will then tremble to think of the danger he hath escaped therefore the Apostle calleth the light of grace marvellous light because when God brings a man out of the dungeon of darknesse into the true light 1 Pet. 2.9 every thing is then to the poor soul very marvellous and full of admiration 4. thou sayest thou art not sensible of any danger in an ignorant estate no marvel for thou art dead and dead men are senselesse men the dead know nothing Paul tells us Ephes 4.18 that those that have their understanding darkened are alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them there is no life in the soul without knowledge spiritual knowledge is as it were the seed of true life in the soul and it maintaineth the life thereof and as the body is dead without the soul so the soul is dead without saving knowledge therefore being spiritually dead thou must needs be insensible of thy danger and so thou thinkest thou art in a good estate but hear O thou dead and sottish soul what the Lord saith unto thee this day Ephes 9.14 out of his word Awake thou that sleepest and stand up from the dead and Christ shall give thee light he doth not say Christ shall give thee life but Christ shall give thee light i. e. the light of knowledge if thou wilt awake from thy pleasing sleep and slumber Let me beseech you then if you love your souls labour to know God betimes even in your youth that is a commendable youth that is old in grace and savoureth of the wisdom of the Ancient of dayes happy is he whom Gods effectual grace saluteth at his Cradle whose spirit is Gods candle to discern youthful lusts and vanities so as to avoid them If we know God when we are young we shall not be strangers to him when we are old see thou that thy lampe be ready whensoever the Bridegroom passeth by thee make not that the task of thy Age which should be the practise of thy whole life you know by experience that a ship the longer it leakes the harder it is to be emptied an house the longer it goes to decay the worse it is to repair a nail the further it is driven in the harder it is to draw out again and can we perswade our selves that the trembling joynts the dazeled eyes the fainting heart and failing legs of a decrepit and indisciplinable old age is able to repair the many ruines which so many years ignorance have brought upon us Are there not twelve hours in the day saith our Saviour If any man walk in the day he stumbleth not John 11.9 10. because he seeth the light of this World but if a man walk in the night he stumbleth because there is no light in him It is no wisdom to defer to get the knowledge of God Non semper manet in foro pater-familias August Greg serm 1. de sanctis till old age cometh which usually brings with it a bedroll of follies to repent of no wisdom to post off this knowledge to the last hour the Lord of the Vineyard is not alwayes in the Market to set thee a work saith Austin and no marvel saith another Father if that man at the last gaspe forget himself who in all his life neglected to remember God Object 3 Others are ready further to object We have neither time nor leisure to get knowledge one saith I am in great trading and have a great many servants and much businesse in my hands to look after And another faith I have a great charge of children at home to look to and provide for and I cannot go abroad nor spare any time to get knowledge I live altogether by my labour I can spare no time for such occastons Resp 1 It is not multiplicity of businesse nor weightinesse of affairs that can excuse any mans ignorance and therefore those that are in the highest places and have the management of the greatest affairs are charged to know the Lord and to study his Word Who hath greater affairs than a King yet even Kings are commanded to know the Lord thus David chargeth Solomon his son now entering upon the Regal Dignity And thou Solomon my son 1 Chron. 28.9 know thou the God of thy Father and serve him with a perfect heart and with a willing mind Kings and great Personages are to take care of Religion and Gods Service which they cannot do without the knowledge of the Lord therefore God charged Moses that the King that should rule his people after him should take a copy of his Law Deut. 17 18 191 and write it in a Book and keep it by him and read therein all the dayes of his life that he might learn to fear the Lord his God and to keep all the words of that Law and his Statutes to do them So God commandeth Joshua the Captain and General of the Armies of Israel The Book of the Law shall not depart out of thy mouth but thou shalt meditate therein day and night Josh 1.8 that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous and then thou shalt have good successe And according to the direction of God to Moses Samuel upon the election of Saul their first King 1 Sam. 10.25 having declared to the people the manner of the Kingdom wrote it in a book and laid it up before the Lord where no doubt the King might repair to it or have a copy taken out of it for his private instruction Herein doubtlesse Jehojada the Priest 2 Kings 12.2 instructed King Jehoash this Book surely had lien neglected by the space of 57 years viz. the time of Manasses and Amnon the Father and Grandfather of King Josiah for in his time we read that Helkias the High-Priest told Saphan the Scribe That he had found the Book of the Law which he took and read first by himself and afterwards before the King whose heart melted at the hearing of it 2 Reg 22.8 9 10 11 because his Predecessours had neglected the Law and not hearkened to the words of that Book to do it Thus you see it is not weighty affairs that must hinder men from the knowledge of the Lord. Therefore Christ upbraides Nicodemus for his ignorance Joh. 3.10 Art thou a Master of Israel and knowest not these things Ignorance of God and of the things of God in them that are Rulers is a very great sin those that rule over others are to defend the true Religion and the truths of Christ and those that are professors thereof now this they be not able to do unlesse they have knowledge to discern between truth and falshood Now as weighty affairs so neither must multiplicity of businesse hinder us from attending on the means of knowledge to this purpose our Saviour gives Martha a check that she was cumbred with too
