68 Unstecelary Knowledge .and Delight the ein. becaufe it brings in fome novelty and variety, and becaufe it makes us feemwifer thenOther men, and furnifheth its with matter of difcourfe oftentation, and rids the mind of Tome troublefom doubts .therefore even, the worfl have a mind to know. But this is the knowfedge that mull be Denied : that which muff be valued and fought after, is, To knowGod, that we may love and reverence, and truff., and admire, and honour him, anSenjoy him : To know Chrift, that we may have more Communion with him : To know the word and works of God, that in themwe may know hisnature and his will : and knowing his will, may ferve him and pleafe him : Thefe muff be the ends of Chriflian knowledge. There is nothing in the world that God bath revealed, but in its place we may be willingto know, fo that we flick not in the crea- ture, or fenfe of the words, or common verities, but ufe every thing as a book or looking glafs : we love not a book fo much for the letters as for the matter which they contain : and we love not aGWs for it felf fo much as for its ufe to chew us the face whichwe would fee in it : fo if we go to the creatures but as a. book in which we may read the mind of God, and fee his -nature, and as a glafs in which his glory Both fhine forth our fludy and knowledge will be fanftified and divine. And thus as Paul would know nothing bat Chrift Crpcified, fo every Chriftian fhould be able to fay, that he would knownothingbut God in Chrift : for though we know a thoufand matters., and that of the loweft nature in them- felves, yet as long as we {Indy them not for themfelves but for God, it is not-them that-we know fo much, as God in them ; and fo all is but the knowingof God : even as in our duty, though the works may be many and mean that we are employed in, yet all is but the ferving ofGod, as long as we 'do them all for him : this is the main difference betweenan un- fandified fcholar and a fervant of God in all their fludies : One of them is but recreating his curious fancy or inquifitive mind, and feeking matter of honour and applaufe, or fome wayor other ftudying for hinstfilf: but theother is fearching after thenature andwill of his Creator, and learning now to do his work in that manner as may pleafe and honour him molt.
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