The Drunkards Character, Section 50
§ 50.
3 BUt thirdly,3 Of the greatest schollers. suppose most of the Learned and greatest Shcollers in the land were given to this vice, (which notwithstanding is a vanity to conceive) yet all were one, this could be no excuse for thee.
For first, not many wise men after the slesh are called, but God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise, that no flesh should rejoyce in his presence, 1 Cor. 1. 26. 27. 29. yea, the preaching of Christ cracified was foolishnesse to the wise Sages of the world, 1 Cor. 1. 23.
It pleaseth God, for the most part▪ to hide the mysteries of salvation from the wise and learned, and reveale them unto babes, Math, 11. 25. Luk. 10. 21. yea, the saving knowledge of Christ is hid to all that are lost, 2 Cor. 4. 3. But if once men abuse their knowledge and learning to Gods dishonour, and comply with Sathan and the world against the Church; then he taketh that knowledge, which once they had, from them, as he tooke heate from the fire, when it would burne his children, Dan. 3. 27. I will destroy the tokens of the Southsayers, and make them that conjecture fooles: I will turne the wisemen backward, and make their knowledgefoolishnesse, saith the Lord, Isa. 44. 25. he taketh the wise in their craftinesse, and the counsell of the wicked is made foolish, Iob. 5. 13. As how many wise and learned men among the Gentiles have turned fooles, and worshipped gods that were not able to wipe off the dust from their owne faces? How many Papists, that are great clarkes, and wise men, maintaine a thousand absurd and ridiculous Tenents, yea, such brainesicke Positions, that never any old woman, or sicke person doted worse.
To nominate two, of two hundred. Iohn Baptist, with them, hath so many heads, that they cannot tell which is the right; God made him but one, Herod left him none, they (as if he were another Hydra) have furnished him with a great many. Christs crosse is so multiplied with them; that the same, which one ordinary man might beare, if the peeces were gathered together, would now build a Pinnace of a hundred Tunne; yet they will tell us, that every shiver came by revelation, and hath done miracles; but this appeares to me the greatest miracle, that any man should beleeve them: yea, is not their folly and blindnesse such, as to maintaine those things for truth, which the Holy Ghost plainely calls the Doctrine of Devills? 1 Tim. 4. 1. 2.
And justly are they forsaken of their reason, who have abandoned God: yea, most just is it, that they who want grace, should want wit too. If Idolaters will needs set up a false god, for the true; is it not equall, that the true God should given them over to the false? and because they receive not the love of the truth, that they might be saved, therefore, saith the Apostle, God sendeth them strong delusions, that they might believe lyes; that all they might be damned, which beleeve not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousnesse, 2 Thes. 2. 10. 11. 12.
God giveth to every man a stocke of knowledge, more or lesse, to occupy withall; and to him which useth the same well, viz. to his glory, and profit of himselfe, and others, he giveth more, as to the Servant which used his Talents wel, hee doubled them; which makes the Holy Ghost frequent in these and the like expressions; If any will doe Gods will, hee shall understand the Doctrine whether it be of God or no, Ioh. 7. 17. A good understanding have all they which keepe the Commandements, Psal. 111. 10. The Spirituall man understandeth all things, 1 Cor. 2. 15. to a man that is good in his sight God giveth knowledge and wisdome, Eccles. 2. 26. wicked men understand not judgment, but they that seeke the Lord understand all things, Pro. 28. 5.
But as for him which useth it not, much more, if he abuseth his knowledge to his owne hurt, and Gods dishonour, as too many doe, he taketh from him even that which he had formerly given him; as he tooke away the odd Talent from the servant which had but one, and did not use the same, Luk. 19. 24. That this is Gods manner of dealing, you may see Mat. 21. 43. Gen. 4. 11. Acts, 26. 18. Isaiah, 29. 14. and 44. 25. and 6. 9. 10. Dan. 2. 19. 23. Iob, 5. 13. 14. Ioh. 9. 39. and 12. 37. 40. Rom. 1. 28. Eph. 4. 18. 19. 1 Cor. 1. 20. 2 Thes. 2. 10. 11. 12. Hee is not more the author of light in Goshen, then of blacke darkenesse in Aegypt, hee doth not more open the heart of Lydia, then harden the spirit, and make obstinate the heart of Sihon King of Hesbon, Deut. 2. 30. If there be a Mordecay, growing into favour with him; there is also an Haman, growing out of favour. As Eliah's spirit is doubled upon Elisha; so the good Spirit departed from Saul. As the Gentiles became beleevers, so the Iewes became Infidells. As Saul became an Apostle, so Iudas became an Apostate. As Iohn groweth in the spirit, so Ioash decayeth in the spirit, 2 Chro. 24. 17. &c. As Zacheus turneth from the world, so Demas turneth to the world, and God is no lesse the permitter of the one, then the cause of the other, if we consider him as a righteous Iudge, punishing one sinne with another by way of retaliation.
