The Beauties of Bethel, Treatise · Answer 4 – Question 4
Answ. Can I beleeue any man that saith he seeth, when I see him shut his eyes? can I thinke that a man hath any true knowledge of God, who desireth not to growe in grace, and in the knowledge of the Lord IESVS CHRIST? How can I beleeue that that man is in earnest, or if hee bee that hee is in his wittes that shall thus plead against his life; I hope I hauehave eaten meate ynough heretofore, and got strength ynough and now I need no more: and therefore I will neuer eate more, nor drinke more while I liue: if a frantick man should come to such conclusions, any man might say well thou shalt then liue but a while. Dost thou not see this holy Prophet who was aduanced both in knowledg and holynes aboue the most liuing; and dwelt as an Angell in the World; yet did not he acknowledge himselfe greatly to stand in need of stirring vp by these meanes giuen of God for that end? And yet thou a man of little or no faith, a nouice and pettie in the schoole of Christ, if yet yu euer entredst into it, art so ful and complete as thou canst or needest go no The ignorance of our age more dangerous then of our fore-fathers, theirs was simple, ours affected.further.
As for thy fore-fathers they had not the meanes as thou hast: and if any of them perished without them, yet their stripes are fewer then thine shall bee who contemnest them. If they had had ye meanes offred, it is likely they would hauehave beene more fruitfull in them, or If not, it had not bene for their case (no more then thine) to hauehave dispised them. And lamentable it is to see how men suffer satan to ouer-reach them in a matter of such moment as is their freehold in heauen. If any man had house, land or legacy befalling him, would he reason thus? Why I care not for it I hauehave liued now 40. or 50. yeares well ynough & in good credit without it; I am too old now to change my estate although for ye better; neuer man made such a foolish reason: & yet such fooles are men that vppon this ground they stand against their greatest, spiritual and eternall good. Wheras if they had the wisdome of men in them, they should rather thus conclud: hauehave I al this while liued without knowledge of God, faith in Christ, consciēce of my waies? oh it is high time now to awake out of sleepe.
And to such as can easily learn to louelove God aboue all and the neighbour as Not easily lerned to louelove God aboue al & thy neighbour as thy selfe.themselues; it is not a thing so soon lerned as they pretend. Is eueryevery man a good mason or carpenter that can say, I know as much as the best workeman can teach or tell me, to build an house is but to lay the foundation, and lay on the roof: or is he therfore a good husbandman yt can say, I know as much as the best husbandman can teach me; for what is husbandry else but to sow and to reape? But heere a meane conceit will reply and say, yea but there are very many thinges required before a man can do either of these two workes: which if you know not you can neuer bee commendable neither in the one nor the other. So I say a number of thinges go before the louelove of God and the neighbor, as faith, repentance, prayer, knowledge of Gods will and word, knowledge of Christ in whome our workes must finde acceptance: & more these duties of louelove must bee expressed in infinite actions through the whole life, all which if a man bee not particularly instructed in, his louelove of God and his neighbor is but in word and tongue, but there is noe deed nor truth in either.
And for their prayer which the hope they can acceptably performe, the truth is, let them pray and fast to it, so long as they turne their eares from hearing the law: such prayers are not only reiected but abhominable. As acceptable as the Pro. 28. 9.feruent prayers of those deuout women that would hauehave stoned Paul. And lastly, wheras their hearts ar so good to God-ward, in that also ye spirit of God giueth them the lye, who affirmeth that without knowledge the minde is not good.
Ob: But if I had an Angell to teach me, or some more excellent and powerfull meanes then this of hearing a weak and fraile man; then I would heare, beleeue and obey.