A Stock of Divine Knowledge, Chapter 1
CHAP. I.
JER. 9.23, 24.
Thus ſaith the Lord, Let not the wiſe-man glory in his wiſdome, &c. — But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he underſtandeth and knoweth me, that I am the Lord.
QUESTION.
WHerein conſiſteth the chiefeſt wiſdome of man?
Anſwer. In the true knowledge of the true God.
The firſt thing obſervable in this Text is this; That the chiefeſt wiſdome of every man conſiſteth in the true knowledge of the true God: For out of it I reaſon thus; That is mans chiefeſt wiſdome, in which hee ought more to rejoyce, then in all worldly wiſdome, or worldly ſtrength, or all earthly riches; in which moſt men have their chiefeſt rejoycing. But, every man is bound to glory more in the knowledge of God, then in worldly wiſdome, &c. Therefore, &c.
This is confirmed, Jer. 31.33, 34. I will make a covenant with the houſe of Iſrael; and this is the ſumme of the covenant, They ſhall all know mee, from the leaſt of them to the greateſt: In which place is ſhewed what is the chiefeſt end of mans new creation, viz. the true knowledge of God: and therefore the people, Hoſea 6.3. after that the Lord had raiſed them from death to life, ſay, And we ſhall know the Lord.
Qu. Why doth the chiefeſt wiſdome of man conſiſt in this?
Reaſon 1. Becauſe without the knowledge of God, a man cannot know himſelfe. The knowledge of a man in things naturall is an excellent knowledge; yet it is nothing without the knowledge of himſelfe, as Saint Auguſtine ſaith. Though a man know all myſteries, to the breadth of the earth, and the depth of the ſea, and know not himſelfe, hee is like to a man that makes a building without a foundation: but without the knowledge of God, no man can know himſelfe; becauſe of that wicked pride that is naturally in man, that when hee lookes upon himſelfe, hee thinkes himſelfe ſo holy, juſt, pure, &c. that hee thinks injuſtice to bee juſtice, impurity to be purity, &c. but if once he comes to ſee the face of God, then hee ſees his owne juſtice to be injuſtice, and his owne purity to be impurity, and his owne righteouſneſſe to be folly; therefore it is the principall thing for a man to know God.
Reaſ. 2. Becauſe without this, a man cannot worſhip God aright, which is the end of his creation: and to this purpoſe there are many places of Scripture call upon us, Pro. 12.13. Pſal. 100. Come, let us worſhip the Lord, for hee hath made us. The worſhip of God is commanded in the firſt Table, and the principall thing in the firſt Table is the knowledge of God; intimating thus much, That there is no worſhip of God, where there is no knowledge of God: and therefore, that man might know how to worſhip him, he firſt declareth himſelfe, ſaying, I am the Lord thy God, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the houſe of bondage: and this is the method which David layes downe to Solomon; firſt, Know thou the God of thy Father, and then, ſerve him with a perfect heart, and with a willing minde. 1 Chron. 28.9.
Reaſ. 3. Becauſe without this, a man cannot be partaker of true happineſſe. Chriſt ſaith, John 17.3. This is life eternall to know thee the onelyonly true God, that is to ſay, There is no way to attaine to life, but in the knowledge of the true God. It is not the knowledge of all the things in the world that can make a man happy; but the knowledge of God can: for, as Saint Auguſtine ſaith, Hee is an unhappy man that knowes all things, and is ignorant of the knowledge of God; but, ſaith he, hee that knowes thee, and is not vaine in his converſation, but labours to worſhip thee, hee is the happy man; but every man elſe is worſe then a Toade or Snake. And he (ſaith the ſame Father) that hath a tree, and can tell the height and breadth of it by a Jacob's ſtaffe, and knowes not the Creator of it, is an unhappy man; but another man that hath a tree, and cannot tell the height of it, nor knowes the number of the branches of it, yet knowes thee the Creator of it, hee is the happy man; if hee bee never ſo poore, nay, if hee be as poore as Job, hee is the true happy man: but if he know all things, and know not thee, there is no way, but he muſt needs periſh.
