[ 1564] Variety of gifts in the Ordinance of Preaching.
IT is a received Aphorism amongst Physitians,* 1.1 that the Constitutions of all Mens bodies are of a mixt nature, hot, dry, cold, and moyst; and yet the Wisdom of God hath so diversly tempered these, that scarce in the World are two Men to be found, in every point of like temper; The face of a Man is not above a span over, yet let ten thousand Men be together, and their counte∣nances shall all differ.* 1.2 So in the Church, as to the variety of gifts in the matter of Preaching, let divers Men take one and the same Text, yet scarce two of a hundred (though all soundly and to the Point) are to be found, that have in all things the like gift, either for matter or utterance; some having five talents, some but two, some but one; some have a more excellent gift of Conference, some of Prayer, some of Exhortation, some in opening of a Text, some in application, &c. every one (though not all alike) some one way or other profitable unto Gods people, to help onward the building up of the body of the Lord Iesus, in the edi∣fication of those that are committed to their charge,