Sibbes - Houston-Packer Collection BX9339.S5 B6 1641

------~---------~----~------~.- My Do"Pe,. a8oSu\, VII. partly, for thedifjojitifinthat u andjhould be in the · Church refemhlirJg that creatt~re. And partlyalfo, Forthat the church u in amaurnfuUJuffiringcon– dition, 1. 'For the like difpofirion as is found in a That every Dove. 1 here is forne good inall creatures;there ~r~a!Ure bath is no creature but it hathabeame of Gods Ma . m tt (Ome beam • . f r A 'b b · · of rbe Maj ejly Jtfiy, o wrne ttrt ure, Ut fome more then . of God. others. There is an Image of vertue even in the inferiour creatures. w ·herefore the Scripture fends us to them for many vertues ; as the fl:ug. gardto the Ant: And indeedwe may f~e the true perfeGl:ion of the firll: Creation, the ll:ate of it j more in 'theC·re~tures then inourfelves,fonhere . 1 1 Properties of the 'Dove. . I .• Meek~effi. , is no fuch degeneration in any creatureas there l . • " . 1sm man. . . N.ow ·that which in ·a Dove the Scripture ! I aimes a-t, We fhorJltlrefomble aDove in,is hu meek– neje ejjeciaUy. The Church is meeke both to 1 I God and Man, not given to murmurings and re– vengemenr;meeke,tnat--is., I heldmy tongue withoflt murmetring (as it is in the Pfalme) I wtU dum!Je1- &c. which is agrace rhatGods Spirirframes in the heart of the Church, and every particular Chrifiian,even to be meeke towards Godhy an , holy filmce;And-likewife rowardsmen to put on theB:owelsofmukneje, aswe areexhorted,coloJ 1· r 2. tAs the Elect ofGod pt~t- ~n theBowels of · .mtekneffi And compa/Jion, &c. Hereby we fhall iliewour felves to be Chrifis, and to have the Spirit ofChrift. And thisgrace difpofeth us to a' - nearer communionv,rith God then 0ther graces: It is a grace that God moft delights in, aqd Wotlld

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