Baynes - BS2695 B289 1643

VER.8 . Ephefianf,Chap. t. loa maketh no provifion of tneanes which tend to the good ofother, or him felfe ; and yetfeeketh after a common- wealth ofbabies ,fuchas are his dagger, collar, cap , &c. for thefe are as good to him as the Tower of London ; So it iswith naturall men, they gather aheape oftranfitory things, but layup notreafure in hcaven,which might {land them in Read for afterward. Againe,though fooles are thus pooreand miferable, yet they thinke themfelves to have all the wit , and haveno fenfeofall their mifery ; for the eye ofreafon is out , with which it fhould bedifcerned Thus it is with naturall men, they thinke they know what they have to doe, they feele no want of Grace, they feenot their mifery which is come on them through finne. To reckonup particulars in this kinde, would be too tedious : Wherefore let us labour to fee our felves Looks, that we may be madewife. It is a figne force beame of heavenlywif- dome hath {hind into the foule, which now findeth it felfe empty of true faving Wifdome. The third and Taft thing is , that God doth give underftanding and Deal. wifdome plentifully tous whole fins he forgiveth; This phrafe is often ufed,allknowledge, Rom.; 5. 14. r Cor.1.3.Col.i.So lames counteth itall joy ; and feemeth to note a kinde of fulneffe and rich meafure in the things towhich it is adjoyned, feeco/of 1.9. and r Cor. r. and foGod doth giveus plentifullythefethings,Wifdome, Life, Regeneration; he theddeth and giveth them abundantly, lam.'.Tit.3. This Goddid fore- . tell, that after his Chrift manifefled, the earth fhouldbe filledwith his knowledge ; that he would poure out his fpirit, not give it by drops, but plentifully : Evenas gracious Kings and Princes on earth,will not onely give things whichare good, but-will bellow them in fuch meafure as may fee out their Prince-like bounty ; fo it is with our God. Now for the further underftanding ofthis point, wewho beleeve, may be faid tohave all wifdome; t. In regard of the excellency. a. In regardof the quantity.For the firll,when a man hathone thing fogood, that it ferveth him in lteadofall, as ifa man hath Gold,Silver enough, we fay he bath every thing, becaufe he hath that ferveth him for every purpofe : So though this wifdome is not for kinde, all wifdome,yet be- ing foexcellent that it ferveth us toal purpofes,it may be called(all)wif- dome. But here is a further thing to be conceived, even in regardof the quantity ofit : Now it cannot be laid (ell) in regardthat it is abfolutely fulland perfeht for degree ; for we know inpart onely; it mull be faid fo then comparatively onely : Now it may bePaid (all) wifdome, thus in a double refpeét ; Firft, in comparifonofthat meafurewhichwas given the beleeving Jew ; and thus every faithful' Chriftian may be Paidto have all wifdome given him : It is a great fpeech, that the leaft in the Kingdome of God !hall be greater then John Baptif: for looke as we who now are upafter the dawning of the day, and riling ofthe Sim, have far more light, then fuch who are in the night; thus it was with the Jew, he had the StarreofProphetic, as in a darke night; we have the Sunneof righteoufneffenow rifen over us, and Ergo, our light is farre greater then theirs. Secondly, Chriltians may be faid to have

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