An exposition with practical observations continued upon the fourth, fifth, sixth, and seventh chapters…

The third is, Nor no Knowledge of God in the land.] In the Hebrew it is, And no knowledge; but now Vau that is there for And, it signifies sometimes quia, as well as et; And so it may indeed be well rendered here, Because there is no knowledge of God in the land; the reason why there is no mercy is because there is no knowledge of God: The knowledge of God will make wicked men to be merciful men. Cruel men know not God. These two are put together and joined most elegantly in Psal. 74.20. The dark places of the earth are full of the habitations of cruelty (says the text.) The knowledge of God will make men civil and humane at least, but when there is no knowledge of God men grow cruel and savage. And do we not find this to be true at this very day? From what places are men that do now rise up to be plunderers, to shed blood, to be cruel in most desperate outrages, from what places are these men beholden for their assistors and abettors this way? Are they not beholden to places where they are in ignorance, where they have no knowledge of God, where there is no preaching? In the Countries round about observe those Parishes, those Towns, where there hath been least or worst preaching, where they have had least knowledge of God, there you have most malignants, that are bloody and cruel. No marvel then that our adversaries are such enemies to the faithful preachers of the word of God; no marvel then they are made the But of their malice; for indeed if they bring the knowledge of God into the land they will bring humanity, civility, they will bring mercy and love, and there will be few or none that will be fit for their turns. Indeed it is their complaint of the Parliament that they set ignorant men in places, but certainly this complaint is but a pretence, for it were better for their turns that all the congregations in England had but ignorant men, had no men to bring the knowledge of God amongst people; but they know well enough what ever they say, that ⟨p. 33⟩those that are sent are such as do bring the knowledge of God among people, and there is nothing does them more hurt than this knowledge of God.

The third is, Nor no Knowledg of God in the land.] In the Hebrew it is, And no knowledg; but now Vau that is there for And, it signifies sometimes quia, as well as et; And so it may indeed be well rendred here, Because there is no knowledg of God in the land; the reason why there is no mercy is because there is no knowledg of God: The knowledg of God will make wicked men to be merciful men. Cruel men know not God. These two are put together and joyned most elegantly in