of it It is one thing to know what riches are and another thing to be Master of them it is not the knowing but the possessing of them that makes rich Many have a depth of knowledge and yet are not soul-wise have a Library of Divinity in their heads not so much as the least Catechism in their Consciences full brains empty hearts Yea you shall hear a flood in the tongue when you cannot see one drop in the life Insomuch that in the midst of our so much light and means of Grace there be few I fear that have the sound and saving knowledge of Jesus Christ and him crucified which was the onely care and study of St. Paul 1 Cor. 2. 2. Sect. 5. And that I am not mistaken the effect shews For if men knew either God or Christ they could not but love him and loving him they would keep his Commandments Joh. 14. 15. For hereby saith St. John it is manifest that we know him if we keep his commandments 1 Joh. 2. 3. But he that saith I know him and yet keepeth not his commandments is a lyar and there is no truth in him ver 4. What saith our Saviour This is life eternal to know thee the onely true God and Jesus Christ whom thou 〈◊〉 sent Joh. 17. 3. But how shall a man know whether he hath this knowledge Answ. St. John tells you 1 Joh. 2. 3. and so plainly that you cannot be deceived except you desire to deceive your own soul. The knowledge of God that saves us is more then a bare apprehension of him it knows his power and therefore fears him knows his Justice and therefore serves him knows his mercy and therefore truis him knows his goodness and therefore loves him c. For he that hath the saving knowledge of God or of Christ hath every other Grace there is a sweet correspondence between every one where there is any one in truth As in the generation the head is not without the body nor the body without each member nor the soul without its powers faculties so in the regeneration where there is any one grace in truth there is every one 2 Cor. 5. 17. If you will see it in particulars read Psal. 9. 10. Jer. 9. 24. 1 Joh. 4. 6. Joh. 4. 10. 1 Joh. 4. 7 8 2. 3. Job 42. 5 6. which Scriptures shew that as feeling is inseparable to all the organs of sense the eye sees and feels the ear hears and feels the pallate tastes and feels the nostrils smell and feel so knowledge is involved in every grace Faith knows and believes Charity knows and loves Patience knows and suffers Temperance knows and abstains Humility knows stoops Repentance knows mourns Obedience knows does Confidence knows reioyces Hope knows and expects Compassion knows and pities Yea as there is a power of water in every thing that grows it is fatness in the Olive sweetness in the fig cheerfulness in the grape strength in the Oak talness in the Cedar redness in the Rose whiteness in the Lilly c. So knowledge is in the hand obedience in the mouth benediction in the knee humility in the eye compassion in the heart charity in the whole body and soul piety Alas If men had the true knowledge of Jesus Christ it would disperse and dispel all the black clouds of their reigning sins in a moment as the Sun doth no sooner shew his face but the darkness vanisheth or as Caesar did no sooner look upon his enemies but they were gone Egypt swarmed with locusts till the west wind came that left not one He cannot delight in sin nor dote upon this world that know◠Christ savingly Vertue is ordained a wife for knowledge and where these two joyn there will proceed from them a noble proginie a generation of good works Again as the water engendreth ice and the ice again engendreth water so knowledge begets righteousness and righteousness again begetteth knowledge It is between science and conscience as it is between the stomach and the head for as in mans body the raw stomach maketh a rhumatick head and the rhumatick head maketh a raw stomach so science makes our conscience good conscience makes our science good Nor is it so much scientiae capitis as conscientia cordis that knows Christ and our selves whence Solomon saith Give thine heart to wisdom Prov. 2. 10. and let wisdom enter into thine heart Prov. 4. 4. And when he would acquaint us how to become wise he tells us that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom Prov. 1. 7. as if the first lesson to be wise were to be holy Again if it be asked Why the natural man perceiveth not the things of the spirit of God Saint Paul answers he cannot know them because they are spiritually discerned 1 Cor. 2. 14. and indeed if they are spiritually discerned how should they discern them that have not the spirit For though the outward man receives the elements and rudiments of Religion by breeding and education yet his inward man receiveth them by heavenly inspiration 1 Cor. 2. 11 12 13. 12. 3 8. Mat. 16. 16 17. Deut. 29. 2. 3 4. Psal. 111. 10. Luke 24. 45. John 15. 15. And this alone is enough to prove that no wicked man is a wise man for if God alone be the giver of it we may be sure that he will reveal his secrets to none but such as he knows will improve their knowledge to his glory and the good of others Even as the husbandman will not cast his seed but into ground that will return him a good harvest Psal. 25. 