THese have always been the Enemies and opposers of Truth, and Setters up of false Images thereof in all ages, The Wise, the Learned, the great Disputants. To these Truth hath still been mean and contemptible, their Eye hath still overlooked it, and their imaginatious have still out-run it, finding out somewhat else in the stead thereof, for which they have been still able and vigorous to con­tend, and against the Truth it self. And indeed, how can the Wise Eye see that, how can the learned Eye acknowledge that, which comes quite out of the way of it's knowledge and learning, even in a path that it is not at all acquainted with? Wisdom is justified of her Children, Those that are wise to Salvation, those that are learned in the Spirit, those that can dispute in the power of the life and demonstration of the Spirit, these know her habitation, and her out goings, and can own her in every age, and in every dispensation and coming forth: but the Wise and Learned of this World are shut out of this wisdom, and in all their searches after Truth, cannot find her; and if at any time they do find and tast some­what of her, yet they cannot keep her, but the Wisdom, and Learning, and Strength of the earthly part in them, soon betrayes and makes a prey of the simplicity that is in Christ, and of his pure Gospel, which cannot be comprehended nor will take up a dwelling place with this wisdom, but brings it to nothing, tramples upon it, and keeps it down for ever, where it abides.

Three sorts of Enemies of the Wise, the Learned, the great Dispu­tants, Truth hath always had. First, Of such as have denyed the true form of knowledge and worship. Secondly, Of such as have owned the form, but withstood the power. Thirdly, Of such as have had a tast of the power, but afterward erred from it, and so held that, which once they had a true tast of, in the unrighteous part, and likewise added to it by their own imaginations,

[Page 2]When Israel was in Aegypt (that poor illiterate company of Brick­makers) in bondage under that wise people; the Egyptians, withal their wisdom, could not own their God or their worship, but their God was an unknown Being to all that wisdom ( Exod. 5.2.) and his wor­ship and sacrifice the abomination of their Eyes, Exod. 8.26. and Jannes and Jambres, with other wise Magitians, withstood the appearance of God, and Pharoah and his people with their wisdom thought to have kept God's Israel from multiplying, Exod. 1.10. and to have held Israel still under their servitude, after the Lord was risen to stretch out his Arm for their deliverance, Exod 5.8, 9 And how did all the wise Nations still watch to make a prey of God's Jerusalem! How did they count the Towers! How often did they think to divide the spoyl! Iudg. 5.28. Isai. 33.18. How did Senacharib and Rabsh [...]ka make her their own! And when the Lord did at any time give Jacob for a spoyl, and Israel to the Robbers, how did they think to keep her under for ever! The wise Assyrian, the Moabite, the Ammonite, the Edomite, the Phili­stim, the Amalekite, the wise Babylonian or Chaldean thought to keep her under, as Pharoah had done, even till their wisedome and knowledge perverted them also, Isai. 47.10. and the Prince of Tire, who was wiser then Daniel, Ezek. 28.3. he also could insult over Ierusalem, and re­joyce at her downfal and captivity, chap. 26.2.

But to come closer; Come to Israel it self. That people, by all the wisdome it could gather from the Law, by all the experiences it had had of God's power, by all the faith that was wrought in them upon de­liverances, yet had not Eyes to see, nor Ears to hear, nor Hearts to per­ceive, but were a people that did always err in their Hearts, and did not understand the way of Truth and Peace. The Prophets among them were still Fools, yea, the Spiritual man mad, Hos. 9 7. The Priests were generally ignorant of the Lord (for though they had the Ark of his pre­sence, his Tabernacle, his Temple, Altar, Sacrifices, Worship, &c. yet they did not know where he was, nor did inquire after him, but conten­ted themselves with a form of knowledge and worship.) And they that handled the Law knew not him who gave the Law, and was the sole true interpreter of the Law, but the Pastors transgressed against him, and the Prophets prophecied by another Spirit, Ier. 2.8. They were wise, and did abound in their own meanings, guestings and gathered knowledge, but they knew not the Truth, no nor of the Let er according to the Law, and according to that Light, which God sometimes caused to shine among them from his Prophets. Hence it was that that people, with their Rulers, their Teachers, their Priests, their Prophets, were ge­nerally enemies to the Prophets whom God raised up, hating, persecut­ing, imprisoning, stoning them, &c. The Prophets of God (that spake his Truth in his Wisdom, in his Life, in Power, in the demonstration of his Spirit) they could not away with: these were Fools with them, these were mad-men with them, (2 Kings 9.11. Ier. 29.26.) these were poor illiterate Herdsmen and Plowmen: they had learned men, that [Page 3] were brought up at the Schools of the Prophets, that could Prophecy Di­vine things, sweet things, that could open the Law learnedly; these Prophets, and these Priests the Rulers cherished, and the people loved, Ier. 5.31. and 23.26, 27. Ezek 13.3, &c.

