this thing This belongs to a well improved Knowledge to understand that Christ had no reluctancy of spirit when this matter was propounded to him and when the matter was in debate Christ came in with no Negatives made no Objections but answered thus O my Father 't is thy Will 't is my joy it pleaseth thee to design me to such a purpose O my Father thy will be done my heart delights in it Thou hast prepared me a body O I come into the World with that body and I delight to do thy Will Though I fore-apprehend all the sorrow all the smart all the shame all the sufferings all the burden all those pressures that I must undergo in the managing of this great and glorious work and service yet I stick at nothing O Father it 's meat and drink to me I go about this work and service with as much content and complacency of soul as ever a hungry man went to eat his meat And then 10. It belongs to a well improved Knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ That we know and understand that according to this Design of God and sutably to his accomplishments and sutably to his willing ingaging of himself he hath laid out himself to the utmost in a way of doing in a way of suffering in a way of doing fulfilling all righteousness in an active way in the course of his life and conversing here in the world In a way of suffering by the offering up of himself a Sacrifice unto God he hath made an Attonement he hath satisfied infinite Justice he hath pacified infinite Wrath he hath paid the Debt to the utmost farthing That now the Justice of God doth make Declaration that it is fully satisfied in what hath been performed by the Lord Jesus Christ. This is belonging to a well improved Knowledge of our Lord and Saviour That now which Christ said upon the Cross It is finished God from Heaven declares in the Gospel O I have full satisfaction I have nothing to object against those poor Souls that my Son hath ingaged for I have a full payment to the very utmost farthing 11. It belongs to a well improved Knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ that we understand this That having performed all that Justice could require in a way of doing or in a way of suffering That he rose from the dead ascended into Heaven and that God hath given him preferment that God hath given him the highest preferment upon his obedience and satisfaction to his Justice and upon the performance of this great Work and Service that he was designed unto God hath advanced him to the highest top of Honour he hath given him a name above every name he hath set him at his own right Hand above all Principalities and Powers 12. It belongs to the Knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ That we know how Jesus Christ thus advanc'd on High and thus raised up to a top of preferment how he doth improve that preferment He is now in Heaven he is at God's right Hand he is in fullest Glory How doth he improve this Glory and Honour that is conferred upon him Improve it He sets his heart upon this that there may be an Improvement of all the interest that he hath in God all that Glory and Power and Majesty and Dominion that he is now invested withal he sets his heart upon this that he may improve this for the benefit and behoof of his People here upon Earth He makes it his continual work and business to be negotiating with God for poor Souls for whom he hath shed his blood and on whose behalf he hath made satisfaction to infinite Justice he doth continually appear in Heaven before God to make intercession for them Now do but lay all this together and here 's the well improved Knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ which I have endeavoured thus to knit up together in this compass and to set out before you And here 's the great Mysterie of the Gospel lying in these things which I have held out this morning Now the next thing to do is this To let you see how all this Knowledge of ouâ—… Lord Jesus Christ in every part and parcel of it doth draw out the heart and soul of a Beleever and doth most happily influence it so that all this Knowledge is as a fatning water that doth nourish a Plant Faith being planted in the soul and this water of gospel-Gospel-Knowledge concerning our Lord Jesus being thus poured upon it why as a fatning water it makes the plant of Faith to grow and shoot up amain There is never an experienced Christian that knows what believing means and is upon the exercise of Faith and hath set his heart upon this that he may make an Improvement of his Faith there is never an experienced Beleever but is able to set to his Seal Oh in this Knowledge thus wrought out and thus spread forth before me in this Knowledge my Faith lives and thrives and prospers and swims up and down with all delight as the Fish in the water You may easily apprehend now how a Believers Faith will grow and increase and receive strength and nourishment and shoot up amain upon the due consideration of these things that I have suggested 1. As now When a poor Beleever shall think thus with himself Why do I hesitate Why have I a fluctuating heart why is not my heart setled and fixt and come to be full of confidence in God Why I consider thus That that Jesus which is the object of my Faith he is God over all blessed for ever would I have a more able Saviour than a God It is not an Angel that I am commanded to place my trust in no it is God blessed for ever he that was God with God from all Eternity as great as God as good as God Why should I flag in my spirit why should I faint why should I have any miss-givings Have not I a God to trust upon 2. And then He is God I He is God-man where can I promise my self pitty bowels compassion if not from a man a man that is in union with God and in union with God to this purpose that he might be accomplish'd that he might be every way most compassionate and suitable to such an undertaking 3. And then again This Jesus is the Son the Son of the Father where can I place my trust and confidence so freely as upon the King of Heaven's Son He is the Son of the Father nay he is his dearly Beloved Son the Father loves him delights in him he delights to hear his Prayer he pleased him in all things 4. Nay why should not I be strong in my Faith in Christ forasmuch as this Jesus this Son this beloved Son this delightful Son is the person that the Great God hath chosen and design'd to such a purpose and it is the will of God that every
everlasting Covenant which is ordered in all things and sure when it is not penn'd up but hath scope in our understandings when we can take in this mysterie of the new Covenant in the proportions of it this is the business of Faith but it is that which will not be performed to any good purpose unless there be some considarable improvement and growth in Faith and therefore it is that the Apostle doth so earnestly pray on the behalf of the Church of Ephesus in Eph. 1. saith he I cease not to give thanks for you making mention of you in my prayers that the God of 〈◊〉 Lord Jesus Christ the Father of Glory may give 〈◊〉 yâ—… the spirit of Wisdom and Revelation in the knowledge of blâ—… the eyes of your understandings being inlightned that yâ—… may know what is the hope of his Calling and what the 〈◊〉 of the Glory of his inheritance in the Saints and what is the exeeceding greatness of his power to us ward who beliâ—…e according to the working of his mighty power O how earnest was the Apostle in the behalf or the Ephesians to this purpose and Chap. 3. ver 14. sâ—…th he I bâ—…v my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ that he could grant unto you according to the riches of his Glory to be strengthened with might by his spirit in the inward man that Christ may dwell in your hearts by Faith and saith he that you may be able to comprehend with all Saints what is the breadth and length and depth and height and to know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge that you might be filled with all the fulness of â—…d Two passages they are of Scripture which are most proper for beleeving souls to be well studied in that part which I read to you out of the first Chapt. and this in the third I say they are of some proper cognisance â—…r men and woman that being brought over to the Faith of the Gospel are studious of approving themselves unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ that they may answer their duty concerning these things that are here made mention of that there might be not only as I said before a weak and dim and dark apprehension of the mysterie of the Gospel the mysterie of Christ the mysterie of the hope of Glory but that there might be a comprehension that the mysterie may stand full and as much as may be compleat in us in all the proportions of it that the Gospel might not be streightned in our understandings Truly friends this is a great matter if you would but set your hearts upon it and seriously weigh and ponder what I drive now Alas how little is there of the mysterie of the Gospel that our hearts have already received how little of it And by this means God is scanted and shortened in the love praise and honour that is due to him and which our hearts would be inlarged to yield up if we were but more careful to answer our duty this way I do profess this morning to you that are partakers of the Faith of Gods Elect that are able to give any account of any saving work upon your hearts and that you have any thing of the Faith of the Gospel in you I do profess here and testifie to you in the Name of the Lord that this doth more neerly concern you for to look unto that these two Scriptures may be better answered by you that you do not please your selves in that streightness of spirit that is in you and discovers it self but that you be so heightned that there be such an inlargement of heart in believing that you may take in the mysterie in the Glories of it or else you will not so duly answer that which is required of you as touching your growth in Faith and Grace Think what you will of it this I am sure is a duty that lyes upon Beleevers to perform that they be of comprehensive spirits and that they labour to work out to a more inlargedness of heart that they may be so inabled to comprehend with all the Saints the height and depth and breadth and length or else you will never be able to give that glory to God and honour to Christ never be so much in admirings of the glorious mysterie of the Gospel as otherwise you would I would you would a little think of this point and for my part I do profess I know nothing that is more proper for a Minister of the Gospel a Dispencer of the Mysteries of God to be more earnest in pressing and urging upon Beleevers than this very thing is But alas how low spirited are most Beleevers Beleevers that it may be have got as much Faith as wil secure them from Hell and bring them to Heaven But as for the mysteries in the glories of it in the dimentions of it in the latitude of it O how uncapable of a due apprehension of it Will you therefore but consider of this this is one thing I it is it is that which doth mainly concern those that have any thing of the Faith of the Gospel in them for to be very solicitous about and studious to be answerable to I leave it with you but know that the great God of Heaven and our Lord Jesus hath laid this burden upon you and me this morning As many of us as are able to give an account of the Faith of the Gospel the Lord Jesus laies this burden upon you this morning that you look to it that there be a comprehensiveness of spirit concerning the mysterie of the Gospel which is Christ in you the hope of Glory And so I let it pass I leave it with you to be studied and pondered upon and as you will answer it to Christ another day Take heed that this particular among the rest be not slightly passed over Again your duty is to grow in Grace and Faith and so will you make it appear that you do grow When you come to have such a Faith as is not only a living Faith but a lively Faith an active stirring Faith within you when you come to have such a Faith as that you do not only live by it but that you live richly by it there 's many a man that lives and gets a livelyhood he hath bread for the day he hath to supply his necessities but he lives at a low poor rate he is not able to rise up to those expences that others are able to bâ—…ar So there are I say many Beleevers they live they gâ—…t bread for the day they get a subsistence by their Faith but they live poorly at a low rate they do not keep a good house they do not spend like rich men There are that are rich in Faith as the Apostle uses the expression in the second Epist. of James that are rich in Faith that 's it that we should press to to such a growth in Faith that we may live like
to Heaven without company and I tell you that this is an argument of a well-improved Faith When our Faith it goes abroad our solicitousness it is not only for our selves but others when our Charity goes out of doors and we are now projecting and casting about how we may promote others eternal welfare when Paul could say I am perswaded that neither Height nor Depth nor Angels nor Principalities nor Life nor Death nor things present nor things to come shall be able to separate from the Love of God which is in Christ Jesus when Paul comes to this Plerophoria when he comes to be thus improved in his Faith saith he in Rom. 9. Brethen I would have you to know that I say the truth in Christ I lye not my Conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Ghost that I have great heavyness and continual sorrow in my heart Why what man Did'st thou not write but just now that thou wast perswaded that neither Death nor Life nor Angels nor Principalities nor Powers c. should be able to separate from the Love of Christ Jesus our Lord Why Paul will you speak to such a purpose as this then that you have great heaviness and continual sorrow in your heart Why you should be full of joy who should rejoyce in all the World if they do not nor should not that have a confident perswasion that they shall go to Heaven and be eternally blessed with God and live in everlasting communion with him Do you say you have great heaviness and continual sorrow in your heart Why the business of Faith is to fill the soul with joy and peace in beleeving and do you talk of sorrow and heaviness in your heart why what should be the matter O Brethren he had now a well-grown Faith his Faith was improved exceedingly that he was now sure that all was well between God and him he was sure to go to Heaven himself and that nothing should be able to separate And now his heart begins to turn upon his poor Brethren I have great heaviness and continual sorrow in my heart I profess saith he I could set down so far as it might be without sinning against God yea I could be contented to be cut off from the comfortable and rejoycing part of Salvation I could be contented even to be cut off from the comfortable communion not that he would be in a state of guilt and sin and wrath and under the hatred of God But I could be contented saith he to be even cut off from that sweet injoyment that Saints have in their glorified estate for my Brethrens sake according to the flesh Now saith he it 's the sorrow of my heart while I am full of joy and comfort in respect of my own condition I am full of heaviness and continual sorrow there is upon me that my Brethren that are the seed of Abraham that they should be strangers to this Grace and like to be shut out from the Salvation which I am now sure of and then is the Faith of a Beleever a well-grown Faith when it comes to be solicitous of others wellfare And for those that are brought over to Faith but are weaklings in Faith when there is a bearing with their weaknesses and infirmities a studying to please them in all things for their profit and a friendly deportment when there is not a grâ—…ng upon them nor a galling of them by any unbecoming carriage Saith the Apostle in Rom. 15. We that are strong that are strong in Faith ought to bear with the infirmities of the weak and not to please our selves for let let every one of us please his neighbour for his good to edification for even Christ pleased not himself but as it is written The reproaches of them that reproached thee fall on me We that are strong we that come to have a well-grown Faith we should look with a tender and comâ—… eye and heart upon tender Brethren 〈◊〉 not so much insist upon what will be to the â—…ing of our selves but what will be to the pleaâ—… of our weak Brethren so far as is consistent 〈◊〉 their profit and the edification of our souls 〈◊〉 thus with Christ and it should be thus with 〈◊〉 this will be a proof of our growth in Faith Further our duty is to grow in Grace and to grow in Faith and such a growth should we press after that we may be able for to use and enjoy the World and the good things of it with heavenly minds so as that we come to value our selves not so much by what we are in the World as by what we are in in the Covenant and by what estate we have in the Covenant not to make so much matter of it that we are able to give an account of such and such an estate in Land and Houses and worldly Possessions but to valew our selves upon this accout that we are able for to make out an estate in the Covenant and that all our outward enjoyments are held by a Covenant and that 's it that gives us the comfort of our enjoyments Such an estate I have I but blessed be God I have it by a spiritual title Christ is mine and I am Christs and so all things become mine I have a spiritual title and I hold all by virtue of a Covenant in Christ. I would not valew the World I would not value my outward condition my riches if they be thousands and ten thousands in the World I should look upon them but as a beggerly portion if I had them not upon a spiritual account and upon the account of an interest in Christ O God that hath given me Christ he hath given me with him all these things When a man can look upon his estate be it never so large and copious to look upon it as that which his heart would be dead to if it were not that he could look upon these things that he doth injoy as upon a Covenant Conveyance And when a soul comes to this to use the World with a heavenly mind manage the affairs of the World I but with dependance upon God When a man in the way of his Calling and management of his affairs here below goes on with diligence and care I but with a humble dependance upon God and while he doth his duty he can trust God with the success Let the times be hard and trading dead and little in-comes no matter I 'll open my shop and I 'll attend the providence of God and whether little or much come in I am not solicitous about that I am resolved upon this I will do my duty and wait upon God and I know it must be his blessing must be the portion for me to live upon And it is not the in-come of the World that I set my heart so much upon but I 'll do my duty and leave the success to God There are two or three things more but for the present only
