A discourse about the state of true happiness delivered in certain sermons in Oxford,…A discourse about the state of true happinesse deliuered in certaine sermons in Oxford,…

he may be as politic as Ahitophel: Whose counsel, which he counselled in those days, was like as one •ad asked counsel at the Oracle of ⟨p. 20⟩God: and yet without supernatural illumination, and the divine graces, of faith, love, zeal, sincerity, spiritual wisdom, a sanctified contention of spirit, in making towards God in all kind of duties, which only put a man into possession of true happiness, and sit him for a blessed association with God, Angels, and holy men; I say without these supernatural graces he cannot only, not perceive the things of the spirit of God, but (which is a horrible and fearful curse) even esteem them foolishness.

he may be as politike as Ahitophel: Whose counsell, which he counselled in those daies, was like as one •ad asked counsell at the Oracle of ⟨p. 20⟩God: and yet without supernaturall illumination, and the diuine graces, of faith, loue, zeale, sinceritie, spirituall wisedome, a sanctified contention of spirit, in making towards God in all kind of duties, which onely put a man into possession of true happinesse, and sit him for a blessed association with God, Angels, and holy men; I say without these supernaturall graces he cannot onely, not perceiue the things of the spirit of God, but (which is a horrible and feareful curse) euen esteeme them foolishnes.

The third reason shall be taken from the example of Nicodemus, John 3. Nicodemus, I am persuaded, was an honest and an ingenuous man; I am sure he was a great man, and a teacher of Israel; yet when he comes out of his civill honesty and natural wisdom to reason and confer with Christ about the salvation of his soul and eternal happiness; he is strangely childish and a mere infant. For when Christ tells him; Except a man be borne again, he cannot see the kingdom of God; he replies: How can a man be borne which is old? can he enter into his mothers womb again and be borne? A reply, which may breed an astonishment in all that shall ever read this story understandingly unto the worlds end; nay, it seems to seem strange to Christ himself, by his interrogative admiration afterward; Art thou a teacher of Israel, and knowest not these things? And no marvel; for who would think, that one of the best of the Pharisees, a ruler of the Jews, a profest Doctor in the Law and the Prophets, and one careful to save his soul, should be so grossly and palpably ignorant, in a most material and necessary point of salvation; especially, having many times, no doubt, read it in Moses and the Prophets? Amongst many places, he might see,