Yea among that people, such as had had a tast of the Truth, as Corah Dathan and Abiram might have (for surely it was not a small matter that could so lift them up, to oppose Moses and Aaron in that manner, and to stand out the contest with them even in the Lord's presence, Numb. 16.18. but an apprehension of God's being on their side from some appearance of his to them) and as Balaam had, whose Eyes were opened to see the beauty of the Tents of Iacob; yet these, through the prevalency of the fleshly lusts and wisdome, become enemies, and try always to prevail over Israel, even over the Truth and over the Power. The Apostle Jude compares such to the Angels that kept not their first Estate. The Angels that fell, had a place and standing once in truth, but they kept it not (they abode not in the truth) but fell from it, and so be­came Devils, enemies to the truth from which they fell: So those that fall from the truth, from the power, from the living vertue whereof they once tasted, from the true wisdome, which once appeared to them and began to season and savour them, in their fallen wisdome they become the greatest enemies, the greatest accusers, the greatest opposers, and the stiffest maintainers of a false Image of that Truth, which they once had some knowledge of, and some unity with. Thus it was in the Jewish state; Now come to the Apostles dayes.

First, They had all the Wise men of that age against them, all the Wise Greeks, all the Wise Jews; the Learned men, the able Disputants of all sorts. The Greeks could not find wisdome in that knowledge of Christ which they held forth, nor the Jews could not find power in it, 1 Cor. 1.22. and so the one accounted it foolishness, the other stumbled at it, v. 23. There were many sorts and Sects of Wise-men among the Iews, but not one sort could own the Truth, though they were looking for it, searching the Scriptures about it, and disputing concerning it. The very thing then in agitation and inquirie among them was, when the Kingdom of God should come. The King himself direct, them where it was, that they might know where to expect and wait for it, Luke 17.21. and in many parables opens it to them, but it was still hid from the Eye of that wisdom, wherewith they did strive to see, understand and comprehend it. So that all the several sorts of Wise-men of that age, even those who were Admirers of the Law and the Prophets, yet were Strangers and Enemies to the Truth, because they joyned to that Wisdom, and to that Learning and comprehension of the Scriptures, out of the sight whereof it came.

Secondly, For such as did own Christ after the flesh, such as were convinced by his Miracles, (as Nicodemus and many of the honester sort of the Iews were) yet Christ did not commit himself to them, Joh. 2.24. He knew this faith and this owning of him, which was founded up­on the Wisdom and Ingenuity of the creature would fail; and so he would [Page 4] not own it in Nicodemus, but bids him look after the new birth, ( Joh. 3.2, 3.) nor in such as followed him up and down upon this or any other fleshly account, but sometimes withdrew and hid himself from them, ( Luke 5.16 Joh 6.14, 15,) and sometimes preached Doctrines which stumbled them, and made them withdraw from him, Joh. 6, 66. And so in the Apostles days, there were many could get the form, and gain ad­vantage thereby to the fleshly wisdom, to withstand the power, 2 Tim. 3.5. 2 Cor. 11.13.

