A Light to Grammar and All Other Arts and Sciences, Chapter 4
CHAP. IV.
Every Science hath not precognitions or preparatories, making way for the more eaſie underſtanding thereof, grounded in Nature; yet Nature improved helps much towards the knowledge of God; nothing at all to the knowledge of God in Chriſt, that high and excellent Science; Notwithſtanding we muſt not neglect the Aides, which Nature affords, though, by our fall, all our Spirituals are loſt, our Naturals weakned.
ALL this while the profit and delight is the Childs, the worke the Maſters, and this the hardeſt piece of it, herein the greateſt part of cunning how to find out this precognition, (wee will uſe this ſingle word all along; for now we have ſome underſtanding thereof, what it doth note out unto us, how much it doth import) then how to uſe it or worke by it. There is moſt difficulty in the firſt, for if we can find out this preparatory; (as I may call it) our worke will be eaſie enough.
Ariſtotle a requires it in all Studies, foreign. 1. Poſt. Text. 1.but hee muſt underſtand it of them, whoſe foundation is laid, either in the light or in the law of Nature. But Languages have no ground in Nature: for though to ſpeake bee naturall, yet to ſpeake this or that Language is meerely ex inſtituto, (as a man is taught) hee being by Nature no more capable of his Mother Tongue then of any other. Hence it is that Grammar learning, as it is taught, is a matter of greater difficulty (a great wrong to children) then any ſtudy that a man afterwards undertakes. For here can be no ſuch preparatory to the underſtanding (I know not how to expreſſe it otherwiſe) which the Philoſopher requires in all ſtudies. But here even in teaching Languages, ſomething muſt bee done in way of preparation to, or anticipation of the underſtanding; wee muſt, I ſay, as a wiſe man doth an occaſion, either find a prec…gnition or make it. But this we ſhall underſtand more fully in our practicke part, in point of Grammar, which when I ſhall ſhew, I ſhall reſume this againe, and ſet down the Rules whereby we have proceeded, which ſhall hold pace with nature and right reaſon all along.
There is a greater thing to be done firſt, wee muſt begin with God, ſo the very Heathen by their light could direct us; how ſhall we helpe our ſelves here? this is a great Science indeed, and precognitions here wee have none. Indeed Divinity hath its principles alſo, but how are they worked into the underſtanding? By the Spirit of God, and that either of illumination, or adoption; either of which farre exceed nature, but have no foundation there.
In this we ſay right fure: no preparation from Nature, whereby to elevate the underſtanding to that height, as to comprehend God, and the myſteries of Grace: The naturall body indeed, having his ſpirits, is lively, and with the thought penetrateth the Heavens, but wanting the Spirit, (before mentioned) is privat of all theſe vertues, though it wanteth neither: ſo that when the thoughts are as high as Heaven, they ſee no more there, then before on the earth, and all for want of the ſpeciall illumination, and Spirit of adoption; whereafter we muſt breath and pant in our prayers before Him, who is not ſerved with bodily or worldly ſervices, but of ſpirituall thoughts, which are the juſt and true ſacrifices unto God. Theſe are Bernard Ochin. Preface to his 24. Sermons.his words who was of great yeares, and wonderfull reputation, the moſt notable Preacher of all Italy, famous for the great example of his good life there. And obſerve wee ſhould theſe two words, breath and pant: for though God accepteth weake performances, yet Hee expecteth ſtrong deſires; Though Hee accounteth the will for the deed, yet never but when the will is earneſt after the deed. This by the way; wee will read onward, that wee may take with us his following words. God in His power and light, ſtandeth ſo hid in darkneſſe from us, that with blindneſſe wee ſee Him, with ignorance we know Him, with retiring or going back wee comprehend Him, with ſilence wee praiſe Him. Nature cannot read this riddle; grace can, for ſo it follows; It behooveth him who would know what God is, to ſtudy in the Schoole of ſimplicity, and reſt vanquiſhed of that ineſtimable, inacceſſible, and incomprehenſible light.
What precognition now from nature, to open the underſtanding, for the letting in this great light? Yes, from Nature, and ſo much light, and preparation there-from, as ſhall, being neglected, leave us without excuſe. What though ſenſe cannot lead me exactly, yet I muſt not put out that light. Though nature cannot doe the thing, but leaves us in a Maze, (as wee may ſee anon) yet I will take her by the hand, and goe by her clue as far as I can; that I will by Gods help, for I am bound to it. God forbid that wee ſhould neglect the light of nature, or conduct of right reaſon; for this were to caſt away our lanthorne, becauſe wee cannot goe by the Sun. So ſome have done, and wee muſt reade, and well obſerve their judgement aMatth. 9. 3, 4. 5. 6. & Cap. 12.Principles laid in nature, and right reaſon, will carry us very farre, here, even from the foot-ſtoole on earth, to the Throne in heaven: By theſe I proceed a little with the child.
