graine of grace is more worth then many pounds of naturall parts But learning and grace do not alwayes keepe company together yea oh Lord how many are there that have a depth of knowledge yet are not soule wise that have a library of Divinity in their heads and not so much as the least catechisme in their consciences No rare thing for men to abound in speculation and be barren in devotion to have full braines and empty hearts clear judgement and defiled affections fluent tongues but lame feet yea you shall heare a flood in the tongue when you cannot see one drop in the life But see how justly they are served they might bee holy and will not therefore though they would bee soule wise yet they shall not the scorner seeketh wisdome but findeth it not Pro. 14.6 Let them know never so much they are resolved to be never the better and they which are unwilling to obey God thinks unworthy to know § 51. NO wicked man is a wise man That no wicked man is a wise man for as God is the giver of wisdome so hee reveales himselfe savingly to none but his children the godly First God only is the giver of it For as no man can see the Sunne but by the light of the Sunne so no man doth know the secrets of God but by the revelation of God Mat. 16.16 17. to know the mysteries of the Kingdome of Heaven wee must have hearts eyes and eares sanctified from above Deut. 29.2 3 4. Ps 111.10 Luk. 24.45 Ioh. 15.15 Rom. 8.14.15 No learning nor experience will serve to know the riches of the glory of Gods inheritance in the Saints to know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge Eph. 1.17.18 and 3.19 for as meere sense is uncapeable of the rules of reason so reason is no lesse uncapeable of the things that are supernaturall Yea the true knowledge of the nature and state of the soule must come by his inspiration that gave the substance As the soule is the lamp of the body and reason of the soule and religion of reason and faith of religion so Christ is the light and life of faith 2. God reveales himselfe savingly to none but the godly and such as he knows will improve their knowledge to his glory even as husbandmen will not cast their seed but into fruitfull ground which will returne them a good harvest the secrets of the Lord saith David are revealed to them that feare him and his covenant is to give them understanding Psa 25.14 these secrets are hid from the wicked neither hath hee made any such covenant with them the faithfull are like Moses to whom God shewed himselfe Exod. 3. like Simeon that imbraced Christ in his armes Lu. 2.28 like Iohn the beloved Disciple that leaned on his bosome Ioh. 13.25 like the three Disciples that went with him up the mount to see his glory Matth. 17. like the Apostles whose understandings he opened Luk 24.45 and to whom hee expounded all things whereas to unbelievers he speakes all things as it were in Parables Mar. 4.34 see this in Abrahams example shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I do saith God Gen. 18.17 As if this were an offence in God if he should tell the righteous no more then hee tells the wicked They which love God saith S. Iohn know God but they which have not this love know not God though they have never so much knowledge besides 1 Iohn 4.7 Yea suppose a man be not inferiour to Porcius who never forgat any thing he had once read to Pythagoras who kept all things in memory that ever hee heard or saw to Virgil of whom it is reported that if all Sciences were lost they might bee found in him to Bishop Tunstal whom Erasmus called a world of knowledge to A ristotle who was called wisdome it self in the abstract to that Romane Nasica who was called Corculum for his pregnancy of wit that Grecian Democritus Abderita who was also called wisdome it selfe that Britaine Guildas called Guildas the sage that Iew Aben Ezra of whom it was said that if knowledge had put out her candle at his braine shee might light it againe and that his head was a throne of wisdome or that Israelitish Achitophel whose words were held as Oracles to Iosophus Scaliger who was skil'd in thirty languages yet if he want faith holinesse the love of God and the Spirit of God to be his teacher he shall not be able really and by his owne experience to know th◠chiefe points of Christian religion suc◠as are Faith Repentance Regeneration◠the love of God the presence of the Spifrit the Remission of sins the effusion o◠grace the possession of heavenly comforts not what the peace of conscience and joy in the Holy Ghost is nor what the communion of Saints means when every one of these are easie and familiar to the meanest and simplest believer Now will you know the reason the feare of the Lord saith Salomon is the beginning of wisdome Prov. 1.7 as if the first lesson to be wise were to be holy For as the water ingendereth yce and the yce againe ingendereth water so knowledge begets righteousnesse and righteousnesse again begetteth knowledge It is between science and conscience as it is betweene the stomack and the head for as in mans body the raw stomack maketh a rheumatick head and the rheumaticke head maketh a raw stomack so science makes our conscience good and conscience makes our science good It is not so much scientia capitis as conscientia cordis that knowes Christ and our selves whence