The Cure of Misprision, Section 12 – Section 15
Sect. 12.
In the word of God I find 7. reaſons thereof.
4. Negative.
3. Affirmative.
The reaſons Negative are theſe.
1. The deceitfulneſſe of their hearts.
2. They are unregenerate.
3. they want the eye of faith.
4. They are not verſ▪d in the Scriptures, nor have they the ſpirit to convince them of ſinne.
The affirmative reaſons are theſe.
1. Sinne
2. God in judgement
3. Satan further
blinds them. that they cannot ſee their finfulneſſe.
Only obſerve by the way, that the foure firſt reaſons, are applyable to all naturall men, even the civilleſt and wiſeſt of them, the 3 laſt pertain chiefly to the obſtinate and ſuperlative in ſinne, in whom this ignorance, and blindneſſe is much increaſed, for there are Three de▪grees of ignorance.
1. Naturall, which is the effect of Originall Sinne.
2. Adventitious, which is accompanied with actuall▪ Sinne▪
3. Habituall, which ariſes from the exceſſe of Sinne.
But leaſt in handling all of the…, I ſhould tyre my Reader, I will in a few words give you the ſum of all.
Are they unregenerate (as none can deny) then there is a mighty and vaſt difference between naturall men, and the regenerate in many particulars. Ile give you an inſtance or two well worth your obſerving.
Naturall men in Scripture, (for I will lay downe their ſeverall Characters in the very expreſſions of the Holy Ghoſt) are ſaid to have
Ʋncircumciſed hearts, Jer. 9. 26. Rom. 2. 29 Groſſe hearts, Mat. 13. 15. Brawny hearts, Iſay 6. 10. Fatt hearts, Acts 28. 27. Hearts without feeling, Eph. 4. 18. 19. Fooliſh hearts. Rom. 1. 21. Bl…nd and darke hearts, Rom. 1. 21, Beaſts hearts, Dan. 4. 16. Jer. 51. 17. Dead hearts, 1 Sam. 25. 37. No hearts, Hoſea 7. 11. Evill and wicked hearts, Gen. 6. 5. and 18. 21. Vncle ane hearts, Ezek. 14. Impure hearts, James 4. 8▪
Hearts
Slow to beleeve, Luke 24. 25.
That cannot repent, Rom! 2.
Fained hearts, Jer. 3. 10. Pro. 11▪ 20. Falſe hearts▪ Jer. 5. 23. Deceitful hearts, Jer. 17. 9. Devided hearts, Hoſea 10. 2. Double hearts, 1 Chron. 12. 33. Pſal. 12. 2. A heare and a heart, Jer. 32. Proude hearts Deut. 17. Froward hearts, Pro. 11. 20. Stubborne hearts, Hoſea 13. 6. Obſtinate hearts, Jer. 52. Hard hearts, Exod. 9. 12. And Stony hear…s, Ezek. 11. 19.
Whereof not a few by cuſtome in ſinne harden their owne hearts, Deut. 15▪ 7. Heb. 3. 8. Pro. 28. 14. Yea▪ make them as hard as an Adamant, Zach. 7. 12. Leaſt they ſhould heare the Law, and be converted by …he Goſpel, Iſay 6. 10. where upon God in judgement hardens them, Exod. 7. 3. 22. and 10. 20. and 14. 8. ſo making them more hard and brawny, Iſay 6. 10. John 12. 40.
Whereas on the contrary, God circumciſeth the hearts of his children that beleeve in him▪ and of ſtony hearts makes them fleſhie and ſoft▪ Ezek. 11. 19. Rom. 2. 29. Yea, taketh away the ſtony hearts out of their bodies, and giv…th them new hearts. Ezek▪ 36. 26▪ even pu…ting a new ſpirit into them. Ezek. 11, 19.
Beſides, he ſo farther ſoftens them, that they become like m…lling wax. Pſal. 22. 14. then op…ns them to heare and receive his word. Acts 16. 14. 1 Sam. 10. 26. Yea he waſh…th them from wickednes▪ Jer. 4. 14. cleanſeth them, Pſal. 73. 13. purifies them by faith, Acts 15. 9 …nd ſheds his love abroad in their hearts by the Holy Ghoſt▪ Rom. 5. 5. And having thus prepared them▪ he writ… … his law in their hearts, Jer. 31. 33. Heb. 8. 10. and 10. 16. And put s in them ſuch a filiall feare of his name, that they ſhall never depart from him. Jer. 32. 40,
Whence they are ſaid by the Holy Ghoſt, to bee pricked in their hearts, Acts 2. 37. To ſet and apply their hearts to underſtand his precepts, Pro. 2. 2. Dan. 10. And to ſeeke him with their whole hearts, Pſal. 119. To have perceiving hearts, Deut. 29. 4 To lay up his word in their hearts, Pſal. 119. 11. Yea to have it written in them, Pſal. 37. 31. And to keep his commandements in their hearts. Pro. 3. 1. & 4. 21.
