Downame - Puritan-02038 v2

Of f piritualf wifdome. 65 wherewith many 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:I will firfl thewwhat kinds of wifdome 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 and hate it. For the former, we are to vnderfland, that wif- dome is either diuine and fpirituall, 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 and his will reuealed in his word,and careful- ly and confcionablie make a holy vfe of this knowledge in our hues and conuerfations : where I call it Diuine, becaufe God only is truly wife, and the fountaine of wifdome, from Rom,ló,zy. whom thofe little fireames, and (mall drops which arein vs, doe flow and diftill : where alto I diflinguifh it from that which is diabolical!, euen the deceitful) wifdome ofthe fub- till ferpent. And I fay that it is fpirituall, not only bccaufe it proceedeth from the Spirit of God, but becaufe it is alto chiefly exercifed in fpirituall andheauenly things. This wif- dome.is the giftofGod : for as lob faith, With him is wifdome lob ria3.16. andffrength,and he bath counfelland vnderflanding; and how- foeuer there isafiritinman, yet the inf ]irarionoftheAlmigh_Chap.3a.8. ttegiueth vnderflanding. And Salomon faith, that the Lordgi- I'rous,6. meth lbifdome, and out of his mouth commeth knowledge and vn- derffanding : whom another imitating, faith,that all wifdome Ecclef. r.r. commeth ofthe Lord, and bath been euer withhim, and is with him for euer. Now this wifdome the Lord giueth by his Spi- rit, and therefore the Spirit of God is called the Spiritofwif- Efay ma, dome and vnderffanding, the Spirit ofcounfell andflrength, the Spirit of knowledge and of the feare of the Lord : and he giueth it not voto all, but voto his eledì and faithful)feruants alone, who are good in his fight,as the Wife man fpeaketh. To which Ecclef..z. 6. purpofe the bonne of Syrach, (peaking in the perfon of Wif- clome,.faith thus : The Creator ofall thing:game me comma's- Ecclef z4.I I, dement, and he that mademe,appointed me a taberuacle,e ¡aid, F let