Thus prudent and skilful are Men in secular and lower matters, and yet how ignorant and unskilful in the great and everlasting affairs of their Souls! All their Invention, Judgment, Wit, and Memory seem to be pressed for the service of the flesh. They can learn an Art quickly, and arrive to a great deal of exactness in it; but in soul-matters, no knowledge at all. They can understand the Equator, Meridian, and Horizon: By the first they can tell the Latitude of any place, South or North, measuring it by the ⟨p. 32⟩degrees in the Meridian; by the second, they can tell you the Longitude of a place, East and West, from the Meridian, measuring it by the degrees of the Equator: And by the third, they can discern the divers risings and settings of the Stars. And so in other Arts and Sciences, we find men endowed with rare abilities, and singular sagacity. Some have piercing Apprehensions, solid Judgments, stupendous Memories, rare Invention, and excellent elocution: But put them upon any spiritual pernatural matter, and the weakest Christian, even a babe in Christ, shall excel them therein, and give a far better account of Regeneration, the Work of Grace, the Life of Faith than these can. 1 Cor. 1. 26. Not many wise men after the flesh, &c. But God hath chosen the •oolish things of this world, &c.
Thus prudent and skilful are Men in secular and lower matters, and yet how ignorant and unskilful in the great and everlasting affairs of their Souls! All their Invention, Judgment, Wit, and Memory seem to be prest for the service of the flesh. They can learn an Art quickly, and arrive to a great deal of exactness in it; but in soul-matters, no knowledge at all. They can understand the Aequator, Meridian, and Horizon: By the first they can tell the Latitude of any place, South or North, measuring it by the ⟨p. 32⟩degrees in the Meridian; by the second, they can tell you the Longitude of a place, East and West, from the Meridian, measuring it by the degrees of the Aequator: And by the third, they can discern the divers risings and settings of the Stars. And so in other Arts and Sciences, we find men endowed with rare abilities, and singular sagacity. Some have piercing Apprehensions, solid Judgments, stupendious Memories, rare Invention, and excellent elocution: But put them upon any spiritual pernatural matter, and the weakest Christian, even a babe in Christ, shall excel them therein, and give a far better account of Regeneration, the Work of Grace, the Life of Faith than these can. 1 Cor. 1. 26. Not many wise men after the flesh, &c. But God hath chosen the •oolish things of this world, &c.
