to draw them also unto Christ So David first professeth that he will praise the Lord himself saying I will alwayes give thanks unto the Lord his praise shall be in my mouth continually Psal 34.1.3 Cant. 1.3 and then presently he addeth praise ye the Lord with me let us magnify his name together So the Spouse in the Canticles promiseth that if Christ would draw her she would procure company to go with her True Christians are not like Rayles but like Partriges that fly in companies together This was prophesied that it should be the disposition of those that should be brought in by the Gospel into the Christian Church one should provoke and call upon another come let us go up to themountain of the Lord Isa 2.3 Zech. 8.21 and they that dwell in one City shall go to another saying up let us go and pray before the Lord of Hosts Joh. 7.38 These are the rivers of water that flow out from the belly of a true believer Psal 66.16 Come ye hearken to me saith David and I will tell you what God hath done for my soule Therefore let everyone that hath knowledg communicate it to others labourthou according to thy calling according to the measure of knowledg which thou hast received to work upon others by advice and counsel by entreaty and perswasion to bring them to the saving knowledge of God and his ways Art thou a Magistrate thou must labour to reclaim men from the works of darknesse Art thou a Minister thou must feed the flock 1 Pet 5.1 2 taking the oversight thereof thou must feed them with the bread of knowledg and of understanding thou must make it thy work to winne soules and to turn the people from the wayes of folly and ignorance Art thou a husband thou must dwell with thy wife as a man of knowledge husbands must instruct their wives with the knowledge of God Art thou a Master of a family thou art to instruct thy children and servants at home and bring them out to wisdomes gates to Gods Ordinances abroad that so if it may be thou mayest bring them to the knowledge of God that they may be saved The Apostle exhorts Parents to bring up their children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. Fathers Eph. 6.4 Inutilis est animadversio ubi silent verba saeviunt verbera Marlotat provoke not your children too much by tyrannizing over them and immoderately exercising your authority over them using all correction and no instruction being silent in words yet being more sharp and severe many times then there is just cause whereby the discipline is spoyled but bring them up in the instruction and admonition of the Lord teach them how to carry themselves towards God in the duties of his service and in civility and courtesie towards men in the common affaires and dealings of the world so shall they keep a good conscience before God and get themselves credit before men Now as Parents must not use too much severity and austerity so neither must they use too much lenity whereupon as many mischiefs and inconveniences ensue as upon the former for as it is said of the Ape that she having but two young ones kills one of them with over-much kindnesse so some fond and foolish parents if they do not kill yet they spill their children by too much cockering them whereof we have an example in old Eli towards his sonnes and in David 1 Sam. 2.23 24 25. 1 Reg. 1.6 who was to blame too both towards Adonijah and Absalom He that desireth a good crop of corn must not only sow good seed but also weed it and use other good husbandry about it and he that desireth his son may prove a good man and a profitable member in the Church and Common-wealth must procure him a good Tutour and must himself be continually dropping good and wholesome instructions and directions upon him for the soul of a child is as Aristotle saith tanquà m abrasa tabula as a smooth table or like a piece of wax apt and fit for any impression Thus have the godly done from time to time and so it seemeth Adam instructed his sonnes concerning the worship of God else what should move them to offer facrifice Genes 4. Thus did Abraham God himself giving this testimony of him I know Abraham Gen. 18.19 that he will command his children and his houshold after him and they shall keep the way of the Lord to do judgement and justice that the Lord may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him thus also Isaack Jacob and the rest of the godly Patriarchs and we may very well suppose that they would never have suffered themselves to be circumcised had they not been formerly instructed in the law of the Lord and made acquainted that it was the Lords will and pleasure So Joshua I and my house saith he will serve the Lord. Solomon was taught by his Father David Prov. 4.4 and by his Mother Prov. 31. 2 Tim. 1.5 2 Tim. 3. â—5 Timothies Faith was derived from his Grandmother and Mother and it is said of him that from a child be knew the holy Scriptures Every Master of a Family hath charge over the soules of his children and servants this God commanded the old Israelites these words which I command thee this day shall be in thy heart Deut. 6.6 7. and thou shalt teach them diligently to thy children and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thy house and when then walkest by the way when thou liest down and when thou risest up thus doth King David charge his sonne Solomon telling him that he was going the way of all flesh take heed to the charge of the Lord thy God and walk in his wayes and keep his Statutes and Commandements and Judgements and Testimonies pressing him with many words of the same signification that he might the rather remember the substance of his charge he addeth a reason 1 Reg. 2.2 that thou mayest prosper in all thou doest Josephus saith that the children of the Jews knew how many letters were in the Old Testament and that they could recite them as readily as their owne names Joseph lib. 2. cont Appian Chrysost Homil. de Anna Samueli tducationi and in every thing whereunto thou turnest thee and 1 Chron. 