The firfi Sermon rail excellency to himfelfe.. Now .confider what is the excellency thy heart defìres, aboue all things eis., whether it bee Iefus Chrifi., to .bee in hire , to excel! in grace, to haue a new draught of Gods Image tobee made in thy . foule, or whether fome fuch thing as I'hauena med; Confider what is the proper vertue thou wouldeft haue thy foule toexcell in, for there are feverall vertues,every thing hath fome ver- tue or other which is proper to it, as the vertue ofaknife is tocut well, & thevertucof a horfe to goe well, and thevertue ofa fouldier is to fight well, and the vertue ofa Chriftian to bea holyman, tobe holy, grations, andvnblame- able in his converfation. Now what is the proper excellency thy heart aymes at , what "is that thou efteemeft thyvertue,that ifthouwert putto thy choyfe that thou mighteft haue a withgranted thee; whether thouwouldeft &- fire this, to excel! ingrace andholynes,tohaue thy finfull lufts mortifycd , tohaue thy heart ut into a holy frame of grace : or whether, if thou wouldeft deale impartially with thy felfe) -is it not fotne other excellency that thy kart runnel vpon that thy thoughtsand aftc. &ions are moft fet vpon? Confider when thou looke vponothers, what feemes molt graci- ous:in thy fight;bywhat thoudoeft moltvalue the excellency ofanother.ran ist it is likely thou fo efteemeft thy felfe alfo: Cófider there- fore I fay what thou meafureft thy felfeby A man 41._ S )
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