Thirdly. There were such as had rasted of the heavenly gift, and of the powers of the World to come, and yet fell away, Heb. 6.4, 5, 6. There were such as denyed the Lord that bought them, 2 Pet 2.1. Such as fell from the love of the Truth, to the love of their vomit, and of the mire of the World again, v. 22. 2 Tim. 4.10. Such as had a standing in the Chur­ches Heaven (like the Angels which fell) but kept not their habitation, but were swept down from thence to the earth by the Dragons tail, Rev. 12 4. These are the notablest Champions (in the earthly wisdom, and for a corrupted estate and false Image) of all the rest.

Now as the Prophets of God among the Jews had these enemies, and as the Apostles also had these enemies: so all along the Apostacy these enemies have been rise. The witnesses have had a wise sort of direct op­posers among the Papists, a wise sort of secret underminers among the Protestants, and also another wise sort of such among themselves, as had some tast of the Truth, but departed from the power of it into the earthly wisdom, into the earthly understanding: and this last sort fight more suriously and more vehemently against the Truth, and are more subtile to assault it and grapple with it, then the other two. Oh there is no such bit­ter deadly enemy to Christ and his Truth, as he who once had some tast of the vertue of it, and is now turned from it into the Earth, into the wis­dom and love of the World, and yet still holds some of the notion of that Truth (whereof he once left the power) in the earthly part.

To come yet closer. There is in every man (not throughly sanctified) that Wisdom which is not of God, that wisdom from which God hides his precious Truths, which wisdom lyes ready to catch every discovery and revelation of truth to him, that it might improve it, grow rich and wise by it. Now this Wisdom cannot attain to the knowledge of any of the things of God, neither can this Wisdom keep the true knowledge, but whatever this Wisdom catcheth, it presently corrupts. The true Wis­dom, the true Light, the true Knowledge of Christ is like the Manna in the Wilderness; it dayly comes down from Heaven, and must dayly be gathered fresh. The true Light springs from the Life, and it must be held in the Life, in the Vessel which the Life forms, in the new Bottle, in the new Understanding; not in the fleshly part, nay not in the natural part: for as the natural man cannot receive the things of the Spirit, 1 Cor. 2.14. So neither can he retain them. The old store house, into which earthly things were gathered, must be burnt up, and not made a Treasure for the things of God, but the new understanding, which is given [Page 5] by him that is true, (1 Joh. 5.20.) which new-forms, and preserves, and is all in the natural. Sink out of the earthly part and read me, that thou mayst be able to say within thy self, and concerning thy self. Where is the Wise? where is the Scribe? where is the Disputer?

The Wise part, the knowing part, the reaching part in every man will be putting forth it's hand to gather of the Tree of Life: but what hath it ever been able to gather? I know men may gather notions of any kind, of any Sect, of any sort of Profession, of any appearance or dispensation: but who is able to come near the Life, to touch the Power, the Truth, the everlasting Spring, or any stream or drop of water that issues from it? And he who hath a true touch or tast thereof given him, can his Wisdom add to it? nay can he so much as retain it? ( David had a true sence and experience of this, who cryed out, O continue thy loving kindness to them that know thee, and thy righteousness to the upright in heart.) Indeed if he like not to retain the thing it self in his knowledge, he may improve the notion, and bend that to the temperature and disposition of the earthy part in himself and others; but this is not truth, but a dead image, or a dead remembrance of what once was truly living. Oh how doth the Soul that is begotten of the Divine breath, that is born of the living Power and Vertue, depend upon God for his continual breathings! There is no­thing hath so much from God, and yet nothing is so little able to live without him. If he withdraw from it, it presently hangs down its head: nay if he do but so much as hide his face, it is troubled; and all the ful­ness, which it immediatly before had from God is not able to keep up its. Life one moment, but it pants, & fails, & flags, & withers, until a new sup­ply of refreshment be administred to it. And he that knows this in any mea­sure, will not wonder at, the distress and misery of such for want of God's presence, and at their cryings out after the Spring of their Life (even as the Hart brayeth after the water brooks) though they should have ful­ness of all outward things, yea and also fulness of knowledge in things of Religion, even concerning all conditions and estates. The thing that I wanted in my great misery, it was not outward knowledge, it was not ex­perience of God's mercy and goodness: but this I wanted, the issuings forth of his fresh Life, and livingly to know where to wait for it, and li­vingly to know it when it appeared: for it was still near me all the time of my darkness, and did preserve me and appear unto me, but I livingly knew it not, but thought I would be wiser then others: For I saw many deceived, and so I would not own it in such a way as it then appeared in me, least I also should be deceived like others, but waited for such an appearance as could not be questioned by the fleshly Wisdom. And be that waits for that, and so despise the day of small things, cannot but re­fuse the little seed; and so, it being not received into his earth, it can never grow up in him into a great Tree, whereby the Glory of the King­dom will be hid from him, and be shut out of it, when others enter into and sit down in it. Therefore, he that will be Wise, let him become a Fool that be may be Wise; Let him receive that for his Light, his King, his [Page 6] Guide, which mans wisdom never did nor never will own. He that ever looks to injoy the Comforter, let him receive the Reprover, the Con­vincer of sin, and wait for his Law of judging him throughout the whole course of his sinful State and Nature, passing along with him through the whole condemnation, until he arrive with him at the justifi­cation of the Life, which the fleshly wisdom, nor any of his knowledge of the things of God, (as they are held in the fleshly part) must ever arrive with him at.

