confcience, using them as means to self-ends: yet the fubjects of these, glory therein and applaud themfelves against the rule of conscience, bear up against all account of good and evil; and those things that are according either to the nature or mind of God. Now this is wholly a corrupt and a depraved thing, and depends upon the abuse of our difcerning and governing faculties. Now this is every where decried in fcripture, and is called the wifdom of the world, the wisdom of the flesh, the wifdom of the ferpent. Wit divided from right, it denotes a principle in the utmost abuse of itself: now to glory in this, were to glory in that which is a man's fhame. This is that which we call carnal policy, a pretence to wit and fkill, an ability that is feparated from honefty, that doth over-rule reafon and confcience, hath no true regard to God, but pursues its own ends, interests, humours, lufts and pleasures, and subordinates God, reason, religion and conscience to it this we condemn, this we wholly reprobate, as that which doth practife upon God, and makes God himfelf a medium to a man's felf, to his lufts, to his ends; for this spirit takes no cognifance either of the rules of reafon or the law of God or the nature of God, or the difference of things: but if it do at all own them, it is but in pretence, to deceive more effectually, and to compass its own ends.

II. Worldly wisdom, the wisdom of this life; by this we mean fkill, knowledge and dexterity in the mystery of arts and sciences; either mental or intellectual, or manual and mechanical; the fkill of tongues and languages, and prudence in the administration

adminiftration of the affairs of this life. Now all these are truths and realities; for they are the gifts of God. And these men are well accomplished, and are all profitable inftruments in the common-wealth, and fit to do fervice. God doth own these perfecti ons in men, for God gives them, Isa. xxviii. 26. God doth inftruct the hufbandman, teaches him to plow and to difcern the feasons, to fit his foil with his grain; and Solomon faith, the prudent man forefees the evil, and fo provides against it; and Pfal. cxii. 5. The good man doth guide his affairs with difcretion. Now though these be not things that have immediate reference to the state of eternity, yet they are a high accomplishment, and do render men commendable and ufeful, and fit for the fervice of the common-wealth. It is true, they are fhort, and infufficient to raise a man to his ultimate end; for they are difproportionate to that; but yet they are requifite and accommodate to this ftate, and they are fit for a man; they are requifite accomplishments for us, as we are the present inhabitants of the earth. The skill of feveral myfteries and employments, feveral arts and fciences, feveral tongues and languages, prudence in managing of affairs, and in forming and difpofing of things. Thefe perfons thus endowed, thus furnished and accomplished, are God's inftruments for good service in the present state. Therefore parents and governors, fuch as are trufted, do admirable fervice, when they take care to educate those that are fubject to their government, when they breed them up in fome of these ways of wisdom, fo that their faculties may be improved and they employed

ployed for the good of the community; some one way and fome another. This is an account and juftification of schools of learning, places of ingenious education; for they do naturam promovere, for the promoting of that good beginning, when God laid the foundation of reafon in human nature. These do fow God's feed in God's foil; and they draw forth the feveral virtues that God hath implanted, in fubordination to the divine difpenfation, and God's government of the world; that the community may be furnished from a joint fervice of the feveral parts. Now there is fo great reason for this, that every one fhould fet himself to be serviceable, to be useful for fome purposes, for some business and employment of life; that the apoftle fays, if a man will not labour, let him not eat; else a man is an unprofitable burden upon the earth; he is like Solomon's field, fown with thistles: men whose parts are not improved, are not fitted for any employment; they are good for no pur pofe of human life, they are fools, wanting in this wifdom. Now while this dexterity and fkill is cried down in confufion and without diftinction from carnality and worldliness in a corrupt sense; of which I spoke before: differvice is done, and persons are difcouraged in their commendable employments; for this being a true end, and a real and commendable perfection, and the gift of God, and a true improvement of our faculties, it is not to be spoken prejudicially or undervaluingly of; for we fhould not, to advance a thing of a higher nature, caft difparagement upon a lower: but fay, rather these things ought to be taken care of, and things of higher na

ture

ture by no means neglected. A particular calling and employment doth well confist with the general calling of a chriftian. Are not all these things the very workmanship of God? But this is all that can be faid in this case. These perfections, tho' they recommend, and are valuable, and qualify us for good fervice, though they tend to the usefulness and fecurity of life, yet they are not matter of our glorying or of our boafting, for a man to pride himself in them, to applaud himself because of them; because they do not extend to accomplish a man, or put him in poffeffion of his ultimate happiness; for he may acquire things of a higher order, and he may be brought to higher accomplishments and perfections than these things can advance him to. But this I fay, they do really recommend and qualify a man for good fervice, and they tend to the fecurity of a man's life, and are of great ufe in the world; for if we do not fully employ ourfelves, we shall less live, and we fhall be exposed to temptations, to temptation of being arrogant, proud and conceited; as if we were too good for any labour or particular employment; or else of finking down into a mal-content frowardness: for this you may be affured of; mens faculties will not lie idle, a man's wits and parts will turn upon himfelf, if they be not drawn out into exercife; if a man do not employ and exercise himself in some commendable and lawful employment. Ufeful bufinefs is neceffary for our own prefervation and fecurity, as well as it is due upon a publick account and for the fervice of the universe. But though these be true accomplishments

I.

plishments and real perfections, and the gifts of God, and recommend a man, yet they are not things that a man can acquiefce in; he cannot think himself accomplished by them, he cannot pride or applaud himself in them, and that for these three reafons. Because all thefe accomplishments are inadequate and not proportionable to our capacities. For intellectual nature is capable of being more highly raised and of nobler endowments, of higher perfections. Intellectual nature hath a fecret defire and thirst after God; and therefore it cannot be accomplished, neither can it be fatisfied, unless it find out and pitch upon that object which is most proper and peculiar. If any man will grant me that one principle, which is certain and we know it by experience, I fhall fufficiently fecure religion by it; for intellectus quærit Deum, it is the nature of our mind and understanding to feek after God: therefore though a man be ne、 ver fo well accomplished, if he be devoid of fenfe and apprehenfion of God, he must be unfurnished ; for he is unfatisfied, he hath not enough to fatisfy the connatural defires of his immortal foul. 2. All these accomplishments, they are but momentary and temporary, they are but for use while we are here. Prudence in mens affairs, dexterities in feveral myfteries of trades, and profeffions, of languages and tongues, all manual arts, they are but of use for this state. 3. Man being intentionally born to eternity, though he run through time firft; he needs higher and greater accomplishments than the accomplishments of this nature are of: for though he be born in time, it is but as a paffage, and he was intentionally born to eterni

ty,