CXLV expository sermons upon the whole 17th chapter of the Gospel according to St.…

¹In the next place let's consider the ground why knowledge if not thus accompanied is ineffectual.

¹In the next place let's consider the ground why knowledge if not thus accompanied is ineffectuall.

1. 1Why knowledge that is not thus accompanied is ineffectual.Why knowledge that is not thus accompanied is ineffectuall.

And first, Because knowledge in it self is only a perfection in the understanding, and seeing that the whole heart is fully corrupted, it must be universally healed, else there cannot be any salvation. I pray God ye be sanctified throughout in spirit, soul and body, 1 Thess. 5.23. Yea this knowledge is but a moral perfection, not a gracious: As we see in the devils, who have great abilities in their understanding: And hence it is that a man may be very knowing and yet very vicious, because this doth only dispel ignorance from the mind, it doth not sanctify the heart and affections to love and delight in what is good: Knowledge is requisite to bring in grace, yet knowledge merely is not grace: So that howsoever it be a necessary duty to get knowledge, yet when that is obtained there is a greater work behind in the cleansing and purifying of the heart. Praevolat intellectus, sed tardus sequitur affectus, with the eye we may discern many miles off in a moment, but our feet cannot so quickly go thither.

And first, Because knowledge in it self is only a perfection in the understanding, and seeing that the whole heart is fully corrupted, it must be universally healed, else there cannot be any salvation. I pray God ye be sanctified throughout in spirit, soul and body, 1 Thess. 5.23. Yea this knowledge is but a morall perfection, not a gracious: As we see in the devils, who have great abilities in their understanding: And hence it is that a man may be very knowing and yet very vicious, because this doth only dispell ignorance from the minde, it doth not sanctifie the heart and affections to love and delight in what is good: Knowledge is requisite to bring in grace, yet knowledge meerly is not grace: So that howsoever it be a necessary duty to get knowledge, yet when that is obtained there is a greater work behinde in the cleansing and purifying of the heart. Praevolat intellectus, sed tardus sequitur affectus, with the eye we may discern many miles off in a moment, but our feet cannot so quickly go thither.

2. Knowledge must have practise following, because doing is the end and accomplishment of knowing. It's not knowing the rules of Hippocrates will bring health, unless there be a practical use of them. Hence believing is called eating and ⟨p. 89⟩drinking of Christ, John 6. A man that is hungry, though he know never so much of excellent meats, yet that will not satisfy him, unless he eat. It's a rule Scire malum, non est malum, so God he knoweth evil, yet this knowledge is not evil; so Scire be••um, non est bonum: Philosophers make this distinction between the understanding and the will; the understanding draweth the object to it self, but the will is drawn by the object to it, so if I understand any thing, I am not in a moral sense that I understand, but if I will any thing, or love any thing, I am what I love, Anima ubi ama•, not ubi anima.

2. Knowledge must have practise following, because doing is the end and accomplishment of knowing. It's not knowing the rules of Hippocrates will bring health, unlesse there be a practicall use of them. Hence beleeving is called eating and ⟨p. 89⟩drinking of Christ, John 6. A man that is hungry, though he know never so much of excellent meats, yet that will not satisfie him, unlesse he eat. It's a rule Scire malum, non est malum, so God he knoweth evil, yet this knowledge is not evil; so Scire be••um, non est bonum: Philosophers make this distinction between the understanding and the will; the understanding draweth the object to it self, but the will is drawn by the object to it, so if I understand any thing, I am not in a morall sense that I understand, but if I will any thing, or love any thing, I am what I love, Anima ubi ama•, not ubi anima.

4. Knowledge without the effects of it is so far from saving, that it condemneth the more. He that knew his masters will and did it not, was beaten with more stripes, Luk. 12.48. What makes the condemnation of those Christ preached to greater then of the Sodomites the worst of men, but because they sinned against more knowledge?

4. Knowledge without the effects of it is so farre from saving, that it condemneth the more. He that knew his masters will and did it not, was beaten with more stripes, Luk. 12.48. What makes the condemnation of those Christ preached to greater then of the Sodomites the worst of men, but because they sinned against more knowledge?

Use of Instruction,¹ How vain a thing it is to boast of knowledge and learning, if an holy life doth not follow it: As Absalom was hung by the hair of his head he gloried in, so will the knowledge of thy head damn thee. Austin said, such knowing men go quick to hell; oh there are too many such, that have much knowledge, but no grace, that know the Scripture speaking against gross sins, yet they wallow in them. The hottest flames in hell are for a knowing wicked man.

Ʋse of Instruction,¹ How vain a thing it is to boast of knowledge and learning, if an holy life doth not follow it: As Absalom was hung by the hair of his head he gloried in, so will the knowledge of thy head damn thee. Austin said, such knowing men go quick to hell; oh there are too many such, that have much knowledge, but no grace, that know the Scripture speaking against grosse sins, yet they wallow in them. The hottest flames in hell are for a knowing wicked man.

1. 1Use.Ʋse.

Use of Exhortation, to put all thy knowledge into practise: If I know what faith is, let me exercise faith: If I know what Christ is, let me obey him; All knowledge that makes thee not more godly, that brings thee not into nearer communion with God, is to be suspected; if it puff thee up, if it make thee conceited, then 1 Cor. 8. Paul saith, Thou knowest nothing as thou oughtest to know. Be not a Gnostic; oh that it might be said, Ye know God, or rather are known of God, Gal. 4.9.