know the more ignorant a man is of God the more doth pride prevail upon him now Ignorance being the root of pride it must be the chief cause of destruction to a people for pride goes before destruction saith the wise man Proverbs 16.18 2 Ignorance is the cause of Rebellion against God to this purpose the Lord complains of his people I have nourisht and brought up children and they have rebelled against me and the reason of their rebellion against God is their ignorance of him the Oxe Isai 1.2 3. saith he knoweth his owner and the asse his Masters crib but Israel doth not know my people doth not consider Thus when Moses cometh with a message from God to Pharaoh thus saith the Lord Let my people go that they may serve me Pharaoh said Who is the Lord Exod. 5.2 that I should obey his voice c. I know not the Lord neither will I let Israel go Ignorance is the root of disobedience this sin was that which brought swift destruction upon Pharaoh and his people when Peter would have men like obedient children 1 Pet. 1. 14 15. he bids them not fashion themselves according to the former lusts of their Ignorance 3. Ignorance is the root of persecution 1. It makes men persecute Christ himself when Christ called to Saul from heaven as he was persecuting and making havock of the Church Saul Saul why persecutest thou me like one wholly ignorant of Christ he said Who art thou Lord Acts 9.5 the Lord answered I am Jesus whom thou persecutest It is said by the Apostles Act. 1.17 1 Cor. 2.8 that none of the Princes of this world knew Christ for had they known they would not have crucified the Lord of Glory Object But it may be said from Matth. 21.38 that they did know who Christ was when they saw the Son they said among themselves This is the heir come let us kill him and let us seize on his inheritance and they caught him and cast him out of the vineyard and slew him in this place it is evident that they did know him and in the other place that they did not know him for they would not have crucified him if they had known him how shall these places be reconciled Resp They did know him in regard of the reality of the thing but they had not an effectual knowledge able to change their minds and affections that were set to crucifie the Lord of Glory thus people that have the means of knowledge may be said to be ignorant First In regard they may have a general knowledge and yet be ignorant in the particular application of what they know Secondly in regard they may have a particular knowledge and yet be ignorant in regard of an effectual knowledge and this kinde of ignorance is a destroying sin a man may know what is to be done and in particular that such a thing is to be done and yet this knowledge is uneffectual if it change not the will and affections to yield obedience and so it is no better then ignorance He that saith he knoweth God and keepeth not his commandements 1 Joh. 2.4 1 Sam. 2.12 is a lyar the sons of Eli were sons of Belial and it is said of them They knew not the Lord though they were the Priests of the Lord whose lips should preserve knowledge Malachi 2.7 And as ignorance makes men persecute Christ himself so it makes them persecutors of the faithful messengers and members of Christ Ignorant men love not their teachers that be eyes to guide them seers to go before though they stand in danger of their own lives to save theirs and if the seers were once out of the way into what errour would not the blinde multitude suddenly fall were there no faithfull Ministers to lead them or speak to the people from God they could not chuse but fall to every finne against God our Saviour tells his Disciples a little before his departure out of this world If they have persecuted me they will also persecute you Joh. 15.21 but all these things they will do unto you for my names sake the reason followeth because they know not him that sent me and he tells them further that they should put them out of the Synagogues yea the time cometh that whosoever killeth you will think that he doth God service and gives the reason of it These things will they do unto you because they have not known the Father nor me John 16.2 3. Psal 14.4 Have all the workers of iniquity no knowledge who eat up my people as bread the Prophet Hosea sheweth Psal 74.20 where there is no knowledge of God in the land there is no truth nor mercy in the land the dark places of the earth are full of the habitations of cruelty that is of cruell men men that have no true knowledge of God among them are ready to act ay manner of cruelty against the people of God 4. Ignorance is the cause of Idolatry the Prophet Isaiah shewing the dotage of idolaters he sets it down thus Isai 44.17.18 he falleth down to