14. Luk. 24. 45. Mark 4. 34. Gen. 18. 17. 1 John 4. 7. Sect. 6. But would there men any one even the best of them thus improve or imploy their knowledge Or do they desire it to any such end No but to some other end as I shall in the next place acquaint you Some men desire not to know some desire onely to know Or rather thus Few men in comparison desire knowledge fewer that desire divine and supernatural knowledge fewest of all that desire to be the better or that others should be the better for their knowledge More particularly a world of men desire knowledge for no other end but to remove their ignorance as Pharaoh used Moses but to remove the plagues Others again study the Scriptures and other good Books only to make gain thereof or to be the abler to dispute and discourse as boys go into the water only to play and paddle there not to wash and be clean With Eve they highly desire the tree of knowledge but regard not the tree of life As I would fain know what fruit or effect the knowledge of most men produces in them except it be to inable them to dispute and discourse to increase wit or to increase wealth or to increase pride or perhaps to increase Athism and to make them the more able and cunning
in all haste to call for aid to apprehend the thief And commonly as they have no reason so they will hear none Now he that will learn of none but himself hath a fool to his Teacher and such as refuse admonition are bruitsh as the holy Ghost affirms Prov. 12. 1. And destroy their own souls chap. 15. 32. By all which it appears that their knowledge is ignorance their wisdom folly their sight blindness They neither consider what reason speaketh or religion commandeth but what the will appetite affecteth For will is the Axeltree lusts and passions thâ— wheels whereupon all their actions are carried and do run Appetite being their Lord Reason their Servant and Religion their Slave Whereas religion should govern their judgement judgement and reason their wills and affections as Adam should have done Eve They that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh The carnal mind is enmity against God for it is not subject to the Law of God neither indeed can be Rom. 8. 5 to 9. So that it is impossible for fleshly minded men to believe what Sots they are touching the good of their souls Wherefore when we see the folly and misery of those that serve sin and Satan and how peevishly averse they are to their own eternal salvation let us pity them as being so much more worthy our commiseration as they are more uncapable of their own misery And so much of the first sort namely Sensualists Sect. 2. Secondly There is another degree of knowledge that is accrued or obtained by education learning observation experience called natural or speculative knowledge or reason improved For humane learning is as oyl to the lamp of our reason and makes it burn clearer but faith illumination of the Spirit more then doubles the sâ—ght of our minds as a prospective glass does the corporal sight Mat. 16. 17. 1 Cor. 2. 7 to 17. Joh. 12. 46. For as the soul is the lamp of the body and reason of the soul and religion of reason and faith of religion so Christ is the light and life of Faith Joh. 1. 9 8. 12. Acts 26. 18. Ephes. 5. 14. Christ is the sun of the soul reason faith the two eyes reason discerns natural object faith spiritual and supernatural We may see far with our bodily eye sense farther with the minds eye reason but farther with the souls eye saith then with both And the believer hath the addition of Gods spirit faith above all other men I am the lighâ— of the world saith our Saviour he that followeth me meaning by a lively faith shall not walk in darkness but shall have the light of life Joh. 8. 12. more see two eyes then one yea the day with one eye does far more things descry then night can do with more then Argos eyes So that as meer sense is uncapable of the rules of reason so reason is no less uncapable of the things that are divine and supernatural Jer. 10. 14. 1 Cor. 2. 14 15 16. Eph. 5. 8. And as to speak is onely proper to men so to know the secrets of the Kingdom of heaven is onely proper to believers Psal. 25. 14. Prov. 3. 32. Amos 3. 7. Now of natural and speculative knowledge the wicked have as large a share as the godly but of spiritual experimental and saving knowledge which is supernatural and descendeth from above Jam. 3. 17. and keepeth a man from every evil way Prov. 2. 12. the wicked have no part with the godly Whence all men in their natural condition are said to be blind in darkness Mat. 4. 16. 15. 14. Eph. 4. 18 19. 5. 8. whereas believers are called children of light and of the day 1 Thes. 5. 5. 1 Pet. 2. 9. Nor is this kind of knowledge any way attainable but by grace from above No learning experience or pains in study and books will bring them to it Ephes. 1. 17 18. 3. 19. except they become new creatures have hearts eyes and ears sanctified from above and that the holy Ghost becomes their teacher Deut. 29. 2 3. 4. Psal. 111. 10. Joh. 15. 15. Rom. 8. 