VER. 8. Epheflans,Chap.t. tol things ofGod,yea both ofthcm inplentifull meafure. In which words marke 3.things. s.That Godgiveth pardon offins to Dear. none, to whom he hath not firft given wifdome andunderftanding; He doth quit none from finne in Chrift, whomhe hath not taught to know and beleeve on his Chrift, r cer. I. 31. God doth make Chrift an author of righteoufnefs tonone,to whom he is not firft wifdome,thatis, who doe not firft receive the gift ofwifdome from Chrift. (.4as 26. Paul isfent to bring men from darkneffc to light, that fo being brought to be light, that is, tohave wifdome and underftanding, they may receive remifion of finnes, and inheritance with Saints. We mutt learne from the Father, that is, we mutt be made tounderftand be- fore we can come to Chrift; My fervant by his knowledge ¡hall bring many to remiffìanoffinne, /haft jufiifte many. Lookeas is was in the Type ofChrift,nonewere healed by that brazen ferpent, who did not firft be- hold it ; fo here, ifwe be not taught of God to fee that Chrift cruci- fied, made a corfe on the Crofl'e for us, we cannot be healed of finne, wherewith that old Serpent bath flung us. Which is to be markedof them who prefume forgiveneffe of finne in Chrift, and yet have no wifdome, no underftanding in the things ofGod : Whereas Chrift will be avengedon all, who knownot God ; Whereas God faith, hehash no delight in a ?peopleofnounder/landing; nay, that heis angry with them to deftroy them. There is no figne fo fearefullas to live, efpecially, where meanes of the word are, withoutthis underftanding; for it is a token that the Godofthe world hath power over fuch, tokeepe them blind- folded, to their endleffe perdition ; even as in the body,the eye which. is (rill blinde after the molt foveraigne eye-falve applied , it is a shrewd prefumption it is irrecoverably blinde, and altogether help. leffe. The fecond thing to be obfervedis, that truewifdome and under- Doit.a (landing arc gifts of Gods Grace in Chrift Jells. We receive fuch wifdome from the firft man as did now remainewith him afterfinne, but this was no truewifdome,but ratheran earthly,fenfuall,anddevillifh wifdome;thatwifdome therefore which is heavenly,making wife to fal- vation, mutt be from the fecond /dam, who is the Lord fromheaven : Even as reafonable underftanding is beyond the compaffe of that knowledge which the beads have by kinde, fo is this underftanding farre beyond the reach of all that wifdome left in corrupted Na- ture. To cleere this point, obferve thefe two things: Firft, that it is freely bellowed on us; Secondly, that irisabenefit,then which were- ceive none of greater ufe.Were it never fo good a thing, yet if I did purchafe it meritorioufly, it were no grace to mee ; were it never fo freely given me,were it ofno ufe nowaies tome,it could not beafavour; much lefsa thinggiven mein riches ofGrace;for that which is a gift of richGrace,muft comefreely from the donour,& be greatly to the good of the donatory or receiver : Now how freely we have this wifdome, weall know ; it is bellowed on us when all we are at enmity againft ir, yeacount it foolifhnefs:How behoofefull itis forus,we may eafilyknow, K 3 when
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