Selected quad for the lemma: nature_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
nature_n	humane_a	person_n	trinity_n	4,500	5	10.5435	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A86580	Wisdome's judgment of folly. Delivered in a sermon at the spital, in the solemn assembly of the city, on Munday in Easter-week, April XI. A.D. MDCLIII. By Thomas Horton D.D.	Horton, Thomas, d. 1673.	1653 (1653)	Wing H2884; Thomason E691_4; ESTC R206965	45,879	67

at first and came up in their absolute perfection which yet now afterwards do not reach thereunto but by leisure and time and degrees and the use of the means tending to such a purpose sowing and planting and watering and manuring and the like Even so was it also in the first framing of the Church The Apostles they were qualified immediately by the extraordinary Endowments of the Holy Ghost inspiring of them Succeeding Ministers they are qualified partly by such Natural abilities as do much incline them to such an imployment which are still the Gift of God and partly by study and industry polishing and further improving these abilities in them with the Blessing of God upon them and his Spirit in a special manner assisting them in the work it self as to the particular occasions of performance which are administred to them Again secondly The Apostles they were also qualified observe that Though God found them under such inabilities yet he did not so leave them but supplied those defects in them And though they were not men of parts when he first chose them yet they were men of Gifts when he used them and such Gifts as were proper to that work which he imposed upon them He gave Gifts to men yea he gave them another Call too for the exercise of those gifts which he had given them Therefore we may not carry this point beyond its line which is indeed to pervert and abuse it and our selves in it But only thus far which is the Truth that God oftentimes makes choice of men of meaner and lower parts whom he qualifies and fits for his Ministry and imployes in it whiles he layes many others aside of greater Natural and Secular perfections whom he will not make use of and so indeed he does Thus we see how the Point holds good as to Grace and the Gospel as the Means Take it further in the next place 2. In reference to the End as to Glory and Salvation for the End God does not accept of this worldly Wisdome neither in this particular He will not bring men to Heaven according as they have such and such Parts and Natural Qualifications but rather as they have such and such Holy and Heavenly Dispositions He will not save them as having so much Wit but as so much Grace Wit is no further an help to Salvation then so far forth as it improves Grace and Grace it which sometimes it doth That man which hath his Wisdom sanctified wil be able to do a great deal more good then either one that hath so much Wisdom without Sanctification or else that is so far sanctified without such a measure of Wisdom in him These things do well in their Conjunction and Connexion together which being severed do not so well And so you have the first Explication in regard whereof the Wisdome of the World is Foolishness with God as to Religion and the things of God namely from an Insufficiency Passive considerable in it In ratione Objecti as not moving God to accept of it either to Grace or else to Glory The second is an Insufficiency active II. Activè in ratione Potentiae in ratione Potentiae The wisdome of the world in its best and highest perfections is not able to comprehend the Truths of Christ Meer Natural reason in the exactest sublimation of it Naturall Reason unable to reach the things of God two manner of wayes cannot reach the Doctrine of Religion and this again it cannot do according to a double sense and explication of it First Not in Propositione Secondly Not in Mysterio First I say not alwaies in the Proposition There are some Doctrines in Religion 1. In propositione Ephes 3.9 which the Highest reason of man does not know what to make of them neither can understand them as barely propounded I do not onely say that it could never find them out before they were discovered for that to be sure it could not as being meerly dependent upon the Wall and Counsel of God and so said to be hid in him but that they cannot conceive of them neither fully even now that they are revealed Such as these are the Trinity of Persons in the Unity of Essence The eternal Generation of the Son The Procession of the Holy Ghost The Hypostatical Union of the Divine and Humane Nature together These Doctrines they are such kind of Points as do exceed and go beyond the Apprehension of the highest Humane reason so that the wisdome of the world cannot reach them or attain unto them not so much as in Propositione But then secondly to be sure not in Mysterio 2. In Mysterio Here it cannot reach them indeed Meer Natural reason it cannot discern the Excellency and Beauty and Sweeness of Religion It cannot savour it and relish it and taste it in the spirituality of it this it cannot do we have it plainly in the fore going Chapter 1 Cor. 2.14 The Natural man receives not the things of the Spirit of God for they are foolishnesse to him neither can he know them because they are Spiritually discerned The Natural man 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Jude ver 19. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That man which hath onely a Rational soul in him and no further qualified who is not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is spiritual 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He does not receive them neither into his mind and judgement to understand them nor into his will and affections to imbrace them and close and comply with them he does neither way receive them This is that which must come from above from the Father of lights as every good and perfect Gift besides as our Saviour told Peter Flesh and Blood hath not revealed these things unto thee but my Father which is in Heaven Matth. 16.17 This wisdom of God in a Mysterie it is such as the wisest worldlings cannot attain to Therefore the Apostle speaking of it hath this passage concerning it Which none of the Princes of this world knew 1 Cor. 2.7 8. c. The Princes of the world Whom does he mean by them Not onely Princes for State but Princes for knowledge Not onely Kings and Emperors but Philosophers and Learned men which did dominari in Scholis These are the Principes seculi here spoken of who notwithstanding all their Learning and Humane wisdome and strength of reason which was in them yet did not rise to the knowledge of Christ and the Mysterie of God manifested in the flesh 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 An use of Confutation to speak in the Language of St. Chrysostome Where now then are those who affirm as much as this comes to and would obtrude such things as these upon us which with the Greeks seek after wisdom 1 Corinthians Chap. 1.22 Which cry all for Reason and Argument and Demonstration 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Clemens Alexandrinus calls them Strom. lib. 9. and