14 15. Nor is it saving knowledge that they seek after for though many of them be great seekers after knowledge great pains-takers to become wise yet it is not divine and supernatural knowledge that they labour for or desire Indeed wisdom in the largest sense hath ever carried that shew of excellency with it that not only the good have highly affected it as Moses who studied for wisdom and Solomon who prayed for wisdom and the Queen of Sheba who travelled for wisdom and David who to get wisdom made the word his counsellour hated every false way and was a man after Gods own heart but the very wicked have laboured for it who are ashamed of other vertues as O the pleasure that rational men take in it Prov. 2. 3 10 11. 10. 14. Phil. 3. 8. Knowledge is so fair a Virgin that every clear eye is in love with her it is a Pearl despised of none but Swine Prov. 2. 3 10 11. whereas brutish and blockish men as little regard it they who care not for one dram of goodness would yet have a full scale of knowledge Amongst all the trees of the garden none so pleaseth them as the tree of knowledge And as wisdom is excellent above all so it is affected of all as Oyl was both of the wise and foolish Virgins It hath been a Mark that every man hath shot at ever since Eve sought to be as wise as her Maker but as an hundred shoot for one that hits the White so an hundred aim at wisdom for one that lights upon it Eccles. 7. 28. because they are mistaken in the thing for as Jacob in the dark mistook Leah for Rachel so many a blind soul takes that to be wisdom which is not like Eve who thought it wisdom to eat the forbidden fruit and Absalom who thought it wisdom to lie with his Fathers Conâ—â—â—es in the sight of all the people and the false Steward who thought it wisdom to deceive his Master And so of Josephs brethren of Pharaoh and his deep Counsellors of Achâ—ophel of Herod of the Pharisees in their project to destroy Jesus and many the like All these thought they did wisely but they were mistaken and their projects proved foolish and turned to their own ruine Sect. 3. But take some instances to prove that all sorts of Naturians are Fools in comparison of the Godly I 'll begin with those that repute themselves are reputed by others the wisest amongst men And they are your profound Humanist and cunning Politicians wherein you shall see whether the most and greatest number are not grosly mistaken in their opinions and verdicts touching wisdom First for profound Humanists a man would think that they were incomparably wise for none so thirst after knowledge and wisdom as they and to get it
they are no niggards of their labour nor do they leave any thing unstudied but themselves They know all parts and places of the created world can discourse of every thing visible and invisible divine humane and mundane whether it be meant of substances or accidents are ignorant of nothing but the way to heaven are acquainted with all Laws and Customs save the Law of God and Customs of Christianity they are strangers no where but in the Court of their own Consciences Yea they build as hard and erect as high as did the Babel-builders but all to no purpose they never come to the roof and when they die they are undone They spend all their time in seeking after wisdom as Alchimists spend all their Estates to find out the Philosophers stone but never find it they never attain to that which is true wisdom indeed For as the ragged Poet told Petronius that Poetry was a kind of learning that never made any man rich so humane learning of its self never made a wise man As thus if I may be so bold what is it or what does it profit a man to have the etymology and derivation of wisdom and knowledge without being affected with that which is true wisdom indeed to be able to decline vertue yet not love it to have the theory and be able to prattle of wisdom by rote yet not know what it is by effect and experience To have as expert a tongue and as quick a memory as Portius a perfect understanding great science profound eloquence a sweet stile To have the force of Demosthenes the depth of Thesius the perswasâ—â—e art of Tully c. if withal he wants Grace and lives remisly With the Aâ—â—ronomer to observe the motion of the heavens while his heart is buried in the earth to search out the cause of many effects and let pass the consideration of the principal and most necessary With the Historian to know what others have done and how they have sped while he neglects the imitation of such as are gone the right way With the Law-maker to set down many Laws in particular and not to remember the common Law of nature or Law general that all must die Or lastly with Adam to know the Nature of all the Creatures and with Solomon to be able to dispute of ever thing even from the Cedar to the Hyssop or Pellitory when in the mean time he lives like Dives dies like Nabal and after all goes to his own place with Judas Alas many a Fool goes to hell with less costs less pains and far more quiet That is but raw knowledge which is not digested into practice It is not worth the name of knowledge that may be heard only and not seen Joh. 13. 17. Deut. 4. 