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A Godly Man Is a Man of Knowledge

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  1. IT will be enquired in the next place,1 Who is the godly man?

For the full answer whereunto, I shall lay down several specifical signs and characters of a godly man.

1 The first fundamental sign is,1 a godly man is a man of (Arist) Knowledge. Prov. 14. 18. The prudent are crowned with knowledge. The Saints are called wise Virgins, Mat. 25. 4. A natural man may have some discursive knowledge of God, but he knoweth nothing as he ought to know, 1 Cor. 8. 2. He knows not God savingly: he may have the eye of Reason open, but he discerns not the things of God after a spiritual2 manner. Waters cannot goe beyond their Spring-head: Vapors cannot rise higher than the Sun draws them. […] natural man cannot act above his sphere; […] no more able to judge aright of sacred things, than a blind man is to judge of colours. 1 He sees not the evil of his heart; if a face be never so black and deformed, yet it is not seen under a Vail: the heart of a sinner i[…] so black, that nothing but Hell can pattern it, yet the vail of ignorance hides it. 2 He sees not the beauties of a Saviour. Christ is a Pearl, but an hid Pearl.

But a godly man is […], taught of God. 1 Ioh. 2. 27. The anointing teacheth you all3 things; that is, all things essential to salvation. A godly man hath the good knowledge of the Lord, 2 Chron. 30. 22. he hath sound wisdom, Prov. 3. 21. he knows God in Christ: to know God out of Christ, is to know him an enemy; but to know him in Christ is sweet and delicious. A gracious soul hath the savour of knowledge, 2 Cor. 2. 14. There is a great difference between one that hath read of a Countrey, or viewed it in the Map, and another who hath lived in the Countrey, and tasted the Fruits and Spices of it. The knowledge wherewith a godly man is adorned, hath these eight rare Ingredients in it.

1 It is a grounded Knowledge, Col. 1. 27. If ye continue in the Faith grounded. It is not a believing as the Church believes, but […] Knowledge rests upon a double basis […] Word and Spirit; the one is a […] other a witness: saving Knowledge is not pendulous or doubtful, but hath a certainty in it, Iohn 6. 69. We believe, and are sure thou art that Christ, 2 Cor. 5, 6. […] being always confident4 a godly man holds no more then he will dye for: The Martyrs were so confirmed in the knowledge of the Truth, that they would seal it with their bloud.

  1. It is an appretiative knowledge. The Lapidary is said to know a Jewel, who hath skill to value it: He knows God, who esteems him above the glory of heaven, (Psal. 73. 25) and the comforts of the earth. To compare other things with God, is to debase Deity; as if you should compare the shining of a Gloworm with the Sun.

  2. The knowledge of a godly man is quickning, Psalm 119. 93. I will never forget thy Precepts, for with them thou hast quickned me. Knowledge in a natural mans head, is like a Torch in a dead mans hand: True knowledge animates. A godly man is like Iohn Baptist, a burning and a shining Lamp: He doth not only shine by illumination, but burn by affection.5 The Spouses knowledge made her sick of love, Cant. 2. 5. Per[…]ulsa sum,6 I am wounded with love. I am like a Deer that is struck with a Dart, my Soul lies a bleeding, and nothing can cure me, but a sight of him whom my Soul loves.

  3. Divine Knowledge is appropriating, Ioh 19. 25. I know that my Redeemer liveth. A Medicine is best when it is applyed; this applicative Knowledge is joyful. Christ is called a Surety, Hebr. 7. 22. O what joy when I am drowned in debt, to know that Christ is my Surety! Christ is called an Advocate, 1 Ioh. 2. 1. The Greek word for Advocate […], signifies a Comforter, O what comfort is it when I have a bad Cause, to know Christ is my Advocate, who never lost any Cause he pleaded.

Quest. But how shall I know that I make a right application of Christ? an Hypocrite may think he applyes when he doth not. Balaam, though a Sorcerer, yet said, My God, Numb. 22. 18.

