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Secondly, great titles, and honours, and great rewards, which a higher sort of men are capable of. Thirdly, the excellency of learning, and knowledge, and skill in arts and sciences; and this also is but an outward excellency: for though it be seated in the spirit, yet it enables only to outward things. These are not the excellencies that thou shouldest seek for: but it is an excellency of the spirit, thou art to regard: look to thy spirit what that is: for as the spirit is, such is the man. Spiritus est perfectio hominis, this is the proper excellency: the body is but, as it were, the sheath for the soul; a man is said to be more excellent, as his soul is excellent. Other excellency is but an outward excellency, this excellency is that which is intrinsical to a man; the other are but adventitious, they are not proper, it is not that which makes the difference. The righteous is more excellent than his neighbour: There is a difference of honour, but all these are but accidental differences: the essential difference ⟨p. 18⟩is the spirit, and that is it which God regards and by this thou excellest thy neighbour. All other excellencies are but as when a mule or an ass having goodly trappings, should boast it self against the horse, which is a goodly creature, because it hath goodly trappings; or as if a mud-wall, that the Sun shines upon, should boast it self against a wall of marble that stands in the shadow. Therefore consider of this, that so thou mayest labour to beautify thy spirit; if there were no other reason, but that he is a Spirit, and that he beholds the excellency of the spirit, this were sufficient. Take all other excellencies in the world, they make thee only excellent in the sight of man; but this makes thee excellent before God, this is a solid thing, all the glory of the world is but [Greek or Hebrew], empty glory; but that which makes thee excellent before God, is this. As it is, Jam: 2.5.¹ Hath not God chosen the poor of this world, rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him? As if he should say, that which makes men glorious, is their faith and holiness within, that is the thing that makes us excellent in Gods sight, and enables us to do higher works:

Secondly, great titles, and honours, and great rewards, which a higher sort of men are capable of. Thirdly, the excellency of learning, and knowledge, and skill in arts and sciences; and this also is but an outward excellency: for though it be seated in the spirit, yet it inables onely to outward things. These are not the excellencies that thou shouldest seeke for: but it is an excellency of the spirit, thou art to regard: looke to thy spirit what that is: for as the spirit is, such is the man. Spiritus est perfectio hominis, this is the proper excellency: the body is but, as it were, the sheath for the soule; a man is said to be more excellent, as his soule is excellent. Other excellency is but an outward excellency, this excellency is that which is intrinsecall to a man; the other are but adventitious, they are not proper, it is not that which makes the difference. The righteous is more excellent than his neighbour: There is a difference of honour, but all these are but accidentall differences: the essential difference