of their feet They are but like Cain as fled from the place of rest so dwelling in the Land of Nod i.e. of wandring Vid. Dr. Stillingfleet's Sherinah in locum till they return to the Ark again They are like children tossed to and fro with every wind of Doctrine and even when they think themselves fixed they most-what still have some jealousies remaining in their minds that possibly they are deceived so that they seldom have any rest unless they come at last to a hardness of of heart and a stupid and benumming in sensual security crying Peace where there is no Peace for no true peace no true rest is to be had till they come to this speaking the same things without division from their Brethren How often do we see them like drunken men reeling to and fro carried from this to that extreme till they come at last to conclude in Atheism and Infidelity whereas by being united particular Christians would be strengthened in the truth having nothing more to do but to grow in Grace and make Progress from degrees to degrees in Holiness which is the very design of Christianity Indeed 3. It concerns every one to labour after this Unity if they do but consider that this alone will put them in a fit posture to receive the blessing of God It is remarkable the Psalmist e Psa 134. exhorts the people Behold bless ye the Lord all ye servants of the Lord which stand in the House of the Lord. Mark he exhorts them plurally Ye and all ye bless ye but in the third verse he prays to God to bless the people singularly The Lord bless thee out of Sion Plures hortatur ut benedicant iâ—se uni benedicit saith S. Austin He exhorts all to bless the Lord but he blesseth all from the Lord as one man It hints that then God useth to bless his people when they are at unity as one man So Christ came to his Disciples with a blessing when they were a rowing together f Mâ—â— 1â— 2â— and to his Apostles with a blessing of Peace when they were assembled together g John 2â— 19 and he sent his Holy Ghost to them when with one accord they were met together And so the Promise runs Where two or three is met together in my Name there am I in the midst of them While Christians disagree in their manner of serving and blessing and worshipping God God will not bless them as He will do if in one way and with one mouth and heart they glorifie their Father if they speak the same things and there be no divisious amongst them if he will hear the prayers of Christians when two or three are united together how much more when several thousands nay not only all in a Congregation but all in all Congregations throughout a whole Land are united speaking and asking the same things In this case sure if in any the Kingdom of Heaven suffereth violence and the violent taketh it by force On the contrary if there be divisions we can never be so hopeful in our prayers for these divisions most-what causeth alienation of affections and so we cannot pray with such hopes of Audience because we cannot then lift up pure hands without wrath the clamour of our boiling malice to each other will out-cry our prayers our dissentions will make that sweet Incense stink in Gods Nostrils and will turn our Prayers into Curses if we do not speak the same things but there be divisions amongst us Many more Motives I might heap up to inforce our Exhortation especially that drawn from the many examples we have set before us as that of God the Father who being provoked by us yet by all means seeks peace and union with us hath sent his Ministers of Reconciliation to beseech us to be reconciled unto him loadeth us with his blessings causeth his Sun to shine and his Rain to fall on us and all to induce us to be at peace with himself And can we be partakers of the Divine Nature or Sons of our Heavenly Father if we be not Followerâ— of him as dear Children in endeavouring to be united one with another Nay Christ his Son did become Incarnate to unite us to God and make our peace with God yea and loe the Prince of Peace came to dwell amongst men for this end when peace was amongst men in Augustus's days when there was general quiet and union through all the World and at his Birth the Angels proclaimed peace on Earth good will towards men O how then can we be Disciples of Christ and not follow after peace to speak the same things and that there be no divisions amongst us yea and this Oyl of Charity poured on Christ the Head did run down to the Beard yea unto the skirts of all his garments for all the Saints of God now in heaven have gone thither in this way of peace Abraham said to Lot Let there be no contentions amongst us for we are Brethren Stephen prayed for his Persecutoâ—s Father forgive them The Saints were ever peace-makers and not peace-disturbers or dividers Nay very wicked men and Devils are sensible of the benefit of this way of union one with another therefore did Ephraim and Manasseh agree together against Judah Herod and Pilate Scribes and Pharisees against Christ Nay very bruit beasts covet an union saevis inter se convenit ursis and shall we be more blockish than they In a word God stiles himself the God of Peace Christ the Prince of Peace his Name is Immanuel a Name of Peace was Crowned at his Baptism with a Dove the Emblem of Peace being in the building 〈…〉 Church 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Corner-stone the place of Peace coming into the World with a Song of Peace and going out of the World with