Ʋse of Exhortation, to put all thy knowledge into practise: If I know what faith is, let me exercise faith: If I know what Christ is, let me obey him; All knowledge that makes thee not more godly, that brings thee not into nearer communion with God, is to be suspected; if it puff thee up, if it make thee conceited, then 1 Cor. 8. Paul saith, Thou knowest nothing as thou oughtest to know. Be not a Gnostick; oh that it might be said, Ye know God, or rather are known of God, Gal. 4.9.

SERMON XVII. Of the Knowledge and Worship of the One true God: And the contrary thereto, viz. Idolatry.

JOH. 17.3. To Know thee the Only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.

JOH. 17.3. To Know thee the Onely true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.

WE have finished that duty which is said to be the Means to Eternal Life; We come to the Object, which is twofold:

WE have finished that duty which is said to be the Means to Eternall Life; We come to the Object, which is twofold:

1. The true God, and thus Heathens and Pagans are excluded.

2. Christ Jesus, and thus the Jews, who though they know the true God, yet because they deny Christ, are out of the way to heaven; and so some Heretics also, who deny Christ to be our Mediator.

2. Christ Jesus, and thus the Jews, who though they know the true God, yet because they deny Christ, are out of the way to heaven; and so some Heretiques also, who deny Christ to be our Mediator.

Let us consider the first Object, To know thee the only true God; by this we see that Opinion, which asserts the possibility of the Heathens salvation, to fall to the ground, because they are wholly ignorant of the true God: It's Christ that saith thus, therefore our understandings must be captivated.

¹Obs. That there is one true God only, to be known and served by man. Although to us Christians this may seem a needless point, yet as the Scripture hath recorded this as most useful to the Church, so all Christians may find much necessity in the opening of it, and great practical use. Consider then these particulars.

¹Obs. That there is one true God only, to be known and served by man. Although to us Christians this may seem a needlesse point, yet as the Scripture hath recorded this as most usefull to the Church, so all Christians may finde much necessity in the opening of it, and great practicall use. Consider then these particulars.

1. 1Observ. There is one true God only to be known and served by men. Explicatory considerations.

1. There are made and constituted many gods by mans vanity, and there is one only true God indeed. The Apostle, 1 Cor. 8.4, 5. hath given us this distinction,¹ where having asserted, that an Idol is nothing, viz. formaliter, though it be made of wood or stone, and have rich ornaments, yet the thing signified is nothing. Though there are Sun and Stars, yet as made Gods, so there is no such thing: Though there were such men as Saturn and Jupiter, yet relatively as Idols representing a God, they were a non-entity. He brings this verse in by way of accusation to answer the objection: There are, saith he, [Greek or Hebrew], there are many that are called Gods: The whole world is full of such; they have their Celestes, Acrii, Terrestes, Marini, as many Gods as creatures almost; but to us, viz. Believers, there is one only true God the Father: So that you see there is one real existent true God, and there are many fictitious and constituted Gods made by man, which the Scripture calls Idols, and that by very significant names: Sometimes by a word that signifieth nothing, sometimes by a lye and vanity, sometimes by dung and dirt that is rolled up and down, sometimes by scar-crows, or terricula muta, and very often by abomination. The beginning and progress of this Idolatry is handled by Learned men, and Learned Tractates are written de Diis Syris, de Diis Romanorum ⟨p. 91⟩and Germanorum, in all which we may mourn over that horrible blindness and folly which doth seize upon all men by nature, and we may bless God for the Christian Religion, which hath made us to cast off all those abominable Idolatries.

1. There are made and constituted many gods by mans vanity, and there is one onely true God indeed. The Apostle, 1 Cor. 8.4, 5. hath given us this distinction,¹ where having asserted, that an Idol is nothing, viz. formaliter, though it be made of wood or stone, and have rich ornaments, yet the thing signified is nothing. Though there are Sunne and Starres, yet as made Gods, so there is no such thing: Though there were such men as Saturn and Jupiter, yet relatively as Idols representing a God, they were a non-entity. He brings this verse in by way of accusation to answer the objection: There are, saith he, 〈non-Latin alphabet〉, there are many that are called Gods: The whole world is full of such; they have their Celestes, Acrii, Terrestes, Marini, as many Gods as creatures almost; but to us, viz. Beleevers, there is one only true God the Father: So that you see there is one reall existent true God, and there are many fictitious and constituted Gods made by man, which the Scripture cals Idols, and that by very significant names: Sometimes by a word that signifieth nothing, sometimes by a lye and vanity, sometimes by dung and dirt that is rowled up and down, sometimes by scar-crows, or terricula muta, and very often by abomination. The beginning and progresse of this Idolatry is handled by Learned men, and Learned Tractates are written de Diis Syris, de Diis Romanorum ⟨p. 91⟩and Germanorum, in all which we may mourn over that horrible blindnesse and folly which doth seize upon all men by nature, and we may blesse God for the Christian Religion, which hath made us to cast off all those abominable Idolatries.

1. 1I. Though many Gods constituted by mans vanity, yet there is but one true God.

2. We come to have knowledge of the only true God three ways,¹

2. We come to have knowledge of the only true God three waies,¹

1. 1II. God is known three ways.II. God is known three waies.