A Heart to Know the Lord
IT witt give them a heart to know me,” Jer. xxiv. 7. The knowledge of God is the first excellency of the new heart. As in the old, so in the new A HEART £0 KNOW.THE LORD. OL
creation, as was said before, the first word is, ‘‘ Let there be light.” There is not so glorious a preeminence of day above night, as of the knowledge above the ignorance of God. As the firmament without a sun, as the body without an eye, so is the soul without knowledge. What this knowledge of God here promised is, will appear, if we consider, I. Its object.. II. Its act.: I. The object of this knowledge is God, not only the nature or being of God, manifested in his essential perfections, his glorious attributes, his mfiniteness, eternity, omnipotency, &c., in his personal relations, the subsistences in the Godhead; but God
in Christ, God in covenant; yea the whole mind
and will of God, all that which God hath revealed to us as our duty or happiness.
God known in the heart, is the whole bible opened; the law opened, the gospel opened; duties, comforts, privileges made manifest. Christ opened in his sufferings, in his satisfaction, in his Spirit, in all the riches of his glory; the whole mystery of god- liness revealed. The heart opened, man made known to himself, all the depths of the heart, all the deceits of the heart, all the faculties and powers of the heart; with their motions, operations, inclinations, the rectitude or obliquities of them. Heaven opened, the crown, the kingdom known; everlasting rest, glory, honour, immortality brought to light. Hell opened, sin known, the devil known, wrath, temptation, the curse, eternal fire known. All this, even all that God is, and all that he hath revealed in his word and works, are the object of this knowledge of God.
II. The act To. know, is to apprehend, or understand God, and the things of God; ‘‘ Let him that glorieth, glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me,” Jer. ix. 24. ‘That ye may comprehend with all saints, what is the height, and length, and breadth, and depth, that ye may know the love of Christ,” Eph. iii, 18, 19. This apprehension of God, doth not barely note our having received some natural or metaphysical notions of God, and the truths that are in him: but further it notes — ;
1. An approbation of him; an approving or liking the things that are excellent; ‘‘ That your love may abound more and more in knowledge, and in all judgment, that ye may approve the things that are excellent,” Phil. i. 9, 10.
2. Appropriation. The knowing of God asa reconciled God; a God, and a God to me; good, and good to me; wise, and wise for me; my Pee and my God. To know God in Christ, reconciled through Christ, propitious through Christ, this is saving knowledge. To know and not possess, to see and not eat, to know an angry God, a wrathful God, a God lost; to know goodness, mercy, loving-kindness, compassion, all-sufficiency, and to have the heart recur, What is this to thee? this is none of thine; the damned thus know and die.
3. Affection. As “those that know thy name, shall trust in thee,” Psa. ix. 10. so those that know thy name will love thee, and fear thee, and rejoice in thee, and bless thy name. To know and hate God, to know and contemn God, to know and fly from God, to know and blaspheme and curse God, the devils thus know and tremble.
But especially that which distinguishes this saying from common knowledge; is,
A HEAR. TO KNOW THE LORD = — 9B.
- Its power, and its savour.
(1.) Its power, the knowledge of God 3s mighty; my preaching was not weak, but mighty in you, 2 Cor. xiii. 3. it hath
A transforming and a fructifying power.
. [1] A transforming power. ‘“We all with open face, beholding as in a glass, the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image,” 2 Cor. ili. 18. “Be ye not conformed to this present world, but be ye transformed, by the renewing of your minds,” Rom. xii. 2. By the renewing of vour minds, the renovation of the mind, both is this change, and works it further upon the whole soul, this new light is the new creature; old things pass away, all things - become new, where the mind is savingly enlightened. God known in the soul, is God united in the soul; Christ revealed in the heart, is Christ formed upon the heart; there is life in this light, it is no other than the light of life. The knowledge of God comprehends in it, and is involved in, and spirits and animates every grace and duty. As the same soul in the eye sees, in the ear hears, in the palate tastes; as the same juice which is in the olive fatness, in the fig-tree sweetness, in the oak strength, in the rose fragrancy, in the lily beauty; so the same grace, which is in the mind, light, in the. heart is love, holy desire, holy fear, holy joy. And one says, that as feeling is inseparable to all the organs of sense; the eye feels and sees, the ear feels and hears, the palate feels and tastes, the nostrils” feel and smell; so knowledge is involved in every grace. Faith knows and believes, charity knows and loves, temperance knows and abstains, patience knows and suffers, humility knows and stoops, repentance knows and mourns, obedience knows and