Answ. 1. He who rightly applyes Christ, puts these two together, Iesus and Lord, Phil. 3. 8. Christ Iesus my Lord: Many take Christ as a Iesus, but refuse him as a Lord. Do you joyn Prince and Saviour? Act. 5. 31. Would you as well be ruled by Christs Laws, as saved by his Bloud? Christ is a Priest upon his Throne, Zac. 6. 13. He will never be a Priest to intercede, unless your hear be the Throne where he sways his Scepter· A true applying of Christ is, when we so take him for an Husband, that we give up our selves to him as a Lord.

  1. He who rightly applyes Christ, fetcheth virtue from him: The Woman in the Gospel having touched Christ, felt virtue coming from him, and her fountain of bloud was dried up, Mar. 5. 29. This is to apply Christ, when we feel a sin mortifying virtue flow from him. Naturalists tell us, there is an Antipathy between the Diamond and the Loadstone, insomuch that if a piece of iron be laid by the Diamond, the Diamond will not suffer it to be drawn away by the Loadstone: So that knowledge which is applicatory, hath an antipathy against sin, and will not suffer the heart to be drawn away by it.

  2. The knowledge of a godly man is transforming, 2 Cor. 3. 8. We all with open face, beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same Image. As a Painter, looking upon a face, draws a face like it in the Picture: So looking upon Christ in the glass of the Gospel, we are changed into his similitude. We may look upon other objects that are glorious, yet not be made glorious by them: A deformed face may look upon beauty, and yet not be made beautiful: a wounded man may look upon a Chyrurgion, and yet not be healed; but this is the Excellency of Divine Knowledge, it gives us such a sight of Christ, as makes us partake of his Nature; as Moses when he had seen Gods back-parts, his face shined; some of the Rays and Beams of Gods glory fell upon him.

  3. The knowledge of a godly man is self-emptying; carnal knowledge makes the head giddy with pride, 1 Cor. 8. 2. True knowledge brings a man out of love with himself, the more he knows, the more he blusheth at his own ignorance. David a bright Star in Gods Church, yet he thought himself rather a Cloud than a Star, Psalm 73. 22.

  4. The knowledge of a godly man is growing, Col. 1. 10. Encreasing in the knowledge of God.7 True knowledge is like the light of the morning, which encreaseth in the Horizon till it comes to the full Meridian: So sweet is Spiritual Knowledge, that the more a Saint knows, the more thirsty he is of knowledge; ‘tis called the Riches of Knowledge, 1 Cor. 1. 5. the more riches a man hath, the more still he desires; though S. Paul knew Christ, yet he would know him more, Phil. 3. 10. that I may know him, and the power of his Resurrection.

  5. The knowledge of a godly man is practick, Iohn 10. 4. The Sheep follow him, for they know his voice. Though God requires knowledge more than burnt-offering, Hos. 6. 6, yet it is a knowledge accompanied with obedience: True knowledge doth not only mend a Christians sight, but mends his pace: ‘Tis a reproach to a Christian to live in a contradiction to his knowledge; to know he should be strict and holy, yet to live loosly: Not to obey, is all one as not to know, 1 Sam. 2. 12. The Sons of Eli knew not the Lord: they could not but know, for they taught others the knowledge of the Lord; yet they are said not to know, because they did not obey: when Knowledge and Practise, like Castor and Pollux, appear together, then they presage much happiness.

Use 1.8 Let us try our selves by this Character.

