[3.] When we know him so as to obey him. In this sense we know no more than we practise : 1 John ii. 4, ' He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.' He prattleth of God, but doth not know God. It is a false- hood, cum intentione fallendi. A lie is a falsehood with an intention to deceive ; he goeth about to deceive himself and others : Jer. xxii.
16, ' He judged the cause of the poor and needy ; was not this to know me, saith the Lord ? ' Our actions give us a better image of our opinions and thoughts than our words, as being more deliberate, and proceeding from the principles we have laid up in our hearts, and chosen to live by ; which is to be observed against those that seem to know Christ, but yet have but dead and cold opinions about him and the mystery of his redemption.
Secondly, Why is this knowledge so prized ? The reasons are taken from the object and the subject, what is prized, and who prizeth. The knowledge of Christ is to be valued in itself, but the temper of a gracious spirit is such that they must needs prize it.
1. The knowledge of Christ is valuable in itself ; it is better than all other knowledge.
[1.] From the author, which is the Spirit of God: Mat. xvi. 16,
17, ' And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art Christ, the Son of the living God. And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed
VER. 8.] SERMONS UPON PIIILIPPIANS III. 23
art thou, Simon Barjona ; for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.' All that truly own Christ are taught of God : John vi. 45, ' They shall all be taught of God ; every man therefore that hath heard and learned of the Father, cometli to me ; ' and again, ' The unction teacheth you all things,' 1 John ii. 20. Now to have the enlightening and sanctifying Spirit is a great privilege and mark of favour which God puts upon us. It is a greater argument of God's friendship than to give you wealth and honour : Prov. iii. 31-33, ' Envy not the oppressor, and choose none of his ways. The froward is abomination to the Lord, but his secret is with the righteous. The curse of the Lord is in the house of the wicked, but he blesseth the habitation of the just.' Many are kept low and bare under the frowns and power of insulting adversaries. You cannot therefore say that God hateth you and loveth them. If God hath given you the saving knowledge of himself and his Christ, this is certainly a greater token of his love, and you should prize this above all other things. He dignified you above those that want it, though they excel in power and pomp of living, and are able to oppress you by it. Again, it is an argument of his favour to you above the rabble of nominal christians : John xv. 15, ' But I have called you friends ; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you.' We may have a form of knowledge, or a model of truth put into our heads by men, but to know Christ so as to believe in him, love him, and obey him, is the special favour which God reserveth for his peculiar people.
[2.] The matter to be known, Christ the Saviour of the world and the repairer of the lapsed estate of mankind. We know him under that notion. There is in him a matchless excellency and sufficiency to do us good. This is enough to take up all our thoughts : 1 Cor. ii. 2, 'I have determined to know nothing amongst you, but Jesus Christ, and him crucified.' This is the most comfortable knowledge in the world if we consider — (1.) Our deep necessity ; (2.) His all- sufficiency.
(1.) Our deep and absolute necessity of a saviour to reconcile us to God, being ' Enemies to him in our minds by evil works,' Col. i. 21. To renew our natures, being carnal, and sinful, and unable to help ourselves : Job xiv. 4, ' Who can bring a clean thing out of an un- clean ? not one.' The work would cease for ever if a saviour were not revealed to restore lapsed mankind, to vanquish and conquer our enemies, being so weak and impotent, and ' taken captive by Satan at his will and pleasure,' 2 Tim. ii. 26. To free us from hell, which we had deserved, and to bring us to happiness, which we had not deserved ; which only the Son of God could do, who died, the just for the unjust, * to deliver us from wrath to come,' 1 Thes. i. 10, and bring us to God. Surely to those that are sensible of their necessity what can be more sweet and precious ? Hungry consciences will prize the bread of life. To those who lie in tears and anguish of soul through the feelings of sin and the fears of the wrath of God, nothing can be sweeter than to hear of their acceptance in the Beloved, and reconciliation with God by Christ. What have we else to answer against all the terrors of the law and the accusations of conscience, or to comfort us against the