a Legacy of Peace The Spirit the Bond of Peace the Gospel the Covenant of Peace and the word of Reconciliation Ministers Ambassadours thereof Jerusalem the type of the Church signifies in the Hebrew Tongue the Vision of Peace and the bliss in Heaven we all look for is nothing else but Eternal Peace where we shall all speak the same things without division to the glory and praise of God If then we be Sons of the God of Peace Servants of the Frince of Peace Temples of the Spirit of Peace Professors of the Gospel of Peace if we have any Consolations in the Ministers the Ambassadours of Peace if we be Citizens of Jerusalem the Vision of Peace and hope to be gathered to our Fathers to enjoy an eternal Sabbath of Peace if there be in us any consolation in Christ any comfort of love any fellowship of the Spirit let it be our care to walk by this Rule of Peace Unity Unanimity and Uniformity with our Brethren to speak the same things and that there be no divisions amongst us but let us be perfectly joyned together in the same mind and the same judgment and as
to be admitted to be his worshippers who together with the Jewes should worship him in spirit and truth and this the Prophet Malachy foretold q Mal. 1.11 from the rising of the Sun to the going down of the Sam saith the Lord my name is great among the Gentiles and in every place incense shall be offered in my name All this then shews the vanity of the Popish Pilgrimages to this or that place as being more holy or to pray before this or that Saint or Image or relike or tuteler God thereof Since all such difference of place is abolished by Christ So that wheresoever we be with Jeremiah in the Pit or Daniel in the Lions denn Job on the dung-hil Hezekiah in his bed the three Children in the Furnace sonah in the Whales belly with Christ in the Mountain in the Desert in the Garden on the House top or on the Sea snore with Paul in the Prison we may call upon God and he will hear us thus on the one side we must hold this fast against the Papists that all distinction of places is abolished So that Christians may lawfully and acceptably worship God when and where their covenants direct them Yet on the other hand be not deceived as if there was no authority or excellency of some places for solemn Assemblies for publique worship still under the Gospel above others 2. Though the ceremonial holiness be extinct yet are there some places holy as separate and dedicate from a common to holy uses though our Temples be not as the Temple of Jerusalem was parts of our worship of God nor tipes of Christ body nor are we bound to set our faces towards them when we pray yet is it written r Esa 56.2 my house shall be called the house of prayer to all nations The Saints meeting and Assembling there to pray makes it be called the house of prayer so the Assembly Sanctifies the place and not the place the Assembly as the Temple did seeing as I said before we are body as well as spirit therefore very light of Nature teacheth us that convenient places for Assembling for publique worship are necessary and those places capacious for many that must joyn therein And although in case of Persecution of Religion the meanest place is acceptable yet when God is pleased to give his Church Kings to be nursing fathers to allow publique places consecrated for publique worship with what thankfulness then should we repair to them which many of our Christian Brethren in the world would purchase with their whole estates and dearest blood When God give rest and quietness to his Church from the ten famous Persecutions wherein they were glad to Assemble not in the fittest but safest places perhaps in Dens and Caves of the earth I say when God gave her rest from them then did they immediately erect Oratories for publique prayers not sumptuous and stately which could not then be possible by reason of the Churches poverty nor plausible in respect to the worlds envie but after when God was pleased to convert Kings to the Faith then was Temples and Churches presently built and in building them no cost was spared and nothing counted to dear that was spent about them Sacrilegious wretches are not in these times more desirous to pull down than those devout professors of Christianity was to set up Churches Thus did popular consent and the Magistrates civil Sanction design these places for publique worship seperating them unto it and prevailing custome hath styled them Churches Nay so did S. Paul himself s 1 Cor 11.18.20.22 and 34 compared what is it then but arrant madness and sottish Ignorance in our Quakers to boast so much of the ligbt within them and yet to be in such darkness It s contrary to the very light of nature to decry and forsake the places set a part for religious worship the necessity whereof for publique Assemblies is so evident even by natural light How much better did the poor Heathens improve their natural dictates than these pretenders to the light within who from the sight of the necessity of some convenient place for publique worship invented their Groves and Oratories and Temples for the service of their Idol Gods so then from all these considerations Gods own setting a part places for publique Assemblies under the law and before it his approving those that his people did set a part the authority that such places have by the very light of nature as well as by Scripture and the practice of the universal Church though without