For clearing of it, consider that some things concerning God are kept up from us, other things are revealed to us; these things which are kept up from us we cannot know: And 1. They are either such as we cannot see now, because they are incomprehensible in themselves, as God's infinite Nature and Attributes, which as they are in themselves, cannot be comprehensibly conceived, no not in heaven; but while we are upon earth, we see but darkly, as through a glass, and our knowledge of him is rather Faith than sight; or they are such things which are conceivable, but God has not thought good to reveal them unto men; as when he will •nd the World, when he will take every man from this life, who are particularly Elected, &c. to be ignorant of these is no sin, it is a duty not to seek to know them, yea curiosity in these is sinful; Ignorance here is called rather a N science than Ignorance, which implieth a privation of knowledge which men ought to have; or 2. These things concerning God are such as not only in themselves may be known, but such as we ought to know, because they are revealed to us; ignorance of these is sinful: As 1. Being a disconformity to that knowledge and holiness after which God created us. 2. A fruit of original sin. 3. A cause of many sins. 4. A disconformity to the Law, which requireth us so to know and acknowledge God as he has revealed himself to us; and that in his Essence, in the Trinity of Persons, in his Attributes, Covenants, works of Creation and Redemption, and in his Relations to us; and that we should so know him, that we may thereby know our selves also: And this is that great duty called for in this Commandment, that we may know him, and his will.
For clearing of it, consider that some things concerning God are kept up from us, other things are revealed to us; these things which are kept up from us we cannot know: And 1. They are either such as we cannot see now, because they are incomprehensible in themselves, as God's infinite Nature and Attributes, which as they are in themselves, cannot be comprehensibly conceived, no not in heaven; but while we are upon earth, we see but darkly, as through a glass, and our knowledge of him is rather Faith than sight; or they are such things which are conceiveable, but God has not thought good to reveal them unto men; as when he will •nd the World, when he will take every man from this life, who are particularly Elected, &c. to be ignorant of these is no sin, it is a duty not to seek to know them, yea curiosity in these is sinful; Ignorance here is called rather a N •science than Ignorance, which implieth a privation of knowledge which men ought to have; or 2. These things concerning God are such as not only in themselves may be known, but such as we ought to know, because they are revealed to us; ignorance of these is sinful: As 1. Being a disconformity to that knowledge and holiness after which God created us. 2. A fruit of original sin. 3. A cause of many sins. 4. A disconformity to the Law, which requireth us so to know and acknowledge God as he has revealed himself to us; and that in his Essence, in the Trinity of Persons, in his Attributes, Covenants, works of Creation and Redemption, and in his Relations to us; and that we should so know him, that we may thereby know our selves also: And this is that great duty called for in this Commandment, that we may know him, and his will.
