614 ofEffec7ual Calling. SE c rcXI I leffeand remotefrom giace, and in Inch oppolition to Chrill, as carnally wife men, becaufe thefiat foundation that is to be laid inChrillianity, is to caft off all our ownwifdom, our ownknowledge, He maßbecome afoal that he may be wWè, fo theApotle, i Cer.3 18. Now to become afool by wayof conception in the worlds account, andbyour fenfeand feeling is, whenwefee our fms, the aggravations of them, the eternal miferyaccompanying them, and thatall this is doneby ourown madneffe and folly.: Ohwhat a fool, what a beat is fuch an one becomein hisown thoughts I He could even with Nebuchadnezzar for_ fakethe company of men, and hide himfelf with beatts, becaufe he hash fo greatlyfinned againit God ; fuch a fool muff a manbecome ere he is fpiritually wife ; and further he is tobecome a fool, becaufe all the way of believing, of comfort, ofduty, "ofobedience, he mutt fetch onely from diredtions out of the Scripture. He is fuch a fool that he knoweth not how to believe, how to gotoChrift, what way to take tobe julified : Thus every man is to become a foól:But oh what indignation and (corn is in a wifemans bret to becomethus an- nihilated,as it were t yet our Saviour altodot hpregnantly confirm this,when he faid, VIdle e a man become as a little childe (Lnk.9.47.) he cannot enter into the .kingdom of Heaven. You fee then, that of all men in the world, thofewho have great parts, abilities and deep reaches, have the greateftcaufeto tremble. Thou art too wife tobe godly; Thouart toowife to be a babe ofChrills;Thou art toowife todeny thy feif, and take up thyerote and follow him. Takeheed the devil hath not got thee on a pinacle, and he will not leavetill he hath thrown thee down headlong into hell : Oh then take heed of felf-conceit, of boating in thy own parts, of leaning tothyunderltanding. Thereis more hope of the prophanet heat andmot ungodly wretch that is, then of fuch an one. Such the Pharifees were, and very fcw of themever got any fpiritual good by Ch rift. 6. Sixthly, TheWife man after thefirth heufethiomeajureall duty by[afety, himfelf Thcy,meafere and his ownWet' and advantages, areof his privy counfel. Thus becaufe Peter ail draies by perfwaded Chat to avoid the croft, Chrit fharply reproved him, telling him, (aicry. He favoured not the things of God, butofmen, Mat. a 6. z3. Peterfpeaks as a wife man, brit not as a godly Chritian. Pauldenied this crafty wifdom, when he would not confult with fefh and blond r-AndDavidwhen be made;the word of Godbis counfellour t OurSaviour in many direélions would break down this wifdomafter the flefh, a-s when hef,id, What willit profit a man towin the whole world and lofehisownfoul ? And He that *ill his life will lofe it. Here you fee that he dehorts from this wifdome, becaufe it is indeed folly, and it will prove thegreater undoingofa man : So our Saviour at another time telsthem, His Difciple muff deny himfeif, muff rake uphis croffe, muff look for nothing of comfort'or advantage inthis life, That thefervant cannot expehi to be above the Maher : Now the veryBirds of the Air, andbeats of thefield had better provilon thenhe bad ; What harfh Doétrine then is this to wifdom after the fiefW Will they be perfwaded to 'cut off their right-baud, to pull out their right -eyes ? No, they are wifer thenfo : Oh then take heed of this divel in thee t forfo our Saviour called that carnal wifdom in Peter, run from it, as `f fephdidfromhislvlitreffe: Say of it, as facobof his wicked fons, oh my foal, enter not in thiscounfel : Bidcarnal wifdom be gone before thou wilt confider what God re4uirethof thee., 7. Seventhly, wifemen after the flefh they, will cheofe finne rather then afßiliion They will Whereas the Scripturemakes theevil of finne infinitely greater then any out. choke fin ta- wardevil; carnal wifdomafferts the clean contrary. Oh beloved, we fhould then hen af}li- fear nothingbut finne I notto be outwardlymiferable and undone, but to fin, ftions. we fhouldcry out with `7,sfeph, Howcan we dofuch things and fsnne againfl God? Wethou ld pray, Lord, Whatfoever thouwilt keepme from, keep me from fin- ning: But alas, finne is but a mock, a nothing to a carnal wife man. Tell him of pro-
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