3. Let this consideration work upon the hearts, and bowels of all serious Christians, to pity, and help those that are like to perish under this temptation ; and if their parents be so ignorant, that they cannot, or so negligent, that they do not instruct and warn their own children ; you that at any time have an opportunity to help them, have compassion on them, and do it. It is true, they are none of your children by nature ; but would it not be a singular honour, and comfort to you, if God should make them so by grace ? Thousands of children (and, it may be some of you) are more indebted to mere strangers, upon this account, than to their nearest relations ; you know not how much good an occasional word may do them : All have not ability to be so publicly useful this way, as a late worthy minister of our own nation hath been, who, in compassion to the dark and barbarous corners in Wales, where ignorance and poverty shut up the way of salvation to them, at a vast expence procured the translation, and printing of the bible in their ovvn tongue, and freely sent it among them. O you that have the bowels of Christians in you, pity, and help them ! What is it, for the saving of a precious soul, to drop a serious ex- hortation, as you have opportunity, unto them, to bestow a bible, or suitable book upon them ? Believe it, these little suras of shillings, and pence, so bestowed, will stand for more, in the audit-day^ than all the hundreds, and thousands, other ways ex- pended.
The second loay to hell discovered.
II. A second way to hell, in which multitudes are found hasten- ing to their own damnation, is the way of affected ignorance. The generality of people, even in a land enlightened with the gos- pel, are found grossly ignorant of Christ, the true and only way to
A TIIEATISE OF THE SOUL OF MAN. 187
heaven, and of repentance and faith, the only way to Christ ; and thus the people perish for want of knowledge, Hos- iv. 6. If the tree of knowledge had been hedged in from the common people, as it is in Popish countries ; and it had been criminal to find a bible in our houses, there might have been some cloak and pretence for our ignorance: But to be stupidly ignorant of the most obvious, plain and necessary truths, and yet bred up among bibles and mi- nisters ! O how ominous a darkness is this, foreboding the black- ness of darkness for ever ! For if the hiding of the gospel from the hearts of men be a token to them that they are lost souls, how much notional light soever they may have ; much more must they be lost to all intents, from whose hearts and heads too it is judici- ally hidden. They that know not God are in the catalogue of the damned, 2 Thess. i. 8. and if this be life eternal to know the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom he hath sent ; then this must be death eternal to be grossly and affectedly ignorant both of God, the end, and Christ the way, by the rule of true opposition, John xvii. 3.
Look over the several countries in the professing world ; go into the families of country farmers, day labourers, and poor people, and except here and there a family, or person, into whose heart God hath graciously shined; what barbarous, brutish ignorance over- spreads them : They converse from morning to night with beasts, though they have souls which are fit companions for angels, and capable of sweet converse with God. The earth hath opened her mouth, and swallowed up all their time, strength, thoughts, and souls, as it did the bodies of Corah and his company. They know the value of a horse or cow, but know not the worth of Christ, pardon, or their own souls : They mind daily what work they have to do with their hands, but forget all they have to do upon their knees ; their whole care is to pay their fine or rent to their landlord, but not a thought who shall pay their debts to God. They are so far from putting unnecessary business aside to make way for the service of God, that God's service is put aside as an unnecessary business, to make way for the world : The world holds them fast till they are asleep, and will be sure to visit them as soon as their eyes are open, that tliere may be no vacancy or door of opportunity left open for a thought of their souls, or another life, to slip in : Or, if at any time they think, or speak of these matters, then the world, like Pharaoh, when Israel spake of sacrificing, is sure to speak of more work.
And thus they live and die without knowledge; there is no key of knowledge (as it is fitly called, Luke xi. 52.) to open the door of the soul to Christ; he and his ministers, therefore, must stand without ; pity they may, but help they cannot, till knowledge open
188 A TREATISE OF THE SOtTL OF MAN".
the door: Satan is ruler of the darkness of this world, Eph. vi, l2l that is, of all blind and ignorant souls. Ignorance is the chain with which he binds them fast to himself, and till that chain be knocked off by Divine illumination, they cannot be emancipated, and made free of Christ's kingdom ; Acts xxvi. 18. " To turn them from " darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God.'' Igno- rance, indeed, incapacitates a man to commit the unpardonable sin ; but what is he the nearer whilst it disposes him to all otlier sins which damn as well as that ? By ignorance it is, that all the essays of the gospel for men's salvation are frustrated ; that naked assent is put in the place of saving faith, morality mistaken for regenera- tion, a few dead duties laid in the room of Christ and his righte- ousness. Indeed it would fill a greater book than this is, to shew the mischievous effects of ignorance, and how many ways it destroys the precious souls of men : but seeing I can speak but little in this place to it, let me bar up this way to hell, if it be possible, by a few serious considerations.
The second way to hell shut up.
1. Let the ignorant consider, God hath created their souls with a capacity of knowing him and enjoying him as well as others that are famed in the world for knowledije and wisdom. There is a spirit in ma7i, and the inspiration of the Almighty giveth them un- derstanding. The faculty is in man, but the wisdom and know- ledge that enlightens it from God ; as the dial shews the hour of the day when the sun-beams fall upon it. If, therefore, God be sought unto in the use of such helps and means as you have, even the weakest and dullest soul hath a capacity of being made wise unto salvation. Psal. xix. 7= " The testimony of the Lord is sure, " making wise the simple."
Augustine tells us of a man so weak and simple, that he was commonly reputed a fool in all the neighbourhood ; and yet saith, I believe the grace and fear of God was in him ; for when he heard any gwear, or take the name of God in vain, he would throw stones at them, and shew his indignation against sin by all the signs he could make.