528 Chap. 6. An Expofition upon the Bsokof J O B. Verf..a' That agraciousfpirit is a teachable fpirit.A graciou s heart cals for teaching. Teach me, and I will hold my tongue, As a gracious heart cals for lirengtheningfromChrifI,fo it cals for tea- ching from Chrili, and from any,who can teach the truth,as it is in Chriff. A weak foul faith, Lord draw me, andI will rune after thee ; an ignorant foul faith, Lord infirua me, that I may underftand thee. Give me the wit-dome of the prudent, that I may underhand my way, and I shall walk therein. A godly man loves not to be at hisown difpofing,norat his ownTutoring;Hetbát will learn ofnone, but bimfelf, bath(f ere enough) afool tohis Mager And there is more hopeofafool,tbanofhint,that is( thus,wife inhis own conceit, Pro. 26. 12. Secondly, Obferve, A teachablefpirit is anexcellent fpirit. Aman that is willing to be taught, is in a better condition thanmany, who are able to reach. It argues a holier temper of the heart, to be willing tobe taught, than to be able to teach. And it is far worfe to be unwil- ling to learn, than not to be knowing ; Vnteachalolenefs is more dangerous than ignorance. It is fad to confider how unteachable many are, they will not be taught, or they think they have lear- ned all, they have devoured all knowledge; theyare full and need no more ; fome deceived fouls ( and they molt ) carry it,as if they had a fpirit ofinfallability; what,teach them? they are above teaching. It is a Tweet frame of fpirit, when a man fees he may be out of frame. He is in a faireway to truth, who acknow- ledges he may be inan errour,And he who will not acknowledge that hemaybe in anerror,is certainly out of the wayoft,ruth.The Apolile refolves it, a Cor. 8. 2. Ifa man thinktbat he knowetb any thing,he knoweth notbing,yet,as beought to know. Notas ifthe Apo- files meaningwere,that all knowledge mutt be fceptical or uncer- tain, all in queries,and nothing in conclutìons,that we should halt between twoopinions,and hang likemeteors in theaire.Nor doth he commend tous_that proud modetty, which will not let us ac- knowledge,we know that we know ; but his mind is, to meet with thofe,.who think they know any thing fo well that they need not, or cannot know it better, and abound fo in their own fence, that they have no room to admit the fence of others. As he who thinks himfelfe fo good, that he cannot be better,was never fo good,as he fhould ; fo, he that thinks he knowes fo much, that he can learn no more, knowes nothing as he ought. It is bell to be fixed in judgement,but it is very ill to be fixed in opinion.lt it to
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