Have an eye to the future tense, that which is not, shall 1be. As for example, Solomon was wise, but he is foolish; Sampson was strong, but he is weak; Judas was a Preacher, but he is a traitor; Paul was a persecutor, but he is a Preacher; Peter was a denier of Christ, but now he is a bold professor of Christ; Moses was learned in the wisdom of the Egyptians, but now he is learned in the wisdom of God, by which the wisdom of the Egyptians is made but mere foolishness in the sight of God. Others, as heathen philosophers, Plato, Aristotle, Cato, Crates, and such like, were counted very wise men in the sight of the world, yea they wrote so many books full of wisdom, and also adorned with notable sentences and witty sayings, that one would think all wisdom were buried with them, so famous were they, and so full of earthly understanding, teaching manners, counsels and policies: yet for my part I have neither seen nor heard of any such, being wise in worldly things, and without the wisdom of God, but that they have committed some notorious foolishness in the sight of all men, like Ahithophel, of whom we read, that he was so wise a counsellor, that his counsel was like as one had asked 2counsel at the Oracle of God; and yet see the end of him, he hanged himself, and all for the want of the knowledge of God. It had bin better therefore for him to have had more wisdom and less wit. Crates, Aristotle, Plato, and others of the wise Philosophers, have either poisoned, burned, or drowned themselves: and so we see that the end of the worldly wisdom is mere 3foolishness, and the foolish have more peace then the wise: for their wisdom without the fear of God, doth them no more good then the Ark did to the Philistines, which did nothing but torment them, because ⟨image 42⟩4they knew not how to use it, and therefore unreverently abused it. For if your wisdom consist in eloquence of words, in profundity of wit, to gain craftily, and spend warily, to invent laws, to expound riddles, and interpret dreams, to tell fortunes, and prophesy of matters by learning: all your wisdom is but vexation of the spirit; for all these without the fear of God, do us no more good then their wit did these Philosophers, which notwithstanding sate in darkness.
Haue an eye to the future tense, that which is not, shall 1be. As for example, Salomon was wise, but he is foolish; Sampson was strong, but hee is weake; Iudas was a Preacher, but he is a traitour; Paul was a persecutor, but he is a Preacher; Peter was a denier of Christ, but now he is a bold professour of Christ; Moises was learned in the wisedome of the Egyptians, but now he is learned in the wisedome of God, by which the wisedome of the Egyptians is made but meere foolishnesse in the sight of God. Others, as heathen philosophers, Plato, Aristotle, Cato, Crates, and such like, were counted very wise men in the sight of the world, yea they wrote so many books full of wisedome, and also adorned with notable sentences and witty sayings, that one would thinke all wisdom were buried with them, so famous were they, and so full of earthly vnderstanding, teaching maners, counsels and policies: yet for my part I haue neither seene nor heard of any such, being wise in worldly things, and without the wisedome of God, but that they haue committed some notorious foolishnesse in the sight of all men, like Achitophel, of whom we read, that he was so wise a counseller, that his counsell was like as one had asked 2counsell at the Oracle of God; and yet see the end of him, he hanged himselfe, and all for the want of the knowledge of God. It had bin better therefore for him to haue had more wisedome and lesse wit. Crates, Aristotle, Plato, and others of the wise Philosophers, haue either poisoned, burned, or drowned themselues: and so wee see that the end of the worldlie wisedom is meere 3foolishnesse, and the foolish haue more peace then the wise: for their wisedome without the feare of God, doth them no more good then the Arke did to the Philistines, which did nothing but torment them, because ⟨image 42⟩4they knew not how to vse it, and therefore vnreuerently abused it. For if your wisedome consist in eloquence of words, in profunditie of wit, to gaine craftilie, and spend warily, to inuent lawes, to expound riddles, and interpret dreames, to tell fortunes, and prophecie of matters by learning: all your wisedome is but vexation of the spirit; for all these without the feare of God, doe vs no more good then their witte did these Philosophers, which notwithstanding sate in darknes.
- 11. Kin. 3. 12. 11 Jud. 13. & 15. &. 16. Luke 6. Acts 1. Acts 9. Math. 16. Acts 4. Acts 7. Acts. 7.1. Kin. 3. 12. 11 Iud. 13. & 15. &. 16. Luke 6. Acts 1. Acts 9. Math. 16. Acts 4. Acts 7. Acts. 7.
- 22. Sam. 16. 23 2. Sam. 17. 23.
- 31. Cor. 1. 20.
- 42. Sam. 5.