Hath not God made foolish the Wisdom of this World?

The Wisdom of this World is precious in the Eye of the World, and the Wisdom of God in his poor, weak, despised, earthen Vessels is still foolishness with them: but the Lord so orders it, as he still justifies his despised Wisdom in his despised Vessels, and makes the Wisdom of the World appear foolish to all the single and upright-hearted, who thirst after and wait for the Revelation of his Truth. Now two ways especially the Lord makes the solly of this Worlds Wisdom appear,

First, In that by all their Wisdom they cannot find out the true knowledge of God, v. 21. The World by Wisdom knew not God, though there be an exceeding desire kindled in them to know God, though they take all the ways that heart can imagine to attain their desires, though they study and meditate never so hard, though they get never so many Arts & Languages, nay though they read the very Scriptures never so di­ligently, though they labour in the very fire, yet what they get, what they gather, what they understand, what they comprehend by this Wisdom, it is all but very vanity, Hab. 2.13. it reaches not the Immortal, it nourishes not the Immortal, it satisfies not the Soul, it refreshes not the seed, but only feeds and pleases the earthly part, the earthly under­standing, the earthly mind, the earthly desires and affections, even the man's Part, the man's Spirit, the man's Nature, which though elevated and raised never so high, is still but earth.

Secondly, In that all their Wisdom cannot reach them to come down to, to submit to, to come into God's way of having their Wisdom cruci­fied, and that raised up in them which might receive the Truth. This they can never learn in the fleshly Wisdom. They may indeed come thus far, even to see that there is no way of entrance but by death, and so seek death (that they may enter into the Life) but they cannot find it. The seed of Jacob in his seeking misses not, but this Seeker never finds, to this Asker it is never given, and to this Knocker it is never opened: and that is it which makes this Wisdom in every appearance, in every sort of Profession and Sect of Professors, so rage at the seed of Jacob, even because it finds it self still shut out of the Life, into which an entrance is administred to the seed. And how can that which would fain have the Kingdom, but rage against that which takes the inheritance from it? how can every sort of Professors but strive to slay the heir, that the inheri­tance might be theirs? Were it not for the living Seed, and the living Power and Vertue, which breaks forth in them and among them, the Re­ligion [Page 7] and Worship of the first birth might pass for currant: but this is it which darkens the Glory of all Professions and Professors upon the earth, even that living thing which God hath begotten in his people, and his living presence with it, and blessing upon it: at this, all the zealous Sacrificers, Teachers, and Professors out of the Life rage and are mad, and would break the cords and bands wherewith this strives to bind them unto God's Altar.

