114 / 808
IOZ
FP r.
2.
éphefian.r,Chap.i,
V
E
R.B.
when the fight
of
the
body
is
fo precious
a
fenfe,
when the
reafon
which we
have
as
civili men,
is
fo beneficial!,
that
a
man were no
man
did he
want
it
;
forthis
doth
lift him above
the order
of
thole
inferiour
creatures; how can it
be but
this wifdome and light muft
needs
be
pre-
cious,by which
we
fee
God, Chrift,
thofe things within the
vale,
kept
in
the
heavens for
us,
by which
we
are
above our
felves, and all this
world,to
have
communion with
God, Chrift,Angels,
fpirits
perfected,
which maketh
us
far
higher above
the
Rate
of
natural!
man,thennatural
man
is
above
the
beaft
e
Now
then
it
being freely given
,
and
a
tli;ng
of
all others
molt behoofefull,
it
mull
needs
be
a gift
ofthe
rich grace
of
God.
What
thankefulneffe then doe we owe
to God, who
bath
vifited
us
with
fo
precious
a
bleffing
a
Should webe through phrenzie out
of
our
right
mindes a
moneth or
two, Oh
how
gracioufly would we thinke
God
dealt with
us,
to rettore usagaine
to
our right fenfes,
as
we
ufe
to
fpeake
e
But
for
him
,
when
now we
had
through
finne
call our
felves
into all folly,and
fpirituall
lunacy,for him then to
vifite
us,and
by
his
almighty power tobring
us
to the underftanding
of
the wife,it
is
fuch
a
bieffing, for which he cannot be
fufficiently praifed:
Let
us
praife him
for
his
goodneffe,and
praife
him
for
his fairhfulneffe;
for he did promife
that
the hearts
of
the
foolifh fhould be made wife,
that
thofe
whodid
erre
in
heart
fhould
underftand,and loe,he bath performed it
to
us.
We
muff
takeknowledge what we
are
by
nature, men
emptyoftrue
underftanding. Did wifdome come from
nature,and
grow
out
of
the
earth,
it
were not
a
gift
of
Grace
in
Chrift
Iefus ;
No
,
the
Princes
of
this worlds wifdome, fuch
who
have feemed
to
ranfacke all the
creatures,fiom the hìgheft
flar
to
the loweft
minerali
within the bowels
of
the earth,even thefe
are
as
devoyd
of
true wifdome,as the
Affe
-colts
of
the
wilderneffe. Men are
out of their right
mindes till
they come
by
faith and repentance
to God
in
Chrift
Iefus
:
What
can
the foolifh-
neffe
of
folly worke, which
is in
men while
they
are
converted
Fol-
ly maketh
a
man know nothing
of
thefe
civil(
things
; a Poole
cannot
tell how many twice
two
are;
and
what
dorha
naturali man know
of
his
citate by nature,
of
Gods Grace
in
Chrift
a
He knoweth not,
nay
he cannot know
the things
of
God
;
for
hecounteth them
fooiifhnefle.
Secondly,
a
foole
is
unreachable,
not more unlearned;then
unteacha-
bie,Prov.a 5.9. Perfwadehim,
fmile on
him,chafe at him, nothing
will
enter:
fo
naturali
men;
let God from
heaven,
and
Chrift
by
his em-
baffadors befeech
them to
be reconciled
to God
;
let
God
threaten
them
with the
erernall curie
of
his
heavy
wrath,
nothing
will
finke
into them.
Thirdly,
a
foole judgeth not
aright
of
that
civili end to
which
his
lifefhould ferve.
Wife
civil!
men know that
they livefor
the
good
of
their
Country,
and
their owne private
;
but
a
foole wanteth
this wifdome.And what doe
all natural!
men
e
They
fce
not what
is
the
laic
end,at which
all
their
life
fhould aime,as
at
a
mark,viz.that
through
faith
and obedience
they may come to
live bleffed
everlaflingly
with
God.
As
a
foole
judgeth
not
of
the
end
ro
which
he
liveth,
fo he
maketh