A20559:470
The bright star which leadeth wise men to our Lord Jesus Christ, or, A…
The bright star which leadeth wise men to our Lord Jesus Christ, or, A familiar and learned exposition on the ten commandments gathered from the mouth of a faithful pastor by a gracious young man, sometime scholar in Cambridge.The bright star which leadeth wise men to our Lord Jesus Christ, or, A familiar and learned exposition on the ten commandements gathered from the mouth of a faithfull pastor by a gracious young man, sometime scholler in Cambridge.
London: printed by John Harison for Thomas Man, 1603London: printed by Iohn Harison for Thomas Man, 1603
Title page typeset from the transcription.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
The second duty of inferiors in gifts, is to make a good use of the gifts that others have beyond them, imitating the godliness and patience that they see in them, taking direction, and craving counsel at his wisdom and understanding, as to reverence these graces in another, so to labour for them in themselves, as it were to light their candle at his, and to draw some few drops from his full bucket. Thus the woman of Canaan so soon as she perceived Christ to be an other manner of person then she thought, she left of jesting, and fell to ask him some questions of religion, that she might be the better for meeting with a prophet. And Pharaoh perceiving Josephs wisdom and ⟨image 131⟩provident foresight, put him in such place where his good might procure the common good. And Nebuchadnezzar seeing Daniels fitness for an high place of office, preferred him where he might put his wisdom & other graces to the proof and practise. And this effect will manifest that one doth acknowledge and reverence the gifts of others, else all show of accounting of them is but hypocritical, and shall yield no comfort to the soul afterwards. This shames and reproves them that one may speak many grave and godly speeches in their hearing, before they learn any piece of one to follow it, how many examples of patience and holiness and mortification may they see in a good man, and yet be never a whit the better for it? God hath given so many graces for their good, and will they be better by none of them? that is a soul fault, and it shows that in truth their is no true reverence, for that which one esteems and accounts of in an other, he would be very desirous, to be partaker of it himself.
The second dutie of inferiours in gifts, is to make a good vse of the gifts that others haue beyond them, imitating the godlinesse and patience that they see in them, taking direction, and crauing counsell at his wisedome and vnderstanding, as to reuerence these graces in another, so to labour for them in themselues, as it were to light their candle at his, and to draw some few drops from his ful bucket. Thus the womā of Canaan so soone as she perceiued Christ to be an other maner of person then she thought, she left of iesting, and fell to aske him some questions of religion, that she might be the better for meeting with a prophet. And Pharo perceiuing Iosephs wisedome and ⟨image 131⟩prouident foresight, put him in such place where his good might procure the common good. And Nabuchadnezar seeing Daniels fitnesse for an high place of office, preferd him where he might put his wisedome & other graces to the proofe and practise. And this effect will manifest that one doth acknowledge and reuerence the gifts of others, else all shewe of accounting of them is but hypocriticall, and shall yeelde no comfort to the soule afterwards. This shames and reprooues them that one may speake many graue and godly speaches in their hearing, before they learne any piece of one to follow it, how manie examples of patience and holinesse and mortification may they see in a good man, and yet be neuer a whitte the better for it? God hath giuen so many graces for their good, and will they be better by none of them? that is a soule faulte, and it shewes that in truth their is no true reuerence, for that which one esteemes and accounts of in an other, he would bee very desirous, to be partaker of it himselfe.