A Christian Library, Section 48
Sect. 48.
BUt for men to do no good with their gifts, is not all; yea, it were well if that were the worst, for not a few of them resemble Achitophel, and Jonadab, who imployed their wit wickedly, and do mischief insteed of good with their wisdom: like Herod, whom you shall see turning over the Bible, searching the Scriptures, examining the Prophets; but to what end and purpose? To know good, but to do evil: yea, the greatest evil under the Sun, slay Christ in the cradle: With many, their knowledge and learning is not for God and for Gideon; but for Antichrist and for Babylon; and so of all other gifts; how many are the worse for them? As give Saula Kingdom, and he will tyrannize; give Nabal plenty, and he will be drunk; give Judas an Apostleship, and he will sell his Master for mony; let Sarmantus have a good wit, he will exercise it in scoffing at holiness. Briefly, how oft doth wisdom without grace prove like a fair estate in the hands of a fool, which not seldom becomes the owners ruine? Or Absoloms hair, which was an ornament, wherewith he hanged himself: So that wisdom without grace is nothing else but a cunning way of undoing our selves at the last. Many mens knowledge to them, being like the Ark to the Philistims, which did them more hurt than good: When their knowledge makes them prouder, not better; more rebellious, not more serviceable; as it is, Isa. 47.10. Thy wisdom and thy knowledge they have caused thee to rebel: And very often this falls out, that as the best soyl usually yieldeth the worst air, so without grace there is nothing more pestilent than a deep wit, no such prey for the Devil, as a good wit unsanctified. VVit and Learning well used, is like the golden ear-rings and bracelets of the Israelites, abused like the same gold cast into an Idol; than which, no…hing more abominable.
Now when it comes to this, That they fight against God with the weapon he hath given them; when with those the Psalmist speaks of, Psal. 73.9. They set their mouths against heaven, and are like an unruly Jade, that being full fed kicks at his Master; what course doth the Lord take with them? Answ. Read but that Parable, Luk. 19.24. Ioh. 7.17. it will inform you: For to him that useth his Talent of knowledge well, he giveth more; as to the servant that used his talents well, he doubled them: but to them that use not their knowledge well, much more if they abuse it, he taketh away that which he had formerly given them: as he took heat from the fire when it would burn his Children, Dan. 3.27. As you may see, Isa. 44.25. 2 Thess. 2.10, 11, 12. Ioh. 7.17. Psa. 111.10. 1 Cor. 2.15. Eccles. 2.26. Prov. 28 5. Matth. 21.43. Acts 26.18. Isa. 29.14. & 44 25. & 6.9, 10. Dan. 2.19.23. Iob 5.13, 14. Ioh. 9.39. & 12.40. Rom. 1.28. Ephe. 4.18, 19. 1 Cor. 1.20. 2 Thess. 2.10, 11, 12. turn to the places, for they ate rare. I will destroy the Tokens of the Soothsayers, and make them that conjecture, fools: I will turn the wise men backward, and make their knowledge foolishness, saith the Lord, Isa. 44.25. He taketh the wise in their own craftiness, and the counsel of the wicked is made foolish, Job. 5.13. the case of Achitophel: And justly are they forsaken of their reason, who have abandoned God; yea, most just it is, that they who want grace, should want wit too. And so much of abusing their gifts.
Lastly, These great knowers and wise men are so far from desiring soul wisdom, and saving-knowledge to the ends before specified, that they do not at all desire it, for that it suits not with their condition. For Natural men desire only humane and mundane knowledge: Spiritual men, that which is heavenly and supernatural; and the reason why they desire it not, is, for that they know it not. A man desireth not that he knoweth not, saies Chrisostome; neither are unknown evils feared: wherefore the work of Regeneration begins at Illumination, Acts 26.18. Coll. 1.13. 1 Pet. 2.9.
Now according as men are wise, they prize and value this wisdom, and endeavour to obtain it, Prov. 18.15. For it is more true of divine wisdom, than it was of that Grecian beauty: No man ever loved her, that never saw her; no man ever saw her, but he loved her.
And so on the contrary, according as men are ignorant and blockish, they under-value and dis-esteem it, hate it, and are prejudice against it: And hereupon carnal men being blinded by the Prince of darkness, together with their own wickedness, and being of a reprobate judgement, do most usually and familiarly term and esteem this soul-wisdom, this divine, spiritual, experimental, and saving-knowledge to be meer foolishness, or madness, Wisd. 5.3. to 9. and the Professors thereof to be fools & madmen; Elisha was counted no better, 2 King. 9 11. and the rest of the Prophets, Hosea 9 7. and Paul, Acts 26.20. and all the Apostles, 1 Cor. 4.10. Yea, our Saviour Christ himself with open mouth was pronounced mad by his carnal bearers, Joh. 10.20. Mark. 3.21. and this hath been the worlds vote ever since. The sinceer Christian was so reputed in Pliny's time, and after in St. Austin's time: yea, Julian the Pelagian could gibe St. Austin, that he had none of the wise Sages, nor the learned Senate of Philosophers on his side; but only a company of mean tradesmen, of the vulgar sort, that took part with him: Whole Answer was, Thou reproachest the weak things of the world, which God hath chosen to confound the things that are mighty.
To wordly men Christian wiseom seems folly, saith Gregory. And well it may, for even the wisdom of God is foolishness with the world. 1 Cor. 1.18 23. therefore no disparagement to us his servants, if they repute us fools; nor I think any honour to such sensualists that so repute us: However we will give them their due: For,