Then & Now · 36 of 44
5. The Ignorant
5. The Ignorant
BY drawing them to affect ignorance, and to neglect, ſlight, and767 deſpiſe the means of knowledg; ignorance is the mother of miſtake, the p. 312 of trouble, error, and of terrour768 ‘tis the high way to hell, and it makes a man both a priſoner and a ſlave to the Devill at once. Ignorance unmans a769 man, it makes a man a beaſt, yea, it makes him more miſerable then the beaſt that periſheth; there are none ſo eaſily, nor ſo frequently taken in Satans ſnare, as ignorant ſouls; they are eaſily drawn to dance with the Devill all day, and to dreame of ſupping with Chriſt at night, &c.
BY drawing them to affect ignorance, and to neglect, slight, and602 despise the means of knowledge; ignorance is the mother of mistake, the cause of trouble, error, and of terror;603 ’tis the high way to hell, and it makes a man both a prisoner and a slave to the devil at once. Ignorance unmans a604 man, it makes a man a beast, yea, it makes him more miserable than the beast that perisheth; there are none so easily, nor so frequently taken in Satan’s snare, as ignorant souls; they are easily drawn to dance with the devil all day, and to dream of supping with Christ at night, etc‸.
As an ignorant heart is a naughty heart, ‘tis a heart in the dark, and no772 good can come into a dark heart, but it muſt paſſe through the underſtanding; and if the eye be darke, all the body is dark. A leprous head, and a leprous heart are inſeparable companions; ignorant hearts are ſo evill, that they let flye on all hands, and ſpare not to ſpit their p. 313 venone in the very face of God, as Pharaoh did, when thick darkneſſe was upon him.
- 772. Ignorat ſane improbus omnis, ſaith Aririſtotle. Mat. 6. 22.
As an ignorant heart is a naughty heart, ’tis a heart in the dark, and no606 good can come into a dark heart, but it must pass through the understanding; and if the eye be dark, all the body is dark. A leprous head, and a leprous heart are inseparable companions; ignorant hearts are so evil, that they let fly on all hands, and spare not to spit their venom in the very face of God, as Pharaoh did, when thick darkness was upon him.
- 606. Ignorat sane improbus omnis, saith Aristotle. Matt 6:‸22.
The ſecond Remedie againſt this Device773 of Satan, is to conſider, that ignorance is the deformity of the ſoule; As blindneſſe is the deformity of the face, ſo is ignorance the deformity of the ſoule; as the want of fleſhly eyes ſpoils the beauty of the face, ſo the want of ſpirituall eyes ſpoils the beauty of the ſoule. A man without knowledg, is as a work-man without his hands, as a painter without his eyes, as a traveller without his legs, or as a ſhip without ſailes, or a bird without Wings, or like a body without a ſoule.
- 773. 2 Remedie. [dropped from the edition]
The second remedy against this device of Satan, is to consider, that ignorance is the deformity of the soul; As blindness is the deformity of the face, so is ignorance the deformity of the soul; as the want of fleshly eyes spoils the beauty of the face, so the want of spiritual eyes spoils the beauty of the soul. A man without knowledge, is as a work-man without his hands, as a painter without his eyes, as a traveller without his legs, or as a ship without sails, or a bird without wings, or like a body without a soul.
The third Remedy againſt this Device774 of Satan, is, ſolemnly to conſider, that ignorance makes men the objects of Gods hatred and wrath. It is a people775 that do erre in their hearts, and have not knowne my wayes; Wherefore I ſware in my wrath, they ſhould never enter into my reſt. My people are a people of no underſtanding, therefore he that made them, will have no mercy on them Chriſt hath ſaid, that he will come in flaming fire to render vengeance on them that know not God. Ignorance will end in vengeance: When you ſee a poor blind man here, you doe not loath him, nor hate him, but you p. 314 pity him; oh! but ſoul-blindneſs makes you abhominable in the ſight of God; God hath ſworn that ignorant perſons ſhall never come into Heaven, Heaven776 it ſelfe would be a hell to ignorant ſoules. My people are deſtroyed for want of knowledge; becauſe thou haſt rejected knowledge, I will reject thee.
- 774. 3 Remedie. [dropped from the edition]
- 775. Heb. 3. 10, 11. They muſt needs erre that know not Gods wayes, yet cannot they wander ſo wide as to miſſe of hell. Iſa. 27. 11. 2 Theſ. 1. 8.
