86 Chap. 32. An ExpPyrtien,.upan the 1390k,of J o 's. Verf. a 3. unto Office in the Church; thouldnot be a novice ; he means it not fomuch ofone that is young in yeares, as ofone that isyoung in the faith, a new plant in theChurch, or one newly converted., And he gives this as a reafon, Left beingpuft up (with pride he means) by being in fuck a function, or by having fucb reputati- on for wifdome and knowledge, as is requifite to aGofpel fier, he ( which is a fad fall, if not adown-fall into utter ruine ) fall into the condemnation ofthe devil!. Not that the devil! will condemne him for his pride, no, the more proud men are, the more the deviil approves of them ; nor is it the devil's office to condemne, it is his office to execute ; he is the executioner, not the Judge and what ever he condemnethany man for, he will not condemne himfor pride, no nor for any fin. So that when the Apofile faith, Left hefall into the condemnation of thedevill, it is as if he had Paid , Left he be condemned for thefame fin that' the devill was cowdemisedfor, whichwas pride : And it was pride (for be is the right father of the Gnofticks) arifing out of ahigh opi- nion,'or conceit of his ovine wifdome, and knowledge. Zophar fayd ( job z z , is. ) Vineman would be wife. But is it an argu-, ment of a mans vanity that he would bewife ? it is a mans duty to be wife, that's a good defire ; why then doll he fay , Vaine man wolflikewife ? The meaning is, Vaine man would be in ac- count for wifdome , he would be reckoned among wife men, or he delires more to be thoughtwife, then tobe wife. a vaine men, indeed, cannot defire any good, but in reference to fame evill that cleaves; to it ; and upon that account he may defire to be wife. The fir!} fin came into the world by an attempt toget 'wifdome, or by a proud thought in the hopes of attaining farther wifdome. The wifdome which our firít parents fought for, was not wifdometo know God,for that is the molt excellent wifdom, It is eternall bfe toknow god; So then it was notwifdome toknow God, but it was wifdome to be knowing as God which they afle- &ed, theywould be high and lifted up above the rare of a crea- ture in knowledge, and that was their ruine. And I (hall (hew (in two thingo)why there is fuck, a temptation in wifdome,or the rea- fonwhy whenwe have found out that which bath a (hew of wif- dome in ir,we are fa forward to applaud our felves,& boafi in ir. Firft, 'Tis fo, becaufe wifdome is no common Commodity, as I may fay ; wifdome is but in few hands, if you confider the multi-
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