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
my spirit upon you I will make known my words unto you wisdom calleth upon simple ones to leave their simplicity with great affection he seemeth to bewaile mens simplicity and kindly invites them to repentance you have continued too long in your folly and simplicity Gerunt secum noctem suam i.e. non tantum consuetudinem peccandi sed ctiam amorem peccati Aust in Psal 5. it is high time now to think of returning to the wayes of wisdome it is a great weaknesse for a man to be simple but to be in love with simplcity is egregious madnesse it is the worst of evills to be in love with folly hearken therefore to wisdomes call give eare to his reproof and turn in to the Lord Jesus Christ who is this wisdome here meant and he hath promised to poure his spirit upon you and to make known his words unto you and then you shall be filled with all true wisdome and spiritual understanding here then is Gods promise to the simple and unlearned mark what David saith the testimony of the Lord is sure making wise the simple Psal 19 7. the Lord not only gives wisdome but subtilty to the simple to the young man knowledge Prov. 1.4 and discretion yong men of all other are most rash and heady and very unteachable yet the Lord gives subtilty to the simple and to the young man knowledge and discretion It was written over Pythagoras School-dore 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Let no man ignorant of Geometry enter but the Lord calleth upon ignorant persons upon babes and little children to come to his Schoole and be instructed in the doctrine of the beginning of Christ the simplest that cometh to the Schoole of Christ learneth wisdom at his very first entrance there the entrance of thy words saith David giveth light Psal 119.140 it giveth understanding to the simple 3. Consider that many simple ones have attained to a great measure of knowledge who more simple then babes and little children yet to such John writeth 1 John 2.13 Basil Epist 75. ad Neocaesan I write unto you babes because you have known the Father It did not a little move our Saviour when they forbad little children to be brought unto him and when the chief Priests and Scribes took it ill that the children cryed out after Christ Hosannah thou Son of Dvid Mat. 21.15 1 Sam. 3.7 he told them it was written Out of the mouths of babes and sucklings hast thou perfected praise though young Samuel knew not God when he first called him yet from that time forwards he knew him 2 Chron. 34.3 Josiah began to seek after the God of his Father when he was but young and Paul commendeth Timothy that from a child he had known the holy Scriptures which were able to make him wise unto salvation 2 Tim. 3.15 It is the good will and pleasure of our heavenly Father to hide heavenly mysteries from worldly wise men and those that are wise in their own eyes Matth. 11.25 Just Mart. Apol. 2. and to reveal them unto babes and many that have been but children in understanding when they have applyed their hearts to wisdome and enclined their ears their thoughts their desires their affections to wisdome they have attained to a great measure of heavenly knowledge Ruffin Eccles Hist lib. 1. cap. 3. when a Philosopher subtilly disputed against Christ in a great Councell a plain simple man to look to stands up and makes confession of his Faith We believe that Jesus Christ was incarnate c. O Philosopher saith he believest thou this The Philosopher was presently stricken with astonishment and said I could answer the Philosophers with reason but this man speaks so powerfully that I am not able to resist what he saith as it is said of the Libertines that disputed with Stephen Acts 6.10 they were not able to resist the wisdom and the spirit by which he speake So even babes and simple ones shall rise up in judgement against many men at the last day when they shall appear before the tribunell of Christ even against those that despised instruction and hated knowledge and set at nought holy counsells when as poor simple and ignorant men have attained to abundance of knowledge therefore let not your simplicity keep you off from seeking after knowledge the Lord now calleth loud in your ears O ye simple ones Psal 94.8 understand O ye brutish among the people and ye fools when will ye be wise Wisdom cries O ye simple ones understand wisdom Prov. 8.10 11. and ye fools be ye of an understanding heart receive my lustruction and not silver and knowledg rather then choyce Gold for wisdom is better then rubies and all desirable things are not to be compared to it Object 2 Object Some will be ready further to object and saye We have lived many yeares some 30 some 40 some 50 some 60 yeares without preaching and without the meanes of knowledge and we find we are well enough and that there is no such great danger in ignorance as you would bear us in hand and we hope we shall do well enough