The Cause and Cure of Ignorance, Section 63
SECT. 63.
Object. In what sense the word ca… worldly men wisemen.BUt the Word of God in divers places calls worldly men wise men; yea ascribes the greatest wisdome and knowledge to the wicked.
Answ. Its true, but in what sense? Doe ye not perceive, that God either speaks it in a holy derision? as, Gen. 3.22. is to be understood: Or else hee speakes it in the person of the wicked, calling it wisdome, because worldly men deem it so: as in another place, he calls preaching, the foolishnes of preaching, because the wicked esteem preaching but foolishnesse: and as Christ calls the Pharisees just, because they justified themselves, Luke 15.7. Or thirdly, he meanes the wisdome of the flesh, or of the world; and that is as much, as if he had said in other words, foolishnesse: for the wisdome of the world is foolishnesse with God, and no lesse then twelve times infatuated by the wisdome of God in one Chapter, 1 Cor. 2.
What knowledg! is peculiar to the godly, and what common to them with Hipocrits.But to make it more plain, that no naturall man is a wise man, we must know that there is a speculative knowledge in the brain common to hypocrites with Gods children, Heb. 6.4. And there is a spirituall and heavenly wisdom, a practicall, experimentall and saving knowledge in the heart, which keepes a man from every evill way, Prov. 2.12. peculiar to the godly alone, Ephes. 4.8. and 5.8. The naturall man, saith Paul, perceiveth not the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishnesse unto him: but the spirituall, who have the mind of Christ, understand all things, even the deepe things of God, 1 Cor. 2.14, 15, 16. And again, We speake the wisdome of God in a mystery; even the hid wisdome, which none of the princes of this world have knowne, 1 Cor. 2.7, 8. See 1 Thess. 5.4, 5. Whence it is, that naturall men are said to be in darknesse, Ephes. 5.8. Matth. 4.16. whereas the regenerate are called, Children of the light, and of the day, 1 Th…ss. 5.4, 5. Luke 1.79.
Which comparison is very emphaticall. For as the Soule, is the lamp of the body; and … Reason, of the Soule; and Religion, of Reason; and Faith of Religion: so Christ is the light and life of faith. Whence it followes, that as meere sense is uncapable of the rules of reason: so reason is no lesse uncapable of the things which are supernaturall. And as to speake, is only proper to men: so to know the secrets of the kingdome of heaven is onelyonly proper to beleevers. Sense is a meere beasts; reason, a meere mans; Divine knowledge is onelyonly the Christians.
Now if it be askt,Naturall men want both the light of the spirit, and the eye of faith. Why a naturall man perceiveth not the things of the Spirit of God? Saint Paul, in the place before quoted, answers; He cannot know them, because they are spiritually discerned, 1 Cor. 2.14. For if they be spiritually discerned, how should they discern them, that have not the Spirit? For as no man can see the Sun, but by the light of the Sun: so no man can know the secrets of God, but by the revelation of God, 1 Cor. 12.8. Mat. 16.17. To know the mysteries of the kingdome of heaven, wee must have hearts▪ eyes and eares sanctified from above, Deut. 29.2, 3, 4. Psal. 111.10. Luk. 24.45. Iohn 15.15. Rom, 8.14, 15.
No attaining supernatuaral kuowledg by any natural means.Neither is spiritual and …avenly wisdome the fruit of time and study, as the naturall is. It is not eloquence, nor Logicall demonstrations, that can make us capable of it. We cannot attaine to supernaturall and celestiall knowledge, by any naturall and terrestriall meanes. No learning, nor experience will serve to know that great mystery of godlinesse, and hid wisdome, spoken of, 1 Cor. 2.6, 7, 8, 10, &c. to know the riches of the glory of Gods inheritance in the Saints, to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, &c. Ephes. 1.17, 18. and 3.19. Because this wisdome descendeth from above, Iames 3.17.