4. Lastly, Ignorance exposeth men to Gods judgments, as well as any other sin doth, and those not only temporal, Isaiah 5.13. but eternal too, 2 Thess. 1.8. Christ when he comes to judgment will execute vengeance on them that know not God. Those that God will love, he will have them come to the knowledge of the truth, 1 Tim. 2.4. And even the servant that knows not his masters will, shall have his share of stripes, Luke 12.48. Men may perish not only for lack of that knowledge, which is absolutely necessary to salvation, but for lack of that which they were bound, according to their opportunities to have gained. I have heard it as the saying of a learned man, that a Papist might be saved, but a Recusant could not; as having sufficient means for conviction, and information. I am not concerned to dispute the truth of the former, but see no reason to question the certainty of the latter. And might it not be said of many Protestants, that they might be saved in another Country, but cannot be saved here, and that for the same reason, because here they have means of getting more knowledge? alas! how many ignorant souls are in Hell already, and how many more are posting after them? when they dye there goes not only dust to dust, but darkness to darkness; the darkness of ignorance to the darkness of Hell. They will at last find themselves greatly deceived, that think they shall be saved because they are poor ignorant creatures, and know no better: that is, that they shall be saved because they know not the way to salvation; they shall be healed because they know not wh•t will cure them. And however they may for a time flatter themselves, upon the account of any external privileges, that they are Christians, Protestants, Professors, yet they may read their doom in the Text, which will one day be made good upon them; and if they will not know what else they should, yet let them know this, that Because they are a people of no understanding, therefore he that made them, will not have mercy on them, and he that formed them, will show them no favour.
4. Lastly, Ignorance exposeth men to Gods judgments, as well as any other sin doth, and those not only temporal, Isaiah 5.13. but eternal too, 2 Thess. 1.8. Christ when he comes to judgment will execute vengeance on them that know not God. Those that God will love, he will have them come to the knowledge of the truth, 1 Tim. 2.4. And even the servant that knows not his masters will, shall have his share of stripes, Luke 12.48. Men may perish not only for lack of that knowledge, which is absolutely necessary to salvation, but for lack of that which they were bound, according to their opportunities to have gained. I have heard it as the saying of a learned man, that a Papist might be saved, but a Recusant could not; as having sufficient means for conviction, and information. I am not concerned to dispute the truth of the former, but see no reason to question the certainty of the latter. And might it not be said of many Protestants, that they might be saved in another Country, but cannot be saved here, and that for the same reason, because here they have means of getting more knowledge? alas! how many ignorant souls are in Hell already, and how many more are posting after them? when they dye there goes not only dust to dust, but darkness to darkness; the darkness of ignorance to the darkness of Hell. They will at last find themselves greatly deceived, that think they shall be saved because they are poor ignorant creatures, and know no better: that is, that they shall be saved because they know not the way to salvation; they shall be healed because they know not wh•t will cure them. And however they may for a time flatter themselves, upon the account of any external priviledges, that they are Christians, Protestants, Professors, yet they may read their doom in the Text, which will one day be made good upon them; and if they will not know what else they should, yet let them know this, that Because they are a people of no understanding, therefore he that made them, will not have mercy on them, and he that formed them, will shew them no favour.