of the best things Knowledge of the Lord and Saviour and yet notwithstanding persons may perift and perish the more dreadfully And I add that place in Heb. 10. where the Apostle speaks to this purpose saith he If we sin wilfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth there remaineth no more sacrifice for sin but a certain fearful looking for of Iudgement and fiery Indignation which shall devour the adversaries There may be a receiving of the knowledge of the truth and yet a wilful sinning and so a fearful expectation and nothing but that remaining for them a fearful expectation of Judgement and fiery Indignation Now all this considered Knowledg I and knowledge of the best things it may be had and yet persons under the power of the Devil persons that after their escape from worldly intanglements may be brought again into sorer bondage their latter end worse than their beginning and they may fall under the deep and more dreadful damnation Now the improvement that we are to make of this is only thus O let us take heed of resting in our Knowledge and bearing upon this that we are knowing men and knowing women able to discourse of the things of God and the mysteries of Religion O take heed of this considering what hath been now spoken to you that you may have a great measure of Knowledge and yet be meer strangers unto saving Grace far be it from me to speak a tittle to the disparagement of Knowledge but rather most vigorously to press your pursuance of it and that you endeavour after it as I shall perform to that purpose afterwards know that it is not good that the mind be without knowledge saith Solomon nay the heart cannot be good without Knowledge you cannot believe without Knowledge you cannot pray without Knowledge you cannot live without Knowledge you must have Knowledge or else you will never be sav'd O Ignorance it is of it self a damning sin only thus rest not in your Knowledge rest not in this that you have a light in your head but look to it that you have Grace in your hearts Look to this that you know and know to love and know so as that you may believe and live if you know these things saith our SAVIOUR happy are ye if you do them If you know the truth and know it in truth of heart as the Apostle speaks Since ye know the Grace of God in truth know it to be the truth and know it in the truth of your hearts O this is that that we should mind Truly that you may know for practice and the truth is you know no more to purpose than you know to practice And it is of sad consideration that which I have now to speak unto you it is of sad consideration that that knowledge which men and women attain to of God and Christ and Gospel-mysteries if so be that it be not reduc'd to practice if there be not a due improvement of it if there be a Science and not Conseience a Science and not a Conscience to make use of the knowledge it is of sad consideration that that I have now to say The day will come when all the Knowledge that you have gotten of Christ and of the mysteries of the Gospel of the Kingdom of God that knowledge will turn upon you and it will be to your everlasting torment O tremble at the thought of it This is the torment and will eternally be the torment of the damned in Hell that they had knowledge great measures of knowledge and yet notwithstanding did not improve their knowledge did not reduce it to practice they had light but did not live up to their light they knew the will of God O but they were not conscientiously careful to perform and do the will of God O this this will be the torment the Conscience of a man will be an eternal fury to him and it will everlastingly torment him when it shall tell him Did'st not thou know that Christ was given to save sinners and to save from sin Did'st not thou know that the Grace of God that brings Salvation it did teach to deny all ungodlyness and worldly lusts thou knowest this thou knowest that it was thy duty to live thus and thus to walk with God to deny thy self to cross thy corruptions it was thy duty to study to approve thy self to God and to keep a clear Conscience It was thy duty to own Christ in an hour of temptation did'st not thou know this to be thy duty Conscience will thus charge upon thee and then you shall know it O! how did this torment Iudas on this side Hell before he came there Oh! I know my Master was an innocent person and yet notwithstanding contrary to my knowledge I went and betrayed him into the hands of sinners O how did this torment Esau on this side Hell he knew that the Birth-right and the Blessing were things to be highly valued the temptation comes upon him he was a little pinch'd with hunger and Iacob takes the advantage there was a mysterie of Providence in it of his exigence and gets away his Birth-right from him But when the time comes that the Blessing was gone then Esau knows O this knowledge torments him that he knew the Birth-right what it was and how it ought to be accounted of and yet notwithstanding he past it away for a trifle O Conscience will torment another day when a man shall come to have his knowledge set a work I know that Christ was a precious Christ that Grace it was better than Gold I had conviction upon my Conscience and yet notwithstanding I chose the World rather than Christ I preferred my lusts and corruptions before the Lord Jesus I knew this to be my duty but I made no conscience of performing my duty Well the Lord set these things home upon every one of us and that we may be wise for our souls and take heed of resting in what we know but look to it that we have such a Knowledge as is accompanied with Grace such a Knowledge as is sanctified to us by Grace And this now I speak upon occasion of this Question SERM. IX 2 Pet. 3. 18. And in the Knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. THree things seem to lye in the Text. First that it is God's will and Saints duty As to grow in Grace so to grow in Knowledge 2. That it is the Knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ which is the special Knowledge wherein Saints and Beleevers ought to grow 3. They that mind growth in Grace must in order thereunto endeavour a growth in the Knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. First of all it is the good will of God and a Saints duty to grow in Knowledge God would have his people to be a knowing people a well-knowing people God doth take no pleasure in a people that pretend to Him and profess his Name
poor soul should fly to him and have its recumbency upon him 5. And then again when I consider that this Christ is commissioned by the Father he is sent into this World upon this account that he might save and make reconciliation 6. And then he is every way accomplish'd if he were a deficient Christ there were something to make my spirit to flag but he is most fully accomplish'd all power is given to him he is able to save to the utmost all that come unto God by him 7. And then when I come to consider and ponder that it is meat and drink to Christ to do the will of his Father and he with the greatest content of heart performed this work and made satisfaction to the Justice of God soâ—… poor sinners 8. And then when I come to consider that this Jesus is now in Heaven at Gods Right-hand God the Father hath given him Glory and Honour O what incouragement have I to come to him 9. And then when I consider that all the trust that is committed to him all the treasure that is laid up in him is for the benefit and behoof of poor souls why should not I then be incouraged to let out my heart upon him and to have the strongest confidence that I shall be the better for him I tell you Brethren that all this knowledge doth strongly influence the Faith of a Beleever therefore well may the Apostle require the knowledge of the Lord Jesus in order to a growth in Grace and in particular to a growth in Faith I would only give in that instance in 1 Pet. 1. It 's a Text that doth fully suit our present purpose saith he You by him believe in God that raised him up from the dead and gave him Glory that your Faith and Hope might be in God Pray do but weigh this you believe in God saith he who raised Iesus from the dead and when he had so done he gave him Glory He preferr'd him to the greatest Honour and Dignity set him at his own Right-hand and wherefore this That your Faith in knowing this that he that was your great undertaker here on earth travell'd in the greatness of his strength that he might accomplish the work of Redemption and Salvation This Jesus after he had done his work and suffered what he was to undergo here in the World God did raise him again from the dead and when he had raised him he takes him to Heaven and gives him Glory there sets him at his own Right-hand advances him to the highest top of Honour And wherefore thus That your Faith and Hope might be in God that you might come to him with the fullest confidence and rely upon him Now all this that I have accounted to you concerning a well-improved knowledge in our Lord Jesus Christ it doth exceeding liberally contribute to the promoting of a Beleevers Faith and Grace And because I can proceed no further now if there be any souls that are strangers to Christ and to the Faith of the Gospel will you but drink of these waters O set your hearts that you may drink of this blessed Knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ and see whether these waters will not warm your hearts and make you to sparkle out in love to Christ in longings after Christ And for you that are called out to the participation of Grace and have the Faith of God begun in you O as ever you desire to grow up in the Faith of the Gospel labour to be well improved in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ O dwell upon the meditation of these Mysteries that I have given you this morning a hint of If ever you desire to be well improved in your Faith it must be by your being well improved in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. SERM. XIII I Shall now proceed to what remains What hath been spoken concerning Faith and how the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ duly improved is to the growth of that The same may be spoken concerning Gospel hope The hope of the Righteous which is called a Tree of Life compared to an Anchor Sure and steadfast entring within the vail whither the forerunner hath entered Now by improving in the knowledge of Jesus Christ Hope will grow up to a goodly stature Hope will come to be as an Anchor fixing very fast so as to keep the ship of the soul safe and secure whatever the storms and tempests are that may arise upon it The more we know of Christ the more shall our Hope be strengthened in us and one special reason why we hope no more with an unshaken hope is because we are not more in the Knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. The Apostle in 1 Pet. 1. speaks concerning this blessed Hope that Believers are begotten to and they are begotten to it he tells us by the Resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead The more we are judiciously apprehensive of Christ of the Resurrection of Christ and of the Glory which he is advanc'd unto the more will the hope of a Beleever be strengthened in him And that Scripture which I clos'd with the last day it serves us to this very purpose 1 Pet. 1. It 's said that God the Father hath given Honour and Glory to his Son that our Faith and our Hope might be in God And therefore must needs be inferr'd that the more we know and understand concerning Christ and the Glory that he is now advanc'd unto the more will there be of growth in the hope of a Beleever 3. By growth in the Knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ there will be a growth in godly Repentance Repentance there is such a thing though it 's little known and less practised according to the true Gospel-nature and state of it But such a thing there is as Repentance towards God a precious Grace which God works in the hearts of his people those that he hath a purpose to save It is of necessary participation and it is a Grace of necessary exercise for our Saviour tells us that except we repent we shall all perish there is a necessity of it and yet alas how many are meer strangers to it know nothing of the Grace know nothing of the Practice of it And how many of those that have any sense or share in it yet that are very little in their Repentance have but a very low measure and degree know little of heart-meltings and soul-breakings before God much what strangers unto that sweet frame of spirit by which Ephraim is set forth unto us as a blessed pattern and example in Jer. 31. 18. where we have this account of him Thou hast established â—…e and I was chastised as a Bullock unaccustomed â—…o the yoke Turn thou me and I shall be turned after that I was converted I repented and I smâ—… upon my thigh This was Ephraim's frame and this is upon Record for our
imitation But alas how little do we attain to of this Gospel-Repentance how little do we express mostly of such a temper and frame of spirit Can sin freely but repent very hardly How little doth there appear to God of any kindly workings and breakings of heart before him in the sense of all that we daily commit of sin and transâ—…ion in a way of disobedience and loose walking before the Lord. Why truly I may be bold 〈◊〉 that if so be there were any place for Repentance in Heaven though indeed it is not a â—…ce of Repentance but of joy and everlasting rejoycing Yet if Heaven were a place of Repentance I am perswaded that there are very few of those that some to Heaven that would not â—…ll upon the work and business there and that because they repented so little as they did while they were here on earth if there were any place of repentance there it would go to the hearts of many that they did not take it more deeply into consideration their evil dispositions and sinful conversations while they were in the World And what is the reason that Repentance that blessed Grace is not more largely shared in that it is not more expressed to the life of it why we may with much confidence conclude upon 〈◊〉 that this is one of the special reasons because we 〈◊〉 not more of the knowledge of our Lord and 〈◊〉 Jesus Christ. 〈◊〉 Bâ—…en if Christ oâ—… Lord Jesus were better known and the knowledge of him better digested I know this that there would be more soul meltings and heart-breakings 〈◊〉 kindly manner before God than ever otherwise there â—…like to be Consider what the Prophet speaks iâ—… â—…ech 12. saith he They shall look upon him whom they have piâ—…ed and what then They shall look upon him they shall mind Christ study Christ they shall fix their serious thoughts upon the Lord Jesus Christ and upon him aâ—… one whom they have pierced and what will follow Then shall they mourn over him as one who mourneth for an only Son and be in bitterness as one that is in bitterness for his first-born This will raise up the sorrow this will break the heart When persons come for to know and consider and seriously ponder upon the Lord Jesus Christ consider of his dying and dreadful suffering and woful breakings and bruisings that he was pleased to undergo on the behalf of poor sinners and then their hearts will break within theâ—… What was that which made the Converts in Acts 2. for to fall into such a melting frame and to be pricked at the heart and to mourn and lameâ—… deeply Why Peter had been preâ—…ching to them the Doctrine concerning our Lord Jesus and endeavouring to bring them to the knowledge of him whom they had crucified You have crucified the Prince of Life you have been the murtherers and betrayers of him they were pricked then at the heart and cryed out O men and 〈◊〉 what shall we do O miserable wretches When a soul shall set it self to know and understand the mystery concerning Christ that the Eternal Son of God he that was in the form of God thought it no robbery to be equal with God he that was from all eternity the delight of his Father he that was holy and unblamable knew no sin never was guile found in his mouth the spotless Lamb That he should be hanged as a malefactor that he should be put to the greatest shame and ignominy that could be that he should be under the heat of the wrath of his Father that his precious soul should be in such an agony as that he should be constrained to cry out My God my God why hast thou forsaken me That he should undergo such breakings and bruisings and woundings that he should sweat drops and clods of blood that his soul should be exceeding sorrowful and heavy unto the very death And yet this blessed Jesus one that never sinned no not so much as in a Thought yet that all this should be undergone by him And when a soul shall come to consider that it self hath been accessary to this horrid murther it self should have a hand in this bloody business that it self should be a party to this prodigious impiety that it self should stabb Christ to the very heart when this comes to be considered when a soul comes to be well improved in the Knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ and of his deep and dreadful and dolorous sufferings this must needs give an advance to the Grace of Repentance Why it would argue a heart harder than an Adamant that would not upon such well digested apprehensions as these be in meltings before the Lord upon the consideration of a crucified Christ. This is that which if it were but well known and studied and seriously pondered upon would give an advance I say unto Repentance But the reason why we are no more in the lively practice of Repentance is because we are no more studied in this Knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. I would this were considered of by us and put to the proof whether you would not find it so in experience that this would make your hearts to break before the Lord. 4. The Knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ and a kindly growth in it will conduce very much as of Faith and Hope and Repentance so of Love love to God and love to Christ and love one to another The complaint may justly enough be taken up concerning this as concerning the other Graces we are little in one and other and truly it is not to be expected that they should be much advanc'd in Love that are not advanc'd in Faith and Hope and in their Repentance towards God But thus it is alas that Love that should be in us in the flame it is mostly but in the spark we have some little glowings it may be but not those kindly burnings of Love to God and Love to Christ those inlargements of heart that we should make discovery of and what 's the reason Why we may reckon it very much to this that we are not more improved in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ For the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Christ well advanc'd well grown and improved as a most strong and effectual conducement to the growth in Love When the Daughters of Jerusalem had been well instructed concerning the Spouses Beloved when they had had an account of him their hearts were exceedingly taken with him and then they would seek him with her Whither is thy Beloved gone O thou fairest among women Whether is thy Beloved gone that we may seek him with thee Thus it is if so be that we knew more of Christ we would be more in the Love of Christ. Truly the motions of the Will they will answer the sanctified light of the understanding Now where there is but little light and Knowledge 't is not to be expected that
