276 Golpel-Converfation. theí'e in the bufneffes of the world they are as worldly po_ litick, no man can out-go them there, they can forefee all kind ofdangers in any mifcarriage, and can judge of twen- ty things together in their'thougbts , and compare one . thing with another, feefurther into the world than other men fo that a man would: wonder fometimes (I fay ) when one hears them fpeaking of Religion, whether thefe men have any wit or underflariding ? but when one followes them in the things ofthe world,you fhall fee them as witty, as underftan.ding, as judicious, and as cunning as any men ( almoíl ) can be, they have received the fpirit of the world, and they are led by the fpirit of the world, the god of this world hath taken pofïeffion of them, and it's that that makes them fo, but they have not received the Spirit ofJefus Chrifi, they may fay quite contrary to the Apoflle; faith the Apof}le,we have not received thefpirit of the t'orld,but the Spirit of7efns.Chrifl: they may fay,we have not received the Spirit of Chrift, but ofthe world : it's true, Chrift would have us fo long as we live in the world, to be as Wife asferpents,yet inocent as doves; the wifdom that is for the Promotionof the KingdomofChrift it is a wifdom that bath an upright plainefs in it, and is according to the tim- plicity of the Gfopel ; indeed when they have todeal with wicked men, they may exercife a natural wifdom, to a- void the dangers ofperfecution, or to avoid the circumven- ting ofwicked men ; but when they have to deal with fpi- rituall things, there thewifdom is that that holds forth a fimpl:icity of the Gofpel, that is carried on with plainefs and fimplenefs of heart. The Hebrews have the fame word that fignifies a nakedmin, and a cunningTribal man. You ball find where it's faid of Adam and Eve, they were naked; nakednefs of fpirit and fubtilty may !land toge- ther, they lignifie the fame thing, to thew what kind of fubtilty fhoukl be in thofe that are the People of God, it Mould be that that may fluidwith a naked fpirit, fo as if God would defcover the fecrets of all their hearts to all the children of men, that they fhould be ashamed to have
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