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
that giveth understanding not only the opening of the Scriptures but also the opening of the heart Luke 24.32.45 and of the understanding is the work of the Spirit till there be an inward operation of the Spirit the outward means is uneffectual It is true Lumen innatum illatum the word of God is like a light and like a candle as was said before but what benefit reap blind men thereby and such are all men till God be pleased to open their eyes by the key of the spirit and anoint them with eye-salve Rev. 3.18 2. By holding in the eyes of mens understandings as it is said of those disciples to whom Christ appeared after his resurrection their eyes were holden that they should not know him Luke 24.26 and afterwards it is said their eyes were opened and they knew him thus when God holds the eyes of mens understanding they cannot discern the mind of God but remain ignorant of his will and counsell Job 17. and so he hides understanding from men so Moses saith of the Israelites the Lord hath not given them eyes to see Deut. 29.4 they had sensitive eyes to see and rational eyes to understand but they wanted spiritual eyes to apprehend and improve what they saw it is God that giveth ability to each part and member power and faculty of the soule and body to execute and exercise their severall actions and operations which if he withdraw the Organs be no more then dead instruments for we can no more see nor understand savingly of our selves then an instrument lying upon a table or hanging by the wall can sound till it be blown and plaid upon Object But it may be said that ignorance is a sin how then can God blind mens eyes or be a cause of ignorance and not be the authour of sinne Answ The first and nearest cause is mans corruption the instigator unto spiritual blindnesse is the devill and God as a just judge blindeth mens eyes Isa 6.10 and hardeneth mens hearts Exod. 9.12 God blindeth the eyes of many men judicially that shut their eyes wilfully against the light they have received Job 24.13 wicked men are said to rebell against the light of these things they are willingly ignorant 2 Pet. 4.3 when men have the means of knowledge and will not know God saith in judgement they shall not know Wicked men are blind and bruitish this blindnesse is from God as a Judge blindnesse and ignorance is in wicked men a sin but so is it not from God but from the devill and their own naughtinesse yet is it the punishment of former sins by which they have brought and increased this blindnesse upon themselves for they were secure despisers of God and his word Rom. 1.28 Quia tum loquebatur perspicuè noluerunt intelligere jam loquitur obscurè Muscul in Mat. 13. Malum ingenium impiorum nunquà m clariùs deprehenditur quam ubi lux veritatis splendere incipit Ib. therefore God most justly punisheth sin with sin giving them up to a Spirit of slumber to a mind void of judgement that perceiveth and understandeth not the things of God Musculus saith It was a just judgement on the Scribes and Pharises because they would not understand when Christ spake clearly therefore to their punishment be speaketh in Parables speaketh obscurely when did the Jewes bewray greater blindnesse then in the times of the Prophets of Christ and his Apostles the evill disposition of wicked men is never more clearly discerned then where the light of the truth begins to shine When Jesus Christ that great light came into the world when he professed himselfe the Messias and would have instructed them in the highest mysteries of the kingdome of heaven then doth their rage and malice the more break out against him the more light they had the more their blindnesse doth appeare It is a great judgement when men have eyes and cannot see with them the wicked Jewes had eyes to see Corticom legis the bark and outside of the Law sed non penetrabant oculi eorum ad medullam but their eyes pierced not to the marrow thereof when God gives men eyes to see and they abuse their light God in judgement blindeth their eyes Qui privati sunt oculis non possunt videndo seduci or casteth such a mist upon their understandings that now they cannot see though they would their eyes are so distempered that the fight they have like the fight of a pur-blind man not only faileth them but deceiveth them making them think they see rightly what they see not their eyes being thus darkned they cannot understand with their hearts The Gospel is the best means to bring us to the true knowledge of God but if Gospel-light be abused God then saith to his Ministers Go Isai 6.10 make the hearts of this people fat shut their eyes that they may not see Reas 1 I come now to confirm the point by reasons Qui per ignorantiam peccat perniciosissimè petcat Ambr. Ignorance is a destroying sin and the chief cause of ruine to a people because it is a mother-mother-sin