for time to come without troubling our selves to get knowledge Resp 1 Resp Dost thou think that because thou hast as yet found no trouble in an ignorant and sinful way for many years past that thou shalt therefore never meet with any trouble at the last alas thou art much mistaken read one place of Scripture and think seriously of it and the Lord set it home on thy heart and then come and tell me what thou thinkest of such flattering and vain delusions of thy poor soul It shall come to passe that that man Deut. 29.19.20 21. when he heareth the words of this curse that he blesseth himself in his heart saying I shall have peace though I walk in the imagination of my heart to adde drunkennesse to thirst the Lord will not spare him but then the anger of the Lord and his jealousie shall smoake against that man and all the curses that are written in this book shall lie upon him and the Lord shall blot out his name from under heaven Deut. 29.19 20 21. and the Lord shall separate him unto evill out of all the Tribes of Israel according to all the curses of the Covenant that are written in this book of the Law Let ignorant and prophane wretches tremble at this Scripture who have lived in ignorance and prophanenesse for many years and let them take heed of blessing themselves in wayes of sin and ignorance for the Lord will make his anger and his jealousie to smoak against such persons at last Dost thou think thou shalt do well enough in the end thou art mistaken while thou art ignorant of God and his ways thou art a wicked wretch and God hath commanded his Prophets to denounce a woe against thee Isai 10.11 Say to the righteous it shall be well with him then
understandings that hath the key of David that in some measure you may be able to comprehend Divine Mysteries that they may not be as a sealed book unto you Esay 29.9 10 11. Pray further with David Psal 8611 Teach me O Lord thy way and I will walk in thy truth As God hath set a course to the Heavens with all their Hosts the Sun Moon and all the Stars and as he hath set the Sea his bounds which he must not passe without his permission yea special injunction So he hath not left man at liberty to do what he listeth but hath appointed him a way to walk in instructing him in the knowledge of himself this appeareth in that presently after he had made our first Parents Adam and Eve he gave them divers directions how to order and carry themselves 1. By sanctifying a Sabbath and resting from their labours the seventh day as God did from his Genes 2.2 3. 2. By dressing and keeping the Garden Genes 2.15 3. By abstaining from and not medling with the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge Genes 2.17 Then after their Fall and expulsion out of Paradise he taught them how to worship him and serve him which instructions doubtlesse he imparted to his posterity else what can we imagine should move his sons Cain and Abel Gen. 4. to offer sacrifice and afterwards he instructed Noah before the coming of the Flood to prepare an Ark wherein to preserve himself and Family with a certain number of all kind of creatures whereby the species and kinds might be preserved and the world renewed Genes 6.14 ad finem Then after the Flood he instructeth them what they should eat and from what they should abstain Genes 9.3 4 Afterwards he instructeth Abraham and gives him as it were an Epitome or abridgement of his whole worship and service saying I am God Almighty walke before me and be perfect Genesis 17.1 Again in the same Chapter he gives him particular instructions concerning Circumcision and in divers other places about other matters and thus in a continued Series Rank and Succession he hath from time to time taught his people first by Moses and afterwards by his other Prophets as he tells us Hosea 8.12 So Micah 6.8 He hath shewed thee O man what is good and what the Lord doth require of thee c. Now if any one shall demand where this duty is shewed he may finde it Deut. 10.12 13. You see then that from the beginning man hath not been left to himself but been instructed by God in the way wherein he should go Direct 4 Be conversant in the Scriptures which are the rules of knowledge he that will be a Physitian must learn the precepts that teach Physick he that will be a Musitian must learn the rules of Musick the Oratour must learn the rules of Rhetorick the Plough-man the rules of husbandry and so every man the rules of his profession or else he shall never be a proficient in his Art or Science nor be accounted a Crafts-man that is ignorant of the principles of his Craft even so no man can attain to the practice of those duties that belong to a Christian that is ignorant of the rules of the Word he that is ignorant of the Scriptures is ignorant of Christ Qui Scripturam ignorat Christum ignorat Hieron praefat in Isaiam saith Hierome It is a most happy ignorance saith Hilary which rather deserves reward then pardon