New Essays by John Robinson
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New Essays by John Robinson 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. The essence of God is known only to himself, but is undiscernible to all men, and angels: partly by reason of its infiniteness, which therefore no finite understanding can comprehend; and partly, for that no voice, sign, or form can sufficiently express it either to sense or reason. And if God have placed such light and glory in some created bodies, as that we cannot intentively fix our bodily eye upon them, without dazzling; what marvel is it, though the eye of the understanding of all men, and angels dazzle, in the too curious and intentive contemplation of his infinite, and infinitely glorious majesty itself? So as, if the most wise and learned Christians should, with the heathen philosopher [Thales] undertake to descry God's being; they would be compelled, as he was, after one day's respite, to crave two; and after two, four; and so still to double the time, with acknowledgment, that the more they searched into it, the more unsearchable it appeared. Albeit the understanding of man, though glorified, cannot possibly comprehend God's infinite being, yet shall we, coming to enjoy the blessed vision of God, whereof the angels, and "spirits of just men perfect," are made partakers, know in a far both greater measure, and more excellent, and immediate manner, than now we do. "We now walk by faith, and not by sight," 2 Cor. v.7, as we then shall do: "We now see through a glass darkly; but then face to face: knowing him even as we are known of him." 1 Cor. xiii.12. And for the present, we are by the means of revelation vouchsafed us in his Word and works, partly within and partly without us, to be led in our prayers, praises, and meditations of God, to such a being for the object thereof, as in which, first, there is nothing which hath the least affinity with the imperfection found in any creature [Dionysius]; for the expressing whereof those attributes serve, which we call negative; as immortal, invisible, a spirit, that is, no body, and the like; showing what God is not, though not what he is. Secondly, which is that eminently, infinitely, and essentially, which we, in the creature, call power, wisdom, goodness, and whatsoever else imports any perfection: and thirdly, which is that first fountain, and original of all goodness in all creatures. And by these three stairs doth our understanding raise up itself from created things to the knowledge of God. This knowledge we must seek with all earnest diligence, and store it up carefully in the treasury of our hearts: that knowing God, we may love him, and trust to him, and fear him, and honour him; that as the daughters of Jerusalem, Cant. v.8, though before marveling what ailed the spouse of Christ to be so affectioned towards her beloved, and so earnestly to seek after him, as she did, when they once came to take knowledge of his perfect beauty, would then seek him with her: so we knowing God, specially in the face of Christ Jesus, may so be ravished with love of his Majesty, as to have our whole heart set to seek, and find him, in whose presence is satiety of joys evermore. CHAPTER II: OF GOD'S LOVE. God loveth himself first, and most, as the chiefest good, and all other good things, as he communicates with them less, or more, the effects of his own goodness. And from this infinite love of his own infinite goodness is it, that is so severely punisheth some creatures, though the work of his own hands, which he always loveth. For, first, the creature by sin violating God's holiness, and despising his authority in his righteous commandments, and so going on impenitency, and unbelief; and withal it being impossible, that God's love of his own holiness, and justice, and the honour of the same, and the love of the creature's happiness, so obstinately dishonoring him, should stand together; it cannot be, but that the latter must give way to the former, and greater, and the creature so sinning become miserable, rather than God forgetful of his own honor and glory. God reveals his glorious Majesty in the highest heavens, his fearful justice in the hell of the damned; his wise and powerful providence is manifest throughout the whole world; but his gracious love and mercy in, and unto his church here upon earth; which he therefore hath chosen, and taken near unto himself, that in it might be seen the riches of his glorious grace. And, albeit, all things in God are infinite, and one; yet are the effects of his love more wonderful, and excellent, than of any other of his attributes; as appears in that, his greatest, and strangest, work of giving his only begotten Son to the cursed death of the cross, for his enemies, out of his love and mercy. This the Scriptures, and worthily, call a "great mystery," 1 Tim. iii.16, and which, for the rareness of it, was not only "hidden from the sons of men," Eph. iii.10, but also from the very angels in their perfection of created knowledge. Which manifold grace, and wisdom of God they, therefore, "desire to look into, and learn by the church." 1 Pet. i. 10-12. Love in the creature ever presupposeth some good, true, or apparent in the thing loved, by which that affection of union is drawn, as the iron by the lodestone: but the love of God on the contrary, causeth all good wrought, or to be wrought in the creature [Scaliger]. He first loveth us in the free purpose of his will, and thence worketh good for, and in us; and then loves us actually for his own good work, for, and in us: and so still more and more, for his own further work.