Lectures Upon Psalm 51, Part 7 · Lecture 98
Lecture XCVIII. On Psalme 51.6. Septemb. 16. 1628.
THe third and last sort of the signes of saving knowledge,The effects of saving knowledge is taken from the effects of it; and those are foure principally.
First, Whereas carnall knowledge even of heavenly things (I meane such a knowledge of them, as a man by the strength of his owne wit in hearing or reading or study even of the Word of God attaineth unto) will puffe up a man and make him proud and apt to censure and despise others. Knowledge puffeth up, saith the Apostle, 1 Corinthians 8.1. Yea Paul himselfe was apt to bee exalted above measure with the abundance of revelations, he had received above other men as himselfe saith, 2 Corinthians 12.7. Saving knowledge that is wrought in the heart by the spirit of grace, hath a quite contrary effect; for it humbleth a man and maketh him thinke more lowly of himselfe, then ever he did before. See this is Iames 3.13. Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? (saith he) let him shew out of a good conversation hit workes with meeknesse of wisedome. As if he had thus said, If he have true and saving knowledge and wisedome indeed, let him shew it by his meekenesse and humility in his whole conversation. The meeke will he guide in judgement: (saith David, Psal. 25.9.) and the meeke will he teach his way. As if hee had said, Those that are taught of God, will be meeke and humble men. And indeed, it must needs be so. For the more this light shineth into the heart of a man, the more ignorance and corruption shall he see to be in himselfe. All things that are reproved (evill and reprovable saith the Apostle, Ephes. 5.13.) are made manifest by the light This experience sheweth us in the best of Gods servants, and such as have most saving knowledge in them. None complaine so much of their ignorance, none so much humbled, in the sense of their owne corruptions, as they are. Nay themselves before their conversion, when they had farre lesse knowledge and lesse goodnesse then now they have, never thought so basely of themselves, as now they doe. What is the cause of this? Surely God hath now opened their eyes, that were shut before, this light of grace, hath discovered that ignorance and corruption of heart unto them, that before they never discerned nor thought had beene in them.
Let every one of us by this note, try his owne knowledge whether it be the good knowledge of God,Applic. such as will doe us good, whether it be the worke of Gods spirit and grace or of nature onelyonly. 1. Seest thou no matter of shame and humbling in thy selfe, no ignorance and blockishnesse, no sluttish and foule corners in thine owne heart that thou never discernedst before? Nay art thou not indeed humbled oft for these things? Certainely this light of saving knowledge never yet shined in thy heart. The first worke of it wheresoever it commeth is the discovering of ignorance and corruption, and the humbling of the heart for it. 2. Art thou well perswaded of thine owne knowledge, and proud of it; doth it puffe thee up and make thee censorious and apt to despise others, that thou thinkest have not that knowledge and grace that thou hast, like the supercilious Pharisees, Iohn 7.49. This people who know not the law are accursed (a fault that many of our young professours doe much dishonour the Gospell by) certainely (thou maist have knowledge I will not deny but) thou wert never yet taught of God, saving and sanctified knowledge thou hast not? For so saith the Apostle, 1 Cor. 8.2. If any man thinke he knoweth any thing, (if he be conceited and proud of his knowledge, if it make him swell and puffe him up as he had said, verse 1.) he knoweth nothing yet, as he ought to know.
