The Drunkards Character, Section 51
§ 51.
NO wicked man is a wise man; for as God is the giver of wisdome,That no wicked man is a wise man. so hee reveales himselfe savingly to none but his children the godly.
First, God only is the giver of it. For as no man can see the Sunne, but by the light of the Sunne: so no man doth know the secrets of God, but by the revelation of God, Mat. 16. 16, 17. to know the mysteries of the Kingdome of Heaven, wee must have hearts, eyes, and eares, sanctified from above, Deut. 29. 2, 3, 4. Ps. 111. 10. Luk. 24. 45. Ioh. 15. 15. Rom, 8. 14. 15.
No learning, nor experience will serve to know the riches of the glory of Gods inheritance in the Saints, to know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge, Eph. 1. 17. 18. and 3. 19. for as meere sense is uncapeable of the rules of reason: so reason is no lesse uncapeable of the things that are supernaturall. Yea, the true knowledge of the nature and state of the soule, must come by his inspiration that gave the substance. As the soule is the lamp of the body, and reason of the soule, and religion of reason, and faith of religion: so Christ is the light and life of faith.
2. God reveales himselfe savingly to none but the godly, and such as he knows will improve their knowledge to his glory: even as husbandmen will not cast their seed but into fruitfull ground, which will returne them a good harvest; the secrets of the Lord, saith David, are revealed to them that feare him, and his covenant is to give them understanding, Psa. 25. 14. these secrets are hid from the wicked, neither hath hee made any such covenant with them: the faithfull are like Moses, to whom God shewed himselfe, Exod. 3. like Simeon, that imbraced Christ in his armes, Lu. 2. 28 like Iohn the beloved Disciple, that leaned an his bosome, Ioh. 13. 25. like the three Disciples, that went with him up the mount to see his glory, Matth. 17. like the Apostles, whose understandings he opened, Luk, 24. 45. and to whom hee expounded all things: whereas to unbelievers, he speakes all things, as it were, in Parables, Mar. 4. 34. see this in Abrahams example, shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I do? saith God, Gen. 18. 17. As if this were an offence in God, if he should tell the righteous no more then hee tells the wicked. They which love God, saith S. Iohn, know God; but they which have not this love, know not God, though they have never so much knowledge besides, 1 Iohn 4. 7.
Yea, suppose a man be not inferiour to Porcius, who never forgat any thing he had once read; to Pythagoras, who kept all things in memory that ever hee heard, or saw; to Virgil, of whom it is reported, that if all Sciences were lost, they might bee found in him: to Bishop Tunstal, whom Erasmus called, a world of knowledge; to Aristotle, who was called wisdome it self, in the abstract; to that Romane Nasica, who was called Corculum, for his pregnancy of wit; that Grecian Democritus Abderita, who was also called wisdome it selfe; that Britaine Guildas, called Guildas the sage; that Iew Aben Ezra, of whom it was said, that if knowledge had put out her candle, at his braine shee might light it againe, and that his head was a throne of wisdome; or that Israelitish Achitophel, whose words were held as Oracles; to Iosophus Scaliger, who was skil'd in thirty languages: yet if he want faith, holinesse, the love of God, and the Spirit of God to be his teacher, he shall not be able, really… and by his owne experience, to know th…, chiefe points of Christian religion; suc… as are Faith, Repentance, Regeneration… the love of God, the presence of the Spi… rit, the Remission of sins, the effusion o… grace, the possession of heavenly comforts not what the peace of conscience, and joy in the Holy Ghost is, nor what the communion of Saints means; when every one of these are easie and familiar to the meanest and simplest believer.
Now will you know the reason; the feare of the Lord, saith Salomon, is the beginning of wisdome, Prov. 1. 7. as if the first lesson to be wise, were to be holy. For as the water ingendereth yce, and the yce ageine ingendereth water: so knowledge begets righteousnesse, and righteousnesse again begetteth knowledge. It is between science and conscience, as it is betweene the stomack and the head; for as in mans body, the raw stomack maketh a rheumatick head, and the rheumaticke head maketh a raw stomack: so science makes our conscience good, and conscience makes our science good. It is not so much scientia capitis, as conscientia cordis that knowes Christ and our selves; whence Salomon saith, give thine heart to wisdome, Pro. 2. 10 and let wisdome enter into thine heart, Proverbs 4. 4.