and the root of many other sins ignorance is a leading sin there is no knowledge of God in the land saith our Prophet in the first verse of this Chapter and see what a troop of sins do follow this blind leader vers 2. swearing lying killing stealing committing adultery and blood toucheth blood therefore he that sins through ignorance sins most perniciously Under the Law the sacrifices offered for the ignorances of the people shewed it to be a great sin the Author to the Hebrews purteth it for all manner of sins whatsoever for having spoken of the ordinary services and sacrifices performed by the ordinary Priests in the first Tabernacle Heb. 9.6 he tells us vers 7. that into the second Tabernacle went only the High-priest once every year and that not without blood which he offered for himself and for the ignorances of the people Shegioth à Shaga per ignorantiam peccare Pagnin where by the consent of Expositors ignorance is put for all sorts of sin and Beza saith that Shegioth which is equivalent with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies as much coming of Shaga which signifies to sin through ignorance as the Learned note I will instance in some particular sins and thereby you will see ignorance to be a mother-sin 1. It is the root of pride De ignorantia venit superbia Bern. in Cantic Ignorance of God and of a mans self puffeth up the heart with pride he that is wise in conceit is a fool in proof the more we know God the more humble shall we be in his presence and the more we know our selves the more vile shall we be in our own eyes when men are proud it is either because they know nothing of God at all or know nothing of him in a saving way not knowing him as they ought to
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
1 John 4.1 Then ought all Christians thus to do to try the spirits for now more doubt may be made then at that time and no search can be but by the Scriptures and the knowledge of them thus do the Papists keep the people from the knowledg of God John 7.49 and so bring the curse of God upon them this people who know not the law are accursed therefore they must partake in the woe denounced by Christ against the Lawyers Luke 11.52 Wo be to you Lawyers for ye have taken away the key of knowledge Mat. 22.13 ye entered not in your selves and them that were entring in you hindered Matthew saith You shut the gates of heaven to those that were entring in Object It may be said that as Christ is the dore John 10. so he only hath the key of David Revel Isai 22.22 3.7 he hath the key of knowledge Christ indeed hath it originally Resp Luke 24.45 and by his own power and authority and he is said to open the Scriptures and to open the understandings of the disciples and his Ministers have the key of knowledge by deputation Mat. 16.19 as a Noble-man commended his treasury to his Steward 1 Cor. 4.1 now this key they hid away 1. Privatively by hiding their talent in a napkin and and not opening and expounding the Scriptures and teaching men the way of salvation as their duty was Mal. 2.7 The Priests lips should keep knowledge and the people should seek the Law of God at his mouth but 2. Which was worse they hindred others from entring as Joh. 9.22 they agreed that if any man did confesse Christ he should be put out of the Synagogue and thus do the Papists their true successours who regard more their earthly preferments then look after an inheritance in heaven and they keep out those that would enter in by vexing all those that will not with themselves receive the mark of the beast upon them The Lord complaineth that the leaders of his people do cause them to erre Isa 9.16 and they that are led of them are destroyed i. e. they are led into errour and vanity and destroyed for lack of knowledge Repr 2 This may serve to reprove all such as are ignorant and care not for true knowledge such as hate the light and love darknesse it is the property of fooles to hate knowledge and love simplicity Prov. 1.22 Quest But who are they that do thus despise and reject knowledge Resp In generall all they that do despise Gods Ordinances do despise knowledge but more particularly 1. All those that reject the word of knowledge they that reject the reading and searching of the Scriptures do reject knowledge or if they read them sometime will not meditate upon them Col. 3.16 that will not let the word of God dwell in their hearts richly and in all wisdome as Owles and Bats fly not in the day time but come abroad onely in the night because all the Birds of the ayre will come about them and chatter at them by reason of their deformed shape so because wicked men know that if they should frequently look into the glasse of the word they should see the ugly deformity of their own shapes and be brought to abhorr themselves as the most stupendious monsters in the world therefore it is that they keep themselves in the dark dungeon of ignorance and hate the light but this their way is their folly they have rejected the word of the Lord and what wisdom is in them saith the Prophet Jeremy Jerem. 