94 A HEAhT TO KNOW THE LORD.
does, compassion knows and pities, hope knows and expects, confidence knows and rejoices; and therefore we believe, and love, and obey, and hope, and — rejoice, because we know. God gives us this knowledge as the eye of our souls, and by that eye he enters with all his power and glory; “« That ye may know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, and be filled with all the fulness of God,” Eph. iii. 19. Daylight is not that light we receive by reflection from the moon and. stars, at second-hand: when the sun is risen and come in amongst us, then it is day; when the Sun of Righteousness is risen in the heart, there is the light of life; God is, and God dwells in this light, and where God dwells, every unclean thing vanishes. Can darkness dwell with the sun? can death dwell with life? according to the measure of the manifestation of God in us, - so far forth is sin necessarily vanished. Thou art but the carcass of a christian, the light that is in thee is darkness, the life that is in thee is death, if thou be not in the whole man renewed, after the image of him that created thee. If Christ be not formed in thy heart, if the love, the humility, the meekness, the patience, the compassion, the holiness of the Lord Jesus, be not begotten in thee, whatever thou knowest, thou knowest nothing as thou oughtest to know; if thou hast all knowledge, and hast not charity, (and so if thou hast all knowledge, and hast not humility, meekness, holiness, thou art nothing,) thou art but as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. Doubting christian, that complainest of, and bewailest thine ignorance, and fearest that thou knowest not God, look upwards, where his glory dwells; lift up thine eyes and see; or if thou canst not see, lift up thy heart for eves;
Lord, where dwellest thou? let me see thy tace, show me thy glory, pity the blind, let the eyes of this blind be opened, and the tongue of this dumb shall be loosed, and speak forth thy praise. Look upward, and if yet thou seest not thy God, look
- inward; canst thou see his face in tly soul? canst
thou see his image on thy heart? canst thou be-
. hold in this glass the glory of the Lord, and find
thyself changed into his image? comfort thine heart, how short-sighted soever thou seemest to be, how dim soever thy candle burns, how weak soever in the knowledge of God thou complainest thou
art; thou hast seen God, thou hast seen his face in
peace. God that commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined into thine heart, and given thee the knowledge of his glory in the face of
Jesus Christ.
A fructifying power. This sunshine makes a
fruitful soil. My desire for you, saith the apostle,
is, “That ye might be filled with the knowledge of
his will; in all wisdom and spiritual understanding. that ye might walk worthy of the Lord, unto all pleasing, being fruitful unto every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God; strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and long-suffering, with joyfulness,” Col, i. 9 — -11. And, “Being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God,” Phil. i, 11. Full of light and full of love, of faith, of patience, of humility, and fruitful in every good
work; “A good man out of the good treasure of
the heart, brigeth forth good things; an evil man out of the evil treasure, bringeth forth evil things,” Matt. xii. 35. A good man hath a good treasure within him; a treasure of heavenly wisdom, of divine truth; a treasure of light; God hath shined into his heart; he is’ filled with all the fulness of God. And what is laid up within, he brings forth without; an evil man hath an evil treasure, Satan hath been filling his heart.“Why hath Satan filled thine heart?” Acts v. 3. The treasures of darkness are there; a treasure of lust and lies; falsehood and folly are found with him, these treasures of darkness within bring forth darkness; dark souls lead dark lives; their way is dark, their deeds are darkness. Oh how fruitful are sinners in their unfruitful works! filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness, envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity,” &c. Rom. i 29,30. Their hearts are full, and thereupon their mouths full, their eyes full, their hands full; mouths full of cursings, eyes full of adultery, hands full of violence, filled with all unrighteousness. ‘O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, (having such hearts,) speak good things?” All is evil that comes from you, and how can it be otherwise? Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks; and in like manner, O generation of believers! how can ye, being good, but bring forth good things? or how can you say or think there is a treasure of grace, a fountain of light within, when no streams spring forth? penury in the life, speaks no great plenty in the heart; the truths of God within you are the seed of God; the good seed that he sows in his fields; where there is good seed sown in good ground, you will expect a fruitful harvest; a barren crop, speaks a barren soil, or no good seed sown there.
