Spiritual Refining, Religious treatise · Section 12 · Sermon 105
SERMON CV.
Wiſe men after the fleſh characteriz'd, and (by God for the moſt part) rejected.
1 COR. 1. 26.
Not many wiſe men after the fleſh, &c.
YOu have heard of a wiſdom ſecretly implied by this diſtinctive expreſſion of the Apoſtle, Wiſe men after the fleſh, viz. That there is an excellent heavenly wiſdome, which is a wiſdome after the Spirit. And this is indeed the true proper wiſdome. Humane wiſdome, like the Glow-worm, may cauſe ſome luſtre in the night; but heavenly wiſdom is like the Sunne, glorious at noon-day. Now concerning theſe earthly and carnally wiſe men, ſee the dreadful diſpenſation of Gods providence, Not many wiſe men after the fleſh hath God called. Thoſe that by their crafty wiſdom are able to get the good things of this world, are denied the good things of the world to come. Thoſe that we uſe to ſay of, Let them alone, they will ſave one, do commonly hereafter loſe two, viz. their ſoul and body. The worlds wiſe-man at the day of Judgement will be Gods fool. Obſerve then,
That wiſe men after the fleſh, though of great repute in the world, are for the moſt Obſerv.part rejected by God in reſpect of eternal glory.
The Devil at firſt made uſe of the Serpent to deceive mankinde, as being more ſubtil then any beaſt of the field; but God he takes the fooliſh things of the world to confound the wiſe. That as our Saviour in another caſe ſaid, That which is highly eſteemed amongst men, is abominable before God; So it is here, That which the world magnifieth, which it adoreth; is caſt away as refuſe and droſſe by God. Thoſe things which the world reverenceth as Idols of gold, God many times makes fire-brands in hell: So greatly do Gods thoughts and mans differ.
To open this let us conſider, What are the Characters and Properties of wiſe The characters and properties of wiſemen after the fleſh. 1. They reliſh only wordly things.men after the fleſh. And
Firſt, They are ſuch who have a deep judgement and ſavoury taſte about worldly things, the pleaſures and profit of ſin, but no apprehenſion or reliſh at all about heavenly things. Sapiens a Sapore, becauſe he findes a taſte and experimental ſweetneſs in the object he is converſant about. Now as the heavenly wiſe man he findes a ſweet reliſh in heavenly things, as you ſee by Davids many expreſſions about the word of God, and the enjoyment of God; So the earthly wiſe man he hath a ſavoury pleaſing taſte in theſe inferiour comforts: As David ſaith, Thou haſt put more gladneſſe in my heart, then they have had when their wine and oyl increaſeth, Pſa. 4. So theſe have more joy in the increaſe of their profit and pleaſures, then in any Ordinances or religious Worſhip of God: As David ſaith, His ſoul breaketh for the longing it hath alwayes to the Commandments of God: So his ſoul even breaks for the longing it hath to the accompliſhment of all its luſts and deſires. If you then would have a true deſcription of the worldly wiſe man, it is eminently in this, He hath a delight and ſweet ſavour in the enjoying of all fleſhly luſts. He findes no delight in God, no ſweetneſſe in Ordinances, no joy in the holy Ghoſt. His affections are ſet upon earthly things and not heavenly. As the Swine delights not in pleaſant gardens and medows, but in dirty and miery places; ſo neither doth the fleſhly wiſe man take any joy in the acts of Religion, he knoweth not the meaning of the ſweetneſſe and excellency of any grace, but is carried out in all the delight of his ſoul upon theſe earthly objects. His thoughts are there, his affections there, his diſcourſe and words there; and herein you may even admire to ſee what parts, skill and diſcerning many men have in the matters of the world, but in matters of Religion meer Ideots and very fools. Oh they will one day ſee their madneſſe! Could I tell the way to grow rich, and not the way to Heaven? Could I tell how to ſave my ſelf here, and not to ſave my ſoul hereafter? Oh then be aſhamed all you who have knowledge and parts about worldly things, but ſtark ignorant men in matters of godlineſſe.
