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A51266 The grand inquiry who is the righteous man: or, The character of a true beleever in his approaches towards heaven. Whereunto is added The resolution of a case of separation betwixt man and wife, propounded to the author by a party much concerned. By William Moore rector at Whalley in Lancashire. Moore, William, rector of Whalley, Lancashire. 1658 (1658) Wing M2612; ESTC R214225 54,012 181

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and happiness both in this world and that which is to come It requires therefore as my greatest pains so your best attention And the rather because Satan is so busie The god of this world hath blinded the eyes of them that believe not lest the light of the glorious Gospel of Christ should shine unto them The understanding of this mysterie is the shining of this glorious Gospel Therefore he casts clouds upon it because he knowes that the right understanding of these things is that which sets open the gates of heaven to poor penitent sinners for this is life eternal to know Christ the Lord our righteousness Therefore he imployes his instruments and they raise up the mists of error to darken our understandings Our Adversaries of Rome tell us of a righteousness of works nor only in the way of precept but of counsel works of supererogation too a doing of more then the Law requires Hence their Pardons Indulgences and the like out of those overflowing merits of the Saints Nay the Jesuite hath exchang'd his poyson a generation of vipers there is amongst our selves not worthy the mention in this place O how they rend the bowels of their dear Mother the Church even denying the Lord that bought them The rather therefore let us give all diligence to search it and to finde it out And in this discovery I beseech you not to consult with your own sense and reason that is but to consult with flesh and bloud much lesse would I have you to take things upon trust because this or that man hath spoken it but because this is the foundation whereupon is built all our interest in the joy of Saints therefore consult we with the sacred Oracles the writings of the Prophets and Apostles those holy men who spake as they were moved by the holy Ghost Sure I am that here is the infallible truth which cannot deceive us The mouth of the Lord of Hosts hath spoken this To return therefore to our purpose By the light of Scripture to discover to you Who is this Righteous Man For the right understanding of this we must know that there 's a twofold Righteousness a Righteousness of works and a Righteousness of Faith 1. The Righteousness of Works This is when a man continues in all things that are written in this book to do them when we perform a perfect exact unsinning obedience to the whole Law of God This righteousness of the Law is the righteousness of Works Rom. 10.5 Moses describeth the righteousness of the Law that the man which doth those things shall live by them So it is a righteousness in the way of doing in the way of Works Now thus we say with Paul Rom. 3.10 There is none righteous no not one I know there are some say otherwise and we hear their brags they fulfill the Law nay more then the Law requires else why do they tell us of the works of supererogation or from whence should arise that treasure of Saints merits which the Pope dispenses to redeem souls out of Purgatory So the Pharisees trusted in themselves that they were righteous but the Apostle argues it Gal. 3.21 23. If there had been a Law given which could have given life verily righteousness should have been by the Law But the Scripture hath concluded all under sin that the promise by Faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe The Scripture hath concluded all under sin that therefore we might not seek for righteousness in the way of the Law but in the way of Faith It is the Apostles peremptory conclusion Gal. 2.6 By the works of the Law shall no flesh be justified And it is a clear truth For 1. Is there any that doth all things that are written in this book and continues in so doing It is a passage in the prayer of Solomon 1 King 8.46 If they sin against thee for there is no man that sinneth not and thou be angry c. If they sin against thee but lest some should question this because he speaks it with an if therefore he brings in this sad parenthesis There is no man that sins not Not any man whatsoever not the most holy the most righteous man The words are express Eccles 7.20 There is not a just man upon earth that doth good and sinneth not Though there be just men upon earth yet no man so just but sometimes he sins Nor is it the language of the old Testament but of the New J●m 3 2. In many things we offend all Not in some things but in many things not they but we and all we he brings in himself amongst them though he was a servant of Jesus Christ and a Minister of the Gospel 1 Joh. 1.8 If we say we have no sin we deceive our selves And Christ himself hath taught us When ye pray say Our Father which art in heaven Forgive us our trespasses Why doth he teach us to pray daily for the forgivenesse of our sins but because we are daily committing of new sins even those that call God father 2. But suppose we now do all things that are written in this book and continue in so doing yet it hath been otherwise Saith Paul Before I was a persecutor a blasphemer and injurious And 1 Cor. 6.11 Such were some of you Nay not some but all Ephes 