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A13851
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Christian wisdome, or The excellency fame and right meanes of true wisdome As it was briefly delivered in a sermon in St Maries Church in Oxford. Novemb: 11. 1638. By H. Tozer B. D. Fellow of Exeter Colledge.
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Tozer, Henry, 1602-1650.
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1639
(1639)
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STC 24159; ESTC S121020
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22,673
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117
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other things in the world to Know the God whom we are to serve and accordingly to serve the God whom we know Here I might enter on that usefull Common-place of Speculative and Practicall wisdome of the Knowledge that we are all to seek for and of the Practise that should answer this Knowledge when we have it and then I might shew in the former of them 1. The Necessity of Knowledge it being That especially which differenceth Man from other Creatures and Wisemen from Fooles 2. The right Object of Knowledge and that is Every thing which may help to bring us to the apprehension of God but especially God himselfe who alone is the unquestionable proper Object of all true Knowledge 3. The true End of Knowledge and that is not to set up our rest in fruitlesse thoughts and aery speculations but to Know that we may Doe and this would bring in the consideration of our Practicall wisdome the summe whereof Salvian giveth us in this short but full expression sapientia Christiani est timor amor Christi the true wisdome of a Christian saith he speaking of that wisdome which is Practicall is to feare and love Christ whose name we beare This again I might point out more distinctly by shewing in St Bernards methode the Beginning Bernard in Fest Andreae Serm. 1. Edit Paris 1632. Colum. 325. the Progresse and the Perfection of this Wisdome 1. That the Beginning of it as Solomon directeth us Prov. 1.7 Prov. 17. is the Feare of the Lord for with That we must begin if ever wee will bee wise and a good understanding have all they that doe thereafter Psal 111.10 Psal 111.10 and as many as lay not true Religion the Feare of the Lord for their Foundation may bee sure they shall prove themselves very Fools in the conclusion 2. That the Progresse or Continuation thereof is in Hope and Expectation to gird up the loynes of our minde and to hope to the end as S. Peter doth put us in remembrance 1. Pet. 1.13 1. Pet. 1.13 and so to run with patience the race that is set before us as S. Paul doth encourage us Heb. 12.1 Heb. 12.1 3 That the Perfection of it is Charity which according to the same Apostle Col. 3.14 Col. 3.14 is the bond of all perfectnesse a true Charity unto Men who beare in them the same Image of God with us and that for the testifying of our true Love unto God himselfe whose Image both They and We doe beare and doubtlesse that Practise which begins with Gods feare and goeth on with Hope and confidence in him reaching full home to a true love of God and Man even That is a perfect Practise and a true Practicall wisdome if there bee any that is true The End and Crowne of which Wisdome is the full fruition at last of the Presence of that God whom here by our wisdome we have seen darkly through a glasse and knowne in part but hereafter as the perfection of our Wisdome wee shall see him face to face 1. Cor. 13.12 and know him as we are knowne 1. Cor. 13.12 Of this Speculative wisdome in the necessity right Object and true End thereof and of this Practicall in the Beginning Progresse Perfection and Crowne of it J might well speake more as of Mans truest wisdome and happinesse but of this subject I have here spoken more at large heretofore upon another Text On 1. Cor. 15.34 and of the necessity of joyning them both viz. Speculation and Practice together I shall have occasion to speake something againe in the 2. Generall where wee are to be put in minde of seeking them both Jn the meane time that we may know of whom to obtaine when we seeke them it will bee requisite that in the next place we take notice whose Gift they are and that is Gods alone which is the next Particular of the Text. viz. Whence Solomon had his great wisdome even from God himselfe For all sought to heare his wisdome not which he had framed of his own Phansie but which God had put in his heart Particular 2 Which God had put in his heart And who is hee that can put true wisdome into the heart of Man but God who alone is truly wise Jf any one of you lacke wisdome saith S. James let him aske it of God James 1.5 Iam. 1.5 Where the Apostle doth clearely intimate not only with what confidence wee may aske and hope for Wisdome when we aske it of Him but also how litle hope there is to obtaine when we aske it of any Other but of Him alone If it bee Speculative Wisdome which consisteth in Knowing the right it is God alone that gives it for 't is He and only He that teacheth man knowledge Ps 94.10 Psal 94.10 and his spirit is therefore called the spirit of Knowledge Isai 11.2 Isai 11.2 Or if it be Practicall Wisdome which is the Doing of what we know even That is the Gift of God alone too 1. The Beginning of it which is the Feare of God is from none but Himselfe I saith the Lord will put my Feare in their hearts Ier. 32.40 Ierem. 32.40 And doubtlesse if He never put it there wee shall there never finde it 2. The Progresse or Continuation of it which is Hope and Trust in God even This also is from Him alone The God of Hope saith the Apostle Fill you with Joy and Peace in beleeving that you may abound in hope Rom. 15.13 Rom. 15.13 And surely if He doe not fill us with Ioy and Peace wee shall be altogether empty and hopelesse 3 Lastly the Perfection of this Wisdome which is the true Love of God and Man even This too is only from the God of love it being the fruit of his spirit Galat. 5.22 Gal. 5.22 And questionlesse did not this Spirit of God incline our hearts to love God for his Own sake and Men for His wee should quickly have litle true Affection either to Man or God but rather indeed whatsoever God and good Men hate that should we love Whither it be then Speculative or Practicall a Knowing or Doing Wisdome it is what God alone that gives it without Whom if once we undertake of our selves to be wise we shall prove in the conclusion as very Fooles as did that Father and Son which Bonaventure out of S. Hierom Bonavent D. Sal. c. 35. speakes of who fondly went about to empt the Sea with a litle spoone which 't is like they might as easily have done as we can of our selves alone sound the Depth of wisdome without God who gives it the One as likely and easie to bee done as is the Other Now if you will know what becomes of Men when here they adventure to leave God and to goe without him then Solomon who found it by experience will tell you Eccles 7.29 Eccl. 7.29 namely that God for his part
