all to walk worthy of his Redeemer he that subdues his sensuall desires and appetite to the more noble faculties of the soul Reason and Understanding and makes that understanding of his serve him by whom it is and doth understand he that subdues his lust to his will submits his will to reason his reason to faith his faith his reason his will himselfe to the will of God this is practicall experimentall and saving knowledge to which the other is but a bare name or title For what is the notionall sweetnesse of honey to the experimentall taste of it It is one thing to know what riches are and where they be and another thing to be master of them It is not the knowing but the possessing of them that makes rich What saith one No more then the knowledge of goodnesse maketh one to be named a good man no more doth the knowledge of wisdom only cause any person properly to be called a wise man And certainly that wisdom and learning is little worth which nothing profits the owner of it either to vertue or happinesse These things if ye know happie are ye if ye do them Iohn 13.17 So that he is the best Scholer that learnes of Christ obedience humilitie c. He the best Arithmetician that can adde grace to grace He the best learned that knows how to be saved Yea all the Arts in the world are Artlesse Arts to this But alas Naturall men are so far from being thus learned that not one of them doth really and by his own experience know the chiefe Points of Christian Religion such as are Faith Repentance Regeneration the Love of God the Presence of the Spirit the Remission of sins the Efusion of Grace the Possession of heavenly Comforts he knows not what the peace of Conscience and joy in the holy Ghost is nor what the communion of Saints means he knows not what it is to have a certain and experimentall feeling with a continuall proofe of Gods favour in the whole passage of a mans life and practise c. Pro. 24.7 when every of these are easie and familiar to the meanest and simplest beleever Object But the Word of God in divers places calls worldly men wise men yea ascribes the greatest wisdom and knowledge to the wicked Answ It s true but in what sense Do ye not perceive that God either speaks it in a holy derision as Gen. 3.22 is to be understood Or else he speaks it in the person of the wicked calling it wisdom because worldly men deem it so as in another place he calls preaching the foolishnesse of preaching because wicked esteem preaching but foolishnesse and as Christ calls the Pharisees just beâ—ause they justified themselves Luke 15.7 Or thirdly he means the wisdom of the flesh or of the world and that is as much as if he had said in other words foolishnesse for the wisdom of the world is foolishnes with God and no lesse then twelve times infatuated by the wisdom of God in one Chapter 1 Cor. 2. But to make it more plain that no naturall man is a wise man we must know that there is a speculative knowledge in the brain common to hypocrites with Gods children Heb. 6.4 And there is a spirituall and heavenly wisdom a practicall experimentall and saving knowledge in the heart which keepes a man from every evill way Pro. 2.12 peculiar to the godly alone Ephes 4.8 and 5.8 The naturall man saith Paul perceiveth not the things of the Spirit of God for they are foolishnesse unto him but the spirituall who have the minde of Christ understand all things even the deep things of God 1 Cor. 2.14 15 16. And again We speak the wisdom of God in a mystery even the hed wisdom which none of the princes of this world have known 1 Cor. 2.7 8. See Thess 5.4 5. Wâ—ence it is that naturall men are said to be in darknesse Ephe. 5.8 Matth. 4.16 whereas the regenerate are called Children of the light and of the day 1 Thess 5.4 5. Luke 1.79 Which comparison is very emphaticall For 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 Whence iâ— follows that as meer sense is uncapable of the râ—les of reason so reason is no lesse uncapable of the things which are supernaturall And as to speak is only proper to men so to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven is onely proper to beleevers Sense is a meer beasts reason a meer mans Divine knowledge is only the Christians Now if it be askt Why a naturall man perceiveth not the things of the Spirit of God Saint Paul in the place before quoted answers He cannot know them because they are spiritually discerned 1 Cor. 2.14 For if they be spiritually discerned how should they discern them that have not the Spirit For as no man can see the Sun but by the light of the Sun so no man can know the secrets of God but by the revelation of God 1 Cor. 12.8 Matt. 16.17 To know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven we must have hearts eyes and cars sanctified from above Deut. 29.2 3 4. Psal 111.10 Luke 24.45 Iohn 15.15 Rom. 8.14 15. Neither is spirituall and heavenly wisdom the fruit of time and study as the naturall is It is not eloquence nor Logicall demonstrations that can make us capable of it We cannot attain to supernaturall and celestiall knowledge by any naturall and terrestriall means No learning nor experience will serve to know that great mysterie of godlinesse and hid wisdom spoken of 1 Cor. 2.6 7 8 10 c. to know the riches