Ignorantia scientifica. A brief essay on mans not knowing his time: the just inferences…

First, IT is from the Pity and Mercy of our Gracious GOD unto the poor Children of Men, that they must not know their Time, nor what is to befall them in their Time.

First, IT is from the Pitty and Mercy of our Gracious GOD unto the poor Children of Men, that they must not know their Time, nor what is to befall them in their Time.

IT may well be ascribed unto the Pity of our GOD, That we do not know our Time; For such a knowledge would very much destroy the comfort of our Time; very much make for us a most uncomfortable Time, Here, Here, most emphatically; He that increaseth Knowledge increaseth Sorrow. It would mightily take away the comfort which we take in any thing under the Sun, if we knew aforehand, When and How we are to take our leave of that comfort. It is reported concerning Elisha, 2 King. VIII. 11, 12. The man of God wept; And Hazael said, Why weepeth my Lord? And he answered, Because I know the evil, that thou wilt do. Thus, If a Man know the evil Time that is to befall himself, or his House, and the Time of the Evil, he would fall a weeping at it; into such a weeping, that he would be able to find little Relish in the gifts of GOD unto him. The Anticipations of Trouble would break the Hearts of Men, if they knew before hand all the Trouble that is to come upon them, and the Time when it will come. Our Lord has told us; Math. VI. 34. Sufficient unto the Day is the evil thereof. It will be soon enough to know the evil, when the Day comes. If we should know the evil before the Day, it would multiply exceedingly, & keep growing & growing, and scalding upon us; we should be more scalded before it falls, than we should be in the Actual Falling of it. It is a most ⟨p. 12⟩conspicuous Difference between a Man, & a Brute. And I look upon it, as no despicable Argument, that Man is made for a World that is to come. A Man has a strong Apprehension of what is to come : And what he knows is to come, he feels it Exquisitely, he feels it Wonderfully. Oh! Should many a Man know, At such a Time, shall my House be laid in Ashes; Or, At such a Time, a Relative that is the Desire of my Eyes will be taken from me: Or, at such a Time I shall my self be carried unto my long Home, and the Mourners for me shall walk about the Streets; Verily, this knowledge would cause an unspeakable Anguish in him. Such a knowledge of our Time, would cause a cry to be heard among us, like that which was once heard in Egypt; A cry whereof they kept an Anniversary commemoration among them, for many Ages.