2.1 2 3. And you hath he quickned who were dead in trespasses and sins wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world according to the Prince of the power of the air the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience among whom also we all had our conversation in times past Not ye but we also and all we Suppose then we walk at present as Zachary and Elizabeth in all the Commandements and Ordinances of God blameless yet formerly we have gone astray and if we look upon time past we must needs acknowledge we are transgressors of the Law Now who shall expiate those sins for us or quit us from that former guilt in the time of our ignorance that so we may appear as righteous in the sight of God 3. But suppose we could clear our selves of actual transgression and say with the young man in the Gospel we have kept all the Commandements of God from our youth up yet we know that we are born in sin Ephes 2.3 We are by nature the children of wrath even as others All by nature in the same condition And why children of wrath but because born in sin Job 14.4 Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean Not one Adam begot a son in his own likeness as for nature so corruption of nature Such as the fountain is such are the streams therefore sinfull sons because descended from the loynes of sinful parents Rom. 5.12 As by one man sin entred into the world and death by sin so death passed upon all men for that all have sinned For that or in whom the word
but a righteousnesse wrought for us not in our selves but in the Lord. In the Lord have I righteousnesse and in the Lord shall all Israel be justified Hence Jer. 23.6 This is his Name whereby he shall be called THE LORD OVR RIGHTEOUSNES And as it is the language of the Prophets so of the Apostles Hence is it that they call it the Righteousnesse of God Rom. 3.21 The righteousnesse of God without the Law is manifested V. 22. The righteousnesse of God which is by the Faith of Jesus And Phil. 3.9 The righteousnesse which is of God by Faith 2. That this Righteousnesse of God is received by Faith So the Apostle there explains it in Phil. 3.8 9. I count all things but dung that I may win Christ and be found in him not having mine own righteousnesse which is of the Law but that which is through the Faith of Christ the righteousnesse which is of God by Faith By Faith it is that we receive Christ Joh. 1.12 As many as received him to them he gave power to become the sons of God even to as many as believed on his Name To receive him and to believe on him is one and the same By faith we receive Christ so by faith we receive the righteousnesse of Christ And take notice of the manner how it is worthy your observation that you may know the nature of that Faith which justifies 1. We receive this righteousnesse into our heads hence knowing sometimes is set for believing Joh. 17.3 This is life eternal to know thee and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent Then 2. We receive this righteousnesse into our hearts As we know it so we love it Hence that phrase Act. 15.9 Purifying their hearts by Faith And then 3 We receive this righteousnesse into our lives and conversations As we love it so in some measure we are transformed into it So the Apostle followes it Phil. 3.10 That I may know him and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of his sufferings being made conformable to his death Where there is a receiving of the righteousnesse of Christ by saith there is a conforming to the same likenesse For you must know that true faith is not an idle speculative notion of the brain but a powerful working grace upon the heart Faith is sometimes reckoned amongst the gifts of the Spirit 1 Cor. 12.9 And sometimes it is reckoned amongst the fruits of the Spirit Gal. 5 22. Faith is sometimes a Gift and sometimes a Grace As it is a Gift so it is speculative and notional as it is a Grace so it is powerful and practical And this at once if righly understood easily reconciles St. Pauls conclusion That a man is justified by Faith without the deeds of the Law with that of St. James Ye see then how that by works a man is justified and not by faith only Not by faith which is alone but by a working Faith Though works be not the meritorious cause in point of justification but the righteousnesse of Christ received by faith yet this faith is working and it works this righteousnesse as into our heads so into our hearts and into our lives Though it be not this work of righteousnesse wrought in us that properly justifies but the righteousnesse of Christ wrought for us yet true justifying faith thus receives this righteousnesse 3. That this Faith thus receiving Christ is accounted unto us for righteousnesse God imputes that righteousnesse of Christ to us if we thus believe Jam. 2.23 Abraham believed God and it was imputed unto him for righteousnesse and he was called the friend of God That righteousnesse whereby Abraham was justified in the sight of God it was a righteousnesse imputed Not a Putative righteousnesse as our Adversaries scornfully reproach it but a reall righteousnesse the righteousnesse of Christ yet an imputed righteousnesse So is that righteousnesse by which we are justified Rom. 4.23 It was not written for his sake alone that it was imputed to him but for us also to whom it shall be imputed if we believe on him who raised up Jesus from the dead We are justified in the same way and by the same faith that