Chap. 42. ln Expofttion upon the Book or J o B. Verf, 2. received the anointing, whereby he knoweth all things that areof abfolute necellìcy (z John 2.2e.)yet he may come co the know- ledge of more things which are exceeding ufeful and helpful to him. Secondly, We fhould labour to knowevery thingmore, as in the Text.Job knew before that God wasomnipotent,and could do all things; but now heknew it more, and fomuch more, that the knowledge whichhehad before might be called ignorance, .com- pared with the knowledge which he had now received. Then we increafe our knowledge fully, when we get the knowledge of more things, and of every thing more. Again, we fhould labour to increafe,as in fpeculative, fo in ex- perimental knowledge. Speculative knowledge alone, goes no further than the notion of what we know; experimental know- ledge finds and feels the power of what we know, it fubje &s us, or makes us fubjeCt to what we know ; the motions of the Wili follow the light and di&ate of the UnderPanding. This is the bet}knowledge : Knowledge which is felt and a6ted, is better than that which is heard and declared. What the Apoftle John laid of himfelf, and his fellowApofiles, who were perfonally pre- lent with Chrift whilehere onearth, with refpect to their fenfi- tive knowledge of him, is mot' true of the fpiritual and expe- rimental knowledge which believers haveof Chrift now in hea- ven, and they abfent from him (r John z. i.) That which was from thebeginning, whichwe have beard, which we have teen with our eyes, whichwe have looked upon, and our hands have handledof the word of life, that declare we unto you ; we declare that unto you which we have feen and felt. 'Tis a bleffed thing, when we can fay, that the things which we declare to others, we have felt them, and even handled them our felves. Many (as our ufual ex- preflionis) handleTexts, and handle truths learnedly and excel- lentlyin a difcourfe, who never handled, no nor fomuch asroucht them by any experience of their fweetnefs or efficacy, either in their hearts or lives. Further, confider in what way Yob came to this proficiency in knowledge ; he had been a great while in the School of affliction, before he Paid, /know, and Iknow to purpofe, that thou canfi do every thing. Tiiii Hence 793
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=