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<DATE>2014-06-05</DATE>
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<NAME>Anne Simpson</NAME>
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*Final validate Corrected [ ] illegible groups out of [ ]. Converted [ ] illegible groups to GAP DESC="illegible". DONE</ITEM>
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<P>THE PATHWAY <HI>To Saving Knowledge:</HI> OR, A De&s;cription of True Wi&s;dom.</P>
<P>Seting forth the great worth and Incomparable Ex|cellency thereof.</P>
<P>WITH Directions how a Man may attain to the &s;ame.</P>
<P>And of Fooli&s;h and Ignorant, become Wi&s;e and Prudent, <HI>Even Wi&s;e to Salvation.</HI></P>
<P>Very &s;ea&s;onable for the&s;e Times.</P>
<P><HI>London,</HI> Printed for <HI>W. Thackeray,</HI> at the &s;ign of the Angel in <HI>Duck-lane.</HI> 1673.</P>
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<HEAD>THE Pathway to Saving <HI>KNOWLEDGE:</HI> OR, A De&s;cription OF TRUE WISDOM.</HEAD>
<P>KNowledge is &s;o Fair a Vir|gin, that every clear eye is in Love with her; it is a Pearl de&s;pi&s;ed of none but Swine. Wi&s;dom hath ever carried that &s;hew of Excellency with it, that not onely the good have highly affect|ed it (as <HI>Mo&s;es,</HI> who Studied for Wi&s;|dom:
<PB REF="3"> and <HI>Solomon,</HI> who prayed for Wi&s;dom; and the Qu&eacute;en of <HI>Sheba,</HI> who traveled for Wi&s;dom: and <HI>David,</HI> who to get Wi&s;dom, made the Word his Coun&s;ellour, hated every Fal&s;e way, and was a man after Gods own Heart) but the very wicked have La|boured for it, who are a&s;hamed of other Vertues, they that care not for one Dram of Goodne&s;&s;e, would yet have a full &s;cale of Knowledge, as O the plea|&s;ure that rational Men take in it! A|mong&s;t all the Trees in the Garden, none &s;o plea&s;eth them as the Tree of Knowledge, <HI>Pro.</HI> 2. 3. and 10. 14. <HI>Phil.</HI> 3. 8. And as wi&s;dome is excellent above all, &s;o it is affected of all, as Oyl was both of the Wi&s;e and Fooli&s;h Virgins. It hath been a mark that every Man hath &s;hot at ever &s;ince. <HI>Eve</HI> &s;ought to be as Wi&s;e as her Maker, but as a hun|dred &s;hoot for one that hit the White, &s;o an hundred aim at Wi&s;dome, for one y^e lights upon it, <HI>Eccle&s;.</HI> 7. 28. Becau&s;e they are mi&s;taken in y^e thing, for as <HI>Jacob</HI> in y^e dark mi&s;took <HI>Leah</HI> for <HI>Rachel,</HI> &s;o many &amp; blind &s;oul takes y^t to be Wi&s;dome, which is <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 word"> like <HI>Eve,</HI> who thought it wi&s;dome to eat the forbidden Fruit, and <HI>Ab&s;olom</HI>
<PB REF="3"> who thought it Wi&s;dome to lye with his Fathers Concubines in the &s;ight of all the People, and the fal&s;e Steward who thought it wi&s;dome to deceive his Ma|&s;ter, and &s;o of <HI>Jo&s;ephs</HI> Brethren, of <HI>Pha|raoh</HI> and his deep Coun&s;ellours: of <HI>A|chitophel,</HI> of <HI>Herod,</HI> of the <HI>Phari&s;ees</HI> in their project to de&s;troy Ie&s;us, and many the like; all the&s;e thought they did wi&s;e|ly, but they were mi&s;taken, and their projects proved fooli&s;h, and turned to their own ruine: For indeed the be&s;t knowledge is about the be&s;t things, and the perfection of all knowledge to know God and our &s;elves: Knowledge and Learning &s;aith <HI>Ari&s;totle</HI> con&s;i&s;teth not &s;o much in the Quantity as in the quality, nor in the the greatne&s;&s;e but in the good|ne&s;&s;e of it. A little Gold we know is more worth then much Dro&s;&s;e, a little Diamond then a rocky Mountain: &s;o one Drop of Wi&s;dome guided by the fear of God, one &s;park of Spiritual experi|mental and &s;aving Knowledge is more worth then all humane Wi&s;dome, and Learning, yea one &s;cruple of holine&s;&s;e, one Dram of Faith, one Grain of grace, is more worth than many pounds of na|tural
<PB REF="4"> parts, and indeed Faith and Ho|line&s;&s;e are the Nerves and Sinews, yea the &s;oul of Saving Knowledge: what &s;aith <HI>Ari&s;totle,</HI> No more than the know|ledge of goodne&s;&s;e maketh one to be na|med a good man, no more doth the Knowledge of Wi&s;dome alone cau&s;e any per&s;on properly to be called a Wi&s;e man: Saving Knowledge of the Truth worketh a love of the Truth Known: yea it is an uniform con&s;ent of Knowledge and Action. He onely is wi&s;e for his own Soul. He who&s;e Con&s;cience pulleth all, he hears and reads to his Heart, and his Heart to God, who turneth his Knowledge to Faith, his Faith to f&eacute;el|ing, and all to walk worthy of his Re|deemer. He that &s;ubdues his &s;en&s;ual de&s;ires and appetite to the noble facul|ties of Rea&s;on and Vnder&s;tanding, and makes that under&s;tanding of his to &s;erve him, by whom it is and doth un|der&s;tand: he that &s;ubdues his Lu&s;ts to his Will, &s;ubmits his will to rea&s;on, his rea&s;on to faith, his faith, his rea&s;on, his Will, him&s;elf to the Will of God, this is practical experimental and Saving Knowledge, to which the other is but a
