16 Chap. 13. An Expofition upon the Book of B. Verf. 12. knowable within the compafs of man; and he that beateth out theknowledge of thofe objet`s to the full, making the high- eft improvement of them, this man is as a God among(+ men and he may well becalled fo, feeing there are very few whoever arrived to this height about any oneobjet ofknowledge, and (I believe) never any one attained it in reference unto all. Now while we find Yob teaching this plain piece of know- ledge, that our bodies are bodies of clay, it teacheth us three Leffons, Fir{+, That man is aproud piece of flefh, and therefore bath n -ed to be told that be is but clay. Secondly, That pride árifeth.either from ignorance, or forget- Pilafs of whatwe are. David defired the Lord to teachhim how frail he was, Pfd. 39. Though David was a very holy and a knowing man, yet he knew not that plain point. Some think it focommon a truth that no manneeds to be taught that man is mortal. One great reafon why immortality is fo little looked after, is becaufe our mortali- ty is fo little looked into. We know little either of the power of God, or of theweaknefs of man ; and many who have fome knowledge of there cannot be faid to make any ufe of them their knowledge lies mouldring by the walls, they do not a t the things they know fuchknowledge leaveth a man in a worfe condition than ignorance Both. Befides,a man that forgets what he is, will be as proud as he that knows not what he is : Forget- fulnefs is a temporary ignorance ; how much foever any man knows,yet he can ufeno more than heremembers,and'tis feldom that he ufeth all that. Thirdly, The meanefi things in the world are parables,er fine- tides fit to fet forthwhat the outward flute ofman is. What the work of God is upon the foul, is not before us now. That's precious matter indeed, both for matter and form, there are engravings and !lamps upon the foul ofa glorious excellency: But ( I fay) take man inhis outfide, and then the meaneíl and poorert things in the world areparables ofman,our bodies are like bodiesofclay. The Apofcle Peter calleth his body an earthly ta- bernacle (a Pet. t.r3.) I know Imull 'hardy laydown myearthly tabernacle: The body is a tabernacle, and that is an uncertain dwelling, it is not built as anhoufe that bath foundations. And if you call it an houfe, yet it is not a hoüfe ofmarble,, but of
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=