6. Good discourse is but the froth of wisdom the sweet and solid fruit of it is in well framed actions that is true knowledge that makes the knower blessed We only praise that Mariner that brings the Ship safe to the Haven What saies Aristotle to be wise and happy are terms reciprocal And Socrates That learning saith he pleaseth me but a little which nothing profits the owner of it either to vertue or happiness And being demanded Who was the wisest and happiest man He answered He that offends least He is the best schollar that learns of Christ obedience humility c. He is the best Arithmetician that can add grace to grace he is the best learned that knows how to be saved Yea all the Arts in the world are artless Arts to this Sect. 4. The best knowledge is about the best things and the perfection of all knowledge to know God and our selves Knowledge and learning saith Aristotle consisteth not so much in the quantity as in the quality not in the greatness but in the goodness of it A little gold we know is more worth than much dross a little Diamond than a rockie Mountain So one drop of wisdom guided by the fear of God one spark of spiritual experimental and saving knowledge is more worth than all humane wisdom and learning yea one scruple of holiness one dram of faith one grain of grace is more worth than many pounds of natural parts And indeed Faith and Holiness are the nerves and sinews yea the soul of saving knowledge What saith Aristotle No more then the knowledge of goodness maketh one to be named a good man no more doth the knowledge of wisdom alone cause any person properly to be called a wiseman Saving knowledge of the truth works a love of the truth known yea it is a uniform consent of knowledge and action He only is wise that is wise for his own soul he whose conscience pulleth all he hears and reads to his heart and his heart to God who turneth his knowledge to faith his faith to feeling all to vvalk worthy of his Redeemer He that subdues his sensual desires and appetite to the more noble faculties of reason and understanding and makes that understanding of his to serve him by whom it is and doth understand He that subdues his lusts to his will submits his will to reason his reason to faith his saith his reason his will himself to the will of God this is practical experimental and saving knowledge to which the other is but a bare name or title A competent estate we know well husbanded is better than a vast patrimony neglected Never any meer man since the first knew so much as Solomon many that have known less have had more command of themselves Alas they are not always the wisest that know most for none more wise and learned in the worlds account then the Scribes and Pharisees yet Christ calls them four times blind and twice fools in one chapter Mat. 23. And the like of Balaam 2 Pet. 2. 16. who had such a prophetical knowledge that scarce any of the Prophets had a clearer revelation of the Messiah to come And the same may be affirmed of Judas and Achitophel for many that know a great deal less are far wiser Yea one poor crucified thief being converted in an hours time had more true wisdom and knowledge infused into him then had all the Rulers Scribes and Pharisees It is very observable what the high Priest told the Council as they were set to condemn Christ Ye know nothing at all he spake truer then he meant it for if we know not the Lord Jesus our knowledge is either nothing or nothing worth Rightly a man knows no more then he practiseth It is said of Christ 2 Cor. 5. 21. that he knew no sin because he did no sin in which sense he knows no good that doth no good These things if ye know saith our Saviour happy are ye if ye do them Joh. 13. 17. and in Deut. 4. 6. Keep the commandments of God and do them for this is your wisdom and understanding before God and man What is the notional sweetness of honey to the experimental taste
thou wilt say or at least thou hast reason to say if there be so few that are soul-wise I have all the reason in the world to mistrust my self wherefore good Sir tell me how I shall be able to get this spiritual and experimental knowledge this divine and supernatural wisdom Answ. By observing these Five Rules First Let such a willing and ingenious soul resolve to practise what he does already know or shall hereafter be acquainted with from the Word of God and Christs faithful Messengers For He that will do my Fathers Will saies our Saviour shall know the doctrine whether it be of God or no John 7. 17. A good understanding have all they that keep the Commandments saies holy David Ps. 111. 10. and proves it true by his own example and experience I understood saies he more than the Ancient and became wiser than my teachers because I kept thy precepts Psal. 119. 97 98 99 100. To a man that is good in his sight God giveth knowledge and wisdom Eccle. 2. 26. The spiritual man understandeth all things 1 Cor. 2. 15. Wicked men understand not judgement but they that seek the Lord understand all things Prov. 28. 5. Admirable â—ncâ—uragements for men to become godly and conscientious I mean pâ—actical Christians Secondly If thou wouldst get this precious grace of saving knowledge the way is to be frequent in hâ—aring the word preached and to become studious in the Scriptures for they and they alone make wise to salvation 2 Tim. 3. 