44 Truths ¶Purchafé. many filch fooles asSalomon fpeaketh of,which hauea price in their hand,butthey IProay.rs. haue nohearttogetwifedomec. They hauethe meanes to bring them to the know. ledgeofthe Truth, familiar, common and ealie, but haue noaffcâion thercunto. Tellthemofknowledge, itis as the tingingof tongsto anheauy heart, a matter which ficteth not,it hathno relifhorfauourin theworld. Tellthe covetousman, the extorting Gentleman, theengrofsing Merchant,theenhanfing Husbandman, ofa commodity,ofa fecretbargaine, ofa meanes ofgaining, it is like enough he willfoone giue thee the hearing, and take thineinformation as a fruit of great so dorania. kindncffe : but talkeof the knowledgeofReligion, and of the meanesfor attain- mentto it,thou haft (asthe faying is)tolda tale toa deafe man, hewould as liefe thou hadfl kept thy counfell to thy felfe. And hence (oh woefullcafe) itis'eome topaffe, that groffe andintollerable ignorance, like a difeafe,hath ouerfpread the greaten part. Themultitude know not (aswe fay)the righthand from the left : ratTim.t.6, the heft ofvsbe but fmatterers,& our knowledgelittle betterthen jog gm. nMich6 r5 There is, I know, nore Ofthat knowledgewhichMicha fpeaketh of, Theflange, ofOmri arefought for ": men arecunning in penall precepts, and in the know- ledgeofLaw-points. There is allo plenty oftheknowledge which Chrift menti- oMat.16.;. oneth, mencan difcerne the face oftheskie, andthefiresuf the times ". Neither is there any want ofthat skillwhich Amos toucheth,ofmaking a[mall Ephaeh anda pAmos 14. large,fhekel e. There times abound inthe(e knowledges:but as for the only necef. fatie knowledge,the knowledge ofReligion, almon no maneftecmesit; it fee- meth tovsas awithered branch,which hath neither forme nor beauty,we fee no- thing in in, why we fhould defire it. Nowbecaufe thisdeadnes and dainesarifeth efpecially from thewant of feelingofour owne necefsity,'(for theperfon that is qPro. tTd full,defpifitb a heny comben) and from our notknowing the worthof know ledge (for thecocke upon the dunghill, would rather haue a barley come, then a dia. mond;) therefore 1 befeech you let vs remember the before-deliuered matter, touchingour owne necefsity, that wehavenot naturally fo muchas a dramme of trueknowledgewithinvs; andthe excellency ofknowledge,that without it,we are but asdead men,nrangers fromthe life of God, withouthope, without God in this world.And fo leaning it to yourbeftconfideration, Ithusend this point. The 2coad Thenext point is, the comming to theplace offate. For, as inourordinary branch,and baying, it fufficethnot a man,to ferle hiswant olac&nodiry,to know theworth rho a,doet. ofit,btto withthehailingof it,vnleffe healfo retort tothe placewhere in may be had :Co inthis care,it is notenough that we findour felues ignoranr,acknowledge our needeofknowledge, vnleffe wevouchfafe torepaire thither wherein isordi., rarity fet toCale, andas it were by Proclamation offered to our vfes. Now thev. fuall placeof Cale forthis commodityof fauing knowledge,is the Church, theat femblyofGods Saints, where the Mininry ofGods word (the ordinarie mearen ofknowledge) is difpenfed. In the Church, by the Mininryof Gods word,wee heareChrismakinga folemneOyez, andPaying, Ifany manthrill, let him come to r1417.37. meand drinker. Comebuy without fitteror money e whereforedeeyou layoutfluer and fia. ft.t,a. not for brood t? Icouwfellyou tobayofmegold triedby the fire, thatyoumaybee made &Ztyas+ rich,andraimem :baryonmay becloatbed,and eyefarle, thatyou mayfee°. Thisisthe voiceofChrinproclaiming intheopen marketofhis Church, and vttering his uPro. q.s. wokeby thetopofthe highplaces,*bon isfmple let him come hither ". Inmearehid s Cdi;s,1, the treafures ofreifdomed° knowledge' .0 f myfulnes,yoa mayreceiuegraceforgraces. ylbdrts So that in the congregation,when theWord is truly and lineerelypreached,asir, publike Mart,there is that which is fitting toeuery man in euery refpeft. There are the principlesof Truth, for Chrifliansof a lower forme : there are deeper rKeb.ß.'4, points for exercifidwies'; thereisfor Magiftartes ,forMiniflers,for urinate men, for every calling : for the young manthat he may redreffe hisway ;forthe olde man, to encreafe in wifedomepthere is truth forthe vndernanding,truth for the coulaience, truthfor thewill, äuthfor affe@ions;that CoaChrinian maybeper. fire
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