Abraham was Gal. 3.6 Even as Abraham believed God and it was accounted to him for righteousnesse So it is with us Vers 7. They that are of the faith of Abraham are the children of Abraham Vers 9. They which be of the faith are blessed with faithfull Abraham What Abraham's faith was we read Heb. 11.7 Abraham when he was tryed by faith offered up Isaac and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten son of whom it was said that in Isaac shall thy seed be called accounting that God was able to raise him up even from the dead from whence also he received him in a figure Did Abraham see no further then this figure Yes doubtlesse In this he beheld God sacrificing his own son on that very mount where he should have offered Isaac Isaac was but the Figure Christ is the Substance Saith our Saviour Joh. 8.56 Abraham rejoyced to see my day and he saw it and was glad And so all the Patriarchs 1 Cor. 10.4 They all did drink of the same spiritual drink for they drank of that rock that followed them and that rock was Christ They of that rock that followed them as we of that rock that is gone before us Abraham saw Christ with the eye of Faith and believed on him and testified his faith by his works faith working by love saith God Gen. 22.12 Now I know thou lovest me seeing thou hast not withheld thy son thine only son from me And this faith was counted unto him for righteousnesse Thus may you see what that righteousnesse is by which we stand justified in the sight of God It is not the righteousnesse of Works that exact unsinning obedience to the whole Law of God but it is the righteousnesse of Faith the righteousnesse of Christ received by faith which is accounted unto us for righteousnesse And thus you may easily resolve the Riddle How a man may be righteous and yet a sinner Though a sinner in himself in relation to the righteousnesse of Works yet without sin in Christ in relation to the righteousnesse of Faith the righteousnesse of Christ through faith imputed unto us for righteousnesse And this is that righteousnesse which intitles us to all the promises and gives us an interest in this joy of Saints 1 Pet. 1.8 Believing ye rejoyce with joy unspeakable and full of glory But because this is a point of such high concernment for the further clearing of it a question must be here propounded How a man may be justified by the righteousnesse of another This is indeed the dark side of the cloud not to be discern'd with the eye of sense or reason Consult we with the sacred Oracles which cannot deceive us Rom. 4.5 6. To him that worketh not but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly
no portion in his death 2. The nature of that faith by which we receive this righteousnesse True faith as I told you is not an idle speculative notion of the brain but a powerfull working grace upon the heart Act. 15.9 Purifying their hearts by faith Those that pretend to faith and have not their hearts in some measure purified they do but flatter themselves with a meer fancy and a vain presumption It is but a counterfeit a false faith Faith without Works is dead saith St. James and St. Paul tels us that faith worketh by love As faith without works is but a dead faith so works without love they are but dead works Though I give all my goods unto the poor and have not charity I am nothing Now faith it begets love and the more we believe that God hath done all this for us the more it inflames our heart with the love of God And love is of a constraining nature it sets a man upon work indeed David's three Worthies will adventure through the whole host of the Philistims to fetch water from the well at Bethlehem out of their love to David And St. Paul commends the Macedonians that to their power yea and beyond their power they were willing of themselves As St. James therefore Show me O man thy faith by thy works So true faith is no invisible grace but a grace which may be seen seen by its works Such is the faith by which we obtain the blessing When Isaac blessed his son Jacob he cals to him Come near I pray thee that I may feel thee my son whether thou be my very son Esau or not He would not blesse him by the voice but he will feel and handle him whether his hands be the hands of Esau so God will not blesse us by the voice because we say that we believe but he will feel and handle us whether our hands be the hands of faith hands that work the works of faith And take further notice that true faith it hath two hands as with the one it holds upward and layes hold upon the righteousnesse of Christ for justification so with the other it works downward and conveys this righteousnesse into the head and into the heart and into the life for sanctification Those that flatter themselves with a good faith to God-ward and yet without works they do but prophesie to themselves a lie a false vision and a divination and a thing of nought the deceit of their own heart It is but a counterfeit a false faith and receives but a counterfeit a false righteousnesse not the righteousnesse of God which is by the faith of Jesus 3. The nature of God whose righteousnesse this is Where the righteousnesse of God is there must needs be a change for will God cast pearls before swine or give holy things to dogs Will he put this new wine into old bottles or these holy things into unclean vessels No but first he gives us a new heart and creates in us a right spirit For what fellowship hath righteousnesse with unrighteousnesse