The Cause and Cure of Ignorance, Section 61 – Section 62
SECT. 61.
Qu. IF Ignorance be such a generall cause of hatred and persecution, Ob. That great scholers and wisemen doe the same, answered.as you have shewre, What is the reason, that so many great Scholers and wise men do also hate and persecute the godly?
Ans. Great scholers they may bee, and wise men also, in the worlds esteeme, but in the maine, and in Gods account they are nothing so: for admit they have inlightned heads, sufficient to leave them without excuse, yet because they withhold the truth in unrighteousnesse, and doe not glorifie God with their knowledge, neither are thankfull, but become vain in their imaginations, their foolish hearts are darkned; and so while they professe themselves to be wise, in changing the truth of God into a lie, they become fools, and expresse it, by thus hating God and his children, Romans 1.18.21.22.25.30. So that Ignorance is the cause even in them also.
Their actions prove them ignorant.And indeed if they were wise, they would foresee the torments of hell, and prevent them, as Bernard speakes. Or if they knew God, they would keep his commandments, for hereby, saith Saint Iohn, is it knowne that wee know God, if we keep his Commandements, 1 John 2.3. but he that saith I know him, and yet keepeth not his Commandements, is a lyar, and there is no truth in him, Ver. 4. Yea these have sworne to keepe the commandements, and to deny the world, and yet are not content with their owne disobedience, unlesse they cast aspersions upon them that obey.
The first part of conversion is to love them that love God.Againe thirdly, if they knew Christ, they could not but love him; and loving him, they must needs love his members, not persecute them; for it is the very first part of our conversion, to love them that love God, 1 Joh. 3.14. and 4.7.8. and Joh. 13.35. But so many as are enemies to the crosse of Christ, shew that they never knew God in Christ.
As for their wisdome and learning; you must know that men may be …xquisitely wise, and incomparably learned in the worlds opinion, and yet very fooles in Gods account, 1 Cor. 3.19. As sharp-eyed as Eagles in the things of the earth, and yet as blinde as Beetles in the matters of heaven. And knowledge consisteth not so much in the quantity, as in the quality: not in the greatnesse, but in the goodnesse of it. For as a little precious stone is of more worth then many other stones of greater bulke: so one drop of wisdome guided by the feare of God, is more worth then all humane learning. One sparke of spirituall, experimentiall and saving knowledge, is worth a whole flame of secular wisdome and learning. One scruple of holinesse, one dram of faith, one graine of grace, is more worth then many pounds of naturall parts.
But learning and grace doe not alwayes keep company together.Many that have a depth of knowledge are not soule-wise. Yea, O Lord, how many are there, that have a depth of knowledge, yet are not soule-wise! That have a Library of Divinity in their heads, and not so much as the least Catechisme in their consciences? no rare thing for men to abound in speculation, and be bar…en in devotion: to have full braines, and empty hearts; cleare judgements, and defiled affections; fluent tongues; and lame hands: Yea, you shall heare a flood in the tongue, when ye cannot see one drop in the life.
For example, I might instance in Balaam, Examples of many wise in the worlds esteem, but fools in Gods account.whom the holy Ghost stiles a foole, 2 Peter 2.16. And Iudas Mat. 27.3, 4, 5. And Paul, before his conversion, who (even while hee was a persecuter like these men) was eminent among the Pharisees for wit and learning, but a very Ideot among the Apostles. And lastly, the Priests, Scribes and Pharisees, who were matchlesse for their wisdome and learning, as wanting nothing, that either nature or Art could inrich them withall:With God the greatest sinner is the greatest fool, and he most wise, that is most religious. yea, and they were chiefly learned in the Scripture, Gods Oracles, which will make a man wise, or nothing: and yet our Saviour (who could not bee deceived) calls them foure times in one Chapter blinde, and twice fools, Mat. 23.16.17.19.24.26. Because they wanted faith and holinesse, which are the sinewes and nerves, yea the soule of saving knowledge, inlivening, feeding and strengthening the same; for in the dialect of the Scripture, a fool is a naturall man, and a wise man, a man sanctified.
