Downame - Puritan-02038 v2

That worldly lbifedmne and policie is to be contemned. 83 fore our Saviour Chrifi (peaking generally of ÿ world,faith, lohn 174%. that it did not know God his Father;& his holy ApofIle tefii- 6eth,that when Chrifi the Son ofGod carne into the world, the lborld new him not : fo that it is impoffible for a meere Iohn .to. worldling to attaine to the knowledge of God, and of his Sonne Chrift, or ofthe worke of redemption and faluation wrought by him : whereofit is,that when Teter acknowled- ged Chrifi to be the Sonne of God, our Sauiour telleth him, thatflej7, and blood had not reijeiled it voto him, but his Father which is in heaven. To which purpofe the Apofile alto faith, thatfeeinQtheworldbywi fdameknewnotGod, in thewifdome of r.Cor.r.2a. Cjod, it pleafed God by thefoolifbnefeofpreaching to Pave them, that beleeae. Whereby it appeareth, that worldly wifedome helpeth not to the knowledge offpirituall things; nor at all furthereth the faluation of our foules : but ferueth onely worldlings (like the Ofirich wings) to this vfe, to haflen their fpeed,and make them to outrun others vpon the earth, and in earthly things; but cannot helpe them to flie towards heauen,by the fpirituall knowledge ofGod and our Sauiour Chrifl. The reafon why worldlings by their worldly wifedome 4.Set`f.t4.. cannot vaderfland the things ofGod, is, becaufe this fpiri- The reafon why tuall knowledge is hid from them, as appeareth by that worldly [nth thankfgiuing of our Sauiour Chrifl : Igine thee thar&,es D fa- not the things ther,Lordof heauen andearth,becenfe then haft hid theft things ofGod. from the wif ,and men ofvnderîianding,and hart revealed them Matth.r vnto babes. And this reafon our Sauiourrendreth why hee fpake to worldlings in parables, and to his Difciples plainly, Becau fe to theft it was given to k.now the f creis of the 4inQdome M atth.r3.rr. of heouen, but ro thorn it woe nstoitien. And this hapnethvnto them by the 'tuft iudgementbfGod, that they fhould thus be given over to their ovine blindncffe : firfi in regard oftheir pride, which caufeth them to withdraw themfelues from God, and to (hut their eyes againfi the light of his reuealcd will, preferring farr!e before it, their owne wifedome and deepe policie, vpon which can nothing follow but palpable darknes ; for as when the face ofthe Moone looketh dire6ly vpon the Sunne, from whom the borroweth her brightnes, G z Else