<PB REF="4"> bare Name or Title. A competent e|&s;tate (we know) well husbanded is bet|ter than a va&s;t patrimony neglected, ne|ver any meer Man &s;ince the fir&s;t, knew &s;o much as <HI>Solomon,</HI> many that have known le&s;&s;e, have had more command of them&s;elves. Alas! they are not al|ways the wi&s;e&s;t that know mo&s;t, for none more wi&s;e and learned in the Worlds account than the Scribes and Phari&s;ees, yet Chri&s;t calls them four times Blind, and twice Fools in one Chapter, <HI>Mat.</HI> 23. And the like of <HI>Ba|laam, 2 Pet.</HI> 2. 16. Who had &s;uch a pro|phetical knowledge, that &s;carce any of the Prophets had a clearer Revelation of the Me&s;&s;iah to come, and the &s;ame may be of <HI>Judas</HI> and <HI>Achitophel,</HI> for many y^t know a great deal le&s;&s;e are far wi&s;er, yea one poor crucified Thief be|ing converted in an hours time, had more true wi&s;dome and knowledge in|fu&s;ed into him, than had all the Rulers, Scribes and Phari&s;ees: It is very ob|&s;erveable what the High Prie&s;t told the council when they were &s;et to condemn Chri&s;t, ye know nothing at all, he &s;pake truer than he meant it, for if we know
<PB REF="5"> not the Lord Ie&s;us, our knowledge is ei|ther nothing or nothing worth, rightly a man knows no more than what he pra|cti&s;eth. It is &s;aid of Chri&s;t, he knew no &s;in, 2 <HI>Cor.</HI> 5. 21. Becau&s;e he did no &s;in. In which &s;ence he knows no good that doth no good. The&s;e things if ye know, &s;aith our Saviour, Happy are ye if ye do them, <HI>John.</HI> 13. 17. And in <HI>Deut.</HI> 4. 6. Keep the Commandments of God and do them, for this is your Wi&s;dome and Vnder&s;tanding before God and man, what is the national &s;weetne&s;&s;e of Ho|ney, to the experimental ta&s;t of it, it is one thing to know what riches are, and another thing to be Ma&s;ter of them, it is not the knowing but the po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ing of them y^t makes rich: Many have a depth of Knowledge, and yet are not Soul-wi&s;e, have a library of Divinity in their Heads, not &s;o much as the lea&s;t Cate|chi&s;m in their Con&s;ciences, full Brains, empty Hearts: yea you &s;hall hear a flood in the Tongue, when you cannot &s;&eacute;e one Drop in the Life, in&s;omuch that in the mid&s;t of &s;o much light and means of Grace, there be few I fear that have the found and &s;aving Knowledge of Ie|&s;us
<PB REF="5"> Chri&s;t and him Crucified, which was the onely care and &s;tudy of St. <HI>Paul, 1 Cor.</HI> 2. 2. And that I am not mi&s;taken, the effect &s;hews, for it Men knew either God or Chri&s;t they could not but love him, and loving him they would keep his Commandments, <HI>John</HI> 14. 15. For hereby &s;aith St. <HI>John,</HI> it is manife&s;t that we know him, if we k&eacute;ep his Command|ments, <HI>John</HI> 2. 3. But he that &s;aith I know him and yet keepeth not his com|mandments is a Lyar, and there is no Truth in him, <HI>ver&s;.</HI> 4. What &s;aith our Saviour? This is Life Eternal to know thee, the onely true God and Ie|&s;us Chri&s;t whom thou ha&s;t &s;ent: But how &s;hall a Man know whether he hath this knowledge? An&s;wer. St. <HI>John</HI> tells you in the&s;e la&s;t Words mentioned, and &s;o plainly that you cannot be deceived un|le&s;&s;e you de&s;tre to deceive your own Soul. The Knowledge of God that &s;aves us is more than a bare apprehen|&s;ion of him, it knows his power, and therefore fears him, knows his ju&s;tice, and therefore &s;erves him, knows his Mercy and therefore tru&s;ts him, knows his Goodne&s;&s;e and therefore Loves
<PB REF="6"> him, &amp;c. For he that hath the Saving Knowledge of God and of Chri&s;t hath e|very Grace: There is a &s;weet corre|&s;pondence between every one, where there is any one in truth, as in the Ge|neration the head is not without the bo|dy, nor the body without each Member, nor the Soul without its powers and fa|culties, &s;o in the Regeneration, where there is any one Grace in Truth there is every one, 2 <HI>Cor.</HI> 5. 17. If you will &s;ee it in particulars read, <HI>P&s;al. 9. 10. Jer. 9. 24. John 4. 10. Job 42. 5. 6. 1 John</HI> 4. 6, 7. Which Scriptures &s;hew that as feeling it in&s;eparable to all the Or|gans of &s;ence, the Eye &s;ees and feels, the ear hears and feels, the Pallat ta&s;ts and feels, the No&s;trils &s;mell and feel, &s;o Knowledge is involved in every Grace. Faith knows and believes, charity knows and loves, patience knows and &s;uffers, Temperance knows and ab|&s;tains, Humilitie knows and &s;toops, repentance knows and &s;toops, obedience knows and does, Confidence knows and rejoyceth, Hope knows and expects, Compa&s;&s;ion knows and pities. Yea as there is a power of Water in every
