28O Of COMMUNION with of God, fpiritual and natural, is loft ftrangenefs of communication is given bymultiplicationof tongues. Tumultuating of paflions and affefti_ ons, with innumerable darkning prejudices, are alfo come upon us. To remove and take this away, to difintangle the mind in its reafonings, to re- cover an acquaintance with the works of God, to fubduft the foul from under the efffls of the curfe of divifion of tongues, is the aim and ten- dance of literature. This is the aliquid quo tendit. And he that hash any other aim in it i maim fequitur corvum teflaque luteque. Now not to infift upon that vanity and vexation of fpirit, with the innumerable evils where- with this enterprize is attended, this is that I only fay, it is in it felf, no way fufficient for the attainment of its end, which writes vanity upon its forehead with charafters not to be obliterated. To this purpofe, I delire to obferve thefe two things. I.) That the knowledge aimed at to be recovered, was given unto man in order to his walking with God, unto that fupernatural end whereunto he was appointed. For after he was furnifhed with all his endowments, the law of life and death was given to him, that he might know wherefore he received them. Thereforeknowledge inhimwas fpiritualized, and fane- tified, even that knowledge which he had by nature, in refpett of its prin- ciple, and end, was fpiritüal. a.) That the lofs of it, is part of that curfe which was inflilted on us for fin. Whatever we come short in of the fiate of the firft man in inno- cency, whether in lofs of good, or addition of evil, it is all of the curie for fin. Beides ! that blindnefs, ignorance, darknefs, deadnefs, which is every where afcribed to us in the ftate of nature, doth fully comprize that alfo whereof we fpeak. On thefe two confiderations it is molt apparent, that learning, can no way of it felf attain the end it aimeth at. For, (h. That light which by it is difcovered (which theLord knows is very little, weak, obfcure, imperfefl, uncertain, conjectural, for a great part only enabling men to quarrel with, and oppofe one another, to the reproach of reafon, yet I fay, that which is attain'd by it) is not in the leaft meafure by it fpiritualized, or brought into that order of living to God, and with God, wherein at firft it lay. This is whollybeyond its reach. As to this end, the apoftle affures us, that the utmoft iffue that men come to, is dark- nefs and folly, Rom. I. 21, 22. (a) Who knows not the profound en- quiries, the fubtile difputations, the acute reafonings, the admirable dif- coveries of Socrates, Plato and Ariflotle, andothers? What, as to the pur- pofe in hand did they attain by all their fludies and endeavours? 4, ss,pgr- snow fays the apoftle, they became fools. He that by general confent bears the crown of reputation for wifdom from them all, withwhom to have lived was counted an ineftimable happinefs, died like a fool, facrificing a cock to Asfculapius. And another, that Jefus Cbrifl alone is the true light that lightetbus, John r. 9. And there is not any that hath any true light but what is immediately fromhim. After all the learning of men, if they have nothing elfe, they are frill natural men, and perceive not the things of God. Their light is frill but darknefs, and how great is that dark- nefs ? It is the Lord Jefus alone who is anointed to open the eyes of the blind. Men cannot fpiritualize a notion, nor lay it in any order, (a) 'Ei arr á a:r1ñr if,11Wor aÿ,uuority rrvi XaweYírxr avr94111., éscsar iyi 8 îsJ`eo i n¡s sr eoólalor 5'5O . Xonopb. pro Sorrai. to
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