placeing any ceremonial holiness in them I conclude that Divine worship may be truly Publique which as publique is so acceptable unto God there is requisite as publique persons Ministers and People to Assemble in it so also a publique place consecrated for the same from which excellent consideration ascend we to an higher which is in the very Text. Prop. 7. The most Solemn and publique Assemblies of the Church in these publique places are greatly to be esteemed and constantly to be frequented of all the faithful members of the same in the negative not forsaking must needs be implyed the affirmative to frequent them It is a truth this evidently following from those I have delivered For if God is to be worshipped by all rationall beings and that must needs be in some place in respect of our bodily parts and that more publique it is done the better it is and that it be publiquely done it is necessary there be an Assembly of Minister and People Pastor and Flock in a publique place then is it evidently necessary that such assemblies be frequented by all in order to the discharge of this debt of nature the Worship of God Indeed to this we are obliged 1. By selfe interest because of the great blessing we may justly look for from God upon his Ordinances in the publique assemblies and that more than in any private meetings whatsoever for to the Church assemblies is that rightly applyed t Psa 87.2 the Lord loves the gates of Zion above all the habitations of Jacob u Mat. 7.7 The whole â—uty of man That special part of divine worship Prayer is compared to seeking a thing lost and knocking at a gate we desire to enter into and sure when many seek a thing together there is more hope of their finding it when many knock together at heaven-gates they will be sooner heard Hence Gods people to shew an extraordinary desire to prevail with God in their prayers upon extraordinary occasions they was wont to be extraordinary careful that their Assemblies might be as publique as might be w Joel 2.15 Blow the trumpet in Zion sanctisie a Fast call a solemn Assembly x verse 16. Gather the people Assemble the children As if he should say leave none out So Jehoshaphat y 2 Chr. 203. Proclaimed a Fast throughout all Judab z verse 13. all Judah stood before the Lord
health and strength so shortly to go to the worship of God in the house of God yea the Scriptures plainly teacheth us that though God be every where present u â—er 23.24 See this largely demonstrated in Dr Stillingfleets Sherinah do not I fill he aven and earth saith the Lord the most high dwelleth not in Temples made with hands he is not confined in them x Act 7.48 yet is he in special sort in the congregation and Assemblies of his people And sure that shewes it a great priviledge to be in Gods presence as the Queen of Sheba thought Solomous servants happy that stood before him Now Gods publique worship is called the face and preferce of God y Ps 105.4 and 42.2 Hence when Cain was for his murder banished from the place where his Parents and their families met together for the worship of God as Piscator interprets the place z Gen. 4.14 It is said he went out from the presence of God And David desired to behold in the house of the Lord the beauty of the Lord a Ps 27.4 and he said we will wait for thy loving kindnesâ— O Lord in the midst of thy Temple b Ps 48.9 And the place of Gods worship under the Law was called Bethel Gods house and the glorious Sanctuary c Ps 26.2 because the glory of the Lord filled it and sensibly appeared in it in the Tabernacle d Ex 40 34 and in the Temple and e 1 Kings 8.12 Zion is called the habitation of Gods house and the place where his honour f Ps 26.8 And Gods presence is no less in our Christian assemblies for so runs the promise a Mat. 18.20 where two or three are met together in my name there am I in the midst of them Hence S. John saw him walking in the midst of the seven golden Candlesticks b Rev. 1.13 And the assemblies of Gods people under the Gospel may as well be called glorious because the glory of the Lord appears in them also though not so sensibly yet no less comfortably and effectually as is plain by that comparison the Apostle makes between the ministery worship of God that was under the Law and this that is under the Gospel preferting this for glory and excellency far above the other c 2 Cor. 3 8.9.10 yea and as effects of this presence of God O consider what benefits are injoyed in these assemblies even matters of that worth that the very Angels themselves desired to stoop down to behold d 1 Pet. 1.10 that most comfortable and precious treasure of Gods holy word the ministry of reconciliation e 2 Cor. 5 18. the preaching of the word which is the door of Faith f Act. 14.27 that ordinance of God by which his Saints are gathered and the body of Christ edified g Eph. 4.12 that powerful means by which Satan is made to fall from heaven like sightning h Luk. 10.1 and his strongest holds are beaten down in us l 2 Cor. 10.4 that key of knowledge k Acts 20.27 by which is opened unto us the whole counsel of God l Rom. 4.11 Those Sacraments which are seals of the righteousness which is by Faith m Psal 65.2 those Monuments of Gods exceeding love unto us in Jesus Christ those seals of the kingdome those seasts for our souls of fat things full of marrow those exercises of common prayer and praising God in their proper places that house of prayer praise waiting for God