Salomon saith give thine heart to wisdome Pro. 2.10 and let wisdome enter into thine heart Proverbs 4.4 Againe if it be ask'd why the naturall man perceiveth not the things of the Spirit of God S. Paul answers he cannot know them because they are spiritually discerned 1 Cor. 2.14 and indeed if they be spiritually discerned how should they discerne them that have not the Spirit Now if it be so that men may bee exquisitely wise and incomparably learned in the worlds opinion and yet very fools in the judgement of heaven if not many wise men after the flesh are called but that a great number of them go the wrong way yea if God turnes their wisdome into foolishnesse that abuse their gifts and reveales himselfe savingly to none but such as feare and serve him then is their no safety in following their example or in building our faiths upon their judgements Indeed we are too prone to imitate the learned and to thinke we go safe enough if wee tread in their steps although they tread awry for say wee they know the will of God what hee requires and practise what they thinke will bring them to happinesse especially so much as is absolutely necessary to salvation and they do so and so or else they speake not as they think because they do not as they speake for none live worse then many of them But
sharply and certainly shut one eye so doe thou let the eyes or windowes of thy affections bee shut to the allurements of the world and the flesh least they draw thee from the right line of obedience yea shut to humane reason also least it make thee mistake and swerve from faiths injunctions And then if thou canst but bring thy flesh with it's lusts a little asleep while thy soule is waking thou hast entred â—â—rough the gate into the porch of this heavenly Palace But he that will doe this must shunne all dispute with Sathan of which else where Secondly he must get an humble conceit of his owne wisdome 2 Get an humble heart The first step to knowledge is to know our owne ignorance we must become fooles in our owne judgements before we can be truly wise 1 Cor. 3.18 And indeed the opinion of our knowing enough is one of the greatest causes of our knowing so little for what we presume to have attained we seeke not after Humble eyes â—re most capable of high mysteries he will â—each the humble his way saith David Psal â—5 9 yea the first lesson of a Christian â—s humility Matth. 11.29 Pro. 1.7 and he that hath not learnt the first lesson is not fit to take out a new One would thinke that a worldly wise man might most easily also make a wise Christian but St. Paul saith no except â—â—rst he becomes a foole that is acknowâ—edge his cleare light and wisdome which he hath so magnified for clearenesse to be blindnesse and ignorance he cannot be wise in this case 1 Cor. 3.18 Yea saith St. Cyprian it is as much lost labour to preach unto a man the things of God before he be humbled with the sight of his wants as to offer light to a blind man to speake to a deafe man or to labour to make a brute beast wise Pride is a great let to true wisdome for God resisteth the proud and onely gives grace to the humble Iames 4.6 1 Pet. 5.5 hence it comes to passe that few proud wits are reformed I am come unto judgement into this world saith our Saviour to the Pharisees that they which see not might see and that they which see meaning in their owne opinion might be made blind Ioh. 9.39 which was the reason he propounded his woes to the Pharisees and his Doctrines to the people An heart full of Pride is like a vessell full of aire this selfe-opinion must be blowne out of us before saving knowledge will be powred into us Humility is the knees of the soule and to that posture only the Lamb will open the booke Christ will know none but the humble and none but humble soules truly know Christ Now this grace of humility is obtained by taking a serious view of our wants the Peacock's pride is abated when she perceives the blacknesse of her legs and feete Now suppose we know never so much yet that which we doe knovv is farre lesse then that which we are ignorant of and the more we know the more we knovv vve vvant as all both vvise and holy men have felt and confest yea this vvas the judgement of the vvisest even amongst the Heathen Socrates being demanded vvhy the Oracle of Delphos should pronounce him the vvisest man of Greece made ansvver I know nothing but this that I know nothing neither can there be any thing in me to verifie the Oracle except this that I am not wise and know it whereas others are not wise and know it not and to be ignorant and knovv it not is by farre the greater ignorance So the renovvned Orator Cicero even bevvayled his own emptinesse I would quoth he I could light on the truth as easily as I can refut fasehood a negative knovvledge vvas the greatest knovvledge he vvould acknovvledge in himselfe He is wise that can truly see and acknowledge his ignorance he is ignorant that thinkes himselfe wise I 'le cleare it by a similitude being here below we thinke one Iland great but the whole earth unmeasurably if we were above in the firmament with these eyes the whole earth were it equally enlightned would seeme as little to us as now the least Starre in the firmament seemes to us upon earth and indeed how few Stars are so little