The souls exaltation A treatiseThe soules exaltation A treatise

but the wisdom that is from above, it is first pure, then meek, then abundant in good works: one drop of this wisdom of a Christ, is better than all the wisdom in the world: art thou a poor creature, and knowest Christ to be thy Saviour, and hast an intimation of the love of God to be thy Father, ⟨p. 86⟩and the Spirit thy Comforter? thy knowledge is more worth, than all the knowledge of all the great Cardinals, and mighty Popes, and learned Clerks, upon the face of the earth; a dram of gold is better than a cart-load of earth, it is little, but it is precious; so it is here, a dram of spiritual wisdom, it is golden wisdom, it is heavenly wisdom, it is able to make thee wise unto salvation; a dram of that wisdom, though it be little, is worth a thousand cart-loads of that dung-hill, carnal wisdom, that all the machiavellian Politicians in the world can have or improve; therefore quiet thy self, and content thy soul, that it is sufficient, that what thou wantest, Christ will supply unto thee, dost thou want wisdom? Christ will be thy wisdom; dost thou want memory? Christ will be thy remembrance; hast thou a dead heart? Christ will enlarge thee; whatever is awanting on thy part, there is nothing awanting on Christs part, but he will do whatsoever is fitting for thee; therefore let nothing hinder thee from that comfort that may bear up thy heart in the greatest trial: but I know what troubles you; the poor soul will say, Is Christ wisdom to me? that is a like matter, did I but think that, were my judgement convinced, and my heart persuaded of that, I were satisfied; What I? what such a base creature as I am? let not that baseness that hangs upon thee, nor the means of thy condition that troubles thee, discourage thy heart, for that cannot withdraw Gods favour from thee, nor abridge thee of that favour and ⟨p. 87⟩mercy, that is tendered unto thee in the Lord Jesus Christ, all the baseness of the place wherein thou art, and the means of thy condition cannot hinder thee of this favour; look upon the text, to whom is this promise made? to whom doth the Apostle speak? He is made to us; to us base ones, to us foolish ones; thou art ignorant and foolish, be it so; thou art base and weak, grant that; despised in the world and made nothing of, confess that, and all:

but the wisedome that is from above, it is first pure, then meeke, then abundant in good workes: one drop of this wisdome of a Christ, is better than all the wisdome in the world: art thou a poore creature, and knowest Christ to bee thy Saviour, and hast an intimation of the love of God to be thy Father,