<PB REF="6"> thing that grows, it is fatne&s;&s;e in the Olive, Sweetne&s;&s;e in the Fig, Cheer|fulne&s;&s;e in the Grape, Strength in the Oak, Tallne&s;&s;e in the Cedar, Redne&s;&s;e in the Ro&s;e, Whitene&s;&s;e in the Lilly, &amp;c. So Knowledge is in the Hand, o|bedience in the Mouth, Benediction in the Knee, Humility in the Eye, Com|pa&s;&s;ion in the Heart, Charity in the whole Body, and Soul Piety. Alas! if men had the true Knowledge of Ie|&s;us Chri&s;t, it would di&s;per&s;e and di&s;pel all the Black Clouds of their reigning &s;ins in a Moment, as the Sun doth no &s;oon|er &s;hew his Face but the Darkne&s;&s;e va|ni&s;heth, or as <HI>Ce&s;ar</HI> did no &s;ooner lock upon his Enemies but they were gone: He cannot delight in Sin, nor dote up|on this World that knows Chri&s;t &s;a|vingly: Vertue is ordained a Wi&s;e for Knowledge, and where the&s;e two joyn, their will proceed from them a Noble Progeny, a Generation of good Works. Again, as the Water engendereth Ice, and the Ice again engendereth water, &s;o Knowledge begets Righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e, and Righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e again begets Know|ledge: When <HI>Solomon</HI> would acquaint us
<PB REF="7"> how to become Wi&s;e, he tells us that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of Wi&s;dome, <HI>Prov.</HI> 1. 7. As if the fir&s;t le&s;&s;on to be Wi&s;e were to be Holy: If it be asked why the Natural Man perceiv|eth not the things of the Spirit of God, St. <HI>Paul</HI> an&s;wers he cannot know them becau&s;e they are &s;piritually di&s;cernd, how &s;hould they di&s;cern them, that have not the Spirit, for though the outward Man receives the Elements and Ru|diments of Religion by Breeding and Education, yet his inward Man re|ceives them by heavenly In&s;piration, 1 <HI>Cor. 2. 11, 12, 13. Mat. 16. 16, 17. Luk. 24. 45. Jo.</HI> 15. 15. And this alone is enough to prove that no Wicked Man is a Wi&s;e Man, for if God alone be the giver of it we may be &s;ure that he will reveal his Secrets to none but &s;uch as he knows will improve their Knowledge to his Glory, and the good of others, even as the Husbandman will not ca&s;t his Seed but into Ground that will return him a good Harve&s;t, <HI>P&s;al. 25. 14. Mark 4. 3, 4. 1 John 4. 7. Gen.</HI> 18. 17. A great many Men de&s;ire Knowledge, for no other end but to remove their ignor|ance,
<PB REF="7"> as <HI>Pharaoh</HI> u&s;ed <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> but to re|move the Plagues, othe<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 letter">s again &s;tudy the Scriptures, and other good Books onely to make gain thereof, or to be the abler to di&s;pute and di&s;cour&s;e, as Boys go into the water only to play and padle there, not to wa&s;h and be clean, with <HI>Eve</HI> they highly de&s;ire the Tree of Know|ledge, but regard not the Tree of Life, for if we con&s;ider what Fruit or Effect doth the Knowledge of mo&s;t Men pro|duce in them, except it be to inable them to di&s;pute and di&s;cour&s;e to increa&s;e wit, or to increa&s;e wealth, or to increa&s;e pride or perhaps to increa&s;e Athei&s;m, and to make them the more able and cunning to argue again&s;t the Truth and power of Religion, is not the utmo&s;t of their aim to enrich, dignifie, and plea&s;e them|&s;elves, not once ca&s;ting the Eye of their Souls at Gods Glory, their Neigh|bours good, or their own Salvation; is it not their Main Drift to purcha&s;e a great e&s;tate for them and theirs without either fear of God, regard of Men, or the di&s;charge of their Duty, and calling, and for the mo&s;t part of the&s;e men, if they may be thought great Rabies, d&eacute;ep
<PB REF="8"> and profound &s;chollars, this is the height of their ambition, though neither the Church be benefited, nor God be glorifi|ed by it; whereas they ought the contra|ry: for as the Grace of God is the Foun|tain from which our wi&s;dom flows, &s;o the Glory of God &s;hould be the Ocean to which it &s;hould run: yea, that God may be honoured with and by our wi&s;dom, is the only end for which he gives us to be wi&s;e. Now they that are puft up with their knowledge, or do not part with their &s;ins, &s;hew that they never &s;ought it for Gods Glory, and certainly if we &s;&eacute;ek not Gods Glory, in doing his work, he will give as no wages at the latter end. But for men to do no good with their gifts, is not all: yea, it were well if that were y^e wor&s;t, for not a few of them re&s;emble <HI>Achitophel,</HI> &amp; <HI>Jonadab,</HI> who imployed their wit wick|edly, and do mi&s;chief in&s;tead of good with their wi&s;dom, like <HI>Herod:</HI> whom you &s;hall &s;&eacute;e turning over the Bible, &s;earching the Scriptures, examining the Prophets, but to what end and purpo&s;e? To know good, but to do evil: yea, y^e greate&s;t evil under y^e &s;un, &s;lay Chri&s;t in y^e Cradle: with many their Learning and knowledge is not for God, &amp; for <HI>Gideon,</HI> but for Antichri&s;t, &amp; for
<PB REF="8"> <HI>Babylon,</HI> &amp; &s;o of all other gifts: how many are the wor&s;e for them? as give <HI>Saul</HI> a Kingdom, and he will tirannize, give <HI>Na|bal</HI> plenty, &amp; he will be drunk: give <HI>Judas</HI> an Apo&s;tle&s;hip, and he will &s;ell his Ma&s;ter for Money: let <HI>Sarmantus</HI> have a good wit he will exerci&s;e it in &s;coffing at Holine&s;s: Briefly, how oft doth Wi&s;dom without grace, prove like a fair e&s;tate in y^e hands of a Fool, which not &s;eldom becomes the owners ruine, or <HI>Ab&s;aloms</HI> Hair, which was an Ornament wherewith he hanged him&s;elf: &s;o that wi&s;dom without grace, is but a cuning way of undoing our &s;elves: at la&s;t, when our knowledge makes us prouder, not better: more rebellious, not more &s;erviceable: as it is in <HI>I&s;a. 47. 10. Thy Wi&s;dom &amp; thy Knowledge, they have cau&s;ed thee to err,</HI> &amp; very often this falls out: that as the be&s;t &s;oyl u&s;ually yeildeth the wor&s;t Ayr, &s;o without grace there is nothing more pe&s;tilent than a d&eacute;ep wit, no &s;uch prey for the Devil as a great wit un&s;anctified. Now when it comes to this, y^<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 letter"> they fight again&s;t God with the weapon he hath given them, when with tho&s;e the P&s;almi&s;t &s;peaks of&punc; <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 73. 9. They &s;et their Mouth again&s;t Heaven, and
<PB REF="9"> are like an unruly Iade that being full fed kicks at his Ma&s;ter, what cour&s;e doth the Lord take with them? Read but that parable, <HI>Luk. 19. 24. John</HI> 7. 17. and it will inform you, for to him that u&s;eth his talent of Knowledge well, he giveth more, but to them which u&s;e not their knowledge well; much more if they abu&s;e it, he taketh away that which he had formerly given them: I will turn the wi&s;e men backward, and make their knowledge fooli&s;hne&s;s, &s;aith the Lord, <HI>I&s;a.</HI> 44. 25. He taketh the wi&s;e in their own craftine&s;&s;e, <HI>and the coun&s;el of the wicked is made fooli&s;h, Job</HI> 5. 13. and mo&s;t ju&s;t it is, y^t they who want grace &s;hould want wit too. But further, The&s;e great Knowers, &amp; wi&s;e men, are &s;o far from de|&s;iring &s;oul-wi&s;dom, &amp; &s;aving knowledge, to the ends before &s;pecified, that they do not at all de&s;ire it, for y^t it &s;uits not with their Condition, for natural men de&s;ire only humane &amp; mundane knowledge, &s;pi|ritual men, y^t which is heavenly &amp; &s;uper|natural, &amp; the rea&s;on why they de&s;ire it not, is for y^t they know it not. A man de|&s;ireth not y^<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 letter"> he knoweth not, neither are unknown evils feared, &s;aith <HI>Chri&s;o&s;tom;</HI> wherefore y^e work of regeneration begins
<PB REF="9"> at Illumination, <HI>Act. 26. 16. Col.</HI> 1. 13. Now acording as men are wi&s;e, they prize &amp; value this wi&s;dom, &amp; endeavour to obtain it, <HI>Prov.</HI> 18. 15. and &s;o on y^e contrary; according as men are ignorant &amp; blocki&s;h, they undervalue and di&s;e&s;t&eacute;em it, hate it, &amp; are prejudic'd again&s;t it, &amp; hereupon carnal men being blinded by y^e Prince of darkne&s;s, together with their own wickedne&s;s, and being of a reprobate judge|ment, do mo&s;t u&s;ually term and e&s;t&eacute;em this Soul-wi&s;dom, this Divine, &s;piritual, experi|mental, &amp; &s;aving knowledge to be m&eacute;er fool|i&s;hne&s;s, or madne&s;s, <HI>Wi&s;d.</HI> 5. 3, to 9. &amp; the pro|fe&s;&s;ors thereof to be fools &amp; madmen; <HI>Eli&s;ha</HI> was counted no better, 2 <HI>King.</HI> 9. 11. &amp; the re&s;t of y^e Prophets, <HI>Ho&s;. 9. 7.</HI> &amp; <HI>Paul, Act.</HI> 26. 20. &amp; all the Apo&s;tles, 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 4. 10. yea, our Saviour Chri&s;t him&s;elf, with open mouth was pro|nounced mad by his carnal hearers, <HI>Jo. 10. 20. Mar.</HI> 3. 21. to worldly men, Chri&s;tian wi&s;dom &s;&eacute;ems folly, &s;aith <HI>Gregory,</HI> &amp; well it may, for even the wi&s;dom of God is fooli&s;hne&s;s with y^e world, 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 1. 18. therefore no di&s;paragement to Gods &s;ervants, if the wi&s;e men, &amp; polititi|ans of y^e world repute them fools: nor any ho|nour to &s;uch Sen&s;uali&s;ts y^t &s;o repute them. However, to give &s;uch men their due, we grant y^t in &s;ome kind of skill they out&s;trip the be&s;t of Gods people; who if they are put to it, may an&s;wer as <HI>Themi&s;tocles</HI> did, when one
<PB REF="10"> invited him to touch a Lute, for as he &s;aid, <HI>I cannot fiddle, but I can make a &s;mal town, a great &s;tate:</HI> &s;o y^e godly may &s;ay, <HI>We cannot give a &s;olid rea&s;on in nature, why Nilus &s;hould overflow only in the &s;um|mer, when waters are at the lowe&s;t: why the Load&s;tone &s;hould draw Iron, or incline to the pole&s;tar, why a fla&s;h of Lightning &s;hould melt the Sword; without making any impre&s;&s;ion in the Scabard: kill the Child in the womb, and never hurt the mother: how the Waters &s;hould &s;tand upon a heap, and yet not overflow the earth: why the clouds above being heavy with water, &s;hould not fall to the earth &s;udainly, &s;eeing every heavy thing de&s;cendeth, except the rea&s;on which God giveth, Gen. 1. 6. Iob 38. 8, to 12. P&s;a 104. 9. But we know the My&s;tery of the Go&s;pel, and what it is to be born anew, and can give a &s;olid rea&s;on of our faith; we know that God is reconciled to us, the Law &s;atisfied for us, our &s;ins pardoned, our &s;ouls acquited, and that we are in &s;a|vour with God, which many of the&s;e with their great Learning, do not know, and thus the godly are proved wi&s;er then the wi&s;e&s;t Humani&s;t that wants Grace.</HI></P>
<P>You have likewi&s;e the rea&s;ons why the&s;e great knowers know nothing, yet as they might and ought to know.</P>
<P>Fir&s;t, becau&s;e they are mi&s;taken in the thing, they take &s;peculative knowledge for &s;oul-wi&s;dom, and &s;oul-&s;aving knowledge to be fooli&s;hne&s;s and madne&s;s: now if a m<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 letter">n take his aim ami&s;s, he may &s;hoot long enough ere he hit the mark, and the&s;e men are as one that is gone a good part of his journey, but mu&s;t come back again, becau&s;e he hath mi&s;taken his way. Secondly, Becau&s;e they are unregenerate, and want the Eye of Faith. Thirdly, For that they &s;eek not to God for it, who is the giver there|of, and without who&s;e &s;pirit there is no attaining it. Fourthly, Becau&s;e they are proud, and &s;o &s;eek not after it, &s;upo&s;ing they have it already. Fifthly, Becau&s;e if they
<PB REF="10"> had never &s;o much knowledge, they would be never the holier or the better for it, but rather the wor&s;e: nor would they imploy it to the honour of God, or the good of others. Sixthly, becau&s;e they either do or would do mi&s;chief, in&s;tead of good, with their knowledge. Sevently, becau&s;e they will not con&s;ult with the word about it, nor advi&s;e with others that have already at|tained to it: or thus, they read and hear the Scriptures, but mind not (I mean) the &s;pirituality of the word, or mind, and under&s;tand not, or under&s;tand and remember not, or remember and practice not. No, this they intend not: of the re&s;t: and they that are unwiling to obey, God thinks unworthy to know. When the Serpent taught knowledge, he &s;aid, if ye eat the forbiden fruit, your eyes &s;hall be opened, and ye &s;hall know good and evil: but God teacheth another le&s;&s;on, and &s;aith, if ye will not eat the forbiden fruit, your eyes &s;hall be opened, and ye &s;hall know good and evil. Ro. 12. 12. P&s;. 119 97, to 100. or if you do eat, you &s;hall be like Images that have ears but cannot hear, Rom. 11. 8. I&s;a. 6. 10. Mat. 13. 14.</P>
<P>From all which rea&s;ons we may collect that there are but a few among&s;t us that are wi&s;e ind&eacute;ed, &amp; to purpo&s;e, for the&s;e &s;even hindrances are apliable to 77 parts of men in y^e Nation.</P>
<P>Be&s;ides, if the&s;e great knowers know &s;o little, how ignorant are the rude rable, that de&s;pi&s;e all knowledge? nor can it be denied but all Impenitent per&s;ons who prefer their profits and plea&s;ures before plea&s;ing of God are errant fools, for if they were wi&s;e &s;aith Bernard, they would fore&s;ee the torments of Hell, and prevent them: and &s;o wi&s;e are the godly, for they prefer Grace and Glory, and Gods favour, before ten thou&s;and worlds.</P>
<P>Now if any be de&s;irous to get this &s;piritual, and expe|rimental knowledge, this divine and &s;upernatural wi&s;|dom, let them ob&s;erve the&s;e five Rules.</P>
<P>Fir&s;t, let &s;uch a &s;oul re&s;olve to practice what he doth
<PB REF="11"> already know, or &s;hall hereafter be acquainted with, from the word of God and Chri&s;ts faithful Me&s;&s;engers, for he that will do my Fathers will, &s;aith our Saviour, &s;hall know the Doctrine, whether it be of God or no, Joh. 7. 17. A good under&s;tanding have all they that keep the Commandments, &s;aith Holy David, P&s;a. 111. 10. and proves it true by his own example and experience. I under&s;tood, &s;aith he, more then the Antient, and become wi&s;er then my Teachers, becau&s;e I kept thy Precepts, P&s;a. 1<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 letter">9. 97, to 100. To a man that is good in his &s;ight, God giveth knowledge and wi&s;dom, Eccle&s;. 2. 26. The &s;piritual man under&s;tandeth all things, 1 Cor. 2. 15. Wicked men under&s;tand not judgement, but they that &s;eek the Lord, under&s;tand all things, Prov. 28. 5. Admi|rable encouragements for men to become godly and con&s;cientious: I mean practical Chri&s;tians.</P>
<P>Secondly, if thou would&s;t get this precious grace of &s;aving knowledge, the way is to be frequent in hearing the word preached, and to become &s;tudious in the Scriptures, for they, and they alone, make wi&s;e to &s;alva|tion, 2 Tim. 3. 15. Ye err, &s;aith our Saviour, not know|ing the Scriptures, Mat. 22. 29. We mu&s;t not in the &s;earch of heavenly matters either do as we &s;ee others do, nei|ther mu&s;t we follow the blind guide, carnal rea&s;on, or the deceitful guide, our corrupt hearts, but the unde|ceiveable and infallible guide of Gods word, which is truth it &s;elf; and great need there is, for as we cannot perceive the foulne&s;s of our faces, unle&s;s it be told us, or we take a Gla&s;s and look our &s;elves therein, &s;o neither can we &s;ee the blemi&s;hes of our &s;ouls, which is a nota|ble degree of <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 letter">piritual wi&s;dome; but either God mu&s;t make it known to us by his &s;pirit, or we mu&s;t collect the &s;ame out of the Scripture that cele&s;tial gla&s;s, though this al&s;o mu&s;t be done by the &s;pirits help: Therefore,</P>
<P>Thirdly, If thou wilt be &s;oul-wi&s;e and truly profit by &s;tudying the Scriptures, be frequent &amp; fervent in pray|er to God who is the only giver of it for the direction
<PB REF="11"> of his holy Spirit, for fir&s;t humble and faithful prayer u&s;hered in by meditation is the cure of all ob&s;curity, e|&s;pecially being accompanied with fervour and fer|vency: as you may &s;ee, Math. 21. 22. If any want wi&s;dom &s;aith Sr. James let him ask of God who giveth to all men liberally, and reproacheth no man, and it &s;hall be given him, Jam. 1. 5. Mark the words, it is &s;aid, if any, wherefore let no man deny his &s;oul this comfort, again ask and have&punc; it cannot come on ea&s;ier terms, yea God &s;eems to like this &s;uit &s;o well in Solomon, as if he were beholding to his Creature for wi&s;hing well to it &s;elf. And in vain do we e<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 letter">pect that alms of grace, for which we do not &s;o much as beg, but in praying for wi&s;dome do not pray for it without putting difference, de&s;ire not &s;o much brain knowledge as to be &s;oul-wi&s;e, and then you will imploy your wi&s;dome to the glory of the giver. Let thy hearts de&s;ire be to know God in Chri&s;t, Chri&s;t in faith, faith in good works, to know Gods will that thou may&s;t do it, &amp; before the knowledge of all o|ther things, de&s;ire to know thy &s;elf&punc; and in thy &s;elf, not &s;o much thy &s;trength as thy weakne&s;s, pray that thine heart may &s;erve thee as a commentary to help thee, un|der&s;tand &s;uch points of Religion as are mo&s;t needful &amp; nece&s;&s;ary, and that thy life may be an expo&s;ition of thy inward man, that there may be a &s;weet harmony be|twi<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 letter">t Gods word, thy Judgment, &amp; whole conver&s;ation, that what the natural man knoweth by roat thou may&s;t double by feeling the &s;ame in thine heart &amp; affections; as indeed e<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 letter">perimental and &s;aving knowledge is no le&s;s felt then known, and I cannot tell how it comes, rather out of the abundance of the heart, than by e<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 letter">tream &s;tudy, or rather is &s;ent by God unto good men, like the Ram that was brought to Abraham, when he would have Sacrifized his Son I&s;aac. When Chri&s;t taught in the Temple, they asked, how knoweth this man the Scriptures, &s;eeing he never learned them? So it is a won|der what Learning &s;ome men have, that have no learn|ing,
<PB REF="12"> like Pri&s;cilla and Aquila, poor Tentmakers, wh<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 letter"> were able to School Apollos that great Clerk, a ma<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 letter"> renowned for his Learning. What can we &s;ay to it, fo<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 letter"> no other rea&s;on can be given, but as Chri&s;t &s;aid&punc; Father<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 letter"> &s;o it plea&s;eth thee. For as Jacob &s;aid of his Veni&s;on when his father asked how he came by it &s;o &s;uddainly&punc; becau&s;e the Lord thy God brought it &s;uddainly int<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 letter"> my hands; So Holy and Righteous men do more ea&s;ily under&s;tand the words of God, than the wicked, becau&s;e God brings the meaning &s;uddainly to their hearts. As we read, Luk, 24. Prov. 1. 23. P&s;a. 25. 14. Dan. 12. 10. Luk. 8. 10. Mar. 3. 11. Again, it is not enough to pray, except al&s;o it be in Chri&s;ts name, and according to his will, believing to be heard for his &s;ake, and that it be the interce&s;&s;ion of Gods own Spirit in you, and being tru|ly &s;en&s;ible of your &s;ins and wants, that you chiefly pray for the pardon of &s;in, the effu&s;ion of grace, and for the a&s;&s;i&s;tance of Gods Spirit, that you may more Firmly believe more <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 letter">oundly repent, more zealou&s;ly do, more pa<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 letter">iently &s;uffer, and more con&s;tantly per&s;evere in the practi&s;e and profe&s;&s;ion of every duty&punc; but above all yo<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 letter"> mu&s;t know that as Samp&s;ons Companions could never have found out his Ridle, if they had not plowed with his Hefer, &s;o no man can know the Secrets of God, but by the Revelation of his Spirit, 1 Cor. 12. 8. Mat. 16. 17. Yea, Suppo&s;e a man be not inferiour to Portius or P<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 letter">|thagoras, who kept all things in memory that ever they had read&punc; heard, or &s;een. To Virgil, of whom it is report|ed, that if all Sciences were loft they might be found a|gain in him. To Aben Ezra, of whom it is &s;aid, that if Knowledge had put out her Candle, at his Brain &s;he might light it again, and that his head was a Throne of wi&s;dom. Or Jo&s;ephus Scaliger, who was Skilled in 30 Languages: yet if he want the Spirit of God to be his Teacher, he is a Dunce to the meane&s;t and mo&s;t Illite|rate Believer. For one nece&s;&s;ary and excellent Preroga|tive of the Spiritual Man, is this: He hath God for his
<PB REF="12"> Teacher, he learns the Councels of God, of tha<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 letter"> Spirit which only knows Gods Councels&punc; Luk. 21. 15. Which is no &s;mall priviledge, for the Scholar learns quickly when the Holy Gho&s;t is his Teacher. The eye <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 letter">ees di|&s;tinctly when the Holy Gho&s;t doth enlighten it, with the &s;pirits help, the means can never be too weak, with|out, never &s;trong enough, Luke 24. 44, 45.</P>
<P>Fourthly, Thou mu&s;t get an humble conceit of thine own wi&s;dom. The Fir&s;t &s;tep to Knowledge, is to know our own ignorance. We mu&s;t become fools in our own opinion, before we can be truly wi<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 letter">e; as the Apo&s;tle &s;ets it down, 1 Cor. 3. 18. And indeed the opinion of over-knowing, is one of the greate&s;t cau&s;es of our Knowing &s;o little, for what we pre&s;ume to have attain|ed, we &s;eek not after; yea, the very Fir&s;t Le&s;&s;on of a Chri&s;tian is Humility; He will teach the humble his way, <HI>P&s;a. 25. 9. Jam.</HI> 4. 6. <HI>And he that hath not learned the fir&s;t le&s;&s;on, is not fit to take out a|new: Pride is a great let to true wi&s;dom,</HI> Jam. 4. 6. <HI>Whence it comes to pa&s;s, that few proud wits are reformed,</HI> Joh. 9. 39. <HI>And for this cau&s;e al&s;o did our Saviour propound his woes to the</HI> Phari&s;ees <HI>his Doctrines to the people. A heart full of Pride, is like a ve&s;&s;el full of ayr. This &s;elf opinion mu&s;t be fir&s;t blown out of us, before Saving knowledge will be poured into us, Chri&s;t wil know none but y^e humble, &amp; none but humble &s;ouls truly know Chri&s;t: now y^e way to become humble is to take a &s;erious view of our wants. The peacoks pride is much abated when &s;he looks on the blackne&s;s of her legs &amp; f&eacute;et: now &s;up|po&s;e we know never &s;o much, yet y^t which we
<PB REF="13"> know is far le&s;s then y^t which we are ign<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 letter">+rant of, &amp; the more we know, y^e more we kno<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 letter"> we want,</HI> Pro. 1. 5, 7. <HI>and the le&s;s &s;en&s;ible <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 word"> are of our blindne&s;s, &s;ickne&s;s, deformity, &amp;<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="right margin cropped or obscured" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1+ letters"> the more blind, &s;ick, and deformed we are.</HI></P>
<P>Fifthly, Thou mu&s;t labour to get a true and live faith, for as without faith we cannot plea&s;e God, <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 letter"> without Faith no man can Know God. <HI>Faith <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 word"> clearly beholds tho&s;e things which are h<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="right margin cropped or obscured" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1+ letters"> both from y^e eye of &s;en&s;e, &amp; the eye of rea&s;o<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="right margin cropped or obscured" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1+ letters"></HI> Joh. 12. 46. <HI>Vnregenerate men y^t want fai<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="right margin cropped or obscured" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1+ letters"> are like</HI> Samp&s;on <HI>without his guide, or li<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="right margin cropped or obscured" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1+ letters"></HI> Polyphemus, <HI>who never had but one eye, a<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="right margin cropped or obscured" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1+ letters"> that</HI> Uli&s;&s;es <HI>put out, for &s;o doth the plea&s;ure<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="right margin cropped or obscured" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 span"> cu&s;tom of &s;in blind y^e &s;en&s;ua<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 letter">i&s;t: we mu&s;t hav<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="right margin cropped or obscured" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1+ letters"> minds lifted above nature, to &s;&eacute;e &amp; love thing<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="right margin cropped or obscured" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1+ letters"> above nature; heavenly Wi&s;dom, to &s;&eacute;e hea|venly Truth; or el&s;e y^e Truth which is &s;avin<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="right margin cropped or obscured" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1+ letters"> will be to us a my&s;tery,</HI> Mark 4. 11. <HI>if it &s;&eacute;e<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="right margin cropped or obscured" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1+ letters"> not fooli&s;hne&s;s,</HI> 1 Cor. 2. 7, 8. <HI>To them y^t ar<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="right margin cropped or obscured" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1+ letters"> lo&s;t the Go&s;pel is hid,</HI> 2 Cor. 4. 3, 4. <HI>Where|as the Believer di&s;cerns all things, even th<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="right margin cropped or obscured" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1+ letters"> d&eacute;ep things of God,</HI> 1 Cor. 2. 10. <HI>Yea, G<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="right margin cropped or obscured" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1+ letters"> giveth him a mouth &amp; wi&s;dom, again&s;t whic<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="right margin cropped or obscured" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1+ letters"> all his Adver&s;aries &s;hall not be able to &s;pea<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="right margin cropped or obscured" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1+ letters"> or re&s;i&s;t,</HI> Luk. 21. 15.</P>
<P>The&s;e are the Five &s;teps that lead us to th<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="right margin cropped or obscured" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1+ letters"> Palace of Wi&s;dom, which all mu&s;t a&s;cend b<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="right margin cropped or obscured" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1+ letters"> that mean to enter. Therefore con&s;ider &s;eri+ou&s;ly what hath b&eacute;en &s;aid, &amp; the Lord give yo<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="right margin cropped or obscured" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1+ letters"> under&s;tanding in all things.</P>
<TRAILER>Finis.</TRAILER>
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