as it even such is the naturall mans mistake in judging of and comparing what he hath with what he wants naturall wisdome with spirituall and Heavenly Wherefore if thou perceivest not more strength and wisdome to be in the weaknesse and foolishnesse of Gods truth 1 Cor. 1.25 which therefore only seemes weaknesse and foolishnesse because the strength and wisdome of it is not perceived by the fleshly eye then in the strength and wisdome of the profoundest Naturian and if thou beleivest not the godly to be most wise doe not blame them for foolishnesse but thy selfe for blindnesse and desire the Lord as Elisha did for his servant to open thine eyes Thus as by mortification and dying unto sinne we come to vivification and living unto grace or as by dying the death of nature we obtaine the life of glory so by becomming a foole a man may attaine to wisdome Wherefore get humility and thou hast mounted another step toward wisdome entred a second roome of this Palace § 164. THirdly let him get faith For as without faith no man can please God 3 Procure the eye of a lively faith so without faith no man can know God Faith doth clearely behold those things which are hid both from the eye of sense and the eye of reason I am come into the world saith our Saviour that whosoever beleeveth in me should not sit in darknesse Iohn 12.46 Reason and faith are the two eyes of the soule Reason discernes naturall objects faith spirituall and supernaturall We may see farre with our bodily eye sense farther with the minds eye reason but farther with the soules eye Faith then with both Yea the rationall doth not so farre exceede the sensuall as the spirituall exceeds the rationall and though reason and humane learning is as oyle to the Lampe of our understandings which makes them burne clearer yea so doubles the sight of our minds as Menander speakes that there is as much difference betweene the learned and unlearned as there is betweene man and beast yet Faith and illumination of the spirit adds to the sight of our minds as a Prospective glasse adds to the corporall sight Matth. 16.17 Christ is the Sunne of the soule Reason and Faith the two Eyes I am the light of the world saith our Saviour he that followeth me meaning by a lively Faith shall not walke in darknesse but shall have the light of life Iohn 8.12 and more see two eyes then one Yea the day with one eye doth for more things descry then night can doe with more then Argus eyes Vnregenerate men who want faith are like blind Sampson without his guide So that we must have minds lifted above nature
many who inquire not into the reason of ought but the practice and judge of truth not by weight or value of voices but by the number But what sayes the Proverbe of bad customes bad opinions and bad servants They are better to hang then to keepe I confesse where the Law written doth faile we ought to observe what is approved by manners and custome but though in this case custome be of great authority yet it never brings prejudice to a manifest verity and there are other cases wherein singularity is not lawfull only but laudable when vice groweth into fashion singularity is a vertue when sanctity is counted singularity happy is he that goeth alone and resolves to be an Example to others and when either evill is to be done or good to be neglected how much better is it to goe the right way alone then to erre with company Yea most happy is he that can stand upright when the world declines and can endeavour to repaire the common ruine with a constancy in goodnesse that can resolve with Ioshuah what ever the world doth yet I and my house will serve the Lord Iosh 24.15 It was Noah's happinesse in the old world that he followed not the worlds fashions he beleeved alone when all the world contested against him and he was saved alone when all the world perished without him It was Lot's happinesse that he followed not the fashions of Sodom It was Abraham's happinesse that he did not like the Chaldeans Daniel's happinesse that he did not like the Babylonians It was good for Iob that he was singular in the land of Vzz good for Tobias that he was singular in Ninive good for Annanias that he was singular in Damasco good for Nichodemus that he was singular among the Rulers as now they all finde to their great comfort and exceeding great reward Yea it was happy for Ruben that he was opposite to all his brethren happy for Caleb and Ioshua that they were opposite to the rest of the spyes happy for the Iewes that their customes were divers and contrary to all other people though Haman was pleased to make it their great and heynous crime Ester 3.8 happy for Luther that he was opposite to the rest of his country And no lesse happy shall wee bee if with the Deere we can feed against the winde of popular applause if with the Sturgion and Crab-fish we can swimme against the streame of custome and example if with Atticus we can cleave to the right though losing side or if we doe not we shall misse of the narrow way and consequently faile of entring in at the straite Gate for the greatest part shuts out God upon earth and is excluded from God elsewhere Math. 7.13 14. But the graciously prudent will in things not indifferent rather doe well alone then let it alone and thinke it no disparagement