Wee conceive the earth hanging in midſt of heaven, no Pillars bearing it up; even that will lead us by the hand to an all-ſupporting hand. bChilds Pat p. 100.Wee have read oft, and ſeen a creature exceeding ſtrong; there-from I can raiſe up the minde to conclude an Almighty power: for mark how it is hinted out unto us, cJob 40. 19.Hee that made him, can make his ſword to approach unto him; That is, there is a ſtronger then hee, ſtrong enough to pierce the head (that is the ſeat of life) of the greateſt Leviathan dPſal 74, 14. Quaſi diceret annonam fuiſſe tunc repoſitam. Calv. ibid.(oppreſſor) upon earth, and to give his Church ſtrong confidence there-from for ever. Give but the underſtanding a riſe, it cannot ceaſe climbing, till it be at the Pinnacle: And yet though ſo high it bee, it is but a naturall underſtanding ſtill. My meaning then is, which I finde fully expreſſed by another. That the minde of man, tracing Learned Reinolds on the faculty of the ſoule, p. 449.the foot-ſteps of naturall things, muſt by the act of Logicall Reſolution, at laſt ariſe to Him, who is the fountain of all Being, the firſt of all Cauſes, the ſupreme of all Movers, in Whom all the reſt have their beings, and motions founded. To give an inſtance more;
We ſee a murthering engine before us. A brave worke, ſaith the childe, Who made that? A plaine Fellow, he that blowes the coales. eIſay 54. 16, 17.Who gave the Smith breath ſo to doe? He that is Almighty, which yeelds a mighty inſtruction now and alwayes of the ſame uſe. Wee might bee large here, all would amount but to this, A man hath a law of nature, and principles anſwerable, which teacheth him ſomewhat touching the Beeing of God: And that is all: But God in Chriſt is all to the ſoule, and here naturall law hath not a letter to teach us any thing fThey that wil ground Chriſt upon Ariſtotle (Reaſon) are as thoſe, who will build a Tovver upon a vvheatſtravv. Bern. O c…in Se…m. 3.God in Chriſt reconciling the world is a myſtery, an heavenly riddle; nothing can ſpel it, and find it out but faith alone, faith a learned Divine. And a truth it is more fixed then the earth; more ſtable then the Heavens: for ſo ſaith the ſacred Scripture, and ſo it doth diſpoyle Nature of her glory, giving her neither part nor lot in this matter; The world by wiſdome knew not God. a1 Cor. 1. 21.Nature poliſhed, Reaſon ſublimated, may helpe ſomewhat for the elevation of our thoughts: yet is it but Nature ſtill, and muſt move no higher then in her Spheare; & there ſhe gives us her beſt helpe: but ſhe cannot tell us with all her Philoſophy how our meat and drink do nouriſh; how our cloathes doe keepe us warme; nor whence the wind comes, nor whither it will. And if ſhe cannot tell us earthly things, we wil not beleeve her in the Heavenly. It is ſaid indeed; Faith comes by hearing, yet betweene this act of ſenſe, and the work of Faith, there is as great a diſproportion, nay far greater, then was betweene the ſtroke of Moſes, and the Rocks guſhing out water; or hath ever been betweene the inſtrument, and the effect, in any worke of this nature: God imprinting that in the heart, which never was nor would bee in the ſenſe ſo much as formaliter, much leſſe eminenter: otherwiſe there was ſomething to be aſcribed to the arme of fleſh, which in this worke hath no more power, then Baal his Prieſt had to cauſe fire to come downe from Heaven, for the conſuming of their ſacrifice.
This being premiſed and the way cleared, we go on with the Child, uſing ſuch helps we have at hand, and thus we would work up his underſtanding aWe muſt not attēpt to draw downe or ſubmit the myſteries of God to our reaſon: but cōtrariwiſe to raiſe & advance our reaſon to the Divine Truth. Advanc. p. 133..
