The Trial of True Wisdom, Section 60 – Section 62
§ 60.
Secondly, for comfort to the other; If all natural men are (like Sampſon without his guide,) not able without the Holy Ghoſts direction, to finde out the Pillars of the houſe, the principles of faith: let us not wonder, that they ſwerve ſo much from the godly in their judgement, and practice: As is it any ſtrange thing to ſee a blinde man ſtumble and fall? Neither let us be diſcouraged, maugre all their ſlander & oppoſition. Nor think the worſe of our ſelves, if ſuch ſhall reproach us never ſo: The Corinthians exceedingly ſlighted Paul, he was this, and he was that; But what ſays Paul? With me it is a very ſmall thing that I ſhould be judged of you, 1 Cor. 4. 3, 4. VVe know little children will often laugh at wiſe men, when they are about ſerious and neceſſary affairs: which notwithſtanding is not an argument of the unworthineſs of the things they laugh at, but of the folly of them which laugh. Will the Merchant be diſcouraged becauſe his wine pleaſeth not a ſicke mans palate? Much leſſe cauſe have we to be diſcouraged by their diſtaſte, or diſlike of us and our actions, as having more certainty to rely upon; they perhaps have ſenſe, reaſon, and experience to rely upon, but we have them with the advantage of Gods Word, and Spirit, and Faith, three infallible witneſſes. Yea, we have great cauſe to rejoyce, that they revile, and ſpeak evil of us. For his is both a token of perdition to them, and to us of ſalvation, and that of God, as the Apoſtle phraſeth it, Phil. 1. 28.
True, they may raiſe any ſlander upon the beſt of us, as the Chief Prieſts did upon our Saviour, Math. 28. 13, 14. and that ſlander may be believed time out of minde, (as the Jewes to this day believe that his Diſciples ſtole him cut of the Sepulchre) Matth. 28. 15. to the hardning of many in their Atheiſm, and Unbelief: For what ſhould hinder? When Naboth was proved to be a blaſphemer of God, and Suſanna a whore upon oath; and the ſame recorded to poſterity; when Ieremiah was reported to be an enemy to the State? Paul a polluter of the Temple? Steven a deſtroyer of the Law? All the Diſciples deceivers, and Chriſt himſelfe a wine-bibber, a Sabbath-breaker, a ſeducer of the people, a Belzebub, &c. So we may perhaps under-goe the like, in one kind or other (as the Devils ſervants, want neither wit nor malice to deviſe;) But what need it trouble us, ſo long as it ſhall add waight to our Crowns? For if we any way ſuffer for Chriſt, be it but rebuke for his ſake, happy are we here, and great ſhall our reward be in heaven, Mat. 5. 11, 12.
VVherefore let us never be aſhamed of our Maſters ſervice, nor of their cenſures: No matter what Judas ſaith touching Maries ointment, ſo long as Chriſt approves of it. Did our Saviour Chriſt forbear to heal on the Sabbath day, becauſe the Scribes and Phariſees took it …ll? no, but rather did it the more, Luke 6. 7. to 12. and Luke 13. 31, 32. VVhen Peter and John were charged to ſpeak no more in the name of Jeſus; their anſwer was, We cannot but ſpeak that which we have heard and ſeen, Acts 4. 20. VVhen Michol ſcoft David, and called him fool for his dancing before the Arke, His anſwer was, I will be yet more vile, and more lowly in mine own eyes. He knew that nothing could be more heroical, then this very abaſement. And it is our very caſe. Every ſcoffing Michol, (for none elſe will do it) every drunken ſot, derides our holy profeſsion: but with God and the gracious, we ſhall be had in honour. Yea, our very malicious, and ſcoffing adverſaries ſhall honour us, by deriding us. Their diſpraiſe is a mans honour, their praiſe his diſhonour. VVherefore let us imitate St. Auſtin; who as he feared the praiſe of good men, ſo he deteſted that of evill, and ungodly men. And take our Saviours counſel; ſeek to juſtifie our judgements, to the children of wiſdome, of whom ſhe is juſtified; and not to fools, by whom ſhe is daily crucified. Neither let any think the better of ſuch whom they extoll; for the blinde eat many a flie.
§ 61.
