The the Box, and Chrift the precious oyntment. Pretiofum oppobalsa- 2. Excellcat. 2. Adde hereunto, this is an excellent knowledge, The Apoftle,though a man of incomparable gifts, yet accounted all things but Leffe,and dung, in comparison of this, Phil. 2.8. Tarra, Be they what they will, honours, riches in their greateft eftate and confluence, arts and sciences, in their refplendent luftres, let them be virtues which beautify the mind, yet when they come, in competition with Chrift, they paffe under fuch a cenfure, nuiar naonulana, Loffe, and garbidge, the most vile and contemptible things in the world, This knowledge must needs be amiable, because it proceeds from Chrift the fairest of ten thousands. And lastly,for the complement of all, this is a foule-faving-know- 2.14. 3. Soule faving. i Break ledge. When all Philofophicall fpeculations puzzle & non plus thy Car: understanding, and cannot administer the least auxiliaries unto thee (For the naturall man perceiveth not the things that are of the Spirit of God) then when thou haft the spirit of difcerning to see their emptineffe, and impotency, Chrift darts a ray of fupernaturall knowledge into thy foule, infufeth into thee new principles, a renewed nature; And now thou difcerneft with another manner of eye, for the fpirituall man knoweth all things. Thou must then have a better master then Arittotle to teach thee. This knowledge can no where be learnt but in the schoole of Chrift. A man may be admired for a great Gnoftick, as accurate a Text-man (as Buxtorfe records of the fewes) as to know every letter in the Bible, and observe every point (as the Maforethes doe) yet all this while he may be a meere stranger to this foule-faving knowledge. For if the Doctrinall truth of Scripture, be not made an experimentall truth unto thy foule, and confcience, though thou mayst be reputed a great fchollar, yet thou art farre from being a good Chriftian. When Chrift comes into thy foule, by his grace, he renewes thee in the spirit of thy mind, he purifies thy nature, reformes thy life, redeemes thee from thy vain converfation. When his gracious face. C fhines cum. fhines upon thee, he makes his waies and (aving health known unto thee, as it is Pfal. 67. 2. Thus I have endeavoured to describe the object of this knowledg pofitively confidered, lett's now view it as privatively, and by way of Antithefis fet down in the text, ein, onely, or nothing else befides Jefus Chrift. 2. But doth no other knowledge paffe currant? Doth my Apoftle ufe a kind of Oftracifme, to banish all secular learning out of the schoole ofChrift? A. Doubtleffe fuch an interpretation ftands not with the sense Calvinus in lo. of my Apoftle. Nulla mibi fcientia tanti fuit, ut aliud cognofcere Aquin in lo. appeterem,quam Chriftum,licet crucifixum, So Calvin. He efteemed no knowledg equall to the knowledge of Chrift. Per fapientiam verbi evacuatur crux Chrifti. By eloquence of words the Croffe of Christ is made of none effect: fo Aquinas upon the place. But thefe two agree with Eftius and Paraus, who are no enemies unto humane learning, but they much difrellifhed the affected eloquence of new-fangled preachers, who rent the people a funder, from unity to mutiny, from faith, to faction, and fo teare the feamleffe coate of Chrift. They bragd of Cardans vaine glorious humour (otherwise a man of wifdome) who making a catalogue of renowned worthies, inferted himfelfe Hieronymus Cardanus in the number. So these instead of preaching Chrift in all humility, are not afhamed to vent the frothy iffues of their abortive braines, rather to tickle their auditors eares,then to affect their confciences. Therefore to this poyfon, my Apoftle prefcribes a foveraigne antidote, and that is to preach Chrift and him crucified, Sola Chrifti cognitio fufficit ad falutem,faith Paraus. The knowledg of Chrift,is alone fufficient unto falvation: but he addes further, fed cum aliis conjuncta, tanto erit ju cundier: but mixt with other fciences, will rellifh fome palates the better. Having a fpice of humane learning, it may winne upon mens affections, and so take the learned in their own Art. Augufine going to have his eares tickled, had his heart touched, and gor Chrift to boote, with the eloquence of Ambrofe. A Minifter ought to preach in the most winning way, and ought to endeavour by a pious kind of fraud (not in a Popish nor Machiavilian fenfe) to infinuate himselfe, into the affections of his Auditors. I ground my affertion upon the Apostle 2 Cor. 12. 