of the glory of Gods inheritance in the Saints to know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge c. Ephes 1.17 18. and 3.19 Because this wisdom descendeth from above Iames 3.17 2. Secondly As none can attain to this precious grace of saving knowledge except it be given them from above so it is a jewell of such worth that God gives it to none but his children the godly and such as he knows will improve their knowledge to his glory The servant saith Christ meaning the ungodly man knoweth not his masters will but I have called you friends speaking to his Apostles and in them to all that are converted for all things that I have heard of my Father have I made known unto you Iohn 15.15 Surely saith Solomon to a man that is good in his fight God giveth wisdom and knowledge Eccles. 2.26 intimating that he doth not so to the evill man The wise that is the godly saith Daniel shall understand but none of the wicked shall have understanding Dan. 12.10 A scorner seeketh wisdom findeth it not but knowledge is easie to him that will understand Pro. 14.6 that is to him that will be bettered by his understanding Wicked men understand not judgement but they that seek the Lord
the Sea Mark 9.42 That he will destroy them for ever and roote them out of the Land of the living whose tongues imagine mischiefe and are like a sharpe Razor that cutteth deceitfully loving to speake evill more than good Psalm 52.2 to 5. That hee will confound such as persecute his Children and destroy them with a double destruction Ier. 17.18 Yea that he will render unto there enemies seaven fold into their bosome their reproach wherewith they have reproached the Lord Psalm 79.12 In fine that he will rayne upon them snares of fire and brimstone with stormes and tempests Psalme 11.6 and after all cast them into a furnace of fire where shall bee wayling and gnashing of teeth for evermore when the just whom they now despise shall shine as the Sunne in the Kingdome of their Father They durst not doe as they doe to the godly Yea if they did beleeve but that one place 2 King 2.24 Where God caused two and fortie little Children to be devoured of wild Beares onely for nick-naming Elisha they durst not nick-name the religious as they doe But alasse they are so farre from beleeving what God threatens in His Word against these sinnes that they blesse themselves in their hearts saying wee shall have peace we shall speed as well as the best although wee walke according to the stubbornnesse of our owne wills so adding drunkennesse to thirst Deut. 29.19 Yea they preferre their condition before other mens who are so abstemious and make Conscience of their wayes even thinking that their God deceiveth them with needlesse feares and scruples as oncâ— Rabshakeb would have perswaded the Jewes touching their trust and confidence 2 King 18.22 25 30 32 33 35. Yea how i' st possible that any wicked man should beleeve what is written of God in the Scripture especially touching his justice and severity in punishing sinne with eternall destruction of body and soule For did they really and indeed beleeve God when he saith that his curse shall never depart from the house of the swearer Zac. 5. They durst not sweare yea and forsweare as they doe much lesse durst they take a pride in oathing of it resembling Ballio the baud in Plautus who was not ashamed but even proud of Carting Yea which is worse reprove a swearer and he will sweare the more to spite you Which were not possible if believing God they did not what in them lyes give themselves over to the Devill Againe did they believe that neither fornicators nor Idolaters nor adulterers nor thieves nor murtherers nor drunkards nor swearers nor raylours nor lyers nor covetous persons nor extortioners nor unbeleevers nor no unrighteous men shall inherit the Kingdome of Heaven but shall have their part in that lake which burneth with fire and brimstone which is the second death 1 Cor. 6.9 10. Revel 21 8. they durst not continue in the practice of these sinnes without feare or remorse or care of amendment Did they beleeve that except their righteousnesse doe exceed the righteousnesse of the Scribes and Pharisees they shall in no case enter into the kingdome of Heaven Matth. 5.20 And that without holinesse no man shall see the Lord Heb. 12 14. with many the like it were impossible they should live as they doe Yea if they did in good earnest beleeve that there is either God or Devill Heaven or Hell or that they have immortall soules which shall everlastingly live in blisse or woe and receive according to that they have done in their bodies whether it bee good or evill 2 Cor. 5.10 they could not but live thereafter and make it their principall care how to be saved But alasse they beleeve what they see and feele and know they beleeve the Lawes oâ— the Land that there are places and kindes of punishment here below and that they have bodyes to suffer temporall smart if they transgresse and this makes them abstaine from murther felony and the like but they beleeve not things invisible and to come for if they did they would as well yea much more feare him that hath power to cast both body and soule into bell as they doe the temporall Magistrate that hath onely power to kill