28.9 And thou Solomon my Sonne know thou the God of thy Fathers and serve him with a perfect heart and a willing mind in both which places he first gives him charge of the service of God before any matter of his Kingdome Philo the Jew reporteth to the commendation of the Jewes that they were liberorum cultores cultrices and it is Chrysostomes simile that as men will patch up their own buildings and piece up ruinous and rotten houses so they should be more carefull of the Lords house and if he punish the neglect of repairing his materiall
face in this Life and our Heaven upon Earth And now Reader if thou art in an ignorant estate and one who art willing to be brought to the sense of thy ignorance and blindnesse and so to come to him who is the Light of the World Then say I to thee as Jehu to Jonadab Give me thy hand and thou and I shall quickly accord and thou shalt be a fit and welcome Reader to this poor Treatise and I hope I have written that which shall be both for thy satisfaction and comfort I have here laboured for such plainnesse as might best informe thy judgement and affect thy heart purposely avoyding that unnecessary artificialnesse which might make it like those Spiders webs to which one once compared Logick which are said to be much in workmanship 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but in profit nothing My hearty desire is if the will of the Lord be so to do a double good with these my poor labours and therefore to write the same things which at first I Preached to my own Congregation it is not grievous I have here for the Common good changed my tongue Solet apertior esse sermo vivus quā scriptus Bernar. into a pen though a dead letter be of lesse effectuall perswasion than a lively voice The scope of this Treatise is to bring-men out of darknesse into the true light and to shew them how to walke in the direction of that light That is the best knowledge which is of God the chiefest good a knowledge that suffereth least alteration in the hour of death but onely admitteth of a graduall change advancing to perfection All other knowledge then will vanish away this is the knowledge according to godlinesse whereunto I labour in this small Treatise to stirre thee up that knowing God in a saving way thou mayest live in him and walke in communion with him The knowledge of God in Christ is the pith and marrow of Christian Religion and Profession which whosoever wanteth he is but the shadow of a Christian though he abound with all other knowledge If this that I have now done shall be acceptable to the Church and People of God and be any thing though but Goates haire towards the Lords Sanctuary I shall rejoyce and give God the glory and the Reader may expect a Treatise from me on another Subject in some short time the Lord assisting me In the mean time if thou reape any benefit to thy soul by these my Labours let God have all the glory and me a share in thy prayers I shall conclude with that of Austin who having in his Books of Christian Doctrine propounded the Rule of Christian Faith yet notwithstanding thus concludeth To such as understand not what I write I answer they must not blame me if they conceive not these things as if I shewed them with my finger the Moon or a Starre which they would see being not very clear and if they have not eyes to see my finger much lesse a Starre they must not be offended at me if they see it not So they who reading these things cannot yet see the things which in the Scripture are darke and obscure let them cease to blame me and rather pray to the Lord to give them eye-sight for I may point with my finger but cannot give them eyes to see the things that I point to Now that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ Eph. 1.17 18. the Father of Glory may give unto you the spirit of wisdome and revelation in the knowledge of him the eyes of your understanding being opened that you may know what is the hope of his Calling and what the Riches of the Glory of his Inheritance in the Saints I shall not cease to pray and rest Thine in the Lord. W. G. THE ARRAIGNMENT OF IGNORANCE From Hos 4.6 My people are destroyed for lack of Knowledge IN the three foregoing Chapters were typical Prophesies in this fourth and in the following Chapters are plain Oracles and predictions not covered with Types This Chapter is a sharp Sermon to the ten Tribes the beginning whereof consisteth 1 In a citation of them to Gods tribunal Hear ye the Word of the Lord ye children of Israel for the Lord hath a controversie with the inhabitants of the Land v. 1. as if he should say Seeing ye set at nought and lightly esteem all the admonitions of the Prophets I cite you by Gods appointment to his tribunal to hear the controversie which he hath with you and most of the