‘“Hereby we do know that we know him, if we
keep his commandments,” 1 John ii. 3. We know God: but are you sure of it? are you not mistaken? No, we are not mistaken, we know that we know him: but how do you know it? Why, how are trees known? “By their fruits ye shall know them.” How do ye know that this is indeed the tree of knowledge? Why, see what fruits are hanging upon it; we keep the commandments; here is obedience growing, here is holiness, and righteousness, and mercy. Doubtless, this is the right tree, for behold all the commandments, the two tables hanging upon the boughs of it, and not broken, but kept and observed. We may as well say, obedience is no obedience, duty is no duty, faith, and love, and humility, and patience are not what they are, as that the tree that brings forth this fruit is not the tree of knowledge. ‘“We know that we know him, because. we keep his commandments.” Yea, and the tree of life too, both in one; ‘“A tree of life to them that lay hold upon her,” Proy. iii. 18. Where these fruits are not found, where there are nothing but. shows, and sounds, painted fruits; where there are nothing but the fruits of unrighteousness, contention, strife, covetousness, sensuality, and the like:. he is very ignorant indeed that is not able to say, Whatever I am ignorant of, this one thing I know, that I know not God. Christian, boast not of what: thou hast, but consider what thou doest, try thy head by thy heart, and thy heart by thy hand; judge of thy light by thy love, and thy love by thy life; say not that God hath shined into thine heart, unless thy light shine, thy works shine before men; “The path of the just shineth,” Prov. iv. 18. It is but a form of knowledge that brings forth but a form of godliness; he that holdeth the truth in unrighteousness, hath not the truth in him. Thou sayest thou knowest the Lord, but what say thy. ways? Do these speak the same things? Action is the best interpreter of the inner man; feel the pulses of thy heart, what watchfulness, what holiness hath thy knowledge brought forth? Hast thou received the Spirit, who yet walkest in the flesh? What! heaven in thy heart, and nought but earth in thy hand! Truth in thy heart, and lies in thy mouth! Holiness in thy heart, glory in thy heart, and in thy tongue nothing but filth or froth! What! a heart so full, and a life so empty! how can these things be? hath the light in thy heart given laws only to thy heart? or doth thy heart submit, whilst thy tongue rebels, and thou kickest with the heel?. - Woe to us christians, that sinners should be so full, and saints so empty; that they should speak what they have seen with their Father, and we should speak no more what we have seen with our Father ;‘that oaths, and lies, and blasphemies, and scoffs, and cursing, should be so rife in theirs; and that truth, and goodness, and holiness, blessings’ and praises, should be no more in our mouths; that. there should be so much guile in theirs, and so little grace in our lips; that the shade should be more fruitful than the sun; that the good should be only the barren ground, that their habitations should be so full of violence, and oppression, and wantonness, and no more mercy, and righteousness, and sobriety in ours.;
Woe to us that we know so much to so little purpose; that we should be bushels to hide, and not rather candlesticks to hold forth the candle of the Lord he hath lighted up in us! O, how many dark souls might our candle lead on to the sun!
The light that is in Israel might do much to the turning Egypt into a Goshen. Speak, christians, speak what you have seen, and testify what you “have believed: bring forth out of your treasure; pity the blind world; or at least be more helpful one to another. Instruct as you have been instructed; convince as you have been convinced, comfort as you have been comforted of God. Outvie sinners, let not their mouths be so full of cursing as yours of blessing: whilst theirs are so full of blasphemies, let it be said of you as of your Lord, Full of grace are their lips. Good words are not wind, you may reckon them not amongst the leaves, but the fruit. Whilst you are speaking of the things of God, you are therein doing the will of God. I confess the proverb is true, The greatest talkers are not always the greatest doers. But, it is true also, he is seldom a great doer that hath nothing to say. There is a speaking which is our doing; there is a speakmg in a way of boasting, to magnify and set up ourselves, beware of that; and there is a speaking to the use of edifying, to build up our brethren. When we are thus speaking to instruct, to convince, to awaken, and whét on our own and other spirits to our work, we are then in doing our work. Speak, christians, and speak often the things that you know; but let me ‘add, let your lives speak also, and not only your lips. If you would not be vain-talkers, be all tongue, let your lips speak, and your hands speak, and your feet speak, let your works and your ways speak the wonderful things of God. Bring forth what you have received; he that is all inside, and he that is all outside, are equally nothing. The one is a shadow without substance, the other’s substance is but a shadow; the one is a deceiver, the other a. deceived soul; the one boasts himself, the other thinks himself something, but neither is anything. Christians, be full of good fruits, and you’ will ‘make full proof that your wisdom is from above. “If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them.”