this is our duty to endeavour such a growth in Grace as that there may be much of Grace and but little of sin that the house of David may grow stronger and stronger and may appear so to do by the house of Saul its growing every day weaker and weaker Oh Christians so should you labour to grow and to grow to such a degree to such a measure and proportion of Grace that you may be able to say Truly the case stands so with me heretofore it stood thus with me that I could scarce tell how to do a duty and to turn my hand upon any holy duty but now through the Grace of God and his blessing upon the means I have used I am come to that pass now that I can scarce tell now how to commit a sin this is the growth we should press after I can do nothing against the truth I could do little for the truth I can do little or nothing against the truth I had strength to sin and I was very weak to duty weak for prayer and weak for beleeving and weak for conflicting with corruptions I but now Grace is so improved in me that now I am able to do any thing I am able to do all things through Christ and by his Grace in me I cannot sin for my heart as once I could this is the growth that we should press after I such a growth in grace we should endeavour to as that we may be upon all occasions commanded by the Scripture and by Scripture-arguments and reasons and swayed with them whatsoever arguments come to the contrary Truly this is an argument of a soul well improved in Grace and in the things of God when Gods arguments will bear sway with it all other arguments they signifie little or nothing but an argument drawn from the Command of God from the Love of God and from Grace such an argument will prevail I shall sin against God if I neglect this duty if I commit this I shall dishonour Gods I shall offend my Brother I shall wound my Conscience I shall walk unsuitably to the Name that 's call'd upon me to my holy Profession I shall walk unanswerably to the Grace that I am planted under when such arguments as these are of a prevailing power it 's an argument that the Kingdom of God is come with power into our souls when Christs arguments are the swaying and the prevailing arguments with us Thus now I have been driving this business for my own part I profess to you and the Lord help us to consider wisely of it I hope I may say in regard of the Grace of God implanted it doth as much concern me as any one of you that I press on you to a growth in Grace it 's as much my duty as yours and as much your duty as mine and it will be a woful account that we shall give another day if you and I shall appear before the Lord Jesus Christ and shall have this charged upon us you preach'd indeed a growth in Grace and you that were the hearers you heard concerning a growth in Grace but neither Preacher nor Hearer set your selves to answer your duty Now ow shall we give account of this if you will go away with meer notions and rest in this for I tell you there is a great deal of danger that you lye open to in passing over Sermons of this nature making no great matter of them You have heard the Discourse and have been called upon to this purpose Grow in Grace and in the mean time please your selves with this conceit well it matters not it is a mysterious thing we know not what to think of the matter whether there be such a growth as is spoken of we will look to this to see that there be Grace in the truth of it and so put off the matter of growth I tell you that this is dangerous We must as we will approve our selves to God and walk worthy of the provision he hath made to us it is our duty that as we have received Christ Jesus the Lord so to walk in him grow up in him that is the head and increase with the increase of God and hold some proportion to time and means and ordinances and pains that God takes with us and that our profiting may appear unto all men SERM. VII IT is our duty as you have heard to grow in Grace and so to grow that our profiting may appear unto all And it is that which concerns both Preachers and Hearers and all sorts of Professors of Godlyness that they endeavour this that their profiting may appear appear to themselves appear one to another And if you will ask me how we shall make it to appear that we do profit that there is an improvement that we do grow in Grace how shall we make it appear supposing that there is a willingness and the heart is brought to this that it may be made to appear you may without any great difficulty attain to a resolution this way Do not you know how men make it appear that they have more strength of body than others they make it appear by greater activities and by doing more and greater services You know how men make it appear that they are richer than they were that they are increased in their estates why they will if they be ingenious and be not base and sordid and slaves to their injoyments make it appear in a suitableness in their deportment and carriages and expences and layings out they will fare better and they will go better apparelled and they will be more ready to give and they will drive greater trades you know this as well as I and better to you know how men make it appear that they are richer men of more able estates why and do not you know how you may make it appear that you are better men in Christ that you are better in Godlyness that you have more Grace than you had Surely you cannot but reach this apprehension and know how you may make it appear that you are so that you are better in Faith and Godlyness Wicked men they do make it clearly to appear that they are worse than once they were they will act more vigorously for the Devil and in opposition to God and to the waies of Godlyness Wicked men they make it clearly to appear that they do grow worse and worse they are more prophane more proud they discover themselves so to be by rising higher and higher in their impieties and insolencies against God and discovering themselves without shame and any check without any startling at it discovering themselves that they are resolv'd upon it for to go on with a high hand in their evil way Why now cannot you tell you that are the sons and daughters of Grace that have the Grace of God in you the Truth in you and whose duty it is to grow in Grace Cannot you tell how you may
of the Text which concerns Growth in Grace The next thing that follows to be considered of is this Grow in Grace And in the Knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Here we have to consider of a further Inquiry a further Command Grow in Grace Grow in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. And truly I am apt to conceive that there is a dependance of one upon the other and that in order unto growth in Grace Christians and Beleevers are required to grow in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. This I conceive is intended in this conjunction and connexion of these two Requiries As if the Apoâ—…le should have said Grow in Grace and that you may so do Grow in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Now before I come to the second observation there is a question which I think may be very properly moved upon occasion of these two Requiries thus ordered out in the Text. This Question I say I conceive may be very fitly moved When the Apostle requires that there be a growth in Grace then he comes to require a growth in Knowledge It may be questioned from hence Is not Knowledge Grace and doth not the Apostle require a growth in Knowledge when he requires a growth in Grace why should he make this a distinct requiry from the former May not we conceive that Knowledge is a Grace and then requiring growth in Grace he requires growth in Knowledge A little to answer this First I would say thus That it 's not to be questioned but that Knowledge is a Gift and a gift that is very highly to be accounted of But every Gift is not a Grace Indeed every Grace is a Gift but every Gift is not a Grace understanding by Grace as usually it is to be taken that Grace which is a fruit and effect of Election a fruit and effect of special Love understanding by Grace sanctifying and saving Grace so every Gift is not a Grace every Gift may be called a Grace in this sense as it comes from Grace from common Grace it 's a common Grace that God doth bestow meat and drink upon us it 's a common Grace and favour of God that gives us meat to eat cloathing to put on that he gives us the use of Reason that he gives us common Understanding that we may carry our selves like men like rational creatures this is a common Gift a common Grà ce And so for knowledge it is a Gift I and it is a Gift that comes from common Grace and a common Grace it may be reckoned to be But if we speak of special Grace a distinguishing Grace Grace that is to Salvation Truly so every Gift is not a Grace And it 's true concerning Knowledge Knowledge is a Gift and yet speaking of Grace strictly Knowledge is not a Grace But only we must distinguish of Knowledge There is a more common Knowledge there is a notional Knowledge a Knowledge of an inlightned understanding eradiâ—…ated by the common light of the spirit by a common work of the spirit I say that this is not a Grace this as you shall hear may be had and yet persons may perish for all this and damn eternally they may go down well accomplish'd as to their Knowledge to hell But then there is a Knowledge that is not only a brain-Knowledge but a heart-Knowledge I will give them a heart to know me Truly there 's Grace there to be sure if the Knowledge be not Grace yet there 's Grace in the Knowledge and with the Knowledge When God gives a man a heart to know him that 's a Covenant-blessing and of Covenant-conveyance and it 's a conveyance to none but those that have a special favour but otherwise Knowledge in it self considered though it be a Gift yet not a Grace For mark you First of all you have had many knowing persons as I was saying that were never partakers of the Grace of God true saving Grace Balaam prophecies of himself that he was the man whose eyes were opened and he knew the visions of God Balaam speaks it of himself he was a man that had very much insight in the mysteries of God and the things that concern the Church of God and the enemies of the Church and yet a wretch a covetous wretch that perished in his way of covetousness and did discover a madness of spirit the madness of his heart was eager in the pursuit of the waies of unrighteousness Thus Balaam and yet a knowing man his eyes were opened he saw the visions of God he was acquainted with the counsels of God and yet a very wretch and fell at length under damnation What was he the better for his Knowledge Persons may know much I they may have all Knowledge and yet for all that they may be without Charity without Love so the Apostle in 1 Cor. 13. saith he Though I speak with the tongues of Men and Angels and though I have all Knowledge and have not Love I am nothing it profits me nothing Now by this it appears that there is a Knowledge that is another thing than Grace And then consider that Knowledge is that which a man may have and be swelled and puffed up with it so saith the Apostle 1 Cor. 8. We know that we have all Knowledge Knowledge saith he puffeth up Charity edifies now Grace doth not do so Grace doth not puff up And then again persons may have Knowledge and yet notwithstanding all their Knowledge after that they have escaped the pollutions of the World they may come to be intangled again in their former corruptions be brought again into their former woful bondage and the latter end of them may be worse than ever their beginning was so the Apostle in 2 Pet. 2. saith he If after they have escaped the pollutions of the World through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Iesus Christ the best knowledge in the World they had this knowledge and escaped the pollutions of the World and they are intangled again and overcome the latter end is worse with them than the beginning for it had been better with them not to have known the way of righteousness than after they have known it to turn from the holy Commandement delivered unto them Here 's clearly now according to this account the Apostle gives held forth that persons may have the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ they may come to have such a Knowledge whereby they escape the pollutions of the World and yet they may come to be intangled and overcome so that it may be worse with them than ever it was before They may know the way of Righteousness and yet for all that turn from the holy Commandement delivered to them and so become like the Dog to his vomit and like the Sow to her wallowing again in the mire By all this I say it appears that there is a Knowledge and knowledge
is not knowledge to regulate the Tongue so as that we may come to understand what is fit Language for us to speak 6. Well may it be required that we indeavour a growth in Knowledge for the more Christians grow in knowledge the more fit will they be for to judge of Gods providential Dispensations Alas how often do we misinterpret God and his dealings and pass very hard and sharp censures upon them we are apt to do so and to deal very dishonourably with God concerning his dealings and Dispensations And why It is for want of Knowledge It is a people that do err in their heart they were ever and anon quarrelling with God according to that passage that you have in Psal. 45. Forty years long was I grieved with this Generation they tempted me proved me and saw my works and they were censuring me for this and that because I brought them out of Egypt and carried them into the Wilderness And saith he It is a people that do err in their heart And the reason is this They have not known my wayes It is through ignorance and for want of a due Information concerning me that they run upon these dangerous wayes And this was Job's case though other wayes a knowing man yet not altogether so compleated in his Knowledge as he should have been But the Lord comes upon him and expestulates the case with him Who is that that darkneth counsel by words without knowledge Words I words hard words censorious passages drop from his mouth I but they are words without knowledge That 's another thing we shall be better able to judge of Providences though they be very mysterious when we come to be well improved in our Knowledge concerning God whose wayes are in the Sea and whose paths are in the great deeps and by knowing aright concerning God we shall be the beâ—… able to make a judgment of his Dispensations 7. Well may it be required of Christians and Believers that they grow in Knowledge because that by growing in knowledge they shall be the better able for to manage all those Places and Conditions and Relations which they are planted under As now Those that are Fathers Mothers Masters Servants Husbands Wives there is very much lyes upon them to do each in their place station and relation that they may beautifie them and have the blessing of God upon them in those Relations under which they are planted There is very much lyes upon us and I beseech you consider well of it I say that much of the power of Godliness it lyes in the well managing of our particular Places and Relations when men are godly as Husbands as Wives as Masters as Servants as Parents as Children much of Godliness doth lye in the well managing of these Relations And when we are conscientiously careful to fill up these Relations truly we then beautifie them and we adorn our holy Profession I but how shall this come to pass unless that we be a People of a well improved Knowledge Alas if we do not know our Duties in our Places what belongs to me as a Husband as a Wife as a Father as a Child as a Master if I have not a well improved Knowledge concerning my Duty in my Relation I shall never be able to perform it Truly thus it is and therefore you shall find that the Apostle in 1 Pet. 3. he requires this on the Husbands part That he should dwell with the Wife as a man of Knowledge that he may know how to go in and out before his Yoke-fellow and before his Family And so a Wife a Woman of Knowledge that she may carry her self towards her Husband in a becoming manner and towards her Family-A Master a man of Knowledge that he may understand wâ—… is his Duty as a Master and carry it accordingly A Servant a man of Knowledge a woman of Knowledge And so a Father a Child they should labour after the knowledge of their Duties in their Places and Relations that accordingly they may carry themselves So that now lay all these several Particulars that I have propounded to you together and truly you cannot but stand convinc'd surely of this That it is God's will and it is Saints Duty and well may it be required of them as their Duty that they endeavour to indear Knowledge and endeavour a growth in their Knowledge I Brethren that is it which firstly I have been sent to communicate unto you That your Duty is to grow in Knowledge upon all these accounts upon the account that you know but in part and it 's but a little part And then the more you grow in Knowledge the more you have of the Image of God The more you grow in Knowledge the more will you have of that rich Treasure that 's laid up in Jesus Christ. And then the more you grow in Knowledge the more fit will you be to make a Judgment of sins what are sins and what are not sins The more able will you be to make a Judgment of Graces what are such and what are not The more able will you be to judge of Duties what are Duties and when duly managed The more able will you be to manage your passions and affections which for want of Knowledge are many times inordinate and exorbitant The more able will you be to rule your tongues and speeches The more able will you be to make a Judgment of the Providences of God and to carry it becomingly under them The more able will you be to manage those Places and Relations under which you are planted Now do but weigh these things well and you will see reason to seek out for Knowledge that if you know yet you had need to follow on to know more and more But that 's not all I propound 2ly That as it is a Duty incumbent upon a Christian to endeavour a growth in Knowledge so especially in the Knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Oh this is the growth this is the Knowledge which is especially to be endeared and a growth wherein is in special manner to be endeavoured Knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ however it be in respect of other knowledge yet that Knowledge you had need look to that you may be Profiâ—…ionts in Why First of all that I may convince you now of this If it be the good will of God that you may come under the power of an effectual convincement as to this That this Knowledge you are to endeavour a growth in I may very fitly make use of that which I gave in the former Doctrine I told you that we know but in part O Brethren we know Christ but in part as we know little of God as touching his infinite glorious Essence and Being O we know but little of Christ O 't is a Mysterie The Knowledge of Christ is a Mysterie Oh 't is a hidden Mysterie it was kept hid from Ages and Generations Oh it
