But, alas ! the scope of the world is contrary ! Instead of bringing the soul into captivity to God's truth, to be led by him, to have no thoughts, no aims contrary to God's will, they make God's truth a captive and pri- soner to their own base afiections ; as St Paul saith, Rom. i. 18, ' They hold the truth,' they withhold it as a prisoner under base afiections. And whereas all should serve the main end, and intend better things, they make a counterfeit loving of good things to serve their carnal ends, they make heaven serve earth, they make God serve man, the Spirit serve the flesh : they invert the order of things clean, which is as contrary to natm'e as if thej had wisdom to consider it, as that the heaven should be under the earth, and the water above the air. It overturns all in religion, when we suffer carnal wisdom to rule all, to imprison that light that God hath put into the heart and conscience, and the light of his word to base afiections, and not to bring all into captivity to the Spirit and the word.
When we come to hear God's word, we should consider that we come not for recreation ; but we come to a counsellor, to that that should sway and direct all our ways and words, to that that is not only our comfort in the time of afiliction, but our counsellor. As David saith, ' it was the man of his counsel,' Ps. Ixxiii. 24, et alibi. So we come here to be counselled, to hear that which must direct us in the way to heaven. We must come with a purpose to be guided by that, to be taught. As Cornelius saith, * We are here in the presence of God, to hear what shall be said to us from God,' Acts X. 33. St Paul gives this direction, 1 Cor. iii. 18. If a man will ' be wise in heavenly things, let him be a fool first.' It is a strange thing, ' Let him be a fool,' that is, let him be content to be esteemed so, let him be content to lose his reputation of wisdom, * that he may be wise.' When he knows others to be fools, let him take a substantial course, that the vain world may think him wise.
It is hard counsel ; for of all imputations in the world, many and the most had rather be accounted wicked, than be accounted fools. Account them the veriest fools which are unfit to speak ; think of them in the highest degree of ill you can, Oh ! they have wit enough for that, they have leai'ning, and parts for that ; take not away their learning, and parts, account them not fools, account them what you will. Religion masters this base opinion. Saint Paul saith, ' Let a man be a fool, if he will be wise.' Let no man deceive himself, and think, let poor men be so, and so ; religion is the private man's good, and let them make conscience of such things ; but for us that are in place and authority, we must rule by policy, and he knows
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not how to rule that is not a politician. Let no man deceive himself; there is no man, gi'cat or small, but if he will be wise for heaven, ' let him be a fool,' let him take courses that are conscionable, though he be accoimted a fool for his pains.
Let us be jealous of our own hearts in private and public, let us take heed to our own hearts that the flesh come not in. Let us labour to be acquainted with Christ, that he may bo our counsellor and our guide in all things.
Specially now when we come to the communion. We now renew our covenant with God, and our acquaintance with Christ Jesus ; we come to feast with him. Do we think to have any good by him, any benefit by his death, except we make him our king and prophet, to rule and guide us, except we make him our counsellor ? Therefore let us think before- hand, we cannot come as we ought to receive the communion, unless we intend beforehand to renounce the flesh, Christ's enemy. Can you be welcome guests, and resolve after to be led and ruled by his enemy ? If you will have good by Christ's death, as a priest to reconcile you to God : (as this sacrament seals the benefits of his death, the breaking of the bread, and the pouring out of the wine,) come with a purpose to be ruled, and guided by this counsellor in all things. He is the great Counsellor, Isa. ix. 7, that is willing to advise us by his word and Spirit in all the par- ticular passages of our lives ; and the more we enter into acquaintance with him by the sacrament, and maintain it by private prayer, and by all sacred means, the more ready he will be to do the ofiice of a friend, and counsellor, in all the passages of our lives to advise us what is best. I had occasion in verse 12th to speak at large of fleshly wisdom, therefore I pass it.