New Essays; or Observations Divine and Moral, Collected out of the Holy Scriptures, ancient and modern writers, both divine and human; as also out of the great volume of men’s manners: tending to the furtherance of knowledge and virtue

“Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be yet wiser : teach a just man, and he will increase in learning.” Prov.ix.9.

Experientia docet, aut nocet.

By John Robinson Printed in the year 1628

CHAPTER I: OF MAN’S KNOWLEDGE OF GOD.

“The Lord giveth wisdom, and out of his mouth cometh knowledge, and understanding,” saith Solomon, Prov. ii.6: and therein warneth us, to lay our ear close to the mouth of God, and when he speaketh once, Psa.lxii.11, we may hear twice, and having our closed hearts opened by his Spirit, may attend to the words of grace, and wisdom, which proceed from him, and are able to make us wise to salvation. As all our wisdom to happiness consists, summarily, in the knowledge of God, and of ourselves [Calvin]; so is it not easy to determine, whether of the two goes before the other. But, as neither can be without other, in any competent, or profitable measure, or manner; and as in vain the eye of the mind is lifted up to see God, which is not fit to see itself [Bernard]; so seems the reasons of most weight, which prefer the knowledge of God to the first place. For, first, God in his word and works is the rule and measure of man’s goodness, and man, at his best, but formed, and reformed after God’s image. As in nature, the rule is before that which is to be ruled by it, so must it be in our knowledge. Secondly, such is our inbred pride, and hypocrisy, as that, whilst we look only upon ourselves, and upon other creatures here below, we think we are somebody for goodness, and virtue; but are then brought to that confusion in ourselves, which is requisite for our humiliation, when we come to take some knowledge of the super-excellency of God: even as our bodily eye forthwith dazzleth being cast upon the bright sun; how quick, and strong-sighted soever it seem, whilst it is set only upon earthly objects. Thirdly, so absolutely necessary is the knowledge of God, as that we can ascribe nothing, as is meet, unto him, of whom, and for whom, we and all thing are, till we first know him in his Word and works, but, even in our best devotions, with the superstitious Athenians, shall build our altars “to the unknown God,” Acts xvii.23 and with the blind Samaritans, worship we “know not what,” John iv.22. To conclude: he that pretends the service of God, and yet knows him not in his Word, and works of creation, and redemption also, wherein his face is seen, is like him that counterfeits himself to be the household servant of some great lord, whose face he never saw, nor once came within his court gates. Some ambitious and curious wits, but not able, and no marvel, to raise up, and advance their notions to God’s infiniteness, for the comprehending of it, have laboured to depress, and pull him down to their dwarfish conceptions of him; and have, indeed, rather made him some great and giant-like man, or angel, than, as he is in truth, an infinite God; allowing him an essence, power, and wisdom hugely great, but not properly infinite and immense; as though God could not be that, which they cannot conceive of him.

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