8.9 2. All those that do reject despise the faithful Ministery of the word these do reject knowledge when men like the deaf adder stop their ears against the voyce of the charmer sorfear lest they should be charmed by the power of that voyce out of their works of darknesse the Priests lips should keep knowledge and they i. e. the people should seek the law at his mouth for he is the messenger of the Lord of Hosts he must so keep knowledge as like the wise and faithfull Steward in the Gospel Mal. 2.7 Nomine legis continetur omnium ad benè vivendum necessariorum cognitio Cyril he may give to his fellow servants every one their portion in due season Now the people are bound to seek the law at his mouth In the name of the Law saith one of the Ancients is contained the knowledge of all things necessary to well living the reason followeth because he is the messenger of the Lord of Hosts Therefore all those that live under a powerfull ministery and resort not to the publick congregations or judge it unnecessary to frequent those places where the word is to be had from the mouthes of Gods faithfull Ministers they are despisers of knowledge because they despise the messengers of the Lord of Hosts whose lips must preserve knowledge and our Saviour saith he that heareth you speaking to those whom he sent out to preach the Gospell heareth me and he that despiseth you despiseth me therefore Christ denounced a woe against Chorazin and Bethsaida verse 13. They were Cities near the lake of Genesareth or Tiberias where Christ had preacht many Sermons Mat. 4. done many miracles whence he had chosen certain of his Apostles saying if the mighty works had been done in Tyre and Sydon which have been done in you they had long agoe repented c. and that it should be more toller able for Tyre and Sydon in the day of judgement then for them he denounceth a woe likewise against Capernaum and thou Capernaum which art exalted to heaven shalt be thrust down to hell and then he addeth he that heareth you heareth me and he that despiseth you despiseth me whereby it seemeth that those places were notorious for despising Christ and his messengers sent unto them Capernaum was a City of Galilee lying at the mouth of Jordan a commodious Haven and Harbour of ships a place where our Saviour had often preacht by reason of the great concourse of People that resorted thither yea its thought that he dwelt there and so one of the Auncients saith that he graced Bethlem by his birth Nazareth by his education and Capernaum by his habitation and so it is called his own City Matth. 9.1 By the phrase of lifting up to heaven he meaneth that it was much in request in the eyes of the world not only by reason of her great wealth and riches but also because she had the means of knowledge and of salvation having Christ daily conversing with them and preaching to them and by her casting down to hell he meaneth that she should be abased and have her pride pluckt down in regard of her temporal estate which came to passe not long after when it was ruined by the Romans and all such her inhabitants as did reject the preaching of Christ and his messengers sent unto them were condemned and went to Hell
eternally Many there are that dream of Anabaptistical revelations and I know not what kind of strange and immediate inspirings despising the publick teaching and ministry of man I know God can teach otherwise but I have no ground to think that he will he that desireth to lodge among the wise Prov. 5.31 let him prepare his care to hearken to the instruction of life saith Solomon thou maist never expect a blessing from him who is a teacher of the heart if thou despisest him whom God hath appointed to be a teacher of the Eare as the holy Scripture is the book of wisdome out of which God giveth subtilty to the fimple so teaching by his Ministers is the Pipe by which this heavenly wisdom is conveyed to us from the Fountain and no man is assured by the word of God to attain this knowledge but by this course 3. All those that reject prayer which is a seeking of God for a blessing upon the means whereby knowledge might be acquired The Psalmist saith that the Lord looked down from heaven upon the children of men to see if there were any that did understand and seek God Psal 14.3 If thou criest after knowledge and liftest up thy voyce for understanding Prov. 2 3. c. there are many that pray not for knowledge nor for a blessing on the means of knowledg and those are such as despise knowledge Paul speaks of such as despise the Word the Ministery Prayer and the means of knowledge as if their case were desperate and saith 1 Cor. 14.38 if any man be ignorant let him be