Now look over all Ages, could the Wise Heathens stoop to God's di­spensation to the Jews? was it not foolishness and abomination to them? or could the Wise Jews stoop to the Law within, to the Word in the Heart, (although directed thereto by Moses, Deut. 30.14.) to learn there to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with their God? Mic. 6.8. Could they wait there to have their Hearts circumcised by that Word of power, and so to be washed and made clean? Nay were they not drowned in their outward Sacrifices, Temple, Incence, New-Moons and Sabbaths, and such kind of observations, and could not heat the Truth of the Lord as it was delivered by Moses, nor as it was opened by the Prophets ( Isa. 1.11.) So that this People seeking to know the Lord from the Letter by this Wisdom, could never come to the knowledge of him, but the place of his Light and Wisdom was hid from them.

Again, When Christ came, and the Kingdom was preached, and the everlasting way of Redemption and Salvation made manifest, could the Wise Eye in the Greeks, or the Wise Eye in the Jews see it? did not the Greeks shut themselves out by a Wisdom above the Letter (as they thought) and the Jews by a knowledge and Wisdom which they had gathered out of the Letter? How wise were they from the Letter to reason against the King of Life? This man cannot be of God, for he is a breaker of his Sabbath. He is a Nazarite, and can any good thing come out of Nazareth? He saith the Son of man must be lifted up, but we read that Christ abideth for ever. He is against Gods Temple, against Gods day of Worship, gives his Disciples such scope and liberty, as neither the Pha­risces nor John gave their Disciples, but reviles our strict and Godly Teachers and Expounders of the Law, calling them Hipocrites, blind Guides, &c. And mark with what a rough severe Spirit he reproves them, whereas they call him Master, and speak mildly and gently to him. O what Iew in that Nature, in that Wisdom, in that Spirit could but find matter and occasion of stumbling at Christ, even from the Law & the Prophets!

And as they stumbled at the true Christ, so have all the generations of wise men since the Apostacy, all the learned men generally (their Coun­cils, Synods, Convocations and Assemblies) stumbled at the true Church, looking for some such like building as had been in the Apostles days, and not understanding and observing how the Lord took down that building (as it had been set up in the World) and how he prepared a place in the Wilderness for his true Church, unto which he gave her wings to fly, Revel. 12. and how afterwards the false Woman, or false Church got up in her stead, who with a Golden Cup of fornication bewitched the [Page 8] Kings and Inhabiters of the Earth, Revel. 17.2. (even Peoples, Multi­tudes, Nations and Tongues, ver. 15.) So that they mistook her for the True Church, and went into her Bed of Whoredomes? Which of all the learned men, which of all the Councils of the Papists have seen this? nay which of the Protestant Councils, or Convocations or Assemblies have beheld the State of the True Church? nay have nor every Sort and Sect of the Protestants endeavoured to build up some image or likeness of the True Church, not so much as suspecting that she was fled into, and was to abide in the wilderness for a time, times and half a time? O what darkness hath covered the Earth! O how hath God befooled the wise-men of every sort, the wise-men of every age! the wise Protestants, aswel as the wise Papists; the wise Independents and Baptists, aswell as the wise Episcopalians and Presbiterians! and how blind and sottish are Na­tions and Peoples, that still they think to find out the Truth by having a Synod, Assembly or Convocation of the Wisemen gathered together! Indeed they are fittest to rear upon an Image to please the earthly part of man, and the earthly Powers and interests with, but Truth never came in by that way, but the Wise and learned have still been shut out from it, and have proved Enemies to it. And whosoever comes out of the Apo­stacy from the Spirit and from the Truth, to the Spirit and Truth again, shall find nothing so great an Enemy, as the wisdom in himself, and di­rections from the wisdom in others: for that which God leads, is a sim­ple, a weak Babe, a Child to the Wisdom of this World; and he leads it in a Path, which is wholly out of the line of this worlds Wisdom and Knowledge of the Scriptures, as the Path God chose in Christs and the Apostles dayes, was out of the line of the Iews knowledge of the Scri­ptures. Such is the recovery out of the Apostacy: it is hid from all the fleshly-wise-men of this age, even as the entrance into the Truths of the Kingdom was hid from all the fleshly-wise-men of that age. Happy is he who ceaseth from striving after the knowledge and comprehending of the things of God in this Worlds Spirit and Wisdom, and waiteth in the hu­mility and fear of the Lord, first to be made a Fool, that afterwards he may be made Wise unto everlasting Life.