when a man trusteth to the Scriptures in that he cannot comprehend therefore let me exhort you to study to read the Scriptures they are able to make you wise unto salvation 2 Tim. 3.15 read them frequently it is recorded of Alphonso King of Spain that he read over the Bible with Lyra's glosse and notes upon it fourteen times notwithstanding his other employments and of Anthony an Egyptian Monke August lib. 1. de doct Christ Dom. 5. post Epiph. of whom Austine in his first book de doctrina Christianâ saith that though he had no learning yet by often hearing the Scriptures read and meditating upon what he heard he learned much of them without book and attained a competent measure of understanding and knowledge Comparate vobis Biblia animarum pharmaca Chrysost homil ad pop Antioch Chrysostome thus exhorts the people of Antioch Get ye Bibles the Physick of your soules read them often for there you may find a salve for every sore a medicine for every spiritual malady here is the bread of life that must feed our hungry souls here is the light that must direct and guide us in the way to heaven as Bishop Cranmer in his Preface before the Bible The Book of God is the treasure of knowledge Hieron epist ad Paulin. Singuli libri singula fercula Anbros offic lib. 1. cap. 22. as Hierom speaks Convivium sapientiae a banquet of wisdom so many books so many messes the Scriptures are saith Doctor Sutton like to Tagus in Lusitania or Ganges in India which the Scripture calleth Pishon whose very sand and gravell is gold but when an ignorant man seeks Christ in them he falls into many Labyrinths like the Jewes and loseth himself when he should feast at this table his meat becomes his poyson the savour of it killeth him because it is the savour of death to him when he seeks for gold he is blind-folded and falls into a pit for the vaile is over his face 2 Cor. 3.5 that which should be his Pilot is like an ignis fatuus to seduce mislead him most men desire to be conversant in those Authours that treat of good arguments for the ripening of their knowledge and therefore many are delighted in history which doubtlesse is a very commendable study and the more comendable if men propound to themselve the Acts of these famous and honourable personages of whom they read not only to be admired but also to be imitated and followed as occasion shall be offered Some men are so given to the search of antiquity and finding out of nice quirks and quaint distinctions as they will take infinite toile to read Manuscripts and rude dunstieall Writers whereby they have lost even the habit of writing and speaking handsomely themselves others again are so delighted and carried away with a delicate smooth phrase and fluent stile as they will vouchsafe even to read most obscene Authours for their matter good for nothing but for the dung-hill to learn a good phrase and composition of speech Now if you defire both excellent matter and eloquent words then read the Scriptures diligently and when you have so done tell me what learning there lacketh To begin with that which every one makes most reckoning and account of and how deservedly I will not dispute I mean the Law if ever thou meanest to be a good Lawyer have recourse to the Law of God the ground of all humane Lawes and observe what Lawes were moral and perpetual binding all people
at all places at all times what ceremonial concerning the Jews till the coming of Christ and what judicial free either to be observed or let alone according to the discretion of every Law-giver and the state of his Countrey whereto he gives or makes Laws in the knowledge of all these the 5 Books of Moses will furnish thee Secondly if thou art not of such an aspiring spirit but canst as well be contented to wear a rugge gown as a velver Jacket and dost esteem more thy mind then thy body and therefore thou hast set up thy rest to be a Philosopher then do but say what part thou art addicted to and there it 's ready for thee if moral Philosophy read the book of the Proverbs if natural Philosophy read the book of Ecclesiastes and some Chapters of Job if the Metaphy sicks read the book of the Canticles or if thou wilt be an Antiquary there thou mayest find what was done as soon as any thing was done the age of the world the time of the flood the destruction of Sodom the time of the Israelites going down to Egypt and coming up again their being carried into Babylon the time of their abode there and coming back again or if you defire to see the Acts of good and bad Kings the diversity of Gods dealing with them the books of the Kings and Chronicles will give you full satisfaction in a word if you will make but the Law of God contained in the Scriptures the Looking-glasse of your lives you should be throughly furnished both how to speak and how to live therefore for the obtaining of all kind of most excellent knowledge it is most necessary to read the holy Scriptures