The Sinners Last Sentence, Chapter 42
CHAP. XLII. Another cauſe of ſins of Omiſſion. Ignorance, with the cure of it; labouring after knowledge.
2. ANother cauſe of ſins of Omiſſion, is Ignorance. They who know not their Maſters Will can never do it. Let Papiſts ſay, That Ignorance is the Mother of Devotion; the Word of God, and our own experience do loudly ſpeak the contrary; Epheſ. 4.18. They are eſtranged from the life of God, (i. e. a life of Holineſs, a life in Heaven,) through the ignorance that is in them, becauſe of the blindneſs of their hearts. A blind man may well miſs his way, and a blind Mind can never do his work. Whatever the World talks of their honeſty and goodneſs, notwithſtanding their ignorance, Without knowledge the mind is not good, Prov. 19.2. They preſume to excuſe their dark Heads with their good Hearts, but theſe two are inconſiſtent. A dark Cellar is not fuller of Vermine, nor a dark hole of duſt, than a dark Heart is of filthineſs, Hoſ. 4.1, 2. They who want the knowledge of God, are under the dominion of the Devil. He is the Ruler of the darkneſs of this World, Epheſ. 6. And I am ſure the unclean Spirit never bears ſway in a clean Heart, nor this evil Spirit in a good Heart. No, as the Eagle, he firſt pecks out the eyes of his prey, and then devours it. How eaſily is a blind Soul conquer'd and kill'd by the enemies of his Salvation? What Error will not an ignorant Creature ſwallow down? he is like water, ready to take the impreſſion and form of what Veſſel you pleaſe to pour him into, Matth. 22.29. Our Saviour tells the Sadduces, That they erred, not knowing the Scriptures. And the Apoſtles told the Corinthians, who doubted at leaſt about the Reſurrection, (as the Sadduces denied it) Some have not the knowledge of God, 1 Cor. 15.32. What crime will not an ignorant man commit? Knowledge to the Mind is as Light to the World, which diſcovers our way, and thereby prevents our wandrings; but it's no wonder at all for men in the night, and darkneſs of ignorance, to go aſtray, or to ſtumble and fall. If a man walk in the night, he ſtumbleth, becauſe he ſeeth not the light of this World, Joh. 11.9. Why do we think Sin is called a work of darkneſs, truly, not only becauſe it's from the Devil, the Prince of Darkneſs; and he that doth evil loveth darkneſs, hates the light, and it's the way to blackneſs of darkneſs; but alſo becauſe it's conceived in the Womb of a dark Heart: The Prince of Darkneſs may beget what Monſters he pleaſeth on ſuch Perſons, 2 Tim. 3.3. Ignorant women were laden with divers luſts. No ſoil fuller of ſuch weeds, than that which is not manured with knowledge. St. Paul's ignorance was the ground of his waſting the Church at ſuch a cruel rate. I was a Blaſphemer, a Perſecutor, injurious, but I did it ignorantly, 1 Tim. 1.13. That Monſter Sin, which the Sun hid his head as aſhamed to behold the Murther of our Lord Jeſus Chriſt, had ignorance for its Mother: Acts 3.15. Ye killed the Prince of Life, verſ. 17. And now Brethren, I wot that through ignorance ye did it, as did alſo your Rulers. So the Apoſtle Paul, Had they known, they would not have crucified the Lord of Glory. Now if ignorance be the cauſe of ſuch grieveous Commiſſions, it muſt much more be the cauſe of Omiſſion; for in all theſe Commiſſions there are great Omiſſions: but I ſhall ſhew particularly that Ignorance is one cauſe of ſins of Omiſſion.
We are bound to love God, and that with all our Hearts, and with all our Souls, and with all our Strength, Matth. 22.37. But is it poſſible to love one whom we are ignorant of? Did ever any fear an unknown Evil, or deſire or delight in an unknown Good? Are not the greateſt Rarities, and richeſt Jewels of the World, that are undiſcovered, undeſired. The Apoſtle ſaith, He that loveth not his Brother whom he hath ſeen, how can he love God whom he hath not ſeen? 1 Joh. 3. I am ſure he that doth not ſo much as ſee God with the eye of his Soul, his Underſtanding can never love him. We ſay, What the eye ſees not, the heart grieves not; it's as true, what the eye ſeeth not, the heart loves not.
