Chap.d. Of the knowledge of Godand its oppofts. Com.t. 109 Vaèate ( according to Saint 3eromes tranfiation ) p¢ videte qu'óniamegofuns D'esu, t. faith the Pfalmift. Beat lecture, fpend fume time to know that I amGod; we muff finda time, and that time muffbe our firff, it may be at other times this knowledge Pfa lm.46. t ®_ will not be found. Saint Paul gives counfel to man and wife not to come together r Cor.7: q: fora time, that they may give themfelves to farting and prayer, If then we mutt abftain for a time from indifferent things, then a majore, from thiñgs not indifferent butevil, when we fpend our time not only aliad agendo, but male agenda, as Seneca faith, not only in things impertinent but evil. The Athenianswhat other bufinefs 7 2f: foeverthey had, yet they fpent force time to tell or hear novelties. And it were a fhame tous if we fhouldnot domore than they in a thing fo neceffary: Diligence in attaining it is alto tobe ufed, that we lofe not this time. Saint Ae- guffine gives a rule ( though a favorable one ) which may ferve till a better core Satoreputatur, quis facere, cam tantumfacitpro Deo, quantumfacie pro mundo, if a man fpend, but as much pains for God, as he doth for the world, it is fufficient. And I with we would do that, bellowbut asmuch diligence in Gods Laws as on the pee. teal Laws of a Prince. For all the Ilatutes of Omri are kept faith theProphet, andall Mic, 6. ió: the works of theHoufe ofAhab, and ye walk intheir counfels, we might attain to foreknowledge, if we would take that pains toRudy Gods Law, which we take Jer.4. za; to doevil. If anyof youwant Wifdom ( faith the Apoille) let him askof God. And So_ 3, lemon the wifeft among the Sons of men, faith that it is a point of wifdome toJaniest.q. knowiwhofe .gift it was, how to attain to it ; and therefore in the next Chapter Sap. g at. hemakes his Prayer to God forit. This Pralor is alfo fet down in the Book of the 16° Kings, and ( which is more)the Text faith, that the fpeech pleafed the Lord, that r Kings 3.7; Solomon had asked this thing. When wehave attained to knowledge we muff as is required inDeut, i. Bring it into our Heart (that is paff the Brain) z. Wemutt whet or Catechize our children, Deut:6.6,7 b. for Catechizing in theprinciples molt be diligently obferv+ed. 3. We muft talk ofg Gods ffatutes,thatis,uteconference,q..We muff write them,which includesalto read- ing, both fruitful. g. Wemuff bind them before our eyes; which implyes medi- tation, 6. Wemolt bind it about our Hands (a thing unufual in thefedays) but yet as in Phyfick it is a rule per brachitimfit jedicium decorde, the pulfe comes from the Heart to the Hands, fo inDivinity, by theArm, praCtife and ettercife is meant, and this is to bind it on our Arms. It is agood way tomake aConfcience to praCtifewhat we know. Saint Bernard faith, Quad datar oranti, quodaperitur quarenti, idexerce, PraEtife what we haveat- tained b} Prayer and Induftry : for the,contrary, not praCtifing what we know, brings etecitatespmnales for illicitao cupiditater, The Heathen man faith, that he that hath an habitof Juftice, (hall be able to fay more of it thanhe that bath apoled fpeculati_ on cf all the Èthick,. So the meaneffman that bathpraftifed his knowledge, (hall be able to fay more of God and Religion, than the moft learned that hath not praçti- fed. It is in divinity as in other things Exercitiumfgnum efi potencia and fofsgnum entáa, praCtife is a fign of power, and fo of knowledge. It is a true Paying, that the bell rule to judge of the confequence is by the lj Antecedent; as if fear be wanting, therecanbe no love, if love be away, there can beno obedience, but efpecially if humility be wanting, there can be no faring know. ledge. Saint Aueufline'sprayer was Domine noverim te, noverimme, and adds that no man knows God, that knoweth not hiirifelf, Andverafiientia nonfacit hominem exultantem, fedlamentantem, Trueknowledgepuffs not up, but dejedis aman, and the Heathenman could fay Inter ¡apieares rapienrior qui humilior, he is the wifeftamong the wife that is hnmbleft, andhe that hath a conceit of himfelf cannever come to knowledge. Ariflotle in his Metaphyfiks faith, Scientis efi ordinare, he is wife that can order his 6 doings,prefer every thing according to order;as inDivinity knowledge of God which brings lifeeternal, fhould be prefered before other knowledge which brings only tem- poral profit. But we do contrary, for it is a common order with us, as to prefer pri- vate profit before publick, fo to place temporal things before eternal, and the know- ledgeof the onebefore the knowledge of the other, which is a fign that our know- ledge is sot rightly ordered; The
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=