Alas! God regards not lip-learning, and tongue-wisdome, and braine-knowledge, except it ceize upon the heart also, and lead captive the affections to the government of the Gospel, whereby wee are changed and transformed into new men, after the image of Christ, 1 Cor. 2.12. Eph. 4.20. to 25. Col. 3.10. except we digest our knowledge into practise,God regards not braine knowledge, except it seize on the heart also. and imploy our wisdome to his glory that gave it, our neighbours good, and the furthering of our owne salvation: For with him wickednes is folly, and the greatest sinner is the greatest foole: and he most wise, that is most religious, and that offends least, Prov. 1.7. Iob. 28.28. Prov. 9.10.12. and 11.3. Deut. 4.6. Hosea 14.9. Iames 3.13.17. 2 Tim. 3.15. And he that is truly wise, thinks that to be wisdome, and folly, which God thinks so.
Neither is that worth the name of knowledge which may be heard only, and not seen. Good discourse, is but the froth of wisdome; the pure and solid substance of it, is in well framed actions. What saith the Scripture? Keepe the Commandements of God, and doe them, for this is your wisdome and understanding before God and men, Deut. 4 6. And again, He that is a wise man and indued with knowledge, will shew it by his conversation in good works, Iames 3.13. For,
SECT. 62.
Rightly a man knows no more then hee practiseth.RIghtly, a man knows no more then he practiseth. It is said of Christ, 2 Cor. 5, 21. that he knew no sinne, because he did no sin: in which sense, hee knows no good, that doth no good. And certainly, they who wander in the by-paths of sin and errour, declare themselves ignorant of the right way of salvation, Rom. 3.17.
Saving knowledge of the truth works a love of the truth knowne; it is an uniforme consent of knowledge and action, Iob 28.28. He onelyonly is wise, saith Solomon, that is wise for himself, Prov. 9.12. He whose conscience pulleth all he hears and reads to his heart, and his heart to God; who turneth his knowledge to faith, his faith to feeling, and all to walke worthy of his Redeemer he; that subdues his sensuall desires and appetite to the more noble faculties of the soule,Saving knowledge described. Reason, and Understanding, and makes that understanding of his serve him, by whom it is, and doth understand; hee that subdues his lust to his will; submits his will to reason, his reason to faith; his faith, his reason, his will, himself, to the will of God, this is practicall, experimentall, and saving knowledge, to which the other is but a bare name or title. For, what is the notionall sweetnesse of honey, to the experimentall taste of it? It is one thing to know what riches are, and where they bee; and another thing to bee master of them. It is not the knowing, but the possessing of them, that makes rich. What saith one? No more then the knowledge of goodnesse, maketh one to be named a good man; no more doth the knowledge of wisdome only, cause any person properly to bee called a wiseman. And certainly, that wisdome and learning is little worth, which nothing profits the owner of it, either to vertue or happinesse. These things if ye know, happy are yee if yee doe them, Iohn 13.17. So that he is the best Scholer, that learnes of Christ obedience, humility, &c. He the best Arithmetician, that can adde grace to grace. He the best learned, that knows how to be saved. Yea, all the Arts in the world are Artlesse Arts to this.
That the meanest beleever knows more then the profoundest naturian.But alas! Naturall men are so farre from being thus learned, that not one of them doth really, and by his owne experience know the chiefe Points of Christian Religion; such as are, Faith, Repentance, Regeneration, the Love of God, the Presence of the Spirit, the Remission of sinnes, the Effusion of Grace, the Possession of heavenly Comforts; he knows not what the peace of Conscience, and joy in the holy Ghost is, nor what the communion of Saints means; he knows not what it is to have a certaine and experimentall feeling, with a continuall proofe of Gods favour, in the whole passage of a mans life, and practise, &c. Prov. 24.7. when every of these are easie and familiar to the meanest and simplest beleever.