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
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
slender vintage which I here offer to you not so much to feed your appetite as to quicken it but where power is wanting I humbly in treat that a sincere affection may make the supply and if by this tender of mine you may receive any little benefit I shall crave this recompense of you That you would be earnest with God in my behalfe to make me faithful and profitable in my function to the end of my dayes The value of Paper-presents is but small and the lesse to be esteemed of by how much this Age of ours hath made the number of Books to be the purgation of distempered braines I beg this favour of you To have this little piece of coine laid up in your closets as an acknowledgement of a greater obligation and if after your many weighty and publique affaires you shall sometimes look into this book I hope you may meet with some passages therein that may yield you some content and further your growth in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ And leaving this Manual with you as a testimony of that respect which your Worships many wayes challenge from me I remain Your Worships in all respective Services to be commanded W. G. TO THE READER THese are dayes that abound in the means of saving knowledge but few partake of it the most like brutes do altogether neglect it others seek after it but not as for Gold and many there be that preferre childish toyes and trifling knowledge before that wisdom that is from above A natural man is apt to affect things more or lesse according to the sense and understanding that he hath of them now a natural man cannot understand the things of the spirit therefore he cannot truly affect them the excellent knowledge of Christ the glorious priviledges of the Gospel are things transcending all created understanding the love of Christ is a love that passeth knowledge Ephs 3.19 saith the Apostle the Peace of God a peace that passeth all understanding Phil. 4.7 communion with God in the Spirit and joy in the Holy Ghost these are things that even the understanding of a spitual man cannot reach unto but a natural man is in darkenesse and altogether blinde towards them Faith is the evidence of things not seen it discovereth to a believing soul things invisible A carnal man wanteth faith therefore when the glorious excellencies of the Gospel are presented before him he wanteth an evidence to discover these things unto him visible things being presented are to be seen with bodily eyes but spiritual and invisible things cannot be seen by those that want the eye of Faith Joh. 9.39 For judgement I am come into the world saith our Saviour that they which see not may see and they that see may be made blind As to the humble soul he sets up a light within enabling it with Moses to see him that is invisible but on the contrary he leaves them in their natural blindnesse who are wise in their own conceits It is the complaint of Solomon Prov. 17.16 Wherefore is there a price in the hand of a fool to get wisdom seeing he hath no heart to it There is a rich price in hand much means of knowledge by Preaching Expounding Writing Catechising the things of God excellently and clearly set out to us but all this while this price is in the hand of a fool one who though worldly wise yet wanteth the light of the Spirit to direct him to true happinesse and to shew him the worth of Heavenly things and thereupon it followeth that he hath no heart to it A similitude taken from a Man that is going to a Town or City where there is some great Mart or Faire with money in his hand to buy Commodities but for want of judgement he passeth by the most advantagious Commodities being ignorant of the goodnesse and profitablenesse of them and throwes away his money upon toyes and trifles that are of no advantage to him So there is a price put into the hands of the sonnes of men to get Heavenly Wisdom but the carnal worldling remaines a starke foole he cannot see into the excellency of Heavenly things and thereupon hath no heart to them but passeth by them and embraceth a thing of nought instead of them God is to be sought above all and may be found of all that will seek after him and take any paines to know him but the greatest part of the World have not a minde to know him Hos 6.3 and therefore doe not follow on to know him When man will not use those helpes that God hath left him to search after the saving knowledge of God God justly suffereth him to fall into divers opinions and grosse conceits which shut him up in the bottome of a stinking Dungeon where he findeth nothing but ignorance errour and irkesome uncertainties as filthy vermine creeping round about him where the darknesse of ignorance fills the minde the Prince of darkenesse fills the heart The Sepia or Cuttle-fish saith Tertullian Tertull. contr Marcion when he is in danger to be taken casteth about him a black inkie matter wherewith he darkneth the water that the Fishermen cannot see him So many people do seek to compasse themselves with the darke cloudes of ignorance to hide themselves and their wicked practises which would appeare to be very odious should they come to be viewed and surveyed by the light of the Word And for many others that are a little enlightned they professe wisdome but they practise folly and so their knowledge is no better than ignorance But he that hath had experience of the freenesse of Gods grace and the riches of his mercy that hath felt the lively workings of the Spirit of God upon his heart that man hath an experimentall knowledge of God and this is after a sort to eat of the Tree of Life the more acquaintance he hath with God the more he desireth and beggeth acquaintance with him though every hour he give him a fresh taste of his goodnesse yet he ever findeth a new and most pleasant sweetnesse in it the more knowledge a man hath of God the more he knoweth his own duty towards him and he that savingly knoweth God dareth not either neglect his duty or do it decitfully he that hath made proof of Gods goodnesse dareth not make triall of evil he knoweth if he should he should do it to his cost What man can reckon himself a Christian that is ignorant of God without the knowledge of God all that we do is but in a customary or uncertain way hereby we know whom we serve and the great advantages we shall reape by his Service and are sensible of our estate in Grace measuring Gods gracious presence with us or his absence and with-drawings from us and our own strength and weaknesse it is the earnest of our Heavenly Inheritance the first fruites of the Beatifick Vision our acquaintance with his
