The Mischiefs and Danger of the Sin of Ignorance, To the reader – Errata
TO THE READER.
THeſe are dayes that abound in the means of ſaving knowledge, but few partake of it: the moſt, like brutes, do altogether neglect it: others ſeek after it, but not as for Gold; and many there be that preferre childiſh toyes, and trifling knowledge, before that wiſdom that is from above. A natural man is apt to affect things more or leſſe according to the ſenſe and underſtanding that he hath of them; now a natural man cannot underſtand the things of the ſpirit, therefore he cannot truly affect them: the excellent knowledge of Chriſt, the glorious priviledges of the Goſpel, are things tranſcending all created underſtanding; the love of Chriſt is a love that paſſeth knowledge, Ephſ. 3.19.ſaith the Apoſtle; the Peace of God, a peace that paſſeth all underſtanding; Phil. 4.7.communion with God in the Spirit, and joy in the Holy Ghoſt, theſe are things that even the underſtanding of a ſpitual man cannot reach unto: but a natural man is in darkeneſſe, and altogether blinde towards them: Faith is the evidence of things not ſeen, it diſcovereth to a believing ſoul, things inviſible. A carnal man wanteth faith, therefore when the glorious excellencies of the Goſpel are preſented before him, he wanteth an evidence to diſcover theſe things unto him: viſible things being preſented; are to be ſeen with bodily eyes, but ſpiritual and inviſible things cannot be ſeen by thoſe that want the eye of Faith. Joh. 9.39.For judgement, I am come into the world, ſaith our Saviour, that they which ſee not may ſee, and they that ſee, may be made blind. As to the humble ſoul; he ſets up a light within, enabling it with Moſes, to ſee him that is inviſible; but on the contrary, he leaves them in their natural blindneſſe, who are wiſe in their own conceits. It is the complaint of Solomon, Prov. 17.16.Wherefore is there a price in the hand of a fool to get wiſdom: ſeeing he hath no heart to it? There is a rich price in hand, much means of knowledge, by Preaching, Expounding, Writing, Catechiſing, the things of God excellently and clearly ſet out to us; but all this while, this price is in the hand of a fool, one who (though worldly wiſe) yet wanteth the light of the Spirit to direct him to true happineſſe, and to ſhew him the worth of Heavenly things, and thereupon it followeth, that he hath no heart to it. A ſimilitude taken from a Man that is going to a Town or City, where there is ſome great Mart or Faire, with money in his hand to buy Commodities; but for want of judgement he paſſeth by the moſt advantagious Commodities, being ignorant of the goodneſſe and profitableneſſe of them, and throwes away his money upon toyes and trifles, that are of no advantage to him:
So there is a price put into the hands of the ſonnes of men, to get Heavenly Wiſdom, but the carnal worldling remaines a ſtarke foole, he cannot ſee into the excellency of Heavenly things, and thereupon hath no heart to them but paſſeth by them, and embraceth a thing of nought inſtead of them. God is to be ſought above all, and may be found of all that will ſeek after him, and take any paines to know him: but the greateſt part of the World have not a minde to know him, and therefore doe… not follow on to know him.Hoſ. 6.3.
When man will not uſe thoſe helpes that God hath left him to ſearch after the ſaving knowledge of God; God juſtly ſuffereth him to fall into divers opinions, and groſſe conceits, which ſhut him up in the bottome of a ſtinking Dungeon, where he findeth nothing but ignorance, errour, and irkeſome uncertainties, as filthy vermine, creeping round about him; where the darkneſſe of ignorance fills the minde, the Prince of darkeneſſe fills the heart. The Sepia or Cuttle-fiſh, ſaith Tertullian, Tertull. contr. Marcion.when he is in danger to be taken, caſteth about him a black inkie matter, wherewith he darkneth the water, that the Fiſhermen cannot ſee him: So many people do ſeek to compaſſe themſelves with the darke cloudes of ignorance, to hide themſelves and their wicked practiſes, which would appeare to be very odious, ſhould they come to be viewed, and ſurveyed by the light of the Word. And for many others, that are a little enlightned, they profeſſe wiſdome, but they practiſe folly, and ſo their knowledge is no better than ignorance.
But he that hath had experience of the freeneſſe of Gods grace, and the riches of his mercy, that hath felt the lively workings of the Spirit of God upon his heart, that man hath an experimentall knowledge of God; and this is, after a ſort, to eat of the Tree of Life: the more acquaintance he hath with God, the more he deſireth, and beggeth acquaintance with him: though every hour he give him a freſh taſte of his goodneſſe; yet he ever findeth a new and moſt pleaſant ſweetneſſe in it: the more knowledge a man hath of God, the more he knoweth his own duty towards him, and he that ſavingly knoweth God, dareth not either neglect his duty, or do it decitfully: he that hath made proof of Gods goodneſſe, dareth not make triall of evil, he knoweth, if he ſhould, he ſhould do it to his coſt.
