The Holy
Spirit chose rather likewise to descend from heaven in the shape of a
simple gall-less dove, than that of an eagle, kite, or other more lofty
fowl.

Thus all along in the holy scriptures there are frequent metaphors and
similitudes of the most inoffensive creatures, such as stags, hinds,
lambs, and the like. Nay, those blessed souls that in the day of
judgment are to be placed at our Saviour's right hand are called sheep,
which are the most senseless and stupid of all cattle, as is evidenced
by Aristotle's Greek proverb, a sheepishness of temper, a dull,
blockish, sleepy, unmanly humour. Yet of such a flock Christ is not
ashamed to profess himself the shepherd. Nay, he would not only have all
his proselytes termed sheep, but even he himself would be called a lamb;
as when John the Baptist seeth Jesus coming unto him, he saith, _Behold
the Lamb of God_; which same title is very often given to our Saviour in
the apocalypse.

All this amounts to no less than that all mortal men are fools, even the
righteous and godly as well as sinners; nay, in some sense our blessed
Lord himself, who, although he was the _wisdom of the Father_, yet
to repair the infirmities of fallen man, he became in some measure a
partaker of human Folly, when he _took our nature upon him, and was
found in fashion as a man_; or when _God made him to be sin for us, who
knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him_. Nor
would he heal those breaches our sins had made by any other method
than by the _foolishness of the cross_, published by the ignorant and
unlearned apostles, to whom he frequently recommends the excellence
of Folly, cautioning them against the infectiousness of wisdom, by the
several examples he proposes them to imitate, such as children, lilies,
sparrows, mustard, and such like beings, which are either wholly
inanimate, or at least devoid of reason and ingenuity, guided by
no other conduct than that of instinct, without care, trouble, or
contrivance. To the same intent the disciples were warned by their lord
and master, that when they should be _brought unto the synagogues, and
unto magistrates and powers_, they shall _take no thought how, or what
thing they should answer, nor what they should say_: they were again
strictly forbid to _enquire into the times and seasons_, or to place
any confidence in their own abilities, but to depend wholly upon divine
assistance.

[Illustration: 378]

At the first pe