ith Solomon, give themselves, and apply
their hearts to search out wisdom. But this is the curse of man's
curiosity at first, in seeking after unnecessary knowledge, when he was
happy enough already, and knew as much of God and his works as might have
been a most satisfying entertainment of his spirit, I say, for that
wretched aim, we are to this day deprived of that knowledge which man once
had, which was the ornament of his nature and the repast of his soul. As
all other things are subdued under a curse for sin, so especially this
which man had is lost, in seeking that which he needed not, and the track
of it is so obscured and perplexed, the footsteps of it are so
indiscernible, and the way of it is like a bird in the air, or a ship in
the sea, leaving us few helps to find it out, that most part of men lose
themselves in seeking to find it, and therefore, in all the inquiries and
searchings of men after the knowledge even of natural things that come
under our view, there is at length nothing found out remarkable, but the
increase of sorrow, and the discovery of ignorance, as Solomon saith,
Eccles. i. 18. This is all the jewel that is brought up from the bottom of
this sea, when men dive deepest into it, for the wisest of men could reach
no more, though his bucket was as long as any man's, chap. vii. 23. "I
said, I will be wise, but it was far from me, that which is far off and
exceeding deep, who can find it out?" Knowledge hath taken a far journey
from man's nature, and hath not left any prints behind it to find it out
again, but, as it were, hath flown away in an instant, and therefore we
may ask, with Job, chap. xxviii. ver. 1, 12, "Surely there is a vein for
the silver," etc. "But where shall wisdom be found? and where is the place
of understanding?" What Utopian isles is she transported unto, that mortal
men, the more they seek her, find more ignorance,--the further they pursue,
they see themselves at the further distance? Thus it is in those things
that are most obvious to our senses, but how much more in spiritual and
invisible things is our darkness increased, because of the dulness and
earthiness of our spirits that are clogged with a lump of flesh! For God
himself, that should be the _primum intelligibile_ of the soul, the first
and principal object, whose glorious light should first strike into our
hearts, Job testifies "how little a portion is known of him." When we
cannot so much as understand "the thunder