Kaina kai palaia Things new and old, or, A store-house of similies, sentences, allegories, apophthegms, adagies, apologues, divine, morall, politicall, &c. : with their severall applications / collected and observed from the writings and sayings of the learned in all ages to this present by John Spencer ...

A true sense of wanting Grace, is an argument of ha∣ving Grace. [ 705]

A Young Scholler, when he hath gotten his Seton or his Ramus once by heart,* 1.1 think∣eth he hath as much Logick as his Tutor can teach him, but when he cometh to understand things, he seeth his own errour; And so the raw Students at Athens, when they were but yet fresh-men,* 1.2 they thought that they moved in a Circle of knowledge, they would be called Sophoi, Wise men; but having spent some time at their Books, they found themselves at a losse, and thought it a great honour to be called Philo-sophi, Lovers of wisdome; And last of all, having made some

good progress through the Arts and Sciences, they accompted themselves Mo∣roi, meer Ignoramuses that understood nothing at all; the more knowledge they had, the more they discovered their own weakness and ignorance: So the more men believe, the more they come to see and feel their unbeliefe; the further they wade on in the study and practice of Repentance, the more they find out and disco∣ver their own impenitency, and complain of the hardnesse and untowardnesse of their own hearts; the more they labour and make progress in found Sanctification, the more they come to apprehend, & see their own corruption; And this very sense of wanting Grace, is an argument of Grace; It is a sure sign of Grace, to see no grace, and to see it with griefe:* 1.3 For Christ saith, Blessed are the poor, as well as pure in spirit, the one shall see God, and the other hath a present right to the Kingdom of Heaven, which is the same in effect.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Th. Gatakers loy of just.
• * 1.2

  Plutarch de perfect.
• * 1.3

  Math. 5.