15. Ye erre saith our Saviour not knowing the Scripture Matth. 22. 29. Maâ—k 12. 24. We must not in the search of heavenly matters either do as we see others do neither must we follow the blinde guide carnal reasâ—â— or the deceitful guidâ— our corrupt hearts but the undeceivablâ— and inâ—alâ—ible guide of Gods Woâ—d which is truth it self and great need there is for as we cannot perceive the fulness of our faces unless it be told us or we take a glass and look our selves therein so neither can we see the blemishes of our Souls which is a notable degree of spiritual Wisdom but either God must make iâ— known to us by his Spiâ—â— or we must collect the same out of the Scâ—iptures that celâ—stial glass though this also must be done by the Spirits help Therefore Thirdly If thou wilt be Soul-wisâ— and truly profit by studying the Scriptures be 〈◊〉 and fervent in Prayer to God who is the only giver of it for the direction of his holy Spirit For first humble and faithful Prayer uâ—heâ—ed in by meditation is the cure of all obscurity Especially being accompanied with fâ—rvour and fervenâ—y as you may see Matth. 21. 22 If any â—ack wisdom saith St. James let him ask of God who giveth to all men liberally and reproacheth no man and it shal be given him Jam. 1. 5. Mark the words it is said if any wherefore let no man deny his soul this comfort Again ask and have It cannot come upon easier terms Yea God seems to like this suit so well in Solomon as if he were beholding to his Creature for wishing well to it self And in vain do we expect that alms of grace for which we do not so much as beg But in praying for Wisdom do not pray for it without putting difference desire not so much brain-brain-knowledge as to be Soul-wise and then you will imploy your wisdom to the glory of the giver Let thine hearts desire be to know God in Christ Christ in Faith Faith in good works to know Gods Will that thou mayst do it and before the knowledge of all other things desire to know thy self and in thy self not so much thy strength as thy weakness Pray that thine heart may serve thee in stead of a commentary to help thee understand such points of Religion as are most needful and necessary and that thy Life may be an Exposition of thy inward man that there may be a sweet harmony betwixt Gods word thy judgement and whole conversation that what the natural man knoweth by roat thou mayst double by feeling the same in thine heart and affections As indeed experimental and saving knowledge is no less felt then known and I cannot tell how comes rather out of the abundance of the heart than by extreme study or rather is sent by God unto good men like the Ram that was brought to Abraham when he would have Sacrificed his son Isaac When Christ taught in the Temple they asked How knoweth this man the Scriptures seeing he never learned them So it is a wonder what learning some men have that have no learning Like Prisilla and Aquila poor Tent-makers who were able to school Apollos that great Clerk a man renowned for his learning What can we say to it For no other reason can be given but as Christ said Father so it pleaseth thee For as Jacob said of his Venison when his Father asked how he came by it so suddenly Because the Lord thy God brought it suddenly to my hands So holy righteous men do more easily understand the words of God than do the wicked because God brings the meaning suddenly to their hearts as we read Luk. 24. That Christ standing in the midst of his Apostles after he was risen from the dead opened their understandings that they might understand clearly the Scriptures and what was written of him in the Law of Moses and in the Prophets and in the Psalms ver 44. 45. Lo how suddenly their knowledge came unto them But see what a general promise God in the Person of Wisdâ—m hath made to all that serve him Prov. 1. Turn you at my reproof and behold I will pour out my spirit unto you and make known my words unto you vers 23. And Psal. 25. The secrets of the Lord are revealed to them that fear him and his covenant is to give them understanding ver 14. These secrets are hid from the wicked neither hath he made any such covenant with them but the contrary As see Dan. 12. 10. Vnto you it is given to know the secrets of the Kingdom of Heaven but to others in Parables that they seeing should not see and hearing they should not understand Luk. â— 10. Mark 3. 11. Matth. 13. 13. Again It is not enough to pray except also it be in Christs name and according to his will believing to be heard for his sake and that it be the intercession of Gods own spirit in you And being truly sensible of your sins and wants that you chiefly pray for the pardon of sin the effusion of grace and for the assistance of Gods Spirit that you may more firmly believe more soundly repent more zealously do more patiently suffer and more constantly persevere in the practise and profession of every duty But above all you must know that as Sampsons companions could neâ—er have found out his Riddle if they had not plowed with his Heifer so â—o man can knew the secrets of God but