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…

Shall Sea and Land be travelled over with much hazard, soul-hazard, and bodily hazard, with great expense of estate, to get knowledge of fashions, and a Gentile behaviour, because you think they will be Ornaments to your great estates you are borne to; and shall no labour be undertaken to get godliness, to get your spirits raised by grace, as an ornament to the greatness of your birth, and eminency of your estate? How is this, to sleight the very glory of God himself, and to contemn the highest dignity men or Angels are capable of? Are any places so fit for wisdom, as the high places of the City? Prov. 9. 1, 3. Wisdom hath builded her house, she hath hewen out her seven Pillars, she crieth upon the highest places of the City. How honourable doth godliness make those, whose birth, whose place is honourable in the eyes ⟨p. 204⟩of God, his Saints, blessed Angels, and in the consciences of all? How well doth grace suite with the highest dignity, as a bright shining Diamond in a golden Ring? as the world is drawn more conspicuous and full in a large Map, than in a small; so the beauty and excellency of grace and godliness, appears more conspicuous and glorious in great men and honourable, than in those who are of a meaner rank.

Shall Sea and Land be travelled over with much hazard, soule-hazard, and bodilyhazard, with great expence of estate, to get knowledge of fashions, and a Gentile behaviour, because you thinke they will be Ornaments to your great estates you are borne to; and shall no labour be undertaken to get godlinesse, to get your spirits raised by grace, as an ornament to the greatnesse of your birth, and eminencie of your estate? How is this, to sleight the very glory of God himselfe, and to contemne the highest dignity men or Angels are capable of? Are any places so fit for wisedome, as the high places of the City? Prov. 9. 1, 3. Wisdome hath builded her house, shee hath hewen out her seven Pillars, she cryeth upon the highest places of the City. How honourable doth godlinesse make those, whose birth, whose place is honorable in the eyes ⟨p. 204⟩of God, his Saints, blessed Angels, and in the consciences of all? How well doth grace suite with the highest dignity, as a bright shining Diamond in a golden Ring? as the world is drawn more conspicuous and full in a large Mappe, than in a small; so the beauty and excellency of grace and godlinesse, appeares more conspicuous and glorious in great men and honourable, than in those who are of a meaner ranke.