Heaven upon earth in the serene tranquillity and calm composure, in the sweet peace…

The 2d. False ground is implied in these words, not with fleshly wisdom; wherein ye may take notice, 1. that there is a fleshly wisdom, providence, or policy, whereby many men square their actions and ways so, as the mean they pitch on may re•ch their end; and they may carry the matter so smoothly and handsomely, as not openly to offend, though they make but little Conscience, in the choice of means: but its not from a principle of Conscience, it is but worldly wisdom, which will come to nought. 2ly. Ye may notice here, that though this may keep a man sometimes from outward trouble, and in a sort of quietness of mind, and may yield him some ground of expectation to gain his point; yet it will not give him solid peace, nor be the ground of a good Testimony from his Conscience: indeed, where a tender well informed Conscience rules, and bears sway, natural wisdom is a serviceable and useful hand- maid; but when a man designs a good end to be compassed by fleshly wisdom, without consulting Conscience in it; though he should succeed, it will never give him peace. Therefore when Paul comes to Corinth to preach the Gospel, he declares that he will not preach nor disput to make a show of his learning, or scholarcraft, nor to draw peoples respect and applause to himself, as the false teachers did; but with holy simplicity, ⟨p. 268⟩he plainly instructs them in the knowledge of the truth, and reproves impartially their faults, and so commits the success to God: Thus a Minister may sinfully follow this rule or guide of fleshly wisdom, to come by a good end, to wit, the keeping of people from casting at his Ministry; these false teachers that were in Corinth, who did not (it may be) preach gross errors, and might possibly think they had some good end, yet in their preaching, through much fleshly wisdom, they •ought themselves, and made it their great work to gain the peoples respect and applause, by conniving at their •aults, rather than to profit them, and to gain their Souls: woe, woe to such Ministers, who wink at the sins of their hearers, that they may infinua• themselves on them, and court their favours: but closely to our point, we say, that though men should have never so good an end, fleshly wisdom, and carnal policy will never minister ground of a good Testimony from their Conscience unto them.