Downame - Houston-Packer Collection BX5133.D76 C552 1611 v.2

Offpiritualf wifdome. 65 wherewithmany are bewitched with ouer much cunning' cozening themCelues both of Gods grace and their owne fal uation,And left for want ofdiflin& knowledge,wc fhould contemne the good with the bad:Iwill firfl thewwhat kinds ofwifdome are warrantable and commendable, that fo we may the better vnderfland what that is which is worldly, wicked, and to be condemned : and afterwards I will let downe fomc reafons to perfwade all Chriflians to contemne andhate it. For the former, we areto vnderfland, that wif- dome is either diuine andfpirituall, or elfe morali and ciuilI. Diuine and fpirituall wifdome is a gift and grace of Gods Spirit, bellowed onlyvpon the eleel and faithful!, whereby we know God andhis will reuealed inhis word,andcareful- ly and confcionablie make aholy vfe of this knowledge in ourhues andconuerfations : where Icall it Diuine, becaufe Godonly is truly wife, and the fountaine ofwifdome, from Rom,ló,zy. whom thofe little fireames, and (mall dropswhich arein vs, doe flow and diftill : where alto I diflinguifh it from that which is diabolical!,euen thedeceitful) wifdomeofthe fub- tillferpent. And I fay that it is fpirituall, not onlybccaufeit proceedeth from the Spirit of God, but becaufe it is alto chiefly exercifed in fpirituall andheauenly things. This wif- dome.is thegiftofGod : for as lob faith, With him is wifdome lob ria3.16. andffrength,andhebathcounfellandvnderflanding; andhow- foeuer there isafiritinman,yet theinf ]irarionoftheAlmigh_Chap.3a.8. ttegiueth vnderflanding. AndSalomon faith, that theLordgi- I'rous,6. meth lbifdome,andout ofhis mouthcommethknowledgeandvn- derffanding : whom another imitating, faith,thatall wifdome Ecclef. r.r. commethofthe Lord, and bath been euer withhim, and iswith himforeuer. Now this wifdome theLord giuethby his Spi- rit, and therefore the Spirit ofGod is called theSpiritofwif- Efay ma, dome and vnderffanding, the Spirit ofcounfellandflrength, the Spirit ofknowledgeand ofthefeare oftheLord: and he giueth it not voto all,but voto his eledì and faithful)feruants alone, whoaregood in hisfight,as theWife man fpeaketh. TowhichEcclef..z. 6. purpofe the bonne ofSyrach, (peaking in the perfonofWif- clome,.faith thus : The Creator ofallthing:gameme comma's- Ecclef z4.II, dement, andhethat mademe,appointedme a taberuacle,e ¡aid, F let

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