in Sion n Heb. 1 14. O what priviledges are these inestimable unutterable had I the tongue of men and Angels I could not set it out sufficiently Such cause have we to love Gods house and to frequent and highly to esteem the assemblies of the Saints in it and we are sensual Sottish Foolish above measure if we do not frequent and esteem them Nay as there is a special promise of Gods presence in such publick assemblies so of Gods special protection of them of which the Angels are special ministers For as they have a charge from God to minister and do service to Gods people o Psal 34.7 and to pitch their tents about them when they assemble to serve the Lord. Hence under the Law the Curtains that the Tabernacles were made of was full of cherubims p Ex. 55.1 with the figures of them the walls of Solomons Temple were carved round about q 1 Kings 6.29 both which typified the presence attendance of the holy Angels upon the whole Church Body of Gods people as at all other times and in all other places so especially at their Church assemblies but see a full promise of protection to them r Esay 33.20 21. read it Hence David gives this for one reason Å¿ Psal 84.11 why he so highly esteemed Gods tabernacles for saith he the Lord is a Sun and a Shield unto us and t Psal 27.5 in time of trouble he will hide us in his Pavilion and in this respect they that are excluded from the Church assemblies are said to be delivered up to Satan unto his power and will and men plac't under Gods protection no longer u 1 Cor. 5.5 Therefore it concerns us to frequent the publick assemblies of Gods people both out of self love and for the good we may reap by others fellowship and for others good and for Gods glory and for the excellency of the priviledges in having liberty of Gods house we have all the reason in the World to frequent and highly to esteem them above any private meetings that seek to overturn them or our estimation of them Now from all that hath been said there naturally issueth an Eighth Proposition which is in the very letter of my text That it is a very sinful thing in any member of a true Church to separate from and forsake those holy and publick Assemblies not forsakeing the Assembling of your selves together as the manner of some is That it is sinful appears sufficiently by what is said as it is a meanes of making the worship of God less acceptable of giveing evil examples to others of abateing of Gods Glory of despight or contemning so excellent a priviledge of depriving your own soules of the fruition of Gods presence and of so great blessings flowing from it the word rightly taught the Sacrament purely administrated which should nourish and refresh your soules and strengthen your faith and confirm your assurance of Gods love in Christ The Churches prayers and so of that blessing which our joynt prayers might bring down with a full measure upon us Of the praises thereof and so that chearfulness and reviving of spirit which we might enjoy by having fellowship in those spiritual songs where Gods people do sing of his righteousness of all these benefits men wilfully deprive themselves that forsake the Assembling together in Gods house And however some
another pure in all her members Adams house that as the first Church on earth yet did it contain Cain a bloody murder as well as Abel a devout worshiper in it Presently after did God raise up Seth instead of Abel to be a holy seed unto him and even then did not the Church continue long free from prophane mixtures but the sons of God became enamoured with the beatuy and matched with the daughters of men And so the deluge came upon them Now from the deluge God preserved Noah in the Ark there was the Church again and behold in that ark there was accursed Cham as well as a blessed Shem. As also in Abrahams family a scoffing Ismael as well as a devout Isaac And in Isaacs a prophane Esau as well as an holy Jacob And O what Scandals brook out among the Patriarchs Ruben became incestuous Simeon and Levi brethren in evil After this when the Church was inlarged into great congregations and assemblies O what impatient murmuring do we read of among the children of Israel what foul Idolatries committed in the Wilderness what serveing of Baalim time after time in the Land of Canaan what horrible and scandalous sins were committed amongst them under the Judges how was polygamy and unreasonable devorces and setting up high places in the daies of the best Kings and what a deludge of prophaneness and Idollatry must you needs think there brake out in the worst when men did not onely sin secretly but openly they shewed their sin as Sodom when the Priests that should have restrained them led them on by evil examples when the more holy were as signes and proverbs of reproach and yet in all these successive generations we do not read of any seperations from or forsaking the Church assemblies as the manner of some now is It s true in Idolatrous times the Saints did refuse to joyne with the ungodly in Idolatrous worship So in Ahabs time there were seven thousand that had not bowed their knee to Baal but yet never was the wicked until convicted and censured debarred from joyning with the Godly in the true worship nor was the Godly ever enjoyned to separate from them for fear of defilement by them Nay on the contrary we shall find that when our Saviour was born then was the Church so corrupted that the Temple was become a den