A Little Cabinet, Section 21 – Section 24
Of Knowledge, firſt of God, ſecondly of our ſelves: the properties of it, and means of attaining it, and the benefits we have by it.
Of Knowledge.
TO lack knowledge is a very evil thing, to ſcorn to learn is worſe, and to hate knowledge is worſt of all. Hoſ. 6. 6. I deſired the Knowledge of God, more then burnt offerings. Hoſ. 4. 1. The Lord hath a controverſie with the inhabitants of the Land, becauſe there is no knowledge of God in the Land. 1 Cor. 15. Some have not the knowledge of God, I ſpeak this to your ſhame. Hoſ. 4. 6. My people periſh for want of knowledge. Prov. 1. 22. How long ye ſimple ones will ye love ſimplicity, and fools hate knowledge? Prov. 2. 16. When wiſdom entereth into thy heart, and knowledge is pleaſant to thy ſoul, diſcretion ſhall preſerve thee, underſtanding ſhall keep thee. Eph. 2. 17. Therefore be ye not unwiſe, but underſtanding what the will of the Lord is. What ſhall I ſay more, knowledge is that underſtanding which we have both of God and his Word and Will, and of our own ſelves; it is a ſtore-houſe of all wiſdom, and the beginning of ſalvation; it is a ſpiritual vertue to ſpeak little and well; words are the ſhadow of works, and works the ſubſtance of words; much talking and little practiſing, is like to an empty veſſel, that doth give a greater ſound then they that be full; much knowledge & little practiſe is like a great tree that makes a large ſhew, but bears no fruit. To cloſe up this, firſt of knowledge in general, let me tell the Reader, that a man without knowledge, is as a workman without hands, or as a painter without eyes, or as a traveller without legs, or as a ſhip without ſails, or as a bird without wings, or as a body without a ſoul: there is a threefold knowledge or illumination: Firſt, general and natural, the light of Reaſon. Secondly, ſpiritual and ſupernatural. Thirdly, there is a knowledge of middle illumination betwixt theſe two, more then meerly natural, but leſs then truly ſupernatural.
Of the knowledge of God.
SOme have not the knowledge of God, ſaith the Lord by his ſervant Paul, I ſpeak this to your ſhame, 1 Cor. 15, &c. Again another Scripture ſaith, This is life eternal, to know thee the only true God, and Jeſus Chriſt whom thou haſt ſent, John 17. 3.
Again, it is death to be ignorant of him, for he will come in flaming fire, rendering vengeance on them that know him not, 2 Theſ. 1. 8.
So that all regenerate perſons have true knowledge, though it be an imperfect knowledge: they do truly, though weakly know God, as doth appear in theſe Scriptures, Jer. 31. 34. John 6. 45. 1 Cor. 13. 9, 12. 1 John 5. 20.
In a word, to know him, is to know all things, for they have their being from him; to be ignorant of him, is to be ignorant of all things: So that ſuch an one doth know nothing as he ought to know. Let the reader turn to the firſt page of this book, where I have laid down as much as I underſtand in this myſterie.
Of the knowledge of our ſelves.
IT is a moſt excellent thing for a Chriſtian to know himſelf, and then at the beſt, he would ſee himſelf to be but vanity, and an unpofitable ſervant to God, and ſo begin to ceaſe from man, whoſe breath is in his noſtrils. Oh what are the beſt of men! they have no better lodging for his noble ſoul, then a cottage of clay, and that ſo frail and craſie, as were it not once or twice a day dawbed over, it would fall about his ears: and whereſoever he goes he is forced to carry this clog, this clay. Whereas Angels free from theſe ſhakels of fleſh can move from heaven to earth, even as ſwiftly as can our very thoughts. Nay, take the beſt piece in man, his ſoul, ſearch and ſee, his underſtanding is full of darkneſs, blindneſs and vanity, Pſal. 94. 11. 1 Cor. 2. 24. Unteachableneſs and incredulity. See 2 Cor. 4. 4. Secondly, the will of man is wholly depraved, as being contrary to God, his will, word and ſpirit in all things: it will not depend nor wait on God, it is unconſtant in good reſolutions, it is very apt to diſobey the will of God, as we may ſee in Father Adam. Thirdly, as for the memory, that is alſo full of corruption, that it will forget the things that it ſhould remember, and remember the things it ſhould forget; it will hold faſt trifles, and let go matters of moment. Fourthly, The Conſcience that is wholly corrupted, that is without feeling, whereas it ſhould excuſe or accuſe: It doth abuſe and pervert the light it hath, by making great ſins ſmall, and ſmall ſins great. Fifthly, Our affections, they are alſo corrupted, they come as a tempeſt, and carry us away; either to make us over-love, or overgrieve, or over-joy; and ſo we hate our brother, whom we ſhould love, and love our luſts whom we ſhould hate. What ſhall I ſay? our underſtanding is darkened, our will depraved, our affections diſordered, our memory miſimployed, and conſcience benummed, &c. We were conceived in ſin, brought forth in iniquity, we have lived in vanity, and without the riches of Gods grace we ſhall dye in miſery.
