A supplement to The Morning-exercise at Cripple-Gate, or, Several more cases of conscience practically…

Prop. 6. Men should seek especially for such knowledge, and study such truths, as have the greatest influence upon practice, and so may make them most useful in their places, and may further them most in the universal exercise of powerful Godliness. Indeed the whole Doctrine of the Gospel is called the truth which is according to Godliness, 1 Tim. 6.3. There is no one truth revealed by God to us, but may have it's use in our conversations, and influence on our practice;¹ But yet some truths more directly and immediately than others; and such as those we should especially study. We should labour to know not only what we must believe, but what we must do; not only what thoughts we are to have of God, but what affections towards him, that so not only our minds may be established, but our conversations rightly ordered. We must not rest in the bare knowledge even of the greatest truths; nor labour to know merely that we may know, or that we may talk, but that we may act suitably to our knowledge. ⟨p. 118⟩Discamus non opinioni sed vitae. We should learn, not merely that we may be able to maintain an Opinion, but that we may know how to guide our Lives and Govern our Actions. The knowledge of the most excellent Truths may be unprofitable to us, if we know not our duty too. It is best for us to know those things which may make us best: Such as may further our Graces rather than heighten our Reputation, make us rather useful than Famous, and serviceable to God, rather than admired by Men. It is a vain thing to know what to hold, and not know what to do; to understand Controversy and be Ignorant of Duties. Ne quaere (saith one) in scientiâ oblectamentum animae, sed remedium: We should not Labour to know these things merely which may delight our Minds, but such as may heal our Souls; to know our distemper and our Medicines, our Wanderings and our Way, our Defects and our Duties: And not only those things neither which concern us as Christians in the General, but in such Ranks Orders and Relations as God hath set us in; and so that which is every Man's special duty, should be every Man's special study. As Ministers should know how to behave themselves in the House of God 1 Tim. 3.15.