his graven image and worshippeth it and prayeth unto it and saith deliver me for thou art my God then he sheweth the root of it to be their blockish ignorance they have not known nor understood Ignorance of the true God makes men adore any fantasticall deity Ignorant men like bruit beasts are ready to run into any sin and danger Reas 2 Because ignorance is the breach of Gods Commandments and especailly the first Commandment he that is ignorant of God is so farre from worshipping God as he ought to be worshipped that he is an enemy to God an ignorant man walkes in darknesse and he that goes in the dark is apt to stumble at every stone and fall into every ditch he that knowes not the way to life must needs walk in the way that goes down to the chambers of death he that is ignorant of him who is the Way will soon wander in a wildernesse where there is no way where there is no plain and beaten path an ignorant man runs out of Gods way viz. the way of his Commandment and walks in his own wayes and runs into extreme danger every moments an ignorant man is blind he knoweth not what he doth Prov. 4.19 his way is darknesse he knoweth not at what he stumbleth and having often stumbled at last he falleth into the pit of destruction from whence he shall never see his way out if a man be ignorant he knoweth not where he goes John 12.35 and he that walks in darknesse knoweth not whither he goes as our Saviour saith Reas 3 Ignorance doth stupifie and harden mens hearts they are in a miserable and damnable condition and are not sensible that they are so they see not their misery therefore seek they not out for a remedy The Church of Laodicea was in a blind and wretched estate but
being ignorant she knew not that she was wretched and miserable Rev 3.17 poor blind and naked The five foolish Virgins in the Parable slumbered and slept as well as the wise Mat. 25.5 that is as I conceive they thought their condition as good as that of the wise none are so confident as those that are most ignorant and this confidence of theirs undoeth them ignorance of God makes a man an opposer of the word which is the means of knowledge Prov. 13.13 and who so despiseth the word shall be destroyed Object But it may be said that our Saviour Christ praying for the Jewes that persecuted him unto death putteth an ignoramus in the plea to make it more plausible for thus it runneth Father forgive them Luke 23.34 for they know not what they do and Paul making confession of his mis-demeanors saith that he had been a blasphemer a persecutor and injurious 1 Tim. 1.13 but saith he I obtained mercy because I did it ignorantly c. and under the Law we read that if ought were committed by ignorance without the knowledge of the congregation Num. 15.25 28. c. that the Priest should make an atonement for all the congregation of the children of Israel and it should be forgiven them for it is ignorance c. and the Priest was to make an atonement for the soule that sinneth ignorantly when he sinned by ignorance before the Lord to make an atonement for him and it should be forgiven him Resp 1 That ignorance here in these alledged places cannot be said to be medium impetrationis misericordiae the meanes or cause of obtaining mercy and forgivenesse but onely sheweth the extent of mercy so we find that sin is said to be forgiven upon our confession of sin Prov. 28.13 1 Joh. 1.9 not that repentance or confession are apt or innate in themselves to procure pardoning mercy but onely that the Lord hath been pleased to prescribe this as a way how to dispence his mercy to us so when it is said that Paul and the Israelites obtained mercy because they sinned through ignorance it setteth out but only the order and not the cause of mercy 2. That simple ignorance of the mind of God doth excuse à tanto though not à toto for our Saviour saith that he that knew not his Masters will and did commit things worthy of stripes should be beaten though with fewer stripes then he that knew the will of his Lord and did it not and in this respect the Heathen are said to have known God and so were inexcusable because they were bound to have known more of him God having at first imprinted the knowledge of himselfe upon mans nature Biel. sent 2. distinct 22. Quaest 5. and man having lost it through his own default The School-men make three sorts of ignorant men either such as know not their Lords will 2 Pet. 4.3 4. because they will not know it their ignorance is ignorantia affectata an affected ignorance when men are wilfully ignorant wilfully refusing to know such things as might hinder them from sin or further them in godlinesse this is ignorantia voluntaria men being willingly ignorant that they may walk the more freely after their own lasts and our Saviour tells us it is the nature of wicked men to love darknesse rather then light because their deeds are evill Joh. 3.19.20 Vt liberius peccent libenter ignorant vel sciendi incuria vel discendi desidia vel inquirendi verecundiae vel non credendi veritati Bern and to hate the light and not to come to the light lest their evill deeds should be reproved i. e. manifested thereby to their consciences as the thief and the adulterer love the twylight and the darkest night because it hideth their wickednesses So prophane sinners and close hypocrites do not desire the knowledge of Gods wayes and would willingly be ignorant of their duty towards God because the dark dungeon of ignorance hideth many a beloved lust from them which they are not willing to forsake and