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-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
knowledge guideth the tongue understanding is a well-spring of life to him that hath it the heart of the wise teacheth his mouth and addeth learning to his lips that is as if he had said whereas a fooles heart is upon the tip of his tongue to vent and utter whatever he knoweth at all adventures a wise mans tongue is ordered and guided by his heart to keep and observe a decorum both in speech and silence And concerning actions Solomon bringeth in wisdom speaking thus in her own person saying Prov. 8.19 20. My fruit is better then Gold yea then fine Gold and my revenue then choyce Silver and then addeth a reason saying I lead in the way of righteousnesse and in the midst of the paths of judgement Now on the other side if thine eye be evill thy whole body is full of darknesse as a man that hath an ill sight a pearl in his eye or is pur-blind is oftentimes nay evermore deceived in his choyce and misseth his mark So he that hath his understanding darkned and dazzeled wanteth a right judgement to guide him in the worship and service of God the corruption of his own heart and proud flesh the sleights and suggestions of Satan and the evill examples of others with whom he liveth being as Gregory Nazianzen saith interposed between the eye of his mind and the light of the Gospel as a thick cloud or the shadow of the body of the earth between our eyes and the light of the Sun Now where this evill eye is there is nothing but darknesse and the fruits of it amazednesse horrour and confusion where understanding is wanting the whole life must be nothing but disorder knowledge in the soule is as a King in his Realm the head to the body the eye in the head a Pilot in a ship yea in a word as the Sun to the world now what truer mirrour of misery then a Realme without a King or Governour or whose King is a child not so much in years as in discretion as Rehoboam was and what can that body do that hath an head blind without eyes or that is still distempered fit for nothing but sleep what can be expected to become of a ship whose Pilot and guide is still stark drunk neither knowing nor caring how to guide her at Sea nor bring her to shore and what greater darknesse is there in the greater world then when the Sun the eye thereof hath run his race and is gone to rest untill his rising again as great disorder discomfort and confusion is there in a man without knowledge and spitituall understanding nay farre greater unlesse Jesus Christ the Sonne of Righteousnesse arise in it and shine upon it by the beames of his grace and favour 2. Knowledge is usefull to strengthen a man a knowing man is a strong man Eccles 7.19 a fool is a weak man wisdome strengthneth the wise more then ten mighty men that are in the City saith Solomon it will more support and strengthen a man then many great friends in Court or City it will strengthen a man in great straits Friends may faile a man and oftentimes do faile him but true wisdome doth not faile a man in the greatest straits it leadeth a man through the greatest difficulties and supports him under them to this purpose the Apostle prayeth that the Colossians might be filled with the knowledge of Gods will Colos 1.9 10 11. in all wisdome and spirituall understanding and increase in the knowledge of God that they might be strengthned with all might according to his glorious power unto all patience and long-suffering with joyfulnesse Wisdome strengthens us rightly to use our spiritual armour both defensive and offensive as it is best for us and appointed to us When a great King besieged a little City and built great bulwarks against it there was found in it a poore wise man and he by his wisdome delivered the City then said I wisdom is better then strength Eccles 9.14 15 16. and verse 18. he addeth Wisdome is better then weapons of warre the Devill is like this great King that cometh against and besiegeth the little City of the soule buildeth great bulwarks against it but a poor Christian by wisdom delivereth his soule a man that knoweth his own weaknesse and wants that knoweth the necessity of grace that knoweth Jesus Christ to be the Fountain of wisdome and strength he goeth out of himselfe to Jesus Christ making use of the vertue of his death and resurrection to overcome all temptations unto sin 3. Knowledge doth exceedingly encourage a man and hearten him against all discouragements when a man knoweth God knoweth his service and knoweth what God requireth at his hands this doth exceedingly encourage a man upon the performance of his duty Paul saith 2 Tim. 1.12 I am not ashamed of my sufferings for the preaching of the Gospel and giveth this reason for I know whom I have believed and he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day When a man knoweth the will of God and walketh according to the light he hath received when a man knoweth the promises and his own interest in them this doth mightily encourage a man under sufferings when once we have gotten understanding of Christ and the Promises and Priviledges by him the heart is full of courage he knoweth then let God cast him into what state or condition he will that it shall go well with him this will make a man couragious in death it self What though I die yet saith he with Job Job 19.25 I know that my Redeemer liveth and in that he liveth he liveth for my good he is my life Col. 3.4 who is the life My life is bound up in him who is the Fountain of Life and because he liveth I shall live also Joh. 14.19 4. Knowledge is sweet and comfortable Eccles 11.7 light is sweet and it is a comfortable thing for a man with his eyes to behold the light of the Sun So when an ignorant soul is enlightened with the true knowledge of God and his wayes this is very comfortable What a comfort is it to come out of the dark dungeon of ignorance into Gods marvelous light the light of knowledge raiseth a drooping spirit Ignorance of God and of his Word ignorance of our selves also is the cause of much trouble of spirit when we are ignorant of our own estate and of our grounds of comfort It is the great design of the Devil to blind our eyes in soul-troubles that we may not see the Well of Comfort that runneth by us as poor Hagar that was ready to perish for thirst had not eyes to see the Fountain by her Now true knowledge leades the soul to the Promises to the waters of Comfort to the breasts of Consolation where he may suck and be abundantly satisfied Psalm 97.11 Light is sowen for the righteous and joy for the upright
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