Secondly, Wiſemen after the fleſh as they ſavour only the things of the fleſh, ſo 2. They have an incurable enmity to the things of God.they have an irreconcilable enmity to the things of God. The more fleſhly wiſdome and humane craft a man hath, the more wretched enemy and adverſary he is alwayes to what is good; they are the great politick wiſe men that do moſt abhor and ſcorn Religion. Thus the Apoſtle Rom. 8. The wiſdom of the fleſh is enmity againſt God; what a brand and black infamy doth this Text caſt upon all ſubtil wiſe men; Their wiſdom (that which they boaſt of, they glory in, the beſt they have, which the world admireth them for) this is enmity, not diſlike, not diſtaſte or averſneſſe, but enmity the higheſt degree of oppoſition; and enmity in the abſtract, nothing but enmity: There is not a crum or a drop of any love or compliance with the things of God. That as the Serpent, though a wiſe creature, yet is full of poiſon and venom; ſuch are all men of parts, and wit, and quick abilities, if not ſanctified; They have wiſdom but againſt God; they have wit but againſt godlines; they have craft but to oppoſe godlines: So that many men would have had eaſier condemnation at the day of Judgment, if they had been fools and mad men, rather then ſuch wiſe men; better thou wert a man driven out of thy wits, raving and talking thou doſt not know what, then to be ſo adviſedly and deliberatly oppoſing of the waies of God: O then conſider, whether the more wiſdom and the more parts thou haſt, thou art not the more atheiſtical, the more crafty adverſary to what is holy. Whether that be not the only obſtacle, why thou doſt not ſubmit to the waies of God; Thy luſts do not hinder thee, thy prophaneneſſe doth not hinder thee, but thy carnal policy, and thy fleſhly wiſdom, becauſe godlineſſe is a way of ſelf-denial, of danger and oppoſition in this world; therefore thy heart cannot comply with it.
Thirdly, The wiſe men after the fleſh they are ſubtil to invent diſtinctions and excuſes 3. Subtil to cover ſinne.to palliate and cover their ſins. God tels the Iſraelites by the Prophet, That they dug deep, and did hide their counſels low, covering themſelves, but not with the covering of Gods Spirit, Iſa. 30. 1. This wiſdom after the fleſh, Adam immediately upon his fall gave a teſtimony of, when he put off his ſinne from himſelf to Eve, and Eve again upon the Serpent. It was Sauls wiſdom after the fleſh that made him diſobey Gods Commandment, making fair pretences; And the Prophet Hoſca bringeth in the Iſraelites, who by unjuſt and unlawful waies did heap up treaſure, comforting himſelf with this, There ſhould no iniquity be found in him, Hoſ. 12. 8. And thoſe falſe teachers who brought in the worſhipping of Angels, They had fleſhly wiſdom, as the Apoſtle cals it, Col. 2. 23. All the evaſions, diſtinctions and palliations that men have either to cover their ſins, or to extenuate them, or to make them no ſins, are the ſole iſſue of fleſhly wiſdome; Therefore you are exceedingly deceived, if you think drunkenneſſe, fornication and ſuch ſins of the fleſh are only damnable; no there is the wiſdome of the fleſh; There is a fleſhly minde, a corrupt minde, which the Scripture makes damnable as well as theſe. Thoſe many diſtinctions in Popery about worſhipping of Images, which are ſo ſubtil that a Papiſt himſelf ſaith, A man muſt have Ingenium valde metaphyſicum that can tell how to underſtand them, are nothing but wiſdom after the fleſh. All ſuperſtitious worſhip is a wiſdom after the fleſh. And as in matters of Religion, ſo in matters of morality, all ſubtil pretences, all ſpecious evaſions that men have, when they commit any ſinne, or do any unlawful actions, theſe are poiſoned ſtreams from that poiſoned fountain of fleſhly wiſdom. Oh then take heed of pleading for thy ſins, of diſtinctions in ſinning, of endeavouring to make that lawful which thy conſcience tels thee is unlawful! This ſeeming carnal wiſdome will turn at laſt to horrour and deſpair of ſoul. Thou wilt then ſee thou didſt but mock God, and delude thy own conſcience.
Fourthly, Wiſe men after the fleſh they are ſubtil, crafty and induſtrious to accompliſh 4. Crafty to accompliſh their wickedneſs.all their evil deſigns, and effect all their wicked purpoſes that they have contrived within themſelves. Thus they are ſaid to be wiſe to do evil; and they are ſaid to ſtudy and contrive miſchief, and that they cannot ſleep till they have wrought it. Their hearts are compared to the Bakers Oven, (Hoſ. 76, 7.) that is heated, wherein all their miſchievous intents are perfected: David often complaineth of ſuch crafty deceitful men, whoſe tongues were ſharper then ſwords, when their words were ſmoother then butter. The Apoſtle cals it foreign and foreign, Men that can deceive; they make it their work and buſineſs, and they do it with much eaſineſſe, becauſe corruption doth prompt them, and the devil is at hand ready to aſſiſt them: Glory not then in being crafty and politick to bring about the ſinful luſts of thy heart. Thou canſt over-reach, couſen, deceive others: Oh remember, Chriſt hath called us to be ſheep and not foxes! Remember this thy wiſdom will prove folly; for doth not God ſay, He will deſtroy the wiſdom of the wiſe, 1 Cor. 3. And doth not the Lord take the wiſe in their own craft? Do they not dig their own graves? Do they not fall in the pit they make for others?
