ISA. LIU. 11.] THE FIFTY- THIRD CHAPTER OF ISAIAH. 433
mineral, yet yours is a better knowledge : 1 Cor. i. 20, ' Where is the wise ? where is the scribe ? where is the disputer of this world ? Hath not God made foolish the wisdom of the world ? ' The great prejudice against divine knowledge is, because men do not know the excellency of it. The Gentiles refused the gospel, because they would fain be conversant about the nobler sciences, and because those would enrich their senses with wisdom, which they seemed to want in the gospel : 1 Cor. ii. 6, ' Howbeit we speak wisdom among tliem that are perfect ; yet not the wisdom of the world, nor of the princes of this world, that come to nought/ Oh, if you had eyes to see it, you would find this to be the greatest wisdom ; here is your excellency.
(3.) You cannot serve God without it. The papists say, ignorance is the mother of devotion, whereas it is the great hindrance of it : 1 Cliron. jcxviii. 9, ' And thou, Solomon, my son, know thou the God of thy father, and serve him with a perfect heart and a willing mind.' There is the metliod and order : first, know him, and then the heart and the will must follow. God doth not love blind obedience. Christ reproveth the [Samaritans for worshipping they knew not what, John iv. 22. And Paul calleth it superstition in the Athenians to build an altar to the unknown God. Simple credulity may be very awful, and the light may work upon our fear, but rational service is performed most with love and delight.
2. Above all things know God in Christ : John xvii. 3, * And this is life eternal, that they might know thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.' Not only to know the true God, but Jesus Christ, whom he hath sent. 2 Cor. iv. 6, it is said, God ' giveth the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.' He being the express image of the Father, there is the express representation of him. I am afraid Christians do not prize the knowledge of God in Christ so much as they should. Oh, consider, there you have the most comfortable representation of him : Ps. cxvi. 6, this is David's rejoicing, ' Gracious is the Lord, and righteous ; yea, our God is merciful.' Oh, that you could see both together, that is most beneficial. Kemember it is said, ' by the knowledge of him,' or ' by his knowledge,' in the text. The knowledge of Christ carrieth the image of Christ into the soul : John i. 14, ' And we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only-begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.' And then in the 17th verse, ' Grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.' All the good of your souls cometh this way. The more particular discoveries your hearts have of him, the better it is for you.
Secondly, Grow up in the knowledge of Christ : 2 Peter iii. 18, * But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.' Search out more of the particularities of his love. When men think they have knowledge enough, they know nothing : 1 Cor. viii. 2, ' He that thinketh he knoweth anything, he knoweth nothing as he ought to know.' You have not knowledge enough to see your ignorance : 1 Cor. xiv. 20; ' In understanding be ye men.' Do not think that you know all things that can be taught ; you cannot so easily go through all the dimensions, height, breadth, depth and length.
The means are these : —
434 A PRACXrCAL EXPOSITION UPON [ISA. LIII. 11.
1. Be conversant with the worcl, in rcadinpj of it. Therefore it is said, Ps. xix. 8, ' The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart ; the Cfmimandment of tlie Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes.' St Austin ealleth the scriptures his chief light.
2. In liearing, wait upon God in it : Isa. ii. 3, ' Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob, and he will teach us his ways.' Wait at the doors of wisdom, that God may cause your souls to lie under the power of truth.
3. Pray instantly and earnestly: Jer. xxxi. 34, 'They shall all know me from the least of them to the greatest of them, saith the Lord.' It is his covenant promise to give understanding, therefore ask it of God. The blind man would not hold his peace, Luke xviii. 39-41, ' But cried so much the more, Lord, that I may receive my sight.'
4. Meditate often upon the love of Christ, search out all the par- ticularities of it. The Indian g}'mnosophists would all the day be gazing upon the beauty of the sun ; oh ! view the Sun of Righteous- ness in all his glorious beams and influences with more delight and pleasure.
5. Lay aside your own prejudices and misapprehensions, for they will lead you aside, and you will gravel yourselves, and run into great uncertainties and contradictions : Job xxxii. 8, ' There is a spirit in man, and the inspiration of the Almighty giveth understanding.'