this made David wifer then his Teachers wiser then the Ancients old men are presumed to be the wifest and wiser then his enemies Object Oh but some will object and say the Scriptures wherein is contained the knowledege of God and Christ are in may places very difficult and hard to be understood Which men that are unlearned and unstable 2 Pet. 3.38 are apt to wrest to their own destruction We are ignorant and cannot understand them Resp Let no man object his simplicity as if that thereby he were uncapable of knowing the Mysteries of Gods Kingdom Mat. 11.25 our Saviour tells us that he hideth these things from the subtill and openeth them to the simple 2. Let not the seeming difficulty of the Scriptures keep thee from reading and studying them you have heard it gives wisdom to the simple and David tells us further the Commandement of the Lord is pure Psal 19.9 enlightening the eyes he doth not say it blindeth them that read it and could see before it enlighteneth them that were blind before Some say of the Beryl a certain pretious stone that it hath an especiall vertue to preserve the eye-sight whether this be so or no I know not but this I am sure that the word of God is both a light to our eyes and to our feet yea though we fit in darknesse and in in the shadow of death yet it will give us both spiritual light and life Greg. in Ezek. 47. guiding our feet into the way of peace Gregory tells us that the Scriptures are in some places so deep that an Elephant may swim and in other places so shallow as a Lamb may wade and Austin tells us in some places it is plain and easie that the simple might love it and in others hard and obscure lest the subtill might loath it Quae aliis lociso bscuré ambiguè traduntur in aliis planè perspicuè explicantur Basil some places are hard and difficult to exercise the learned and others are easie to allure the unlearned to the study of them and Basil saith that those things which in some places are obscurely and doubtfully delivered are in other places plainly and pespicuously explained All things needful and necessary to be known to salvation are so revealed as they may be understood in the Scriptures or if there be any hardnesse it is either in the hearts of the readers John 8.47 or hearers rather then either in the words or matter of Scripture And Chrysostom tells us that it 's very probable that therefore the Scriptures were penned by Publicans Fsher-men Tent-makers Shepherds and Neat herds to the end that Artificers Housholders Plough-men Widowes Boyes and Girles and unlearned women might read and understand them 3. It is a duty commanded by God that thou shouldest study the Scriptures Col. 1.9 and be filled with the knowledge of Gods will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding as it is vanity to enquire into what God hath not revealed so it is great unthankfulnesse tot to study the Scriptures Rom. 15.4 which were written for our learning as Paul saith Object But our adversaries and the enemies of Scripture will tell us that Hereticks abuse the Scripture Resp If any do abuse the Scriptures the fault is in themselves not in the Scripture there is nothing but wholesome food unlesse thou spider-like by ill apprehension or mis-application turn it into poison and what if hereticks do abuse the Scriptures must Christians therefore be afraid to meddle with them because wine and strong drink are abused by some must they therefore be used by none because the Sun sometime hurteth sore eyes shall none have liberty to look upon it Direct 5 Be diligent in hearing the word preacht wait at wisdomes gates by hearing the word preacht we are prepared for the knowledge of God Encline your eares to hear and your hearts to understand be swift to hear as James speaks it is the property of a wise man to hear a wise man will hear and encrease learning Prov. 1.5 the Queen of Sheba came a great way to hear the wisdome of Solomon and yet many now a dayes will not go from their houses to hear the wisdom of a wiser then Solomon What shall we say to such as think themselves wise enough already Prov. 26.12 they know as much as their Minister can teach them Solomon saith there is more hope of a fool of a simple fool then of such proud fooles let them not be offended to be so stiled for Gods Dictionary affords them no better titles there is a great necessity of hearing the word preacht we must first hear before we come to see Psal 48.8 Sanet itaque auditus oeulum qui turbatus est ut serenus videat quem turbatus non potuit Bern. Cant. Serm. 48. As we have heard so we have seen saith the Prophet We lost much of our knowledge by not hearkening to the Lord and we must recover it again by obedient hearing of it by hearing we learn how to help our eye-sight that the eye being made clear it may see the Lord whom it cannot see so long as it is troubled Gregory Nyssen hath this observation saying that Moses of set purpose caused the