Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n
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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
all seriously ask thine own soul whither in very deed or no these things are like to stand thee in any stead on thy Death bed when thy Conscience whither thou like it or no shall call thee to an account and thy Soul whither thou wilt or not must be resigned up to the Disposall of God who gave it If thou canst be sure that these things or any such like will Then sticke close unto thee not to Burthen but to Ease and Comfort thee then rejoyce in thy youth or feed on gold or supplant or doe whatsoever thy heart delighteth in goe which way thou wilt thou art in a right way of wisdome for commonly all is well that ends well But if thou suspect that these things will then fayle thee insteed of Comfort be a Trouble to thee as it is much to be feared they will doe so then be perswaded to feare too that there is some unprofitable Folly in them for doubtlesse whatsoever will not hold out to help bring us Home to our God in Heaven the prosequution thereof can never be true wisdome in our Iourney while wee are on Earth We see then what that is wherein true wisdome consisteth not even all the VVaies and Projects of the world which will not help us out in Exitu when wee are to leave This World and goe to Another for that is the Touch-stone wherewith to try them all whither they be pure Gold or Drosse It would now bee worth our enquiry to finde out what that is wherein true wisdome doth consist indeed for nullo modo magis prodesse possum saith Seneca in his former Epistle there cannot be a more beneficiall imployment then to shew what is true wisdome whereby we are differenced from all other visible Creatures and come neere to the Creator who is Wisdome it selfe and for this purpose if thou wilt saith hee leaving all those things wherein other creatures doe excell thee if thou wilt ad bonum reverti tuum look home and fix thy thoughts on That which is proper to thy selfe as being Man then briefly it is Animus purus ac emendatus aemulator Dei true Wisdome is that with singlenesse of heart we strive to be as far as it is possible to be like unto the God of Wisdome And what is required unto This we may collect from the severall Particulars wherin was expressed and made knowne that great wisdome of Solomon that made him so famous Abulensis in Textum Whither Solomon as Abulensis proposeth the Query and some have conceited of him had the Wisdome or skill to finde out all the hidden treasures of the Earth became thereby so abundantly rich aboue other men is a Question both groundlesse impertinent to our present purpose for we finde that as many as came to heare the Wisdome of Solomon brought large gifts in their hands the Queen of Sheba Talents of gold Spices in abundance and pretious stones v. 10. and all the rest brought every man his vessels of gold and silver Garments and Spices with such like more and of These a rate yeare by yeare v. 25. and so it should seem they were all rich enough before they sought to Solomon therefore 't is unlikely they came with so much cost and paines to heare this enriching wisdome of him But had this been their ayme yet were all this litle or nothing to the saving Wisdome that we are to seek for Take then but a short view of those things which are not far from my Text and you shall see that Solomon was famous for his Wisdome in matters as wee are to esteem them of far greater worth and consequence and these were especially foure 1. His great variety of Songs and Proverbs whereof Those were a thousand and five and These three thousand 1. 1. Kings 4.32 Kings 4.32 and herein was seen his Inventing wisdome 2. His speeches concerning the nature of Beasts and Foules and Fishes and Trees of all sorts without exception V. 33. and therein was manifested his Discoursing wisdome and for the fame of these things there came many to heare the wisdome V. 34. that was in him v. 34. 3. His Answearing the Queen of Sheba to all her Questions which were Aenigmata Riddles Questions very hard to be resolved such wherewith she came to proue Solomon or try his sufficiency 1. Kings 10.1 1. Kings 10.1 to all which he gave her so full satisfaction that there was not any thing hid from the King which Hee told her not v. 3. V. 3. and shee thereupon was so much taken with admiration of him that the Text saies there was no more spirit in her v. 5. V. 5. and this was his Resolving Wisdome a gift of satisfying all those who came with doubts unto him 4. His admirable Deciding of the controversie betwixt the two Harlots 1. Kings 3.28 1. Kings 3. whereupon all Israel as it is said in the Text feared the King when they saw that the wisdome of God was in him to doe judgement v. 28. and this was his Rectifying and Ruling wisdome a Wisdome to set in order those things that were amisse and so to rule governe aright In the three former wee have Solomon's great Knowledge in this latter his singular Integrity and uprightnesse of heart in both his compleat wisdome being wise to Know and Wise to Doe to Know every work that is done under the Sun for thereto hee gave his Heart Eccles 8.9 Eccles 8.9 of them all to Doe onely that which is just and right for that hee professed to be his care when hee prayed for wisdome 1. Kings 3.9 1. Kings 3.9 So that now if the example of Solomon the wisest of all men upon Earth may be our Patterne we need go no further to learne what true wisdome is it being no other but That which hitherto we have seen as a gift of God in Solomon namely a true understanding to see what wee are to doe and a faithfull care to Doe what we see This was the wisdome which Solomon prayed for obtain'd of God and that according to the counsell of David his Father who formerly had commended this Wisdome to him as we may see 1. Chron. 28.9 1. Chron. 28. And thou Solomon my Sonne know thou the God of thy Father and serve him with a perfect heart v. 9. as if he had said 't is not likely thou shouldst ever serve God with a perfect heart except thou Know him first therefore Know the God of thy Father and 't will bee to litle purpose to Know God unlesse thou serve him too therefore Know God and serve him What David here commended Solomon took care of the One pointed out the right Way to be truly Wise and the Other accordingly walked in it and so from the Counsell of David the Father and the Effect of that Counsell in Solomon the Son wee may see that True wisdome is above all