Hereupon, when Christ meets with good Nathaniell, a true Israelite, in whom there was no guile, he saith unto him, beleevest thou, because I saw thee under the Figg-tree? thou shalt see greater things then these, Iohn, 1. 50. whereas to the obstinate Iewes, he saith, by hearing, ye shall heare, and shall not understand; and seeing, yee shall see, and not perceive, Math. 13. 14. Even like Hazar, that had the Well before her, but could not see the water, Gen. 21. 19. make the heart of this people fat, make their eares heavy, and shut their eyes, least &c. Isaiah 6. 10. which words, with the former examples, are written for our learning and warning: for was the Talent, thinke we, onelyonly taken from him in the Gospell? Did none lose the spirit, but Saul? Have none their hearts hardened for their obstinacy, but Pharaoh? Doe none grow out of favour with him, but Haman? doe none become Infidels, besides the Iewes? None prove Apostates, but Iudas? Have none their eyes darkened, and their hearts hardened for their sinnes, but the Gentiles? O yes, the idle servant was but a type of many that should have their Talents taken away; Saul was but a type of many that should lose the spirit; Sampson was but a type of many that should lose their strength; the Gentiles were but a type of many Christians which should have their minds darkened, and their hearts hardened, whom God should give up to a reprobate minde, &c. It's true, this is not meant of naturall, or speculative knowledge, wherein the wicked have as large a share as the godly; but of spirituall, experimentall, and saving knowledg, which is supernaturall and descendeth from above, Iames, 3. 17. And keepeth a man from every evill way, Pro. 2. 12. Wherein the wicked have no part with the Godly, the natural man perceiveth not the things of the Spirit of God, 1 Cor. 2, 14.
Now God esteemes none wise, that are not so in this latter sense; yea, naturall and worldly wisdome, without this, is meere foolishnesse in Gods account, 1 Cor. 1. 20. and 3. 19. and no lesse then twelve times infatuated by the wisdome of God in one Chapter, 1 Corinthians, 1. 2. Whence it is that the Scribes and Pharisies, who were matchlesse for their knowledge and learning (and that in the Scriptures, Gods Oracles, which will make a man wise, or nothing) are called by our Saviour, who could not be deceived, foure times in one Chapter, blind, and twice, fooles, Math. 23. and Baalam (who had such a propheticall knowledge that scarce ever any of the holyest Prophets had so cleare a Revelation of the Messiah to come) is called by the Holy Ghost, foole 2 Peter, 2. 16. and good reason, for though he was a Seer, hee could not see the way to Heaven; and the same may be said of I…das (who knew asmuch as the wisest naturall man) for if he had beene wise, he would not have taught others the way to Heaven, and go… himselfe the direct way to Hell.
Alasse! the greatest Clarkes, and they that know most, are not always the wisest men; many of the wise, and the ancient, and the learned, with Nicodemus, are to learne this lesson, that except they be borne againe, they cannot enter into the kingdome of Heaven, Iohn. 3. 4, 9. and they that give themselves to be so bookish, are often times so blockish, that they forget God who made them.
Now as our Saviour said to him, which thought he had done all, One thing is behind, Luk. 18. 22. so may I say to these, who thinke they know all, one thing is behinde, and that is the true knowledge of God, of Christ, of themselves, and how they may be saved: and hee which knowes not thus much, although I cannot say he is a starke foole, yet I may truely say hee is halfe a foole, and halfe a wise man: as Ona-Centaure was halfe a man, and halfe an Asse: for all learning and knowledge, without this, is but as a wodden Diamond in a Lattin ring, and others who know lesse, and are lesse learned, may be more wise.
It was a true and just reprehension, wherewith the High Priest snib'd the Councell, as they were set to condemne Christ, and a great deale better then hee meant it, Ye know nothing at al, Iohn, 11. 49. hee spake right, for if wee know not the Lord Iesus, we know nothing at all; our knowledge is either nothing, or nothing worth. What saith Aristotle, no more then the knowledge of goodnesse, maketh one to be named a good man; no more doth the knowledge of wisdome, onelyonly, cause any person properly to bee called a wise man; saving knowledge of the trueth, workes a love of the trueth knowne: yea, it is an uniforme consent of knowledge and action: hee onelyonly is wise, that is wise for his owne soule; he whose conscience pulleth all hee heares and reades to his heart, and his heart to God, who turneth his knowledg to faith, his faith to feeling, and all to walke worthy of his Redeemer, he that subdues his sensuall desires and appetites to the more noble faculties of reason, and understanding, and makes that understanding of his 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 faith, his reason, his will, himselfe, to the will of God; this is practicall, experimentall, and saving knowledge, to which the other is but a bare name or title: for what is the notionall sweetnesse of honey, to the experimentall tast of it. It is one thing to know what riches are, and where they be, and another thing to be master of them; it is not the knowing, but the possessing of them that makes rich.
Faith and Holinesse are the nerves and sinewes, yea the soule of saving knowledge: the best knowledge is about the best things, and the perfection of all knowledge, to know God and our selves, as being the marrow, pith, or kernell, of Christianity; and it is much, to know a little in this kinde. What said Aristippus to one that boasted how much hee had learned? learning consisteth not in the quantity, but in the quality; not in the greatnesse, but in the goodnesse of it. Wee know a little gold, is of more worth then much drosse: a precious stone is a very little thing, yet it is preferred before many other stones of greater bulke: yea, a little Diamond is more worth then a rockie mountaine: so one drop of wisdome, guided by the feare of God, is more worth then all humane learning; one sparke of spiritual, experimental, and saving knowledge, is worth a whole flame of secular wisdome and learning; one scruple of holinesse, one drame of faith, one graine of grace, is more worth then many pounds of naturall parts.
But learning and grace do not alwayes keepe company together: yea, oh Lord how many are there that have a depth of knowledge, yet are not soule wise! that have a library of Divinity in their heads, and not so much as the least catechisme in their consciences! No rare thing for men to abound in speculation, and be barren in devotion; to have full braines, and empty hearts; clear judgement, and defiled affections; fluent tongues, but lame feet; yea, you shall heare a flood in the tongue, when you cannot see one drop in the life.
But see how justly they are served; they might bee holy, and will not; therefore though they would bee soule wise, yet they shall not; the scorner seeketh wisdome, but findeth it not, Pro. 14. 6. Let them know never so much, they are resolved to be never the better; and they wch are unwilling to obey, God thinks unworthy to know.