An exposition with practical observations continued upon the thirty-fifth, thirty-sixth, and thirty-seventh chapters of…

But is any righteous man without knowledge? That the soul be without knowledge is not good, (saith Solomon, Prov. 19.2.) How then can he be good whose soul is without knowledge? And seeing we interpret this text of the righteous, how can it be said, they die without knowledge?

I answer, Knowledge may be taken in a more general sense, and so no righteous man either lives or dies without knowledge? he neither lives nor dies without the knowledge of God in Jesus Christ, whom to know is eternal life, (John 17.3.) and without the knowledge of whom, all (who are actually capable of such knowledge) must die eternally; he neither lives nor dies without the knowledge of himself as a sinner, and of Christ who saveth him from his sins. Such ignorances are inconsistent with the state of a godly man; he may do foolishly, but he is not a fool; he may be wanting in some kind of knowledge, but he doth not want knowledge; he cannot be without saving knowledge, though he may perish (temporally) without knowledge. The first thing that God makes in the new creation is light, the light of knowledge, there he begins his work; therefore we cannot take knowledge generally, simply and absolutely, in this text;¹ but as knowledge may be taken restrictively, for knowledge in or about this or that particular, so a good man may want knowledge, there may be somewhat which the Lord would acquaint the righteous with, and teach ⟨p. 254⟩them by their fetters and afflictions, which they do not learn; and therefore they die without knowledge, or, because they are without knowledge; yet that want of knowledge, together with all their other wants and ignorances, are pardoned to them.

I answer, Knowledge may be taken in a more general sense, and so no righteous man either lives or dies without knowledge? he neither lives nor dies without the knowledge of God in Jesus Christ, whom to know is eternal life, (