A history of the work of redemption. Containing the outlines of a body of…

(3) There is a great increase of learning. In the dark times of Popery before the Reformation, learning was so far decayed, that the world seemed to be overrun with barbarous ignorance. Their very priests were many of them grossly ignorant. Learning began to revive with the Reformation, which was owing very much to the art of printing, which was invented a little before the Reformation; and since that, learning has increased more and more, and at this day is undoubtedly raised to vastly a greater ⟨p. 236⟩height than ever it was before: and though no good use is made of it by the greater part of learned men, yet the increase of learning in itself is a thing to be rejoiced in, because it is a good, and, if duly applied, an excellent handmaid to divinity, and is a talent which, if God gives to men an heart, affords them a great advantage to do great things for the advancement of the kingdom of Christ, and the good of the souls of men. That learning and knowledge should greatly increase before the glorious times, seems to be foretold, Dan. xii 4. "But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, an seal the book▪ even to the time of the end; many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased." And however little no• learning is applied to the advancement of religion; yet we may hope that the days are approaching wherein God will make great use of it for the advancement of the kingdom of Christ.

God in his providence now seems to be acting over again the same part which he did a little before Christ came. The age wherein Christ came into the world, was an age wherein learning greatly prevailed, and was at greater height than ever it had been before▪ and yet wickedness never prevailed more than then. God was pleased to suffer human learning to come to such a height before he sent forth the gospel into the world, that the world might see the insufficiency of all their own wisdom for the obtaining the knowledge of God, without the gospel of Christ, and the teachings of his Spirit: and then, after that, in the wisdom of God, the the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God, by the foolishness of preaching, to save them that believe. And when the gospel came to prevail first without the help of man's wisdom, then God was pleased to make use of learning as an handmaid. So now learning is at a great height at this day in the world far beyond what it was in the age when Christ appeared; and now the world, by their learning and wisdom, do not know God; and they seem to wande in darkness, are miserably deuded, mble and fall in matters of religion, as in midnight-darkness. Trusting to their learning, they grope in the day time as in the night Learned men are exceedingly divided in their opinions concerning the matters of religion run into all manner o corrupt opinions, and pernicious and foolish errors. They […] submit their reason to divine revelation, to believe any thing that is above their comprehension; and so being wise in their own eyes they become fools. and even vain in their imaginations and turn the truth of God into a lie, and their foolish hearts are darkened. See Rom. 21 &c.