A Christian Library, Section 46 – Section 47
Sect. 46.
ANd that I am not mistaken, the effect shews: For if men knew either God, or Christ, they could not but love him; and loveing him, they would keep his commandments, Ioh. 14.15. For hereby (saith St. John) It is manifest that we know him, if we keep his commandments, 1 Joh. 2.3. But he that sayeth, I know him, and yet keepeth not his commandments is a lyar, and there is no truth in him ver. 4. What saith our Saviour? This is life eternal to know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent, Joh. 17.3. But how shall a man know, whether he hath this knowledge? Answ. St. John tells you in those last words mentioned, and so plainly, that you cannot be deceived, except you desire to deceive your own soul.
The knowledge of God that saves us, is more than a bare apprehension of him; i… knows his power, and therefore fears him; knows his justice, and therefore serves him; knows his mercy, and therefore trusts him; knows his goodness, and therefore loves him, &c. For he that hath the saving knowledge of God, or of Christ, hath every other Grace: There is a sweet correspondence between every one, where there is any one in truth: As in the generation, the head is not without the body, nor the body without each member, nor the soul without its powers and faculties; so in the regeneration, where there is any one grace in truth, there is every one, 2 Cor. 5.17. If you will see it in particulars, read Psa. 9.10. Jer. 9.24. 1 Joh. 4.6. Joh. 4.10. 1 Joh. 4.7, 8. & 2.3. Joh 42.5, 6. 1 Ioh. 4.7. which Scriptures shew, that as feeling is inseparable to all the organs of sense; the eye sees and feels, the ear hears and feels, the pallat tastes and feels, the nostrils smell and feel; so knowledge is involved in every grace: Faith knows and believes, Charity knows and loves, Patience knows and suffers, Temperance knows and abstains, Humility knows and stoops, Repentance knows and mourns, Obedience knows and does, Confidence knows and rejoyces, Hope knows and expects, Compassion knows and pities. Yea, as there is a power of water in every thing that grows; it is fatness in the olive, sweetness in the figg, cheerfulness in the grape, strength in the oak, taleness in the cedar, redness in the rose, whiteness in the lilly, &c. so knowledge is in the hand obedience, in the mouth benediction, in the knee humility, in the eye compassion, in the heart charity, in the whole body and soul, piety.
Alas! If men had the true knowledg of Jesus Christ, it would disperse and dispel, all the black clouds of their reigning sins in a moment; as the Sun does no sooner shew his face, but the darkness vanisheth: or as Caesar did no sooner look upon his enemies, but they were gone: Egypt swarmed with locusts, till the west wind came, that left not one: He cannot delight in sin, nor dote upon this world, that knows Christ savingly.
Vertue is ordained a wife for knowledg; and where these two joyn, there will proceed from them a noble progine, a generation of good works. Again, as the water engendereth ice, and the ice again engendereth water; so knowledg begets righteousness, and righteousness again begetteth knowledg. It is between science and conscience, as it is between the stomack and the head; for as in mans body, the raw stomack maketh a thumatick head, and the thumatick head maketh a raw stomach; so science makes our conscience good, and conscience makes our science good: Nor is it so much scientiae capit…s, as conscientia cordis, that knows Christ and our selves; whence Solomon saith, Give thine heart to wisdom, Prov. 2.10. and let wisdom enter into thine heart, Prov. 4.4. And when he would acquaint us … become wise, he tells us, that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, Prov. 1.7. as if the first lesson to be wise, were to be …, If it be asked, Why the natural man perceiveth not the …ings of the spirit of God? Saint Paul answers, he cannot know them, because they are spiritually discerned, 1 Cor. 2.14. and indeed i… …hey … spiri…ually discerned, how should they descern them … spirit? For though the outward man receive… the eleme… …udiments of Religion by breeding and education, yet his …veth them by heavenly inspiration, 1 Cor. 2.11, 12, 13 & 12.3 8 Matth 16 16, 17. Deut. 29 2, 3, 4, Psa. 111.…0. Luke 24.4… … 15 15. …nd …his alone is enough to prove, that no wicke… man … man; for if God alone be the giver of it, we may be su… that … will … his secrets to none but such as he knows will improve their knowledge to his glory, and the good of others: Even as the husband man will not cast his seed but into ground that will return him a good harvest, Psa. 25.14. Luke 24.45. Mark 4.34. Gen. 18.17. 1 Joh. 4.7.
Sect. 47.
BUt would these men (any one, even the best of them) thus improve, or imploy their knowledge? Or do they desire it to any such end? No: but to some other end, as I shall in the next place acquaint you.
Some men desire not to know, some desire only to know; Or rather thus, Few men in comparison desire knowledge, fewer that desire divine and supernatural knowledge; fewest of all that desire to be the better, or that others should be the better for their knowledge: More particularly, a world of men desire knowledg for no other end but to remove their ignorance; as Pharaoh used Moses, but to remove the plagues. Others again study the Scriptures, and other good Books, only to make gain thereof; or to be the abler to dispute and discourse, as boys go into the water, only to play and paddle there, not to wash and be clean. With Eve, they highly desire the tree of knowledg, but regard not the tree of life.
As I would fain know, what fruit or effect the knowledge of most men produces in them, except it be to inable them to dispute and discourse, to increase wit, o… …o increase wealth, or to increase pride, or perhaps to increase Athiesm, and to make them the more able and cunning to argue against the truth and power of Religion? Whether the utmost of their aim be not to enrich, dignifie, and please themselves; not once casting the eye of their souls at Gods glory, their neighbors good, or their own salvation? Whether their main drift be not purchasing of a great estate for them and theirs, with out either fear of God, regard of men, or the discharge of their duty and calling? Again, whereas a godly man and a good Christian, thinks himself as happy in giving light to others, as in receiving it himself; how many are there, who as themselves are never the better, (I mean in regard of Grace) for their great wisdom and learning, so no more are others; for commonly they resemble dark Lanthorns which have light, but so shut up and reserved as if it were not: and what is the difference betwixt concealed skill, and ignorance; It is the nature and praise of good, to be communicative, whereas if their hidden knowledge do ever look out, it casts so sparing a light, that it only argues it self to have an unprofitable being.
And for the most part these men if they may be thought great Rabbies, deep and profound Schollars; this is the night of their ambition, though neither the Church be benefited, nor God glorified by it; whereas they ought the contrary: for as the grace of God is the fountain from which our wisdom flows; so the glory of God should be the Ocean to which it should run: yea, that God may be honoured with, and by our wisdom, is the only end for which he gives us to be wise: And for default of this end, he not seldom crosseth the means, whereby while men strive to expel ignorance, they fall into error; as an Emperick to cure one Disease, causeth a worse. Briefly, to conclude this point, So many as are puft up with their knowledge, or do not part with their sins, thew that they never sought it for Gods glory, but for their own honour and glory. And certainly if we seek not Gods glory in doing his work, he will give us no wages at the latter end.