432Ó Cltap. 34. An Expoftion upon the Book of J o B. Verf.32; It is the duty of the moff knowingfervants of God to confeffe their ignorance. WhenShin would have lab fay , That which I fee not teach thoume -, he would have him confeffe, that there was fome good or eyill which he did not fee.He that delreth God to teachhia;, What heBoth not fee, loth therein acknowledge that he Both not fee all that he ought. Our underflandings are imperfe& as well as our wills and affe&ions ; and our fins or inmperfeSiions where- foever they are mull be confeffed. The deficiency of our knowledge, or the imperfe&ion of our underflanding mull be confeffed as well as,the imperfeoiion ofour will to doe good,.and of our doing good. David layeth load uponhimfelfe in confefling the faultinetfe ofhis underfianding, orinability to judgearight of what he fawbefore him(Pfal:7 3.2z. )Soignorant was I andfooli fh;, even as abeafl before thee. And the fpeciall poynt whereinhecon - feffed his ignorance, was about the outward di(penfationsof God, in fuffering wicked men to flouri(h.Hehad ignorant apprehenfbs, and was quite out in that matter ; and thereforebefools himfelfe. and calls himfelfe a beaft, fo far was he from feeing the mind and defgne of. God as becatne a Saint. Such an- acknowledgement Agur made( Pro: 30. 2:) Iammore brut;fh then any man, I have not the underfìanding ofa man, I neither learnedZvi(dome, nor have the knowledge ofthe holy. This worthy man confeifed his igno- rance ; and as the more we know, the more we fee. our igno- rance , fo the more we know , the more we confeffe our igno rance. They that have but little knowledge, are_efpecially defe- &ive in thispoynt of knowledge to fee their ignorance ; and are. therefore but little troubled with their ignorance. Many think they know enough ; fome,pothibly,think theyknow all. They who have leafs knowledge,..are leafs confcious of their own ignorance. And as there are many fins of ignorance, fo ignorance it felfe is a fin, and therefore ro be confeffed andbewailed before God. Thirdly, When El'hu brings in the penitent perfon confeffing . his ignorance, and begging infiruaion, It teacheth us, Sins of ignorance -need pardon, As our ignorance needs pardon, fo doe our fins of ignorance The law ofMefes teacbeth,this. ( Levi:: 4. z.) Ifafoule'hall fin through
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=