Sin Stigmatized, Part 1 · Section 163
§ 163.
If any would obtaine this excellent grace of ſaving knowledge, 6. Helpes to ſaving knowledgelet him uſe theſe ſix helps and furtherances,
1. Diſcard all filthy luſts and unruly affections.
2. Get an humble heart.
3. Procure the eye of a lively faith.
4. Bee conſtant in Prayer.
5. Be frequent and ſtudious in the Scriptures.
6. Adviſe with others.
Firſt, let him be careful to diſpell and remove al filthy lusts and lewd affections, for theſe are our eves, Firſt diſcard al filthy luſts and affections.which doe deceive us; our Dalilahs, which lull us aſleep, while wee are deprived of the ſtrength of our reaſon; our enemies, that are ever fighting againſt our ſoules, as Peter ſpeakes, 1 Peter 2.11. Yea, there needs no more to beſot a man, then the inordinate love of money; for had one as many eyes as the Poets feign of Argus, the melody of gaine would play them all out, or faſt aſleepe. Our affections, like fire and water, are good ſervants, but evill maſters; for being corrupted and overſwayed by luſts, there be no ſuch enemies, as theſe homebred, and of a mans owne houſhold.
Sinne is like the Albugo, or white ſpot in the eye, which dims our underſtandings, and makes fooles of Catoes and Platoes, and Tullies, and Achitophels, leaving them never an eye to ſee withall. For as the Arke would not ſtay with the Philiſtins: ſo wiſdome and grace will not ſtay with ſinners, but flieth from them, as believers would doe from a perſecuting Tyrant. If Ieruſalem forgets her firſt love, preſently her right hand forgets her cuning, and her tongue cleaves to the roofe of her mouth, Pſalm. 137.5.6. If ſinnes come in at the fore-dore, graces will go out at the poſtern: what communion hath light with darkneſse? they will not keepe company together: vertues drop from ſuch a tree, like leaves and fruits in a great wind: yea, one ſin openeth the doore for many vertues to goe out. If one vert…e be offended, ſhe lureth away all her fellowes; as when Abner, was offended, he drew away many of Iſhboſheth's friends, and they ſhrunk from him.
As a Judge to acquir his office, muſt be free from pasſion and aff…ction, touching either party; and as our eyes, could not aright judge of colours, except they were void of all colours; nor our tongues diſcerne of taſtes, unleſſe freed from taſts: ſo no man can judge aright of pasſions, except his mind be altogether free from paſſions. Wherefore bee not ſo much led by luſt pasſion, or affection, as by reaſon. Wee know appetite in a burning Feavor, will call for cold drink, even to the overthrow of our lives, if reaſon gainſay it not. But as they that would ſee more ſharply and certainly, ſhut one eye: ſo doe thou, let the eyes, or windowes of thy affections bee ſhut to the allurements of the world, and the fleſh, leaſt they draw thee from the right line of obedience: yea, ſhut to humane reaſon alſo, leaſt it make thee miſtake and ſwerve from faiths injunctions. And then if thou canſt but bring thy fleſh with it's luſts, a little aſleep, while thy ſoule is waking, thou haſt entred …rough the gate into the porch of this heavenly Palace. But he that will doe this, muſt ſhunne all diſpute with Sathan: of which elſe where.
Secondly, he muſt get an humble conceit of his owne wiſdome. 2 Get an humble heart.The firſt ſtep to knowledge, is to know our owne ignorance; we muſt become fooles in our owne judgements, before we can be truly wiſe, 1 Cor. 3.18. And indeed, the opinion of our knowing enough, is one of the greateſt cauſes of our knowing ſo little: for what we preſume to have attained, we ſeeke not after. Humble eyes …re moſt capable of high myſteries, he will …each the humble his way, ſaith David, Pſal. …5.9. yea, the firſt leſſon of a Chriſtian …s humility, Matth. 11.29. Pro. 1.7. and he that hath not learnt the firſt leſſon, is not fit to take out a new.