ignorant as if he should say if any man will despise the means of knowledge and chuse to be still ignorant let him be ignorant to his own perill be it he will run through inner darknesse to utter darknesse I fear brethren that the commonnesse of the word and of preaching hath bred the contempt thereof I read that when Elephants were first brought into Asia and two of them brought and presented to King Antiochus he made great account of them and held them in high esteem calling the one Ajax and the other Achilles but in processe of time growing common in the countrey by reason of their traffick into those places whence they came notwithstanding they were of no lesse use then they were before Nay in all likelihood of more because they were better acquainted with the use of them and knew better how to mannage them yet because they were common they contemned them and called them Lucanian oxen So doubtlesse the word of God in the dayes of our fore-fathers in this nation when the light of Gods truth first brake out of that grosse darknesse of Popery it was highly esteemed and the godly Ministery and Preachers of the word were valued as precious jewels but now it is just an hundred years that we have had the Gospel among us this very year 1658. therefore it is as odious and loathsome as it is common but did men know the worth of it they would not despise the means of knowledge Repr 3 This may reprove such as go about to hinder and discourage others from getting knowledge such as will not enter into the Kingdom of heaven themselves nor suffer others how many sottish and wicked Parents will discourage their children from reading the Scriptures and frequenting Sermons they will not get knowledge themselves nor suffer their children how many Masters will not allow their servants one hour in a week to hear a Lecture but cry to them as Pharaoh to the Israelites when they spake of going out to serve the Lord ye are idle ye are idle and so encrease their tasks many ignorant Masters are well contented with ignorant servants with an ignorant family like themselves wicked wretches that are wholly led by the Prince of darknesse do labour to hinder others from attaining the light of saving knowledge Thus when Sergius Paulus a prudent man called for Paul and Barnabas desiring to be instructed by them in the knowledge of Christ Elymas the sorcerer withstood them seeking to turn away the Deputy from the faith Acts 13.8 and for this the hand of God was upon him the Lord smote him with corporal who laboured to keep others in spiritual blindnesse verse 11. and after the stubborn Jews had rejected the word the Apostles turne from them to the Gentiles yet then the Jews stirred up devout and honourable women and the chief men of the City and raised persecution against Paul and Barnabas and expelled them out of their coasts verse 50. and for this very cause the Apostle saith 1 Thess 2.16 they filled up their sins and the wrath of God comes upon them to the uttermost Vse 3 If ignorance be the chief cause of a peoples destruction then suffer the word of exhortation Let us all labour after knowledge that we may be men of knowledge Prov. 10 14. wise men will lay up knowledge saith Solomon or store it up as the covetous man layes or storeth up his bags of silver and gold Wisdom is the principal thing Prov. 4.7 therefore get wisdom and with all thy getting get understanding many men spend so much of their time about getting of the world that they can find little or no time to get wisdom and knowledge they see the want of riches as they think but they see not the want of spiritual knowledge Diogenes had a pretty answer to some that askt him why Philosophers rather followed rich men then rich men Philosophers why that is no marvaile at all said he for Philosophers know that they want rich mens wealth Job 11 11 but rich men will not acknowledge that they want Philosophers wisdome Most men hate the imputation of ignorance vain man would be wise so pleasing a thing is knowledge to reasonable creatures not too much degenerated and though men run a course tending to ignorance and errour yet they hate the imputation of ignorance as a thing very reproachfull and yet some such monsters there are that care not to acquire any more knowledge then is necessary to the keeping up of a poor sottish and halfe-brutish kind of life and for God they know him not nor do they care to know him and if you speak of God to them they presently cry out like Pharaoh who is the Lord Let therefore both ministers and people labour to be filled with knowledge 1. But especially the Ministers of the Gospel should be knowing men A Minister must not be like young Samuel 1 Sam. 3.4 who knew not the voyce of the Lord from Elies when the Lord called him nor like Ahimaaz that would needs run to carry the King newes from the Camp but when he came knew nothing every Scribe that is instructed unto the Kingdom of God is like an householder Matth. 13.52 that bringeth forth of his treasury things both new and old Ministers must be knowing men 2. Because they are to be