The second effect of saving knowledge is this. It swimmeth not nor floteth aloft in the braine onelyonly, of him that hath it, but it soaketh and sinketh downe to the heart, it worketh upon the heart and affections of a man. And a God is said to know them onelyonly whom he doth affect, and love and care for; as he saith to his people, Amos 3.2. You onelyonly have I knowne of all the families of the earth; And of wicked men whom he loveth not, nor affecteth he saith, Mat. 7.23 that he never knew them. So man is said to know nothing in religion, unlesse his heart be affected with that which he knoweth. Thus speaketh Ioshuah of the knowledge of Gods people, Iosh. 23.14. Ye know in all your hearts, and in all your soules. As if he had said, Ye know the truth of God in his promises, not speculatively onelyonly but feelingly, comfortably, and experimentally. So speaketh the Lord of his peoples knowledge, Esa. 5….7. Hearken unto mee ye people that know righteousnesse, in whose heart is my law. As though hee should say, No man knoweth righteousnesse and religion indeed, and with a saving knowledge, unlesse the law of God and that that he knoweth in religion, be in his heart and affection, as well as in his braine and understanding. O tast and see (saith David, Psalme 34.8.) that the Lord is good. As if hee had said, You can never see nor discerne and understand it well, unlesse yee tast and feele the sweetnesse of it in your owne hearts. So the Apostle saith, 2 Cor. 2.14. that by his ministery God made manifest the savour of his knowledge, in every place. That knowledge of God which the faithfull gat by his ministery, and whereby they were converted had savour in it, it was a savoury knowledge. This light of sanctified knowledge is not like the light of a gloworme, or like the light that the Moone giveth, which glittereth and shineth but hath no heate in it at all; but it is like that of the Sunne yea of the spring or summer sunne which doth not onelyonly give light unto the world, but it warmeth also and quickneth every thing. Therefore is this light called the light of life, Ioh. 8.12. No man knoweth God aright with a saving and sanctified knowledge, but he must needs feare him, and love him, and put his trust in him. The spirit of knowledge is called, Esa. 11.2. The spirit of the feare of the Lord. These graces goe alwaies together. So speaketh the Apostle likewise of love, 1 Iohn 4.8. He that loveth not, knoweth not God, for God is love. So Psal. 9.10. They that know thy name, will put their trust in thee; for thou Lord hast not forsaken them that seeke thee. No man knoweth himselfe or his owne sins both of nature and practise aright, with a knowledge of the holy spirits working, but he must needs loath himselfe in his owne sight, as the Prophet speaketh, Ezek. 36 31. No man can know Christ aright, know him to be his Saviour, but hee must needs be affected with it, and joy more in it then in any thing in the world besides. So speaketh the Apostle, 1 Pet. 1.8. In whom though now ye see him not, yet beleeving in him, (knowing that he loved you and gave himselfe for you) ye rejoyce with joy unspeakable and full of glory. To conclude this second effect of saving knowledge, No man can have any knowledge in the Scriptures of Gods teaching, but he must needs affect the Word, love it, and delight in it. So David in that very octonary and part of Psal. 119. that is to say, part 13. wherein he speaketh of the knowledge and understanding he had gotten by studying the Scriptures, professeth how he was affected to the Word, verse 97. O how love I thy law? And verse 103. How sweet are thy words unto my tast? Yea sweeter then hony unto my mouth. And verse 50. Thy Word hath quickned me. As if he should say, It hath not beene a dead and senslesse knowledge that I have gotten by it, but such as hath enlightned me and bred holy affections in me.
Now if we would examine our selves by this note,Applic. we should find that many of us that make a goodly shew in the Church of God, after all these meanes of knowledge we have enjoyed, have little or no saving knowledge in us. Of a number of us it may be said as the Apostle speaketh, 1 Cor. 8.1. We know that we have all knowledge, and a great deale of it, many of us. But we are not affected with that we know, it worketh not upon our hearts; we have a great deale of light in our understanding, but it is but like as the Moone-shine or the glittering of the glo-worme, it warmeth not our hearts at all, but they remaine still as cold and dead as any stone. We have the knowledge of God and of all his attributes, his holinesse, his justice, his omniscience, his power, his goodnesse; but what affections doth this knowledge worke in our hearts? What reverence, what feare to offend him, what desire to be reconciled unto him, what love unto his name? We know well enough what sin is, and what the curse of God is, that is due unto sin; yea that our selves are sinners, and that if we be not still, yet certainely we were under this curse; yet all this that wee know, never maketh our hearts to quake, worketh no feare, nor sorrow, nor humiliation in them. We say we know Christ not onelyonly to be an all sufficient Saviour to the elect, but that he hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, his body was broken for us, and his bloud was shed for us, but we are not affected with this at all, we tast no more sweetnesse in Christ, then in a chip, wee rejoyce not in him. In a word wee have knowledge in the Scriptures and increase in it daily, by reading and hearing we learne more and more, but nothing we read or heare or learne affecteth or moveth us, or if it worke any motions in us, they are but sudden flashes that vanish quickly; and can this be saving knowledge? No no, beloved deceive not your owne soules; the knowledge that Gods spirit worketh, resteth not in the braine but sinketh and soaketh into the heart, and worketh kindly upon the affections of a man. Labour therefore for good affections and make much of them, mourne for this that thy heart is so senslesse and dead. Know that as good affections without knowledge will yeeld thee no comfort, no more will knowledge without good affections. It will doe you no good to know God, unlesse you feare him and love him. If any man love God (saith the Apostle, 1 Cor. 8.3. and that that he saith of love, may be said of feare) the same is knowne (and approved) of him. It will doe you no good to know your selves to be sinners, and to be able to make large confessions of them, unlesse you can mourne and be humbled for them. When Christ had said, Matth. 5.3. Blessed are the poore in spirit; he addeth verse 4. Blessed are they that mourne. As if he had said, Without this, the other will never make us happy. It will doe us no good to know Christ, unlesse we can rejoyce in him. We are the circumcision (saith Paul, Phil. 3.3. the true people of God) which worship God in the spirit, and rejoyce in Christ Iesus. It will doe us no good to read and heare much and so to increase in the knowledge of the Word, unlesse we be affected with that we heare and learne. These words which I command thee this day (saith the Lord, Deut. 6.6.) shall bee in thine heart. If ye will not heare (saith the Prophet, Mal. 2.2.) and if ye will not lay it to heart. As if he had said, As good not heare at all, as not lay that to heart, and not to be affected with that we heare.