16. beeing crafty I caught you Parzus inlo zales depreben levis, reque with guile. The preacher ftudied acceptable words, Elegant compofures, and appofite expreflions are commendable. I know not any thing to the contrary, but an Egyptian jewel may be dedicated to the service of the fanctuary. The Apoftle quotes Menander, videmus nom Aratus, Epimenides, Heathen Poets, that fo he might foile the Gen- fatis effe fi fidem tiles with their own weapons: Chryfoftome upon my Text, faith noftra intcgrutaThe Apostle, who knew greater things of art, could not be ignorant of thefe is faciamus, nife leffer things yet, he would relinquish his learning, deny his parts, dantur quor us feeme to be ignorant of his gifts,that by this meanes, he might gaine fuerimus opera. the people to the knowledge of Chrift. The Apostles Acts 4. 13. Quare delectus were accounted by the Counfell, illiterate men, even Ideots, habendus eft non (as the word is commonly Englished) yet thefe God ufed as inftruperfunctorius ments to confound the wisdome of the wife, and to put to filence the fed exquifita di moft knowing men. We read in Daniel of a stone without hands cut ligentia, Calv. out of the mountaines, which battered all the reft in pieces: fo the Go-izol vuv sos fpell of Chrift in its purity and fimplicity, without the help ofusive Tus humane policy or contrivances, throwes down all the tow-rixvns difus ring thoughts of men, it levels mountaines as low as the vallies, and réor cafts down the high and mighty from their feat. Its the arme of the ra'sλassova Lord, If.53.1. Its the power of God unto falvation, Rom.1. 16. Yet all i this while, though I admire divine learning, and preferre it to the Chryf. highest place,accounting all knowledge none at all to the knowledge Dan.2.34. of Chrift: Nevertheleffe I difcard not humane learning from its office and conveniency, and usefulnesse in a learned Republick, My hearts defire and prayer is, thattheSun may never fet upon our Ifrael,: but that the Schooles may flourish in learning and religion, and that the Sons of the Prophets may grow up as young plants, and be as the pollished corners of the temple, never wanting honourable en-couragements. But for the prevention of abufes which are apt to creep in, I hope a caution or two will not be unfeasonable. 1. Before you make use of humane learning, labour to cleanse 1. Caution. and purge it. There's much droffe in it and therefore it must be re. Purge and fined. It requires an understanding head,to cull out, what is Legi-cleanfe butimate and to reject what's fpurious. Things must not be tooke on mane leartruft at adventure by an implicite faith relying upon the judgment learning. of Learned Doctors. Theres a Lydius Lapis, to difcerne true from Hay 8. 20. counterfeit. Ad Legem & Teftimonia: Examine all Doctrines by the Touchitone, which is the Word of God. Take heed that thou Capt. 2. dinate unto divine. bring not in thofe things, which contradict the principles of thy faith. Better to relinquish thy authour,& facrifice him to the flames, then flinch one tittle from the rule, which is the word of God, and fo make fhipwrack of faith, and a good conscience. In the next place, be advised to make all humane learning fubferMake humane vient, and fubordinate to divine. Hagar was courteously entertai learning fubor. ned whileft she was a fervant, but when once the domineer'd and defpifed her Miftris, fhe was turn'd out of doores. The comparison is obvious, betweere humanity, and divinity. If that, being but a handmaid,flaunt it and outbrave her Miftris, let her bee cafheired in Deut.21.12. the fame manner. The captive woman must have her nailes pared, and her head shaven, before the might be entertained for a wife. In like mannner, we muft pare off all the fuperfluities, protuberancies and excrefcencies of humane learning, before it can be dedicated to the service of the Lord. As Mofes in his glorious luftre,put a vayle before his face; fo were it an act of prudence fome times to conceale a man's felfe. The vayle of filence is, oft times, the best atProv. 