for that they are altogether void of understanding for they are wise to do evil saith the Prophet Jeremy Jer. 4.22 Luc. 16.8 and our Saviour saith that the children of this world are wiser in their generation then the children of light they are eagle-eyed in the things of the world and in sinful matters still but to do good they have no knowlodge Man hath by a natural light still the knowledge of God so the Gentiles by the book of the creatures knew God Rom. 1.21 and they had a moral knowledge of God having some moral principles within engraven upon their hearts by which they understand both good and evill but they are deprived of an higher light a spiritual knowledge a divine light lumen fidei the light of faith 1 Joh. 2.8 a supernatural light this is called the true light by the Apostle so that natural or moral light is but a false or dimme light in comparison of that which directeth a man the way to true happinesse and this true light is called in Scripture the light of Christ Ephes 5.14 and the light of life John 8.12 Quest 2 What are the causes of ignorance Answ The first cause is the corruption of mans nature the understanding of man is corrupted and turned away from this light unto blindnesse darknesse errour ignorance unbelief and misbelief Eph. 4.18 the understanding of man is darkened being estranged from the life of God through the ignorance that is in him because of the blindnesse or hardnesse of his heart corruption and pravity hath blinded the eyes of his understanding so that he cannot by reason thereof savingly see the things of God 1 Cor. 2.14 the natural man receiveth not the things of the spirit nor can be know them because that corruption on the faculty hath blinded the eye of his understanding turning it away from the chiefest good Acts 17. man doth now but grope and feel after God man is so stupified that though he hear never so often yet understandeth not in a saving way like the people that live near the river Nilus that are made deaf by the fall of the waters of that river for videndo non vident in seeing men do not see Rom. 1.23 intelligendo non intelligunt in understanding they do not understand as evill stomachs turn good nourishment into bad humours so evill men turn the truth of God into a lie The corruption of our natures hath deprived us of all those principles of saving truth that should be in the understanding The Lord looked down from heaven Psal 14.2 so see whether there were any that did understand and seeke God saith David There is no principle of light in a natural man that gives him a supernatural knowledge of God God who commanded light to shine out of darknesse 2 Cor. 4.6 hath shined in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God c. So that till the glorious Son of righteousnesse shine into our hearts the heart hath not one principle of of heavenly light there and is no better then a lump of darknesse Rom 8.7 The wisdom of the flesh is enmity against God it is as it were at deadly feud with the wisdom of the Spirit for it will yeeld to or grant no more then it can see ground for in natural reason therefore must needs be starke blind in matters of faith An instance of this we have in Nicodemus a Ruler of the Jewes and no doubt a great Rabbi and well skilled in all humane learning yet cannot he understand the doctrine of regeneration and though our Saviour had told him of the necessity of it and illustrated it by an excellent similitude of the wind blowing where it listeth Joh. 3. and yet saith he how can these things be the reason was because he looked upon it through the thick spectacles of reason and wanted the pure and clear eye of faith Christ spake spiritually and he understood him carnally Another instance you have in the learned Athenians who in Pauls time were as great Scholars as any in the world yet when he preacheth to them the resurrection from the dead a doctrine crossing the principles of natural Philosophy which maintaineth for an Axiome and Maxime that à privatione ad habitum nullus est regressus a natural body resolved into it's first elements and matter whereof it was made Acts 17.32 cannot possibly resume the same and live again after death they therefore mock at him thinking him to teach impossibilities and to set abroach some strange Paradox Now as it was with Nicodemus and the Athenians in these two points so it is with all natural men be they never so learned in the mysteries of Religion that are above the reach of carnal reason the light shineth in darknesse and the darknesse comprehendeth it not John 1. â—5 A second cause of ignorance is the Devill helping forward the corruption of man plunging him every day further