Who can obey Divine Precepts, who is ignorant of them? or fear Divine Threatnings, who doth not know them? or be allured by Divine Promiſes, who is altogether a ſtranger to them? God, and Chriſt, and Pardon, and Life, and Promiſes, & Covenant, may ſtand long enough knocking at the door of an Heart faſtened with Ignorance, before they will find admittance. It is our Duty, our great Goſpel-Duty, to believe in Chriſt, Joh. 6. This is his Commandment, that ye believe in him whom he hath ſent, 1 Joh. 3.23. But ignorance hinders this, How ſhall they believe in him of whom they have not heard, Rom. 10.10. Who will truſt a meer ſtranger, eſpecially in a matter of weight? I had need to know him well whom I truſt with my Soul and Salvation, with all I am worth for this and the other World. A wiſe man will not venture his Eſtate, much leſs his Life, leaſt of all his Soul with one of whoſe integrity, and faithfulneſs, and ability, and reſponſibleneſs he hath not good aſſurance. The Pſalmiſts ſaying is, They that know thy Name, will truſt in thee, Pſal. 9.10. They who know thy Grace & Goodneſs, thy Promiſe, and Power, and Truth, they will truſt thee, but others will not. Paul's hope could not have been ſo high, nor the Wine of his joy ſo briſk, when his Death drew near, had it not been for his great acquaintance with him with, whom he had ventured his all; 2 Tim. 1.12. I know whom I have believed, (how willing, how ready, how able to ſave me,) and what I have committed to him, he is able to keep for me againſt that day. Knowledg is ſo requiſite to Faith, that it's once & again put for Faith, Iſa. 53.10. 1 Cor. 2.2. Joh. 17.3. Phil. 3.8, 9. but Ignorance is Faiths great hinderance.
Again, Our Duty is to repent even pain of eternal perdition, Luke 13.3. Matth. 11.22, 23. But ignorance cauſeth men to omit this as well as the other. Where there is a vail upon the Underſtanding, there is ever a caul upon the Heart and Conſcience. As in the night ſeaſon, we have always the hardeſt Froſts and the coldeſt weather. Therefore the Holy Ghoſt tells us, when Iſrael ſhall repent and turn to the Lord, The vail ſhall be taken away, 2 Cor. 3.16, 17. While the vail remains, they are ſtill turning more and more from God, till wrath come upon them to the uttermoſt; but when the Vail ſhall be taken away, that they ſhall ſee the evil, and miſchief, and loathſomeneſs, and folly of thoſe ways they have turned to; and alſo for the beauty, and amiableneſs, and bounty, and kindneſs of that God they have turned from, then they will quickly return unto the Lord. Indeed, men may thank their Ignorance for moſt of their Omiſſions, eſpecially the Heathen, and many Chriſtians who live in dark corners of the Land. I, and many who are as void and empty of Knowledge, as the Heathen who live under the Goſpel. Many of theſe neglect Family-Duties, Cloſet-Prayer, a ſtrict Sanctification of the Lords-Day, edifying others to their power as opportunity is offer'd them, and ſeveral others, becauſe they do not underſtand them to be their Duty.