inhabitants of the land 2. In an accusation of them for their sins he accuseth them for their sins against their Neighbour and against God 1. He chargeth them with their sins against their Neighbour which he sets down in two things want of Truth want of Mercy There is no truth nor mercy in the land ver 1. Righteousnesse is there understood for truth by a Synecdoche There is no truth that is there is no righteousnesse and justice in the land and by mercy is understood bountifulnesse and liberality to those that are in misery this also was not to be found in the land though there were many objects of mercy yet there were none that would put on bowels of mercy 2. He chargeth them with their sins against God and the first and leading sin is their Ignorance of God there is no knowledge of God in the Land in this sixth verse the Prophet aggravateth this sin of theirs shewing that ignorance is the cause of their destruction My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge In the words there are three things to be observed 1. The persons of whom the Lord speaks his own people not strangers but his people that were in covenant with him not of his elect people neither but of those that were his people in outward profession My people whether it be referred to God or to the Prophet some make a question but whether that affix meus be referred to God or to the Prophet an opposition is here and elswhere made to other people that were not Gods people and had not the Prophets for their Monitors This word my signifies propriety they are called Gods people 1. Because God had called them to be his peculiar people from all people of the earth Amos 3. ◠and the Lord had entred into covenant with them to become their God c. 2. They had the Word and Sacraments and sacrifices among them and to them were committed the Oracles of God they and they only had the knowledge of the true God among them Rom. 3.2 3. Of them came many holy Prophets and Patriarchs that were men in great favour with the Lord. 4. The Lord wrought many signs wonders and miracles among them 5. They had many visions prophesies dreams and revelations from God 6. The Messiah was promised to descend of that Nation and in particular of the Tribe of Judah These were the priviledges of the people of God which
the Gentiles were destitute of or else he saith My people to put them in mind what they had bin or should be 2. Here is the judgment or punishment threatened unto them which is destruction they are destroyed Perdetur populus meus Vatab. Excisus est populus meus River Conticuit Vulg. Alii ad silentium redactus est populus meus Vatablus renders it My people shall be destroyed Rivet thus My people are cut off Some read it thus My people are brought to silence And Zanchy saith that Verbum pereundi tà m ad spiritualem quà m ad carnalem politicam mortem refertur Zanch. in loc This word destroyed hath as well relation to their spiritual as to their carnal and politick death And it is said here they are destroyed or cut off to denote the certainty of the judgement they shall as surely be destroyed as if they were already cut off and rooted out 3. Here is expressed the cause of their destruction and that is ignorance for want of the knowledge of God This people were not destitute of knowledge as the Gentiles who had not the Law of God but therefore were they without knowledge because when they had the Law they neglected the use of it and when they were admonished by the Prophets they contemned their admonitions and therefore perished because they would be destroyed Mibeli hadaat fignifies absque scientia illa without that knowledge Vatablus referreth that knowledge to the knowledge of God which the Land is said to be destitute of v. 1. This speech of the Prophet in the name of the Lord is an astonishing speech My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge as if he should say it were no wonder if other people should want the knowledge of God and so be destroyed but that my people should be destroyed for lack of knowledge this is matter of astonishment the Lord had shewen his word unto Jacob Psal 147.19 20. Deut. 4.6 his Statutes and his judgments unto Israel he had not dealt so with any Nation nor had they the knowledge of his judgments This people were esteemed in the sight of the Nations to be a wise and an understanding people therefore Israel Gods people could have no plea for their ignorance having the Law of God which the Gentiles had not they were destitute of knowledge because they wilfully shut their eyes against the light that shined upon them therefore their punishment was most just in that they were cut off that they should not be further accounted for the people of God I proceed to the point of Instruction Doctrine That ignorance is the main and principal cause of a peoples destruction I do not say it is the onely cause but it is a principal cause of a peoples ruine the Apostle Paul saith that destruction and misery are in the wayes of wicked men and then addeth this as the reason thereof Rom. 3.16 17. and the way of peace they have not known the Lord accounts them poor and foolish that know not the way of the Lord Jer. 5.4 and the judgment of their God and the mouth of the foolish is neer to destruction Prov. 10.14 1. Jer. 5. It brings many outward calamities upon a people My people are gone into captivity for