with him out of Christ, so there is no grace more acceptable to him than that boldness, which he is pleased to afford us in the blood of Jesus. There is then,

[6.] But one thing more to add, and that is, that two cannot walk together, unless they have the same design in hand, and aim at the same end; this also in a word, is given us in the Lord Jesus. The end of God is the advancement of his own glory; none can aim at this end, but only in the Lord Jesus. The sum of all is, that the whole wisdom of our walking with God, is hid in Christ, and from him only to be obtained, as hath been manifest by an enumeration of particulars.

And so have I brought my first demonstration of what I intended unto a close, and manifested that all true wisdom and knowledge is laid up in, and laid out by the Lord Jesus; and this by an induction of the chief particular heads of those things, wherein confessedly our wisdom doth consist. I have but one more to add, and therein I shall be brief.

(2.) Secondly, then I say, this truth will be farther manifested by the consideration of the insufficiency and vanity of any thing else, that may lay claim, or pretend to a title to wisdom.

There be two things in the world, that do pass under this account: the one is learning or literature; 1. Skill and knowledge of arts, sciences, tongues, with the knowledge of the things that are past. 2. Prudence and skill for the management of ourselves in reference to others, in civil affairs, for public good, which is much the fairest flower, within the border of nature's garden. Now cóncerning both these, I shall briefly evince,

[1.] That they are utterly insufficient for the compassing and obtaining of those particular ends, whereunto they are designed.

[2.] That both of them in conjunction, with their utmost improvement, cannot reach the true general end of wisdom; both which considerations will set the crown in the issue upon the head of Jesus Christ.

[1.] Begin we with the first of these, and that as to the first particular. Learning itself, if it were all in one man, is not able to compass the particular end whereto it is designed, which writes vanity and vexation upon the forehead thereof.

The particular end of literature (though not observed by many, men's eyes being fixed on false ends, which compels them in their progress 'aberrare a scopo') is none other, but to remove some part of that curse which is come upon us by sin. Learning, is the product of the soul's struggling with the curse for sin. Adam, at his first creation, was completely furnished with all that knowledge (excepting only things not then in being, neither in themselves, nor any natural causes, as that which we now call tongues, and those things that are the subject of story) as far as it lies in a needful tendency to the utmost end of man, which we now press after. There was no straitness, much less darkness upon his understanding, that should make him sweat for a way to improve, and make out those general conceptions of things which he had. For his knowledge of nature, it is manifest from his imposition of suitable names to all the creatures (the particular reasons of the most of which to us are lost), wherein from the approbation given of his nomination of things in the Scripture, and the significancy of what yet remains evident, it is most apparent, it was done upon a clear acquaintance with their natures. Hence Plato could observe that he was most wise that first imposed names on things, yea, had more than human wisdom. Were the wisest man living, yea, a general collection of all the wise men in the world, to make an experiment of their skill and learning, in giving names to all living creatures suitable to their natures, and expressive of their qualities, they would quickly perceive the loss they have incurred. Adam was made perfect, for the whole end of ruling the creatures, and living to God for which he was made; which, without the knowledge of the nature of the one, and the will of the other, he could not be. All this being lost by sin, a multiplication of tongues also being brought in as a curse for an after rebellion, the whole design of learning is but to disentangle the soul from this issue of sin. Ignorance, darkness, and blindness is come upon the understanding; acquaintance with the works of God, spiritual and natural, is lost; strangeness of communication is given by multiplication of tongues. Tu

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· Οἶμαι μὲν ἐγὼ τὸν ἀληθέστατον λόγον περὶ τούτων εἶναι, ὦ Σώκρατες, μείζω τινὰ δύναμιν εἶναι ἡ ἀνθρωπείαν, τὴν θεμένην τά πρώτα ὀνόματα τοῖς πράγμασιν. Plato in Cratylo. e Gen. xi. 3, &c.

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multuating of passions and affections, with innumerable darkening prejudices, are also come upon us. To remove and take this away, to disentangle the mind in its reasonings, to recover an acquaintance with the works of God, to subduct the soul from under the effects of the curse of division of tongues, is the aim and tendance of literature. This is the 'aliquid quo tendit.' And he that hath other aim in it; 'passim sequitur corvum testaque lutoque.' Now not to insist upon that vanity and vexation of Spirit, with the innumerable evils wherewith this enterprise is attended, this is that I only say, it is in itself, no way sufficient for the attainment of its end, which writes vanity upon its forehead with characters not to be obliterated. To this purpose, I desire to observe these two things.

1st. That the knowledge aimed at to be recovered, was given unto man in order to his walking with God, unto that supernatural end whereunto he was appointed. For after he was furnished with all his endowments, the law of life and death was given to him, that he might know wherefore he received them. Therefore knowledge in him was spiritualized and sanctified, even that knowledge which he had by nature, in respect of its principle and end, was spiritual.

2dly. That the loss of it, is part of that curse which was inflicted on us for sin. Whatever we come short in of the state of the first man in innocency, whether in loss of good, or addition of evil, it is all of the curse for sin. Besides, that blindness, ignorance, darkness, deadness, which is every where ascribed to us in the state of nature, doth fully comprise that also whereof we speak.