and further into sin and casting thick fogs and mists before his eyes If our Gospel be hid it is hid to them that are lost 2 Cor. 4.3 4. in whom the God of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not lest the light of the glorious Gospel of Christ who is the image of God should shine unto them Two wayes is the corporal sight offended either by injection of exterior dust into it or by interiour humours stopping the optick nerves within So Satan either blindeth the eyes of natural men with the dust of worldly things which he casteth into them or by their own grosse and carnal affections he stoppeth the Conduits of their sight that they shall not have any true knowledge of God likewise Satan bestirreth himself and spareth no pains to blind the eyes of men by endeavouring to keep them from the means of knowledge or to increase in them the darknesse of ignorance and from thence he laboureth to lead them to the darknesse of sin from one sin and errour to another as from one dungeon to another till at last he bring them into his own den the dungeon of utter darknesse The third cause is God himself and that in divers respects 1. When denieth men the means of knowledge as 1. The Word and outward Ministery Psal 19.8 thus they are said to sit in darknesse that are without the word Psal 1.9.105 and the means of knowledge the Commandment of the Lord is pure enlightening the eyes the word is a lamp or candle to my feet and a light to my paths saith David and the Ministers of the word are called the light of the world Matth. 5.14 therefore where God denieth a people these outward lights the means of knowledge that people must needs fit in the dark dungeon of ignorance 2. By denying or not giving in the inward light of the Spirit Job 32.3 it is the inspiration of the Almighty
cannot receive good 1. Without knowledge a man cannot receive Jesus Christ God first shineth into the heart with the light of knowledge before Jesus Christ can be received by the hand of faith though Jesus Christ when he was upon earth spake as never man spake his preaching being with power and authority and not like that of the Scribes yet multitudes of his hearers could not receive him till the eyes of their understanding were opened 2. Without knowledge a man cannot receive the Spirit of God John 14.17 our Saviour saith That the world cannot receive the Spirit of truth because it seeth him not neither knoweth him many men make a mock and scorn of the Spirit of God because they do not know him the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God for they are foolishnesse to him neither can he know them 1 Cor. 2.14 because they are spiritually discerned A natural man may hear of spiritual things but cannot be in a capacity of receiving them till he come to understand and to know them They are riddles to a natural man as the Apostle saith 1 Cor. 2.9 Eye hath not seen nor ear heard nor hath it entred into the heart of man to conceive the things that God hath prepared for them that love him he speaks there of the things of the Gospel but saith he God hath revealed them to us by his spirit and we have the mind of Christ vers ult A natural and ignorant man is like a corrupt stomach where no meat will digest or nourish it doth him no good it turneth to no good nutriment so it is with an ignorant soul the spiritual things of God do him no good they digest not in his soul they nourish him not because he is full of darknesse corruption and ignorance 4. Without the knowledge of God we can have no communion and fellowship with him God is light and the ignorant man is darknesse 2 Cor. 6.14 and what communion hath light with darknesse God is light and in him there is no darknesse and while thou art in the dark dungeon of ignorance thou canst not converse with the Father of Lights A natural man is a blind man he cannot see nor discern spiritual things God takes no delight in such blind fools If you delight your selves in ignorance and are unwilling to be taught as many children and servants are how can you have any communion with God that know him not It is true as a judicious Divine observeth Mr. Cotton on John there are many that desire knowledge and cannot attain it and of such saith he God will either accept their desires or give them knowledge but such as please themselves with their ignorance they have no communion with God but are sealed up unto damnation If a man walketh in darkness and saith he hath fellowship with God he is a liar A man can have no communion with God in the spirit nor in his ordinances nor in any thing as his without the knowledge of God for while he liveth in the darknesse of ignorance he is without God in the world 5. Col. 1.13 Without the knowledge of God men are still under the power of Satan the Prince of darknesse They are said to be under the power of darknesse i. e. of ignorance and they that