lack of knowledge saith the Lord a rod is for the back of him that is void of understanding saith the wise man the whip of Gods wrath is their due the rod and not reason must prevail with them they must be instructed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 non 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 It brings everlasting ruine upon a people that live and die in it God will pour out his wrath upon them that know him not and Christ shall be revealed in flaming fire against them that know not God c. 2 Thess 1.7 8 9. who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his power In the handling of this Doctrine let us inquire Quest 1 What is Ignorance Answer Ignorance is a great blot upon mans nature or a want of that cleer and perfect light that was in man at his first creation being made after the image of God which principally consisted in knowledge Triplicem habait homo ante lâ—psum cognitionem scilicer rerum propter se factarum Creatotis sui Lumb Sentent lib 2. Distinct 23. this light being much darkned Gods image in man is much defaced God at the first gave man perfect knowledge of all things so farre forth as he was capable of for no infinite thing can be fully comprehended of a finite saith the Philosopher his knowledge was very great in natural and super-natural things Adam was both a perfect Philosopher and a perfect Divine Consider him first as a Philosopher he knew himself he knew his own condition he knew what manner of person he was made he understood how he ought to walk what to have done what to have avoided he had a singular knowledge of the nature of all creatures giving them names suitable to their very natures Adam could not chuse but know himself when as he knew the nature of stones and plants and beasts and all other creatures but now the eye of mans understanding being obscured by sin we see natural things no better then the man in the Gospel that was blinde who had but a little glimering of light that could not discern between men and trees Scholars in their studies are like Sailers in a troublesome Sea Maxima pars eorum quaescimus minima pars eorum quaenes imus Plato that sail along where they cannot see their way Socrates that was judged wisest by Apollo said he knew this one thing viz. that he knew nothing And Aristotle that knew as much of natural things as man could know by the height of reason saith of all things Videntur esse they only seem to be and the Platonists do hold this Paradox That nothing can be known as it is so that all mans natural knowledge now is but as a spiders web Having considered man as a Philosopher let us see what a Divine he is In the state of innocency man knew God so far forth as a terrestrial creature could know his Creatour he perfectly knew so much of the will and mind of God as it concerned him to know and was necessary for him he had an inbred knowledge of God but now if our eyes be so blind in natural things what are they in super-natural Ephes 4.18 Ephes 5.8 the understanding of man is darkned through ignorance and blindnesse of the heart saith the Apostle natural men are said to be darknesse and to fit in darknesse not as if the natural faculty of light or seeing were quite extinct by the fall of Adam no there is some inward light still in the understanding of natural men therefore when the Scripture taxeth all people for being a grosse and dull people it is not
it followeth woe to the wicked it shall be ill with him for the reward of his hands shall be given him 2. Hast thou been without the meanes of grace for 30 or 40 years past and lived in ignorance so long and wilt thou refuse the means of grace now it is offered thee in thy age thy sin will be double and thy condemnation will be the greater If I had not come and spoken to them they had not had sin but now they have no excuse for their sin saith our Saviour if thou hadst allways been without the means of knowledge thou mightest have pleaded Joh. 15.22 Lord had I known thy will I would have done it but now Christ by his messengers hath spoken to thee and yet thou art ignorant and prophane thou hast no excuse for thy sin it is the sadning of many a Ministers heart to see the blockish ignorance that is among their people and that few or none will come to them to be instructed what thronging is there to the chambers of Lawyers for their advice and counsel touching mens outward estates what running after great men to get offices and places of preferment what posting to Physitians for advice if the body be sick and a little out of frame If an indulgent Father have his only son lie very sick by him how earnest is he in enquiring of the physitian what he thinks will become of his poor child and whether there be any hopes of his recovery but the precious soul that is more worth then the whole world as our Saviour intimateth to us this is neglected and never lookt after when shall you see a man or woman come to a Minister and say O Sir what shall I do to be saved I am a poor ignorant creature I pray teach me good judgement and knowledge and cause me to understand the feare of the Lord shew unto me the way of salvation but with grief I speak it we may sit till we freez before people will come to us on such an errand Most people will never send to a Minister till the Physitian leaves them and death stands ready to take them and then a Minister