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Learning, is the product of the foul's ftruggling with the curfe for fin. Adam at his firft creation, was compleatly furnished with all that knowlege (excepting only things not then in being, neither in themselves, nor any natural caufes, as that which we now call tongues, and thofe things that are the fubject of story) as far as it lyes in a needful tendency to the utmost end of man, which we now prefs after. There was no ftreitnefs, much lefs darkness upon his understanding, that should make him fweat for a way to improve, and make out thofe general conceptions of things which he had. For his knowlege of nature, it is manifest from his impofition of fuitable names to all the creatures (the particular reasons of the most of which to us are loft) wherein from the approbation given of his nomination of things in the fcripture, and the fignificancy of what yet remains evident, it is most apparent, it was done upon a clear acquaintance with their natures. Hence Plato could observe, that he was most wife that first imposed names on things, yea had more than human wisdom. Were the wifeft man living, yea a general collection of all the wife men in the world, to make an experiment of their skill and learning, in giving names to all living creatures fuiteble to their natures, and expreffive of their qualities, they would quickly perceive the lofs they have incurred. Adam was made perfect, for the whole end of rul ing the creatures, and living to God for which he was made; which, without the knowlege of the nature of the one, and the will of the other, he could not be. All this being loft by fin, a multiplication of tongues alfo being brought in as a curfe for an after rebellion, the whole desion of learning is but to difintangle the foul from this iffue of fin,

ignorance, darknefs and blindness is come upon the understanding; acquaintance with the works of God, fpiritual and natural, are loft; strangeness of communication is given by multiplication of tongues. Tumultuating of paffions and affections, with innumerable darkening prejudices, are also come upon us. To remove and take this away, to difintangle the mind in its reafonings, to recover an acquaintance with the works of God, to fub fuct the foul from under the effects of the curfe of divifion of tongues, is the aim and tendency of literature. This is the aliquid quo tendit. And he that hath any other aim in it; paffim fequitur corvum tertaque lutoque. Now, not to infift upon that vanity and vexation of fpirit, with the innumerable evils wherewith this enterprize is attended, this is that I only fay, it is in itself, no way fufficient for the attainment of its end, which writes vanity upon its forehead with characters not to be obliterated. To this purpofe, I defire to obferve these two things.

1. That the knowlege aimed at to be recovered, was given unto man in order to his walking with God, unto that fupernatural end whereunto he was appointed. For after he was furnished with all his endowments, the law of life and death was given to him, that he might know wherefore he received them. Therefore foreknowlege in him was spiritualized, and fanctified, even that knowlege which he had by nature, in refpect of its principle, and end, was fpiritual.

2. That the lofs of it, is part of that curfe which was inflicted on us for fin. Whatever we come short in of the state of the first man in innocency, whether in lofs of good, or addition of evil, it is

all

all of the curfe for fin. Befides, that blindness, ignorance, darkness, deadnets, which is every where afcribed to us in the ftate of nature, doth fully comprize alfo that whereof we speak.

On these two confiderations it is most apparent, that learning can no way of itself attain the end it aimeth at. For,

1. That light which by it is difcovered, (which the Lord knows is very little, weak, obfcure, imperfect, uncertain, conjectural, for à great part only enabling men to quarrel with, and oppose one another, to the reproach of reafon, yet I fay, that which is attained by it,) is not in the least measure by it fpiritualized, or brought into that order of living to God, and with God, wherein at first it lay. This is wholly beyond its reach. As to this end, the apostle affures us, that the utmoft iffue that men come to, is darknefs and folly, Rom. i. 21, 22. Who knows not the profound enquiries, the fubtile difputations, the acute reafonings, the admirable difcoveries of Socrates, Plato and Ariftotle, and others? What, as to the purpose in hand, did they attain by all their ftudies and endeavours? Says the apoftle, They became fools. He that by general confent bears the crown, of reputation for wifdom from them all with whom to have lived was counted an ineftimable happiness, died like a fool, facrificing a cock to Efculapius. And ancther, that Jefus Chrift alone is the true light that highteth us, John i. 9. And there is not any that hath any true light, but what is immediately from him. After all the learning of men, if they have nothing elfe, they are ftill natural men, and perceive not the things of God. Their light is ftill but darkness, and how great is that darkness? It is

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the Lord Jefus alone who is anointed to open the eyes of the blind. Men cannot fpiritualize a noti on, nor lay it in any order, to the glorifying of God. After all their endeavours, they are still blind and dark, yea darknefs itself, knowing nothing as they should. I know how the men of these attainments are apt to fay, Are we blind alfo? with great contempt of others; but God hath blafted all their pride; Where, faith he, is the wife? where the fcribe? &c. 1 Cor. i. 20. 1 fhall not add what Paul hath further cautioned us to the feeming condemning of philofophy, as being fitted to make fpoil of fouls; nor what Tertullian with fome other of the ancients have spoken of it; being very confident, that it was the abufe and not the true ufe and advantage of it, that they opposed. But,

2. The darknefs and ignorance that it strives to remove, being come upon us as a curfe, it is not in the least measure, as it is a curfe, able to remove it or take it away. He that hath attained to the greatest height of literature, yet if he hath nothing elfe, if he have not Chrift, is as much under the curfe of blindnefs, ignorance, ftupidity, dulnefs, as the pooreft, fillieft foul in the world. The curfe is only removed in him who was made a curfe for us. Every thing that is penal is taken away only by him, on whom all our fins did meet in a way of punishment, yea upon this account. The more abilities the mind is furnished withal, the more it clofes with the curfe, and ftrengthens itself to act its enmity against God. All that it receives doth but help it to fet up high thoughts and imaginations against the Lord Chrift. So that this

know

Knowlege comes fhort of what in particular it is defigned unto, and therefore cannot be that folid wif dom we are enquiring after.

There be fundry other things whereby it were easy to blur the countenance of this wisdom, and from its intricacy, difficulty, uncertainty, unfatisfactoriness, betraying its followers into that which they most profess to avoid, blindness and folly, to write upon it vanity and vexation of spirit. I hope I fhall not need to add any thing to clear myself för not giving a due esteem and respect unto literature, my intendment being only to caft it down at the feet of Jefus Chrift, and to fet the crown upon

his head.

2. Neither can the fecond part of the choiceft wisdom out of Christ attain the peculiar end whereunto it is appointed; and that is prudence in the management of civil affairs, than which no perifhing thing is more glorious, nothing more ufeful for the common good of human kind. Now the immediate end of this prudence is to keep the rational world in bounds and order, to draw circles about the fons of men, and to keep them from paffing their alotted bounds and limits, to the mutual disturbance and deftruction of each other. All manner of trouble and disturbance arifeth from irregularity; one man breaking in upon the rights, ufages, interefts, relations of another, fets this world at variance. The fum and aim of all wifdom below is, to caufe all things to move in their proper fphere, whereby it would be impoffible there fhould be any interfering, than is in the celeftial orbs,, notwithftanding all their divers and various motions; to keep all to their own alotments, within the compass

of

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