The knowledge of Chrift tranfcends all the knowledge in the Univerfe. This is the wisdome of God in a mystery, 1Cor 2.7. It's that which the bleffed Angels defire to peepe into,and they use more than or1 Pet. 1.12. dinary diligence. Its beyond the ipheare of their apprehenfion. Let Пapanu all humane learning unveyle to this. Let all fecular knowledge eft intente et cum rife up, and give up the bucklers. Let the profoundest Philofophers, animi obfervati thofe Glimmerers, and (as I may fay) Night-wormes in Divinity, one profpicere intucri, learne fo much knowledge as to know their ignorance. All their Lamps twinckle, and cannot illuminate the foule of man. What Harm. Evang, clouds and mifts are there in the most exquifite Arts and Sciences, untill they be diffipated, by the fun of righteoufneffe. Extract the quinteffence of the moft elaborate volumes of Philofophers (though things in themselves of precious value,) yet compared with the knowledge of Chrift, they are but brutish ignorance, no better then thofe huskes which the Prodigall fon fed on, devoid of all reall folid nutriment. Gerhar. in 1 Part Concerning knowledg in generall. In the difcuffion of this excellent knowledg, for my more methodicall progreffe, I'le refume the parts of my Text in their proposed order, taking my rise at my Apostles profession expwa r eidevon, I determined to know. You heare my Apostles determination is unalterably fixt upon this principle, to be a knowing man, He hath difcovered a gemme in the feild, of fuperlative value, and therefore he digged hard in the mines of wisdome, to get possession of it. Non nifi fublato reperitur gemmula faxo. T'is no mervaile that the Apostle fhould be fo eager in the purfuit of knowledge. The Minifter of the Gofpel as well as the Priest under the Law, ought to be a man of knowledge. For the Priests lips should keep knowledge, and they should seek the Law at his mouth for he is the meffenger of the Lord of hosts, Mal:2.7. Hence Calvin con Hinc fequitur cludes that he ought to be a Teacher. An ignorant minifter is none a Jure Sacer of Gods making, for God gives gifts,where he gives a calling. dotii non poffe How then can a man attaine unto the riches of wisdome; unlesse munus prodigi- he hath the key of tongues to open them unto him? Hence it comes ofumeft fi fa to paffe, that diverfity of tongues are reckoned with the choyceft percerdotemfe effe fons, and things as Apoftles, Prophets, Teachers, Miracles, Gifts jadet interea non fit Doctor of healing, Helpes, Governments, 1 Cor: 12. 28. How much is a Divine accommodated, by the knowledg of tongues? For how can divelli docendi. he bominum con he beate out the meaning of the holy Ghoft, unleffe he understand his language? Mee thinks then, our defires fhould be raised, to as high a pitch as Solomon intimates, Prov: 18. 1. Through defire a man having feperated himselfe intermedleth with all wifdome. This fepe- Qui fe ab boration is lawfull,* to leave company to study the harder, as Mercer ob-minibus fejunferves. A fchollar will find speciall ufe of Arts, and Sciences: they git quarit fatiinrich the mind with knowledge, and helpe to unty many knotty derio ftudio eentiam pra defiControverfies: Let me then perfwade you to compaffe these fpoyles jus confequenda of the Egyptians, to leave no paines unattempted, in the purfuit itaque cum om of learning. Arts and Sciences caught a fall in Adam: How prudent nidorina fefe a course would it be for us, to raise a building out of thofe ruins, immifcet,cmni and to have that part of Gods image reftored? Solomon excelled the fortio relicto ut learned'ft and put downe the fkillfulleft in their owne Art. 1 Kings.liberius ftudiis 4:30. There's made up a catalogue of his knowledg in natural incumbat Merc. things, And they paffe under the feale and fignature of the holy in Loc. Ghost, as being fubfervient unto Religion, and therefore of great price, dignity and value. Mofes who (as they fay) lived in Hermes Trismegistus time, was learned in the Mathematicks, and all things that appertayn'd unto humane learning: The Text is cleare: And Mofes was learn'din all the wifdome of the Egyptians, and was mighty in words and in dieds, A&s: 7. 