Where the righteousnesse of God is it transformes us in some measure into its own likenesse 2 Cor. 3.18 We all with open face beholding as in a glasse the glory of the Lord are changed into the same image from glory to glory even as by the spirit of the Lord. You have seen the glory of the Lord the glory of his righteousnesse We all and with open face if the God of this world hath not blinded our eyes behold though but as in a glasse on w th an eye of faith yet thus beholding it hath wrought a change and into the same likenesse so will it transform us from glory to glory from the glory of grace here to that glorie of glories in the highest heavens But thus there is a work of the Spirit here here it begins the change and we are changed into the same image When the Sun comes in at the window it inlightens the room so when the Sun of righteousnesse shines into a soul the beams of that righteousnesse must needs reflect upon that soul When Moses had been talking with God we read that his face shined So is it impossible that we should have to do with this righteousness of God but the splendor of it will in some measure put upon our hearts the beauties of holinesse It must needs be thus The Apostle followes it with a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 much more Heb. 9.13 If the bloud of buls and of Goats and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh how much more shall the Bloud of Christ who through the eternall Spirit offered himself without spot to God purge your consciences from dead works to serve the living God If there was any thing in those outward shadowes how much more in the bloud of Jesus If they purified the flesh how much more shall this purge your consciences If there be not this purging work upon your souls never speak of this righteousnesse of God received by the faith of Jesus Thus you see though we be not justified by works but by the righteousnesse of God which is by faith yet doth it not loosen the rains to profane liberty but rather layes weight upon us and works as naturally flow from it as the stream from the fountain It is the end of our redemption that we might be a people zealous of good works it is the nature of true faith it cannot lie idle but it works by love and the righteousnesse of God transforms us in some measure into the same likenesse And thus we know that we have title to the promises and an interest in the seed-time of light here and that harvest of joy hereafter An Exhortation to walk in this Righteousnesse For conclusion therefore you that profess the faith not the righteousness of works but the righteousnesse of God which is by Faith remember there is one thing necessary one thing in comparison of which all other things are but as losse as nothing nay as dung worse then nothing It is that of the Apostle that I may win Christ and be found in him not having mine own righteousnesse which is of the Law but that which is through the faith of Christ Labour O labour for this righteousnesse that ye may get it first into your heads that ye may know it then into your hearts that ye may love it then into your lives that ye may shew forth the power of it as the Apostle followes it Phil. 3.10 That I may know him and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of his sufferings being made conformable to his death So that the life of Jesus might be manifested in our mortal bodies O let your conversation be as becomes the Gospel Do not O do not cause the Adversary to reproach It is the lewdness of your lives that casts the reproach upon this Doctrine O let not the name of
which causeth him to weep even that is it which so much delighteth him Thus is it here The faints tears are the saints joy and it is the rejoycing of their souls that they weep and sorrow The tears of Saints is the joy of Angels as I told you before There is joy in heaven over one sinner that repenteth Nay let me tell you further they have greater cause to rejoyce in their sorrowes then others in their greatest jollities The Apostle understands it Therefore saith he 2 Cor. 7.8 Though I made you sorry with a letter I do not repent though I did repent Now I rejoyce not that ye were made sorry but that ye sorrowed to repentance that ye were made sorry after a godly manner for godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of but the sorrow of the world worketh death There 's a vast difference between worldly sorrow and godly sorrow the one tends to death but the other to life to repentance salvation The sorrow of the godly is like the sorrow of a woman travelling with childe It is not a barren but a fruitfull sorrow The sorrow of world is barren it brings forth nothing but sorrow but the sorrow of the godly is fruitful it is a joy-bearing sorrow Joh. 16.21 A woman hath sorrow when she travelleth because her hour is come but as soon as she is delivered of a childe she remembers no more the anguish for joy that a man is born into the world And ye now have sorrow but I will see you again and your hearts shall rejoyce and your joy no man taketh from you Thus you see the mistake The sorrow of the righteous is a joyful sorrow Oh but thirdly It may be objected that sometimes God requires it as a duty Es 22.12 In that day did the Lord God of hosts call to weeping and to mourning and doubtlesse the sorrow of the Saints is hearty when the Lord cals for it For answer to this we must confesse it is so indeed Neither do any sorrow as they sorrow