The Trial of True Wisdom, Section 50 – Section 51
Sect. 50.
OBject. But here thou wilt ſay, (or at leaſt thou haſt reaſon to ſay) if there be ſo few that are ſoul-wiſe, I have all the reaſon in the world to miſtruſt my ſelf; wherefore good Sir, tell me how I ſhall be able to get ihis ſpiritual and experimental knowledg? this divine and ſupernatural wiſdom?
Anſw. By obſerving theſe Five Rules:
Firſt, Let ſuch a willing and ingenuous ſoul, reſolve to practiſe what he does already know, or ſhall hereafter be acquainted with from the word of God and Chriſts faithful Meſſengers: For he that will do my Fathers will, ſayes our Saviour, ſhall know the doctrine, whether it be of God orno, Joh. 7. 17. A good underſtanding have all they that keep the commandments, (ſayes holy David) Pſal. 111. 10. and proves it true by his own example and experience: I underſtood (ſayes he) more than the Antient, and became wiſer than my teachers, becauſe I kept thy precepts, Pſal. 119. 97, 98, 99, 100. To a man that is good in his ſight, God giveth knowledg and wiſdom, Eccleſ. 2. 26. The ſpiritual man underſtandeth all things, 1 Cor. 2. 15. VVicked men underſtand not iudgment, but they that ſeek the Lord, underſtand all things, Prov. 28. 5. Admirable incouragements for men to become godly and consciencious; I mean practical Chriſtians.
Secondly, If thou wouldeſt get this precious grace of ſaving knowledge; the way is, to be frequent in hearing the word preached, and to become ſtudious in the Scriptures, for they and they alone make wise to Salvation, 2 Tim. 3. 15. Ye err (ſaith our Saviour) not knowing the Scriptures, Matth. 22. 29. Mark 12. 24. We muſt not in the ſearch of heavenly matters, either do as we ſee others do; neither muſt we follow the blind guide carnal reason, or the deceitful guide our corrupt hearts; but the undeceivable, and infallable guide of Gods word which is truth it ſelf: and great need there is; for as we cannot perceive the foulneſs of our faces unleſs it be told us, or we take a glaſs and look our ſelves therein: ſo neither can we ſee the blemiſhes of our Souls, which is a notable degree of ſpiritual Wiſdom, but either God muſt make it known to us by his ſpirit, or we muſt collect the ſame out of the Scriptures, that coeleſtial glaſs; though this alſo muſt be done by the ſpirits help. Therefore
Thirdly, If thou wilt be Soul-wiſe and truly profit by ſtudying the Scriptures, be frequent and fervent in Prayer to God who is the only giver of it, for the direction of his holy ſpirit: For firſt, humble and faithful Prayer, uſhered in by meditation, is the cure of al obscurity. Eſpecially being accompanied with fervor and fervency; as you may ſee, Matth. 21. 22. If any lack wisdom, ſaith St. James, let him ask of God who giveth to al men liberally and reproacheth no man, and it ſhal be given him, Jam. 1. 5. Mark the words, it is ſaid if any; wherefore let no man deny his ſoul this comfort. Again, ask and have; It cannot come upon eaſier terms. Yea, God ſeems to like this ſute ſo well in Solomon, as if he were beholding to his Creature, for wiſhing well to it ſelf. And in vain do we expect that alms of grace, for which we do not ſo much as beg. But in praying for Wiſdom, do not pray for it without putting difference; deſire not ſo much brain-knowledg as to be Soulwise, and then you will imploy your wisdom to the glory of the giver. Let thine hearts deſire be to know God in Chriſt, Chriſt in Faith, Faith in good works; to know Gods vvill that thou mayeſt do it; and before the knowledg of all other things, deſire to knovv thy self; & in thy ſelf, not ſo much thy ſtrength, as thy vveakneſs: Pray that thine heart may ſerve thee inſteed of a commentary, to help thee underſtand ſuch points of Religion as are moſt needful and neceſſary, and that thy Life may be an …ſition of thy invvard man, that there may be a ſweet harmony betwixt Gods VVord, thy judgment, and vvhole conversation, that what the natural man knoweth by roat, thou mayſt double by feeling the ſame in thine heart and affections. As indeed experimental and saving knovvledg is no leſs felt than knovvn; and, I cannot tell how, comes rather out of the abundance of the heart, than by extreme ſtudy; or rather is sent by God unto good men, like the Ram that was brought to Abraham when he would have Sacrificed his ſon Isaak. When Chriſt taught in the Temple, they asked, Hovv knovveth this man the Scriptures, seeing he never learned them? So it is a wonder what learning ſome men have, that have no learning! Like Priſilla and Aquila, poor Tent-makers, who were able to school Apollos that great Clerk, a man renovvned for his learning: What can we ſay to it? For no other reaſon can be given but as Chriſt ſaid, Father so it pleaseth thee: For as Jacob ſaid of his venison, when his Father ask'd how he came by it ſo suddenly? Because the Lord thy God brought it suddenly to my hands. So holy and righteous men do more eaſily underſtand the words of God, than do the wicked, becauſe God brings the meaning ſuddenly to their hearts; as we read, Luk. 24. That Chriſt (ſtanding in the midſt of his Apoſtles after he vvas risen from the dead) opened their underſtandings, that they might underſtand clearly the Scriptures, and vvhat vvas vvritten of him in the Lavv of Moſes, and in the Prophets, and in the Pſalms, verſ. 44. 45. Lo how ſuddenly their knowledge came unto them! But ſee what a general promise (God in the Perſon of wisdom) hatth made to all that serve him, Prov. 1. Turn you at my reproof, and behold I will pour out my spirit unto you, and make known my words unto you, verſ. 23. And Pſal. 25. The secrets of the Lord are revealed to them that fear him, and his covenant is to give them underſtanding, verſ 14. Theſe secrets are hid from the wicked, neither hath he made any ſuch covenant with them but the contrary: As ſee, Dan. 12. 10. Unto you it is given to knovv the secrets of the Kingdom of Heaven, but to others in Parrables, that they ſeeing ſhould not see, and hearing they ſhould not underſtand, Luke 8. 10: Mark: 3: 11: Matth: 13: 13:
Again, It is not enough to pray, except alſo it be in Chriſts name, and accrding to his vvill, believing to be heard for his sake, and that it be the interceſſion of Gods ovvn spirit in you: And (being truly ſenſible of your ſins and wants) that you chiefly pray for the pardon of ſinne, the effuſion of grace, and for the aſſiſtance of Gods Spirit: that you may more firmly believe, more ſoundly repent, more zealouſly doe, more patiently ſuffer, and more conſtantly perſevere in the practice and profeſſion of every duty.