I see I am a most plaguie creature Now if you should know no more this is the way to become stark mad and to fall under most dreadful despair as Iudis did and you know what course hetook But now the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ is the knnowledg that relieves us concerning the knowledg of sin O I know my plague I but by my knowledge of Christ I come to know my plaister I know my disease but by the knowledge of Christ I come to know my remedy The knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ I will tell you what a knowledge it is It is a heart-breaking knowledge a soul-humbling knowledge it is a sin-killing knowledge it is a Grace-quickening knowledge O it is a love-flaming knowledge and it is such a knowledge as will draw out the heart to Christ such a knowledge as will make men willing to do any thing to suffer any thing for the name and sake of the Lord Jesus Christ. O 't is excellent knowledge precious knowledge useful knowledge the most beneficial knowledge The Apostle professeth as I said before that he accounted all things but loss and dung for the excellency of this knowledge The inlargement of these things I cannot give you nor come to Application but only thus Will you but set your hearts to a due consideration of the things that have been spoken Certainly 〈◊〉 â—…ou have but an ear to hear and a heart to unâ—…tand and consider of these things how rationally you are required to grow in knowledge and especially in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ if you do but weigh these things and the account given why we should endeavour such a growth you will be able to conclude what is for you to do not to slight this knowledge but to endeavour after it and that you may know Christ know him in his Name and Nature and Oâ—…ices and know him not only for that 's the thing that I would close up withal with an historical and notional knowledge Peradventure you may say as the Apostle speaks We have all knowledge I it may be so a great deal of knowledge there may be in the head and yet nothing of true saving knowledge in the heart but it is not a notional knowledge but a heart-knowledge an in-working knowledge such a knowledge as is opperative to such purposes as I have hinted to you This is the knowledge that we should pursue and endeavour a growth in SERM. X. I Would add to that which hath been spoken of this to be further considered The knowledge of Christ it is a most excellent knowledge it is such a knowledge as the Angels the Glorious Angels are exceedingly devoted to the inquiring into they are very much set to this that they may come to understand this knowledge concerning Christ. The Apostle Peter in his 1 Epist. Ch. 1. gives you this account concerning them speaking there of the Revel ver 11 12. The spirit did testifie before-hand the sufferings of Christ and the Glory which should follow unto whom it was revealed that not unto themselves but unto us they did minister the things which are now reported unto you by them that have preached the Gospel unto you which the Holy Ghost sent down from Heaven Which things mark you the Angels desire to look into Do but consider that which things of the Gospel concerning Christ his sufferings and Glory the Angels desire to look into they are very close Students in this knowledge and most strongly set to be acquainted with these mysteries the mysterie of the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ A knowledge therefore that our hearts shoud â—…e very strongly set to increase in and for to get more acquaintance with And this I vvould further say that foâ—…â—…e Apostle Paul vvho vvas a man of excellent parts and of very great knovvledge a man of much learning and vvas as able to make a judgement of knovvledge as any man and for to discern betvveen knovvledge and knovvledge The Apostle Paul he vvas as I hinted before very high in his esteem of this knovvledge and if so be that it had been convenient for him to have boasted truly he vvould have made his boast of his knovvledge in the mysterie of Christ Though I saith he be rude in speech yet not in knovvledge and saith he I vvould have you to knovv my knovvledge in the mysterie of Christ. So in Eph. 3. vvriting that Epistle to them he expresseth himself to this purpose Whereby when you come to read you may understand my knowledge in the mysterie of Christ. Further it is a knovvledge that vve should endeavour to grovv up in it is the most beneficial and profitable knovvledge it is the most beneficial knovvledge in all the World It is a heart-humbling knovvledge It is a sin-killing knovvledge It is a conscience-quieting knovvledge And here I might add sundry other particulars that you might come to knovv hovv to value the knovvledge of Christ and so hovv much it concerns us to endeavour after a grovvth and increase in it It is a svveetning knovvledge it svveetens a mans spirit under all the bitterness that it may meet 〈◊〉 â—…al It svveetens afflictions it svveetens temptations and vvhatsoever may be to the imâ—…ering of a mans spirit O the knovvledge of 〈◊〉 Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ it vvill bring the soul into a condition to relish svveetness in it And then it is a sanctifying knovvledge it 's a knowledge that sanctifies the understanding There is another knowledge which men are apt to be lifted up through the attainment of and lifted up with which is a knowledge that doth rather tend to the corrupting and depraving of the understanding but the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ it doth sanctifie the understanding and perfects the understanding it sanctifies all other knowledge that we may come to attain unto And much might be spoken to that purpose But I add yet further that we may stand the more fully convinced of our duty this way to endeavour a growth in the knowledge of Christ Consider thus Beleevers they are most strongly bound to place their whole trust and confidence in Christ and that in order to their being everlastingly saved Blessed are all they that trust in Christ. It is He I say upon whom a Beleevers trust and confidence is to be placed in the fullest strength of it and other confidences than what are plac'd in any but in Christ God will curse them and confound them Cursed be the man that trusteth in man and maketh flesh his arm but blessed is the man whose trust is in Christ. It is Christ whom we are to trust with our lives with our souls with our consciences with our peace with our comforts with our eternal concernments Thus it is it is Christ that we are to trust upon for Righteousness unto Justification and everlasting life It is Christ upon whom we are to place our
hope and confidence towards God It is Christ who is the foundation upon whom we are to lay the whole weight of our souls for eternity Now then consider how strongly the Argument will grow up from hence if so be that Believers be so much bound to place their trust in Christ to pitch and fix their confidence upon Christ they had need know him well this will follow upon it I tell you Brethren you had need to know reason will suggest this to you that man well whom you trust your lives withal all your estates and worldly interests withal lest putting your confidence in an unfaithful man or one that will not be responsible to you concerning the trust you place in him you be utterly undone and fall under sad and shameful disappointments Will you trust your selves in case of sickness with one that you never knew or have but little knowledge of do not know whether he have proportionable wisdom and understanding and skill to manage such an undertaking as your health and recovery from some deadly disease amounts unto Nay you will say I will know him well before I will trust him with such a concernment If so be that you have a Suit in Law which your whole Estate depends upon the well issuing of you will endeavour this to know him well whom you trust your Cause with lest it should miscarry by means of his ill management of it this we all will yield unto as a rational thing Why now I pray consider you are bound to trust Christ with your lives with your souls they are wofully diseased and He must be your Physitian and you are bound to make your application unto him for health and cure Truly you had need to know him it 's your duty to be well acquainted with him that so you may come with the more boldness to place your trust and confidence in Him and to say Well I dare venture my life in his hand I know him well I know his wisdom I know his skill I am so well acquainted with his sufficiency that if I had a thousand lives I would put them all into his hand You are to trust him for your eternal inheritance and for to plead your Cause to answer all the Suits that are to be commenc'd against you by the Devil by your Consciences it is He that must plead your Cause you are bound to this to trust Him with your Cause Now it stands you upon much therefore to know him well and be well improved in your knowledge of Christ forasmuch as you are to commit the cause of your souls to Him Consider further You are bound to place your most intire and intensive love upon Christ this is the bond the Lord sets upon every beleeving soul to love the Lord Jesus in sincerity and to love him with the most intire and intensive love Consider this you are bound to love him above your lives above your souls you are bound to love him more than you love your Father your Mother your Wife your Children your Estates every thing in the World that is most neer and dear unto you this obligation and bond the Gospel puts Beleevers under they are bound I say to love the Lord Jesus with a supream love and to give this account of themselves such as the Prophet doth of himself in Ps. 33. O Lord Whom have I in Heaven but thee and whom is there on earth that I love and desire in comparison of thee This is your duty the duty of a Beleever for to have the strength of his love let out upon Christ. It 's our duty to love him with a Conjugal love love him so as to own him for our Beloved and to refuse all other beloveds in comparison of him this is our duty Now mark you Will not then the Argument flow strongly from hence we have reason then to know him well and labour to improve in the knowledge of him Christ doth not care for a blind love He doth not make much account of the love that is set upon him by those that know him not it is a judicious love that Christ makes account of Now therefore it concerns you to endeavour a growth in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ that knowing him well our hearts may break out and burn in love to him and that so he may come to have the strength of our affections let out upon him There 's never a wise woman in the World that will let out her love upon a man that she knows not or hath little knowledge of I will know him well whether he be a proper object for me to place my love upon Now thus the case stands between Christ and a beleeving soul and therefore we had need endeavour an improvement in the knowledge of Christ that so we may come to have our hearts the more free to let out our love upon him and say O I know him I know him so well that no beloved for my purpose besides himself Choose him I will choose him above all the World This was the course that the Daughters of Jerusalem took in Cant. 2. When the Spouse was giving in charge to them concerning her Beloved say they What is thy beloved more than another beloved Why saith she My beloved is white and ruddy the chiefest among ten thousand she speaks as one that had a full knowledge of him and upon that account her heart was so strongly drawn out to him thus it was with her Now in Chap. 6. having obtained the knowledge of her Beloved that he was so choice and precious a one their hearts begin to flame out and to be in love with him O whither is thy Beloved gone O thou fairest among women whither is thy beloved gone that we may seek him with thee for as he is thy Beloved so shall he be our Beloved now we come to know more of him now are our hearts inflamed with the love of him and our desires carried out more strongly after him Again we had need endeavour a growth in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Whereas they are bound to trust in him and to set their love upon him so they are under this obligation for to captivate their judgements to him so as to yield up themselves in all obedience and duty to be at his beck and bidding and to comport with him in all his requiries and to do whatsoever he commands them without disputing his commands this is a Beleevers duty Whatsoever he requires of them without any more ado to follow him resolvedly in every way that he leads them into If any man will be my Disciple let him deny himself and follow me and hearken to my commands such service and duty every beleeving soul stands bound to the performance of Now consider if so be that one will go and bind himself to such a Master whose will he must follow whose commands he must obey and with whose
our Improvement in the knowledge of Christ truly we walk unworthy of this provision if we do not put on with all industriousness to such a purpose that we may grow in the Knowledge of God Let me but express my self thus If so be you have a Vessel moving upon the waters if the water be shallow and it be a low water the Vessel is ready to touch upon the ground but if so be the water grow higher and higher and the Tyde comes in and springs up then the Vessel rises higher and higher So should it be with the souls of Believers being that God hath made a stream come in more strongly and the Tyde to rise higher as he hath done in the course of holy Scripture truly the endeavour of a Christian should be sutable to such provision he should endeavour to be upon his Improvements and to grow in the Knowledge of Christ. These things being thus accounted to you in order to your convincement that we should endeavour a growth in the Knowledge of our Lord and Saviour I should now come to tell you what this Knowledge is for the nature of it I must tell you this That truly there are many have the Knowledge of Christ and are grown up to a great measure of it and yet for all that their Knowledge will be their confutation at last I must tell you this That howsoever we may be apt to lift up our selves in high conceits of our Knowledge yet the very Devils are exceeding much in their Knowledge of Christ We know thee who thou art The holy one of God I tell you There 's never a Devil that 's now under the chains of darkness but they can speak most learnedly concerning the Lord Jesus concerning his Person concerning his Nature concerning his Office And how many learned men are there that are able to discourse concerning Christ concerning his Incarnation and concerning his Death and Resurrection and Ascension and this and that and are able to inlarge themselves this way and yet they do many of them go down with their Knowledge to Hell Therefore it is necessary for us to be well instructed in this Point that we may know what this Knowledge is I would have spoken something to it only thus It is not a notional Knowledge Take heed of a notional historical Knowledge a Knowledge that you attain unto meerly by common report and by a common eradiation of the Understanding but look to it that it be a Heart-knowledge a cordial Knowledge a practical Knowledge such a Knowledge as is a transforming Knowledge For the truth on 't is If any man think he knows any thing of Christ he knows nothing as he ought to know if his Knowledge don't transform him This is the ruine of souls They know much of Christ they are able to discourse of the Doctrine of Justification and Sanctification and of Adoption and other Mysteries of the Gospel and all lies floating in the brain and that 's nothing of its effectual operation upon the heart and conscience of a sinner This is that that I would a little further speak to you about that so we may not mistake our selves and go with a Knowledge that lies dead upon our hands and so come to fall under the deep and most dreadful ruine SERM. XI I Was speaking concerning this Knowledge for the kind of it Now I would strengthen this cause I have in hand concerning the Knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ I would strengthen the cause what I could and I shall do my best endeavour that you may be as fully convinc'd as may be How much it concerns Believers and Saints to grow in the Knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Besides all that hath been already spoken to the purpose which indeed doth carry very convincing light with it and is beyond all gain-saying There is besides all that hath been already spoken some things further to be held forth unto you whereby you may yet stand more fully convinc'd of it That the Knowledge of our Lord Jesus is a Knowledge that we should vigorously endeavour a growth and Improvement in As now to instance Having spoken the last time of things that concern us in reference to Christ so I shall now further communicate those things to you that concern this matter in reference to our selves If so be we be but that we profess to be if we be such as have the faith of the Gospel and are planted under the hopes of the Gospel truly it doth very much concern us in respect of our selves to endeavour vigorously a growth in the Knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ and that in these several respects which I would intreat you seriously to weigh and consider As First Our Duty is to endeavour a growth in th Knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. First That we may be men and women of more able Judgments be more Judicious and able to manage our Judgment of things 2. That we may have the more benefit and comfort of our Consciences and with respect to our consciences our duty is to endeavour a growth in the Knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. 3. With respect unto Gospel-grace and that there may be an increase in it 4. With respect unto Gospel-priviledges and Benefits and Comforts 5. With respect to Gospel-duties 6. With respect unto a Gospel-conversation In the general these things I now do further offer to your consideration and shall endeavour to give some insight into them and what they do import that so if the Lord will please to prosper my endeavours among you that you may come to set on more strenuously with strength and endeavour after a growth in the Knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Consider first It is required of us such as profess Godliness and the Faith of the Gospel that they be a wise judicious and understanding People Be not saith the Apostle unwise but understanding what the will of the Lord is 'T is that which hath been earnestly prayed for So David Thy hands have made me and fashioned me give me understanding How earnest was Solomon in that behalf that he would give him a wise and an understanding heart How earnest was Paul with God on the behalf of the Church of the Ephesians That their understandings might be enlightned God would have his People to be like himself he is a judicious God a God of Judgment and he would have his People to be an understanding and judicious People of discerning spirits able to make a right Judgment of persons and persons of things and things This is the Will of God Now consider There is no Knowledge in all the World that contributes so much to this that we may come to be a wise understanding and judicious People as the Knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ doth I remember what Moses speaks in Deut. 4. That they should be acknowledged upon the account