could not so quietly commit were it clearly made known unto them such men as these do bring swift destruction upon themselves 2. Ignorantiae crassa supina There is a second sort which know not their Lords will because they care not to know it their ignorance is a grosse idle and negligent ignorance it is not imputed to negligence if a man know not those things which he cannot know but that is negligence when a man careth not to know that which he might know ought to know nor useth any care to know those things which appertain to salvation August ad Valent. Negligentia est qua homo defiderat non scirequae deberet scire nec adhibet sellicitudinem ad sciendum ea quae pertinent ad saIntem Ignor antia Crassa proveait ex superbia quae est primum vinculum diaboli cum quo ligatur impens qui non solum non scire desiderat sed etiam scire contemni requisita ad salutem noluit intelligere ut bene ageret and such an ignorance is a great sin Thence one of the Ancients saith Although it be a more grievous thing to sin knowingly then to sin ignorantly yet must we not therefore fly to the darknesse of ignorance as therein to seek after an excuse for it is one thing not to know another thing to neglect the means of knowledge for a man not to know those things which exceed the strength of his understanding having a desire to know this ignorance hath some excuse but when men neglect to know things knowable which are necessary to Salvation This proceedeth from pride which is the chiefest and first bond of the devill with which a wicked man is bound who not only desireth not to know but also contemneth the knowing of those things that are requisite to salvation and this is an unnaturall kind of malice seeing every man naturally desireth knowledge and such naughtinesse doth make a man indispose himself to know and to give himself to vain pleasures and carnall delights which do indispose him for the knowledge of those things which he might know A wicked mind hateth knowledge and feareth to understand his duty lest conscience compell him to do what he understandeth of such a one David speaks He bath left off to be wise or to understand and do good Psalm 36.3 Such men as these shall be beaten with many stripes 3. There are such as know not their Lords will because they cannot know it and this ignorance the School-men call an invincible ignorance not because it is simply so but because it remaineth after a man hath taken much pains used much means and done all that he can to remove it The School-men say most of them that this ignorance doth simply excuse a man from sin non solùm in tante sed in toto but this is their errour and standeth convicted by that
speech of Christ already produced Perkins Treatise of Conscience Nescire malum est Horar the servant that doth not his Masters will by reason he knoweth it not shall be beaten with stripes though fewer now this ignorance shall not wholly excuse a man because every man is bound to know God by a positive command and whether we know Gods lawes or know them not they still bind us as Master Perkins doth observe Adam had the perfect knowledge of God and lost the same for himself and his posterity no man therefore for this is to complain against the justice of God since that our first sin hath merited a greater punishment I say then that this sin may excuse for the degree and measure of the sin but not from the sin it self I come now to make use and application of the doctrine Is Ignorance the principal cause of a peoples destruction The first use shall be for lamentation what cause have we exceedingly to lament the great ignorance that is among us though God hath delivered us from that blindnesse and darknesse with which our forefathers were overwhelmed Time was men were wholly ignorant of the true God and of his worship even in this our land where in divers places thereof were Temples and Altars erected to heathenish Idols viz. In Bath the Temple of Apollo in Leicester the Temple of Janus Stow. Camden in York where Peter's now is the Temple of Bellona and in London the chief and head City of our Land where Paul's is now the Temple of Diana and if there were such grosse idolatry in these principal places what hope can there be of better things in countrey villages all our Priests were Painims our Religion was superstition our worship idolatry our Gods were dumb Idols or Dii stercorarii dung-hill deities we were all as Paul saith to the Ephesians Eph. 5.8 sometime darknesse the night of that heathenish ignorance is past and the clouds of that errour scattered by the Sun-beames of the Gospel preached among us and therefore it is much more sad and lamentable now to see men blind and ignorant under the light of the glorious Gospel of Christ what swarms of ignorant people are there every where ignorant congregations ignorant families ignorant parents ignorant children ignorant Masters ignorant servants there is no faithfull Minister that laboureth to know the state of his flock but may sadly witnesse with me the truth of this thing how few of our people and Congregations if you come to them that can render a sound reason of the hope that is in them Beloved let me tell you that this is a woful sin in this clear light of the Gospel and it is one of the sins for which God hath a controversie with the land this day and it is a sin so much the more dangerous and the more to be lamented by all that fear the Lord because it is scarcely apprehended to be a sin for a man to be a swearer a lier a drunkard a whoremonger