Caryl - Houston-Packer Collection BS1415 .C37 v4

474 Chap. 13. AnExpojitionupon theBook ofJoB, Vert; 18. queftion buttogo away with vietory, andget the day after a full fièaring. 1 know l'hall be..jssjfifaed, I know. We may diftinguifh of a three-foldknowledge. Eirft, Notional or fpeculative, which is the work barelyof theunderflanding. Ofthat I conceive the Apoale fpeaks (rCor. S.7.) Knowledge puffeth up. There is a knowledge fwimming in the brain,which bath force light,but no heat, much wind, butno nourithment in it. Secondly, There is an experimental knowledge feated in the heart, and vifible in the life : The Samaritans profefs this (job. 4. 42.) Now webelieve, not becaufe of thyPaying, forwe have heard himour felves, and' that this is indeed the. Chrift, that is, weave experimentally convinced bywhat we have heard and feen, that this is He, (Ecclef.8,5.) Whofo,keepeththe command- ment (hall know no evil (fo theHebrew) we tranflate it,he foal! feel no evil, that is,he shall not have an experimental knowledge of evil. A man that keepeth the commandment knoweth what is evil, or elfe he could nor Rio that which is good ; but he that keepeth the commandment fhall know no evil, that is, he Ihall not feel any evil. So we are to underfand that ofthe Apoftle (2 Cor. 5.21.Y where he faith, that Chrift knew no fin ; IhalLwe think that Chrift died for he knew not what ?. Hedied to take away fin, and did not heknow what fin was ? Yes, Chrift knew fully what tin was, he knew what the nature, and what the e{feets of it were a .but he knew no fin experimentally, hefelt no fin inhis own heart, hea&ed no fin in his life. We fay to a man that li- veth in profperity, You never knew poverty; and to an healthy Man, Ton never knew, facknefs. This is experimental know- ledge. There is a third, kind of knowledge, which we call fiducial, when the heart cleaveth to, or is afcertain'd of what we know. Of this we are to underfiand the Apoftle Job» (i Ep.2.;.) Ami hereby do we know that weknow him. To know that we know, is to be affured that we know. Andagain, in the fifth chapter of the fame Epiflle, verf.1 3. Thefe, things have written toyou that believe on the Name of the Son of God, thatye-may knew theft ye bave eternal life. We may believe, and yet not know that vte hall live, much leis that wehave eternal iffe. Many havea vital

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