22. If any be enemies to Univerfity learning, I conceive with St. Jude. v. 10. They fpeake evill of those *Incivil things which they know not. Their ignorance (as* Junius obferves) niquum is uncivill, unjust malicious and impions: They may fitly be vero qui¿ compared to the fox in the fable, who fay'd, the grapes were over impictate bitter, because they were above his reach. None but an Ignoramus zon poteft is an enemie to knowledge. Thus you fee how we ought to prize in Loc. knowledge where ever we find it. But let us conferre our principall paines for the attaining of that knowledge which onely, will make us wife unto falvation. Throughout the whole booke of Proverbes a wife man and a godly man, are convertible termes. Religion is therefore called the way of understanding, Prov: 9. 6. And it is the high commendation of a wife man, Prov: 1.5. That he will heare, and increase learning and a man of understanding shall attaine unto wife counfels. unt malai This is the end of Chrifts coming into the world, to be a light unto it. Job: 1.9. By Kupe grass n dandus, eis ir teinur. The Clem. Alexan Lord is our illumination,and that true knowledg into which we are trans- from.6. B 3 lated, 1 Clem. Alex: firem.619. lated, fo Clemens Alexandrinus, By his knowledge, shall my righteous fervant juftify many, Ifay: 53.11. And it's Davids prayer, O continue thy loving kindneffe, unto them, that know thee, Pfal: 36. 10. Know ledge is the foundation of all other graces: Faith, Hope, and Love, are grounded on knowledge. It's Gods firft worke to illuminate the understanding: The fcales fell off Pauls eyes before he became a preacher of the Gofpell. The promife is to thofe whom the father drawes, Joh: 6.45. that they should be sexo,all taught of God. Hoc verbo abu. But this Promife excludes not the preaching of the Gofpeil, as lear tuntur bi,quive-ned* Rolloc obferves on the place: And thatyou may know,where this calem pradicatis knowledge refides, let me affure you, onem & exter. humble. num verbum vel That, it ever lodgeth in an humble breaft. The knowledg taught fcripturas con of God is an humble know.edge. But when God opens a mans Lemnunt eyes and gives hun the fpirit of understanding, he then difcernes Rollocus in in himselfe, more ignorance and folly then knowledge. After that Joh.6.45. he hath ftudied this domam interiorem,his own confcience(as Bernard 1. Divine knowledg is ftiles it) he knowes more ill by himfelfe, then all the world can ac quaint him withall. As the confideration of his primitive integrity may be fcientia inflans, fo the review of his originall prævarication, may be fcientia bumilians: As that may puffe up, fo this may humble. It's the greatest honour of the learned'ft Rabbies, to be men of the humbleft fpirits. And the more humble they are, the greater proficiency they make in knowledg. Let them confider; what they have is derivative: Quid habes, quod non accepifti? Their abilities are not their own, but fo many talents concredited unto them, of which they muft ftand accomptable unto him, who is their Lord and Mafter. It's undoubtedly true, that, the most ignorant are apt to think beft of themfelves. The Laodiceans were well conceited of themselves, and the reafon was, because their eyes were not opened. Neither doth divine knowledge float in thy brain, but fecondly it workes a reformation, upon thy heart, and life: To depart from evill is understanding, Job.28.28. Hereby we are sure that we know him, if we keepe his commandements, 1 Joh. 2.3. this is a Korngov indeed, of a man of knowledg: Hath thy knowledg an effectuall influence upon thy life and converfation? Doth it quicken thy love to Christ and inkindle thy zeale for his glory? When the fpirit of wisdome breaks in upon thy foule (juft as when the fpirit of God came upon Sant) it makes thee another manner of man, this fpirit is a fire, to Quanto quis decrefcit in de fpectione fui, zanto amplius proficit incogni zione Dei,Bern. 2. Its à refor ming know ledg. purge purge thy corruptions: It's water, to allay.thy paffion: It's a winde to blow and scatter thy fwelling thoughts of vanity. May that po pular rumor never be verify'd of our age, that, never was more knowledg, and never leffe practife. Now, when knowledg abounds, as the waters cover the feas, where's the returne of a fanctify'd conversation? Hee's truly the knowing man, who reduceth his knowledg into practife. Knowledg and practife fhould goe together in a mutuall equipage, being conjoyn'd in an indiffoluble union by the Holy-Ghost. If then God hath advanced you to places of higher dignity, God expects from you more duty and obedience. If God hath beftowed greater gifts on you, he