COSISCILIMON, 1-lxmane Ub f ervatifan.r vaiite. nit reveale God in Chrift,,they thine not into .the,hcart,they make not wife unto falvation, they are a Schoole wherein p a Tim. 3.1. men are ever learning, and yet P never come to the knowledge of the- truth.: He that is moft devoted to humane obfervations, is commonly_ moft ignorant of the myftery of godlinefíe : As long as. Saint Paul was a Scholler in this;Schoole, he rema- . ned ignorant of his owne eftate, he ftill.beheld himfelf in a Julie glaffe: gIwas alive (faith _Paul) once without the, Lam: He knowes little of the Law of God, that makes mens traditi .ons a law to dire& him in the fervice of God ; no light dif- clofeth the Heavens, but that which fhineth from Heaven , no Doítrine fr.eweth forth God and the way to. heaven, but onely that whichGod himfèlfe bath given : Of all other Do &tines we may fay as Job did of his friends, r They are Phi_ ftians of no value, they .neitherdifcover nor cure the difeafe of the foul: And as fometime the Lord Paid of the Egyptians, s The Egiptians fhall help in vaine and to no,purpof e ; their ftrength is to fit pi; fo may we of alihumane and carnali (latrines, they help in vaine andxo no purpofe, they can doe nothing by way ofmortification:to finne, by way of corroboration againft Satans temptations, by way of pacification in quiet- ing the confcience : In fuch cafes their ftrength is to fit fiill, they doe not profit the receivers of them. k is but the tow- ing of chaffe that brings forth no fruit, or feeding on husks that minitters no ftrength; a labour which doth not t profit. He that looks beyond or betide Chrift for light to dire& him his labour is altogether unprofitable. In regard of the fooliihneffe of man to Rep afide from Chrift, and cleave to humane observations : Every man re- putes k a fooliíh thing for a man that hath a full fountaine,,' to Peek water out of an empty pit ; f r him that bath the Sun fhining upon hirn,to light a candle to guide him:It was, great foly in the men of Secb nt to refute v the Vine, the, Olive and the Fig- tree, and choo; a the Bramble ; to leave the Cons of Jerub- baal, and chooje Abimelech to raigne over them. What is Chrift but a living Fountaine, a bright and fhining Sun, a Vine, an Olive, a Fig-tree, full of all light, replenifhed with the geateit fulneffe of all divine and heavenli fruit ?.And what are q 1.om.7.9. r job 1.3. r. s ICa. 3a. t. t jtr. t. 8. v judges 9. 9.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=