Chap. 24. .An Expoftion upon the Bask of Jo B. Vert r, 477 of the truth in the Lan. And therefore the wicked are fp& en of Yaeta; Of cog inScripture, asnot knowingGod ( ?ere. i o. z 5.) Towreout thy dei fury upon the Heathen than know thee toot. And when the Prophet defcribes the wickedneffeof the Jewifh State, he faith(Hoj.4.1 ) There ie no knowledge of god in theLand. \ , hick the Chalde Pa- raphrafì rendersthus; Neither,trethere any who walke in thefear ofGod in the land ; where there is noknowledge ofGod, there is no feare of God. We neither love norfare him ofwhomwe haveno knowledge, nor can we beleeve in or truft him,whomwe knownot. (Tfal. 9, l o.) They that knew thy name, will put their trufi in thee ; That is, the truly godly will trait in thee, for they know thy name, but they that know thee not, how can they trufb upon thee ? and therefore the Prophet calls us to hoaft in, the knowledgeof God. ( ?ere. 9.23.) Thus fayth the Lord, let not thewife was glory in hit wifdome, neither let themighty manglory in hie might, let not the rich manglory in hie riches., but let him that glarieth,glory in thie, that he underiandeth, andknowethme,that P am the Lordwhich exercife loving kindde!e, judgment, and righte- tufneffe in the earth,for in thefe things 1 delight fayth the Lord. There is nothing in this world worth the boafling in,but the holy knowledgeofa holy God, or Inch a knowledgeofGod, thefruit whereof is a godly life here,and the end whereof is an eternal life hereafter. 7oh. 17. 3. This is eternal life that they may know he the only trueGoel,and ?eft*: Chrift` whom thouhaft feot.This know. ledge ofGod doth not floate in the Braine, but fnkes into the heart,and is rooted in the affe&ions. Thu; the Apoftle john ar- gues (7 Epifi. Chap. 2. v. 3., 4, f, 6. ) Herebywe know that we know him, ifwe keepe his commandements, be that faythhe knows him, andkeepeth nothis c.mmandement iea liar, and the truth is not inhim.. ; As ifhe had Paid, The true knowledge ofGod is an obedientia ; knowledg, fo that if any man faith he knowethGod, while his life is not fuitable to what he knoweth, thismans pro- feiton is vaine,, and himfelfis a lyar ; Yt'hofoever keepe.b his word; ixhim verily is tot love ofGod perfetted; that is he loveth Gott with a perfe& orfincere love, and the loveof God is perfe&ed towards him, The fcopeofhis whole difeourfe there is to Phew that the true knowledgofGod is the keepingof the word ofGodi Manyare fo ignorant ofGod,that they knownot the word which, they fhouldkeepe, andall they who knowing the word keepe i nor
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