Weakling christian, that knowest but little of God, and calling that little nothing; whilst thou doubtest the light hath not shined into thee, dost thou walk in that little light thou hast? dost thou shine as a light in the world? dost thou know how to be holy, and humble, and harmless, and honest? dost thou live under the power of those truths thou knowest? dost thou fear the Lord, and obey- the voice of his servants? Trust in the Lord, and stay thyself on thy God; thou art a child of light, though, through thy trembling heart, thou walkest in dark.. ness. Having not seen thou lovest, and believing thou shalt rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory.
i (2) Its savour. ‘‘ And maketh manifest the savour of his knowledge by us in every place,” 2 Cor. ii, 14. The knowledge of God is sweet-scented; it casts forth a fragrancy where it comes. It hath a gratefulness to the heart, leaves sweet impressions on the senses of the saints. They taste that the Lord is gracious. As their breathings go up as sweet incense, so his beams come down with like sweetness to them, as it was said of Christ, so of God. The name of the Lord is “as ointment poured forth,” Cant. i. 3. Why what is his name? This is his name; “The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, long-suffermg, and abundant in goodness and truth; keeping mercy for thousands. forgiving iniquity, transgression, and sin,” Exod. xxxiv. 6,7. Oh, what a bundle of myrrh, what a garden of spices is here inclosed! What a sweet-smelling savour doth it send forth to those who have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil! - The name of the Lord is a precious ointment, and the knowledge of God is this ointment poured forth. Where God is known in the soul, there his sweet savour is shed abroad. The thoughts of God are precious, the ways of God are pleasant to them that understand them. His fruit was sweet unto my taste. Oh the ineffable pleasures of religion! the carnal world count it a jejune and insipid thing; they cannot taste; and no wonder, for they do not see the things of God, nor can they, because they - are spiritually discerned. Let God be savingly. known, and then you will find what the savour of his knowledge is. This light is sweet, it is a pleasant thing to behold the sun, O my soul, let thy walks, let thy dwellings be in this garden of the Lord; let the sun shine, and the smell of his spices shall flow forth unto thee. O my Lord, shed abroad thy sweet ointment, let the smell of thy garments refresh my soul. Let me taste and see, let me see, and I shall taste that the Lord is gracious.
Vanish all ye carnal pleasures, and sensual delights; these rose-buds rot, the flowers of your gardens wither, dead flies are in all your ointments, the light of the Lord hath shined all your glories into darkness. The waters of the sanctuary have made
all your waters brackish; there remains no pleasure ia them.:
He that hath known the Lord, hath more or less, according to the measure of his knowledge, received in the relish and sweetness of it; and what he hath received ‘in, he sends forth before men; he hath x received, and he is’a sweet savour. As the preachers, so the practitioners of piety, are a sweet savour of Christ unto God, and hand down the sweetness of God unto men. They are of savoury lips, and of savoury lives; the savour of their graces is shed abroad in the churches of Christ. Carnal hearts sena forth a stench instead of a sweet smell; they are all yottenness, the savour of a sepulchre is all they have; their ways stink, their words stink, their very breath smells of a rotten heart; yea, the very best they have, their pleasures stink, their garments, their gallantry, their powders, and perfumes, and sweet odours stink of their proud, and vain, and sensual hearts. But oh what a scent do their oaths, and their curses, and their scoffs, and their lies send forth! Sinners, learn to know the Lord, and this will quickly change your savour. And you that know anything of God, think not that your knowledge is saving, till your souls have received in, and your ways do send forth the savour of his knowledge. The last of these, the savour of this knowledge, the pleasure that it brings into the soul, though taken alone, it is but of uncertain signification; there may be some pleasure and joy arise from the common knowledge of God; and sometimes but little taste, where there is the truth of religion. But, taken in conjunction with the former, where is found both the power and the savour, the evidence of its soundness will be more full. Find -all together, this transforming, this fructifying, this savoury knowledge, and you may rest satisfied that this is the saving knowledge of God. And of this is the romise,-‘‘ I will give them a heart to know me.” - Oh! how much need have we still to wait, and beg for the accomplishment of this promise! how little sound knowledge is there found among us! Some are weak in knowledge, who have been long
taught of God, and yet are not taught of God. God
hath been teaching them, but they have not learned
of him; they have had a good master, but have been ill scholars; weak men, so we call a man of low understanding a weak man. Oh! how many weak souls are there, even among professing christians, who, though for their time they might have been teachers of others, had yet need be taught the first principles of the oracles of God! ‘Some men have not the knowledge of God; I speak this to their shame,” 1 Cor. xv. 34.