The Charecters or Properties of true knowledge.
1. THE knowledge that is from God, ſubjects the ſoul to God: but the knowledge that is in the brain is notional, and neither ſubdues ſin nor Satan.
2. Spiritual, experimental knowledge is a free gift of God, 2 Cor. 4. 6. God who commanded the light to ſhine out of darkneſs, hath ſhined in our hearts, to give in the light of the knowledge of the glory of God, in the face of Jeſus Chriſt. This Divine light doth reach the heart as well as the head.
3. True knowledge is a transforming knowledge, 2 Cor. 3. 18. Like as the child receiveth from the parents, member for member, limb for limb, or as the paper from the preſs, receiveth letter for letter, or as the face in a glaſs, anſwereth to the face, ſo the beams of Divine knowledge, ſhining into the ſoul, ſtamps the lively Image of Chriſt upon the ſoul, and makes him put on the Lord Jeſus, and reſemble him. God will own no knowledge at laſt, but that which leaves the ſtamp of Chriſt, the print of Chriſt, and the Image of Chriſt upon the heart.
4. True ſaving knowledge doth ſpring from a ſpiritual ſenſe and taſte of holy and heavenly things; this is that experimental knowledge, that will turn to account at laſt; the other litteral knowledge will only encreaſe our guilt and torment, as it did the Scribes and Phariſees.
5. True knowledge circumciſeth the heart, and diſſolveth the dominion of ſin, Epheſ. 4. 22. The root of luſt is error; when Chriſt takes away the foundation, the luſt dyes, and the Devils work is diſſolved. Firſt, the luſt of the eye: Chriſt informs the ſoul that there is no ſuch excellency in riches; but that they are droſs and dung, and therefore why ſhould the eye or heart be ſet upon them: So this luſt is diſſolved, there is an end of it.
6. True knowledge doth indear Chriſt and the things of Chriſt to the ſoul, Cant. 2. 5. I am ſick of love, I cannot live in my ſelf: I can live only in Chriſt who is my life, Galatians 6. 14. God forbid that I ſhould glory in any thing but Chriſt.
7. True knowledge is ſoul-humbling, ſoul-abaſing knowledge: John ſaid, I am not worthy to looſe his ſhoo. Peter ſaid, depart from me, I am a ſinful man. Abraham ſaid, he was but duſt and aſhes. Gen. 18. 27. Jacob ſaid, he was leſs then the leaſt of all his mercies, Gen. 32. 10. David ſaid, he was a worm and no man, Pſalm 22. 2. Job abhorred himſelf in duſt and aſhes, Job 42. 1, 2, &c.
8. True knowledge is alwaies attended with holy endeavours, and heavenly deſires after a further knowledge of God, Prov. 18. 15.
This knowledge of God goes before truſting in God, Pſalm 9. 10. They that know thy name will put their truſt in thee. There may be knowledge without grace, but not grace without knowledge.
How one Believer differs from another in knowledge.
AS ſaving knowledge is a free gift of God, ſo he gives to ſome more, and to others leſs, according to the meaſure of the gift of Chriſt; and though it be freely given, yet the Lord doth hand it to us, and work it in us, in the uſe of means; age, and time, and communion, and ſtudy, and uſe of means, and experience do raiſe the apprehenſion and knowledge to far more degrees and ſtrength then at the firſt; whereas before they ſaw dimly, at length they riſe by degrees to a more perfect light of the ſame truths, and to a more full aad enlarged apprehenſion of other truths, which he was ignorant of before, even in this doth one believer differ from another.
Faith is the eye of the ſoul, and knowledge the ground of Faith, for believing is not rooted in ignorance, but in light: now every believer hath not ſo full and diſtinct a knowledge as another: there are ſeveral promiſes, and in them ſeveral parts and degrees Now all Chriſtians have not been ſo long acquainted with the word, as to know all the good which doth concern them.
Of what a large and vaſt meaſure of knowledge a man may attain unto, and yet be without this ſaving knowledge.
