Sixthly, That Knowledge that accompanies ⟨p. 348⟩salvation, is, Soul-abasing, soul-humbling knowledge, it makes a man very, very little, and low in his own eyes, as you may see in the most knowing Apostle, Ephes. 3. 8. Unto me, 1who am less then the least of all Saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles, the unsearchable riches of Christ. Pauls great light makes him very little; though he was the greatest Apostle, yet he looks upon himself, a• less then the least of all Saints. Of all the Evangelists, John was most sharp-sighted,2 most Eagle-eyed, he had the clearest sight of Christ, he lay most in the bosom of Christ, he knew most of the mind of Christ, he had the fullest manifestations, and revelations of Christ; and yet, O how little, how low is John in his own eyes. John 1. 26, 27. John answered them, saying, I baptize with water, but there standeth one among you, whom ye know not: He it is, who coming after me, is preferred before me, whose shoes latchet I am not worthy to unloose. In this phrase, John alludes to the custom of the Hebrews, those among them which were more noble then others, had ⟨p. 349⟩Boys who carried their shoes, and untied them when they laid them by. O, says John, I am a poor weak, worthless Creature, I am not worthy to be admitted to the meanest, to the lowest service under Christ, I am not worthy to carry his shoes, to unloose his shoes. After Peter had been in the Mount, and instructed and enlightened by Christ, he cries out, Depart from me, O Lord, for I am a sinful man. ([Greek or Hebrew].) A man, a sinner, a very mixture, and compound of dirt and sin, of vileness, and baseness; as you may see in comparing Matth. 17. 1, 2, 3, 4. with Luke 5. 8. Abraham under3 all his light and knowledge, acknowledges himself to be but dust and ashes. Jacob under all his knowledge,4 acknowledges himself to be less then the least of all mercies. David under5 all his knowledge, acknowledges him self to be a worm, and no man; he acknowledges himself to be foolish and ignorant, and as a beast before the Lord. Job under all his knowledge,6 acknowledges that he hath much reason to abhor himself in dust and ashes. Agur was very good, and his knowledge ⟨p. 350⟩very great, and yet under all his knowledge. O how doth he vilify, yea, nullify himself. Surely (saith he) I am more brutish then any man, and 7have not the understanding of a man.
Sixthly, That Knowledge that accompanies ⟨p. 348⟩salvation, is, Soul-abasing, soul-humbling knowledge, it makes a man very, very little, and low in his own eyes, as you may see in the most knowing Apostle, Ephes. 3. 8. Unto me, 1who am less then the least of all Saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles, the unsearchable riches of Christ. Pauls great light makes him very little; though he was the greatest Apostle, yet he looks upon himself, a• less then the least of all Saints. Of all the Evangelists, John was most sharpsighted,2 most Eagle-eyed, he had the clearest sight of Christ, he lay most in the bosom of Christ, he knew most of the minde of Christ, he had the fullest manifestations, and revelations of Christ; and yet, O how little, how low is John in his own eyes. John 1. 26, 27. John answered them, saying, I baptize with water, but there standeth one among you, whom ye know not: He it is, who coming after me, is preferred before me, whose shooes latchet I am not worthy to unloose. In this phrase, John alludes to the custom of the Hebrews, those among them which were more noble then others, had ⟨p. 349⟩Boyes who carried their shooes, and untied them when they laid them by. O, sayes John, I am a poor weak, worthless Creature, I am not worthy to be admitted to the meanest, to the lowest service under Christ, I am not worthy to carry his shooes, to unloose his shooes. After Peter had been in the Mount, and instructed and enlightned by Christ, he cryes out, Depart from me, O Lord, for I am a sinful man. (〈non-Latin alphabet〉.) A man, a sinner, a very mixture, and compound of dirt and sin, of vileness, and baseness; as you may see in comparing Matth. 17. 1, 2, 3, 4. with Luke 5. 8. Abraham under3 all his light and knowledge, acknowledges himself to be but dust and ashes. Jacob under all his knowledge,
- 1[Greek or Hebrew], a Comparative made of a Superlative.〈non-Latin alphabet〉, a Comparative made of a Superlative.
- 2John in the Hebrew signifies The grace of God. This Barbarian, said the Philosopher, hath comprised more in three lines, then we have done in all our volumnious discourses. Matth. 11. 9, 10, 11. Christ wonderfully extols John: Says Christ, he is a Prophet, yea, and more then a Prophet, yea, a greater is not born of women: But the greatest wonder of all is, that John is so low in his own eyes.John in the Hebrew signifies The grace of God. This Barbarian, said the Philosopher, hath comprised more in three lines, then we have done in all our volumnious discourses. Matth. 11. 9, 10, 11. Christ wonderfully extols John: Sayes Christ, he is a Prophet, yea, and more then a Prophet, yea, a greater is not born of women: But the greatest wonder of all is, that John is so low in his own eyes.
- 3Gen. 18. 27.
- 4Gen. 32. 10.
- 5Psal. 22. 2. & 73 22.
- 6Job 42, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5.
- 7Prov. 30. 1, 2, 3, 4.