to be so that do not correspond to Christ and do not answer Christ as the Pattern This is that therefore that we are to know and consider That it is necessary that Believers and Saints should be well acquainted with the Knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ because by that Knowledge we are to regulate our Judgments concerning our own persons And so the Church as in Rev. 2. before-mentioned And so again The like is to be said concerning Doctrines and concerning Worships concerning the Doctrines that are held forth and concerning the Worships that are performed Why Brethren there are many Doctrines preach'd in the World that are no better than chaff to the Wheat and no other than dross to the Gold What is the chaff to the wheat as the Prophet Ieremiah speaks And what is the dross to the Gold Now how should we judge but by the help of the Knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ The more we improve in that Knowledge the better able shall we be to make a Judgment of Doctrines And so likewise of Worships Such Worships as shall have acceptance vvith God Why they must be Worships that are according to Christ and the more vve improve in the Knovvledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ the more able shall vve be to make a Judgment of these things O! Christ he is a spiritual Christ Though we have known him saith the Apostle after the flesh yet henceforth know we him so no more He was made after the power of an endless Life and not after the Law of a carnal Commandment and his Worship is drawn up not after the Law of a carnal Commandment but after the power of an endless Life sutable to himself O consider of this and take heed of carnal hearts and of carnal Services that hold no correspondency with our Lord Jesus Christ so that upon this account you may see and stand convinc'd of it That it concerns us very much to endeavour a growth and increase in the Knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ because by the means of that Knowledge we are inabled to make a Judgment of Churches and their Constitutions we are inabled to make a Judgment of Doctrines and of Worships which are to be performed 〈◊〉 Yet further The Knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ is a Knowledge that Christians and Believers should endeavour a growth in and that as with respect unto their Judgments that they may come to be well accomplisht and to become a judicious People So likewise 2ly In regard of their Conscience Conscience truly it is a great word and I wish that the interpretation of it were better known The interpretation of Conscience I tell you Brethren That every man and woman hath a Conscience within them and this Conscience is either his cordial Friend or it will be his dreadful Enemy it will either be a Friend or a Fury either his best Friend on earth or his greatest Enemy on earth Conscience will be a Friend if it be right but God is a greater Friend Conscience will be an Enemy I but God is a greater Enemy If our heart condemn us faith the Apostle God is greater than our heart and he knows all things But on earth there is not a greater Friend nor is there a greater Enemy than a man's Conscience I tell you this That your Consciences when you come to know them and to be acquainted with them and when they come to be awakened and set on work your Consciences will either create a Heaven within you or else they will create a Hell within you Truly Conscience will do thus It will either make your life to be a Heaven or else it will make it to be a Hell I 'le give you two Instances and I think that more remarkable Instances cannot be given To instance in Paul and Iudas There was never man I think in the World that was able to speak more from experience concerning his Conscience and how it befriended him than Paul was never man better studied in Conscience never man more befriended by Conscience and he knew the benefit of it and was exceedingly rejoyced in it And there was never man that was more terrified by his Conscience I think than Iudas was and no man more able to speak to the terror of his Conscience than he was Paul makes his boast of his Conscience This is our rejoycing The testimony of our Conscience And Men and brethren I have lived in all good Conscience And still upon every occasion My Conscience bears me witness O this Conscience of Paul it sung within his bosom like a bird of Paradise O this good Conscience of Paul notwithstanding all the troubles and persecutions he meets with his Conscience befriends him and doth keep him up in heart and he is cheered with it under all the troubles and disquietments that he meets with in this World Thus it was with him as to his Conscience And as for Iudas his Conscience was a Fury within him when he came to be awakened and had the guilt of blood upon him O how Conscience rages it creates a Hell within him and he is in Hell before he comes there as many are and will be when God comes to awake their Consciences Now thus it was with Iudas and he was so hurried and agaster'd and amazed and afrighted that he was a Magor-missabib a terror to himself Thus it was with Iudas and that by reason of his awakened Conscience labouring under the guilt of his iniquities and impieties that he had committed Well this is Conscience the best friend on Earth or the greatest and dreadfullest enemy on Earth A man had better have all the World against him than have his Conscience against him and if all the World be against a man yet if his Conscience be for him if his Conscience will befriend him it will inable him to bear up with comfort notwithstanding I but now consider that it is by the well-improvement of the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ it is by the well-improvement of that knowledge and by endeavouring an advance and a growth and increase in that this is the thing that I drive at it is by this means and upon this account that the Conscience comes to be set to rights and is inabled to do the part of a dear and cordial Friend which it will never do upon other tearms I 'll tell you what your Consciences will never do the part of a friend to you to any purpose but rather storm against you and make you to become as Magor-missabibs terrors to your selves unless you be well instructed in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Iesus Christ. Men and women may daub with their Consciences and sooth up themselves and lay their Conscience upon a pillow when it 's sick and distemper'd and ill at ease and would be breaking out men may take this and that course to still their Conscience for
more labouring under the apprehension and the representation of their former sins they would have been made perfect and would have had no more Conscience of sin But saith he every time they come to offer these Sacrifices there is a remembrance of sins Why Why because the knowledge of all this the performance of all this would not answer the exigency of the Conscience and lay a foundation for the Conscience to bottom upon But saith he Christ He comes in and He by one offering of Himself by the shedding of his own blood once He hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified and now the Conscience comes to be quiet O this is the knowledge will quiet the Conscience Therefore now judge with your selves whether there be not infinite cause that professors that mind their souls and the peace of their hearts and the comfort of their Consciences whether it doth not infinitely concern them to endeavour an increase and growth in the Knowledge of the Lord Jesus That so when Conscience would be upon stirring and startling and stumbling the soul being well versed in the mysterie and understanding to good purpose what the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ is the soul may be able to relieve it self Well be it what it will let Devils charge and let men charge let them charge to the full I bless God I have the knowledge of Jesus Christ. I understand the mysterie concerning my Lord Jesus I have endeavoured to make a good progression in this knowledge and to accommodate it to my purpose I know who Christ was what a Priest he was and what blood he shed and what a sacrifice he offered and I know that the Infinite Justice of God is not able to make any exception against this sacrifice and blood God hath rescued me well may my Conscience rescue me God is satisfied well may my Conscience be satisfied Well now for my part I know not what in all the World to preach to you that is more material and momentous than these things And these two things that I have laboured about this morning as touching a Christians accomplishment for being wise and judicious and that is by a due improvement in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. And likewise concerning the Conscience and how that comes to be rectified and set to rights and to stand a mans Friend in every time of need and that he may sweetly injoy himself and come to have a Rock to repose upon in a storm and tempest how a soul may come to find a rest for it self in all the tossings and turmoylings in the World and that it is the knowledge or improving in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. I say these are momentous things and we should well consider of it that of all knowledge there is none that we should endeavour a growth and increase in as the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. SERM. XII I Shall now proceed unto some other things which will yet more fully evidence it to us that it doth very much concern beleeving souls to endeavour a growth in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. The third thing according to this order which I propound is That by growth in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ we shall be advantaged for a growth in Grace It seems and to me it more than seems to be implyed in the Conjunction of these two Requiries Grow in Grace grow in the Knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. It seems to imply thus much as if so be the Apostle should have said Grow in Grace and that you may do so see that you grow in the Knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. They are never like to come to any eminency in Grace and to make any considerable advance 〈◊〉 Grace that make little or no progress in the Knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. And they that in uprightness of soul do make it their business to incease and grow in the Knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ they are the most likely persons for to make the most considerable advantage in the Graces of the Spirit of God There is something in it that the Spirit of God by the ministry of his Apostle Peter should propound these two requiries in this Conjunction one with another Require a growth in Grace and in order thereunto a growth in the Knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Now here first of all I shall speak a little more generally and that but in a touch And then shall endeavour to evince this by giving an account of this in a more particular way You are to know that the first plantation of Grace in the soul it is made in the way and by the means of the Knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ communicated to the soul through the Spirit there can be no Grace in the heart where there is no Knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. It is the Knowledge of Christ and of the Gospel and of the Gospel-mysteries concerning Christ by the means whereof Grace comes to be planted in the soul. The Prophet in Psal. 19. gives us this account of the Law of the Lord that it is a perfect Law converting the soul. What Law is this understand it of the Law of Grace and Faith Not of the Law of Works and there by Law you are to understand the Doctrine of God concerning Christ held forth in the Gospel in the Scriptures of Prophets and Apostles And he saith that it is the Law of God this Law of Faith this Gospel-Law which is the blessed Instrument of converting the soul. Before Conversion there 's no Grace when Conversion is wrought then Grace takes place in the heart an unconverted person is a graceless person let him be what he will for his moralities and plausible conversation when once Conversion is wrought then Grace comes to be in the soul and this Conversion is not brought about but by the Gospel which holds forth unto us the Knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Let a man preach moral Duties never so clearly and plainly moral Duties all the Duties of the moral Law considered as it holds forth a Covenant of Works as it holds forth a Duty to God Duty to Man I say let a man preach never so clearly and plainly man's Duty he will never be able to convert the soul that is not the converting Ministry no it is not 't is not the quickning Ministry I remember how the Apostle argues to the Galatians Received ye the Spirit saith he which Spirit is a Spirit of Grace by the works of the Law or by the hearing of Faith That is the Doctrine of Faith Why saith he you did never receive the Spirit which is a Spirit of Grace by the works of the Law and by the hearing of the Law but you received the Spirit by
the hearing of Faith by hearing the Doctrine of Faith the Doctrine of the Gospel the Doctrine concerning the Lord Jesus Christ made known unto you in that way the Spirit came and the Spirit with the Grace of it It is therefore the Knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ that is the blessed instrumental means whereby there comes to be the first plantation of Grace in the Soul I this that brings men to believe it 's the Gospel men will never believe to the saving of their souls till they come to know Jesus Christ. They will never repent with a Repentance to salvation till they come to know Jesus Christ All the knowledge in the World will never bring over a soul to Faith and Repentance to the Love of God but the Knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. When men come once to know the Mysterie of the Gospel to know the Grace of God in Christ to know the Mysteries concerning the Salvation and Redemption of the World by the Lord Jesus this will bring them to Faith if any thing will this will bring them to Repentance this is the instrumental means whereby they come to have their hearts warmed with the Love of God The preaching of the Law as a Covenant of Works moral Duties and pressing of them without the line of the Gospel and the Covenant of Grace without reference to that this will but rather provoke and stir up the corruption of a man The Law worketh wrath against a man works wrath in a man it raises up wrath it irritates those cursed corrupt Principles that are in him O this is a Mysterie that we should be well acquainted withal O it is the Knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ in the Gospel This is that that breaks the heart and makes the heart to work out after God Never shall we begin to love God nor to love Christ till such time as we come to know the Doctrines of the Gospel concerning our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. I would with all my heart that every one of you were but well studied in this Mysterie that now I am speaking to That it is the Knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ held forth in the Gospel that is the means and instrument to plant Grace to make the first Plantation of it in the Soul As 2ly Know That as it is the means of its first Plantation so it is the means and instrument of its Augmentation I am speaking according to the Doctrine of the Text concerning a growth in Grace and in the Knowledge of Christ. This growth in Grace is brought about by a growth in the Knowledge of our Lord Jesus the more we know the more we shall believe the more we shall repent the more we shall love the more holy shall we be as I shall shew you God assisting I think this Point will take up a little more time than other Particulars will but it will be time well spent Now yet further to clear up this That it is the Knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ and the increase in that which doth promote an increase in Grace You shall find in Scripture and truly it is worthy your consideration to my apprehension that the Knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ it is put for all Grace 'T is a considerable thing that when God will make a promise of all grace he doth epitomise that promise thus I will give them an heart to know me When God comes to make a promise to his People concerning Grace he puts it into this Form I give them an heart to know me O how much is there complicated in that expression I will give them an heart to know me He doth not say an Head to know me Indeed that 's a Gift but Knowledge in the heart is a Grace It is the beginning of Grace and that which contributes to all the Graces an heart to know me To know me with what a kind of Knowledge with a fidelial Knowledge a Knowledge of Trust and an affectionate Knowledge a Knowledge of Love and with a Knowledge of Desire and a Knowledge of Submission I will give them an heart to know me And you shall find likewise to this purpose our Saviour speaks Joh. 17. 3. This is life eternal Why This is life eternal To know thee the only true God and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent Mark it This is eternal life in the Causes of it this is eternal life in the way and means of it To know thee and to know him whom thou hast sent To know God in Christ this is eternal life Then surely it imports Faith and it imports Love and it imports Holiness for eternal Life doth not come over to a soul but in the way of Believing and in the way of Holiness and in the way of Love and in the way of all the Graces So that I say The Knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ it is such a Knowledge as under which is comprehended the Graces of the Spirit And truly this is a consideration of weight in order to this purpose that we may come to be more in our indearings of it and more in our endeavourings after it But now I shall endeavour to make this yet more fully to appear by an induction of Particulars so as that you may stand convinc'd of this that the way to grow in Grace is to grow in the Knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Consider first of all That by growth in this Knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ we are most happily advantaged for a growth in Faith and Believing it is very considerable and I will commend it to you to be seriously weighed That as Knowledge is put for Faith for justifying Faith according to that remarkableScripture that you have in Isa. 53. where the Lord speaks to this purpose by the Prophet By his knowledge shall my righteous servant justifie many Now do but weigh that passage and observe this expression This is spoken concerning Christ our Lord and Saviour And saith the Prophet By the knowledge of him shall my righteous servant justifie many Why doth the Knowledge of Christ justifie Why the Devils know him and yet they are not justified Carnal Professors they have a Knowledge of him and yet they are not justified I but that is such a kind of Knowledge as that they that have it shall be justified And Christ by the Knowledge of him shall justifie many Now what Knowledge is this Iâ—… must needs be understood of a fiducial Knowledg a Knowledge of Faith such a Knowledge as is a Knowledge of Dependance a Knowledge of Recumbency and Relyance upon the Lord Jesus Christ. There 's no other Knowledge whereby Christ can justifie souls but by such a Knowledge as this And so I say The Knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ it is put for Faith and is used to be set forth unto us The faith whereby souls are justified and so