HE may ſpeak with the tongue of men and Angels, and yet be as ſounding braſs, or a tinckling Symbal, as in 1 Cor. 13. 1. Again, he may attain to the natural knowledge of all natural things, and ſpeak eloquently and diſtinctly, and in many things truly; he may be well skilled in Logick, Rethorick, Phyloſophy, and have the letter of the Scripture at his fingers ends, and yet be an ignorant man in the knowledge of God, and in the account of Chriſt, viz.
1. A man may have a common knowledge of Chriſt, and yet be without a ſpiritual knowledge of Chriſt; he may gather together a great deal of notional knowledge of Chriſt, and have much natural knowledge, by the works of God, by hearing, reading, conferring, or the like, and yet be ignorant of the Trinity in Unity, and Unity in Trinity.
2. He may attain to vaſt and great meaſures of notional, and yet be without an experimental knowledge of Chriſt: how abundantly is this proved in our dayes in all places, &c.
3. An unregenerate man may attain to a contemplative, or ſpeculative knowledge of Chriſt, and yet want and be altogether without a ſpiritual expemental knowledge; he may know Chriſt as a man knows his neighbour; but now a believer knows Chriſt, as a wife knows her husband: a natural mans knowledge is like the Moon, it hath light, but no heat: but a ſpiritual mans knowledge is like the Sun, that hath heat as well as light.
4. A natural man may have much knowledge, but he is a ſtranger to an appropriating knowledge of Chriſt—he doth not know Chriſt to be his Chriſt; now in this ſenſe, a man may be a great knowing man, and yet not know Jeſus Chriſt.
5. He is without a practical knowledge of Jeſus Chriſt, he may know much, but do but little, Tit. 1. 16. in their words they profeſs to know him, but in their works they deny him: though they know God, yet they glorifie not him as God. Now put all theſe together, and they ſpeak out with open mouth, that a man may attain to a great meaſure of knowledge, and yet be in the account of God, in the account of Chriſt, in the account of Chriſtians, an ignorant man, he is without ſpiritual and experimental knowledge, without an affective, and apprehenſive knowledge, and without an appropriating, and practical knowledge. I ſhall cloſe up this head with a few cautions and conſiderations.
1. Take this for a truth, that in a Scripture account, to complain of ignorance, is a good degree of knowledge, Prov. 30. 2. And I have not the knowledge of a man, &c.
2. Take this alſo for a truth, that in Gods account, he knows moſt that doth moſt, Pſal. 111. 10. A good underſtanding have all they that do his commandments: God doth not meaſure our knowledge by our queſtions and diſputes, but by our practices, as in Jer. 22. 16. He judgeth the cauſe of the poor and needy; was not this to know me, ſaith the Lord?
3. Take this alſo, that it is not the wanting of ſome meaſures or degrees of knowledge, that doth make a man ignorant in the ſight of God, but the wanting of true knowledge of the Father, Son, Spirit, and Scriptures.
Object. I am ſurely ignorant of God, ſaith many weak Chriſtians: I do not know him, he will come in flaming fire, taking vengeance on me.
Anſw. 1. Suppoſe thou art ignorant of God, yet if thou art not conſentingly ignorant, if thou art not a ſelf-conceited man or woman, that thinkeſt thou knoweſt much, when thou knoweſt little, thou art well enough, if thou art not like thoſe, in Hoſ. 8. 2. Iſrael ſhall ſay unto me, my God we know thee, and yet there is no fear nor knowledge of God in the Land.
2. If thou doſt not ſit down contentedly in thy ignorance, but doſt labour and endeavour after more knowledge, then thy condition is good enough; but if thou ſayeſt unto God in thy heart, as in Job 21. 14. Depart from me, for I deſire not the knowledge of thy wayes; then thy condition is extream bad.
3. If thou art not obſtinately ignorant, like thoſe ſpoken of in Pſalm 82. 5. They know not, neither will they underſtand, but they walk on in darkneſs: When men be ignorant, and will be ignorant, this is an evidence they have no ſaving work of God upon them, 2 Pet. 3. 5. ſaith the Apoſtle, theſe things they are willingly ignorant of.
Now if thy ignorance be accompanied with theſe three circumſtances, that you are conceitedly, and contentedly and obſtinately ignorant, the Lord be merciful to thee, thou art in a ſtate of death and damnation; but on the other hand, although thou haſt abundance of ignorance in thee, yet if thou doſt bewail it, and labour and deſire after more knowledge, if you follow on to know the Lord, and are not obſtinately ignorant, thy condition is good.