an oppressour these sins partly by the light of nature and partly by reason of the odiousnesse of them are granted by the most to be sins but ignorance of God and of his word and of those points which are as it were the very life and marrow of Religion this is hardly taken to be a sin no man thinks himself the lesse wicked because he is ignorant this I say is the more dangerous because it passeth away unregarded and unobserved by us yet this is the fin that is the principal cause of a peoples destruction a sin against which the Lord will proceed when he cometh to judgement Hos 4.14 the people that do not understand shall fall This was Je usalem's sin which drew tears out of the eyes of our blessed Saviour when he drew near he beheld the City Luke 29.41 and wept over it saying if thou hadst known even thou at least in this thy day c. where you have 1. Our Saviour Christs lamentation for this sinful City before he goes into it Luk. 19 41 2. A prediction and prophesie of her destruction for her sins and principally for her contempt of him and his Gospel verse 43. 3. The ground of this their hardnesse of heart is their ignorance of Jesus Christ if thou hadst known even thou in this thy day there can be no greater grief to true faithful and painful Pastours Isai 49.4 then to bestow pains to no purpose lose their labours and not profit their people how doth he bewail their ignorance of himself Psal 48.1 2 Psal 87.3 Psal 132.13 14. Act. 13.27 if thou hadst known thou who art the City of God the seate of the great King the joy of the whole earth yea thou whose gates the Lord hath loved and concerning whom most glorious things have been spoken thou whom God hath chosen for his habitation and his rest thou who hast often heard these things out of the Prophets and therefore thy ignorance is grosse and palpable not to be excused or extenuated not being simple but affected and therefore thy sin and misery is the greater If thou hadst known the things that belong to thy peace i. e. if thou hadst known and wouldest acknowledge me my benefits and blessings that I now offer unto thee and would bestow upon thee for by peace here after the manner of the Hebrews we must understand affluentiam omnium bonorum abundance of all good things it is like enough that this unhappy city and her inhabitants knew and were cunning in many quirks of the law but they were not well catechised in this one needful and necessary point of the Gospel that Jesus Christ was their peace as S. Paul told the Ephesians Eph. 2.14 Acts 4.12 nor that there was Salvation to be had or hoped for by no other means hinc illae lachrimae this was their sin and this occasioned his sorrow Dolor cor constringit ita ut dolentes non possunt eloqui quae concipiunt lingua moerentis excandescentis saepe faucibus haret which he expresseth most lively emphatically and pathetically by this Aposiopesis this abrupt speech and imperfect sentence if thou hadst known in this thy day for as joy doth dilatare cor enlarge the heart and make men eloquent and fluent in speech so on the contrary sorrow and grief binds up the heart so that sorrowful persons cannot speak out the things which they do conceive and both the tongue of a sad person and of an angry person doth often cleave to their jaws for anger see an example of the young man in the Comedy see how abruptly he speaks Egone illam quae illum quae non and for grief I have read of an old man that grievously lamenting the untimely death of his hopefull sonne and being demanded the cause of his mourning was not able to expresse himself but so well as he could utter his mind he thus by an
caused them to understand the eading but what understanding can the hearer have if the Minister teach obscurely let them call this learned obscurity that will I take it rather to be unlearned obscurity for let learning appear when it should appear Let any man shew that either the Greek or Roman Oratours have been commended for dealing obscurely therefore let Ministers deal apertè perspicuè in their Sermons that the hearers may be made to understand what they teach them Solomon speaks thus of himself the more wise the Preacher was he stil taught the people knowledg Eccles 12.9 yea he gave good heed and sought out and set in order many Proverbs now to preach so as to make the people to understand what they hear much wisdom and knowledge is requisite And here let me shew that humane learning righly used is very useful and necessary to a Minister of the Gospel 1. It is very useful and necessary to the understanding and expounding of divers places of Scripture where mention is made of the motions influences and operations of the Sun Moon and Starres being celestiall and heavenly bodies which places are dark and difficult and cannot be understood without the help of naturall Philosophy and Astronomy Also where there are allusions to and similitudes and comparisons from Birds Beasts Fishes Serpents c. natural Philosophy is also needful Item in the description of Countries and regions with their several Climates and Temperatures and the natures and inclinations of their inhabitants there is use of Cosmography Geography Topography and naturall Philosophy too 2. For Logick it can by no means be lacking in a Minister for without it we cannot in many things discern the truth nor discover falshood both which both Pastor and people must endevour to do Ephes 4.14 Ephes 5.17 that we may be wise clearly to understand what the will of the Lord is and not be like children tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine by the sleight of men and cunning craftinesse of those that lie in wait to deceive 3. Learning is necessary to confute and confound pagans that are not acquainted with the Scriptures Acts 17.28 therefore Paul made use of this kind of learning at Athens out of their own Poets to confute them If one that had been born bred and brought up a long time under the earth should upon the sudden be brought into the clear light of the Sun it would so dazle his eyes as it would almost make him starke blind so if one that hath been nuzzeled up all his time in ignorance should at first be brought to the bright shining light of the Gospel it would so amaze him as he would not know what to make of it such therefore must be set in the Moon-shine or star-light of nature before they be brought to the clear Sun-shine of the Scriptures that so being overcome by common principles whereto both sides agree and give consent they may be forced to yield being foyled at their own weapons as Goliah was slain with his own sword 4. History and other things moving delight may be moderately borrowed from humane Authours and inserted into Sermons Non ad necessitatem sed ad delectationem and mixed with and mingled among Theological discourses as sauce not so much for necessity as for delight The Scriptures onely be instar panis like bread In his hujusmodi Philosophia Thealogiaese submittat ut Hagar Sarae patiatur se admoneri corrigi Sin minus pareat ejice Ancillam Clem. Alexand as needful and necessary food to suffice and satisfie nature and kill hunger and Philosophy and other humane learning that may serve for sauce both to procure appetite and help digestion But here let me adde this caution Let us beware that there be not more sauce then meat more humanity then divinity As Grynaeus reporteth of a certain Monk of Heidelberg who when Melancton was a young man lived in that University and used to read and expound to the people in their Mother tongue a piece of Aristotles Ethicks instead of a Sermon this was indeed to put Hagar in Sarah's place and therefore by no means to be endured 2. Let people also look to it that they be men of knowledge Every one of you professe your selves to be Gods servants and the Lord to be your Master now it behoves every servant to know his Master's will Luke 12.47 Every servant of God must labour to know his will revealed in his word A loving and dutiful wife that should have a letter sent to her from her husband out of a far Countrey would not throw it into a hole and there let it lie and rot but have it in her bosome neer her heart and hand that she may often peruse it and inform her self by it how she may the better order her businesse according to her husbands directions contained therein O do not rest your selves in an ignorant condition nor content your selves with any natural wisdome and understanding such as was in the old Philosophers who had not the knowledge of God in Christ but only a confused a general knowledge which could not lead them to happinesse Nor must you rest content that you have worldly wit and wisdome to get and gather together things for this life of which Christ speaks Matth. 16.26 Labour not for that wisdome that is from beneath which is earthly Jac 3.15 Exod. 1.10 sensual and devillish such was the wisdome of Pharaoh plotting to oppresse the Israelites Come on saith he let us deal wisely with them but labour for that wisdome that is from above which as it cometh from heaven so it carrieth the soul that hath it to heaven again setting the heart and affections on things that are above and let me tell you further that it is not enough for you to have other graces but you must also have spiritual knowledge and understanding And here I shall lay down and propound two great motives to labour after saving knowledge 1 Consider the great danger and mischief of ignorance 2. The great benefit and excellency of knowledge 1. For the danger and mischief of ignorance I shall discover it in many particulars 1. Without knowledge a man cannot be good An ignorant man cannot be a good man an ignorant man is apt to say I have a good heart and my heart is as good as the best thou art deceived if thou art ignorant thou canst not be good I do not mean of natural goodnesse one towards another but of being good towards God Prov. 19.2 The Soul without knowledge is not good saith Salomon it hath not a dram of goodnesse in it i. e. of true goodnesse and if a mans soul be not good his heart is naught Prov. 10.20 an ignorant man is a wicked man and the heart of the wicked is little worth saith the wise man many ignorant people are ready to say what though we