- 776. Hoſ. 4. 6. נדמו cut off. Rome ſaith Ignorance, is the mother of devotion; but the Scripture faith, ‘tis the mother of deſtruction. 4 Remedy.
The third remedy against this device of Satan, is, solemnly to consider, that ignorance makes men the objects of God’s hatred and wrath. It is a people607 that do err in their hearts, and have not known my ways; Wherefore I sware in my wrath, they should never enter into my rest. My people are a people of no understanding, therefore he that made them, will have no mercy on them. Christ hath said, that he will come in flaming fire to render vengeance on them that know not God. Ignorance will end in vengeance: When you see a poor blind man here, you do not loathe him, nor hate him, but you pity him; oh! but soul-blindness makes you abominable in the sight of God; God hath sworn that ignorant persons shall never come into heaven, heaven608 it self would be a hell to ignorant souls. My people are destroyed for want of knowledge; because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will reject thee.
Chilo one of the ſeven Sages, being asked what God had done, anſwered, he exalted humble men, and ſuppreſſed proud, ignorant fooles.
Chilo one of the seven sages, being asked what God had done, answered, he exalted humble men, and suppressed proud, ignorant fools.
The fourth Remedie againſt this device of Satan, is, to conſider, that ignorance is a ſin that leads to all ſins. All ſins are ſeminally in ignorance: You doe777 erre, not knowing the Scriptures; It puts men upon hating and perſecuting the Saints. They ſhall hate you, and put you778 out of the Synagogues, yea, the time cometh, that whoſoever killeth you, will think that779 he doth God ſervice. And theſe things will they doe unto you, becauſe they have not known the Father nor me. Paul thankes his ignorance for all his cruelties to Chriſtians. I was a blaſphemer, and a perſecutor, and injurious, but I obtained mercie, becauſe I did it ignorantly; ‘twas ignorance that put the Jewes upon crucifying Chriſt; Eather forgive them, ſaith Chriſt of his murtherers, for they know780 not what they doe; for if the Princes of this p. 315 world had known, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. Sinne at the firſt was the cauſe of ignorance, but now ignorance is the cauſe of all ſin: ſwearing,781 and lying, and killing, and ſtealing & whoring abound, ſaith the Prophet, becauſe there is no knowledg of God in the Land. There are none ſo frequent, and ſo impudent in the wayes of ſin, as ignorant ſoules; they care not, nor mind not what they do, nor what they ſay againſt God, Chriſt, Heaven, holineſſe, and their own ſoules. Our tongues782 are our owne, who ſhall controule us? They are corrupt, and ſpeake wickedly, concerning oppreſſion, they ſpeake loftily. They ſet their mouth againſt the Heavens, and their tongue walketh through the earth. Have all the783 workers of iniquity no knowledge? who eate up my people as they eate bread, and call not upon the Lord.
The fourth remedy against this device of Satan, is, to consider, that ignorance is a sin that leads to all sins. All sins are seminally in ignorance: You do609 err, not knowing the Scriptures; It puts men upon hating and persecuting the saints. They shall hate you, and put you610 out of the Synagogues, yea, the time cometh, that whosoever killeth you, will think that611 he doth God service. And these things will they do unto you, because they have not known the Father nor me. Paul thanks his ignorance for all his cruelties to Christians. I was a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious, but I obtained mercy, because I did it ignorantly; ’twas ignorance that put the Jews upon crucifying Christ; Father forgive them, saith Christ of his murderers, for they know612 not what they do; for if the princes of this world had known, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. Sin at the first was the cause of ignorance, but now ignorance is the cause of all sin: swearing,613 and lying, and killing, and stealing and whoring abound, saith the prophet, because there is no knowledge of God in the land. There are none so frequent, and so impudent in the ways of sin, as ignorant souls; they care not, nor mind not what they do, nor what they say against God, Christ, heaven, holiness, and their own souls. Our tongues614 are our own, who shall control us? They are corrupt, and speak wickedly, concerning oppression, they speak loftily. They set their mouth against the heavens, and their tongue walketh through the earth. Have all the615 workers of iniquity no knowledge? Who eat up my people as they eat bread, and call not upon the Lord.