The excellency of a gracious spirit Delivered in a treatise upon the 14. of…The excellency of a gracious spirit Deliuered in a treatise upon the 14. of…

The other is this (which makes all beautiful ⟨image 4⟩and lovely indeed) though God hath raised you high in birth, in abilities, in the esteem of men both good and bad; yet the lustre of the humility of your spirit shines beautifully through all, manifesting it self in much gentleness and meekness; and this is the height of all true excellency. A man of understanding is of an excellent spirit, saith Solomon, Prov. 17. 27. the word in the Original, is, A cool spirit. In also posito non altum sapere difficile est, & omnino inusitatum; sed quanto inusitatius, tanto gloriosius, saith Bernard, ep. 42. The Lord carry on your truly noble and generous spirit, that you may long hold forth the power, beauty and excellency of his grace. Let the height of all your designs be, to list up the Name of the great God. 2 Cor. 5. 9. We labour, saith the Apostle, whether present or absent to be accepted of him: the word translated, Labour, loseth the elegance of it, it is [Greek or Hebrew]; we love the honour of it; it is such a labour as we account it our honour and glory: We are ambitious; to have high designs for God is a holy and a blessed ambition; whereas the ambition of other men is low, & base: Infoelix prorsus ⟨image 5⟩ambitio, quae ambire magna non novit, saith Bernard. Account your self blessed ¹when your God is blessed. It was the blessing of Shem, Gen. 9. 26. Blessed be the Lord God of Shem; the chief of Shems blessing was, that his Lord God was blessed. That which I seek, is to engage your Lordship for God, and to stir you up to answer fully the esteem, the expectations that men have of you, whose eyes are upon you as a public blessing, & an ornament to the profession of the truth. And yet this I desire your Lordship would consider, (as I know you do) that Religion is a greater honour, and ornament to you, than you are to it; it doth and will more honour you, than you ever did, or can honour its Your birth made you honourable, but oh how honourable have you been, since you have been precious in Gods eyes! Isaiah 43. 4. Your parts were always hopeful, but how apparently have they been raised since grace hath sanctified them? Although God takes it well at the hands of those whom he hath raised in the things of the world higher than others, when he seeth them forward in setting out his praise;