What man can reckon himſelf a Chriſtian, that is ignorant of God? without the knowledge of God, all that we do is but in a cuſtomary or uncertain way: hereby we know whom we ſerve, and the great advantages we ſhall reape by his Service, and are ſenſible of our eſtate in Grace, meaſuring Gods gracious preſence with us, or his abſence and with-drawings from us, and our own ſtrength, and weakneſſe; it is the earneſt of our Heavenly Inheritance, the firſt fruites of the Beatifick Viſion, our acquaintance with his face in this Life, and our Heaven upon Earth.
And now (Reader) if thou art in an ignorant eſtate, and one who art willing to be brought to the ſenſe of thy ignorance and blindneſſe, and ſo to come to him who is the Light of the World; Then ſay I to thee, as Jehu to Jonadab. Give me thy hand, and thou and I ſhall quickly accord, and thou ſhalt be a fit, and welcome Reader, to this poor Treatiſe; and I hope I have written that which ſhall be both for thy ſatisfaction and comfort.
I have here laboured for ſuch plainneſſe, as might beſt informe thy judgement, and affect thy heart; purpoſely avoyding that unneceſſary artificialneſſe, which might make it like thoſe Spiders webs (to which one once compared Logick) which are ſaid to be much in workmanſhip, foreign.but in profit nothing.
My hearty deſire is, (if the will of the Lord be ſo) to do a double good, with theſe my poor labours, and therefore to write the ſame things which at firſt I Preached to my own Congregation, it is not grievous.
I have here (for the Common good) changed my tongue, Solet apertior eſſe ſermo vivus quā. ſcriptus Bernar.into a pen, though a dead letter be of leſſe effectuall perſwaſion, than a lively voice: The ſcope of this Treatiſe is, to bring men out of darkneſſe, into the true light, and to ſhew them how to walke in the direction of that light.
That is the beſt knowledge which is of God, the chiefeſt good, a knowledge that ſuffereth leaſt alteration in the hour of death, but onelyonly admitteth of a graduall change, advancing to perfection; All other knowledge, then, will vaniſh away: this is the knowledge according to godlineſſe, whereunto I labour in this ſmall Treatiſe to ſtirre thee up; that knowing God in a ſaving way, thou mayeſt live in him, and walke in communion with him.
The knowledge of God in Chriſt is the pith and marrow of Chriſtian Religion and Profeſſion; which whoſoever wanteth, he is but the ſhadow of a Chriſtian, though he abound with all other knowledge.
If this that I have now done, ſhall be acceptable to the Church and People of God, and be any thing (though but Goates haire towards the Lords Sanctuary) I ſhall rejoyce, and give God the glory, and the Reader may expect a Treatiſe from me on another Subject, in ſome ſhort time, the Lord aſſiſting me.
In the mean time, if thou reape any benefit to thy ſoul, by theſe my Labours; let God have all the glory, and me a ſhare in thy prayers.
I ſhall conclude with that of Auſtin, who having in his Books of Chriſtian Doctrine propounded the Rule of Chriſtian Faith, yet notwithſtanding thus concludeth: To ſuch as underſtand not what I write, I anſwer, they muſt not blame me, if they conceive not theſe things, as if I ſhewed them with my finger; the Moon, or a Starre which they would ſee, being not very clear; and if they have not eyes to ſee my finger (much leſſe a Starre) they muſt not be offended at me, if they ſee it not: So they who reading theſe things, cannot yet ſee the things which in the Scripture are darke and abſcure; let them ceaſe to blame me, and rather pray to the Lord to give them eye-ſight; for I may point with my finger, but cannot give them eyes to ſee the things that I point to.
Now that the God of our Lord Jeſus Chriſt, Eph. 1.17, 18.the Father of Glory, may give unto you, the ſpirit of wiſdome and revelation in the knowledge of him, the eyes of your underſtanding being opened, that you may know what is the hope of his Calling, and what the Riches of the Glory of his Inheritance in the Saints, I ſhall not ceaſe to pray, and reſt,
Thine in the Lord. W. G.
Errata.
IN Epiſt-Dedicat. line 13. read there. l. penult. r. may. page 13. l. 1. r. he. p. 47. marg. r. ut—facundi. p. 48. l. 1. dele 2. p. 49. l. 4. r. hearts. p. 77. l 29. r. ſlight. p. 80. marg. r. Tit. p. 81. d. (…) p. 91. l. 26. r. ſervants. p. 98. l. 15. r. ſhe. p. 104. l, 8 r. the. p. 106. l. 1. r. my. l. 8. r. dye. p. 111. l. 8. r. Hilkiah. p. 115. l. 7. r. will be. p. 127. l. 9. r. Lalius. p. 151. l. 9. r. croffe. l. 11. r. wickedneſſes p. 156. l. 6. r. knowing. p. 172. marg. r. Samuelis educatione. p. 187. l. 26. r. ſins. Some few literals more there be, but ſo obvious, the Reader may paſſe them over without prejudice, or correct them at his pleaſure.