Therefore as if they only sorrowed saith God Ezek. 9.4 Set a mark upon the foreheads of the men that sigh and that cry for all the abominations that are done in the midst of Jerusalem Their sighs are sighs indeed and their cries are cries indeed God sets a mark upon them as if they only were the mourners Yet withall take notice that it is not for righteousnesse but for wickednesse all the abominations that are done in Jerusalem righteousnesse is not the cause but it is sin either in themselves or others 1. In themselves For so the Saints have their failings Seek thy servant O Lord for I have gone astray like a sheep that is lost And as they have theirs sins so they have their sorrows It cost David many a salt tear How he weeps and prayes Psal 51. Lord make me to hear the voice of joy and gladnesse that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoyce The cry of his sin had made such a noise of sorrow that it deaft his ears from the voice of joy And he is afraid O cast me not away in thy displeasure but restore to me the joy of thy salvation Do not charge your sorrows on the waies of righteousnesse but your swarving from those wayes He that goes out of Gods way he goes into harmes way and returns again by the weeping crosse Or if it be not the sense of their present sins which causes all this sorrow perhaps they consider the time past and it is their trouble that they have spent so much of their time in vanity so they mourn not because they are righteous but because they were no sooner such Or if they be troubled at their present condition it is not because they are good but because they are not so good as they desire to be They count not themselves as if they had already attained or were already perfect they see others that are far before them so they are heavy not because they are holy but because not so holy as they should As some covetous worldling who frets and toyles in the world as if he were not worth a penny and out of a greedy desire of more still complains of poverty So the Saints sometimes so earnestly desirous to be yet more righteous they lose the joy and comfort of those graces they already have Let us not then impute that to their godlinesse which proceeds rather from the want But certainly conclude there 's much sweetnesse in it whilest they thus hunger and thirst after it Thus in themselves 2. In others The Lord cals to weeping and they mourn in Sion It is for the abominations that are done in the land So David Psal 119.136 Mine eyes run down with tears because men keep not thy commandements And Lot amongst the filthy Sodomites 2 Pet. 2.8 In seeing and hearing vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawfull deeds It is the sorrow of the Saints to see God dishonoured and poor souls endangered To hear on the one hand men speaking perverse things to draw away disciples after them and to see on the other hand men so unreclamable from their foolish and vain courses and running headlong to their own damnation If there be any consolation in Christ Jesus if any comfort of love if any bowels and mercies must it not needs grieve them to see men so fool away their hopes of glory to dwell with everlasting burnings Their charity is great and they could wish all men like themselves in that which is good As Paul to Agrippa I would to God that not only thou but all that hear me this day were both almost and altogether such as I am excepting these bonds And if they will not be perswaded Jer. 13.17 If ye will not hear my soul shall weep in secret places for your pride Thus weeping for them that weep not for themselves And Elijah betakes himself unto the cave And why so They have broken the covenant they have thrown down the altars they have slain the Prophets with the sword Are the lives of the Saints sorrowful But examine your own hearts if the fault lie not in your selves Were your selves lesse wicked their lives would be more comfortable Thus still you see it is not the righteousnesse of the Saints which makes their hearts sad but rather the want of it either in themselves or others Nay yet further even this sorrow is their joy Whilest they thus mourn though others provoke God and perish in their own devices yet God will set a mark upon them that mourn in Sion that the destroying Angel may passe over Es 4.5 God will create upon every dwelling place of Mount Sion and upon her Assemblies a cloud and smoke by day and the shining of a flaming fire by night for upon all the glory shall be a defence So that nothing might hinder their peace and joy in believing but so still Rejoyce ye
righteous 2. A Direction The way to solid and true joy is the way of the righteous Beloved we all desire solid and true joy This that which we all long after to lead a cheerfull and a comfortable life and to make a joyful and a happy end My Text directs you to the means Get into the number of the righteous This is that which will give you joy in the end joy without end and this only You think to finde it some in one way some in another some in a third one pursues it in a way of riches a second in a way of honours a third in a way of pleasures They do but please themselves in their own fancies and embrace meer shadowes Either you must finde it in a way of righteousnesse or you shall never attain to solid and soul-satisfying joy I shall first shew you where you cannot finde it and then where true joy is to be had 1. Do not seek it in the way of riches Many men think if