Wherein Self-Knowledge Consists
The Corinthians, being much abused by false teachers, to the corrupting of their faith and manners, and the questioning of the Apostle’s ministry, he acquainteth them in my text with an obvious remedy for both these maladies; and lets them know, that their miscarriages call them to question themselves, rather than to question his authority or gifts, and that if they find Christ in themselves, they must acknowledge him in his ministry.
He, therefore, first, most importunately urgeth them to the immediate duty of self-examination: “Examine yourselves whether ye be in the faith: prove your own selves.” Self-examination is but the means of self-knowledge. This, therefore, he next urgeth, first, in general, by way of interrogation, “Know ye not your own selves?” and then, more particularly, he tells them, what it is of themselves, that it most concerneth them to know, “How that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates.” As if he should say, ‘Alas, poor souls; you have more cause to question yourselves than me: go to, therefore, examine and prove yourselves. It is a shame for a man to be ignorant of himself. Know ye not your own selves? Either Christ is in you, by faith, and by his Spirit, or he is not: if he be not, you are yet but reprobates, that is, disapproved of God, and at present in a forsaken, or condemned state yourselves; (which is a conclusion that you will be loath to admit, but more concerneth you:) if Christ be in you, it was by the means of my minis* try; and, therefore, that ministry hath been powerful and effectual to you, and you are my witnesses; the seal of my ministry is upon your own souls: Christ within you bears me witness, and therefore, of all men, you have least cause to question or quarrel with my ministry.’
This paraphrase opening all that may seem difficult in the text, I shall immediately offer you a double observation, which the words afford us; first, as considered in themselves, and then, as respecting the inference for which they are premised by the Apostle.
The first is, that All men should kfiow themselves: or, it is a sharie for a man to be unacquainted with himself.
The second is, that Not Knowing ourselves. is the cause of other errors: or. The knovoledge of ourselves, wozdd much conduce to the cure of many other errors.
In handling this, I shall show you,
I. What it is to know ourselves.
II. How far it is, or is not, a shame to be ignorant of ourselves.
III. What evils follow this ignorance of ourselves, and what benefits self-knowledge would procure.
IV. How we should improve this doctrine by
application and practice.
I. Self-knowledge is thus distinguished according to the object.
1. There is a physical self-knowledge: when a man knows what he is as a man; what his soul is, and what his body, and what the compound called man. The doctrine of man’s nature, or this part of physics, is so necessary to all, that it is first laid down, even in the Holy Scriptures, in Genesis, chap. i. ii. iii. before his duty is expressed. And it is pre-supposed in all the moral passages of the Word, and in all the preaching of the Gospel. The subject is pre-supposed to the adjuncts. The subjects of God’s kingdom belong to the constitution; and, therefore, to be known before the legislation and judgment, which are the parts of the administration. Morality always pre-supposeth nature. The species is in order before the separable accidents. Most ridiculously, therefore, doth ignorance plead for itself against knowledge, in them that cry down this part of physics, as human learning, unnecessary to the disciples of Christ. What excellent, holy meditations of human nature do you find oft in Job, and in David’s Psalms, concluding in the praise of the incomprehensible Creator, “I will praise thee, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; marvellous are thy works, and that my soul knoweth right well.”
2. There is a moral self-knowledge very necessary. And this is, the knowing of ourselves in relation fo God’s law, or to his judgment. The former is the knowledge of ourselves in respect of our duty: the second, in respect of the reward or punishment. And both of them have respect to the law of nature, and works, or to the remedying law of grace.
The ethical knowledge of ourselves, or that which respecteth the precept of our duty, is twofold. Th« first is, as we have performed that duty. The second, as we have violated the law by non-performance or transgression. The first is, the knowledge of ourselves as good; the second as evil. And both are either the knowledge of our habits, (good or evil,) or of our acts; how we are morally inclined, disposed, or habituated; or what, and how we have done: we must know the good estate of our nature that we are created in; the bad estate of sinful nature that we are fallen into; the actual sin committed against the law of nature, and what sin we have committed against the law of grace; and whether we have obeyed the call of the gospel of salvation or not. So that as man’s state, considered ethically, is threefold, the state of upright nature; the state of sin, original and actual; and the state of grace; we must know what we are in respect to every one of these.
