Sin Stigmatized, Part 1 · Section 164
§ 164.
THirdly, let him get faith. For as without faith, no man can pleaſe God: 3 Procure the eye of a lively faith.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 ſee, 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 againſt 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 conſtant in prayer for the ſpirits helpe.he muſt be frequent and fervent in prayer to God, for the diriction 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 eaſier 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 ſelfe, 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 inſpiration. 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 direction 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, obſerve one caution, But pray not for knowledge without putting differencedoe 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 may grant our petitions 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 childien, 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 Apoſtl…s; 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 …t the laſt; for is not many mens knowledge to them, like the Arke to the Philiſtines, 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 Herod, 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 worſe 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-wiſe; 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.2 Objections anſwered.
Anſw: 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 mou…t…d another ſtep to wiſdome, entred a fourth roome of this Palace.