The Drunkards Character, Section 164
§ 164.
THirdly, let him get faith. For as without faith, 3 Procure the eye of a lively faith.no man can please God: so without faith no man can know God. Faith doth clearely behold those things, which are hid both from the eye of sense, and the eye of reason. I am come into the world, saith our Saviour, that whosoever beleeveth in me, should not sit in darknesse, Iohn, 12. 46. Reason and faith are the two eyes of the soule. Reason discernes naturall objects, faith spirituall and supernaturall. We may fee, farre with our bodily eye, sense; farther, with the minds eye, reason; but farther, with the soules eye, Faith, then with both. Yea, the rationall doth not so farre exceede the sensuall, as the spirituall exceeds the rationall: and though reason and humane learning, is as oyle to the Lampe of our understandings, which makes them burne clearer; yea, so doubles the sight of our minds, as Menander speakes, that there is as much difference, betweene the learned and unlearned, as there is betweene man and beast: yet Faith and illumination of the spirit, adds to the sight of our minds, as a Prospective glasse adds to the corporall sight, Matth. 16. 17. Christ is the Sunne of the soule, Reason and Faith the two Eyes, I am the light of the world, saith our Saviour, he that followeth me, meaning, by a lively Faith, shall not walke in darknesse; but shall have the light of life, Iohn, 8. 12. and more see two eyes then one. Yea, the day, with one eye, doth for more things descry, then night can doe with more then Argus eyes. Vnregenerate men who want faith, are like blind Sampson, without his guide. So that we must have minds lifted above nature, to see, and love things above nature; heavenly wisdome, to see heavenly truth; or else that truth, which is saving, will be to us a mystery, yea, seeme foolishnesse▪ 1 Cor. 2. 7, 8, 14. wheras the spirit reveales all things to the beleiver, even the deepe things of God, 1 Cor. 2. 10, 12, 15, 16. giving him a mouth, and wisdome, where ag…inst all his adversaries shall not be able to speake, or resist, Luke, 21. 15.
Wherefore get faith, and thou hast mounted another step to wisdome, entred a third roome of this Palace.
Fourthly,4 Be con…stant in prayer for the spirits helpe. he must be frequent and fervent in prayer to God, for the direction of his holy Spirit, for,
First, humble and faithfull prayer, ushered in by meditation, is the cure of all obscurity, especially being accompanied with fervor and fervency. If any lacke wisdome, saith St. Iames, let him aske of God, which giveth to all men liberally, and reproacheth no man, and it shall be given him, Iam. 1. 5. marke the words: it is said, if any: wherefore let no man deny his soule this comfort: againe, aske, and have, it cannot come upon ea…ier termes: yea, God seemes to like this sute so well in Solomon, as if he were beholding to his Creature for wishing good to it …elfe, yea more, whatsoever we aske in prayer, if we beleeve, we shall have it, Math. 21. 22. And in vaine doe we expect that Almes of Grace, for which we doe not so much as beg.
Secondly, as Sampsons companions could never have found out his Riddle, if they had not plowed with his heyfer: so no man can say that Iesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost, 1 Cor. 12. 3. And as none can behold the light of the Sunne, but by the benefit of the Sunne: so none can know God (who is called the Father of lights, in the plurall number, because of the degrees and diversities of his gifts) nor the things of God, but by the revelation of God, 1 Cor. 12. 8. Math. 16. 17. with the Spirits helpe, the meanes can never be too weake; without, never strong enough. One excellent and necessary prerogative of the spirituall man, is this, he hath God for his teacher, he learnes the counsells of God, of that spirit, which only knoweth God's counsells, Luke, 21. 15. For though his outward man receives the elements and rudiments of Religion, by breeding and education; yet his inward man receiveth them by heavenly infpiration. For as spirituall wisdome is not the fruite of time and study, as the naturall is: so it hath a higher fountaine then nature to feede it, even the Spirit of God; which is no small priviledge; for the Scholler learnes quickly, when the Holy Ghost is his teacher; the eye sees distinctly, when the Holy Ghost doth enlighten it.
When Christ taught in the Temple, they askt, 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 Priscilla and Aquila, poore Tent-makers, which were able to schole Apollos, that great Clarke, a man renowned for his learning. What can we say to it? for no other reason can be given for it, but as Christ said, Father, so it pleaseth thee. For as Iacob came so soone with his Venison, that his father askt him, how he came by it so suddenly; and Iacob answered, because the Lord thy God brought it suddenly to my hands: so holy and righteous men, can give no other reason, why they understand the words of God so easily, and the wicked doe conceive them so hardly, but that God brings the meaning suddenly to their hearts, as we reade, 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 clearely the Scriptures, and what vvas vvritten of him, in the lavv of Moses, and in the Prophets, and in the Psalmes vers. 44. 45. Loe, hovv suddenly their knovvledge came unto them! But see vvhat a generall promise God, in the person of vvisdome, hath made to all that serve him, Pro 1. 23.
Wherefore importune God the Father, for the dir…ction of his holy Spirit, and thou shalt, at the least, have light enough on earth, to bring thee to the light of Heaven.
