1 Cor. XV. 34<. Some have not the knowledge of God : I speak this to your shame.
KNOWLEDGE is the foundation of all acceptable obedience. We must know whom we are to serve ; and why we are to serve him ; and what are the ser- vices that he requires at our hands. Hence the Scrip- tures represent us first as " renewed in knowledge after the image of him who created usV' On the other hand, ignorance is the root of all sin. It was to this, as its proper source, that our Saviour and his Apostles traced the wickedness of the Jews in cruci- fying the Lord of glory, and in persecuting his fol- lowers \ To this also St. Paul referred the conduct of those at Corinth who taught, that " there was no resurrection of the dead." From their erroneous views of this fundamental doctrine, and the conse- quent sinfulness of their conduct, he was sure that they were ignorant of God himself; and therefore he declared it to their shame.
The same may be said in reference to ourselves, if we err in any other fundamental point of faith or practice. In order therefore to bring it home to ourselves, we shall shew,
I. What is that knowledge of God, which, as Chris- tians, we are supposed to possess —
God has revealed himself to us in his blessed word ; and we ought to know him,
1. In his essential perfections — [These perfections he proclaimed by an audible voice to Moses, in answer to that prayer of his highly favoured servant, " I beseech thee, shew me thy glory ^." The Lord passed by before him and proclaimed, The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, long-suffering, abundant in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity, transgression, and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty''." Yet it is
^ Col. iii. 10. ^ John xvi. 3. Acts iii. 17. 1 Cor. ii. 8.
c Exod. xxxiii. 18. ^ Exod. xxxiv. (i, 7.