VER. 13, 14.] SERMONS UPON 1 JOHN II. 12-14. 405
strength. So we read of some that may be ' enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, and have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come,' Heb. vi. 4, 5. They may ' escape the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of Christ,' 2 Peter ii. 20. It is hard to conceive how such practical and important truths should be understood and considered without some touch upon the heart. Thus it may affect men in part, and produce some partial reformation, and some profession and confession of the truth, and they may have some experience of it in some measure, but do afterwards reject it, and prefer sin before it.
2. Practical and saving. The truth and soundness of our knowledge is mainly known by the effects. We are to ' know him that was from the beginning,' so as —
[1.] To believe in him, and to venture our eternal interests in his hands : Ps. ix. 10, ' For they that know thy name will put their trust in thee ; ' 2 Tim. i. 12, ' For I know whom I have believed, and I am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day ; ' depending upon the sufficiency of his merit, and righteousness, and power to secure us against all the enemies of our salvation.
[2.] To know him so as to esteem and prize him : Phil. iii. 8, 9, ' Yea, doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung that I may win Christ, and be found in him, not having my own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteous- ness of God by faith.' Saving knowledge is always joined with a high esteem of Jesus Christ ; when we prefer him above all other things : Mat. xiii. 45, 46, ' The kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchantman seeking goodly pearls; and when he had found one pearl of great price, he went and sold all that he had, and bought it.' It must be such a knowledge as weaneth the heart from the world and worldly vanities.
[3.] To know him so as to embrace him with love and desire : John iv. 10, ' If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink, thou wouldst have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water.' Christ is then more savingly and rightly known when he is desired and embraced with our dearest affections. No knowledge is allowed for knowledge in scripture but the affectionate knowledge : 1 Cor. viii. 1-3, ' Knowledge puffeth up, but charity edifleth. And if any man think that he knoweth anything, he knoweth nothing as he ought to know. But if any man love God, the same is known of him.' If our knowledge of God be joined with a sincere love to God and Christ in all temptations, then it is a right knowledge.
[4.] To know him so as to obey him : Jer. xxii. 16, ' He judged the cause of the poor and needy ; then it was well with him : was not this to know me ? saith the Lord.' This was to declare their knowledge by the effects ; as many men's actions are an implied blasphemy, if you run them up into their principle : Ps. xxxvi. 1, ' The transgression of the
406 SERMONS UPON 1 JOHN II. 12-14. [SER. III.
wicked saith within my heart, that there is no fear of God before his eyes ; ' Titus i. 16, 'They profess that they know God, but in works they deny him, being abominable and disobedient, and to every good work reprobate.' So many men's conversations speak out their faith and knowledge, and those holy principles which are rooted in their hearts, 1 John ii. 3, 4. Our evangelist will best explain himself : ' Now,' saith he, ' hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. He that saith I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.' Thus in scrip- ture dialect we are said to know no more than we practise, and our actions to give a better image of our thoughts and imaginations than our words, and the latent principles in our minds are discovered by the course that we take rather than by bare profession. A lie is falsum cum intentione fallendi — a falsehood spoken with an intent to deceive. To live a falsehood is more than to speak a falsehood ; they deceive the world and deceive their own souls. Certainly that man hath no religion that hath no God, and he hath no God that preferreth his base lusts before obedience to his precepts. It is but a perjured profession that our carnalists make of the knowledge of God and of Christ, the greatest lie that ever was told, and such a lie as reflecteth upon the honour of God, for they profess a religion which they abhor. All their worship is a lie, and their profession a plain perjury, whilst they live as if they were baptized in the devil's name to be his bondmen, and had sworn to cherish worldly and fleshly lusts, and not to mortify them ; as if in their baptism they had entered a protestation against God and Christ.