The third effect of saving and sanctified knowledge is this; It will reforme the heart and life of him that hath it; it is an operative, a powerfull and effectuall knowledge. It will make the man that hath it a godly man. In physick, and law, and other sciences a man may attaine to a good understanding and sound judgement in them, though he never practise them himselfe. But in Divinity it is otherwise; a man knoweth nothing aright in religion, till he become a practiser of that he knoweth. This the Apostle teacheth us notably, Ephes. 4.20—24. But ye have not so learned Christ (saith he; that is to say, to professe your selves to bee Christians and yet to live lewdly still) if so bee that ye have heard him, and have beene taught by him, as the truth is in Iesus. Why? What is it to be taught by Christ as the truth is in Christ Iesus? That hee telleth us in the next words, verse 22. that ye put off, concerning the former conversation the old man; and be renewed in the spirit of your minde: and put on the new man which after God is created in righteousnesse and true holinesse. As though he had said, Every one that hath learned Christ aright, and is taught of God (hath true and sanctified knowledge in him) cannot but forsake his old sins, and become a new man. It is such a knowledge of God as whereby wee are changed into the same image (as the Apostle speaketh, 2 Cor. 3.18.) from glory to glory, even as by the spirit of the Lord. See this briefly confirmed in both the parts of true godlinesse; that is to say, both in eschewing of evill, and in doing of good. For the first, Heare what the Lord saith, Iob 28.28. To depart from evill is understanding. As if he had said, This is the onelyonly right knowledge, sanctified and saving understanding, that hath power in it to kill sin in a man, to make him forsake all knowne sins. Yea the knowledge of Gods Word, if it be a Gods teaching, will make a man not onelyonly to eschew evill, but to doe it out of a zealous hatred of sin. Through thy precepts I get understanding (saith David, Psal. 119.104.) therefore I hate every false way. As if he should say, The more my knowledge in thy Word increaseth, to more my hatred to every sinne increaseth likewise. See this also in the other part of godlinesse, In doing of good A man of understanding, walketh uprightly, saith Solomon, Pro. 15.21. If wee know any duty God requireth of us, with a sanctified knowledge, we cannot but make conscience of the practise of it, yea practise it with uprightnesse and sincerity of heart. A good understanding (saith David, Psal. 111.10.) have all they that doe his commandements. As if hee had said, That and that onelyonly is good understanding, sanctified and saving knowledge, that draweth a man to obedience, to the practise of that he doth know. So the Lord speaketh of the knowledge that was in good Iosiah, Ier. 22.16. He judged the cause of the poore and needy—was not this to know me, saith the Lord? As if he should have said, This was sound and sanctified knowledge indeed, that made him conscionable in the duties of his particular calling. This wisedome that commeth from above (as the Apostle speaketh, Iames 3.17. this knowledge that is of Gods teaching) is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, easie to be intreated, full of mercy, and good fruits.
Applic.Let me now make some application of this in two points.
