Autarkeia, or, The art of divine contentment by Thomas Watson.

CHAP. II.

The first branch of the Text, The Scholar, with the first Proposi∣tion.

I Begin with the first. [ I] I. The Scholar, and his proficiency; I have learned. Out of which I shall in transitu observe two things by way of paraphrase. 1. It is not 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, but 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. The Apostle doth not say, I have heard, that in every state I should be content; but, I have learned. Whence, 1. Doctr. It is not enough for Christians to hear their duty, but they must learne their duty. It is one thing to heare, and another thing to learne; as it is one thing to eat, and another thing to concoct. Saint Paul was a Practi∣tioner,

Christians hear much, but it is to be feared, learne little. There were four sorts of ground in the Parable, and but one good ground. An embleme of this truth, many Hearers, but few Learners. There are two things which keep us from learning.

[ 1] 1. Slighting what we hear. Christ is the Pearle of Price; when we dis∣esteeme this Pearle, we shall never learne, either its value, or its ver∣tue. The Gospel is a rare Myste∣ry; in one place it is call'd the Gospell of Grace, in another, the Gospell of Glory; because in it, as in a transparant Glasse the glory of God is resplendent; But, he that hath learned to contemne this My∣stery, will hardly ever learne to o∣bey it. He that looks upon the things of Heaven as things by the by, and perhaps the driving of a trade, or carrying on some politick de∣signe to be of greater importance;

this man is in the high road to dam∣nation, and will hardly ever learne the things of his peace. Who will learne that which he thinks is scarce worth learning?

2. Forgetting what we hear. If [ 2] a Scholar have his Rules laid before him, and he forgets them as fast as he reads them, he will never learn†. Aristotle calls the Memory, the Scribe of the Soul; and Bernard calls it the Stomack of the Soul, be∣cause it hath a retentive faculty, and turnes heavenly food into blood and spirits. We have great me∣mories in other things; we remem∣ber that which is vain. Cyrus could remember the name of every Soul∣dier in his huge Army; we remem∣ber injuries. This is to fill a preci∣ous Cabinet with dung; but, quàm facilis oblivio boni? as Hierom saith, how soon doe we forget the sacred truths of God? We are apt to forget three things, our faults, our

friends, our instructions. Many Christians are like Sieves, put a Sive into the water, and it is full; but take it forth of the water, and all runnes out: So, while they are hearing of a Sermon, they re∣member something; but take the Sieve out of the water, assone as they are gone out of the Church, all is forgotten. Let these sayings (saith Christ) sinke down into your eares; in the Originall it is, put these sayings into your cares; As a man that would hide a jewel from being stolen, locks it up safe in his chest, Let them sinke; The word must not onely fall as dew that wets the leafe, but as raine which soakes to the root of the tree, and makes it fructifie. Oh how often doth Satan, that fowle of the Aire, pick up the good seed that is sowne!

Use. Let me put you upon a se∣rious tryall; Some of you have

heard much; you have lived forty, fifty, sixty years under the blessed Trumpet of the Gospel; What have you learned? You may have heard a thousand Sermons, and yet not learned one. Search your con∣sciences.

1 You have heard much against [ 1] sin: are you Hearers, or are you Scho∣lars?

How many Sermons have you heard against Covetousnesse; That it is the root, on which Pride, Ido∣latry, Treason do grow? One cals it a† Metropolitan sin: It is ma∣lum complexum, it doth twist a great many sinnes in with it. There is hardly any sinne, but Covetous∣nesse is a maine ingredient into it; and yet are you like the two daughters of the Horse-leach, that cry, Give, give. How much have you heard against rash Anger; that it is a short phrensie, a dry drunkennesse; That it rests in the

bosome of fooles; and upon the least occasion do your spirits begin to take fire? How much have you heard against Swearing? It is Christs expresse mandate, Sweare not at all; this sinne of all other may be tearm'd the unfruitful work of darknesse. It is nei••her sweet∣ned with pleasure, nor enriched with profit, (the usuall vermilion wherewith Satan doth paint sinne.) Swearing is forbidden with a sub poena. While the swearer shoots his oathes, like flying arrowes at God, to pierce his glory; God shoots a flying roll of curses against him; and doe you make your tongue a racket, by which you tosse oathes as Tennis-balls? Doe you sport your selves with oathes as the Phi∣listines did with Samson, which will at last pull the house about your eares? Alas! how have they learned what sin is, that have not yet

learned to leave sinne? doth he know what a Viper is, that playes with it?

2. You have heard much of Christ, have you learned Christ? The Jewes (as one saith) carried Christ in their Bibles, but not in their heartsd; Their sound went into all the earth,e Rom. 10. 18. The Pro∣phets and apostles were as trumpets, whose sound went abroad into the world; yet many thousands who heard the noise of these Trumpets, had not learned Christ; They have not all obeyed, vers. 16.f

1. A man may know much of Christ, and yet not learne Christ. The divells knew Christ.g

2. A man may preach Christ, and yet not learn Christ; as Iudas and the pseudo-Apostles.h

3. A man may professe Christ, and yet not learn Christ. There are many professors in the world that Christ will professe against.i

Quest. What is it then to learne Christ? Answ. 1. To learn Christ, is to be made like Christ. When the divine characters of his holiness are engraven upon our hearts. We all with open face, beholding as in a glasse the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image. There is a Metamorphosis made; a sinner view∣ing Christs Image in the Glasse of the Gospell, is transform'd into that Image. Never did any man look upon Christ with a spiritual eye, but went away quite changed. A true Saint is a divine Landskip or picture, where all the rare beauties of Christ are lively pourtraied and drawn forth. He hath the same Spirit, the same judgement, the same will with Jesus Christ.

2. To learne Christ, is to beleeve in him; My Lord, my God. When we do not only credere Deum, but in Deum; which is the actual applica∣tion of Christ to our selves, and

as it were the spreading the sacred medicine of his blood upon our souls. You that have heard much of Christ, and yet cannot with an humble adhe∣rence say, My Iesus, be not offended if I tell you, the Devill can say his Creed as well as you.

3. To learne Christ, is to live Christ. When we have Bible-con∣versations, our lives as rich Dia∣monds cast a sparkling lustre in the Church of God; and are (in some sense) parallel with the life of Christ, as the Transcript with the Originall. So much for the first notion of the word.

Notes

• 1. Observ. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, it is a pra∣ctique word.
• 1. Doct.
• Luk 8. 5.
• 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. Act. 20. 24.
• 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. 1 Corin. 4. 4.
• Tantum scimus quantum in memoria tenemu••. Plato in Timaeo.
• †

  James 1. 25.
• Scribit in marmore lasu••. Cl∣cero l. ••. de orat.
• Luke 9. 44.
• 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.
• Use. Trial.
• 2 Tim. 3 2, & 4.
• †

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉;
• Ira est brevis insa∣nia. Sen.
• Quid prodest vi∣num non bibere, & irâ inebriari? Hi∣eron. Eccles. 7. 9.
• Magnóque irarum fluctuat astu. Virg.
• Mat. 5. 34.
• Eph. 5. 11.
• Zach. 5. v. 2, & 4.
• d

  Hieron.
• e

  Rom. 10. 18.
• f

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.
• g

  Mark 1. 24.
• h

  Phil. 1. 15.
• i

  Mat. 7. 22, 23.
• Quest.
• Answ. 1.
• 2 Cor. 3. 18. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.
• John 20. 28.
• Phil. 1. 27.