ADOTFW Section Six

Title Page—Sec. 1—Sec. 2—Sec. 3—Sec. 4—Sec. 5—Sec. 6

{Page 27} VI.

The cursed condition of concieted ones, who are wise in their own eyes.

Wo unto you that are wise in your own eyes, and prudent in your own sight, you that think to understand the spirituall things of God by your carnall wisdom1; and because God will not reveal his secrets to your serpentine wisdom, therefore you speak evil of it where it is revealed, though you know it not; your wisdom is of the earth, and feedeth upon dust, and dust is the serpent’s meat2: By your wisdom you can overreach your brethren, oppress the poor to get riches, to make your selves great in the earth, and thereby Lord it over your brethren; by it you can go to the Law and beggar your poor brethren for trifles, to fulfill your own wills, by it you can deceive the simple and harmlesse man, and make him your laughing-stock when you have done; by it you can contrive mischief on your bed, and when the morning is come you put it in practice against those whom you envy.

And do you think that ever God will reveal himself to this wisdom; any other wayes than in wrath from heaven against all ungodlinesse and unrighteousnesse of this wisdom3? nay, the secrets of the Lord are with them that fear him, but there is no fear of the Lord where this wisdom ruleth, but you are puft up in your vain mind, and think you know much, when as you know nothing yet as you ought to know? For (saith the Apostle) Who is a wise man amongst you and endued with knowledge, let him show out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom4. Your works that proceed out, shew plainly what kind of wisdom is within, that wisdom that brings forth pride, scorning, lightnesse and wantonnesse, swearing, lying, covetousnesse, self-love, envy, hatred, deceit, backbiting, slandering and evil-speaking, lust and excess, strife and contention5, persecution, or any other unclean and filthy {Page 28} practice, doing to others that which you would not have them do to you; that wisdom is of the Devil and not of God. Now this is the wisdom the world drives after, and so highly extols, and by which you think to attain to the pure and invisible things of God. And thus the wisdome of the Serpent, which riseth out of the earth, and feedeth on earth, would be climbing up to the hidden things of God, and so would be heirs of two Kingdoms. But saith the Apostle, If you have bitter envyings and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth6.

This wisdom descends not from above, but is earthly, sensual and devilish. For where envy and strife is there is confusion and every evil work: but that wisdom which is from above, is first pure, then peaceable, gentle and easie to be entreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, without hypocrisie7. Now you who think you are the men for wisdom, try your wisdom by these marks set down by the Apostle, whether it be given you from above, or it be of the Serpent, arising out of the earthly part within you. Is it such a wisdom as shews forth of a good conversation, the works of meeknesse? Is it pure? Is it peaceable? Is it gentle and easie to be entreated? Is it full of mercy and good fruits? Without partiality and without hypocrisie? If it bring forth these fruits, it is from above, and God will own it, and reveal his secrets to it, even the hidden things of God. But on the contrary, if it be that wisdom that brings forth bitter envyings and strife, and every evil work, vain-glorying, and lying against the truth, the Apostle saith plainly, It is not of God, but is earthly, sensual and devilish8; and this wisdom must never enter into the Kingdom, but is of the Serpent, cursed above all creatures, more subtile than all the beasts of the field, eating the forbidden fruit, the judging of good and evil by carnal knowledge, creeping into the earth, and earthly things, all for the belly, feeding on dust, and delighting in things that perish and fade away, painted on the outside, decking thee with pride, curiously invented (serpent-like) by this wisdom, and feeding thy lusts with curious devised dishes, Dives-like, devising and plotting to get riches right or wrong, so that you can but {Page 29} keep within the compasse of the Laws of the nation, never regarding to be guided by that pure Law of God within, written in the heart, which would lead you in all things to do as you would be done by9.

But the wisdom of men is not subject to the law of God, neither can be, for it is death to it, and you deceive your selves, who do think to find out the mystery of the things of God by this wisdom, for God hath hid it from your eyes10, and the world by wisdom knows not God, for God hath turned their wisdom into foolishnesse: and, saith Christ, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of Heaven and earth, that thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent and revealed them to Babes11. God hath hid them in Christ, and none come to Christ but Babes, such as are of the new birth, not flesh and blood, but of water and the spirit12; such onely enter into the mystery of the Kingdom, by the Door in all the strait way, through the Crosse, where your Serpents wisdom would not willingly come; for if it do it, must be slain, and you must become fools for Christs sake, that you may be wise, you must enter as a little child, or else you cannot come there; for it is revealed to Babes onely13; your wisdom that you so much boast on, must be crucified and die, and a new wisdom must be given you from above, which begins with the fear of the Lord; for the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and to practice it is understanding: and when you once come to own this true wisdom which is of God, then you shall see the world, who did so highly applaud you for your wisdom, before, will now call you fools and madmen, for that wisdom which they do applaud shall be cast behind thee, and then thou shalt witnes the Scripture fulfilled, when God hath destroyed the wisdom of the wise, and brought to nought the understanding of the prudent, where is the wise, where is the disputer of this world? for the world by this wisdom knows not God, nor ever shall do; for God hath chosen the foolish things of this world to confound the wise, and weak things to confound the mighty14, and then thou shalt see that wisdom, not to be of this world, neither of the Princes of this world, which come to nought, but the wisdom of God which is a hidden mysterie, which {Page 30} none of the Princes of this world knew, for if they knew it, they would not persecute it, where it is15, but the knowledge of this mystery is the free gift of God, given onely to them who fear and love him, given without all naturall helps whatsoever, for the naturall man receives not the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishnesse to him; neither can he know them, for they are spiritually discerned, but the spirituall man judgeth all things, and he himself is judged of no man16, for he that is in the Spirit lives above all the earth and earthly wisdom, and sees all the world, where they live, but no carnal wisdom shall ever see where he lives, for his life is hid with God in Christ17 from all vultures eyes, and venomous beasts.

Finis.

  1. Isa. 5.21. John 14.17. ↩

  2. Jude 10.↩

  3. Mica. 2.1,2,3. ↩

  4. Rom. 1.18. Jam. 3.13. ↩

  5. Job 14.4. ↩

  6. Jam. 3. 14,15,16.↩

  7. Jam. 3.17. ↩

  8. Jam. 3.15. ↩

  9. Heb. 10.16. Rom. 8.7.↩

  10. 1 Cor. 1.20,21. ↩

  11. Mat. 11.25. Joh. 3.5,6. ↩

  12. Like 18.17. ↩

  13. Job 8.28. ↩

  14. 1 Cor. 1.19,20,21. ↩

  15. 1 Cor. 1.25,27. 1 Cor. 2.6,7,8. ↩

  16. 1 Cor. 2.14,15. ↩

  17. Colos. 3.3.↩

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