Uſe 1. This then ſhewes, That the chiefeſt folly of men is their ignorance of God; whether it be a neceſſary ignorance in them to whom God hath denyed the meanes of knowledge; or a negligent ignorance in them who have the meanes, and doe not apply themſelves to them; or a wilfull ignorance in them who pull themſelves from the meanes, whether they bee Ideots, that know nothing, or men of underſtanding and learning, that know other things, yet are fooles in the knowledge of God. Where is the Scribe? where is the learned Egyptian? where is the diſputer of the Law? but God hath choſen the poore and the baſe things of this world, that they ſhould confound the mighty, 1 Cor. 1.20. So, I may ſay, Where is the learned Egyptian? hath not God made the wiſe men of the world fools? We have a Proverb, The greateſt Clerks are not alwayes the wiſeſt men; True, if ignorant of God, and ſee not that true wiſdome ſtands in this. I may ſay, as the Wiſe-man ſaith, Why is there a price in the hand of a foole to get wiſdome, and hee hath no heart to it? Pro. 17.16. Why is there ſuch underſtanding in other things, and men have no heart to ſeeke after this? Certainely, the holy Ghoſt calls them fools; for Solomon in Eccleſ. 4.13. faith, hee preferrs a young and wiſe child, before an old and fooliſh King that will not be inſtructed. So I ſay, a poore man, if wiſe in the knowledge of God, is better then the wiſeſt Clerk in the world, being ignorant of God: Brethren, come out of this ignorance, labour for the knowledge of God, and labour for this in the firſt place, to know that yee are but fools, in all that yee know beſides God: and certainely, this will be the beginning of the beſt wiſdome; for then yee will ſay with the heathen man, Though I know all things, yet I know the leaſt part of that which I ought to know. And let mee tell you, this is the bane of knowledge, becauſe you think you know enough: The more knowledge a man hath, the more ignorant hee ſeemes to himſelfe; and, he that thinks he knowes any thing, knows nothing yet as he ought to know, 1 Cor. 8.2.
Uſe 2. This ſhews their error, or rather impiety, that think the knowledge of God not neceſſary for women; of this fault are the Papiſts guilty; If this bee an error, I pitie them; but if impiety, I abhor it: for Solomon ſaith, that error is worthy the pitying; but iniquity is worthy to bee abhorred. Are not women bound to know themſelves, which they cannot doe without the knowledge of God? ſtand they not bound by creation to worſhip God aright, which they cannot doe without the knowledge of God? muſt they not be made partakers of the ſame glory, and eternall happineſſe with men? deny theſe if thou dareſt. Brethren, they are bound to know, God the Lord that made them, made man male and female in his owne image. If the woman muſt renew that ſhe loſt in Adam, then ſhee ought to know God; ſo the Apoſtle, Bee renewed in knowledge, after the image of him, Col. 3.10. Undoubtedly, this is nothing but the ſpite of hell, to hinder women from the knowledge of God.
Uſe 3. Brethren, beleeve you this that I ſay, that it is the chiefeſt wiſdome of man to know God? if ſo bee you beleeve, faith will breed care to accompliſh what you beleeve; you make knowne to us that you doe not beleeve, if you doe not take this care: And you muſt give me leave to beleeve, that if you doe not beleeve, then certainely you are Atheiſts. Brethren, doe you beleeve this to ſalvation? then you muſt doe as men doe in Trades, look what knowledge is moſt gainefull for them, and for that they labour above all others; this knowledge of God is the chiefeſt knowledge that belongs to the trade of a Chriſtian, labour for this. As Saint James ſaith, Shew mee your faith by your works if you bee willing to bee ſaved, or elſe you thruſt your ſelves into the mouth of the Divell. Saint Auguſtine ſaith, that a Chriſtian without the knowledge of God, differs nothing from an Indian or a Pagan; they are beyond thee, in the knowledge of Arts and Trades, they doe exceed thee: Now this knowledge of God is that which makes thee a Chriſtian; without this thou art no better then an Indian or Pagan: Wherefore, if thou wilt differ from Atheiſts, labour for the knowledge of God, elſe there is no difference: therefore ſubmit your ſelves and your families to this order of catechizing; that you may pull your ſelves and your families out of the clawes of the Divell. And further, for help, you muſt uſe prayer and meditation, that you may come to it prepared. Art thou a Chriſtian, and canſt thou let the morning paſſe without private prayer with thy family, and with thy ſelfe alone? One demanded what would make a good Scholler; another anſwered, A good Maſter, and a good ſtudent, and thirdly, to teach others; and if you follow this courſe, happy ſhall you be.