A Treatise of Self-Denial, Treatise · Chapter 32
CHAP. XXXII. Unneceſſary Knowledge, and Deligh therein
15. ANother part of Carnal Pleaſure which ſelf muſt be denied in, is, A deſire after unneceſſary Knowledge, and Delight therein. This is the common ſin of man, but not of all alike. Even they that can live without the Knowledge of the ſaving Principles of Religion, do yet itch to know unprofitable things: and many a fooliſh queſtion they will be asking about matters unrevealed, or that concern them not, when they overlook that which their ſalvation lieth on: but the learneder ſort, and eſpecially more prying wits, and thoſe that are bred up among diſputes, are the proneſt to this ſin: and though it be an odious vice, yet it ſo befooleth many, that they reckon it confidently among their vertues:
God cannot be known too much, nor can any man be too much in love with the true knowledge of God in Jeſus Chriſt: without this knowledge the mind is not good, nor can the heart be ſanctified, or the man be ſaved: Nor can any man know too much of the will and word of God; nor yet of his works in which he revealeth himſelf to the world. But the Carnal knowledge which is to be denied, is of another nature than the ſanctified knowledge of believers. I ſhall ſhew you the difference in certain particular reſpects.
1. This deſire to know, which is in the unſanctified, is, partly from meer nature, and partly from a diſtempered fantaſie, which is like a crorupt enraged appetite, that chooſeth that which is unwholſom, and yet is overgreedy after it. But the deſire after knowledge in the ſanctified, is kindled by the love of God, and the love of thoſe holy and heavenly things which they are inquiring after. It is not the Love of God that ſets ungodly men upon their ſtudies, but a common and carnal deſire to know; and this appears in the end, which is next.
2. This carnal knowledge is but to feed and furniſh and pleaſe a carnal fancy; becauſe it is ſome adding to our underſtandings, and becauſe it is naturally pleaſant to know, and becauſe it brings in ſome novelty and variety, and becauſe it makes us ſeem wiſer than other men, and furniſheth us with matter of diſcourſe and oſtentation, and rids the mind of ſome troubleſom doubts; therefore even the worſt have a mind to know. But this is the knowledge that muſt be denied: that which muſt be valued and ſought after, is, To know God, that we may love, and reverence, and truſt, and admire, and honour him, and enjoy him: To know Chriſt, that we may have more Communion with him: To know the word and works of God, that in them we may know his nature and his will: and knowing his will, may ſerve him and pleaſe him: Theſe muſt be the ends of Chriſtian knowledge. There is nothing in the world that God hath revealed, but in its place we may be willing to know, ſo that we ſtick not in the creature, or ſenſe of the words, or common verities, but uſe every thing as a book or looking-glaſs: we love not a book ſo much for the letters as for the matter which they contain: & we love not a Glaſs for it ſelf ſo much as for its uſe to ſhew us the face which we would ſee in it: ſo if we go to the creatures but as a book in which we may read the mind of God, and ſee his nature, and as a glaſs in which his glory doth ſhine forth, our ſtudy and knowledge will be ſanctified and divine. And thus as Paul would know nothing but Chriſt Crucified, ſo every Chriſtian ſhould be able to ſay, that he would know nothing but God in Chriſt: for though we know a thouſand matters, and that of the loweſt nature in themſelves, yet as long as we ſtudy them not for themſelves but for God, it is not them that we know ſo much, as God in them; and ſo all is but the knowing of God: even as in our duty, though the works may be many and mean that we are employed in, yet all is but the ſerving of God, as long as we do them all for him: this is the main difference between an unſanctified ſcholar and a ſervant of God in all their ſtudies: One of them is but recreating his curious fancy or inquiſitive mind, and ſeeking matter of honour and applauſe, or ſome way or other ſtudying for himſelf: but the other is ſearching after the nature and will of his Creator, and learning how to do his work in that manner as may pleaſe and honour him moſt. So that when they are reading the ſame books, and ſtudying the ſame ſubjects, they are upon quite different works, as having contrary ends in all their ſtudies: the one is content with bare ſpeculation and aery knowledge which puffeth up; and the other ſtudieth and knoweth practically to feed the holy fire of love in his heart, and to guide, and quicken; and ſtrengthen him for obedience.