of thieves and yet then Joseph and Mary the parents of Christ did joyn themselves to the congregation in Gods publick worship Nay they went a long Journey with their child Jesus to satisfie the law to offer their turtle Doves and a pair of young Pigeons and to take part with the Priests and Gods people in that which was good and for the rest they meddled no further then their places required an Example Saith Calvin and Marlorat express against our Brownists and all our Separatists and Recusants and that which may justly and finally stop their mouths for ever might be this if they would but consider how corrupt was the State of the Church in our Saviour's time and yet how far forth our Saviour did communicate with them in the service of God not forsakeing the assemblies of the Church though then so corrupt 1. For the Priests and Teachers they were ignorant and unlearned g Matt. 23.16 verse 3. Nay wicked and ungodly h John 11.44 even the High priest himself did enter unlawfully into his calling for whereas by Gods ordi nance be was to hold that once during his life it was bought and sold and made annual which is imply'd in that expression i Luke 4.28 29. Caiaphas was high priest for that year 2. Most of the people in most of the places where our Saviour conversed were notoriously and obstinately wicked He lived most in Nazareth and see what they were there k Matt. 11.20 21. All that were in the Synagogue were fill'd with wrath and resâ— up and thrust him out of the City and led him to the edge of a hill to thrust him down headlong yea and all the Cities where most of his great works had been done he upbraided wo to thee Corazin wo to thee Bethsaida l nor were the people of Jerusalem better For when Pilat a Gentile offered to release him all the multitude crying out at once not him but Barabas now Barabas was a robber m Luk. 23.18 And when Pilat washed his hands protesting for Christs innocency they all said desperately his blood be upon us and our children n Mat. 27.25 And for the worship it self that was used in our Saviours time it was very corrupt 1. They then urged the use of many superstitious ceremonies more strictly then the commandement and ordinances of God o Mark 7.9 2. They prophaned the Temple and made it a den of thieves 3. They abused the Discipline and censures of the Church shamefully p Joh. 9.22 the Jewes decreed that if any one confessed that Jesus was the Christ he should be excommunicated ipso facto 4. Their doctrine was corrupted in many points as these of divorce of thest Murder adultry q Mat 5.21.28 Socorrupt was the Church then and yet mark out Saviour did not separate from it but communicated with the publick assemblies in the worship of God 1. When an infant he was circumcised and by that Sacrament incorporated into that Church r Luk. 2.21 2. When his mother was purified he was brought to the Temple and presented to the Lord with his offering as the custome was Å¿ Luk. 2.22 3. He often heard such teachers as taught in the Church t Luk. 2.46 4. He was wont every Sabbath to joyn in publick prayer with the Congregation that were at Nazareth u Luk. 4.16 5. He received the Sacrament of Baptism in a congregation of that people x Luk. 3.2 When all the people were Baptized he was baptized also 6 He communicated in the passeover with the people and the Priest y Joh. 2.13 7. He allowed his Disciples to hear those teachers z Mat. 23.12 Nay he commanded the Leper whom he cleansed to go and shew himself to the Priest and offer his gift in the Temple a Mat. 8. Neither did any of the Saints in any Age nor Christ himself nor his Disciples separate from nor forsake the publick assemblies of the true Church that enjoyed the word and doctrine of Salvation for any corruptions in them Then these instances what can be said more convincing if men had ears to hear what the spirit hath recorded of the Churches The fore quoted Mr. Hildersham upon this point hath two other reasons why we may not forsake them for their corruptions who because he is of much authority with many dissenters and I wish they were all of his sober spirit therefore I will offer them to your consideration Valeant quantum valeer possent Indeed there is no cause to forsake them for their corruptions because 2. Notwithstanding such
thou must answer for it and be judged by it at the last day That for the first motive for this forsaking the assemblies which you see is groundlesse the prejudice men have to their Pastor concerning his life Obj. 2. Concerning his opinion For so will some say would you have us bound to hear him who is popishly affected or the next door strict in the Law too canonical nay we fear superstitious and so may mix the childrens bread with poyson and mislead us out of the right way is it not dangerous to hear him Answ To this I oppose these considerations was not Elias Jeremy John Baptist Saint Paul and our blessed Saviour who spake as never man spake accounted pestilent fellows ring leaders of Sects troublers of State Deceivers of the people how should these instances warn you of slandering your Pastor causelesly or concluding him erronious upon the malicious hear sayes or surmises of those that are not able to judge of the doctrine whether it be of God or no. Yet suppose he be erronious then must you consider of what Nature his error is for though all truths be pretious yet are truths of different natures some essential fundamental points de