course and homely for our quainter palates; Whether our stu∣dies [ A]
have not been guilty of those faults which cursed the Heathen
knowledge, as trusting to our selves, or wit and good parts, like
the Philosophers in Athenagoras, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, &c. not vouchsafing
to be taught by God even in matters of religion, but every man con∣sulting,
and believing, and relying on his own reason; Again,
in making our study an instrument only to satisfie our curiosity,
〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, only as speculators of some unknown truths, not
intending or desiring thereby either to promote vertue, good works, [ B]
or the Kingdom of God in our selves, or which is the ultimate end
(which only commends and blesses our study or knowledge) the
glory of God in others.
2. In our lives, to examine whether there are not also many re∣licks
of heathenism, altars erected to Baalim, to Ceres, to Venus,
and the like; Whether there be not many amongst us whose God
is their belly, their back, their lust, their treasure, or that 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉,
that earthly unknown God (whom we have no one [ C]
name for, and therefore is called at large) the God of the world;
Whether we do not with as much zeal, and earnestness, and cost,
serve and worship many earthy vanities which our own phansies
deisie for us, as ever the Heathen did their multitude and shole of
gods; And in brief, whether we have not found in our selves the
sins, as well as the blood of the Gentiles, and acted over some or
all the abominations, set down to judge our selves by, Rom. i. from
the 21. verse to the end? [ D]
Lastly, for the life of grace in us, Whether many of us are not as
arrant heathens, as meer strangers from spiritual illumination,
and so from the mystical Commonwealth of Israel as any of them;
Clem. Strom. 2. calls the life of your unregenerate man a Heathen life,
and the first life we have by which we live, and move, and grow,
and see, but understand nothing; and 'tis our regeneration by
which we raise our selves 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, from being still meer Gentiles:
and Tatianus farther; that without the spirit we differ from beasts, [ E]
only 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, by the articulation of our voice. So that in
fine, neither cur reason, nor Christian profession, distinguisheth
us either from beast or Gentiles, only the spirit is the formalis ra∣tio
by which we excel and differ from the Heathen sons of darkness.
Wherefore, I say, to conclude, we must in the clearest calm and
serenity of our souls make a most earnest search and inquest on our
selves, whether we are yet raised out of this heathenism, this ig∣norance,
this unregeneracy of nature, and elevated any degree in [ F]
the estate of grace; and if we find our selves still Gentiles, and
(which is worse then that) still senseless of that our condition, we
must strive, and work, and pray our selves our of it, and not suffer
the temptations of the flesh, the temptations of our nature, the
temptations of the world, nay, the temptations of our secular,