expects better fruits of holineffe to be manifested throughout your whole life and con verfation. For where much is given, much is required. Hee's a man of learning, that is a man of a fanctify'd converfation. I remember that Bernard gives a direction or two for knowledg, ut fcias, quo Camica ser ordine, quo ftudio, quo fine. For order, that must be known in the 37. first place, which moft nearly conduceth unto thy falvation. For ftudy, that must be ftudied, which is moft worthy of thy love: and as for the end, that muft not be curiofity, but the edification of thy own, and thy brothers foule. Thefe directions in my Text, meet as lines in the fame center. Chrift Jefus is firft to be known, worthieft of our love, and the end of all our knowledg. This puts me in mind of my fecond particular, the object of my Apoftles refolution Pivar Indër Xoisor to know fefus Chrift. Bern: Super 2 Part In thefe Epiftles,St Paul ufeth the name of Jefus,above 500 times, Concerning the and no wonder, for in this name there are above 5000 treasures: Knowledg of Jefus Chrift. Yea, in it, all the treafures of wifdome and knowledg are repofited. If you would Anatomize all Pauls Epiftles, you fhould find the facred name of Jefus written in the heart of them in golden characters, as truely, as they falfly report, it was feen in the heart of Ignatius Loyola, that grand Impoftor. I have read, that Phidias made a buckler for Minerva, wherein his own name was fo curiously ingraven, that it could not be took out, without the diffolution of the whole frame. So Chrift hath divinely wrought his name in the Scriptures, and that fo accurately, in fo much, that you cannot take it out, but the truth will fall to the ground. Chrift is the complement and perfection of all fcience, the ground of all confolation. Hereupon the Prophet concludes triumphantly: I will rejoice in the God * Clem. Alex. God of my salvation, Hab. 3.18. “Hyvõtıçüμão ký xaça'duo☺ ó nvduaStrom.6. ♫de a2ÛT☞ nμãni swrip Swapxe. Our knowledge and spirituall para. dife is our Saviour: So Clemens Alexandrinus. O then above all thy gettings, labour to get this understanding, to know Christ and him crucifi'd. Have this, and thou needeft no more: It's that unum neceffarium the onely requifite. A man may read 20 Lectures in Ariftotle, and yet be never the more moralliz'd man. All Platoes and Ariftotls Precepts meddle not with heart pollutions, nor tend to the Reformation of the inward man. A man onely acted by principles of nature, cannot correct the leaft vice. It's beyond the fphære of it's activity to discover fin in it's proper colours, I mean the fiafulneffe, and pollution that is in fin. 'Tis true a temperate Socrates, a juft Ariftides,a covenant-keeping Regulus, fhame many of us Chriftians, and will rife up in judgment against us, and condemne us, but their morality could not advance them, to the third Heaven. The eye of naturall reafon was too dimme, to difcerne Chrift erected upon a pole. Their charity then juftly deferves the check, who inlarge the way where Chrift hath streightn'd it: The text is expreffe, there's no other name given under Heaven, whereActs 4, 12. by we must be faved: Till this truth be expung'd out of Canonicall Scripture, I fhall never admit any fcientiam mediam, or posterne dore,to let in those,who are without the pale of the Christian world. As for those Jefuited perfons, who advance nature and deprave grace,the time may come when upon conviction of conscience, they Bellarm. 1.5.de may be forc'd to conclude with Bellarmines Tutiffimum eft &c. It's the fafeft way to rely upon the grace of God: when as that idolized auTerior will prove an Egyptian reed, to give them the flip in their greatest neceflity. Juftif. 3 Chara&ers Now it's requifite, that I fhould put a difference between the of Knowledg. precious and the vile, and diftinguish that knowledg which is fo in reality and truth,from that which is counterfeit,and only perfonates a Chriftian. View it in thefe diftinguishing characters: This is a fundamentall,an excellent,and a foule-faving knowledg. 1. Fundamentall. 1. I fay, this is a fundamentall knowledg. The knowledg of Chrift is the fumme and substance of all Divinity, the scope of all the Scriptures, the very pith and quinteffence of all religion, even that, which is(without controverfy) the great mystery of Godlineffe. The Scripture is the field, and Chrift the pearle of price; The Scripture the |