they had but wealth enough they should have joy enough It is true perhaps if they had enough but we see it by experience Eccles 1.8 The eye is not satisfied with seeing nor the ear fill'd with hearing So Eccles 5.10 He that loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver nor he that loveth abundance with increase As the dropsie to the body so is covetousnesse to the minde Mille meis errent in montibus Agni Oh that I had a thousand lambs upon the mountains And when we have got a thousand then pauperis est numerare pecus he is but a poor man that can number his cattel The more we have the more we crave And how shall we quench his thirst which is increased by drinking Besides though we could have enough yet we are not sure to hold it Prov. 23.51 Wilt thou set thine eyes upon that which is not For riches certainly make themselves wings they flie away as an Eagle toward heaven And then the more our joy in the fruition the greater our sorrow in the losse However when death comes such as our entrance such is the exit Naked came we into the word and naked must we go out of the world We do but imbrace the cloud in stead of Juno Whilest we think to hug a happinesse in abundance Soul thou hast much goods laid up for many years eat drink and be merry Death comes and our joy goes Thou fool this night thy soul shall be taken from thee and then whose shall these things be 2. Do not seek it in the way of honours Many please themselves in the way of eminency Oh quam pulchrum est digito monstrari dicier Hic est what a brave thing it is to be pointed at There goes such a man So if they can but climb up into such an office or get the praise and applause of men especially the favour of such great ones Haman invited to the Queens banquet then went he to his home joyfull and with a glad heart It is true indeed a good name is as a precious oyntment and more to be desired then gold and silver yet as good as it is remember it is bonum sine sera aut clave a good without lock and key It is a thing scarce in our own keeping We stand much at the courtesie of others for it And can we chain up the winds The multitude who but yesterday would have crown'd our Saviour to day Away with him crucifie him And Haman in that height of favour with King Ahashuerus how suddenly is the wind in another corner and whilest yet at the banquet the Kings countenance is changed and he sees that evil is determined against him by the King So Herod whilest loud in the acclamations of the people The voice of God and not of man presently the Angel of the Lord smites him and Herod is eaten up of wormes He became a prey to those base flatterers so Josephus seems to give the sense though I conceive he comes short in the story and those who so applauded him were his devourers 3. Do not seek it in the way of pleasures Many go this way and think themselves the only men Whilest others are toyling in the earth of riches or swearing in a throng of offices and honours these enjoy the world at will and feast themselves upon the sweat of other mens labours Thus one sports away his time in gaming And when he hath conquered his neighbour and made himself master of anothers purse is not the box the only gainer So they shall finde it when they come to the last game when the soul lies at stake they have lost their time and now hell it sweeps all away A second swils away his time in drinking Let us fill our selves with strong drink and to morrow shall be as this day and much more abundant But doth not the aking pate and empty purse chide them to an after reckoning We to them that rise up early for strong drink that continue untill night till wine inflame them A third beastiates himself in goatish lechery Come let us take our fill of loves And when Amnon hath got his will of his sister Tamar the hatred wherewith he hateth her is more then the love wherewith he loved her And what fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed A fourth perhaps of more heroick spirit he is for high atchievement and more noble action So Nebuchadnezzar pleases himself in the contemplation of his works Is not this great Babylon which I have built And whilest the word was yet in the Kings mouth there fell a voice from heaven O King Nebuchadnezzar to thee be it spoken the Kingdome is departed from thee And when Alexander hath conquered the whole world his fathers fall from his horse into the dust if he view the print of his body it will shew him that as little earth contains him as another man A fifth perhaps more contemplative of a clearer intellect he sees the folly of the world whilest so very throng and busie as Ants upon the mole-hill and he delights himself in his study to discourse with forein languages to view Natures secrets to consult with former ages This man seems to come the nearest for so the Scholar findes a pleasure in it more pleasure in his books then either the covetous in his bags or the voluptuous at his board or the lecherous in his bed or the pragmatical in the noise and tumult of his most heroick actions Yet remember though we could speak all languages yet if we speak not the language of Canaan we are amongst Gods people but as a Barbarian Or as the Apostle Though I speak with the tongue of men and Angels yea though I understood all mysteries and all knowledge yet if I have not charity I am but as a sounding brasse and as a tinkling Cymbal If there be not the sap of grace in this tree of knowledge it bears nothing but