  1. Are they godly, who are still in the Region of darkness?9 Pro. 19. 2. That the Soul be without knowledge, it is not good; ignorant persons cannot give God a reasonable service, Rom. 12. 1. ‘Tis sad, that after the Sun of Righteousness hath shined so long in our Hemisphere, yet that persons should be under the power of ignorance: Perhaps in the things of the world they are knowing enough, none shall out reach them, but in the things of God they have no knowledge. Nahash would make a Covenant with Israel, that he might put out their right eyes, 1 Sam. 11. 1. The Devil hath left men their left eye, knowledge in secular matters, but he hath put out their right eye, they understand not the Mystery of Godliness; it may be said of them as of the Jews, To this day the vail is upon their heart, 2 Cor. 3. 15. Many Christians are no better than baptized Heathens. What a shame is it to be without knowledge! 1 Cor. 15. 34. Some have not the knowledge of God, I speak this to your shame. Men think it a shame to be ignorant in their Trade, but no shame to be ignorant of God; there’s no going to Heaven blindfold, Isa. 27. 11. It is a people of no understanding, therefore he that made them, will not have mercy on them.

Surely ignorance in these daies is affected; ‘tis one thing nescire, another thing nolle scire, ‘tis one thing not to know, another thing not to be willing to know, Iohn 3. 19. They loved darkness rather than light. ‘Tis the Owle loves the dark: Sinners are like the Athlantes, a people in Aethiopia, which curse the Sun. Wicked men shut their eyes wilfully, Mat. 13. 15. and God shuts them judicially, Isa. 6. 10.

  1. Are they godly,10 who though they have knowledge, yet they know not as they ought to know; they know not God experimentally: How many knowing persons are ignorant? they have Illumination, but not Sanctification; their knowledge hath not a powerful influence upon them to make them better. If you set up an hundred Torches in a garden, they will not make the flowers grow, but the Sun is influential: Many are so far from being better for their knowledge, that they are worse, Isa. 47. 10. Thy knowledge hath perverted thee; the knowledge of most makes them more cunning in sin; these have little cause to glory in their knowledge. Absalom might boast of the hair of his head, but that hanged him; so these may boast of the knowledge of their head, but it will destroy them.

  2. Are they godly,11 who though they have some glimmering of knowledge, yet no fiducial applying of Christ: Many of the Old World knew there was an Ark, but were drowned, because they did not get into the Ark; Knowledge, which is not applying, will but light a man to hell; it were better to live an Indian, than to die an Infidel under the Gospel: Christ not believed in, is terrible. Moses Rod, when it was in his hand, did a great deal of good, it wrought Miracles, but when it was out of his hand, it became a Serpent: So Christ, when laid hold on by the hand of Faith, is full of comfort, but not laid hold on, will prove a Serpent to sting.

Use 2.12 As we would evidence our selves godly, let us labour for this good knowledge of the Lord: What pains will men take for the atchievement of Natural Knowledge! I have read of one Benchorat, who spent forty years in finding out the motion of the Eighth Sphere; what pains then should we take in finding out the knowledge of God in Christ? There must be digging and searching for it, as one would search for a vein of silver, Pro. 2. 3. If thou seekest her as silver. —Et pluteum coedit, (Pers) & dimorsos sapit ungues.

Motive. This is the best knowledge, it doth as far surpass all other, as the Diamond doth the Christal; no Jewel we wear doth so adorn us as this, Pro. 3. 15. She is more precious than Rubies. Iob 28. 12, 13. Man knows not the price thereof, the depth saith it is not in me, it cannot be valued with the gold of Ophir, with the precious Onyx, or the Saphire. The dark Chaos was a fit Embleme of an ignorant Soul, Gen. 1. 2. but when God lights up the Lamp of Knowledge in the mind, what a new Creation is there? How doth the Soul sparkle as the Sun in its glory?

Motive. This knowledge is comfortable; we may say of the Knowledge of Nature, as Solomon, Eccles. 1. 18. He that encreaseth knowledge, encreaseth sorrow. The knowledge of Arts and Sciences is gathering of straw, but the knowledge of God in Christ is gathering of Pearl. This Knowledge ushers in Salvation, 1 Tim. 2. 4.

Quest. But how shall we get this Saving Knowledge?