Why say the Scribes that Elias must first come So likewise Nicodemus saith How can these things be Joh. 3.9 So the Eunuch to Philip Of whom speaks the Prophet this of himself or of another Act. 8.34 When you read and hear the word and study and meditate upon it and yet remain ignorant in many points have recourse then to your Minister and Gods Messenger whose mouth the Prophet tells you must preserve knowledge you must seek the Law at his mouth This Austin tells us was one cause Vt diligentiam praestemus inquirendi potiùs quam temeritatem affirmandi August why some things in the Scriptures were so hard that we may rather shew diligence of enquiring than rashnesse of affirming Pythagoras saith that those were the best of his Schollers and the greatest Proficients in knowledge that were the most inquisitive and askt the most questions Yet such is the sottishnesse of many people that they will remain grossely ignorant in many things rather than they will ask questions to betray their ignorance 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Heracl Sick persons are not ashamed to tell the Physitian what their Disease is neither is it good to hide ignorance but to bring it forth that it may be healed saith Heraclitus when John Baptist's disciples were infected with envy and repined at Christ that he should out-strip and excell their Master with the people as is evident by the complaint they make Joh. 3.26 where they come unto him saying Rabbi or Master He that was with thee beyond Jordan to whom thou barest witness and baptizedst behold now he baptizeth more than thou and all men come unto him Hereby the holy Baptist perceiving them to be infected with ignorance and infidelity he sends them to school to Christ to correct their ignorance that they might hear the words of his wisdom to correct their incredulity they might see his Works of wonder therefore two of his disciples are sent to Christ with this question Luk. 7.19 Art thou he that should come or shall we waite for another Some think that John Baptist moveth this doubt on the behalf of himself but this could not be for first John Baptist could not be so incredulous but believe what was testified by God the Father from Heaven at his Baptism Mat. 3.17 This is my well beloved son in whom I am well pleased Yea he testified of him before he baptized him and had born this testimony That he was not worthy to carry his shooes after him Mat. 3.11 Joh. 1.29 and again Behold the Lamb of God which taketh away the sins of the world Now John Baptist could not doubt of Christ and give such large testimony of him nor was John inconstant and unsetled like a reed shaken with the wind as our Saviour testifieth of him Thus Elisha knew and was assured that his Master Elias was taken up into Heaven and yet for the satisfaction of the children of the Prophets in that point he is at last contented 2 Kings 2.17 that they shall send fifty men to seek him by the space of three dayes in the mountains So John Baptist knowing his disciples to be too much infected with the leaven of the Scribes and Pharisees by reason of their too much familiarity and correspondency that they had one with the other he sendeth them therefore to Christ to be better instructed and that they might be satisfied both concerning his person that he was true man their eyes telling them that he had the dimensions and natural properties of a true humane body and true God too working such wonders as could not be done without the finger of God and also for his office that he was a most absolute Physitian both of body and soul yea the very Messiah and Saviour of the World Thus the Publicans the Souldiers and the People come to John Baptist and say to him Master what shall we do Luk. 3.10 12 14. being ignorant they come with a desire to learn of him and here they ask a profitable question they ask not what God did before he made the World what Pharaohs Daughter or the Queen of Sheba's names were whether Solomon was saved or not whether Jonas were ever at Nineveh before he went thither to preach whether ever the Virgin Mary had any more children than Christ but they go plainly to the point to enquire about a matter needful for them to know What shall we do to avoid the wrath and enjoy the favour of God Thus you see it is our duty not to conceale Etiamsi senes magis decet docere quam discere magis tamen decet discere quam ignorare Gregor but to discover our ignorance To this purpose one of the Ancients hath a good saying Albeit it becometh old men rather to be teachers than learners yet it is more comely for them to learn than to be ignorant If a Minister be well seen in Physick or in the Law his house shall be frequented and made oraculum civitatis but for Divinity few will trouble him which sheweth that men have more care of their bodies and goods than of their souls Let me entreate you to frequent much the company of those that are godly-wise Prov. 13.20 such as have the true knowledge of God and Christ in them he that walketh with wise men shall be wise saith Solomon but a companion of fools shall be destroyed The Queen of Sheba pronounced Solomons servants happy which continually stood before him to hear his wisdom though wisdom be condemned by the foolish world for madnesse Math. 11.19 yet wisdom is justified or commended of her children Associate thy self with the godly-wise and thou also shalt become more wise Direct 8 If thou hast any small measure of knowledge be thankful for that little I will blesse the Lord who hath given me counsel Psal 16.7 saith David if thou hast received any glimpse of the saving knowledge of God in Christ then blesse the Lord who hath given thee counsell and made thee to understand aright he that is thankful for a little shall have more It is just with God to suffer their understandings to be darkened who are not thankful for the light It is charged upon the Heathens that when they knew God Rom. 1.21 they glorified him not as God neither were thankful but became vain in their imaginations and their foolish heart was darkened Unthankfulnesse for light received makes way for darknesse blindnesse and ignorance Direct 9 Labour to be humble and poor in spirit he hath promised to teach the humble Psal 25.9 Prov. 11.2 Jam. 4.8 Luk. 1.53 with the lowly there is wisdome God resisteth the proud and giveth grace to the humble he fills the hungry with good things Pride keeps a man farre from God and makes him unfit to come near him that which brings a man near is humility without humility it may be said to us as Didimus said to proud Alexander that