Thirdly, are the one regenerate, the other carnall? the one of this world, the other choſen out of it? the one children of light, and of the day, the other blinde and in darkneſſe? the one Chriſts friends, the other his enemies? do the one live after the fleſh, the other after the ſpirit, Gal. 5. 15. 1 Pet. 4. 2. Then look we for no love from, or peace with them: Different diſpoſitions can never agree. There can be no amity, where there is no ſympathy. Athens and Sparta could never agree, for that the one was addicted to ſerve Minerva, the other Mars. Yea, when it was ſaid of Phocian and Demoſthenes, that they could never agree; it was anſwered, No, how ſhould they? when the one drinks water, and the other wine. Much more may it be applyed to theſe, when the holy Ghoſt ſayes, 2 Cor. 6. What communion between light and darkneſſe? what peace between the Believer and the Infidel? or unbeliever, verſ. 14, 15. And in another place; Know ye not, that the amity of the world, is the enmity of God? And that whoſoever will be a friend of the world, maketh himſelfe the enemy of God, Jam. 4. 4. And again, He that is borne after the fleſh, will perſecute him that is born after the Spirit, Gal. 4. 29. Yea, Solomon tels us directly, and in plain terms, That a wicked man is abomination to the juſt; and that he who is upright in his way, is abomination to the wicked, Pro. 29. 27. Even our very ways which God hath commanded us to walke in, are abomination to them.
VVhence it is, that the Naturall man can agree with all that be naturall; be they civill, or prophane, Turkes, or Jewes, Papiſts or Atheiſts, becauſe all theſe agree with him in blindneſſe, and darkneſſe: But with a ſincere, and holy Chriſtian, a practicer of piety, he can never agree, becauſe his light is contrary to the natural mans darkneſſe; Grace in the one, is a ſecret diſgrace to the other. VVherefore to be without enemies, or to have ſuch our friends, we may rather wiſh then hope; yea, once to expect it, were an effect of frenzy, not of hope. OnelyOnly let not us by our offending God, or jarring amongſt our ſelves, put weapons into their hands to wound us withal: and then we are ſure to have Chriſt (who is able enough to vindicate all our wrongs) to aſſiſt us, and prevent our Enemies.
§ 62.
Fourthly, If none be truly wiſe, but ſuch as have paſs'd the ſecond birth; and that this wiſdome which makes us differ, cometh downe from the Father of lights; and that we cannot have it, except God vouchſafe to give it us: it may teach us to be humble, Job 42. 6. And not like the Ape, that is proud of his Maſters jacket: And thankefull, for Heavenly notions, grow not in us; wee ſpin them not out of our own breaſts. Nor was there any thing in us, that makes us differ: we ſlept nigh half our time in ignorance, and that wee ever awakened, it was onelyonly Gods infinite goodneſſe and free grace. VVhat cauſe have we then to bleſſe the giver? And to become ſuiters to our Saviour in their behalf, who are not yet awake: That he will be pleaſed to open their eyes, and remove that vail which is laid over their hearts, in their hearing the Goſpel, 2 Cor. 3. 14, 15, 16. And in the mean-time, let us condole their diſaſtres, and drop ſome teares in pity and compaſsion for their great and grievous miſery.
Fifthly, and laſtly, If with God one ſpark of ſpiritual, experimental, and ſaving knowledge, be of more worth then all humane wiſdome and learning, then ſtrive we after that knowledge that will make us for ever bleſſed. Let us ſo be learned, that we may be ſaved. Let us not in our hearing, reading, and communication, do as little children, that looke onelyonly upon the babies in a Booke, without regard to the matter therein contained. But like men in yeares, have more reſpect to the pith, and ſolidity of the matter, then to the phraſe; and to the profit of our ſouls, then the pleaſing of our ſenſes. Yea, let us ſo minde what we either hear or read; that if any vertue be commended, we practice it; if any vice condemned, we avoid it; if any conſolation be inſinuated, we appropriate it; if any good example be propounded, wee follow it. Yea, ſo minde wee what we hear, or read, as if it were ſpoke onelyonly to each of us in particular; which to do, is to be for ever happy. Good counſell for our young Gulls, who will hear no other Miniſters but ſuch as flatter ſinne, and flout holineſſe; nor read other Books, then ſuch as fill them with Pride, and Luſt, and the Devil.
So I have given you a good, and profitable Book, one faultleſſe fault being born with. An anſwer that may ſatisfie ſuch as ſhall make the Objection I expect, viz. about repetition, which I take to be a fault deſerving thanks.
If any ſhall finde themſelves gainers by reading of this piece, let them alſo peruſe the two fore-going parts, viz. The Hearts Index, and A ſhort and ſure way to Grace and ſalvation, as treating upon the moſt needful ſubjects for a natural mans converſion, that I could think of: The which being ſmall things, are ſold onelyonly by James Crump, in Little Bartholomews, welyard; And by Henry Cripps, in Popes-head Alley.
ERRATA.
Not to mention all the litterall miſtakes, and points miſplaced; there is one fault in the Title page ſo groſſe, (though it paſt the view, both of Tranſcriber, Compoſer, Corrector, and Authour, without being diſcerned:) that it would be mended with a pen, and of Floreligus, made Florilegus.
FINIS.
End of the text · Richard Younge, The Trial of True Wisdom (1658)