Fifthly, Wiſe men after the fleſh they are conceited and puffed up with this wiſdom, 5. Proud.They are ſwoln bladders puffed up with the empty winde that is in them. He that thinketh he knoweth any thing, knoweth nothing yet as he ought to know, 1 Cor. 8. 2. Oh it is a great matter to know as we ought to know; now the carnal wiſe man knoweth nothing as he ought to know; He knoweth not the matter as he ought to know, nor the manner; Not the matter; for Paul deſired to know nothing but Jeſus Christ and him crucified, 1 Cor. 2. And again, He accounted all things dung and droſſe, for the excellency of the knowledge of Jeſus Chriſt, Phil. 3. And the Apoſtle would not have men glory in their riches, or in their might and power, yet in this, that they know God; now the wiſdom of the fleſh doth not inable us to know God or Chriſt, not God as revealed in his Word, therefore ſuch wiſe men do ſo often diſhonour him and break his Commandments, and are refractory under his judgements, not Chriſt; for none can know him, but ſuch as Paul that account their own righteouſneſſe dung, that go out of themſelves, as poor, naked and miſerable: But alas, wiſe men after the fleſh cannot do any of theſe. And then for the manner, they ought to know all things two waies: Firſt, Humbly, with ſenſe of their great ignorance, as Agar though ſo wiſe, ſaith, He had not the knowledge of a man, Prov. 30. 23. that he was a beaſt and no man; Now the carnally wiſe are proud and arrogant, deſerving that Motto which the Romans gave to their god Terminus that bounded their goods, Nulli ced…, I give place to none. And ſecondly, we muſt know truths practically, to do them, to finde the power of them upon our hearts: …f ye know theſe things, happy are ye if ye do them; and without this, knowledge and wiſdom is but oil to make the flames of hell hotter. The Apoſtle ſpeaks of knowing Truths as they are in Jeſus, Epheſ. 4. 1. and that is, when they make us put off the old man, and put on the new; And again, there is the acknowledging of truth after godlineſſe, Tit. 1. 1. Now of all men in the world none are ſo hop… leſſe and remote from grace, and in ſuch oppoſition to Chriſt, as carnally wiſe men, becauſe the firſt foundation that is to be laid in Chriſtianity, is to caſt off all our own wiſdom, our own knowledge, He muſt become a fool that he may be wiſe, ſo the Apoſtle, 1 Cor. 3. 18. Now to become a fool by way of conception in the worlds account, and by our ſenſe and feeling is, when we ſee our ſins, the aggravations of them, the eternal miſery accompanying them, and that all this is done by our own madneſſe and folly: Oh what a fool, what a beaſt is ſuch an one become in his own thoughts! He could even with Nebuchadnezzar forſake the company of men, and hide himſelf with beaſts, becauſe he hath ſo greatly ſinned againſt God; ſuch a fool muſt a man become ere he is ſpiritually wiſe; and further he is to become a fool, becauſe all the way of believing, of comfort, of duty, of obedience, he muſt fetch onelyonly from directions out of the Scripture. He is ſuch a fool that he knoweth not how to believe, how to go to Chriſt, what way to take to be juſtified: Thus every man is to become a fool: But oh what indignation and ſcorn is in a wiſe mans breſt to become thus annihilated, as it were! yet our Saviour alſo doth pregnantly confirm this, when he ſaid, Unleſſe a man become as a little childe (Lnk. 9. 47.) he cannot enter into the kingdom of Heaven. You ſee then, that of all men in the world, thoſe who have great parts, abilities and deep reaches, have the greateſt cauſe to tremble. Thou art too wiſe to be godly; Thou art too wiſe to be a babe of Chriſts; Thou art too wiſe to deny thy ſelf, and take up thy croſſe and follow him. Take heed the devil hath not got thee on a pinacle, and he will not leave till he hath thrown thee down headlong into hell: Oh then take heed of ſelf-conceit, of boaſting in thy own parts, of leaning to thy underſtanding. There is more hope of the prophaneſt beaſt and moſt ungodly wretch that is, then of ſuch an one. Such the Phariſees were, and very few of them ever got any ſpiritual good by Chriſt.