cloth is soonest stained and the finest wits are most subject to pride for as wormes sooner ingender in tender wood then in knotty and as mothes breed sooner in fine cloth than in course flocks so pride and vain glory do sooner assault a man of excellent parts and great knowledge then one of meaner gifts therefore pride may be said to be indengred of the ashes of all vertues Ministers should in a speciall manner take heed of pride their calling is high their gifts are or should be great and they are apt to grow proud of them and the devill hath great reason to bestirre himself to puffe them up with their knowledge for he knoweth 1. If pride overthrow them they fall not alone but like blazing starres draw tailes after them 2. Errores magni sine magnis ingeniis non nascantur Because it is a meanes to ingender heresie and schismes great errours doe never spring up without great wits and many men who seek not truth but triumph will rather then not be singular not be sound Omnes doctrinae impietatis de superbiae radice proveniunt August Man is lighter then vanity and made of the dust therefore a little wind will blow him high enough and though a man have never so much cause of abasement yet knowledge is apt to puffe and lift a man up more then the other will cast him down A man of great knowledge should not be like the Palm-tree whereof Pliny tells us Plin. nat hist lib. 16. cap 42. that the more weight is laid upon it the higher it riseth but like to the Canes that are full of Sugar the fuller they are the lower they stoop much grace and knowledge should not make a man more high but more humble yet notwithstanding there is a spirituall glorying in the knowledge of God that is lawfull a spirituall heart hath a spirituall glorying in the knowledge of the Lord bred in him by the Spirit of God Jerem. 9.23 24. of this the Prophet Jeremy speaks Let not the wise man glory in his wisdome let not the strong man glory in his strength let not the rich man glory in his riches but let him that gloryeth glory in this that he understandeth and knoweth me that I am the Lord. When a man knoweth the Lord to be his God and portion and himself to be the Lords then may he glory in this excellent knowledge all other glorying is but vain Augustine writing upon the fourth Petition of the Lords Prayer August in Orat. Dominic tells us that the greatest Emperour in the world is a very begger in regard of God and we know that beggers must be no braggers wee are but Stewards and Stewards must not be stately we must not say of knowledge and the rest of our talents as the Atheists of their tongues Psal 12.4 that they be our own and that wee will use them or rather abuse them as we list what ever any body saith to the contrary this is a false plea and a flat Non-sequitur for we are but entrusted with them and must one day bee accountable for them wee must not therefore use them at our owne pleasure but according to our Masters appointment 3. Is thy spirit the candle of the Lord dost thou know God and his wayes then take heed of apostasy and back-sliding It is better not to have known the way of righteousnesse then after they have knowne to depart from the holy Commandement given unto them 2 Pet. 2.21 See that thy goodnesse be not as a morning cloud or early dew that soon passeth away It is not enough for a souldier to have skill to use his weapons and to make a faire flourish and gallant bravado and then runne away but he must double and treble his activity till he hath foiled his foe and possessed himselfe of the field It is not enough for a Saylour to be expert in the Art of Navigation to weigh his Anchors hoyse up his Sayles and go gallantly out but his skill appeares most in coming safe home againe So it is not enough to have some knowledge of Christ and to come to him Matth. 4.28 But we must abide in him John 8.31 and his word must abide in us then we shall be his disciples indeed In a word we must work till night in Gods Vineyard if we will have our penny for that 's not paid in the Morning but at Even Matth. 20.8 He that endureth to the end shall be saved Matth. 24.13 we must be faithfull to the death if we will have the Crowne of life Revel 2.10 Some enlightened persons are very forward professours at first Psal 70.57 but tire at last like the Asses of Armenia that go apace in the morning but grow dull before noon recoyling like a bad piece or deceitfull bow or like the foolish Galathians Gal. 3.3 beginning in the spirit and ending in the flesh It must not be with knowing Christians in the profession and practice of Religion as it was wont to be in the Jewes banquets to set forth their best wine first as our Saviour tells us John 2.10 whosoever are thus are no better then hypocrites and their motion forced and violent for that is still swift at first and slow at last A good Christian is best at last like the Church of Thyatira to whose commendation our Saviour Christ saith that he knew her works that they were moe at the last then at the first whosoever is not ever good and best at last was never truly good They that have been once enlightened and have tasted of the gifts of Gods Spirit Heb. 6.5 6. if they once fall away it is impossible or very difficult for them to be renewed againe by repentance FINIS