First, To stop the mouthes of Papists and others that object our religion cannot be the truth, because it bringeth forth no better fruits, it reformeth not the lives of them that professe it most, and have most knowledge in it; that cry out against all profession and following after the meanes of knowledge, because many that know most are worse men then any other. To these men I have three things to answer. First, That our religion may be the true and holy religion of God though they that professe it bee most lewd and wicked men. For so was the religion that Christ and his Apostles taught, though Iudas who was both a professour and a preacher of it were so lewd a man. Secondly, That our religion and every principle and doctrine in it (even those that are most slandered to tend unto licentiousnesse, the doctrine of predestination, of conversion by grace onelyonly, of justification by faith alone, of certainty of salvation, of finall perseverance) is so holy, such an enemie to all sin, so effectuall to reforme the heart and life of a man; as it is not possible for him that truly understandeth and beleeveth it, but his heart and life must needs bee reformed by it. Even such a religion as the Apostle describeth and calleth, 1 Tim. 6 3. A doctrine which is according to Godlinesse. Thirdly, That such professours of it at whose lives they stumble so, what shew so ever they make of knowledge in it, though they professe it, yet they doe not indeed understand and beleeve it, they have no true and sound knowledge in it; for they are sensuall, and not having the spirit, Iude 19. And it is not flesh and bloud that can reveile these things unto a man, as our Saviour teacheth, Matth. 16.17. But there is a spirit in man: (saith Elihu, Io… 32.8.) and the inspiration of the Almighty giveth them understanding. He that liveth in any knowne sinne, understandeth nothing aright in our religion. Of every such a one (be he never so learned) that may be said which the Holy Ghost speaketh of the harlot, Pro. 9.13. He is simple, and knoweth nothing. He that maketh not conscience of every commandement and duty that God hath enjoyned him in his generall or particular calling, hath no sound and true knowledge of God or of religion in him. He that saith I know him (saith the Apostle, 1 Ioh. 2.4.) and keepeth not his commandements, is a lyar, and the truth is not in him.
Secondly, Let me apply this by way of exhortation unto every one of you. Labour to feele the knowledge thou hast gotten out of Gods Word, to bee a powerfull and effectuall knowledge in thee; that it ruleth and mastereth thee so, as thou darest not goe against it, darest not but obey it. Not onelyonly in grosse and great sins but even in smallest; even to the reforming of thy choller and moderating of thy passions He that hath knowledge spareth his words, (saith Solomon, Pro. 17.27.) and a man of understanding, is of a coole spirit. Els 1 thou canst have no comfort in all thy knowledge, if it be not powerfull to restraine thee, to reforme thee, Iohn 13.17. If ye know these things, happy are ye, if ye doe them; As if he had said, not els. It is no happinesse to have knowledge, carnall knowledge, naturall knowledge, that is not sanctified, not effectual. 2. The more thou hast of it the more it will increase thy sinne, Iames 4.17. He that knoweth to doe well, and doth it not, to him it is sinne. And (consequently) the more thou hast of it, the more extreame shall thy condemnation and torment be. You know the saying of our Saviour, Luke 12.47. The servant that knoweth his ma…sters will and doth it not, shall bee beaten with many stripes. And so it is with Sa…an; who as he knoweth more in religion then any man (and is therefore called foreign) so shall his torments be greater then any mans; both in the life to come, Matth. 25.41. those unspeakable torments are prepared chiefly for him and his angels; and even in this life also his knowledge increaseth his torments, The divels beleeve and tremble saith the Apostle, Iames 2.19. The certaine knowledge he hath of things revealed in the Word, worketh unspeakable hor…ours in him. O glory not in that knowledge that hath no power in it to reforme thee; but tremble to thinke how this will one day increase thy torments.
Followeth the fourth and last effect of saving knowledge (which I will but name) It will strengthen a man and make him able to withstand any tentation. A wise man is strong, (saith Solomon, Pro. 24.5.) and a man of knowledge increaseth strength. As though he should say, As a mans knowledge increaseth (if it be spirituall, and sanctified knowledge) so shall his strength to resist any tentation increase likewise. When wisedome entreth into thy soule (saith Solomon, Pro. 2.10, 11.) and knowledge is pleasant unto thy soule, Discretion shall preserve thee, and understanding shall keepe thee. And he instanceth in two tentations which it will preserve a man in, (in the verses following) which experience of all ages hath found to be most strong and prevalent. 1. From the counsell and example of lewd men, verse 12—15. 2. From the allurements of harlots, verse 16.Applic. And therefore the knowledge of that man who hath not strength to overcome, but is as weake as water to resist any tentation; can both eschew evill and doe good till he be tempted, but thinketh it a sufficient excuse for any sin, that he was tempted; as our first parents did, Gen. 3.12, 13. is but carnall and naturall, it is no sanctified nor saving knowledge. Certainely God did never yet in his hidden part make him to know wisedome, as he had done unto David. Know you, there can be no saving knowledge, nor indeed any truth of grace, in that man that hath no power to resist tentation, As appeareth by the conclusion Christ maketh of every Epistle that he wrote to the seven Churches, Revel 2. & 3. where the promise is made to him that overcommeth, and to none but him. Remember that this is spoken of a principall part of our miserable condition in the state of nature that we were then without strength, Rom. 5.6. He that is without all strength to resist tentation, certainely is still in the state of nature, he is still in his sins.