1 JOHN 2. 3.
I Have at large discussed the Doctrine and Usefulnesse of Signs, I shall now propound in so many distinct Sermons, several choice and select Signs, by which you may know how it is with you in reference to God. For if the Heathens did so much admire that saying as an Oracle, Nosce teipsum, Know and be acquainted with thy own self, when yet they had neither true eyes, nor light to discover themselves by, how much rather doth this duty lie upon us, when by Gods grace we may have the seeing eye, and a sure light of Gods Word to guide us therein? And the first Sign shall be, An universal respect unto, and observation of Gods Commandments, out of the words read unto you, whereof the coherence is as followeth, The Apostle in the verses before, having comforted the children of God against their daily sins of infirmity, which cannot be avoided, he returneth again to his scope, which is to presse holinesse of life; and certainly our faith ought to be as busie in embracing the precepts for holinesse, as the promises for comfort. The Argument for sanctity pressed by the Apostle, is from the profitable effect thereof, it will be a sure and comfortable sign to confirm us that we are in Christ: for to know God, to love him, to be in him, to dwell in him, to have Communion with him, are all one with this Apostle.
So that in the words you have two Propositions,
- First, That the knowledge of God makes us to keep Gods Commandments.
- Secondly, That this observation of Gods Commandments is a sign by way of an effect, to assure us that we know God, which is the cause.
In the first Proposition you have the Antecedent and the Consequent. The Antecedent is knowing of God; howsoever according to the Hebrew rule this word Knowing signifieth Affectus & effectus consequentes: the affections and effects flowing from it, and so includeth love of God, and the like; yet it doth more properly signifie faith, according to that, This is eternal life, to know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent; for faith having several acts, knowledge, assent, fiducial application, the Scripture doth by a Synecdocke expresse the whole nature of faith by one act of it. Now because there is a three-fold knowledge,1 The first perfect, which is only in Heaven; The second imperfect, but true and saving, which the godly only have; Hence Regeneration, Jer. 31. is expressed by this, They shall all know God, and be mught of God: A third knowledge which is imperfect and insincere, is that common gift of Gods Spirit upon temporary believers, whereby though they know the sense and meaning of divine truths, yet have not the saving effect and power of them upon their hearts, in which sense our Saviour making that open confession, and celebrating Gods power and soveraignty, saith, The things of God were hidden from the wise and prudent, Matth. 11. 25, 26. That is, the Scribes, Priests and Pharisees, who though very intelligent of the meaning of the Scripture, yet having not their eyes in a gracious manner enlightned, therefore had those divine things hid from them. A notable thing it is, and worthy all your consideration, and trembling at it, that the very things you know in Religion by parts and abilities, may yet be hid from you, in respect of any saving knowledge; Therefore to declare what kinde of Knowledge this is, observe the consequent, it is that which is operative and quickens us up to the Commandments of God; for that proper and specifical difference, whereby saving faith is distinguished from the hypocrites, is in the cleansing and purifying nature of it, whereby it works by love; so that love is not the form of true faith, but to be operative and effective of love. Now according to the three-fold knowledge spoken of, Zanchy doth well observe, there is a three-fold keeping of the Commandments;2 for as our knowledge is, so is our holinesse. The first is, Perfect and compleat, as Christ did, and the Saints in heaven do perfectly love God. The second is imperfect, but sincere, though the Scripture cals it perfect, because of the essential perfection, though it hath not a gradual. The third is external, with some internal affections, but altogether unsound. The Apostle as he meaneth the second kinde of knowledge, so the second kinde of observance of the Commandments, and howsoever the translation be in the present tense, We know that we know him, yet in the original it is, We have known him, whereby it’s plain, That good works doe not go before Faith or Justification, but follow it. The second Proposition is, that the keeping of Gods Commandments is a sign that we do know him, […], by which he doth not mean a conjectural knowledge, as the Papists would put it off, but a sure and certain knowledge. Now although the Apostle speaks indefinitely, when he saith, Keeping the Commandments of God, yet because it is in a necessary matter, the Assertion is equivalent to an universal.