Againe, if it be ask'd, why the naturall man perceiveth not the things of the Spirit of God? S. Paul answers, he cannot know them, because they are spiritually discerned, 1 Cor. 2. 14. and indeed, if they be spiritually discerned; how should they discerne them, that have not the Spirit?
Now if it be so, that men may bee exquisitely wise, and incomparably learned in the worlds opinion; and yet very fools in the judgement of heaven: if not many wise men after the flesh are called, but that a great number of them go the wrong way; yea, if God turnes their wisdome into foolishnesse, that abuse their gifts; and reveales himselfe savingly to none, but such as feare and serve him; then is their no safety, in following their example, or in building our faiths upon their judgements.
Indeed we are too prone to imitate the learned, and to thinke we go safe enough, if wee tread in their steps, although they tread awry: for say wee, they know the will of God, what hee requires, and practise what they thinke will bring them to happinesse, especially so much as is absolutely necessary to salvation; and they do so and so, or else they speake not as they think, because they do not as they speake; for none live worse then many of them.
But should this be, should we thinke ever the better of error, though a thousand of the learned should countenance and maintaine the same? no, one Micaiah, a single Prophet, speaking from the Oracles of God, is more worthy of credit, then 400. Baalites, 1 Kin. 22. 6, 12, 13, 14, 17 22, 23. One Luther, a mean man, is worthy to bee believed before the Pope, and so many legions of his creatures, which were throughout Christendom; for what hee wanted in abbettors, was supplyed in the cause; yea, did not Paphnuti us, a weak scholler, shew more wisdome in defending the truth, against the whole Councell of Nice, then all those great Clarks, and learned men; to his great renowne, and their everlasting shame? Did not Pharaoh find more wisdome in Ioseph, a poore Hebrew servant, and receive more solid advice from him, wherby a famine through out the whole world was prevented, then hee could in all the Wisemen and Southsayers of Egypt, Gen. 41. 8. to 32? Did not Nebuchadnezzar finde more depth in Daniel, a poore captive Iew, then he could in all the wise men of Babylon, Daniel 2. and 4? yes, and the reason is, one eye having sight, is better then a thousand blind eyes; and one poore crucified thief, being converted, had a clearer eye then all the lews Rulers, Scribes, and Pharisies, who being naturall and wicked, condemned and crucified JESUS CHRIST.
In the Councell of Trent there was of 270. Prelates, 187. chose out of Italy, and of the rest, the Pope (who was himselfe Moderator) and his creatures, excluded and tooke in, whom themselves would, and none else; what marvaile then if they concluded what they listed? Yea, how many Schollers in all ages of the world, have resembled Trajan, who was endued with great knowledge, and other singular vertues, but defaced them all by hating Christianity, and opposing the power of godlinesse? How many are so farre from doing good, that they doe great hurt with their gifts, and not seldom the more gifts they have, the more harme they do? For as the best soyle, commonly yeelds the worst aire: so without grace, there is nothing more pestilent then a deepe wit. Wit and learning well used are like the golden earerings, and bracelets of the Israelites; abused, like the same gold cast into a molten Idoll, then which nothing more abominable. No such prey for the Devill, as a good wit unsanctified: great wits oft times mislead not only the owners, but many followers besides: as how many shall once wish they had been born dullards, when they shall finde their wit and learning to have barred them out of heaven.
And let them looke to it; for as, in respect of others, their offence is greater; for better many Israelites commit adultery, or idolatry, then one David, or Salomon. The least moate that flies in the Sun, or between our eyes and the light, seemes a greater substance then it is: and the more learned the person, the more notorious the corruption: as the freshest sommers day will soonest taint those things which will putrifie; so in respect of themselves, their sinne is, and their punishment shall bee greater: for the more glorious the Angels excellency, the more damnable their apostacie. If the light become darknesse, how great is that darknesse? If Achitophel prove a villaine, how mischievous is his villany. Putrified Lillies smell farre worse than weeds; if vertue turne into vice; the shame is triple. For many Iewes to deny Christ, was not so much as for one Peter. Yea, if all the Cities of the world had done filthily, it were short of this wonder, the Virgine daughter of Sion is become an harlot, Isaiah 1. 21. If Iudas become a traitor, how great is his treason? If Absalom rebell, how unnaturall is his rebellion? And so much to answer the plea, of learned men.