3. Moreover there is a difference commonly in the ſubject which they moſt deſire to know: for though there is no truth but a wicked man may know, which a true Chriſtian knoweth, and alſo but few truths but what he may for ſelfiſh ends be deſirous to know; yet ordinarily a carnal heart is much more forward to ſtudy common Sciences than Divinity; and in Divinity to ſtudy leaſt the practical part, and to be moſt in points that exerciſe the brain, and lie further from the heart: but the ſanctified man delighteth moſt in knowing the myſterie of Redemption, the riches of grace, the glory which he hopeth for, the nature and will of God, the way of duty, the temptations that are before him, and his danger by them, and the way to eſcape, with ſuch other uſeful truths which he muſt live upon. One feeds but upon the air and chaff of words and notions, or common truths; and the other is taken up with the moſt ſpiritual, heavenly and neceſſary matters: yea it is not ſo much the truth as the matter or thing revealed by it which the Chriſtian looks after: it is not only to underſtand the meaning of the Scripture; but to find, and love, and enjoy that God, that Chriſt, that Spirit, that Life which is revealed in thoſe words of Scripture; but the hypocrite ſticks moſt in a Grammatical ſuperficial kind of knowledge.
5. Carnal knowledge would break Gods bounds, and would needs know that which elſe they might know, and cannot ſee the ſtrength of a reaſon, which the wiſe can ſee; yet will they ſooner quarrel with the light than with their eyes, and ſuſpect the reaſons and words of God rather than their purblind minds. But ſpiritual knowledge is modeſt, and humble, and obedient; & preſumeth not to climb any higher than the ladder, leſt he loſe more by ſuch a ſtep too high, than he got by all his labor hitherto; & find himſelf all in pieces at the bottom while he would needs climb above the top. He finds work enough in what God hath commanded him to ſtudy in his word; and therefore hath no leiſure to look after things that God hath hid from him: It is for the uſe of knowledge that he would know; and therefore he hath no great mind of that which is uſeleſs; and he knows that God is the beſt Judge of that; and therefore he takes that to be beſt for him which is preſcribed him.
6. Carnal Students are apt to learn in the wayes which their intereſts and fancies lead them to: but holy Students learn of God in his preſcribed way; that is, 1. In his Church, which is his School. 2. And in and by his holy Scripture, which is the book he ſets us to learn. And 3. By his Miniſters whom he commandeth to teach us. 4. And in obedience to his ſpirit that muſt make all effectual. And 5. In fervent prayer to God for that ſpirit and a bleſſing. This is Gods way in which he will bring men to ſaving knowledge.
7. Alſo Carnal Students obſerve not (commonly) Gods order in their learning▪ but they begin at that which ſuteth beſt with their carnal intereſt or diſpoſition, as being leaſt againſt it; and they catch here and there a little, and make what their liſt of it, and force it to their carnal ſenſe, and to ſpeak for that which their minds are moſt affected to. But the ſanctified ſtudent, begins at the bottom, and firſt ſeeks to know the Eſſentials of Religion, & Points that life lieth moſt upon: and ſo he proceeds in order, and takes the leſſon which God and his Teachers ſet him, and takes up truths as they lie in order of neceſſity and uſe.
8. And in the manner alſo the difference is great. The Carnal ſtudent ſearcheth preſumptuouſly, ſelfconceitedly, and unreverently, and ſpeaks of holy things accordingly, and cenſureth them, when he ſhould cenſure himſelf and actions by them, and bendeth the words of God to his own carnal intereſt and will. But the ſpiritual ſtudent ſearcheth meekly with fear and reverence, with ſelf-ſuſpicion and conſciouſneſs of his exceeding darkneſs, and with a willingneſs and reſolution to ſubmit to the light, for conviction and for the guidance of his converſation.
And now you ſee what carnal ſtudies are, remember that to avoid them is part of your ſelf-denial. Reſtrain your ranging phantaſies & underſtanding, as you would do a ranging appetite. If you have a mind that would fain reach higher than God hath given you light in Scripture, or a mind that muſt needs be ſatisfied of the reaſons of all Gods ways, and murmureth if any of its doubts be unreſolved, remember that this is ſelf that muſt be denied; and if any be wiſe in his own eyes, he muſt become a fool, that he may be wiſe, 1 Cor. 3. 18. and as little children muſt you come to the School of Chriſt, if you will indeed be his Diſciples And remember that this Intellectual voluptuouſneſs, licentiouſneſs, and preſumption of Carnal minds, is a higher, and in ſome reſpects greater, and more dangerous vice, than brutiſh ſenſuality. And you may cheat and undo your ſouls in a civil courſe of carnal ſelfiſh ſtudies, as well as in a courſe of more groſs and ſenſual v…luptuonſneſs.