everlastingly saved But now yet more fully to clear up this That by growth in the Knowledge of our Lord Jesus there comes to be a prosperous and happy growth in Faith We will consider first of all What there is belonging unto a well-grown and improved Knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ and then you will be able clearly if so be that there be any spiritualness of understanding to see how this Knowledge duly improved doth draw out the saith of a Believer and how it doth most happily influence his Faith and is as the pouring out of water upon a Plant or at the root of a Tree which makes the Plant to thrive and grow and prosper and shoot up a main This will appear that this benefit comes over to us by our having the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ advantaged in us Now consider what doth properly belong to a well improved Knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. It is requisite in order to a due improvement and growth in the Knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ First That he be known as touching his Person That he is God blessed for evermore God with God in full equality with the Father and the Spirit and accounts it no robbery to claim such an equality as Great as the Father as Good as the Father as Holy as the Father as Mighty as the Father Thus it is He is God with God And 2ly That he is not only God with God but he is God-Man that he might be both fit to deal with God for Man and with Man for God That 's the first thing that I propound I shall make the accommodation of them by and by and having propounded the things that belong to this well improved Knowledge then I shall come to offer it to your Consideration how the Grace of Faith is most happily influenced by this Knowledge thus improved 2. It belongs to well improved Knowledge for to know that this Christ God-Man is the Son of God the only begotten of the Father by an act of eternal Generation 3. It 's requisite to a well improved Knowledge That souls do know and understand that this Christ God-Man the eternal Son of the Father that he is the Son of his dearest Love and did from all eternity lodge in his blessed bosom that his heart is infinitely set upon him And then 4. It belongs to this Knowledge That souls do understand that this Christ God-Man the eternal Son of the Father the dearly beloved of his Soul is such as he doth take infinite complacency and contentment in he is pleased in him and delighted in him upon this very account because of the willingness which he hath manifested to appear in the behalf of poor Souls This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased he in whom my soul delights 5. It is requisite to a well improved Knowledge of Christ That we understand that by an eternal Decree God hath chosen and appointed and designed this Son God-Man this Beloved this Person so much delighted in That he hath chosen him according to an eternal purpose and Decree for to be the great Mediator between God and Man This is necessary likewise to be known that so there may be a due improvement of the Knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. The Lord hath declared the decree Thou art my Son and I have appointed thee He hath decreed him and designed him to such a purpose according to that decree in Isa. 42. Behold saith the Prophet my servant whom I uphold mine elect in whom my soul delighteth He is the chosen of God from all Eternity to such a purpose 6. This is necessary to a well improved Knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ That it be known and understood that this Christ God-Man the Son of the Father the Beloved of his Soul the Person that he delights in that he hath made choice of is likewise most fully commissioned by the Father for to perform the Office of a Mediator to all those intents and purposes and in all such wayes wherein he may accomplish that great Design concerning the Redemption and Salvation of poor Souls God hath commissioned him he hath chosen him called him and sent him into the world and sealed him up according to Scripture expression The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me and he hath anointed me to preach good tydings Him hath God the Father sealed As in Ioh. 6. he hath a full commission from God sealed up unto him for such a purpose He is commissioned of God being the great Prophet to teach and instruct his People in the Mysteries of his Will A Prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you like unto me He is commissioned of God to be a Priest and God hath sworn concerning him according to that in Psal. 110. The Lord hath sworn and will not repent Thou art a Priest for ever after the order of Melchisedech And then he hath commissioned and sealed him up to be a King The King of his Church to rule in the hearts of his People and to ruine his Enemies This belongs to well improved Knowledge That we come to know and understand that this Jesus Christ God-Man is thus commissioned 7. It belongs to a well improved Knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ That as he is thus commissioned sent and sealed of God to all these intents and purposes so likewise he is accomplisht by God every way most compleatly accomplished for to bring about the Design that he is commissioned for The great God hath impowered him and accomplisht him in the most full manner that possibly can be God hath not given him the Spirit by measure the Lord hath given him the fulness of the Spirit he hath given him all fulness It pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell Fulness of Wisdom fulness of Grace all fulness of the Spirit he hath all fulness in him 8. We are to Consider That this belongs to a well improved Knowledge that these accomplishments of Christ and this provision that is made in him it is ordered unto Communication he is the great Trustee of Heaven and Earth He ascended on high and he râ—…ived gifts for men Why he received them as their great Trustee God hath committed to him a trust for the benefit and behoof of poor Souls This belongs to a well improved Knowledge in Christ That all the fulness that is in him it is for Communication that poor Souls might be the better for it 9. It belongs to a well improved Knowledge of Christ That there be a due understanding of this that Christ was from the beginning most willing to comply with the Counsel of God concerning him and that it was the joy of his heart to ingage himself in the behalf of poor sinners to make reconciliation to God as their Peace to satisfie the Justice of God he was most willing and it was the delight of his Soul to be put upon
way soever it turns Truly so is this gift of Knowledge wâ—…re it 's given of special Grace when it is not a notional Knowledge but a heart-Knowledge for such a Knowledge I speak of such a Knowledge as the Covenant of God's Grace makes a conveyance of For alas I and others may preach a great deal of light into your heads and you may come to have the notions of these things and be never the nearer but we speak of a heart-Knowledge of God in Christ Jesus according to what the Covenant makes conveyance of as I said And I say thus That where there is heart knowledge given it is such a gift as prospers which way soever it turns O the blessed benefit that comes over by the heart-knowledge of our Lord Jesus especially when there comes to be a due improvement of it as in the other respects so in respect of meekness humility of spirit Alas meekness and humility it 's a lovely Grace but where doth it appear we are lofty and are far from a disposition that way which should discover it self What 's the reason Because of a defect in the Knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For thus Had we but more of the Knowledge of our Lord Jesus there would not be that frowardness and perversness and unto wardness and swelling of heart that commonly discovers it self if we had but a well improved and a well digested Knowledge of our Lord Jesus For consider What is there to â—…e known of Christ Why he is another manner of Christ than we take him to be than we know him to be or have a mind to know we do not know what a Christ he is he is another manner of Christ than you think he was He was not a proud Christ he was not a lofty spirited Christ he was meek and gentle and lovely and of a most humble frame of a most graciously condescending spirit Learn of me saith he Mat 11. I am meek and lowly And he gave most convincing proof and demonstration of it all along in his course and conversation in the World Did we but know this and had but a more through knowledge of what a kind of Christ he is it would conduce to the meeking and humbling of our hearts and spirits and make us to argue thus What a meek and humble Christ and I a proud swelling-hearted Wretch why how will this consist with my Profession I profess the Name of the Lord Jesus and discover little or nothing of the Spirit of the Lord Jesus Surely Brethren this would conduce much to the meekning and humbling of our hearts And so for Patience That 's another Grace which we should not only have but have it in the increases and the improvements of it and yet how littlâ—… discovers it self how proud and passionate and waspish and froward are we What 's the reason of this Because we know no more of Christ we have not this heart-knowledge of Christ to such a degree as we should press after Did we but know what a patient Christ he is O! when he was reviled he reviled not again and when he was reproached he bore it patiently and he was led as a Lamb before the Shearer dumb and opened not his mouth Why did we but advance more in the hearty knowledge of our Lord Jesus it would conduce very much to the working of our hearts to patience and to a good degree of Patience This Knowledge of our Lord Jesus it would influence the Grace of Patience that we should be more conformable to Christ. And the Apostle in Heb. 12. he propounds this very consideration in order thereunto saith he Let us â—…n with patience the race that is set before us And that we may do so Let us look unto Iesus the Author and finisher of our Faith who for the joy that was set before him indured the Cross despised the shame He indured the contradiction of sinners against him Lest saith he you be wearied and faint in your minds Look to this Jesus know the temper of his Spirit and what a patient Christ he was and what a heavenly Spirit he discovered And so I say That the Knowledge of our Lord Jesus would contribute most strongly to such a purpose 7. And so for Heavenly-mindedness What 's the reason that we are so apt to dote upon the World and upon these lying and vexing vanities here below Why because we know no more of Christ If we were but more advanced in the Knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ we should be â—…ch helped against earthly-mindedness and improve more in a heavenly frame of heart and live above the World Why do not you know what a Christ he was what a heavenly Spirit he had how he lived in the World as a stranger He set not his heart upon this and that pleasure and profit but minded his business and he had an eye to the glory that was to be revealed and so he made it his great design that he might improve his time and honour his Father And he was at length able to give this account Ioh. 17. Father I have glorified thee on the earth I have finished the work thou gavest me to do And now further Glorifie me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was Father I have liv'd in the World not so much by choice as upon the account of Duty and my heart is with thee and my longing's after Heaven Father glorifie me with thy self and bring me to thy Glory and thus Christ's heart was carried out Now had we but a well improved Knowledge of this it would contribute much to the promoting of a heavenly mind in us and make us to think with our selves Do I know this to have been the gracious frame and spirit of my Lord Jesus whom I make a Profession of And doth it not concern me to endeavour conformity to him that I may express the like heavenly-mindedness that Jesus Christ did I might yet speak of other Graces As 8. Fear and Reverence of God It 's a precious Grace which receives much increase by a well improved Knowledge of Jesus Christ. Let me but give an instance of that in Psal. 2. where there is an account given of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ That God the Father hath set his Son upon his holy hill of Sion That he hath given the Heathen for his inheritance the utmost parts of the earth for his possession That he hath given him a rod of iron with which he will break in pieces his rebellious enemies like a Potters vessel This is the Knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. This Knowledge when persons come to be well advanced in and there comes to be a due improvement of it will contribute very largely to the promoting of a holy Fear and Reverence of God according to that which follows Be wise now therefore O ye Kings be instructed ye Iudges
is to be known concerning our Lord Jesus That he hath had a deep experience of prayer and of the difficulties of it and temptations which the soul is subject to meet withal in the management of prayer all this is known to Christ So far as a holy nature could have personal experience of such difficulties and such temptations so far hath our Lord Jesus in his own person experimented this matter concerning prayer Now the knowledge of this the well digested knowledge of this That Christ was a man of prayer and that he hath had experience of prayer and knows what there is of difficulty in prayer and what sore temptations hang upon prayer and what a desperate enemy the Devil is to prayer he knows all this and he hath a sense upon his heart and a knowledge of all the strugling and wrestling in the hearts and spirits of his praying People here upon earth This is that that is to be known concerning our Lord Jesus Christ he hath a deep sense of all the strugglings and wrestlings of the spirits of his People here on earth and is perfectly knowing of all the opposition which they meet withal in the way of prayer and supplication and how the Devil doth set himself against his Saints and what incounters they meet withal from unbelief and the corruptions that are within how apt to fall under deep discouragement and despondency of spirit He knows all this and to this purpose that he might pity and compassionate his People O this is that which is to be known concerning Jesus Christ in Heaven and even now he is in glory that he hath a sense of all this upon his spirit and is privy to every prayer that his poor humble broken-hearted conflicting people do make up to God and is at Gods right hand ingaged to stand their prayers in stead and to promote the success of them and to take them from their hands as the blessed high-priest of their profession and to perfume them in his golden Sencer with his odours the odours of his intercession This is that that is to be known concerning our Lord Jesus Christ and O how doth this knowledge well digested a soul being well advanced in it how will it find this Knowledge largely contributing to the promoting of this Duty Do but weigh these things in your Consciences whether this 〈◊〉 not be a very great conducement to the more lively managing of our prayers and that we would not trifle with God when we are exercised in such a Service And then again for that noble Gospel-Service and Duty of Praise and Blessing of God The more the soul doth improve and grow in the Knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ the more vvill there be of loveliness and activity and inlargedness for the management of that Truly Brethren it is that vvhich vve have all cause to be deeply humbled for That God blessed for ever hath not more large returns for his People of praise and thanks and blessing for all that Grace that he hath made to appear unto them O hovv little is it that is done to purpose in such a service And vvhat 's the reason that vve are not more lively to such a purpose that our hearts are not more inlarged to God in a vvay of blessing and praising and thanksgiving to him We may vvell reckon it to this That vve are not more in the Knovvledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ for this Knowledge of Christ our Lord and of the Mysteries concerning him this is the Knowledge that will make the soul to be upon the wing mounting up with all inlargements of thankfulness and praise unto God The more the soul is taken up with the apprehensions of the Mysteries of the Gospel concerning the Lord Jesus the more will it be in admirings of Grace the more will it be in magnifyings of the God of all Grace Consider This Knowledge it is such Wine as will make the lips of them that are asleep to speak 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that expression which we have in Cant. 7. he spâ—…ks there concerning our Saviour that is soâ—… and 〈◊〉 that it would make the lips of them that are asleep to speak Oh! The Doctrine concerning our Lord Jesus if it were better known it would spirit the soul and make it to be most active to such a purpose You here have an account concerning the Angels There was upon the birth of Christ an heavenly Hoste and they were singing praises unto God Glory be to God on high Upon what account upon the account of Jesus Christ and the knowledge they had of Jesus Christ and of that glorious Mysterie concerning Jesus Christ the Angels were not able to contain themselves The Virgin Mary in Luk. 2. when she comes to have an account of the Mysterie concerning her Lord Jesus Christ and the Grace of God through him How doth she break out with all inlargement My soul doth magnifie the Lord my spirit hath rejoyced in God my Saviour and so all along O what blessing and praising of God was there on the part of a People that were well instructed in the first establishing Apostolical constitutions O what inlargements were there in praising God and magnifying him And why Upon the account of the Knowledge that they had of the glorious Mysterie concerning our Lord Jesus Christ and the account that was given in the primitive Persecutions concerning the Christians That they would be in their early singings and praisings of God This was the account of the Christians under dreadful persecution in the dayes of Trajan the Emperor That they would be early in the morning singing and praising and blessing God And upon what account Upon the account of this great and glorious Mysterie concerning our Lord Jesus Christ. O! this is that that would fill the mouth with Arguments and it would wisely contribâ—…te to the promoting of ability sutable to such Arguments wherein to inlarge in blessing and praising God our hearts would not lye so dead upon us we would be more lively than we are in exalting God magnifying his Name did we but know more of our Lord Jesus of the Mysterie which hath been kept secret from Ages and Generations but because we do but sip of the Cup have a little smattering Knowledge and no well digested Knowledge and not duly improved we come off so poorly as we do O consider the spirit of the Apostle Paul how excellently it discovers it self as in the beginning of his Epistle to the Ephesians Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Iesus Christ blessed be God that hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ In Christ So the Apostle Peter O blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Iesus Christ that hath begotten us unto a lively hope of an inheritance incorruptible undefiled and that fadeth not away and all by the resurrection of our Lord Iesus Christ. Thus the Knowledge of our Lord and
