Use 1. Serveth for information, to show us the misery of those that are without knowledge. Without knowledge, without faith ; and without faith, without God, without a promise. It was a great reproach that Nahash would lay upon Israel, that he would put out their light eyes : 1 Sam. xi. 12. And the great design the god of this world hath upon the men of the world is to blind their eyes, that they may not come to the knowledge of the truth. Ignorance is one of God's sorest judgments ; when he hath left off threatening of other things, then he threateneth a blind heart and a vain mind. Oh that we could be sensible of it ! Ignorance is twofold : either —
1. Necessary ; or
2. Negligent.
1. Necessary ignorance, which is otherwise called the ignorance of pure negation, when men do not know God in Christ, because they have not heard of him. And it happeneth in two cases — either in the total want of means, or the want of due means. I shall a little examine the particulars, that you may not tliink they do not concern you, or that you may make this use of it, at least, to affect your hearts with pity and compassion towards them that want it. When Christ saw the blindness of the Jews, he wept over them, because ' the things which belong to their peace' were 'hid from their eyes,' Luke xix. 41, 42. Oh, how may we weep over many corners of this kingdom, where Jesus Christ is not so much as named : Kom. xv. 2, ' Let every one of us please his neighbour for his good to edification.' And not only that, but that we may be sensible of our mercies, and bless God for our enjoyments. When Christ had told his disciples of the gross ignorance of others, he presently added. Mat. xiii. 16, ' Blessed are your eyes, for they see ; and your ears, for they hear ' ! Oh, what a mercy is it that it is otherwi.se with you 1 So far you may reckon yourselves blessed, as you have more advantages of increasing your knowledge, and bettering your apprehensions of God in Christ. Therefore con- sider how ill it is with them that want means, or the due means. ' Faith Cometh by hearing ;' God dealeth with us in a way suitable to our intellectual nature, and beginneth with knowledge. How should tliey know ? and yet their case is very sad.
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[1.] As to those that want the means. God leaveth no man without some witness of himself. Those that have not the word and Spirit, they have showers of rain and fruitful seasons; God is not wanting to them. If they have not those larger and clearer discoveries of God, yet their ignorance is deadly and fatal to them : Prov. xxix. 18, ' Where there is no vision, the people perish.' Oh, think of such unhappy times, when frequenting of ordinances was counted a crime, the want of which will he your undoing ; for the apostle saith Christ cometli ' to render ven- geance to them that know not God/ 2 Thes. i. 8. Men think if their lives be not vicious, and they have good meanings, it will be well with them ; they are not troubled for their ignorance, I tell you, Christ will come in flames of fire to them that know not God, and obey not the gospel, A vain mind is as bad as vile affections. The blind and the lame, they were equally an abomination to God ; and it is every way as dangerous to want knowledge as obedience. Oh, con- sider the sad state of such souls and places where there are no means ! Our Saviour saith, ' He that knoweth not the will of God shall have few stripes ;' he doth not say wo stripes, Luke xii, 48. Ignorance will not excuse them. What a sorry privilege is it that they shall have a cooler hell ?
[2.] That want due means. This is as bad or worse than the former. Men rest in that which carrieth the face of an ordinance ; and usually it is harder to teach them who know something in religion than those who know nothing at all ; for a little knowledge does but prepossess the mind with carnal truth and prejudices, and the real truth is rejected with more stubbornness. Consider the sadness of such an estate. Men think to cause all the blame to reflect upon their teachers, they have been taught so ; but what saith our Saviour : Mat. XV. 14, ' If the blind lead the blind, they shall both fall into the ditch.' Ignorant, misled people will perish with their blind guides : Isa. ix. 16, ' For the leaders of this people cause them to err, and they that are led of them are destroyed.' And indeed it is but just. Men make them their darlings, and humour them in the way of their lusts. Ill instruments would be cast out if cast out of the people's hearts : Jer. V. 31, ' The prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests bear rule by their means ; and my people love to have it so : and what will you do in the end thereof ?' What will be the end of this ? It is the property of this blindness to love those that do increase it. If naturally blind, we would have a good guide, Elymas, the sorcerer, sought for one to lead him by the hand, Acts xiii. 11, But oh, how sad is their case that dote upon their blind guides ! — these are the people's idols every- where. Thus for necessary ignorance ; I mean, that which must needs be so.