One would thinke, that a worldly wiſe man, might moſt eaſily alſo make a wiſe Chriſtian: but St. Paul ſaith, no, except …rſt he becomes a foole, that is, acknow…edge his cleare light and wiſdome, which he hath ſo magnified for cleareneſſe, to be blindneſſe and ignorance, he cannot be wiſe in this caſe, 1 Cor. 3.18. Yea, ſaith St. Cyprian, it is as much loſt labour, to preach unto a man the things of God, before he be humbled, with the ſight of his wants, as to offer light to a blind man, to ſpeake to a deafe man, or to labour to make a brute beaſt wiſe.
Pride is a great let to true wiſdome, for God reſiſteth the proud, and onelyonly gives grace to the humble, Iames, 4.6. 1 Pet. 5.5. hence it comes to paſſe, that few proud wits are reformed. I am come unto judgement into this world, ſaith our Saviour to the Phariſees, that they which ſee not, might ſee; and that they which ſee, meaning in their owne opinion, might be made blind, Ioh. 9.39. which was the reaſon he propounded his woes to the Phariſees, and his Doctrines to the people.
An heart full of Pride, is like a veſſell full of aire: this ſelfe-opinion muſt be blowne out of us, before ſaving knowledge will be powred into us. Humility is the knees of the ſoule, and to that poſture only the Lamb will open the booke: Chriſt will know none but the humble, and none but humble ſoules truly know Chriſt.
Now this grace of humility is obtained, by taking a ſerious view of our wants: the Peacock's pride is abated, when ſhe perceives the blackneſſe of her legs and feete. Now, ſuppoſe we know never ſo much; yet that which we doe knovv, is farre leſſe then that which we are ignorant of; and the more we know, the more we knovv vve vvant, as all, both vviſe and holy men, have felt and confeſt: yea, this vvas the judgement of the vviſeſt, even amongſt the Heathen, Socrates being demanded vvhy the Oracle of Delphos ſhould pronounce him the vviſeſt man of Greece, made anſvver, I know nothing, but this, that I know nothing; neither can there be any thing in me to verifie the Oracle, except this, that I am not wiſe, and know it; whereas others are not wiſe, and know it not; and to be ignorant, and knovv it not, is by farre the greater ignorance. So the renovvned Orator Cicero, even bevvayled his own emptineſſe, I would, quoth he, I could light on the truth, as eaſily, as I can refut faſehood: a negative knovvledge, vvas the greateſt knovvledge, he vvould acknovvledge in himſelfe.
He is wiſe, that can truly ſee and acknowledge his ignorance; he is ignorant, that thinkes himſelfe wiſe: I'le cleare it by a ſimilitude, being here below, we thinke one Iland great, but the whole earth unmeaſurably; if we were above in the firmament, with theſe eyes, the whole earth, were it equally enlightned, would ſeeme as little to us, as now the leaſt Starre in the firmament ſeemes to us upon earth: and indeed, how few Stars are ſo little as it? even ſuch is the naturall mans miſtake, in judging of, and comparing what he hath, with what he wants; naturall wiſdome, with ſpirituall and Heavenly.
Wherefore, if thou perceiveſt not more ſtrength and wiſdome to be in the weakneſſe and fooliſhneſſe of Gods truth, 1 Cor. 1.25. (which therefore only ſeemes weakneſſe and fooliſhneſſe, becauſe the ſtrength and wiſdome of it is not perceived by the fleſhly eye) then in the ſtrength and wiſdome of the profoundeſt Naturian, and, if thou beleiveſt not the godly to be moſt wiſe; doe not blame them for fooliſhneſſe, but thy ſelfe for blindneſſe, and deſire the Lord (as Eliſha did for his ſervant) to open thine eyes.
Thus, as by mortification and dying unto ſinne, we come to vivification and living unto grace; or, as by dying the death of nature, we obtaine the life of glory: ſo by becomming a foole, a man may attaine to wiſdome. Wherefore get humility, and thou haſt mounted another ſtep toward wiſdome, entred a ſecond roome of this Palace.