Sixthly, The wiſe man after the fleſh he uſeth to meaſure all duty by ſafety, himſelf 6. They meaſure all duties by ſafety.and his own ſafety and advantages, are of his privy counſel. Thus becauſe Peter perſwaded Chriſt to avoid the croſſe, Chriſt ſharply reproved him, telling him, He ſavoured not the things of God, but of men, Mat. 16. 23. Peter ſpeaks as a wiſe man, but not as a godly Chriſtian. Paul denied this crafty wiſdom, when he would not conſult with fleſh and bloud: And David when he made the word of God his counſellour: Our Saviour in many directions would break down this wiſdom after the fleſh, as when he ſaid, What will it profit a man to win the whole world and loſe his own ſoul? And He that will ſave his life will loſe it. Here you ſee that he dehorts from this wiſdome, becauſe it is indeed folly, and it will prove the greateſt undoing of a man: So our Saviour at another time tels them, His Diſciple muſt deny himſelf, muſt take up his croſſe, muſt look for nothing of comfort or advantage in this life, That the ſervant cannot expect to be above the Maſter: Now the very Birds of the Air, and beaſts of the field had better proviſion then he had; What harſh Doctrine then is this to wiſdom after the fleſh? Will they be perſwaded to cut off their right-hand, to pull out their right-eyes? No, they are wiſer then ſo: Oh then take heed of this divel in thee! for ſo our Saviour called that carnal wiſdom in Peter, run from it, as Joſeph did from his Miſtreſſe: Say of it, as Jacob of his wicked ſons, Oh my ſoul, enter not in this counſel! Bid carnal wiſdom be gone before thou wilt conſider what God requireth of thee.
Seventhly, Wiſe men after the fleſh they will chooſe ſinne rather then affliction: 7. They will chooſe ſin rather then afflictions.Whereas the Scripture makes the evil of ſinne infinitely greater then any outward evil; carnal wiſdom aſſerts the clean contrary. Oh beloved, we ſhould fear nothing but ſinne! not to be outwardly miſerable and undone, but to ſin, we ſhould cry out with Joſeph, How can we do ſuch things and ſinne againſt God? We ſhould pray, Lord, Whatſoever thou wilt keep me from, keep me from ſinning: But alas, ſinne is but a mock, a nothing to a carnal wiſe man. Tell him of provoking God, of ſinning againſt his conſcience, of eternal damning in hell. He makes but a bold deriſion of ſuch things. Oh the patience of God that cauſeth not the thunderbolts of his vengeance to ſtrike ſuch immediately into hell: Oh then take heed of this fleſhly wiſdom, whereby thou wilt chooſe to commit a thouſand ſins, rather then loſe the leaſt earthly advantage! This will prove gall and wormwood at the later end. This will roar like a Lion in thy conſcience hereafter. We ſhall one day hear thee cry out with Judas: Oh I have ſinned in betraying my ſoul, in betraying my conſcience, in betraying the truth of God, unleſſe Faith and Repentance prevent ſuch wounds and blows!
Laſtly, The wiſe man after the fleſh ſo lives and orders all his affairs, as if God 8; Lives as if God did not rule.did not rule and govern in the world; as if it were of man to order all his own affairs; as if God kept himſelf within the circle of the heavens, and let the ſons of men do what they pleaſed; and from this it is that meer carnal wiſdom diſcovers it ſelf remarkably in two things:
1. It truſteth only to outward helps and humane refuges, as for faith in God, and truſt in the promiſes, they regard it not, but as ſo much breath out of the Miniſters mouths. You have the Prophet Iſaiah and Jeremiah debating this caſe with the Iſraelites, They would not truſt in God, They would have the Arm of Aſſyria, They would go into Egypt, and they thought this was the only wiſdom; in how many places doth God perſtringe this? and the Prophet by way of a ſharp irriſion tels them, Yet God is alſo wiſe; They regard no wiſdom but of man, yet God is alſo wiſe, Iſa. 31. 2.
2. Under the judgements of God in the world not to be humbled, not to look on them as the ſtroaks of God, but to be like ſenſleſſe beaſts under Gods anger.
Uſe of Inſtruction. Learn what cenſure to paſſe upon all worldly wiſdom. Never Uſe.call that ſaving of thy ſelf, which is indeed ſuch infinite looſing of thee: Oh pray that God would give thee the true heavenly wiſdom which is from above. We may ſay, This fleſhly wiſdom is that which ſets hell on fire; Take that away, and there would be no hell; as he ſaid of ſelf love, Oh kill this Serpent that crawls in thy breſt! Thou hadſt been godly long before this time, but for carnal wiſdom. Thou hadſt been as forward as any other in the way to Heaven, but for this fleſhly wiſdome. Thou wouldſt not have defiled thy conſcience, and gone againſt it, but for fleſhly wiſdom: Oh how is it, that after ſo much hearing and reading, thy ſins are not caſt away! thy conſcience is convinced, thy heart many times trembleth; Oh it is this carnal wiſdome hinders thee!