hath made man upright but they have found out many Inventions and that is by leaving God who made them upright and here to shew you the manifold Inventions which men by leaving God in their Wisdome doe unhappily finde out and run into were to lead you with my selfe into a Labyrinth of many crooked waies and hardly finde a way to get out againe The Philosophers of Old and the Schoolmen of latter times will abundantly shew us what Jnventions there may be in the speculative part of Wisdomes Both of them I confesse in their kind laborious and excellent too for many Rules Precepts wel deserving the studious inquiry of the soundest Christian but wee know the best unwinnowed Wheat is mixed with Chaffe and Hereof there hath been found so much in Theirs that if the frustrating or at leastwise the hazarding of many good Endeavours be not dissembled there is need of a strong breath to blow it away the groundlesse Dreames and Fictions of the One and the curious perplexing Niceties of the Other having so far molested their Readers diverted their intentive thoughts from the Truth which they look't for that it is now one part of a Wise man indeed to discern aright between the Wheat and the Chaffe the Streame and the Froth the Rules of wisdome which they pretend to give and the fruitlesse Inventions which they have put us upon So that notwithstanding in many things they have done the World very good service as indeed they have yet in This respect wee may say of them as Elibu did once of Job that they haue opened their mouth in vaine Iob 35.16 and multiplied words without knowledge or which is all one they have magnified themselves in a great deale of speculative knowledge to very litle purpose all because trusting to the perfection of their own wit Iudgement they ran without God into many Inventions of their Own and doubtlesse did not we sometimes after Their example gather up Drosse for Gold and fill our thoughts with Aery speculatives of very litle consequence as too often we doe we should many of us be wiser than we are and it would be well wee did remember that in this regard wee are wise but in our Own conceits for then Solomon would impartially tell us Prov. 26.12 Prov. 26. i2 that there is more hope of Fools than of such wise men Should I now shew you the Inventive wisdome of Men without God in that part which is Practicall I might then tell you of the Rich man in the Gospell who considering long with himself what he should doe had found out a way at last by enlarging his Barnes to be merry for Many yeares and that was a dainty plot and a point of good wisdome indeed if it had not fayl'd him but we finde in the Text that he was called Foole for his labour and he got so litle by that Invention that in the very first night which came over his head he lost his Soule Luk. 12.20 Luk. 12.20 Or I might tell you of Achitophel and Iudas two great Polititians in their severall times the One to betray his Soveraigne David the King the Other his Master Christ the Redeemer of Israel and therein 't is likely they supposed themselves the wisest of all their company But this was a new Invention of their own wherein God was not with them and to prove the goodnesse thereof God suffred the Divell to adde one Invention more and that was to finde out a way the One to set his house in Order the Other to restore the price of blood Both to hang themselves whih was at once the Sun and Conclusion of all their wisdome Such commonly is the wisdome of those men who study Themselves and such for the most part are all those Inventions which never came from God That alone being true wisdome which we are taught of Him and whatsoever He teacheth us we need not doubt of the truth thereof and happy are they whom God shall please to teach But now as it is with the Word of God which is the Rule whereby we are taught all true wisdome so is it also with our wisdome which we are taught thereby That namely the Word of God sometimes enters in at the One eare and passeth out at the Other making no stay at all because it never had any good entertainment in the Affections within and This namely our Wisdome is no sooner gotten but as readily sometimes lost againe because it was never There treasured up where it should be kept and where That is to be done is next unto the Getting of it the most considerable point in our wisdome The Text referreth us for this purpose unto the Heart of Man for t is said here that the wisdome which made Solomon so famous was that which God had put in his Heart and There Hee laid it up and kept it Particular 3 Which God had put into his Heart that is which he had fully possest his understanding with and whereunto he had also inclined his Will and Affections to lay hold on and delight in it for That is indeed to have Wisdome in the Heart even throughly to Know and heartily to Imbrace and Love it and doubtlesse if ever we think to keep and use this gift with Content to our selves or benefit to others we must There in the Heart treasure up the wisdome which God doth give unto us Wherefore when Solomon perswadeth his Son that is every obedient Learner to receive instruction hee bids him to give him his Heart too Prov. 23.26 Prov. 23.26 to devote his Affections unto wisdome and to set his best Love upon it which we must doe if ever we will be truly wise or True in Heart for of this Duty there is a double necessitie the One in respect of the wisdome which wee desire to have and the Other in regard of our Heart wherein we are to keep it In respect of our Wisdome this Duty of Applying the Heart is needfull both to the getting of our wisdome and also to the Perfection of it when we have gotten it Needfull it is to the Getting of our wisdome because without Applying the Heart we may daily receive Instructions of wisdome and yet never be truly wise and therefore Solomon commends this for the right way to find out the knowledge of God If thou wilt saith he receive my words and incline thy Eare and apply thy Heart to understand then shalt thou finde out the knowledge of God Prov. 2.2.5 Prov. 2.2.5 The Receiving of words the inclining of the eare are meanes of singular consequence yet to finde out the Knowledge of God which is the summe of all true wisdome they are to very litle purpose of themselves alone without Applying the Heart thereunto but with This we may finde out and bring to passe any thing that wee are capable of as we may see in the example of Solomon who confesseth to our