Ep le to the HE13nEVVS. Wifdom; but not thewifdom of this world, nor the Princes of it, who are defroyed, doue away, and made ufelefs by it ; that is the chief Leaders of humane Wifdom and Science, r Cor. 2.6. but it is eagíx eel is µvsneiv, ñ anxaxfv5&tírn, &c. the myfferious Wifdom of God that mat hidden from them, v. 7. Things of his own meet Revelation, from hisSoveraign will and pleafure, with :a (lamp and imprefs of his Goodnefs and Wifdom upon them quite of another nature, than any thing that thechoiccíl Wifdom of the Princes of this world can reach or attain unto. And fuch is the Argument of this Epifile ; It treats of things which eyehath not feen, nor ear beard, norhave they by any natural means, ever entered into the heart cf man; and that in ablblute Harmony with all other unqueftionable Revelationsof the Will of God. Now if the immedi- ate Original hereof be not from God, that is by theinf ivation of the Holy Ghoft ; then it mull be either the invention of tome man ffrinningthewhole Webb and frame of it out of his own imagination, or from his diligence in framing and eompofng of it from a [genre of Principles colleéled out of other Writings of Divine Revelation. The Firlf will not be pretended. Two things abfolutely free it from fulferingunder any fuch fitfpicion. Firf,Thenature of its Argument, treating as was laid, of fuch things as eye bath notfeen, nor ear heard, nor have they-entered into the heart of man. The Deity, Offices, Sacrifice, Mediation and Grace of Jef is Chrifl, are not things that can have any foundation in the inven- tion and imagination of man ; Yea, being revealed by God, they lye in a dire'e eon- tradi &ion unto all that naturally is efteemed wife orperfeél; i Cor. a. rg, rg, 20, 21, 22, 23. They exceed thefphere of natural comprehenfiou, and are deftruélive of the principles which it frameth unto it feW for the compafling of thofe ends whereunto they are defigued. NOr is it lyable to be efteemed of the other extra& ; or the dili- gence-and Wifdom of man in colle wing it from other Books of Divine Revelation, which alone with any colour ofreafou can be pretended. Humane diligence regu- lated by what iselfewhere revealedofGod, is humane Dill t and can never free it felf from thofe infeparable attendances which will manifeft it fo to be. For fuppofe a man may conipofe a writing wherein every Propnfition in it felf (hall be true , and the whole in its contexture materially every way anfwerableunto the truth, (which yet mull be accidental as to the principle of his Wifdom , underfianding, ability, and diligence by whom it is compofed, they being no way able to give that effeet cer- tainly and infalliblyunto it) yet there will never he wanting that in it, whereby it maybe difcerned from an immediate effect and produl of Divine Wifdom and under- fianding. Take but the Writings ofany Wife man, who from his own ability and invention hath declared any Science in them, ánd allowhis difcovery of it to be the abfolute compleat rule of that Science , fo that nothing beyond, or befides what he hath written about it is true or certain, nor any thing clfe , but as it hails conformity to, or coincidence with what he hathwritten, and it will be very difficult, if not im- pollible for any mán fo to treat of that fubjef from his Writings; as not to leave fufficient Charaffers upon his own, to difference then from his Original, and pattern ; For fuppofè him tohave in all things attained the perfe& feule of his Guide, whichyet it may be, until' all words are freed from their ambiguity will be impoflible for any one todo, yet hill there will remain fuch an impnflisn ofthe Genius ánd fancy wherein the Rule wasfirft framedupon it; as the follower cannot exprefs: And how much more will there be fo in that which both for matter andwords alto, proceeds from the Sove- raign Will and WifdomofGod. Can it befuppofed, that any man fhould coiled by his own induflry and diligence a Writing out of that which is given by Him, and re- gulated thereby, that fhould abfolutely exprefs thole infinite Perfe&ions ofhis nature whichJhine forth in that which is immediately from himfelf? For that anyWriting fhould be pretended to be undifcernable from themgiven by Divine infpiration , It is not enough that the matter of it be uaiverfally true, and that truthno other but what is contained in other parts ofScripture, but it muff alto have thole other ,exu+íeaa and charáBers of a Divine Original which we fhall inour progrefs difcover in this Epifile, as in other Books of the Holy Scripture : for it is not behind the very choiceft of them. And the truth of this confderation, is demonfirated in the iellances of every one of thofe Writings which may probablybe concluded tohave the neareft affinity and fimi- litude unto thole ofDivine infpiration, from the greatnels and urgency of theirplea to be admitted unto that fries and order. Theft are the Boóles commonly called Apo- chrypha ; not one of them is there, wherein humane diligence doth not difcóver its felt C 2 to II
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