The divine life in three treatises

3. He that walketh with God, doth know those things, with a deep, effectual, heart-changing knowledge, which other men know but superficially, by the halves, and as in a dream. And true wisdom consisteth in the Intensiveness of the knowledge subjectively, as much as in the extensiveness of it objectively. To see a few things in a narrow room perspicuously and clearly, doth show a better eye-sight, than in the open Air to see many things obscurely so as scarce to discern any of them aright; (••ke him that saw men walk like trees.) The clearness and […] of knowledge, which makes it effectual to its proper use, […] greatness and excellency of it: Therefore it is that unlearned men that love and fear the Lord, may well be said to be incomparably more wise and knowing men, than the most learned that are ungodly. As he hath more riches that hath a little Gold or Jewels▪ than he that hath many load of stones: so he that hath a deep effectual knowledge of God the Father, and the Redeemer, and of the life to come, is wiser and more knowing than he that hath only a notional knowledge of the same things, and of a thousand more. A wicked man hath so much knowledge, as teacheth him to speak the same words of God, and Christ, and Heaven, which a true Believer speaks; but not so much as to work in him the same affections and choice, nor so much as to cause him to do the same work. As it is a far more excellent kind of knowledge which a man hath of any Country by travel and habitation there, than that which cometh but by reading or report; or which a man hath of meat, of fruits, of wine, by eating and drinking, than that which another hath by hearsay; so is the inward heart-affecting knowledge of a true believer, more excellent than the flashy notions of the ungodly▪ Truth simply as Truth, is not the highest and most excellent object of the mind: But Good as Good, must be apprehended by the Understanding, and commended to the Will, which entertaineth it with Complacency, adhereth to it with Choice and Resolution, prosecuteth it with Desire and Endeavour, and Enjoyeth it with Delight: And though it be the Understanding which apprehendeth it, yet it is the Heart or Will that relisheth it, and tasteth the greatest sweetness in it, working upon it with some mixture of internal sense (which hath made some ascribe a knowledge of Good as such unto the ⟨p. 259⟩Will.)