is called to come to them to speak some words of comfort to their languishing soules and what hard censures are past upon a Minister if he will not pronounce them then to be meet partakers of inheritance among the Saints in light who have walkt in darknesse all their life we dare not speak peace to those to whom God speaks nothing but wrath and indignation lest we bring that curse upon us in Deut. Deut. 27.18 27.18 Cursed be he that maketh the blind to wander out of his way what a terrible curse would light upon us if we should now seal you up for Gods Kingdom when you know not one step of the way that leadeth thither let me tell you if you die without knowledge you die in your sins and as death takes thee so shall judgement find thee and then they that said unto the Almighty in their life depart from us we desire not the knowledge of thy wayes they I say shall hear God saying to them at their death depart from me I know ye not ye workers of iniquity or I never knew you to this day you that have hated the light of knowledg the light of grace shall be for ever without the light of life We read in the Gospel of one that went not into the Vineyard till the 11th hour of the day but did he refuse to go into the Vineyard when he was called surely no do you think it had been a tolerable excuse for him to have answered Christ when he was called It is now too late I am an old man at the last part of my life the better part of my life is spent and gone I can do thee but little service now and have but a little time to get the saving knowledge of thy will I will therefore shift as well as I can for that little time that remaineth as I have done to this day therefore trouble me not now you see he maketh no such excuse but as soon as ever he is called upon to know and turn to the Lord he goes into the Vineyard And now if God open thine eyes in thine old age thou wilt bitterly lament that thou wast no sooner acquainted with God and his ways August Meditat. as Austin did who meditating on the knowledg of God brake forth into such words as these Alas O Lord that I knew thee no sooner I have begun very late to love thee a beauty very ancient a beauty very new Too late have I begun thou wast within and I sought for thee without and have cast my self with such violence upon these created beauties without knowledge of my Creatour to defile thy self daily more and more 3. Dost not thou think thy condition to be dangerous because thou art not sensible of thy danger persons oftentimes in the greatest danger are least sensible of their danger as men that are sick of a phrensie will sometimes laugh and sing and those that are stung with an asp they lye laughing the poison being of that nature as it killeth them without putting them to any present pain these men are insensible of the dangerous estate they are in and their friends knowing in what condition they are do weep to see them laugh so it fareth with them that are sick of the phrensie of sin and ignorance and poisoned with the venome of the old Serpent they are many times at the brink of the pit of destruction they are at hell-mouth and do drop into hell it self before they fear any danger and like the Syrian souldiers that were smitten with blindnesse in the midst of Samaria 2 Kings 6.20 before they knew where they were he that should by night travel over a narrow bridge Sapientis est non quae ante pedes sunt modo videre sed etiam quae futura sunt prospicere Seneca under which were a deep river or go upon the edge of a very steep hill from which if he should have fallen he must needs be drowned in the one and break his neck from the other he goes on without fear but let him be brought back in the morning and shewed what danger he escaped and it will make him even to tremble to think of the greatnesse thereof and then he will stand like a man amazed and wonder he should escape so iminent a danger so all the while thou walkest in darknesse thou knowest not where thou goest nor whither thou art going An ignorant sinner is every moment ready to drop into the infernal pit Judg 20.34 and when he is near to destruction yet like the Benjamites he knoweth not that evil is near him But if ever the Lord open his eyes by the light of his word and spirit then he will stand amazed and wonder at the goodnesse of God towards him he
imperatorem i. e. being freed from the Ferula and discharged from subjection to a Tutour that even they be left to the guidance of their own discretion 2 Tim. 2.22 whereby they must follow Pauls counsell to his Schollar Timothy to fly all youthfull lusts and labour being well instructed in the grounds of true Religion as they grow in yeares to grow in wisdome and knowledge then shall no man have cause to despise their youth as the same Apostle speaketh 1 Tim. 4.12 But the wisdome of their young yeares shall be their Crowne and Glory As Virgil said of Aeneas his Sonne Sequitur Patrem non passibus aequis he followeth his Father not with even and equall steppes so it may be said of most of the children of faithfull Parents Let me presse this upon you that are old to teach the young do you not read that the Psalmist speaks often that the praises of the Lord should he declared from generation to generation Psal 22.31 Psal 79.13 And so the very Heathen understood that it was the duty of the old to teach the young Praecipere mitem convenit