Answ. Not by the power of Nature: Some speak of Reason well improved how far it will go; but alas the plumb-line of Reason is too short to fathom the deep things of God: A man can no more by the power of Reason reach the Saving Knowledge of God, than a Pigmy can reach the Pyramides: The Light of Nature will no more help us to see Christ, than the light of a Candle will help us to understand, 1 Cor. 2. 14. The natural man receives not the things of God, neither can he know them. What shall we do then to know God in a Soul-saving manner? I answer, let us implore the help of Gods Spirit, Paul never saw himself blind till a light shined from heaven, Act. 9. 3. God must anoint our eyes ere we can see: What needed Christ have bid Laodicea to come to him for eye-salve, if she could see before, Revel. 3. 18. Oh! let us beg the Spirit, which is a Spirit of Revelation, Eph. 1. 17. Saving Knowledge is not by speculation, but by inspiration, Iob 32. 8, The inspiration of the Almighty giveth understanding.

Narrat Cassianus13 de Theodoro quodam, qui notitia Scripturarum praeclare emicuit, quam ei non tam studium lectionis contulerat, quàm Spiritus Sancti Gratia; siquidèm vix ipsius Graecae Linguae perpauca verba vel intelligere poterat, vel proloqui, quae Sancti Patris Oratio (inquit Acosta) non eò pertinere putanda est, ut studium humanum floccipendamus, sed ut hoc nobis eluoeat, Divini Spiritus dono interdùm fieri, ut homo plura de Sacris Scripturis Saluificè intelligat vel nuda lectione, quam magna vallatus copia commentariorum alioqui assequi possit.

We may have excellent notions in Divinity, but the Holy Ghost must inable us to know them after a spiritual manner: A man may see the Figures upon a Dial, but he cannot tell how the day goes unless the Sun shine. We may read many Truths in the Bible, but we cannot know them savingly till Gods Spirit doth shine upon us, 1 Cor. 2. 10. The Spirit searcheth all things, yea the deep things of God. The Scripture discovers Christ to us, but the Spirit reveals Christ in us, Gal. 1. 16. The Spirit makes known that which all the world cannot do, namely, the sense of Gods love.

Use 3.14 You who have this saluifical sanctifying knowledge flourishing in you, bless God for it; this is the Heavenly Anointing: the most excellent objects cannot be seen in the dark, but when the light appears, then every flower shines in its Native beauty. So while men are in the midnight of a natural estate, the Beauty of Holiness is hid from them; but when the light of the Spirit comes in a saving manner, then those truths they slighted before, appear in that glorious lustre, as transports them with wonder and love.

Bless God, (ye Saints,) that he hath taken off your Spiritual Cataract, and hath given you to discern those things, which by Natures Spectacles you could never see. How thankful was Christ to his Father for this! Mat. 11. 25. I thank thee, O Father, Lord of Heaven and Earth, that thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes. How should you admire Free-grace, that God hath not only brought the light to you, but given you eyes to see it! that he hath inabled you to know the truth as it is in Iesus, Ephes. 4. 21. That he hath opened, not only the eye of your understanding, but the eye of your Conscience: This is a mercy you can never be enough thankful for, that God hath so enlightned you, that you should not sleep the sleep of death.

Footnotes

  1. 2 Inquiry. ↩ ↩2

  2. 1 Character. ↩

  3. Nihil agit ultra suam speciem. ↩

  4. Spiritus sanctus veluti oleo mentes fidelium perfundit & irrigat. Estius. ↩

  5. Si caelum ruat, si orbis illabatur praecept, ego in Deum erectus ero; Angelus licèt de caelo aliud mihi persuadere enitatur, dicam ei Anathema Anton. Marinar. ↩

  6. Claritas in intellectu, parit ardorem in affectu. ↩

  7. […]. ↩

  8. Tandem fit surculus arbor. ↩

  9. Vse of Tryal. ↩

  10. 1 Bran. ↩

  11. 2 Bran. ↩

  12. 3 Bran. ↩

  13. Use 2. of Exhort. ↩

  14. Lib. 3. Constit. Mon, Cap. 33. ↩

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