are under the power of darknesse are under the power of this Black Prince the Devil himself is bound in everlasting chains under darknesse and he bindeth sinners with the chains of darknesse the darknesse of ignorance and holds them under his power Acts 26.18 therefore when a sinner is converted unto God he is delivered from the power of Satan being turned from darknesse to light and being made a meet partaker of the inheritance of of the Saints in light he is delivered from the power of darknesse Most men while they are under Satans power they are held with this chain where ever an ignorant man goes he goes like a fettered prisoner with his Keeper at his back let him go to the Congregation to hear the word there Satan either stops his ears or blinds his eys or else choaks and steals away the good seed of the word out of his heart Those that are without the acknowledgment of the truth they are taken captive 2 Tim. 2.26 Eph. 6.12 or taken alive by him in his snare and wicked spirits are said to be the Rulers of the darknesse of this world Oh tremble then thou ignorant wretch to think to whom thou art in bondage 6. While thou art ignorant wanting the knowledge of God thou art in subjection to every base lust Paul speaking of the unregenerate State Tit. 3.3 1 Pet. 1.14 describeth it thus At that time we were foolish and disobedient serving divers lusts and pleasures Fashion not your selves saith Peter according to the former lusts in your ignorance An ignorant man knoweth not what is good and what is evil and often putteth good for evil Isai 5.20 Prov. 14.12 and evil for good putteth darknesse for light and light for darknesse now the will and affections do for the most part follow the understanding in things that are good I say for the most part because the will and affections are sometimes more depraved then the understanding and in evill things the will and affections do altogether follow the understanding now the understanding being darkned and putting evill for good and good for evill how can it be but a cause of divers lusts making the soule to serve divers lusts and pleasures Ambition Pride Passion Drunkennesse Revenge Every sin and lust will command them so long as they are without the true knowledge of God this is a miserable slavery to be led by their lusts if they had eyes to see it one lust hurries them one way and another hurries them another way where there is the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and vertue 2 Pet. 1.3 4. such have escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust there is no escaping the pollutions and defilements of sin and lust but by the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ 7. Ignorance makes a man like a beast A man without knowledge is like Nebuchadnezzar who had the heart of a beast in the shape of a man an ignorant man hath the head and heart of a beast an ignorant man is a very beast For what difference between a man and a beast A beast hath eyes ears legs as well as a man seeth heareth goeth smelleth tasteth Keckerm Physick 1. as well as a man can do nay many beasts can doe these things better then a man can doe a man then differeth only from a beast in understanding and discourse Therefore saith God to his people Be not as the horse or mule Psal 32.9 Mule nihil sentis Epigram 14.1 that hath no understanding as the Poet calleth an ignorant man a sottish man yea a sottish
man a proficient in this or that Science and another man that standeth by should say tush it is nothing but to go and do such a thing would not such a person be an object of derision to those that should hear him for it is not unknown though this or that be the summe of every Art and Trade yet in every Science there are some particular mysteries which are not so quickly learnt and put in practice which a man must understand before he can be an ingenious Artist if he have not skill in such a mystery his labour will be without successe as his undertaking was rash and inconsiderate so in the businesse of Religion we must be acquainted with the mysteries of godlinesse there are profunda Dei Spiritus the deep things of God and of the Spirit and though to love God with all our heart and to love our neighbour as our selves be the summe of the moral precepts yet it is necessary that we have a more particular knowledge then the knowledge of these generals that we know the particular branches of the mystery of godlinesse without which we shall neither love God with all the heart nor our neighbour as we ought if thou wilt learn a trade thou must first understand the rules and principles of it and every particular branch belonging to every mystery so if thou wilt have any understanding in the mystery of Christ thou must be acquainted with the rules and grounds of spiritual understanding 2 Pet. 1.8 so thou shalt neither be barren nor unfruitfull in the