4. On the other hand, it shall be made appear, that _indevotion_ is founded in the most excessive ignorance. And, _first_, Our blessed Lord and his apostles were eminent instances of great devotion. Now if we will grant, (as all Christians must grant) that their great devotion was founded in a true knowledge of the nature of devotion, the nature of God, and the nature of man, then it is plain, that all those that are insensible of devotion, are in this excessive state of ignorance; they neither know God, nor themselves, nor devotion. Again, how comes it that most people have recourse to devotion, when they are in sickness, distress, or fear of death? Is it not because this state shews them _more_ of the want of God, and their own weakness, than they perceive at other times? Is it not because their approaching end, _convinces_ them of something which they did not _half perceive_ before? Now if devotion, at these seasons, is the effect of a _better knowledge_ of God and ourselves, then the neglect of devotion at other times is owing to ignorance of God and ourselves. 5. Farther, as indevotion is ignorance, so it is the most _shameful_ ignorance, and such as is to be charged with the _greatest folly_. This will fully appear to any one that considers by what rules we are to judge of the excellency of any knowledge, or the shamefulness of any ignorance. Now _knowledge_ itself would be no _excellence_, nor ignorance any _reproach_ to us, but that we are _rational_ creatures. It follows plainly, that knowledge which is most _suitable_ to our rational nature, and which most concerns us, as such, to know, is our _highest, finest_ knowledge; and that ignorance which relates to things that are most _essential_ to us, as rational creatures, and which we are most concerned to know, is, of all others, the most _gross_ and _shameful_ ignorance. 6. If a _gentleman_ should fancy that the _moon_ is no bigger than it appears to the _eye_, that it shines with its _own light_, that all the _stars_ are only so many spots of light; if after reading books of _astronomy_, he should still continue in the same opinion, most people would think he had but a poor apprehension. But if the same person should think it better to provide for a _short life_ here, than to prepare for a _glorious eternity_ hereafter; that it was better to be _rich_, than to be _eminent_ in piety, his _ignorance_ and _dulness_ would be too great to be compared to any thing else. That is the most clear and improved understanding, which _judges_ best of the _value_ and _worth_ of things; all the rest is but the capacity of an _animal_; it is but meer _seeing_ and _hearing_. If a man had _eyes_ that could see beyond the _stars_, or pierce into the heart of the earth, but could not see the things that were before him, or discern any thing that was serviceable to him, we should reckon that he had but a very _bad sight_.