Saviour Jesus Christ O it will spirit the soul and make it lively to the uttermost in publishing the praises of the most high God I instance only in Eph. 3. what the Apostle is praying on their behalf That they might be able to comprehend with all Saints the height and depth and breadth and length and know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge so that you may be filled with all the fulness of God And then mark what follows Now saith he unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think according to the power that worketh in us unto him be glory in the Church by Christ Iesus thâ—…ughout all ages world without end Amen Paul 〈◊〉 not hold his spirit was so full he was like a vessel that must either have a vent or burst it self O he being upon the meditation of this glorious Mysterie concerning Christ and the Doctrine of Christ why saith he Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly O how his heart was filled with praises and admirings of God upon the account of Christ. And there is one thing more now comes to mind wherein you may see the spirit of a Saint in the proper frame of it when there comes to be a due improvement of the Knowledge of Christ when the Apostle Paul in 1 Tim. 1. had been making mention of the Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and comes to express his knowledge and sense of that Grace according to what you have exprest and held forth in that Chapter saith he The Grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant with Faith and Love which is in Christ Iesus and so he goes on This is a Faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation that Iesus Christ came into the World to save sinners of whom I am chief howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy that in me first Iesus Christ might shew forth all long suffering for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on him to everlasting life Paul had been thus upon the serious meditation of this knowledge concerning our Lord Jesus Christ. Mark you now what his spirit rises up unto in the close of the Chapter Now saith he unto the King eternal having but made mention of Christ and spoken something concerning Christ and given some account of his knowledge of the mystery concerning Christ Mark how he breaks out into this acknowledgment Now unto the King Eternal Immortal Invisible the only wise God be Honour and Glory for ever and ever Amen and this comes in only occasionally in the way of a digression For he intermits the prosecution of the Argument he had in hand and falls upon this by way of a digression as if he should say O I cannot fall upon the mention of our Lord Jesus and of the mystery concerning him I cannot be upon the meditation of that knowledge which is to be had of Christ Jesus our Lord but saith he my heart must be breathing out in a way of praise and blessing of God admiring the riches of his Grace And thus would it be Brethren if we were but set to it to advance in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ O it would inlarge our hearts as unto prayer so unto thanksgiving and blessing of God I add yet further O this knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ it is a knowledge that Christians should endeavour to grow and advance in for it is by great growth in this they will come to be the more happily accomplished for the performing of the service of Preaching and Hearing I joyn these two together Preaching and Hearing of the Word of God And you may consider how a well-improved knowledge of our Lord Jesus would conduce most strongly to the provoking both of ministerial Preaching and likewise of Christian Hearing and attending upon the Doctrine which is to be made known unto us according to the Commandment of the Everlasting God For Preaching work O consider now that the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ that knowledge that is to be had of him well advanc'd and improved will contribute exceedingly to the most lively management of this service Alas it 's accounted in the World but a low service and many times with too much lowness of spirit performed by those that profess to be called to the performance of it O but whence is it but from the want of a well-grown knowledge of our Lord and Saviour For consider Brethren this is that that we are to know concerning our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ that the Word and Gospel which is the subject matter of our Preaching and your Hearing I joyn these two together Preaching-work and Hearing-work Now the word which is the subject matter of a Ministers Preaching and of a Beeleevers Hearing This word it comes out of the very heart of God out of the blessed bosome of the Eternal God And as a precious token of that love and respect that he bears to his Son he hath given out this word out of his own breast and bosome he hath given it and committed it as a trust unto his Son Will you consider this That this everlasting Gospel this word of Salvation which is the subject matter of our Preaching and your Hearing it is given as a testimony of the Fathers Love it is given to Christ observe that expression in Joh. 17. in the Prayer that our Saviour makes unto his Father saith he ver 8. I have given unto them the words which thou gavest unto me thou gavest the words to me first and then saith Christ I have given these words unto them our Lord professeth before all the World he makes this open profession saith he my Doctrine is not mine 'T is not mine considered as Mediator but it is the Doctrine of my Father which my Father hath given me and which he hath intrusted me with to make known unto the World and to communicate to my Disciples that by them the World may have the Knowledge of him Consider this that God the Father the Great Jehovah He gives this Word this Doctrine unto his Son Jesus Christ. Well this is that that is to be known concerning our Lord Jesus Christ that the Words and Doctrine is that which is given as a gift by the Father unto him and so likewise you have it in Rev. 1. the Revelation of Jesus Christ how came it to be his Consider that it 's resolved thus which God gave unto him to shew unto his Servants which must shortly come to pass and then he sent and signifyed by his Angel unto his servant John I but Christ hath a Revelation who gave it him God gives it him God hath given Christ all the whole plat-form and frame of Doctrine that concerns the Church of God his elect ones and called ones from the beginning unto the end of the World God the Father hath given this to the Son 2. This is that that is
right hand in the possession of all that honour and glory which heaven it self can confer upon him And thus now I have travelled with you and I confess it hath been somewhat a long journey that I have travelled in the handling of this Point in the Knowledge of our Lord Jesus and how much it concerns Beleevers to endeavour a growth and increase in it considering how every way the Knowledge of our Lord Jesus will be beneficial to them to the promoting of grace inabling to suffer fitting for Duty and for the promoting of a holy Conversation and the like Now all that hath been spoken doth issue in this That the Knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ is a Knowledge that our hearts should be exceedingly set upon Now for the Improvement of this by way of Use I shall make short work of that but O that you would but weigh and consider what hath been spoken in so many Sermons that I have preached to you upon this Doctrine and for the Application I shall be brief in that Now I would beseech you consider with your selves you with whom I have to deal will you but consider with your selves whether I have been in this matter that I have performed performing a proper Service or whether I have not in your account been imployed in a needless work whether your hearts will not suggest such a thing to you You have been preaching to us concerning the Knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ what have you told us that we knew not before and you press upon us that we should endeavour a growth in in this Knowledge and be upon our improvements but alas what are we the further advanced in this Knowledge So that now if so be that I should come to act and perform the part of a reprover possibly there may be such a spirit found that you will think what have you told us we knew that Christ took upon him the nature of man and he came into the world and liv'd and died here and was crucified and buried and rose again and ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of God every common nominal Christian can chatter over these things and think with themselves what needs all this ado about a growth and increase in the Knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. O but Brethren I would say to you as the Apostle speaks in a like case 1 Cor. 8. I know well enough that you have all knowledge I and your knowledge makes you conceited it puffs you up But if any man think he knows any thing he knows nothing as he ought to know It were good for you and me to look well to it that our light be not found to be darkness that our knowledge be not found to be ignorance This I would have said that there are clear demonstrations and convincing Arguments that some know nothing as they ought to know others that do know they are not so improved in their knowledge as they ought to be I tell you this look to it for of a truth your being so defective in the faith of the Gospel your being so apt to fluctuate and be turmoyl'd in your consciences your being so uneven in your walking your being so low spirited as you are your small measures of faith and love and hope and confidence and boldness towards God and your aptness to be startled at every providence and to be foyled by every temptation these and such like â—…s do loudly speak it out that of a truth you â—…t know Christ as you ought to know him I speak to one and other of us we shall find and be able to evidence it the conscience will be convinc'd of it That we know not as we ought to know we have not made that advance in the Knowledge of Christ as we should have done because it is thus and thus with us we have no more love to Christ did you know Christ as you ought you would never dote upon the world as you do nor be so inslav'd to your corruptions as you are did you know Christ as you ought to know you would live more honourably and more to the credit of the Gospel than you do There are many many things that will evidence it to us that we do not know Christ as vve ought to knovv SERM. XVIII HOw Righteous yea how Gracious this Requirie is That believing souls should grow in the Knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ hath been abundantly demonstrated and made to appear unto you Wisdom is justified of her children if we be Wisdom's children it will appear and so it must by our justification of Wisdoms sayings and giving in our justification we come under the strongest obligation for to carry it in a sutableness unto what we profess to be Now taking it for granted that we do acknowledge this to be a truth that it is our duty to grow in the Knowledge of Christ as that which is the most excellent and the most beneficial Knowledge this Knowledge which as you heard the last day will conduce very much to the well regulating of a Christians conversation when it comes to be known to purpose what a life Christ himself did live while he was in the World what a life Christ lives now he is in Heaven which two things were accounted to you at large in several particulars That which now remains to be done is to make application of all that hath been said and so to press on after the improving of this Doctrine Something in the very close of the last Exercise was spoken to you May I now without any check from within appear among you this Morning as a reprover for God and in the behalf of God and in the behalf of Christ and not be accounted needlesly and causlesly to pick a quarrel I remember what David said to his quarrelsom Brother upon occasion of his coming unto the Camp when he was inquiring what would be done to the man that should slay the Philistine He replies to his quarrelling Brother What have I done is there not a cause So if so be there should be any inward secret quarrel at what shall be spoken in way of reproof and blame I would speak as David did and say Is there not a cause The Knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ is unquestionably and undeniably pretious Knowledge excellent Knowledge profitable and beneficial Knowledge but is it prized is it pursued will our Consciences bear us witness that we are upon our endeavours after it that we may advance and improve in it and that we may answer the duty of this Text which makes this charge upon us that we grow in Grace and in the Knowledge of our Lord Jesus If our hearts condemn us God is greater than our hearts and he knows all things Is there not a Conscience within us that can witness against us that this pretious Knowledge it was never very pretious unto us This Knowledge did
Gospel that know him not Observe that Scripture 1 Ioh. 16. The time will come when they will excommunicate you cast you out of their Synagogues and they that kill you shall think they do God service in so doing And why because they know neither the Father nor me they know not me nor my Father and therefore they will do these things to you and yet they will think they do God very good service This is the mischief that follows upon the ignorance of Christ. 6. Consider this That sad speech of the Apostle 2 Cor. 14. If our Gospel be hid and Christ who is held forth in the Gospel why then the Gospel is hid to them that are lost in whom the God of this world hath blinded the minds of them that believe not 7. I argue thus If it be as our Saviour speaks eternal life to know the true God and him whom he hath sent Jesus Christ our Lord Ioh. 17. why then it follows on the contrary This is eternal death to be ignorant of the true God and of Jesus Christ whom he hath sent 8. And then I add further That this will be the aggravation of the guilt of such persons as minded not the Knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ never set their hearts to seek after it this will be the aggravation That light did come into the world and yet they love darkness rather than light that there was a blessed beaming out of the light of the Knowledge of God in the face of Jesus Christ and yet no regard at all unto that Knowledge nor no improvement of those means whereby that knowledge might be attained This will be the condemnation and the aggravating of the guilt and the strengthening of the condemnation 9. I add yet further That such persons as are awanting to the Knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ especially in a day wherein this Knowledge may be had and attained I say this such persons they lye open to a dreadful stroke of judgment in this world according to that which the Apostle speaks 1 Cor. 14. If any man be ignorant let him be ignorant It runs in the same form and frame with that dreadful passage in Rev. 22. Him that is unjust let him be unjust still let him that is filthy be filthy still This is spoken not in an approving way but in a judicial way Let them that are filthy be filthy still And I have had occasion lately to speak upon this Scripture that this Judgment is now in execution amain at this very day That they that have been unjust and formal and hypocritical and would not own the holy wayes of God when they were discovered to them and clearly made known but dote upon their own fancies Judgment is gone out upon them let them be filthy still let them be vain and formal and superstitious and what not and let them so live and so die So in this form the Apostle gives out the Judgment If any man be ignorant one that lives under the means of light and knowledge of our Lord Jesus having a price in his hand to get Knowledge and hath no heart to it doth not care for the commodity hath it not in any due esteem he would rather be acquainted with the mysteries of a Trade than with the Mysteries of the Kingdom of God be more acquainted with the politicks of the World than with the Mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven and so sets light by this Knowledge that Judgment such are in danger to have it go out against them If any man be ignorant and have a mind to be ignorant and his heart is not touched with the sense of the knowledge of Christ nor his affections doth not move and stir within him after that knowledge that he may come to be made partaker of it If any man be ignorant let him be ignorant let him go on in his blindness let the Devil blindfold him and hood-wink him he will not see he shall not see till he come to see in a judicial way And then I close up this branch of the Discourse thus Think but this and let this be seriously considered of by all that neglect the good knowledge of Christ and do not set their hearts upon it are not carryed out in desire after an advance in it The day will come when they that will not know Christ now care not to be acquainted with him and with the Mysteries of his Kingdom the day will come when Christ will know them I but so as that he will not know them Here 's a paradox but yet it is a truth the day will come when Christ will know them so as never to know them to all eternity he will know them with a knowledge of apprehension in a judicial way he will know them to have been such as cared not to know him he will know them to have been such as never set their hearts upon this good knowledge this excellent beneficial knowledge that they might be partakers of he will know them to be such as have neglected all those blessed means which have been afforded to them that they might come to advance in the Knowledge of Christ I and he will know them so as not to know them and profess unto them Depart from me ye workers of iniquity I never knew you you would not know me you would not know the Mysteries of my Kingdom I do declare here before all the world I never knew you nor I never will I will never know you not to the days of eternity I never did know you I never will know you depart from me ye workers of iniquity Let these things be considered which I have thus spoken with respect unto such as do not mind the Knowledge of Christ. But now 2ly And it may be this may more concern the generality of the Auditory But before I come to that some may be apt to say O but I hope we are without the reach of this lash for we do know we know Christ and we can give an account of Christ many are apt to think thus and to fancy thus with themselves that they are good Proficients in this Knowledge But I say take heed that the light that is in us be not darkness and the knowledge that is in us be not found to be ignorance What knowledge is it It may be a formal notional knowledge as I spake before many they can clatter over a form of words concerning Christ they can say their Belief from one end to the other and not miss a word and this is all their Religion they understand nothing of what they say they have gotten a form of words setled upon their memories but alas they understand nothing of what they say But I shall speak more to that But the second way that this reproof goes and this complaint it looks upon the faces of persons concerning whom there is better hope that they may know and know to some good
