rather both apply your fe!ves rocafr in the !hot ofyour contributions to the feublique good : For to what end harh our bountiful! God !bowred down the e divers kinds of gifts from heaven upon man, but that he mighthereby providefur the common profit & welfare ofmankind? Why bath the blindeman legs, and the lameman eyes, but that rheonemayexchangewith the other, fur the benefitofborh ? Thinkefr thou thatGod meamto heape hisgifts upon thee for thine own fake only? Fieon this fhamefull felfe-love: Surely he that made thee, made thee foro conduit·pipetaconvay, nor aCifrerne to hold thewater ofhis graces.God harhcloarhed you(asye well know,ReverendPre- E lares) with this facred purple, that you fbould fhine befure others as confpicuous Guidesofthat frraitand hard way oflife, and that by your well bcfrowcd honours you fbould credit his Chorch, and be thefervanl!ofmany. Ye perceive now, I imagin, how nuexpelledly my fpeech is glided from Gifts to Minifreries: Theauthor ofthefeGifts, thefpirit ofGod, leads mebyS. Pa•ls hand; who prefmt!y upon the memionofgifis,fubjoynesminifreries,and upon the menti· onofminifreries,ads operatiom. This !OOftmunificent Spirit( .a "'"'~·X that with AthatuJi"~ we may note the furce ofthe Article) bath enabled rhe mofr ofyou, Fathen&brethren,with an eminentmeaforeofgifts: Withwhat powersofthemind, what fingular learning, what powerful!eloquence, with howgreat wifdom, with what gravity,withwhat titlesofhonor,with whatlargedigniries? It is agreat word that I !hall fpea.lr:, and yet I mufr, andwill fay it, wirbout all , eirheraroganceor flat· tery;
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