1. Let us know Jesus, carrying on the great work of our Salvation during his sufferings and death. This is the high point which Paul was ever studying on, and preaching on, and pondering on; For I determined not to know any thing among you, 1save Jesus Christ and him crucified. Christ crucified is the rarest piece of knowledge in the world; the person of Christ is a matter of high speculation, but Christ further considered, as clothed with his garments of blood, is that knowledge which especially Paul pursues; he esteems not, reckons not, determines not to make any profession of any other science or doctrine than the most necessary, and only saving knowledge of Christ crucified. O my soul, how many days, and months, and years, hast thou spent to attain some little measure of knowledge in the Arts, and Tongues, and Sciences? and yet what a poor skill hast thou attained in respect of the many thousands of them that knew nothing at all of Jesus Christ? and what if thou hadst reached out to a greater proficiency? couldst thou have dived into the secrets of Nature, couldst thou have excelled the wisdom of all the children of the East country, and all the wisdom of Egypt, 2and the wisdom of Solomon, who spake of beasts, of fowls, of fishes, of all trees from the Cedar tree that is in Lebanon, even to the hyssop that springeth out of the wall, yet without the saving knowledge of Christ crucified (Christ suffering, bleeding, and dying) all this had been nothing, see Eccles. 1.18. only that knowledge is worth the having which refers to Christ; and above all that is the rarest piece of Christ's humiliation, which holds him forth suffering for us, and so freeing us from hell sufferings. Come then, and spend thy time for the future more fruitfully in reading, learning, knowing, this one necessary thing. Study Christ crucified in every piece and part; O the precious truths, and precious discoveries that a studying head and heart would hammer out here! much hath been said, but a thousand-thousand times more might yet be said; we have given but a little scantling of that which Christ endured; Volumes might be written till they were piled as high as heaven; and yet all would not serve to make out the full discoveries of Jesus's sufferings. Study therefore, and study more, but be sure thy study and thy knowledge be rather practical than speculative;
1. LEt us know Jesus, carrying on the great work of our Salvation during his sufferings and death. This is the high point which Paul was ever studying on, and preaching on, and pondering on; For I determined not to know any thing among you, 1save Jesus Christ and him crucified. Christ crucified is the rarest piece of knowledge in the world; the person of Christ is a matter of high speculation, but Christ further considered, as cloathed with his garments of blood, is that knowledge which especially Paul pursues; he esteems not, reckons not, determines not to make any profession of any other science or doctrine than the most necessary, and only saving knowledge of Christ crucified. O my soul, how many dayes, and months, and years, hast thou spent to attain some little measure of knowledge in the Arts, and Tongues, and Sciences? and yet what a poor skill hast thou attained in respect of the many thousands of them that knew nothing at all of Jesus Christ? and what if thou hadst reached out to a greater proficiency? couldst thou have dived into the secrets of Nature, couldst thou have excelled the wisdom of all the children of the East country, and all the wisdom of Egypt, 2and the wisdom of Solomon, who spake of beasts, of fowls, of fishes, of all trees from the Cedar tree that is in Lebanon, even to the hyssop that springeth out of the wall, yet without the saving knowledge of Christ crucified (Christ suffering, bleeding, and dying) all this had been nothing, see Eccles. 1.18. only that knowledge is worth the having which refers to Christ; and above all that is the rarest piece of Christ's humiliation, which holds him forth suffering for us, and so freeing us from hell sufferings. Come then, and spend thy time for the future more fruitfully in reading, learning, knowing, this one necessary thing. Study Christ crucified in every piece and part; O the precious truths, and precious discoveries that a studying head and heart would hammer out here! much hath been said, but a thousand-thousand times more might yet be said; we have given but a little scantling of that which Christ endured; Volumes might be written till they were piled as high as heaven; and yet all would not serve to make out the full discoveries of Jesus's sufferings. Study therefore, and study more, but be sure thy study and thy knowledge be rather practical than speculative;
- 11 Cor. 2.2.
- 21 Kings 4.33.