But above all you muſt know, that as Sampſons companions, could never have found out his Riddle, if they had not plowed with his heifer: ſo no man can know the ſecrets of God, but by the revelation of his Spirit, 1 Cor. 12. 8. Mat. 16. 17. Yea, ſuppoſe a man be not inferiour to Portius, or Pythagoras, who kept all things in memory, that ever they had read, heard, or ſeen: To Virgil, of whom it is reported, that if all Sciences were loſt, they might be found again in him: To Aben Ezra, of whom it was ſaid, that if Knowledge had put out her candle, at his brain ſhe might light it again; and that his head was a throne of wiſdome: or Joſephus Scaliger, who was skilled in thirty Languages: Yet if he want the Spirit of God to be his teacher, he is a dunce to the meaneſt, and moſt illiterate believer. For one excellent, and neceſſary prerogative of the ſpirituall man is this; he hath God for his teacher; he learns the Counſels of God, of that ſpirit which onelyonly knoweth Gods counſels, Luk. 21. 15. which is no ſmall priviledge: for the ſcholar learns quickly, when the Holy Ghoſt is his teacher; the Eye ſees distinctly, when the Holy Ghoſt doth enlighten it. With the Spirits helpe, the meanes can never be too weake: without, never ſtrong enough, Luk. 24. 44, 45. Pro. 1. 23.
§ 51.
Fourthly, Thou muſt get an humble conceit of thine own wiſdome. The firſt ſtep to knowledge, is to know our own ignorance. We muſt become fools in our own opinion, before we can be truly wiſe, as the Apoſtle ſets it down, 1 Cor. 3. 18. And indeed, the opinion of our knowing enough, is one of the greateſt cauſes of our knowing ſo little: For what we preſume to have attained, we ſeeke not after. Yea, the very firſt leſſon of a Chriſtian is humility. He will teach the humble his way, Pſalm. 25. 9. Jam. 4. 6. 1 Pet. 5. 5. And he that hath not learned the firſt leſſon, is not fit to take out a new. Pride is a great let to true wiſdome: For God reſiſteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble, Jam. 4. 6. 1 Pet. 5. 5. Whence it comes to paſſe, that few proud wits are reformed, Iohn 9. 39. And for this cauſe alſo did our Saviour propound his woes to the Phariſees, his doctrines to the People.
A heart full of pride, is like a veſſell full of aire: This ſelf opinion muſt be blown out of us, before ſaving knowledge will be poured into us. Chriſt will know none but the humble, and none but humble ſouls truly know Chriſt.
Now the way to become humble, is, by taking a ſerious view of our wants. The Peacocks pride is much abated, when ſhe looks on the blackneſſe of her legs and feet. Now ſuppoſe we know never ſo much; yet that which we know, is far leſſe then that which we are ignorant of: and the more we know, the more we know we want, Pro. 1. 5, 7. Pſal. 73. 22. And the leſle ſenſible we are of our blindneſs, ſickneſſe, deformity, &c. the more blinde, ſick, and deformed we are.
Fifthly, Thou muſt labour to get a true and lively faith: For as without faith we cannot pleaſe God: ſo without faith, no man can know God. Faith moſt cleerly beholds thoſe things which are hid both from the eye of ſenſe, and the eye of reaſon, John 12. 46. Unregenerate men, that waht faith, are like blinde Sampſon without his guide: Or like Poliphemus, who never had but one eye, and that Ulyſſes put out. For ſo does the pleaſure and cuſtome of ſinne blinde the Senſualliſt.
We muſt have mindes lifted above nature, to ſee and love things above nature: heavenly wiſdome, to ſee heavenly truth; or elſe that truth which is ſaving, will be to us a myſtery, Mark. 4. 11. If it ſeem not fooliſhneſſe, 1 Cor. 2. 7, 8, 14. To them that are loſt, the Goſpel is hid, 2 Cor. 4. 3, 4. Whereas the Believer diſcerns all things, even the deep things of God, 1 Cor. 2. 10. 12. 15, 16. Yea, God Giveth him a mouth and wiſdome, where againſt all his adverſaries, ſhall not be able to ſpeak or reſiſt, Luk. 21. 15. Theſe are the five ſteps, which lead up to the palace of wiſdome, which all muſt aſcend by, that mean to enter. If you have once attained this precious grace of ſaving knowledge, you will as much as in you lies, employ the ſame to the glory of the giver, And ſo much to prove, that he is the wiſeſt man, whoſe knowledge lies in the beſt things, (as the weaker veſſel may hold the better liquor) and that if men be never ſo learned, except they have learned the Myſtery of the Goſpel, and what it is to be borne again by their own experience, (which few with their great learning do indeed know) they are in Gods account, no better then fooles. I come now to prove, that the greateſt Politician is a verier fool then the former.