The souls exaltation A treatiseThe soules exaltation A treatise

Secondly, there is another, namely an experimental knowledge, that is, when from some good that we have or do receive, or any good that we do of our selves, or some evil that we do commit, or fearing some misery to come upon us, we read the nature of the good and the nature of the evil: as when a man hath a sinful distemper of wrath and passion, and he knows the nature of his anger and pride, because he observes the venom of it in his own spirit: this is experimental knowledge, and they call it so because we read our own dispositions, and thereby we judge the nature of it, by judging our selves: The Physician knows the disease, and therefore he is able to apply medicines accordingly, but he knows it not experimentally; as we use to say, such a man never knew what poverty meant, and such a man never knew what the gout meant, that is, he never had it; and such a man never knew what a prison meant, that is, he never was in prison: This is the meaning of it in this place, Christ knew no sin, his heart never affected any, and himself never practised any: therefore he knew no sin by his own experience, yet by ⟨p. 159⟩his infinite wisdom being God, he was able to find out the venom and •ildnesse of sin: So the point which I observe by the way is this:

Secondly, there is another, namely an experimentall knowledge, that is, when from some good that we have or doe receive, or any good that we doe of our selves, or some evill that we doe commit, or fearing some misery to come upon us, wee read the nature of the good and the nature of the evill: as when a man hath a sinfull distemper of wrath and passion, and hee knowes the nature of his anger and pride, because hee observes the venome of it in his owne spirit: this is experimentall knowledge, and they call it so because we read our owne dispositions, and thereby wee judge the nature of it, by judging our selves: The Physitian knowes the disease, and therefore he is able to apply medicines accordingly, but hee knowes it not experimentally; as wee use to say, such a man never knew what povertie meant, and such a man never knew what the gowt meant, that is, he never had it; and such a man never knew what a prison meant, that is, hee never was in prison: This is the meaning of it in this place, Christ knew no sinne, his heart never affected any, and himselfe never practised any: therefore he knew no sinne by his owne experience, yet by ⟨p. 159⟩