Others are men of knowledge, but of weak knowledge, who know much but to little purpose; their great knowledge hath little power in them; their lusts are too strong for their light, ‘‘ I spake unto thee with a strong hand, and instructed thee,” Isa. viii..11. If God have spoken to these men, yet his hand hath not instructed them; the nail hath not been struck deep enough, it dwells in the head only, it hath not reached their heart; they have an eye, but far enough from having a heart to know the Lord. Their knowledge doth not lead them on to religion, but must serve them instead of religion; it is all the religion they have, to know what it is: it is made to serve, and not suffered to guide and govern; to serve their turns, to serve their interest, to serve their pride and their covetousness. Their knowledge of God makes them devils, it helps them to play the hypocrites, to be deceivers of others, yea, and of their own souls. It will seek them out acceptable words, put prayers into their mouths, praises into their lips, spiritualize their language,
furnish them with savoury discourses, carry them plausibly through duties, wherein, though God hath the name, though souls have the name, yet are they all but sacrifices to their lusts; the knowledge of God humbleth, but this knowledge puffeth up, and lifteth up; piffeth them up in their own, and lifteth them up in other’s thoughts; and when it hath done.. this, it hath done them all the service they have for it to do, unless, it may be, they have some worse work for it; to make rents and divisions in the church of Christ, to maintain disputes, to cavil and quarrel, to divide and make parties, to make twenty religions out of one, till at length they make that one to be none. Whilst the apostle says, “Some men have not the knowledge of God; I speak this to your shame;” I’ may say also, Some men have the knowledge of God, I speak this to their shame. What! the knowledge of God, and no more humility! the knowledge of God, and no more charity! I speak this to yourshame. Have the faith of Christ in respect of persons! have the knowledge of God in respect of parties! know God! and yet divide, and scatter, and confound them that are of God! yea, and contend and quarrel about such small differences, as sometimes is seen, here is God, and not there; with us, and not ‘with you; when, it may be, a little charity would tell you, for the main, he may be with both; and so much uncharitableness makes it a question whether with either! The more such men pretend to the knowledge of God, the greater their shame.
Friends, beware you be not undone, either by your ignorance, or your knowledge. Love not darkness, and call not darkness light; call not that the knowledge of God, which is not; misuse not that which is. Hast thou no knowledge? What!
and such a promise before thee! ‘I will give them a heart to know me, they shall all know me!” What! and such a gospel before thee, the work whereof is to open blind eyes, and to turn from darkness to light! Open thy mouth sinner, and God will open thine eyes; ‘‘ Ask, and thou shalt have; seek, and thou shalt find;” see, wink not at the light that ‘shines round about thee; love not darkness; if thou love not death. ‘ This is eternal life to know thee.” What then is ignorance? there’s deach in thine heart, if there be no light in thine eye. Hast thou knowledge? be thankful, and be hum- ble; be not high-minded, but fear; prize it, but do not abuse it.. Hast thou received the knowledge of the truth 2 Live under the power of the truth thou knowest; resign up thyself to it, to its transforming —
power; give it leave to work, and to change thee
into its own image. Let this new light make thee a new man, to its governing power; let it teach thee and rule thee; let it teach as one that hath authority; let it rule till it hath put all thine enemies under thy feet; till every thought, imagination, every high thing be made low, and brought into captivity to Christ, Let not the light of the Lord help thee to do the devil’s work; let it not be fodder for thy flesh, lest it be fuel for thy flames; let it not repent thy God nor thee, that ever thou hadst such a-talent committed to thee; let it neither
be loss to God, nor the eternal loss of thine own
soul. He that hath appeared on earth in beams of light will be revealed from heaven in flames of fire, ‘rendering vengeance to all that know God and obey not the gospel of Christ. Woe to those that neither know nor obey, but oh! what to those that obey not, though they know!
Christians, know the Lord, but know and fear: know and serve, know and honour thy God; know God, and know thyself, thy sin and thy misery, thy dangers and thy temptations; know and mourn; know and be ashamed; know, and fear, and watch, and fight, and overcome. Know God, and know his will; thy duty and thy way; thy privileges and opportunities; thy race and thy crown. Know, and do, and run, and suffer, and wait, and hope, and rejoice, in hope of the glory of God. Know God, but God in Christ, God reconciled; pardoning, absoly. ing; accepting, through him. Know, and believe, accept, adventure upon, resign, commit thyself to him. Know thy God, and behold him; look upon thy God, in his power, in his wisdom, in his holiness, in his goodness, in his loving-kindness, in his mercy. Behold him in his word, in his works, in his providence, in his saints, in thy soul, in his Son; set him before thine eyes, look apon thy God, and never leave looking till thou art changed into his image, and satisfied with his visage; and when thou art brought up to this, then he hath done for thee what he hath said: “I will give them an heart to know me.” L: