ignorant of it, because we can do notliing in faith. Labour, therefore, to study this book, though thou be a dunce in all besides ! What is it thou wouldst learn ? Jsitthe true knowledge of God? Thoumayest tumble over all the philosophers that ever wrote, and when thou hast done, not be able to frame a right notion of him. The best of them all were but brutish in their highest knowledge of God. Indeed, God left the wise world to run into a thousand follies and vanities, while they were, by their own wisdom, shaping a religion to themselves, that, having proved them dunces, he might send them and the whole woi-ld to leam this lesson in another school, and that is the ministry of the gospel, which is nought else but the explication of the word ; 1 Cor. i. 21, ' After that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.' Wouldst thou come to the true knowledge . of sin ? This also is to be found uowhei-e else ; the Scripture alone dissects the whole body of sin, and reads to us a perfect anatomical lecture upon its^most minute and secret parts : this discovers the ulcers of our wicked hearts, which thousands die of, and, through ignorance of the Scriptures, can never come to know what their disease is. If lust comes not out in spots and sores, to be seen in the outward conversation, the philosopher pronounceth him a clean man. The plague of the heart, though an old disease, and epidemical, yet never was found out, or treated of, but by this sacred book ; and this doth it fully, yea, acquaints us where and from whom we got this infection : even from Adam, by whom the world was tainted, and turned into a pest-house. Which of the wise ones of the world ever dreamed of this genealogy? Poor man, till the Scripture informs him of this, lies in the pit of sin, and knows not who threw him in. In a word, wouldst thou be helped out? Thou must then be beholden to the Scripture to do this kind office for thee. Thy own cordage is too short to reach, and too weak to draw thee thence. If thou takest not hold of this cord of love, which God lets down unto thee in his word, thy case is desperate. And now, having set life and death before thee, I leave thee to thy choice. If yet thou be resolved to reject the knowledge of the Almighty, and allow thy soul to launch into eternity without this chart to direct thee, not caring at what port thou arrivest in the other world, heaven or hell ; then prepare to take up thy lodgings among the damned, and harden thy stout heart, if thou canst, against those endless flames which are kindled for all those that know not God, and obey not his gospel, 2 Thess. i. 8 : and to thy terror know, that in spite of thy now wilful ignorance, thou shalt one day understand the Scriptui-es to the increase of thy torment ; here thou shuttest out their light, but then it will shine full on thy face, when it would give thee some ease, if thou couldst forget that ever thou didst hear of such a book as the Bible ; but then, against thy will, thou shalt carry the remembrance thereof to hell with thee, that thy scornful neglect of it on earth may be continually pouring out new horror, as so much fire and brimstone, into thy guilty conscience. How must it then fill thee with amazement, to think of thy folly and madness, to sell thy soul for a little ease and sloth ! Hell from beneath will be moved for thee, to meet thee at thy coming thither : it will stir up the dead for thee, and the poor heathens whom thou shalt find prisoners there will come flocking about thee, and repi'oach thee, saying, Art thou become like unto us ? Thou hast perished for thy ignorance, who hadst the key of knowledge at thy girdle, and at so easy a rate mightest have been instructed in the way of life : we, poor heathens, cannot bring an action against God for false imprison- ment, though we never heard of such a thing as the gospel, for we did not walk up to our little light, and might have known moi-e of God, had we not darkened our own foolish minds by rebelling against the light we had; but we were never at such pains to lose our souls as you, who have rejected the word of God, and broke through all the threatenings and promises thereof, to come hither.
CHAPTER XXII.
SEVERAL CARNAL SHIFTS AND OBJECTIONS, THAT SOME BRING TO EXCUSE THEM FROM THE STUDY OF THE SCRIPTURES, REMOVED.
But you will say, If we had so much time to spare as others, we would not be so unacquainted with the Scriptures : but, alas ! our hands are so full with
AND THE SWORD OF THE SPIRIT. 59g
our worldly callings, that we hope God will excuse us, thougli we have not so much knowledge of his word as others.