29.11. tire of fobriety. A foole, faith Solomon, Speakes all, but a wise man bolds it in, till afterwards. Cant.3. 3. Ufe humane learning with moderation, and modefty, The ufe humane gold fanctifies not the altar, but the altar the gold. Humane learlearning with ning improveth not divine, but is it-felfe improved by it. Arts are moderation. holy in their use only, which is, to attend upon facred knowledge, And whil'ft they doe fo, the law entitles them to fome kind of holyneffe: Nam que facris ferviunt, profana non funt. Surely then,that Painter discovered abundance of folly, who when he could not make the Picture handfome, then fell a daubing of it: A remedy worse than the disease. Onefilus his head (as I find it in Herodotus ) Herodes. Terp when it was empty of braines; was filled with honey combes: fuch are those (and may they never come neare our Athens) whom I may terme capita fine cerebro, brainleffe, or brainfick heads, who gleane tares from a stage, and scatter them in the pulpit: Whilst Jefuites and Poftilers are mufter'd up by scores, fcarce one quotation of Scripture. fic. This is just as if a man fhould forbeare wholesome food,and gnaw Simli hungerly upon flint ftones, according to the cities of Robertus. Guleus: The Lord complaines of this Epidemicall disease, fer. 2.13. My people have committed two evills, they have forfaken me the foun taine of living waters, and hewed them out cifternes,even broken cifternes. Would Jeromes dreame, might inftruct our morning thoughts. He dreamed that Chrift fayd unto him: Inveni te magis Ciceronianum, quam Chriftianum. Away with fuch lines of luxuriant fancies,ftrong you may call them, but by an Antiphrafis, they are as weake as water, and cannot quench the drought of a thirfty foule: What's the fhell to the kernell? What are all these outfides to Chrift Crucified?" We cannot preach Chrift in any other method, but we fhall bewray our own vain-glory, betray the honour of God, and the foules of his people. When poore foules lye a bleeding, and they cry out, None but Chrift, what advantage will all the froth of wit afford them? When all the flourishes of witt are empty, and can doe no good, there must be a reall folid thing (as I may fay) Cerpus fo lidum fucci plenum, that must adde a word of comfort to a troubled fpirit. Let me beseech you in the bowells of Chrift, that you would preach Chrift, and that in all humility. God advanceth the low in fpirit: hee's the best Preacher, and he will reape the best fruit of his paines, who endeavours to condefcend to the capacity of his Auditors. Perfpicuity is the ornament of an Oratour, and the humble preaching of Chrift crucifi'd, is the grace of a Sermon. And fo I am fallen upon my last particular, rûtor isav pauśvor, and him crucifi'd. Here's a man of the right ftampe indeed: What the Jewes accom3. Particular. pted a ftumbling block,and the Greeks foolishneffe,he accounted his The knowonly glory. God forbid faith he, that I should glery, fave in the creffe ledge of Chrif of our Lord Jefus Chrift, by whom the world is crucifi'dunto me, and I crucified. unto the world, Gal.6.14. 2. But why doth the Apoftle fo often inculcate this expreffion, Chrift crucifi'd? why not Chrift incarnate, or Chrift rifen, afcended, and glorified? why not Chrift rather in his Robes, than now in his raggs? A. I answer, without the knowledge of the croffe, the knowledge of Chrift will profit us nothing. Upon that he was made laça a curfe for us to redeeme us from the curfe of the law. Chrift made our atonement upon the croffe, where he felt the Phials of God's wrath powred downe upon his righteous foule, having affumed the Perfon of an offender. Where then is the wife, where is the fcribe, where is the difputer of C 3 this |