To the Right Honorable, Thomas Andrews, Lord Major of the City of L O N D ON: With the Aldermen his Brethren. Ccording to your Command, I have prefented A thefe Notes to your view, which were once delivered unto your ear and heart; I have joyned another Sermon therewith, pleading for our Submission to Chrift in the way of his Ordinances,the Argument of the one is a friend to the other, Stantque caduntque fimul: The weet enjoyment of Ordinances together, is a great help to our love; we can hardly cool in our love to one, but we fhal abate in our love to the other; fwelling gifts defpife Ordinan= ces, neglect love: This Sermon therfore of Grace, Love, & Gifts, is to cal upon our gifts,that they take not the wal of our Graces,the other Sermon of Ordi= naces is to cal upon our Graces to fubmit untoChrifts Appointments; for Gifts thrive beft when they live under Grace, Grace thrives beft when it lives under Ordinances. Now the girdle of al the Ordinances is the Lords day, which doth furround and com-bind al the rest; may it pleaf the Magiftrate to be a friend to 40 to this good day, Chrift will surely be a friend to him in an evil day: You cannot make people fanctifie this day, for the hearts of men are not in your hands; but you may reftrain them much from publick prophaning this day, for the Tongues, Hands, Feet of men are much in your hands: Jób is faid to Janctifie his fons, Job 1.because he commanded them to fanctifie then felves,ufed al means for their fanctification, prayed for them: So,though the Magiftrate cannot fancti fie the people as to the infufion of Grace, yet by his prayers and gracious endeavors of love, mixed with Some power, as juft occafion requires, be also may be faid to fanctifie them: The Magiftrate is the peoples Father, and the people are the Magiftrates Children: Now therfore as it was faid of Job, his Children, fo let it be faid of you, your children in the genera tions to come, And it was fo,that when the days of their feafting, or rather sporting, were come, (for fo the Lords days have bin too truly called of late) the Magiftrate Jent and fanctified them: Thus fhall our decayed love to God, his Truth, his Ordinances, and his Children,revive, and be advanced again: And thus fhall the blessing of the house of Obed-Edom (who received the Ark) reft upon you, and your families, which shall be the Prayer of Tarmonth Your Servant in the work of the Gofpel, William Bridge. RACE and LOVE Beyond GIFT S 1 COR. 12. 13. 1649. But covet earnestly the best Gifts: and ?uly 22. yet I fhew unto you a more excel-Before lent way. O Fall the Churches of Chrift, which we read of in as they did abound moft in them, fo they did most abuse them; all had not thofe Spiritual Gifts, fome had Those that had them, defpifed those that had them not; and thofe that had them not, envyed thofe that had them: The Apostle Paul therefore, that he might heal this diftemper, doth acquaint them with the excellency of thofe Gifts, and the end for which they were appointed. Concerning the excellency of Gifts, he tells them in the the Lord Major. beginning of this Chapter, That they are all from the Spirit; There are diverfities of Gifts (at the 4. verfe) but the fame Spirit': There are differences of Administrations, but the fame Lord: (At the S. verle) To one is given by the Spirit, the Word of Wisdom; to another the Word of Knowledg, by the fame Spirit; to another Faith, by the fame Spirit. And concerning the end for which they were appointed, he tels them at the feventh Verfe, That they are given to profit withal, But the miniftration of the Spirit is given to every man to profit with Now both the excellency of Gifts, and the end for wh they were appointed, he doth illuftrate by a fimilitude drawn from the natural body, That as in the natural body there are many members, and thofe, having feveral gifts, are helpful to one another; and the Eye cannot fay unto the Foot, I have no need of thee: fo in the Body of Chrift,all Members, with their feveral gifts, are to be helpful to one another, and one Member of Chrift cannot fay to the other, I have no need of thee: For at the 26. verfe, whether one Member fuffers, all the Members fuffers with it; or one Member be honored, all the Members rejoyce with it: Now at the 27. verfe, faith be, Te are the Body of Chrift, and Members in particular. But how do thefe Members come, or attain unto thefe gifts? Verse 28. God hath fit fome in the Church, firft Apoftles, fecondly Prophets; thirdly, Teachers; after that, Miracles; then gifts of healing: But have al men thefe gifts? No. Are all Apoftles? (at the 29. verfe) are all Prophets? are all Teachers? are all workers of Miracles? Have all the gifts of Healing, &c. But may we not all defire gifts then? Yes. But covet carnest ly the best gifts and yet I few unto you a more excellent way. What way is that? If you took into this 12.Chapter,it is the way of Humility,Grace and Holiness: If you look down into the 13 Chapter,it is the way of Love; For,faith he,in the first verfe, Though I speak with the tongue of men and Angels, and have not love, I am become as founding Brafs, or atinkling Cymbal. So then take the words as they look upwards and downwards,relating unto al the former parts of the 12 chap. and unto chap. 13.& you have this Obfervation or Doctrine, Though |