But then, a Practical Knowledge of the Holy Scriptures, is also requisite, We know to little purpose, except we Do according to what we know. We read, Joh. 13.17. Since ye know these things, Happy are ye, if you do them. Knowledge must be as John Baptist was to our Saviour, only a praecursor to Goodness; and we must say, That which comes after it is preferred before it. We must know the Truth and Walk […] the Truth. We must Know God, and Serve Him. We must Know Christ, and Grow in Grace. The Lamp is without Oil; it will go out in Everlasting Darkness, if the Knowledge be not soaked and dipped in Love. It was the saying of Maximus Tyrius long ago; Scientiae quis usus esse potest, nisi ea agamus? We must Know and Hear our Duty, and we must be Doers of the Word, and not Hearers only. Else we are ⟨p. 7⟩not Wise unto Salvation. We foolishly Deceive our selves, in our Hope of Salvation, If we do not Know practically, our Knowledge will not render us Wise unto Salvation. It will but Aggravate our Damnation; and there can be no Wisdom in That. If we Rebel against our Light, it will not be saving wisdom. No, It will be a Folly that will Damn the Rebellious. We read, Mat. 7.26. 'Tis the part of, A Foolish man, who builds his House on the Sand, and Great is the Fall of it. It has been well enough sometimes thus expressed, One Apple of the Tree of Life, in practice, is of more account than Ten of the Tree of Knowledge. Thus Homer makes Phoenix, the Tutor of Achilles, [Greek or Hebrew]. It is the sweet Conjunction of the Knowledge and Practice, of the Holy Scriptures, that will gain our point. A Conjunction that infallibly foretells a Salvation to the uttermost.
But then, a Practical Knowledge of the Holy Scriptures, is also requisite, We know to little purpose, except we Do according to what we know. We read, Joh. 13.17. Since ye know these things, Happy are ye, if you do them. Knowledge must be as John Baptist was to our Saviour, only a praecursor to Goodness; and we must say, That which comes after it is preferred before it. We must know the Truth and VValk 〈…〉 the Truth. We must Know God, and Serve Him. We must Know Christ, and Grow in Grace. The Lamp is without Oyl; it will go out in Everlasting Darkness, if the Knowledge be not soak'd and dip'd in Love. It was the saying of Maximus Tyrius long ago; Scientiae quis usus esse potest, nisi ea agamus? We must Know and Hear our Duty, and we must be Doers of the Word, and not Hearers only. Else we are ⟨p. 7⟩not VVise unto Salvation. We foolishly Deceive our selves, in our Hope of Salvation, If we do not Know practically, our Knowledge will not render us VVise unto Salvation. It will but Aggravate our Damnation; and there can be no Wisdom in That. If we Rebel against our Light, it will not be saving wisdom. No, It will be a Folly that will Damn the Rebellious. We read, Mat. 7.26. T'is the part of, A Foolish man, who builds his House on the Sand, and Great is the Fall of it. It has been well enough sometimes thus expressed, One Apple of the Tree of Life, in practice, is of more account than Ten of the Tree of Knowledge. Thus Homer makes Phaenix, the Tutor of Achilles, 〈non-Latin alphabet〉. It is the sweet Conjunction of the Knowledge and Practice, of the Holy Scriptures, that will gain our point. A Conjunction that infallibly foretells a Salvation to the uttermost.