Darkneſſe we are, what communion then with light? ſo ſoone as the Lord formed the one, and created the other, He ſeparated betwixt both, they cannot ſtand together. Betwixt a mortall creature, and an immortall God, a finite creature, an infinite GOD, what communion? And yet, The worke of Thy hands, Lord, Thou wilt not forſake. Mee thinks, here reaſon helps, points us towards a middle thing, that muſt ſtand betwixt theſe and partake of both, ſo filling up the gulfe, and making both one. I ſaid well, Helps, and wee muſt account of it ſo, as a helpe, for the Jews blundring againſt this very light, and ſtumbling it out, Mat. 9. 12.fell we know how irrecoverably. Reaſon helps, it concludes, that ſo it muſt be: But how or which way, it cannot tell. It is in a Maze; now faith muſt helpe her out, which breake through all difficulties, and then the way is knowne, but the wonder ceaſeth not, a2 Theſ. 1. 10.ſo wonderfully haſt thou contrived it, O Lord God Almighty.
Wee procceed then a little further in this Maze (ſo reaſon left to it ſelfe will make it) taking the Clew of Nature in our hand, but following the track of ſacred Scripture all along.
Wee ſee miſery here below, and man only capable thereof, of the greateſt miſery; Wee muſt take good notice of it, and what wee can, fadome that bottomeleſſe pit: The height, and depth of mercy cannot be ſounded, but by the meaſuring line of miſery bChilds Portion. p. 27..
And now marke wee muſt how the Lord, bleſſed for ever, hath condeſcended for our inſtruction if our deſires be ſtrong after Him. If we ſee the neceſſity, the excellency, the preciouſneſſe of Him; ye that thirſt; Thirſt dries up the ſoule, making it like the earth gaping, for, as was once ſaid, but muſt be remembred alwaies, God acccepts weake performances, but expects ſtrong deſires, (which hee works alſo) ye that thirſt. And then Iob 20. 17we heare of water, and wine, and milke, and oyle, nay rivers, floods, brookes, of honey and butter. All this to give in cleare evidence to the ſoule, That all good is in Chriſt; All from Him; all muſt bee referred to Him. He is the Chriſt, the anointed, the anointing: All healing *foreign.. Hee heales all our infirmities; pardons all our ſins; perfects all our obedience; Is all to us; works all in us; doth all for us. O, all yee that hunger and thirſt, come to Him, He is bread indeed, drink indeed. Taſt, and ſee how good this Lord is, for under theſe familiar things even Nature will make report thereof unto the ſoule. And the very evidence of Nature given in againſt us will make us ſilent in darkneſſe, as the expreſſion … Sam. 2. 9is. The maid, who ſo often hath laid her leaven, and ſeene the working thereof, yet hath not learnt by all that, the worke of grace, and the contrary working of corruption, even ſhe will bee reproved and left ſpeechleſſe. For ſhee cannot ſay, but that ſo much was plainly taught her thereby. If the bread and drinke wee receive daylie doe not raiſe up our hearts to Him, who gives us our daylie bread; if we doe not reliſh. Him in them; if theſe ſtreames from Him refreſhing our fainted bodies, mind us not of our ſoules alſo (for they have a meat too even their daylie bread) carrying them to the fountaine head, there to bee refreſhed; if not ſo, then ſo it is, our Table will be our ſnare, our eaſe will ſlay us, ſo fooliſh we are and ignorant, even as a Beaſt before the Lord, and at our Tables. If the Salt wherewith we ſeaſon our meat, teacheth us not the danger of our unſavoury and unprofitable walking aLuk. 14. 34., nor learnes us to ſeaſon our words with a graine thereof in a Metaphor; if not ſo, wee ſhall not have a word to ſay for our ſelves, why wee went againſt that rule bColoſ. 4. ….; Hee that ſees filthy ragges, and ſees not himſelfe in them, even at the beſt no better aEſay 30. 21.; or white, and cleane linnen, and learneth not thereby the glory of the Saints bRev. 19. 8., (but in another) in whom he muſt bee found, elſe he will be filthy ſtill; if he ſeeing theſe, makes not this uſe of what he ſees, certaine it is, hee ſees but diſcernes not, hee ſees as an Oxe doth a painted gate, ſees and no more.
Thus I thinke it is cleare, that wee have our preparatories from Nature to the underſtanding of divine matters; and that by theſe low things (ſo the Lord hath condeſcended to our weakneſſe) we may prepare our way to higher matters, and get a good underſtanding even thereof: And then by ſuch familiar wayes, bee ſtill dropping into our Children (for we may take up the Embleme of a watering pot cNil mihi prae…erea, praeterea mihi nil.) as we obſerve them able to receive. I muſt remember for the preſent, that I muſt move in a very low orbe, for ſo low my ſubject is, to whom I muſt ſtoope, and, as I can, raiſe him and make him capable, I ſhall winde him up very gently, and with much eaſe to the ſame height anon.