To have▪ contrite hearts, Pſal. 34 18. Repenting hearts, Rom 2. 5.. Faithfull and beleeving hearts, Rom. 10. 9. Willing hearts, Exo. 35. 5. Meeke, humble and lowly hearts, Mat. 5. 3. to 6. and 11. 25. To have ſtedfaſt, Iſay 38. 3. ſtable, Heb. 13. 9. Wiſe, Pro. 18. 15. and underſtanding hearts, 1 Kings▪ 3. 12. To have ſingle hearts, Epheſ. 6. 5. Sincere hearts, Gen. 20. 5. True hearts, Heb. 10. 2…. Honest and Good hearts, Luke 8. 15. Pure hearts, 1 Peter. 1. 22. Mat. 5. 8. Cleane hearts, Pſal. 51. 10▪ and▪ Perfect hearts, 1 Kings 8. 61. Pſal. 101. 2. Iſay 38▪ 3.
And what can be further ſaid, whether in praiſe of the owne, or in diſpraiſe of the other. But take another inſtance, for our ſcoffing Adverſaries will never be ſufficiently convinc'd▪ untill God gives them new hearts.
Sect. 13.
Secondly, As the regenerate and unregenerate, beleevers and unbele…vers differ in their hearts, ſo no l…ſſe in their ſight and knowledge of ſpirituall things. Whence all men in their naturall condition are ſaid by the Holy Ghoſt to be blind and in darken…ſſe, Pſal. 69. 23. John 12. 40. Matth. 4▪ …6. and 15. 14. Eph…ſ. 4. 18. 19. and 5. 8. 1 Peter 2. 9. Whereby is meant the darkeneſſe of their underſtandings.
To bee
Fooliſh, Iſa. 56. 10. Rom. 1. 21▪ 22. Jo. 3. 19.
Ignorant, Jer. 4. 22. Rev. 3. 17.
Drunken and Aſleepe not knowing what they doe. Luke 23. 34.
Mad, Luke 15. 17. 2 Pet. 2. 16.
No better then Beaſts, in their knowledge of ſpirituall things, Jer. 51. 57. Pſal. 49. 12.
As the Horſe and Mule which perceive nothing, Pſal. 32. 9. Acts 28. 26.
And as if this were too little, many of them blind their owne eyes with their
wickednes, Pſa. 2. 1. to 17.
prejudice, 1 Cor. 2. 8.
Yea, winke with their eyes, that they may not ſee the truth. Mat. 13. 15▪ Acts 28. 27. Whence God in judgement gives them the ſpirit of ſlumber, eyes that they ſhould not ſee, and eares that they ſhould not heare, Rom. 11. 8. Yea, ſhuts up their eyes, Iſay 6. 9. 10. and blinds their minds. John 12. 40. And delivers them up to the prince of darkeneſſe to be further blinded. Pſal. 69. 23. Epheſ. 6. 12.
Whereas on the contrary, God opens the eyes of beleevers, Iſay 42. 7. Acts 26. 18. To ſee the wonders of his law. Pſal. 119. 18. Yea, gives them the ſpirit of wiſedome and revelation to teach them all needfull truths, Epheſ. 1. 17. 1 Cor. 2. 10. Whence they are ſaid in Scripture, to have their eyes in their heads and open. Eccle. 2. 14. And to have.
ſeeing and enlightned eyes, Epheſ. 1. 18. and called children of the light & of the day, 1 Theſ. 5. 5. Counted a
Sober
Wiſe,
Knowing
Vnderſtanding
people, Deut. 4. 6.
And that increaſe in knowledge daily. pro. 4. 18. And many the like expreſſions mentioned in the word of God, which I purpoſely omit.
Sect. 14.
Which being ſo; were the ſame but truly beleevrd, rightly applyed, and ſeriouſly conſidered (As O that men would but beleeve the word of God to be Gods word!) it would ſoone put an end to all ſtrife, cure ſcoffers of their prejudice and miſpriſion, and make them love where they hate, and hate where they love, but this is the gift of God alone. Wherefore I crave no more of thee but to minde what hath been ſpoken.
