Truths ¶urcchafe. 43 Truth, weemuEtlabourtofeeletheretwothingst t. What needwehacêofk: a.What an excellentthing itis to cnioyit.To thew our need,many things might beealleadged : I will beeasbticfc in it as Ican, becank mee thinkcth, I doe feelemymatter like to a fpring, the furtherit goeth, into the morefireames to divide itCelle. Man by nature in refpe&of fpirituall graces, is the pooreftcrea- ture under heauen, heecommeth notinto theworld with a body fo naked , but bee commethalío with a foule as vrterlyfiript ofall goodoeffe. To touch one ly his penurie in regard ofknowledge, Hee hath in hisvnderftanding no true knowledge ofGod,but only fo much left, asmay makehim inexcufablebefore God. And therefore the Scripturedothwell, fooften tobefoole him. as Sale_ moodothby name in the bookeof the Proaerbes. When manbathto doe with thereearthly things, heeCeemeth to haueTome fharpnes anddexterity : but when he commeth to fpirituall things, he iscleanblunted, Theyarefeolifhnes Withhim, neithertan be know them Y. It is with the cyesofhisfoule,as itis wich theeyes of yrCor,:.14, his body. Our eyes looking upon theearth and thofebaeerfubflances, feeme quicke and piercing,. let them bee turned vp tobehold the glorious bodyof the Sunne,thcyate cicane dazled, andfeeme to fee an hundred feuerall colours, where there is tocolour : Inch a maze is the wit ofmanby naturebrought into, when he becommeth tobehold and confiderof fpirituall matters,hewill run you in millionsofabfurdirics. Takeyou Nicodemus,a great wife Pharióe,and tell him ofthe Newbirth, you (hall firikehim into ("than amazement, that herwill cry, How canthisbe`? Goeamong thelearned Philofophers, and difcourfe in their oInh.;,,. bearingof one Iefus, who was dead, and now liueth, and of the Refurre&iori; what will they lay? Some willmocke, and callthee baker', that tracheaInch ,Aß,r7,tP. fluffs : and they which are themoll ftaied among them,will putit to ademurre, they will hearetheeagaineof this thing. This is mans natural] pouertie in this cafe. Yea, but will Comeman (perhaps) fayvntome, Put cafe thisbetrue; that I am thus without knowledgeofthe Truthofmy lelfe, is it by any danger tocon: tinueCo ? There beComethings whicha man bath not, yet cannot bee beraid to 'hadefitme: want them,becsufehehathnoefe of them: lt is one thing tobewithout a cómo- n,4in4tndi- dity,anotherthing to fiand in seed alit. To clears this pointtherefore inone ßertq word : There isas much needofknowledge, asoffaluation. Ifthou haft neede tobe faued,thou haftneed to haue knowledge alto, This is lifeenerlejling toknow, dee.b. AndTaaldefcribing the efface of a narurall man, patteth there two toge- b hintogitatiens irederkenedt and, he is aftrangerfrom thelifeofcede. Igno- sEph.4.r8: ranee and deítru&ion; knowledgeand faluation,god together. Ifthisbe not fuf- 6cient to thew the necefsiryof knowledge , I knownot what may perfwadevs. Now for theexcellency ofknowledge, ifa man had the tongue ofmen and And gels,he could not fpeake fuffitient in commendation of ir. The Heathen knew that realon is that whichmaketh man better then abeaft: and the enlightening ofreafoth byknowledge, is that which preferred' one man to another. Now if knowledge.be in it Celle a thing Co excellent,much more the finingknowledge, I means theknowledgeofGodsTruth. Thismaketh thepeopleofGod the wifeft people,Thisisya arwifdoite,faithGod,andyou,. vnderflanding'.Itbringethattran ddeut.. ó. rohaue a kinde of familiarity andacquaintance with Godhimfelfe: yeaitena- bletha mantocpceiue the things whichpaifèknowledge,namely,the peace ofGod ; e Phil.y,r, and thelone ofChrifl F. Nomaruetl then, thoughDanid reioycedat it auone that fEPh3r9 findethgreat ff+eilesge and that Panldidaeeeant all thingsbut dap- meate,ferekeen: ióial '?` eelleneknowledge fakeofChrifil eftwh. For both.Avidwas thereby madewirerthee) . his teachers', ande''ánl17comprthFndingit, wets comprtheirdeilalfeofhisScNioprk. hrhi1.;.8. Thus inpart may we feeour needeof nowlee1 e, and the worthofknowled e, 'rr 1 rty.yg P y. k g g k P6kg. z. toprepare vs to the purchafe ofknowledge: Tomake tome ere, This point touchingMireofknowledge, is worthy the 7bevf. prersing span thcconfciencesof men: becaule the world hath at this day, fo many
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