Chap. t 8. An Expofrti, upon the Book of J o B. Vert. 21. I3I may expreffe it ) a (inclied ignorance ofGod ; For as we all ought to knowGod, foTome ftudy to be ignorant ofGod,and to keepe out the knowledge of holy* things. And as to all it is a burden to.get knowledge, fo , to many, knowledge gotten is very but- denfome. Man cannot fin fo eafily in the light as in the dark ; he puts ht<nfelfe hard to it to fin, who fins againfi what he fees. And therefore that they may have liberty to fin they have no will to fee. Such are defcribed ( ?ob 21. 14 ) They j .to God, Departfrom us, we defirenot the knowledge of' thy wayes. Thus as forne in their praftife oppofe die good which they know, fo others refute to know what is good that they may the more freely practife evill. And when any man hath long oppofed light received, hee groves unwilling to receive light. He fol- lowes on to be igiiorant ofGod ; and at ilait is willing to be- leeve, There is no God ; He that cares not what .God laith, will not care much to fay, there is no God. Atheifine rifeth from prophanenes and he that blafphemes the word of God daily in his converfation will at loft blafpheme the being of God in his opinion, Thefe know not God indeed, who know not that there is a God ; and into this the affecged ignorance ofGod will quickly call the wifeft ( who are fuch) among the Eons of men. We may take in all there forts of not knowing of God , into the copitia h.¢c interpretation of this Text but fpecially the third, and fourth; via impío netz- fuch as knowGod, yet walke contrary to him or fuch as re- tar efP praífrc4 fufe to knowGod, left they fhould be troubled to walke accor- ding to their knowledge. And indeed a wicked, man may have co cN'tN onhït.ir the higheft knowledge ofGod, on this fide the love of God, and ;n pie'ate., 6 rn obedience to his will, which is attainable. He may have any giJt' gNodorner knowledge of God but that which gives an experimental) taft tNq,'__)sVore di and relifh of the goodneffe ofGod, or that God, is good. , And vnæ bon44" hence it is that he fometimes hinders his owne proficiency in the knowledge ofGod, left if he knew as much as he could he fhould be hinder'd from doing ( what he hath a mind to )evill as he could. Hence note; Firft , wickedne.ge and ignorancegoe together: Where there is only an invincible Ignorance ofGod ; that is, S 2 fuch
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