If it be thus, that ſo long as wee remaine in our naturall condition, we have eyes and ſee not, cares and heare not, hearts and underſtand not ſpirituall things, as Chriſt himſelfe plainely affirmes, Mat …13. 15. and his Apoſtle, Acts 28. 27. and before them both the Prophet Iſay chap. 6. 9. 10. And that we are only bent to follow the way of our owne hearts, Iſay, 57. 17. which are deceitfull above all things, Jer. 17. 9. How is it poſſible the naturall man, ſhould be truly ſenſible of thoſe ſwarmes, thoſe litters, thoſe legions of evill luſts and cogitations that lye lurking in his heart? No this is only proper to the regenerate man, who daily communes with his owne heart, Pſal. 4. 4. brings it to the rule of the Law, which is holy, just and good, Rom. 7. 12. hath the light of the Goſpel, Luke 1. 79. and the ſpirit of God to teach him all things, 1 Cor. 2. 10. and who is in continuall combate, betweene the fleſh and the ſpirit, Rom. 7. chap. Gal. 5. 17.
For it requires thel ight of grace to ſee, even the duſt and cobwebs, but to diſcern the ſmalleſt moats of evill in the houſes of our hearts, the Sonne of Righteouſneſſe muſt firſt ariſe in our ſoules,
Againe, if their hearts be …ncircumciſed, brawny, hard, &c. they cannot feele ſin. If they are ignorant, fooliſh, no better then beaſts in underſtanding. If they be blind, drunke, and in the darke. Yea, if they be ſtarke dead in ſin and in ſoule, they can no more ſee the ſpirituall corruption of their ſoules, then a blind Aethiopian can ſee his blackneſſe, or then one in the darke can ſee his foulenes and deformity, or then a dead man can feele the waight of a burthen, when it is laid upon him.
Sect. 15.
True it is that Korah and his company (not for want of ignorance) will compare themſelves with Moſes and Aaron, and thoſe ſhallow headed verbaliſts, Acts 17. 18. will undervalue St. Paul, not thinking him worthy to carrie their bookes after them for learning, becauſe he doth not in like pompous oſtentation ſet forth himſelfe, but it is only in conceit wherein alone pride conſiſteth.
Secondly, it cannot be denied, but many naturall carnall, yea vicious, wicked men, have inlightned heads, and flueent tongues; as had Balaam, and Judas, a…d Paul before his converſion, and the Scribes a…d Phariſees, but their hearts remaine darke and fooliſh, as is plaine by Rom. 1. 21. 22. 25. 30. John 3. 10. whence even the wiſeſt of them, are called by our Saviour fooles and blind, Mat. 23. 16. 17. 19. 24. 26. and 27. 3. 4 5. 2 Pet. 2. 16. And take this for a rule, he that hath but a ſhew of holineſſe, hath but a ſhew of wiſedome.
There is no knowledge, to the knowledge of a mans ſelfe, nor no knowledge of a mans ſelfe, to the knowledge of his owne weakeneſſe. Nor doe wee know, that untill we can diſcerne ſinne in every thing we thinke or ſpeake, or doe, and ſtill the more of either grace or wiſedome we have, the more wee know our ſins and wants.
Thirdly, I grant alſo that the moſt beefe brained Senſualiſt, is wiſe enough to ſee ſmall motes in others (eſpecially in the godly) though they cannot diſcerne their owne beames, as our Saviour ſhewes, Mat. 7. 3. But this is no priviledge, but a miſerie ſpringing from the deceitfulneſſe of their hearts; and which aggravates their offence ſo, that it leavs them without excuſe, and will make them ſpeechleſſe as the great day of their accounts.
Fourthly and laſtly, it is acknowledged, that a beggar may dreame he is a King, or a Traytor that he ſhall be crowned when he is to be beheaded, yea, and for the time be as much pleaſed there with: we have ſeverall preſidents for it. The Church of Laodicea could flatter her ſelfe with an opinion that ſhee was rich, & increaſed with goods, & had need of nothing, when yet ſhe was wretched, and miſerable, and poore, & blind and naked, Rev. 3. 17. The young man in the Goſpel could brag, that he had kept all the commandema… from his youth. And that cackling Phariſee, Luk… the 18. 11. 12. could tell God to his face, that … not like other men▪ (in which the clock of his … went truer then the diall of his heart, for he was like none that ſhould be ſaved) he meant he was not given to this or that ſinne, no, he was not like that penitent Publican, for he did this and that duty, for which God was beholding to him, when yet God even abhorred him the moſt of any.