pueru senem Seneca Jura senes norint quid liceátque nefasque Fásque sit inquirant legémque exanima servant Ovid. Old men are or should be very knowing it belongeth to them to teach and to youth to learne of them this is chiefly to be observed among Christians hence it appeareth how grossely old men sinne if they who ought to informe others do themselves know little or nothing of those things that appertain to everlasting salvation and if they have neglected the meanes of knowledge and in their old age are so rude and ignorant that they had need to bee taught by children the heads of Catechisme which sometime happeneth what will they be able to answer to the righteous Judge of all the world when he shall aske them how they have done their duty upon the earth Let every christian now be conscientious in this duty to exhort and instruct one another to edify one another and provoke to love and to good works to stirre up one another to the wayes and work of godlinesse And to move you all hereunto I desire you to consider 1. The great benefit that will come to such as truly performe this duty the Lord hath made a gracious promise to it Jer. 23.22 if we stand in his counsell and cause his people to heare his words i. e. if we faithfully instruct them in the knowledge and feare of the Lord then we shall turne them from their evill way and from the evill of their doings Happy is that man that can turne a sinner from evill wayes and evill doings to the wayes of godlinesse This is the Reason why the Apostle will not have the believing husband or wife to separate one from another because by dwelling together they may instruct and do good one to another 1 Cor. 7.16 for what knowest thou O wife whether thou shalt save thy husband or how knowest thou O man whether thou shalt save thy wife 2. If thou canst winne but one soule to Christ Isa 2.28 thou shalt bring much glory to God Solomon saith that in the multitude of poople is the Kings honour So herein is the great King of heaven honoured when many people shall go and say Come ye and let us goe up to the mountaine of the Lord to the house of the God of Jacob and he will teach us of his wayes and we will walke in his pathes he that converteth a sinner shall save a soule from death and cover a multitude of sins Jac. 5.20 3. It will bring in great peace and comfort to your own soules what greater comfort in the world then to see those that sate in darknesse to have the eyes of their understandings opened to see those that were dead translated from death to life to be new borne to be converted unto God Oh what abundance of comfort will this consideration work upon thy heart However let Ministers do their duty Parents their duty Husbands their duty Christians their duty in their respective places and then let the successe be what it will we shall have comfort therein Ezek. 2.5 Ezek. 2. God commands the Prophet to speak to the people whether they would hear or whether they would forbear and thus saith the Prophet Isaiah though I have laboured in vain and spent my strength for nought Isa 49 4 5. yet surely my judgement is with the Lord and my work or my reward with my God though Israel be no gathered yet shall I be glorious in the eyes of the Lord and my God shall be my strength Thanks be to God saith Paul which alwayes causeth us to triumph in Christ and maketh manifest by us the savour of his knowledge in every place 2 Cor. 2. 14 15. Heb. 3.13 for we are unto God a sweet savour of Christ in them that are saved and in them that perish Therefore exhort one another daily while it is called to day Do not think it a duty onely belonging to the Minister to instruct and stir up others in the wayes of Religion Per hoe nil aliud est scientia nostra quam culpa Salvian it is his duty principally but it is thy duty also Do not say with wicked Cain Am I my brothers Keeper If thou seest thy neighbour lying in the pit of ignorance and thou hast that which might help him out and doest it not thou art guily of his perishing by this our knowledge is no thing else but a fault saith Salvian Labour with all thy might to help thy Wife and Children Servants and friends and neighbours out of this dark dungeon Hath God enlightened you with saving knowledge Direct 7 Eph. 5.8 See that you walk as children of the light If a man have never so much knowledge if he walk not answerable to it it is but a glow-worm light if thy head be full of light and thy workes be full of darknesse it is an evidence that the light that is in thee is no better than darknesse The night is farre spent saith the Apostle the day is at hand let us therefore cast off the workes of darknesse Rom. 13.12 Pareus in loc and let us put on the Armour of light Pareus by night understandeth our estate of ignorance and blindnesse before our effectual calling and conversion and by day our estate of illumination and grace after our conversion Let us therefore saith the Apostle cast off the workes of darknesse Sin may be called workes of darkenesse 1. Because for the most part they proceed from the ignorance of Gods will not revealed to such as are yet unconverted Thus Paul saith That the Gentiles walked in the vanities of their minde having their understandings darkened Eph. 4.18 being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that was in them and did men know the dangers that follow sinners they would