purpose and yet not know to such a degree as they ought to do and so are culpable as not answering the duty of the Text which requires a growth in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. You may be able to make a Judgment by the things that have been so largely handled in the Doctrinal part of this Text Much hath been spoken according to what my line would reach to concerning the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. And here now is this to consider of whether we be not deserving blame upon this account that though we know something and it may be something to good purpose in the saving knowledge of Christ yet we have not set our hearts to make the advance in this knowledge and that progress and to come to such a measure and degree in knowledge as we ought and might have done according to time and means and truly I think that there is none of us but we may find this cause to complain Ah sweet Saviour how little do I know of thee I remember how that holy Agur doth bemoan himself even upon such a like account Prov. 30. Surely I am more bruitish than any man I have not the understanding of a man I neither learned wisdom nor have the knowledge of the holy Thus he bemoans himself O surely surely we may most complain and say O sweet Saviour how little a matter do I know of thee Some little smatterings there are but alas it 's nothing to what might be known and apprehended concerning thee And what 's the fruit of this That Believers holy Persons such as have the grace of God in truth have not more advance in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ and the Mysteries of his Kingdom what are the consequences and truly the consequences are the evidences that there is not that advance and that growth in this holy Knowledge How sad are the consequences that Christians know no more of God are not more insighted in the Mysteries concerning Christ. 1. Whence it comes to pass That we advance no more in faith for undoubtedly if we grow more in Knowledge we should grow more in Faith Did we but more clearly apprehend and understand the Mysteries of the Gospel concerning our Lord Jesus what a curious cast there is in the business of salvation by Jesus Christ did we but more clearly understand and apprehend and know the continuance of that Mysterie it would most largely contribute to the promoting of a Beleevers faith and the unbelief would fall flat down on its face before this Knowledge if so be it were but duly improved 2. Again This is the consequence We love the Lord Jesus with a poor inconsiderable degree of love Why Because we know but little little of his excellencies little of that pretiousness that is inhim and as our knowledge is so will our love be much knowledge much love little knowledge little love Surely if we had but more through acquaintance with Christ we should come to have our hearts more fired with the love of Christ our hearts would burn within us if so be that we had but more intimate acquaintance with him and had but a more clear understanding of the Mysteries of the Gospel 3. And so for Desire O if so be there were but that advance in the Knowledge of our Lord Jesus our desires would sparkle and flame out most strongly after this desirable Christ. When the Spouse had informed the Daughters of Ierusalem what a choice one what an incomparable one he was then they cry out O thou fairest among Women tell us whither thy Beloved is gone that we may seek him with thee 4. Whence is it that there is so much straightheartedness to the pretious priviledges of the Gospel that we do not prize them more that we do not set our hearts more upon them That great priviledge of Justification of Adoption of access to God of acceptance with God and that God should not be ashamed to be called our God to which I spake the last day Whence is it that we be not taken more with holy admirings of these great and glorious priviledges but because we are not more insighted in the Mysterie of the Gospel concerning Christ. Whence is it that we do not make more account of Justification forgiveness of sins which is a most pretious mercy We do not know Christ as we should and what it cost him to bring over to us the forgiveness of our sins 5. Whence is it that we are so apt to be tampering with that accursed thing with sin that we are so apt to be upon complyance with it and upon gratifications of it and of the lusts of it We know not Christ did we know Christ what he suffered that he might satisfie the Justice of God for the sins of his People what soul-conflicts he had and how he was pressed under the burden of the wrath of God that he might deliver his People from the everlasting Curse and Condemnation it would make us fear and tremble and take heed how ever we deal with that accursed thing and throw away that bloody knife that cut the very throat and stabb'd the very heart of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. 6. Whence is it that we are so apt to be meddling with the World and apt to have our hearts set upon these beggerly vanities here below Whence is it but because we know not our Lord Jesus Christ as we ought to know Did we but know what a pretious Christ he was we would set light by the World and account nothing of it in comparison of the Lord Jesus 7. Whence is it that poor souls are so apt to be tossed with every wind of Temptation and to be unsetled upon every occasion as touching their peace and inward comfort but because they are very short in the knowledge of the Mysterie concerning our Lord Jesus Christ and the riches of Grace that discovers it self in him As let the guile be what it can be that may be represented to the Conscience the Conscience may yet upon the true knowledge and apprehension of the Grace of God in our Lord Jesus bear up with boldness and make a challenge unto men and devils and say Who shall lay any thing unto our charge when we know that concerning Christ concerning his Death concerning the merit of his Sacrifice concerning his Acceptance with the Father concerning his pleading in the behalf of his People at his Father's right hand We have that knowledge of the Lord Jesus that we bear up with glorious confidence and with blessed boldness and we are not afraid to look men and devils in the face we know who it is that is once for all entred into the holy place that is not made with hands and appears before God in heaven representing the merit of his Sacrifice and for our parts we now can triumph with a holy boldness and say Who shall lay any thing to our
charge We have no conscience of sin though we make conscience of sinning yet we have no conscience to charge against us O this would be our fruit of the well advanced and improved knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. These things Brethren would be considered of by us and to close up this part of the Discourse I have only this to say That if so be that any of us do think in our consciences that we deserve to come under this lash of reproof and that this Complaint may be justly taken up against us That we have not so minded as we ought the knowledge of Christ and have not set our endeavours as we should that we may come to grow in this knowledge Then to close up all for I would willingly give a dispatch to this part of the Text I would only speak a few words in a way of Exhortation and I would thus perswade in the Name of the Lord That as it is the duty of the Text so it may be the matter of your practice for to grow in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. And here you must consider that this knowledge as also the Grace that God gives so the knowledge that you may have and are to have of Christ it comes not in all at once Shall I express my self thus if it may not be too low for the Argument The Lord in managing of his Trade with his People he doth not deal by whole-sale but rather by retale he doth parcel out and give by parcels dispences by parcels now a little and then a little now a little Grace then a little more now a little light and then a little further improvement The Sun it gives not out its full light at once so Christ and therefore it is that there is a growth in Grace and a growth in Knowledge and in the Knowledge of our Lord Jesus So then reckon upon it we are but in the way and so we know but in part and prophesie but in part and we are not comprehensaries we come not to the full of that which is to be known press on and after and increase in the Knowledge of Christ. I need no other Arguments than vvhat have been already presented to you in the Doctrinal part It is the most excellent Knovvledge It is the most beneficial Knovvledge in all respects according to vvhat hath been accounted to you Novv there are but these three things vvhich I shall dispatch in fevv vvords First I vvould have you to consider vvhat knovvledge of the Lord Jesus Christ it is that you are to grovv in not a notional knovvledge not so much in that so as you should rest in a bare notional knovvledge and a form of knovvledge but you must knovv this That the Knovvledge of our Lord Jesus vvhich you are to endeavour a grovvth in it is a spiritual Knowledge an inward spiritual Knowledge a heart Knowledge it is not a knowledge of Christ after the flesh no not in that sense which the Apostle may mean in the second of the Corinthians We have known Christ after the flesh that is they knew him and they knew him so as to see him with their bodily eyes 't is not this Knowledge of Christ though if you have this spiritual Knowledge you will in due time have this knowledge and sight of him but now we know Christ no more so as he saith there Though we have known Christ after the flesh as he was known to the Disciples when he was here in the state of humiliation and conversant in the World We have known Christ after the flesh but henceforth know we him so no more Nor is it any carnal Knowledge but to increase in the Knowledge of Christ according to the Mysterie which is Christ in you the hope of Glory You should labour to increase in the Knowledge of him which answers his Constitution who was made a Priest Prophet and King not after the Law of a carnal Commandment but after the power of an endless life as in Heb. 7. You are to endeavour increase in the Knowledge of Christ which is a confiding knowledge and a conforming Knovvledge such a knovvledge of him as is a fiducial knovvledge such a knovvledge as that by knovving him to come to be more and more inabled to rest and rely upon him that you can say I knovv so much of the Lord Jesus that I can sit dovvn and look no further I have enough I have the desire of my heart here I can boldly trust here I can fix and stay vvithout any misgivings I know this foundation is strong enough to bear up the whole weight of my soul. And then you are to indeavour to grow in that Knowledge which is a conforming knowledge that knowledge by which you come to be molded into a conformity to the Lord Jesus so as what you know of his Wisdom and Meekness and Patience and Humility and Heavenly mindedness you know him in these things so as that you come to grow up into conformity to him This is the Knowledge or else your light will be darkness and your knowledge will be found to be ignorance And then I press upon you that you would endeavour to grow in the Knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. Now what especially of the Knowledge of Christ would you have us to grow in I 'll only mention two things briefly First That you would labour to grow more and more in the Knowledge of the infinite fulness and sufficiency and power of our Lord Jesus Christ that you may know what a powerful Christ he is what an able Christ he is how able to do exceeding abundantly above all you ask or think I reremember it was the blessing of Judah that his hand should be sufficient for him Deut. 33. Christ is the head of Judah he is the Lord of Judah's Tribe and to be sure this blessing rests upon his head his hand shall be sufficient for him to remove Mountains to break gates of brass to cut in sunder bars of iron he is able to do all that concerns his Church and every Saint that belongs to him and that the Father hath given him he is present to go through his work and he will not leave any part nor parcel of it undone O this is pretious knowledge which we should endeavour to advance in that we may come to be more full in the apprehensions of the fulness of sufficiency of the power of our Lord Jesus that whatsoever work lyes upon his hand to perform he will be found all-sufficient to accomplish and bring to pass he is sufficient to present all that the Father hath given him without spot and blame before the presence of his Glory with exceeding joy and though there be the power of Devils and World and Corruption that may labour for to wrest a soul out of the hands of Christ why saith he None shall be ever able to pluck them out of my hands And then
2ly That you would know the singular eminency of the love of Christ which is a love that passes knowledge And the Apostle presses this upon us in Eph. 3. saith he I bow my knees c. that you may be able to comprehend with all Saints the heights and depths and breadths and lengths And what do these dimensions refer to Why saith he That you may know the love of Christ that passeth knowledge that you may know it in the height of it in the depths in the breadths in the lengths of it O saith he this is the Knowledge that I would have you increase and grow in that so you may come to be filled with all the fulness of God O this love is such a love as we can never know enough of That Christ hath such love to his Father as to comply with his designs concerning a sinful World and that he should bear such love to a company of vile wretches ugly defiled loathsom creatures that he would not stick at the laying down of his Life and shedding his Blood to save them from eternal vengeance O saith the Apostle study this that you may comprehend the height and depth and length and breadth of the love of Christ which passes Knowledge and then shall you come to be filled with all the fulness of God I have only this one thing further But what shall we do to grow in the Knowledge of Christ First When you have improved well To him that hath shall be given Labour to be more humble If you be of meek and humble frames of heart and do not swell with notions truly Christ will delight to communicate more of his Knowledge to you And then love him more If you would love him more you should know him more as knowledge will help to increase love so love to Christ upon what we do know will contribute to the promoting of our Knowledge And then what you do know make use of it practice it and labour to keep in an obediential frame If any man will do his will he shall know c. And then you must pray for this Knowledge that the Lord would open the eyes of your understanding I am a stranger in the earth O hide not thy Commandments from me And then the whole Scriptures they testifie of Christ and if you would know much of Christ be much in the study of the Scriptures There are two Scriptures which I would not in the least to take you off from the searching into others have persons to be well studied in to desire to advance in the Knowledge of Christ There is first the Song of Solomon and the Book of the Revelations The Song of Solomon The studying of that Book will much promote your knowledge in the love of Christ when you shall come to see what a spirit breaths in that blessed Book that Song of Songs what a spirit of love doth breath there you will come to know the love of Christ how dear he is over his Spouse over his Children over all that are given to him O how he delights in them and to hold converse with them and how he can over-look their spots and blemishes and look upon them as fair and having no spot in them It is admirable to consider what endeavours there are on the part of Christ over his beloved Spouse that Book well studied will promote your Knowledge in the love of Christ. And then the Book of the Revelations it is a Scripture that is given us for pretious purposes and being well studied it will contribute much to the advancing in the knowledge of Christ of his Glory and Power and Greatness There we come to have discoveries made to us of what Enemies he hath and what Victories he shall get and what triumphs he shall maintain and what glory shall be setled upon him and what injoyments there shall be between him and the Bride in due time and we shall come to understand more fully what blessed days Sun-shine days days of light and liberty of joy and comfort when tears shall be wiped away from the eyes of his poor mourners here on earth and they shall come to Zion with everlasting joy and sorrow and mourning shall flee away And so I have done with this Knowledge Now the Lord make you wise to consider and give us hearts to set to it that we may answer our duty according to the charge in the Text. SERM. XIX 2 PET. 3. 18. To him be Glory both now and for ever Amen HAving spent several years in the handling of this Chapter and having in the former Exercise been driving at this That there may be a growing in the Knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ I am now to issue all that hath been spoken according to what the Text now guides me to in a Doxologie that is in an honourable acknowledgment of the Lord Jesus Christ as a Person unto whom Glory is most righteously to be ascribed Thus the words signifie to us according to the sound of them To him be glory both now and for ever Amen Words of pretious import words of common use It were much to be wished both for Ministers and Christians that are upon the frequent usage of them that it may be very carefully lookt unto that while we keep a form of words and hold up a form of words and make use of them in ordinary course we be not awanting to that which is imported in them and lose not the Spirit while we hold forth the Letter To him be Glory both now and for ever Amen And there is infinite cause that when these words sound in our ears we should be most free to say our Amen unto them a sweet close of a sacred and saving piece of Scripture And truly it is well becoming men and women professing godliness for to be most cordial unto the uttering and expressing of this language the language of the Text. 'T is a becoming close for every Sermon that 's Preacht for every Prayer that is made for every Duty performed for every Mercy that 's received and for all that 's testified of God and Christ to issue all thus Now unto him be glory both now and for ever Amen We have the Letter the great matter is to look to it that we lose not the Spirit that we be not as I said in the usage of a form and in the mean time be strangers to the Power There is some difference as to words and phrase and form of expression between this Doxologie and some others that we meet withal in holy Writ The Apostle Paul in his Epistle to the Romans he forms the Doxologie thus Chap. 16. 25. To him that is of power to establish you according to my Gospel and the preaching of Iesus Christ. To God only wise be glory through Iesus Christ for ever Amen In Eph. 3. we have the Doxologie formed thus Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly