The harmony of the divine attributes in the contrivance and accomplishment of man's redemption…

And as natural, so political Knowledge in order to the governing of Kingdoms and States, hath no power to confer happiness upon man. It concerns not his main interest, 'tis terminated within the compass of this short life, and provides not for Death, and Eternity. The Wisdom of the World is folly in a disguise, a specious Ignorance, which although it may secure the temporal state, yet it leaves us naked and exposed to Spiritual enemies which war against the Soul. And all the moral knowledge which is treasured up in the Books of the Heathens, is insufficient to restore man to his original integrity and felicity. Reason sees that Man is ignorant, and guilty, mortal, and miserable, that he is transported with vain passions, and tormented with accusations of Conscience, but it could not redress these evils. Corrupt Nature is like an imperfect Building that lies in rubbish, the imperfection is visible, but not the way how to finish it, for through ignorance of the first design, every one follows his own fancy, whereas when the Architect ⟨p. 122⟩comes to finish his own project, it appears regular and beautiful. Thus the various directions of Philosophers to recover fallen Man out of his ruins, and to raise him to his first state, were vain. Some glimmerings they had, that the happiness of the reasonable nature consisted in its union with God, but in order to this, they propounded such means as were not only ineffectual, but opposite. Such is the pride and folly of carnal wisdom, that to bring God and Man together, it advances Man, and depresses God. The Stoics ascribed to their Wiseman those prerogatives whereby he equalled their Supreme God.¹ They made him the architect of his own virtue and felicity, and to vie with Jupiter himself, to be one of his Peers. Others reduced the Gods to live like Men, and Men like Beasts, by placing happiness in sensual pleasures. Thus instead of curing, they fomented the hereditary, and principal Diseases of mankind, Pride, and Concupiscence, which at first caused the separation of man from God, and infinitely increased the distance between them. For what sins are more contrary to the Majesty and Purity of God than Pride, which robs him of his Excellency; and carnal lust, which turns a man into a beast.

And as natural, so political Knowledge in order to the governing of Kingdoms and States, hath no power to confer happiness upon man. It concerns not his main interest, 'tis terminated within the compass of this short life, and provides not for Death, and Eternity. The Wisdom of the World is folly in a disguise, a specious Ignorance, which although it may secure the temporal state, yet it leaves us naked and exposed to Spiritual enemies which war against the Soul. And all the moral knowledg which is treasur'd up in the Books of the Heathens, is insufficient to restore man to his original integrity and felicity. Reason sees that Man is ignorant, and guilty, mortal, and miserable, that he is transported with vain passions, and tormented with accusations of Conscience, but it could not redress these evils. Corrupt Nature is like an imperfect Building that lies in rubbish, the imperfection is visible, but not the way how to finish it, for through ignorance of the first design, every one follows his own fancy, whereas when the Architect