618 of Effe ual Calling. 3. dbjeí!> A Sacri3LII. Now, faithour Saviour, /fama,,: eye bedark, the Whole badj is darfeneffe, Mat.. 6.2;. Were itnot then that thou art fo wounded in thy minde, that it is JO ílefhly and fo corrupt, there were greater hopesofthy Salvation. So then, how neceffarily molt this wife man perifh, whole whole wifdom and underftanding is only to damn himfelf 1 Hiswifdom is againft God, all his arguments, all his reafoningsthey are againft his own foul, againft that way of godlineffe, in which onely he can be happy. Aquinas obferveth, That faith is more difficult in a learned mats then inanother that is more ignorant, becaufe the learned man knoweth more obje :lions againftthe truth, is able to raife filch arguments, he doth not wel know to folveagain;and this ismuch more true in a carnal wife man: Oh themany cavils, frowardobjeaions, fubtil reafoningsthat be bath to put off thecommands of God 1 This right eye then muff be pulledout ere thou wilt walk in Gods way. 2. No marvel ifGod refutefach,for they arehisgreatel enemies.They oppofe his glory,the kingdomofChrilt,&his people;and howfoeverGod indeeddoth foam- times leadCaptivity captive,endtriumphover his:enemies,by changing theirhearts; yet there areothers whomhe doth oppofe, andcrufheth into pieces ; and thus commonly God dbthwith wife menof theworld, The Lord k sowe:k: that their thoughtsare brat vain : He catcbeth thecrafty in their own thoughts : He will de- ffroy theWifdomof theWife, t Cor.3. So then no wonderif God paffe by fuch men, for thereare no greater enemies inthe world to him then Inch. The Apo- file yam.;.giveth three properties of this carnal wifdom,lts earthlyfenJnal,devil- ¿j it bath all thewikednes ofmenand devils in it.lts earthly, that is,wholly in- tenttoget all earthly advantages whatfoeveris profitableand greatin thisworld, that this wifdom reacheth after.'fhen its fenfnal,deftituteofthe Spirit ofGód, as 3ude argues it,being wholly fixed uponthe loftsand plealures of fin. Laftly, Its devilifb; as godly wifdom is a beam of the divine Light;. fo this carnal wifdom is part of that devilifh wifdom that is in theDevil. The Devil he is called sae becaufe ofIN knowledge. So that you fee,the more knowledge, the more underftanding a mail path, if not fan@ified, the more devilifh he is, the nearer he comes to a devil. So that as the devil is called the red Dragon for his fubtilty and cruelty againft the fheepof Chrift, Thus youhave many car- nal wife men, Dragons rather thenmen; So violent and bitterare they againft all thewayesof holineffe. In the next place let us confider an Objeaion, for thisDoubt may arife, If God rejetl wife menafter theflefh, Dothnot this condemn all humane Lòijdem ? How can any man in any prudent and difcreet way manage his affairs, efpecially in evil anddangerouidayes, ifno prudencebe allowed? Yea doth not our Savi- our, though hecommand all fpiritual fortitude and courage, all fell-denial and tieadineffe to take up thecroffe, all integrity ofaims and ends, yet withall he bids us, Be'ifeasSerpents, Mat.to.t6. and commands as to beware of men, Mat .10.7. Did not Chrift himfelfwhen hisadveefaries came with captious que- fions,. as in thatabout paying tribute to Calar, Mat,ar. wifely prevent their en- (flaringof him; and fo Paul, though as readyto lay down his life for Chrift, asmen are their cloathswhen theygo tocell, yet in thofe troubles hehadabout his enemies, he dikovered much civil prudence, did by his wife carriage puthis adverfaries to it, that theywereoften frufirated, and Paulboth kept his inno- cency, and yet faved himfelf. To anfwer this, It cannot be denied but that dikretion and civil prudence is an excellent gift of God; and to have zeal but notknowledgeand wildotn is to have ítrong legs, or body, as Samfoilhad,but no eyes. The menof Iffacharhad' this great commendation, That they were Wife men, and knew the times andWens, and what You ft to be done. And certainly prudence (though there be a danger of it, kiln fhoulddegenerate into craft andcarnal policy) yet of it fell it is anexcellent grace andornament to Religion; It preferveth godlinefie fromthat ton-
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