knowledge of Christ Object 6 Some are ready further to object that God is not easily known the Scripture tells us that no man hath seen God at any time John 1.18 and no man hath seen him nor can see him and God is often said in Scripture to hide his face how then can he be known by such poor creatures as we are Resp We cannot know Gods Essence here in respect of the manner of his being thus no man hath seen him at any time or can see him for when Moses desired God to shew him the fulnesse of his glorious Majesty God tels him the granting his request would be very hurtful to him Exod. 33.10 for saith he there shall no man see me and live the weaknesse of mans fraile nature cannot bear the infinite glory of the divine presence but is swallowed up with the transcendent lustre of the heavenly Majesty even as we see the sight of the eye to be dazzeled with the brightnesse of the Sunne shining in his strength or a Chrystall glasse to be broken in pieces with the strong operation of the fire but yet there is much of God that may be seen and known as the Lord tels Moses Exod. 33.22 I will put thee saith he in the cleft of a rock and I will cover thee with my hand when I passe by after I will take away my hand and thou shalt see my back-parts but my face shall not be seen where God speaks to us of himself as of a man having face and back shewing us hereby that it is impossible for any man in this mortality to know the nature and being of the most high We know God here but in part like the fight of a man in transitu as he passeth along by us whose face we discern not whose back-parts onely we do behold the more exact knowledge of him is reserved for that time 1 Joh 3 2. when being changed into his likenesse we shall see him as he is even face to face but yet much of God may be seen and known in this life which he calleth his back parts his wisdom goodnesse mercy grace his long-suffering his faithfulnesse and truth his slownesse to anger being provoked daily by the sins of men his readinesse to pardon iniquity transgression and sin these back-parts of Jehovah are clearly revealed in the word And when God is said in Scripture to hide his face from his people it is not that we should not see him but that we should the more earnestly seek after him the Lord is willing to be known unto any that have a mind to know him God takes no delight in hiding himself from us but is willing to open and manifest himself to us God stands not upon State as some great Princes do that seldom shew themselves but think their presence and converse lesseneth their respect the more we know man the more we shall understand his errours and imperfections as well as his excellencies but the more we know God the more we shall admire him none admire him so much as the holy Angels that see most of him Matth. 18.10 that alwayes behold the face of our Father which is in he aven therefore the Lord hides not himself as though he were unwilling to be known but he desireth to be known by us he bids us seek his face therefore if we do not know the Lord the cause is not in God but in our selves that we are not willing to know him nor desirous of his acquaintance Object 7 Ignorant persons are ready further to object and say What though we be ignorant yet God is a mercifull God and his mercie is over all his works and therefore we hope to find mercy from God notwithstanding he that made us will surely save us Resp Let such poor souls see what the Prophet Isaias saith to them Isai 27.11 It is a people of no understanding therefore he that made them will not have mercy on them and he that formed them will shew them no favour if thou art ignorant under the means of knowledge thou art wilfully ignorant therefore he that made thee will not save thee c. God will not be mercifull to men because they are ignorant Prov. 30.31 what then will he do to them you may read it at large Prov. 1. For that they hated knowledge and did not chuse the feare of the Lord they would none of my counsell they despised all my reproof therefore shall they eat the fruit of their own way and be filled with their own devices But they are ready farther to say Christ dyed and we hope to have some benefit by the death of Jesus Christ for he came into the world to save sinners I answer No. You are like to have no benefit by his death if you abide in ignorance this is the condemnation That light came into the world and men love darknesse rather then light men that are in love with darknesse and ignorance shall be condemned If you shall yet say further that the Apostle saith that God would have all men to be saved 1 Tim. 2.4 then take in the next word following And come to the knowledge of the truth so that all those that will not come to the knowledge of the truth there is no hope of their salvation I may say that God wills not their salvation that never come to the knowledge of the