the body They would thinke it a very hard bargaine to win the whole world and lose there owne soules Luk 9.25 But alasse if visible powers were not more feared than the invisible GOD and the halter more than Hell naturall men being like beasts that are more sensible of the flash of Powder than of the Bullet the World would bee over-runne with outrage Whereas now even the worst of the Serpents Seede by reason of Authority are kept in a meane betweene Devills and Christians so living like beasts because they thinke they shall dye like beasts without any answer for ought they have either acted or left undone True they doe not alwayes nor at any time altogether think there is no GOD or judgment to come Not alwayes for though at present they thinke their villany is unseene because it is unpunished according to that in the Psalmes The wicked thinketh there is no GOD and the reason followes his wayes alway prosper Psalme 10.4 5. yet none as Plato speakes are so confirmâ—d in Atheisme but some great danger will make them flye to the ayde of a Divine power Extremity of distresse will send the prophanest to God as the drowning man stretcheth out his hand to that bough which hee contemned whiles hee stood safe on shore Even Sardanapalus who for all his bould denying of God at every hearing of thunder was wont to hide his head in a hole Yea in their greatest jollity even the most secure heart in the world hath some flashes of feare that seaze on them like an Arrest of Treason for conscience cannot but somtimes look out of it selfe and see what it would not At least on their death beds they would give all the world to bee sure what the Scripture speakes of Hell were not true though all their life they supposed it but a fable How oft doe those ruffians that deny God at the Tap-house preach him at the Gallowes and confesse that in sobriety of spirit which they oppugned in wantonnesse And not seldome are the most lethargized consciences so awakened ere they go to hell that Spira-like they depart desolate desperate in into hellish horrors Prosperity doth so tympanize mens soules and entranse them from themselves that they forget they hada Maker Who is God saith Pharaoh There is no God saith Nabuchadnezar What God can deliver out of my hand saith Rabshakeh I am God sayes Alexander But Nabuchadnezar found there was a God Pharaoh found what that God was Rabshakeh found to his cost that there was an Almighty God able to deliver in the Valleys as well as on the hills Alexander found hee was not as he supposed and confest that he knew himselfe mortall by two things viz. Sleepe and Lust And so it shall fare with these in the end They
foolish Tertullus mistooke the antidote for the poyson the remedy for the disease Indeed he had some wit in his anger and so have his followers in slandering such as excell in vertue for whereas formerly the splendor of the others vertues hath obscured the meannesse of their credit as the lesser light of a candle is obscured by the greater light of the Sun so now by clouding and depraving him and all his fellowes himselfe shall bee judged vertuous very cheape accounted a man of honesty and honour though a Paricide or a sacrilegious person And is it not good policy for a swinish drunkard or a beastly liver to fling durt in a holy mans face when first any colour seemes the fairer when as black is by Secondly when being conscious of their owne defects by this meanes they draw away mens thoughts and consideration of the beholders from climing up into their faults while they are fixed and busied upon a new object One colour we know being laid upon another doth away the former and remaines it selfe A Cut-purse in a throng when he hath committed the fact will cry out my Masters take heed of your purses and he that is pursued will cry stop theefe that by this meanes he may escape unattached 9. It is usuall with them to Curse the godly as Goliah cursed Dauid 1 Sam. 17.43 And also Shimei 2 Sam. 16.7 to 15. Thus the Heathen cursed Israel Zach. 8.13 And thus the wicked in all ages shall be so drunke with malice that they shall spew out cursing and slander against the godly as our Saviour hath foretold Mat. 5.44 And experience proves that not a few amongst us doe steep their words in hate and curses against the good carrying this deadly poyson these arrowes swords knives razors in their mouthes wherewith to interlace their discourse whether in reviling the present or backbiting the absent There is a generation pity they should be called Christians all whose Prayers are Curses and all their relations lyes Or if sometimes they lend the truth their voice they are but false witnesses in speaking of it for their hearts are of another judgement As let them say with their mouthes I beleeve in God or Our Father which art in Heaven or God spake these words c. even in this they lye for in their hearts they thinke there is no God at all or if with their hearts they beleeve and with their tongues confesse that there is a God at least by their workes they deny him and the power of his word So that all the difference betweene them and very Infidels is onely this the one are infidels in their hearts the other are infidels in their lives as Augustine pithily And what 's the