The bright star which leadeth wise men to our Lord Jesus Christ, or, A…

The duties of those that are inferior to others in gifts, is first to acknowledge it, and reverence them for their gifts. If God bestowed upon any one more godliness, more wisdom, more discretion or understanding, though he have no authority, ⟨p. 32⟩yet, he hath an excellency & superiority above those which have not equal gifts; and this they must acknowledge to Gods glory, and reverence him that God hath honoured. Else they clip the Lords coin, and deface his image, if whom God hath graced with the spirit of wisdom and counsel, with grace and power over their affections, and such like; they by obscuring them, so far as they can, hinder the glory of God, and the good fruit that might come by them. They must then with reverence be acknowledged. And thus the woman of Canaan that at first rested with Christ, at length perceiving his gifts, acknowledgeth him to be a Prophet (for so far only she saw then,) and deals more reverently with him. And Nebuchadnezzar seeing that Daniel was endued with wisdom and knowledge from God to expound dreams, more then he or any of his nobles, doth confess this, and reverence him for it. But contrary is their practise, which through envy & pride, set themselves to deprave or to lessen other mens grace, & think no gifts worth looking after but their own, and judge all men fools besides themselves. Yet they think it a duty that other men should acknowledge their outward gifts, as wealth and such like, and reverence them for it, as indeed they ought with a civil reverence for peace sake, but no man is bound to think better of them for their wealth sake; and why then do not they themselves confess the inward gifts bestowed upon others which are much more excellent?

The duties of those that are inferiour to others in gifts, is first to acknowledge it, and reuerence them for their gifts. If God bestowed vpon any one more godlinesse, more wisedom, more discretion or vnderstanding, though he haue no authoritie, ⟨p. 32⟩yet, he hath an excellencie & superioritie aboue those which haue not equall gifts; and this they must acknowledge to Gods glory, and reuerence him that God hath honoured. Else they clip the Lords coyne, and deface his image, if whom God hath graced with the spirit of wisedome and counsell, with grace and power ouer their affections, and such like; they by obscuring them, so farre as they can, hinder the glorie of God, and the good fruit that might come by them. They must then with reuerence be acknowledged. And thus the woman of Canaan that at first rested with Christ, at length perceiuing his giftes, acknowledgeth him to be a Prophet (for so farre onely she saw then,) and deales more reuerently with him. And Nabuchadnezar seeing that Daniel was endued with wisedome and knowledge from God to expound dreams, more then he or any of his nobles, doth confesse this, and reuerence him for it. But contrary is their practise, which through enuy & pride, set themselues to depraue or to lessen other mens grace, & think no gifts worth looking after but their owne, and iudge all men fooles besides themselues. Yet they thinke it a dutie that other men should acknowledge their outward gifts, as wealth and such like, and reuerence them for it, as indeed they ought with a ciuil reuerence for peace sake, but no man is bound to thinke better of them for their wealth sake; and why then do not they themselues confesse the inward gifts bestowed vpon others which are much more excellent?