on the Glory of Chrifl. 21 THE Ancient Philofophers made great enquiries imo, and obt;;~ined many Notions of the Divine Being, its Exiftence and Excellencies. And thefe Notions they adorned with great Elegancy · of Speech, to allure others unto the Admiration of them. Hereon they boafted themfelves _to be the only Wife Men in the World, Rom. r. 22. rp~e- x.ov1e~ ti'v(u tTDtpoi they boafted that they were the wife:· But we muft abide in the Judgment of the Apoftle, concerning them in their enquiries; He affures us, that the world in its T.J'ifdom, that is, thefe\VifeMen in it by their Wifdom knew not God, 1 Cor. 1. 2 r. And he ·calls the Authors of their beft Notions Atheifts, or men without God in the world, Ephef. 2. 12. For, I. THEY had no certain guide, rule,nor light, which being attended unto, might lead them infallibly into the Knowledg of the Divine Nature : All they had of this kind was their; own M'}lla-p.al their reafonings or imaginations, whereby they commenced 111J(n1uTa~' n .. r.t'Jr4vo~ ·T'11S ~he great difputers of the world ; but in them they waxed vain, and their foolijh heart was darkned, Rom. I. 2 I. They did at beft but endeavour {nAii · cprlv to feel after God, as men do in the dark, after what they cannot clearly difcern, ABs 1 7· 27. Among others, Cicero's hook de Natura Deorum, gives us a·n exact Account of the intention of the Apoftle in that Expreffion. And it is at this day not want of wit, but hatred of the Myfi:eries of our Religion , which makes fo many pron~ to forgo all Supernatural Re'Velation , and to betake themfelves unto a Religion declared, as they c 3 !hp·
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