And as to the judicial knowledge of ourselves, that is, as we stand related to the promises, and threatenings, the judgment, the reward and punishment; we must know, first, what is due to us according to the law of nature, and then, what is due to us according to the tenor of the law of grace. By the law of nature or of works, death is the due of fallen mankind; but no man by it can lay claim to heaven. All men are under its curse or condemnation, till pardoned by Christ; but no man can be justified by it. By the promise of the Gospel, all true believers, renewed and sanctified by the Spirit of Christ, are justified, and made the sons of God, and heirs of everlasting glory. To know whether we are yet delivered from the condemnation of the law, and whether our sins are pardoned or not, and whether we are the children of God, and have any part in the heavenly glory; is much of the self-knowledge that is here intended in the text, and that which most nearly concerneth the solid comfort of our souls.
II. But is all self-ignorance a shame, or dangerous?
Answ. 1. It is no other shame, than what is common to human frailty, to be ignorant of much of the mystery of our natural generation, constitution, integral parts, and temperament. There is not a nerve, or artery, or vein, nor the breadth of a hand, from head to foot, but hath something unknown to the most excellent philosopher on earth. This little world called man, is a compound of wonders. Both soul and body have afforded matter of endless controversy, and voluminous disputations, to the most learned men; which will not admit of a full decision, till we are past this state of darkness and mortality.
2. There are many controversies about the nature, derivation, and punishment of original sin, which a humble and diligent Christian may possibly be ignorant of.
3. The degrees of habitual sin, considered simply, or proportionably and respectively to each other, may be much unknown to many that are willing and diligent to know: and so many divers actual sins, such as we know not to be sin, through our imperfect understanding of the law; and such as, through frailty, in a crowd of actions, escape our particular observation. And the sinfulness or aggravations of every sin, are but imperfectly known and observed by the best.
4. The nature and beauty of the image of God, as first planted on created man, and since restored to man redeemed: the manner of the Spirit’s access, operation, testimony, and inhabitation, are all but imperfectly known by the wisest of believers. The frame, or admirable composure or contexture of the new man, in each of the renewed faculties; the connection, order, beauty, and special use of each particular grace, are observed but imperfectly by the best.
5. The very uprightness and sincerity of our own hearts, in faith, hope, love, repentance, and obedience, is usually unknown to young beginners in religion; and to the weaker sort of Christians, how old soever in profession, and to melancholy persons, who can have no thoughts of themselves but sad and fearful, tending to despair; and to lapsed and declining Christians, and also to many an upright soul, from whom, in some cases of special trial, God seems to hide his pleased face. And though these infirmities are their shame, yet are they not the characters or prognostics of their misery and everlasting shame.
6. The same persons must needs be unacquainted with the justification, reconciliation, adoption, and title to everlasting blessedness, as long as they are uncertain of their sincerity. Yea, though they uprightly examine themselves, and desire help of their guides, and watch and pore continually upon their hearts and ways, and daily beg of God to acquaint them with their spiritual condition, they may yet be so far unacquainted with it, as to pass an unrighteous judgment on themselves, and condemn themselves when God hath justified them.
But, 1. To be continually ignorant of the excellency and capacity of your immortal souls. 2. To be void of an effectual knowledge of your sin and misery, and need of the remedy. 3. To think you have saving grace, when you have none; that you are regenerate by the Spirit, when you are only sacramentally regenerate by baptism; that you are the members of Christ, when it is no such matter; that you are justified, adopted, and the heirs of heaven, when it is not so; all this is doleful and damnable unacquaintedness with yourselves.
To be unacquainted with a state of grace, when you are in such a state, is sad and troublesome, and brings many and great inconveniences. But to be unacquainted with a state of death, when you are in it, doth fasten your chains, and hinder your recovery. To be willing and diligent to know your state, and yet be unable to attain to assurance and satisfaction, is common to many true believers; but to be ignorant of it because you have no grace to find, and because you mind not the matters of your souls, or think it not worth your diligent consideration or inquiry, this is the case of the miserable despisers of salvation.