On these two considerations it is most apparent, that learning can no way of itself attain the end it aimeth at. For,

(1st.) That light which by it is discovered (which the Lord knows is very little, weak, obscure, imperfect, uncertain, conjectural, for a great part only enabling men to quarrel with, and oppose one another, to the reproach of reason, yet I say, that which is attained by it), is not in the least measure by it spiritualized, or brought into that order of living to God, and with God, wherein at first it lay. This is wholly beyond its reach. As to this end, the apostle assures us, that the utmost issue that men come to, is darkness

and folly; Rom. i. 21, 22. Who knows not the profound inquiries, the subtle disputations, the acute reasonings, the admirable discoveries of Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle, and others? What, as to the purpose in hand did they attain by all their studies and endeavours? uwpávnoav, says the apostle, they became fools.' He that by general consent bears the crown of reputation for wisdom, from them all, with whom to have lived was counted an inestimable happiness, died like a fool, sacrificing a cock to Esculapius. And another, that 'Jesus Christ alone is the true light that lighteth us;' John i. 9. And there is not any that hath any true light but what is immediately from him. After all the learning of men, if they have nothing else, they are still natural men and perceive not the things of God. Their light is still but darkness, and how great is that darkness? It is the Lord Jesus alone who is anointed to open the eyes of the blind. Men cannot spiritualize a notion, nor lay it in any order, to the glorifying of God. After all their endeavours they are still blind and dark, yea, darkness itself, knowing nothing as they should. I know how the men of these attainments are apt to say, 'Are we blind also?' with great contempt of others; but God hath blasted all their pride ;o 'Where,' saith he, 'is the wise? where the Scribes,' &c. 1 Cor. i. 20. I shall not add what Paul hath farther cautioned us to the seeming condemning of philosophy as being fitted to make spoil of souls; nor what "Tertullian, with some

1 Εἰ δὲ τις τῆς ἀρετῆς εφειμένων ὠφελιμωτέρω τινὶ Σωκράτους συνεγένετο, ἐκεῖνον ἐγὼ τὸν ἄνδρα αξιομακαριστότατον νομίζω. Zenoph. apol. pro Socrat.

g O Sapientia superba irridens Christum crucifixum! August. Expos. in Joh. Trac. 2. de cap. 1.

h Hæreses a philosophia subornantur; inde ones, formæ, et nescio quæ, trinitas hominum apud Valentinum, Platonicus fuerat; inde Marcionis Deus melior de tranquilitate; a stoicis venerat: et ubi anima interire dicatur, ab epicureis observatur, et ut carnis restitutio negetur, de una omnium philosophorum schola sumitur:quid ergo Athenis et Hierosolomis? quid academiæ et ecclesiæ? quid hæreticis et Christianis? nostra institutio de porticu Solomonis est ; nobis curiositate non opus est post Jesum Christum; nec inquisitione post evangelium; cum credimus, nihil desideramus ultra credere; hoc enim prius credimus, non esse quod ultra credere debemus. Tertul. de præscript. ad Hæret.

Επειδήπερ ἱκανῶς ἐκ τῶν προειρημένων τὰ τῶν φιλοσόφων ὑμῶν ἐλήλεγκται πράγ ματα πάσης ἀγνοίας καὶ ἀπάτης φανέντα πλήρη, κλ. Just. Mart. ad Græc. Cohort. Μοῦνον ἐμοὶ φίλον ἔσκε λόγων κλέος ; οἷς συνάγειραν Αντολίη τε, δύσις τε, καὶ Ελλάδος ἔυχος Αθῆναι, Τοῖς ἔπι πόλλ ̓ ἐμόγησα πολὺν χρόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ αὐτοῦς Πρηνέας ἐν δαπέιδῳ χριστοῦ προπάροιθεν ἔθηκα, Είξαντας μεγάλαιο θεοῦ λόγῳ ὅς ῥα καλύπτει Πάντα φρενὸς βροτέης στρεπτὸν πολυειδέα μῦθον.

Greg. Naz. Car. 1. de reb. suis.

other of the ancients have spoken of it; being very confident, that it was the abuse and not the true use and advantage of it, that they opposed. But,

2dly. The darkness and ignorance that it strives to remove, being come upon us as a curse, it is not in the least measure, as it is a curse, able to remove it or take it away. He that hath attained to the greatest height of literature, yet if he hath nothing else, if he have not Christ, is as much under the curse of blindness, ignorance, stupidity, dulness, as the poorest, silliest soul in the world. The curse is only removed in him who was made a curse for us. Every thing that is penal is taken away only by him, on whom all our sins did meet in a way of punishment, yea, upon this account. The more abilities the mind is furnished withal, the more it closes with the curse, and strengthens itself to act its enmity against God. All that it receives doth but help it to set up high thoughts and imaginations, against the Lord Christ. So that this knowledge comes short of what in particular it is designed unto, and therefore cannot be that solid wisdom we are inquiring after.

There be sundry other things whereby it were easy to blur the countenance of this wisdom, and from its intricacy, difficulty, uncertainty, unsatisfactoriness, betraying its followers into that which they most profess to avoid, blindness and folly, to write upon it vanity and vexation of spirit. I hope I shall not need to add any thing to clear myself for not giving a due esteem and respect unto literature, my intendment being only to cast it down at the feet of Jesus Christ, and to set the crown upon his head.

2. Neither can the second part of the choicest wisdom out of Christ attain the peculiar end whereunto it is appointed; and that is prudence in the management of civil affairs, than which no perishing thing is more glorious, nothing more useful, for the common good of human kind. Now the immediate end of this prudence is to keep the rational world in bounds and order, to draw circles about the sons of men, and to keep them from passing their allotted bounds and limits, to the mutual disturbance and destruction of each other. All manner of trouble and disturbance ariseth from irregularity; one man breaking in upon the rights, usages, interests, relations of another, sets this world