Reader, the cure of this muſt be for thee, if ignorant, to labour after the Knowledge of God, and thy Duty to him. When David leaves his charge with his Son Solomon, to ſerve and worſhip the bleſſed God, as the great buſineſs of his life; Mark how he begins with the means thereof, and concludes with the motive thereto. And thou Solomon my Son, know the God of thy Fathers, and ſerve him with a perfect heart and willing mind: If thou ſeek him, he will be found of thee; but if thou forſake him, he will caſt thee off for ever, 1 Chron. 28.9. As if he had ſaid, Solomon, thou Son of my Love, thou Son of my Vows, I am now dying, and going to my long home; Nature and Grace, my love to thee, and to God, do both ſtrongly incline me to deſire thy well-fare, and to wiſh thee well eternally; I know not better how to ſpeak and declare it, than by charging and commanding thee, that what-ever thou omitteſt or neglecteſt, thou wouldſt adore and worſhip the God of thy Fathers, and that not formally and cuſtomarily, but ſolemnly and ſincerely, with a perfect Heart and willing Mind; and to this end there is a neceſſity of thy knowing him. Till thou knoweſt his Grace and Goodneſs, thou wilt never love him; till thou knoweſt his Holineſs and Juſtice, thou wilt never fear him; till thou knoweſt his Promiſes, and Power, and Faithfulneſs, thou wilt never truſt him; and till thou knoweſt his boundleſs Soveraignty and Dominion over, his unqueſtionable Right and Propriety in the works of his Hands, thou wilt never obey him; therefore ſtudy the knowledge of this God of thy Fathers, that thou mayſt ſerve him; for be aſſured, he will not be mocked: But with the Ʋpright, he will carry himſelf upright; and with the Froward, he will carry himſelf froward, Pſal. 18. If thou liveſt after the Fleſh, thou ſhalt die; if thou walkeſt after the Spirit, thou ſhalt live. If thou ſeek him in his own way, with all thy Heart, as the great work and buſineſs of thy Life, he will reveal himſelf to thee, and be found of thee in a way of Grace and Favour; but if thou imbrace the World, or the Fleſh, as thy Soveraigns or Portions, and ſo caſt him off; be confident he will forſake and caſt thee off for ever, and then what will Devils do to thee, and what miſery will not ſurprize thee? Friend, God affords thee many helps for knowledge, and wilt thou not labour after it? ſhall men ſtumble, and fall into Hell, for want of doing their Duties; and neglect to do their Duties for want of knowledge, and that in the clear Sun-ſhine of the Goſpel, as thoſe do that live in the night and darkneſs of Heatheniſm and Paganiſm? Reader, wilt thou not ſee at Mid-day, at Noon-day? ſhall neither the Works nor Word of God teach thee the knowledge of him? Wouldſt thou do the Will of God or not? if thou wouldſt not, I have no more to ſay to thee, But the Lord have mercy on thee. If thou wouldſt, as thou muſt, if ever thou be ſaved, Matth. 23. Thou ſeeſt a neceſſity of knowledge, for can thy Child or Servant do thy Will, if they be ignorant of thy Will. Is it rational to expect, that one who knoweth not what thou wouldſt have, ſhould do what thou wouldſt have? Why canſt not thou make thy Beaſt as pliable, and as obedient to thee as thy Son? Is it not becauſe thy Beaſt is not ſo capable of underſtanding thy mind as thy Son is? Nay, if thou ſhouldſt do what God commands, and not know that he commanded it, thou couldſt not obey him in it; for all Obedience conſiſteth in doing what God bids us, becauſe he bids us, Pſal. 119.5, 6. For unleſs his Authority do principally ſway the Conſcience, in our ſubjection to what he enjoyns, it's nothing worth. God hates blind Sacrifices, Mal. 1. Reader, wouldſt thou have high and honourable thoughts of God? wouldſt thou have awful and reverential apprehenſions of God? wouldſt thou have Heart and Life wholly at his Command, then know him, Pſal. 78.1. In Judah is God known, his Name is great in Iſrael. How comes his Name to be ſo much reverenced, and praiſed, and admired in his Church more than in all the World beſide; but becauſe there he is better known. In Judah is God known; thence his Name is ſo great in Iſrael. Father, the World hath not known thee, but theſe have known thee, Joh. 17. So that, Reader, if ever thou wouldſt eſteem, and honour, and love, and obey God, get the knowledge of him. This is ſpiritual life, and the ſeed of eternal, Joh. 17.3. Be not bruitiſh in the ſhape of a man, as the Horſe and Mule which hath no underſtanding, Pſal. 32.9. Pſal. 49. ult. Pſal. 92.6. but take any pains in hearing, and reading, and meditating, and in conferring with others, that thou mayſt get knowledge. They ſhall run to and fro, and knowledge ſhall be increaſed. The Merchant ventures to and fro, from Port to Port, in a wooden bottom, to increaſe his Wealth, and get ſome precious Pearls. Knowledge is a Jewel of much greater value; Let no labour be thought too much for it, eſpecially cry after Knowledge, and lift up thy Voice for Ʋnderſtanding; ſeek her as Silver, and ſearch for her as for hid Treaſure: Then ſhalt thou underſtand the fear of the Lord, and find the knowledge of God, Prov. 2.4, 5, 6.