Of Obedience.
TRue obedience or keeping of Gods commandments, flows Originally from the true knowledge of God, to which we have been ſpeaking, ſo that here obedience fals in its centre and place; there is a three-fold obedience, viz.
1. There is an obedience both true and perfect, this was performed by Chriſt on earth, and by Saints and Angels in Heaven, Phil. 2. 8. Mat. 6. 10.
2. There is another kind of obedience, that is neither true nor perfect, done by all natural men; they fail in the ground from which, the rule by which, and the end to which, Rom. 8. 8.
3. There is a true and ſincere, but an imperfect obedience, which is performed by Saints on earth: in all their obedience there is ſome imperfection, ſomething polluted, and ſomething defective; yea the moſt ſpiritual obedience is not wound up to command, they are all tainted with diſproportion to rule; and not only ſo, but our choiceſt ſervices are be Leoparded with many ſpots, yet the bent and main diſpoſition of their hearts are upright and unfeigned, notwithſtanding there be ſome gradual infirmities and imperfections in all their actions: concerning obedience, what it is, the ground and ſprings of it, I have before in this book at large laid down under the head of juſtification, and alſo more larger under the head of ſanctification, and therefore I ſhall ſpeak no further to it here, but to proceed the next point that comes in order.
Of Experience.
IT is the duty, and it ſhould be the practice of all ſober Chriſtians, to treaſure up experiences of Gods goodneſs, Pſalm 77. 5. Thou haſt been my helper, Pſalm 63. 7. I was brought low, and he helped me, 2 Tim. 4. 17, 18. Notwithſtanding the Lord ſtood with me, and ſtrengthened me, Pſalm 89. 49. Lord where are thy former loving kindneſſes? and ſo in another Pſalm, return to thy reſt O my ſoul, the Lord hath dealt bountifully with thee, 2 Cor. 1. 10. Who delivered us from ſo great a death, and doth deliver us, in whom we truſt, he will yet deliver us, Pſalm 116. 2. Becauſe he hath enclined his ear unto me, therefore will I call upon him as long as I live. It is good to hear, better to underſtand, better to enjoy, and beſt of all to have experience of what we hear, underſtood, and enjoyed: Laban could ſay to Jacob, I have learned by experience, that the Lord hath bleſſed me for thy ſake, Gen. 30. 27. So a man that hath had experience, can tell us, that ſin is the greateſt evil in the world, and that Chriſt is the only thing neceſſary; the favour of God is better then life: that the wounded ſpirit is ſuch a burthen that none can bare; that a broken heart is an acceptable ſacrifice to God, for he hath found it; ſo that the promiſes are precious promiſes, for he hath found it ſo: That the ſmiles of God will make up the want of any outward mercy, for he hath found it ſo, Pſalm 63. 3. Becauſe thy loving kindneſs is better then life, my lips ſhall praiſe thee.
Of Enjoyment.
IT is one thing to have a portion, and another thing to enjoy it; to poſſeſs a thing, and to enjoy a thing is the portion of a true Chriſtian, 1 Timothy 6. 17. Who giveth us richly all things to enjoy, and hence it is that many a poor man lives more comfortably then the rich; the rich man hath much, and doth poſſeſs, the poor man hath little, and that little he doth enjoy. The rich man, ſaith Solomon, roaſteth not that which he caught in hunting; he hath hunted to and fro, and gotten a great deal together, and now hath the ſight of it, but not the taſte of it: this is one of the ſore evils that Solomon ſaw, Eccleſ. 5. 13. There is, ſaith he, a ſore evil which I have ſeen under the Sun; riches kept for the owners thereof to their hurt. Eccleſ. 6. 2. there is an evil that I have ſeen, a man to whom God hath given riches and honour; ſo that he wanteth nothing of all that he deſireth, yet God giveth him not power to eat thereof; this is vanity, and a ſore evil, Prov. 12. 27. but the ſubſtance of a diligent man is precious, he doth eat and drink, and is ſatisfied, and doth praiſe the name of the Lord. If it be but a dinner of herbs, it is better to him then a ſtalled Oxe to the other: What ſhall I ſay more to this head, the enjoyment of Chriſt without honour will ſatisfie the ſoul; the enjoyment of Chriſt without riches, will ſatisfie the ſoul; the enjoyment of Chriſt without relations; the enjoyment of Chriſt without pleaſure and ſmiles of the creature will ſatisfie the ſoul: Nay, though honour is not, and health is not, and friends are not; It is enough that Chriſt is mine and I am his.