to be singular among the vicious yea they know if the cause be good the more stiffe and constant the mind is so much the better If Jesus Christ and his twelve Apostles be of their side they care not though Herod and Pontius Pilate and all the Rulers and the whole nation of the Iewes together with a world of the Roman faction be against them And indeed if thou wert not a foole thou wouldest thinke it better to be in the small number of Christs little flocke which are to be saved then in the numerous heards of those Goates which are destinated to destruction And so your excuses are taken away and all proved vaine coverings even no better then Fig-leaves which though they may seeme to cover thy nakednesse from such as thy selfe yet they will stand thee in no steede another day Wherfore drink not without thirst here that you may not thirst without drink herafter Lu. 16.24.25 Play not the foole as Lysimachus did who being in battell against the Scythians for the satisfying of his appetite onely and to procure a little drinke to quench his thirst gave himselfe over into his enemies hands and when he had drunke his fill and was haled and leading away captive into perpetuall misery while he saw his countrimen returne home with joy began to acknowledge his folly in these words O said he for how little pleasure what great liberty what sweet felicity have I lost and forgone Yea turne your laughter into sorrow your feasting into fasting be revenged of your selves of your lusts and meete your God and make your peace while now we call and you heare yea the Lord of his mercy awaken men out of the dead sleepe of this sinne that so seeing their danger they may be brought to confesse and forsake it that so they may be saved Pro. 28.13 § 56. BUt what doe I admonishing That drunkards have no faith in the Scriptures or speaking sence to a drunkard this is to make him turne the deafe eare and a stone is as capable of good counsell as hee besides they have no faith in the Scriptures they will not beleeve what is written therefore they shall feele what is written Wherefore politicall physicke the fittest for them In the meane time it were very fit if it pleased Authority they were debarred both of the blood of the Grape and the spirit of Barley a just punishment for consuming the countries fat for even cleere rocke water were good enough for such Gormundizers except we had the water of Clitorius a Well in the midst of Arcadia which causeth the drinker of it to loath wine for ever after I doe not wish them stoned to death as God commanded such ryoters and drunkards to be under the Law Deut. 21.20.21 nor banished the land as the Romans did all vicious and voluptuous persons that the rest might not be endangered and Lycurgus all inventers of new fashions least these things should effeminate all their young men for then I thinke the land would be much unpeopled Indeed I could wish there were Pest-houses provided for them in all places as there are for infected persons or that they were put by themselves in some City if any were big enough to receive them all as Philip King of Macedon built a city of purpose and peopled it with the most wicked gracelesse and irregular persons of all his subjects and having so done called it Poneropolis that is the City of wicked persons And certainely if it were considered how many Brokers of villany which live onely upon the spoyles of young hopes every populous place affords whose very acquaintance is destruction the like meanes of prevention would be thought profitable for our times Yea this were marvelously expedient considering the little good they doe being as so many loose teeth in the Mandible of the Common-wealth which were better out then in and the great hurt by their ill examples by devouring the good creatures of God which they never sweat for by disturbing the peace of the Church and Common-wealth by pulling downe heauy judgments upon the land and
Asse that feares he is not loved unlesse he be lose and scattering that strives so to be like a god in bounty that he throwes himselfe into the lowest estate of man He that gives to and spends upon all abundantly which is for none to doe but him that hath all he that had rather keepe company with the dregs of men then not be the best man he that ravells out a spacious fortune upon flatterers he that out of vaine glory will be worship't and kneed to the spending of a faire inheritance and then ends his dayes in lewdnesse and contempt as what is it that ambition will not practise rather then let her port decline he is a foolish Steward that thus showers away in one yeare what his ancestors have beene gathering twenty yea he is a mad man that makes his kindnesse to others prove cruelty to himselfe and all his posterity Ob. Againe others are all for mirth they keepe company at the Taverne with none but curious and quaint wits eloquent Poets and Orators now aske them as Manoah did Sampson Is there never a companion for thee among thy Brethren the people of God that thou must associate thy selfe with these of uncircumcised hearts and tongues They will answer Give me only these for my companions for they please me Answ Can none please thee but such as displease God dost thou not know that who so will be a friend to such makes himselfe the enemy of God Iames 4.4 or art thou ignorant that pleasant wits viciated in accustomed lewdnesse with sweete tunes entise men to destruction as is morald in that fiction of the Sirens they delight the sense but slay the soule and will any man poyson his body to please his taste or goe into an infected house to fetch out a rich suite or put his finger into a firie Crusible to take out gold It 's true like Iugglers and such as play trickes of Legerdimaine they will deceive us with a kinde of pleasure and delight but is it any priviledge for a man to be tickled to death that so he may dye laughing Their discourse may be resembled to the fruite that undid us all which was faire in sight smooth in handling sweet in taste but deadly in effect or to the Clarian water which made men eloquent but withall short liv'd or the gifts which those Elfes called Lamiae used to present unto children which made so many as accepted of them loose their comlinesse for ever after And he that much affects their company being an honest man is just like that free Citizen that so doted on a female slave that he would needs marry her though by that match he were sure by the Law to become a slave with her He overvalues the drunken and reeling love of these men that buyes it with the ruine of himselfe his estate and family Wherfore as in Meates we doe not only stand upon pleasantnesse but wholesomenesse so let us regard wholesomenesse as well as pleasantnesse in our discourse and company A good man can lend nothing to the increase of mirth in wicked company and he that will not lend let him take heede of borrowing And so much for defence against what they doe which may be avoided If you would have as much against what they say which must be endured Reade a late Treatise called THE VICTORY OF PATIENCE In the meane time thinke what account you shall give of that you have read FINIS THE TABLE A ADmonition admonitions and corrections the chiefe offices of friendship 826. no admonishing a drunkard 52. he is incapable of good counsell 106. drunkards and swearers contemne it 98. admonition to sellers of drinke Officers c. 711. Adultery looke drunkennesse Agents some for Christ some for Sathan 714. Sathans agents have many advantages above Gods servants in winning soules 714. and keeping 727. and improving them 734. Aggravation the drunkards sin aggravated by eleven circumstances 465. Atheisme drunkards and al vicious men Atheists in heart 229. 558. 590. B BElieve drunkards will believe nothing except their senses say Amen to it 623. they have no faith in the Scriptures 229. few men believe the whole written Word 590. they seeme to believe the promises but really and indeed believe no part 558. Bitter why so bitter and tart 9. Blessings no blessings without God blesse them to us 658. C CEnsure 347. of it foure reasons 349. Chide them sharply when they pray for them heartily 848. Children wel born children are touched to the quick with the injuries of their parents 824. wicked men children of the divel and partake of his nature 407. those whom they hate traduce c. children of God and partake of his nature 407. each must do the works of their father 402. Combine wicked men combine against the godly 391. and lay divellish plots to destroy them ibid. Company evill a maine cause of drunkennesse 286. exhortation to avoid evill company 856. and keepe good company 858. that it is lawful to shun their company and how 776. five reasons why 781. 1 that they may look into themselves 782. 2 that we may not be infected by them 787. 3 that we may not be infeoffed in their punishments 805. 4 because their company wil bereave us of much comfort 811. 5 that we may be at peace 821 many objections about leaving their society answered 796. excuses for keeping company taken away 860. drunkards would have our company in sinne 382. and likewise in torment 436. they think it will be some ease to have company 448. but it will prove contrary 449 Confident why worldlings are so jocund and confident 109. Consideration want of it the cause of all impiety 490. Consciences of wicked men will be awakned when perhaps the gate of mercy will be shut 488. Constancy and inconstancy 840. change in the vicious as rare a vertue as constancy in the vertuous ibid. Contempt of religion the greatest rub in the way to heaven 532 Corruption will mix with our purest devotions 574. Covenant that we will forsake the divel and all his works constantly believe c. one part of the covenant of grace â—64 Covetousnesse a cause of drunkennesse 275. covetous men fooles 613. in 6. main particulars made good 621 Cowardlinesse one speciall cause of drunkennesse 282. it will not suffer a man to doe well 749. but this is base blood 753. a coward pot-valiant will kill and slay 48. Counsell we should go to counsell and advise with others 668. wicked men give divellish counsell to others against the godly 392. Custome of sin takes away the sense of sin 427. D DEath as men live so commonly they dye 236. defering repentance til death 579. death may be sudden and give a man no leave to be sicke 580. or if it be not repentance is no easie work 581. and late repentance is seldome true ibid. death in a good cause shall pleasure not hurt us 769. which hath made many preferre it before profit pleasure