But in praying for wisdome, But pray not for knowledge without putting differenceobserve one caution, doe not pray for it, without putting difference. There is a speculative knowledge in the braine, common to hypocrites, with Gods children; Heb. 6. 4. and there is an experimentall and saving knowledge in the heart, peculiar to the godly alone, Eph. 4. 8. and 5. 8. pray especially for the last of these, let thine hearts desire be, to know God in Christ; Christ, in faith; faith, in good workes; to know Gods will, that thou mayst doe it; and before the knowledge of all other things, desire to know thy selfe; and in thy selfe, not so much thy strength, as thy weakenesse: pray that thine heart may be insteed of a Commentary, to helpe thee understand such points of religion as are most needfull and necessary, and that thy life may be an exposition of thy inward man, that there may be a sweete harmony betwixt Gods truth, thy judgement, and whole conversation; that what the naturall man knowes by thinking, thou mayst double by feeling the same in thine heart and affections: as indeed, experimentall and saving knowledge is no lesse felt, then knowne; and I cannot tell how, comes rather out of the abundance of the heart, then by extreame study, or rather is sent by God unto good men; like the Ramme that was brought to Abraham, when he would have sacrificed his Sonne Isaac.For God m…y grant our … in judgment,
But if thou shalt pray unto God for knowledge, without making a difference; and shalt stand more upon the quantity, then the quality: so resembling the curre in the fable, which preferred the shadow to the meate; or those parents among the Heathen, which sacrificed to the gods for children, but not for good children; or Nero's Mother, who being told, that her Sonne should be Emperour, but to her griefe and sorrow, answered, so my Sonne have the Empire, let my sorrow and griefe be what it will; or Eudoxus, whose wish and prayer to the gods was, that hee might once view the Sunne neere at hand, to comprehend his forme, greatnesse, and beauty, on condition he were immediately burnt and consumed by it. God will either crosse thee, in thy desire, as he did those anticke builders, Gen. 11. 3. to 10. who purposed a Tower, the top whereof should reach unto Heaven, for no other cause, but to get them a Name. And what if the height had answered their desire? Or as he doth dayly men and women, that had rather be rich, or honourable, then good? or if he doe grant their desires, yet he will grant it them in judgement; as he did a King to the Israelites, and Quailes, with which he fed their bodies, but withal sending leannesse into their soules; or as he granted a Boy to Sr. Thomas Moor's Lady, who being sicke of Daughters, prayed importunately for a Boy, and nothing but a Boy would serve; whereupon she had a Boy, which (as Sr. Thomas wittily and twittingly told her) would be a Boy, so long as he lived; or as Christ committed his purse to Iudas, when as he gave his holy Spirit to his faithfull Apostles; or as Bacchus is feighned to deale with Midas, who desiring of him, that whatsoever he touch't might instantly bee converted into gold, granted his request, but so as it became his bane; for his wine became gold, his bread gold, the feathers of his bed, his shirt, his garments, and every thing else, were all turned into that hard mettall, whereby he was halfe starved with hunger, and halfe with cold, as Fulgentius relates; he would gladly now have unprayed his prayers.
Alas! even the wicked, for the most part, have their desire; yea, more then their hearts can wish, as the Psalmist speakes, Psal. 73. 7. 9. but what's the issue? they set their mouthes against Heaven, like an unruly jade, that being full fed, kickes at his master; yea, how often doth wisdome without grace, prove like a faire estate in the hands of a foole, which not seldome becomes the ovvners ruine; or like Absolom's haire, which vvas an ornament vvherevvith he hanged himselfe: yea, vvisdome vvithout grace, is nothing else but a cunning way of undoing our selves at the last; for is not many mens knowledge to them, like the Arke to the Philist…nes, which did them more hurt then good? A wicked mans knowledge may make him prouder, not better,; more rebellious, not more serviceable: thy wisdome and thy knowledge, saith Isay, they have caused thee to rebell, Isa. 47. 10. O how many doe mischiefe insteed of good with their knowledge? like H…rod, whom you shall see turning over the Bible, searching the Scriptures, examining the Prophets, but to what end and purpose to know good, but to doe evill? yea, the greatest evill under the Sunne, slay Christ in the cradle: with many their knowledge and learning is not for God, and for Gideon; but for Antichrist, and for Babylon. And so of all other gifts: how many are the wor…e for them? As, give Saul a Kingdome, and he will tyrannize; give Nabal plenty, and he will be drunke; give Iudas an Apostleship, and he will sell his Master for money.
Wherefore, in praying for wisdome, pray not so much for braine-knowledge, as to be soule-wife; nor more for wisdome it selfe, then for a blessing upon it; that God will so sanctifie it unto thee, that he may have glory, thy selfe and others good by the same; for, for want of this, many are able to speake like Angells in the Church, while they live like Devills abroad.
Ob: But I cannot pray, or not to purpose.
Answ: 2 Objections answered.As we poure some water into the Pumpe, that thereby we may fetch up more: so let us pray, that we may pray more and better. When the Mill is set on going, an easie wind keepes it so; and a stronger encreaseth the motion.
Ob: But I have often prayed, and yet remaine as stupid as a stone.
Answ▪ Though, with Peter, thou hast fished all night, and caught nothing, yet cast out thy net againe, pray still, and the issue shall more then recompence the delay: yea, thy perseverance in prayer, will prove that thou hast mounted another step to wisdome, entred a fourth roome of this Palace.