And to this end, let us labour to increase in knowledge. ' I know whom I have believed,' saith the apostle, 2 Tim. i. 12, for all grace comes into the soul by the light of knowledge. Whatsoever is good is conveyed by light into the heart. Faith especially is the bent of the will to Christ, receiving him ; but this comes by a supernatural light, discovering Christ. Therefore let us desire to hear much of Christ, of his privileges and pro- mises. The more of Christ we know, the more we shall believe, and say with the apostle, ' I know whom I have believed,' 2 Tim. i. 12.
It is a fond* and wicked tenetf of the papists, to say that ignorance is
the mother of devotion [r) ; and Bellarmine's tenet is, that ' faith is better
defined by ignorance than by anything else' (s)— a fond and unlearned
conceit. For howsoever the reason and depth of the things of faith cannot
* That is, ' foolish.'— a. t Spelled ' tenent.'— G.
624 THE FOUNTAIN OPENED.
bo searched, yet we may know the things that arc revealed in the Scriptures. The more I know the thing's that arc revealed concerning Christ, and know that they are God's truths, the more I know, the more I shall believe. Faith of necessity requires knowledge ; therefore knowledge is put for all other graces. * This is eternal life, to know thee, and whom thou hast sent,' John xvii. 3, because it is an ingredient in all graces. It is a main ingredient in faith. The more we know, the more we shall believe. * They that know thy name will trust in thee,' Ps. ix. 10. Is it not so in men's matters ? The more we know a man to be able and loving and faithful of his word, the more we shall trust him. Is it not so in divine things ? The more we know of Christ and of his riches and truth, the more experimental knowledge we have of him, that we find him to be so, the more we shall trust him. Therefore, by the knowledge that is gotten by the means, let us labour for an experimental knowledge, that so we may trust and be- lieve in him more and more. Let us look to the passages of our lives in former times, how gracious God hath been towards us, and take in trust the time to come, that he will be so to the end. * He is the author and finisher of our faith,' Heb. xii. 2. And let us search into the depth of our own wants and weaknesses ; and this will force us to gi'ow in faith more and more. This will be a means to increase our faith. The more we see of our own nothingness and inability, without Christ, that we are nothing, nay, that we are miserable without him, the more we shall cleave to him and cast ourselves upon him. Those that have the deepest apprehensions of their own wants and weakness, usually they have the deepest apprehen- sions of Christ, and grow more and more rooted in him. The searching of our own corruptions every day is a notable means to grow in faith, to consider what we are, if it were not for God's mercy in Christ ; and this will make us to make out of ourselves to Christ, it will make us fly to the city of refuge. Joab, when he was pursued, he fled to the horns of the altar, 1 Kings ii. 28. When conscience pursues us, it will make us fly to the horns of the altar, to the city of refuge. A search into our own con- science and ways will force us to live by faith and to exercise faith every day in Christ Jesus.
And this is to feed on Christ daily, to fly to Christ, when we are stung with sin, and hunger, in the want of grace and strength, to fly to him for supply ; and so to keep and increase faith by this excellent means. Christ is all in all to those that hope to be saved by him. Christ is the ground of our life and comfort, and our happiness. Therefore we should make out to him upon all occasions, to cleave to him in life and death. We cannot press this point of faith too much. Why are Christians called believers ? Because believing is all. If we can prove the truth of our faith and belief, we prove all. If we be faulty in that, all is rotten. ' Whatsoever is with- out faith is sin,' Rom. xiv. 23. All men's natural morality and civility, it is, as it were, but copper graces ; but counterfeits. They are but for the outward appearance, and not in truth. They are not enlivened and quickened by faith in Christ. But I leave this, and come to the last clause,
' Received up in glory.'
This is the last branch of this divine ' mystery of godliness,' but it is none of the least. Christ ' ascended,' if we respect himself; he was * re- ceived,' if we look to his Father ;', himself ' ascended,' his Father 'received' him. The Scripture hath both words : av'sSr}, he ' ascended up,' that is, for himself; an\y]:p&n, he was 'received up,' that is, he was assumpted.* * ' Assumpt' means to ' lift or take up.' Cf. Richardson sub voce. — G.