reason they curse us but this They are the Devils best schollers and of his highest Forme the language of Hell is so familiar unto them that they speake not a word of our countrey language And indeed how should they speake the language of Canaan to whom blasphemy is become the mother tongue Secondly they curse us because they cannot be suffered to kill us for in heart and Gods account they are no better then murtherers nor will it be any rare thing at the day of Judgement for Cursers to be indited of murther they would kill us if they durst they doe kill so farre as they can I would be loath to trust his hands that bannes me with his tongue It is easie to guesse how they would deale with us if we were at their mercy He that siniled on David in his throne curseth him in his flight Now his unsound and treacherous heart discovers it selfe in a tongue full of venome a hand full of stones and had not David been yet too strong for his impotent Subject hee had then breathed his last Prosperous successe hides many a false heart as a drift of Snow covers a heape of dung but when that white mantle melts the filthy rottennesse will soone appeare Neither is it any sinne we commit or offence we give them that they Curse us Who could have lesse deserved those curses those aspersions those stones then David Had Shimei been other then a dog he had never so rudely barked at so harmeles a passenger That head deserved to be tonguelesse that body to be headlesse that thus blasphemed an Innocent though he had been lesse then the Lords Anoynted Againe Why would they kill our bodies but because they could not slay our soules For it is soule-blood which the Serpent and his Seed thirst after as I shall shew afterward But alasse if all their Curses and threats all their aspersions and Antichristian slanders could flout us out of the integrity of our devotion when our forefathers feared not the flames wee were fearefull cowards As for their banning of us we have learnt from Solomon That the causelesse curse shall not come Prov. 26.2 or at least it shall not come where the curser meant it Yea the Psalmist tels us plainely That though they curse yet God will blesse Psalm 109.28 And his blessing shall doe us good while their curses hurt none but themselves for what saith the Holy Ghost in the same Psalme speaking of the desperately wicked whose brand is that they love cursing The words are these As hee loved cursing so shall it come unto him and as he loved not blessing so shall it be farre from him As he cloathed himselfe with cursing as with a rayment so shall it come into his bowels like water and like oyle into his bones Let it be unto him as a garment to cover him and for a girdle wherewith he shall be alwayes girded ver 17 18 19. Heare this all yee whose tongues run so fast on the Devils errand Yee loved cursing you shall have it both upon you about you and in you and that everlastingly if you persevere and goe on For if Christians be charged to blesse their enemies What will be their case that curse their friends Yea if he which but curseth Satan curseth his owne soule as it is Eccles 21.27 What doth he that curseth the Saints and deare children of God Surely their curses shall bound back into their owne brests as the stones which Shimei threw at David did rebound upon Shimei and split his heart yea and at last knockt out his braines Cursing mouthes are like ill made Peeces which while men discharge at others recoile in splinters upon their owne faces Their words and wishes be but whirle-windes which being breathen forth returne againe to the same place Cursed be hee that curseth thee Gen. 27.29 Yea hee shall be cursed with a witnesse for even Christ which came to save the World shall say unto them at the last day Depart yee cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the Devill and his Angels Matth. 25.41 Where they shall doe nothing but curse for evermore Revel 16.11.21 And indeed Who should goe to Hell if cursers should be left out Wherefore let all those learne to
understand all things Prov. 28.5 and 3.32 They which observe the Commandements have a good understanding saith David Psal 111.10 the rest have an ill understanding and a vain an understanding like that of the Scribes and Pharisees which was enough to condemne them but not to save them Thus as no man can see God and live so no man can see Christ who is God sitting at the right hand of his Father in heaven so long as he lives a meer naturall man 1 Cor. 2.14 God will not powre new wine but into new vessels Matth. 9.17 Christ is said to have expounded all things to his Disciples apart to shew that if we will have Christ to teach us we must go apart from the world If any will do Gods will saith our Saviour he shall know the Doctrine whether it be of God or no Iohn 7.17 So that no man can learn this doctrine but he that doth it as no man could learn the Virgins song but they that sang it Revel 14.3 Yea if the fear of the Lord as Solomon speaks is the beginning of wisdom how should they have wisdom that have not the fear of the Lord All unrepentant sinners are enemies to God servants to Satan now we men do not tell our secrets to enemies neither will an Artificer teach another mans servants his trade but the righteous are Christs friends and brethren and fisters and father and mother between whom there is a kinde of familiarity so that he makes them of his counsell His secrets saith Solomon are with the righteous Pro. 3.32 And again Psal 25.14 The secrets of the Lord are revealed to them that fear him and his Covenant is to give them understanding 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 he tells the wicked Besides What should he do with a talent that will not improve it And let a wicked man know never so much he is resolved to be never the better man And they that are unwilling to obey God thinks unworthy to know which is but equity Indeed if they will put off concerning their former conversation the old man with his corruptions and deceiveable lusts and be changed by the renewing of there mindes and by putting on the new man which after God is created in righteousnesse and true holinesse Ephe. 4.20 to 25. Col. 3.10 2 Cor. 5.17 1 Iohn 4.7 Then they shall see what the good and acceptable and perfect will of God is as Saint Paul and our Saviour Christ shewes Rom. 12.2 Matth. 5.8 For God in the person of wisdom hath made a generall promise to all that will serve him Pro. 1. If thou wilt turn saith God at my correction I will power out my heart unto thee and make thee understand my words Verse 23. But else they shall blindly go on in persecuting Christ and his members perhaps to the killing of his prophets and thinke also that they do God good service Iohn 16.2 3. For as they like not to retain God in their knowledge saith the Apostle so God shall give them over to vile affections and to a reprobate minde Rom. 1.28 And because they will not teceaue the truth in love that they might be saved therefore God shall send them strong delusions that they might beleeve lies that all they might be damned which beleeve not the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousnesse 2 Thes 2.10.11.12 And is it not just with God to say they would none of Christ let them welcome Sathan and Antichrist Quest What instruction from the premisses Ans As it ought to stop all wicked mens mouthes so it may both serve for direction and comfort to the godly and to informe all First If it be so that all naturall men are uncapable of divine and supernaturall knowledge that they are blinde touching spirituall things let not any carnall wretch hereafter dare to speak evill of the things actions and persons which are out of the reach of his capasity but silently suspend his judgement untill he is better informed For as it pertaineth not to the rusticke to judge of Letters so it belongeth not to naturall men to judge of spirituall things And in matters of censure nothing but a certaine knowledge should make us give a certaine judgement and in the meane time confesse that Ioseph may know his brethren although they know not him Hee which is spirituall discerneth all things yet he himselfe is Iudged of no man 1 Cor. 2.14 that is of no naturall man 2. Let those that have used to speake evill of the way of truth learne to kicke no more against the pricks lest they bring the same curse upon themselves that those did which brought up an evill report of the holy Land viz. that As they never entred into the terrestriall Canaan So these never enter into the Celestiall Yea put case they shall thinke to doe God good service in it for there is a way saith Salomon that seemeth right to a man but the issues thereof are the wayes of death Pro. 14 12. 3. If all who deride and persecute the godly are ignorant persons as hath beene proved then let not Gods Children be discouraged maugre all slander and opposition nor thinke the worse of themselves if such reproach them never so The Corinthians exceedingly slighted Paul he was this and he was that But what saith Paul With mee it is a very small thing that I should be judged of you 1 Cor. 4.3 4. Alasse the best of them saw no more than St. Paul soutside the grace of his heart the raptures of his soule the ravishing delights of the inward man and the like spirituall priviledges more glorious than the states of Kingdomes were to these sensualists as a covered messe And indeed naturall men are as fit to judge of spirituall matters as blind men are fit to judge of colours We know little Children will often laugh at wise men when they are about serious and necessary affaires and businesse which notwithstanding is not an argument of the unworthinesse of the things they laugh at but of the folly of them which laugh Will the Merchant be discouraged because his Wine pleaseth not a sicke mans palat when those that are in health commend it and himselfe knowes it to be good Much lesse cause have we to be discouraged having more certainety to rely upon Our enemies have Sense Reason and Experience to confirme their judgements but wee have them with an advantage of three infallible witnesses Gods Word and Spirit and Faith Wherefore henceforward let us take our Saviours Counsell and seeke to justifie our judgements to the children of Wisdome of whom she is justified and not to fooles by whom she is daily crucified Neither let any thinke the better of such whom they extoll for the blinde eate many a flye 4. This shewes that they suspect much because they