Fide of the faith once delivered to the Saints some circumstantial ceremonial indifferent some are perspicuously revealed in the Scriptures wherein errors are damnable some are more darkly revealed of which wise and holy men in all ages have doubted now if it be onely in circumstantial and less necessary truths wherein you dislike your Pastors opinions then must not this difference of opinion beget in you any heart burning or alienation of affection though you do discentire think diversly yet ought you not discordare disagree they that unwillingly differ in judgment ought yet to be one in heart The Spirit of God is promised to lead all his chosen into all necessary truths but not to all less essential disscâ—ntions have in all ages been between great Clerks and holy Saints contentions have even through Satans crast been cherished in the Church they are apt to disagree on earth that shall meet in the same heaven What remaines then but that love be still kept on foot and we all endeavour to avoid bitterness of contention about these things to follow the truth in love As in building Solomons Temple there was no noise heard of Ax or hammer f 2 Kings 6.7 So in the spiritual building of the Church we should not let any sound of contention be heard among us such is the duty of both Pastor and people especially it is the peoples duty to be so a ware of Satans stratagems which is to divide them from their Pastor if it be possible as not to entertain any needless jealousies or evil surmisings judge cautiously of your minister if possible Search the Scriptures as the Bereans did to see if what he delivers be agreeable to Gods word and if you find of a truth that he and you differ in opinion in things less necessary and material your care must be to pare the Apple and leave the worm and that which is eaten by it take the good and leave the bad which directions being sound and wholesome if they be observed it will naturally follow that this is no sufficient ground neither for any to leave our Church assemblies for any prejudice men have against their Pastors opinion Obj. 3 The third prejudice is against their gifts alass will some say our Minister though he be good and orthodox yet is hê a very mean preacher he is no Body for gifts where such or such come in comparisons His knowledge shallow how can he inlighten us he is no Orator how can he work on our affections or perswade us what good can we expect from his dry sapless weak Sermons or why should we be bound to hear him when we may have better by whom we may profit more to this I oppose these considerations Answ 1. There may be in Ministers great difference of gifts without any in equality at all for which the one should be preferred before the other For he who is inferior to him thou admires in one kind may excell in another perhaps in a kind more useful and benefical The gifts of God to his Church are dispenced in a marvellous great variety so that there are scarce any two ministers but they differ in their gifts g Cor. 12.14 There are diversity of gifts but the same Spirit In the Body natural the eye seeth better but the tongue uttereth better if the whole body were eye what would it do for a tongue Saint Paul had more learning and knowledge h 1 Cor. 11. being at Lystra stiled for his utterance Mercury or chief speaker i Acts 14.11 yet was not of that excellent presence as other Apostles were Barnabas in comforting the afflicted excelled him being therefore stiled the son of Consolation k Acts. 4.36 John Baptist was excellent in terrifying secure sinners l Luk. 12.17 he came in the spirit and power of Elias but our Saviour was milder not breaking the bruised reed nor quenching the smoking flax m Mat. 12.20 In liklyhood Peter did in some gifts excell the rest to whom Christ gave in special charge to feed his Lambs n Joh. 21.15 Yet in powerful reproving of sin and denouncing Gods judgments James and John excelled him being therefore styled Boanerges Sons of thunder so in the great diversity of his gifts that is amongst ministers yet each of them excelleth in their kind one may have deeper matter another a more eloquent mouth one may be sweeter in comfort another more powerful in reproof one may be graceful in pulpit another in private conference one may be excellent in interpreting to increase knowledge another in application to breed good affections in men o 1 Cor. 12.8 To one is given a word of wisdome by the Spirit to another the utterance of knowledge by the same Spirit one may excel in this gift another in that none in all Now 2. Consider this is the Lords doing for the beauty and benefit of his Church their different education dilligence or industry is not all the cause of this diversity of gifts though it be one Gods gift being now to be acquired in the use of these means whence St. Pauls injunction to Timothy p Tim. 4. â—3 give attendance to reading c. But it comes chiefly from Gods free disposition who distributed to every man severally as he will q 1 Cor. 12.11 And this 3. Makes much for Gods glory and the benefit and beauty of his Church For Gods glory for the greatness of his wisdom and freedome of his grace shineth in this difference perspicuously and for the Churches beauty and benefit for flowers of divers bigness for colour and smell do adorn a feild exceedingly with it's party coloured coat difference of voice base treble tenor and counter tenor and difserence of strings in an