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3. The knowledge of Chrift, is of use to purify the foul from fin, which is the worst of evils. Other knowledge may leave men to wallow in the mire and filth of fin and hence oftentimes, the most knowing men, are fome of the worft of men. The Pagan Philofophers, who profeffed themselves to be wife, and boasted of their wifdom and knowledge, were yet vile Idolaters, and vicious perfons; as the apostle declares in Rom. i. That rational knowledge, which they valued themselves upon, could not free them from the predominance of ungodly and filthy lufts.--- But now the true knowledge of Chrift purges from fin. The meer doctrinal knowledge of Chrift is fometimes effectual to bring men off from the practice of outward grofs fins. 2 Pet. ii. 20. They have efcaped the pollutions of the world, through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Fejus Chrift. This is fpoken, of them who might return again to their filthy practices; yet however, their notional knowledge of Chrift, did, for a time, cause them to relinquifh thofe finful courfes. But where there is a gracious, fpiritual knowledge of Chrift, this begets in men purity, both in heart and life; it makes them in affection and practice to renounce fin. It puts them upon purifying themselves, even as Chrift is pure; and upon afpiring after a conformity to him in his perfect freedom from all fin. They that favingly know Chrift, do know that he died to fave his people from their fins, to take away their fins, to destroy thofe works of the devil; and therefore do know, that nothing is more contrary and odious to him, than fin is. And this knowledge will infallibly excite them to watchfulness against fin, and a care to avoid all defilements by fin.Thus for the fourth thing, fhewing the knowledge of Chrift to be most useful.

[5.] The knowledge of Chrift, is the most comprebenfive knowledge. He that knows Chrift, knows every thing that is worth knowing, every thing that is needful to the bleffednefs of man. No knowledge is fo copious, as the right knowledge of Jefus Chrift. This leads a man into the knowledge of whatever may be

good

good for him to know. In Jefus Christ are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. Col. ii. 3. He therefore that truly knows Chrift, looks into this treafury of knowledge, and there fees the whole of what is neceffary or expedient for him to know. He need look no further, to have his mind richly furnished with all profitable knowledge. Hence that exhortation, Let the word of Chrift dwell in you richly in all wisdom. Col: iii. 16. But to particularize here....

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1. He that knows Chrift, knows God the Father. There is a knowledge of God, which may be attained by the study of the works of creation and providence: but by them, we can never come to a faving knowledge of God. The light of nature is not fufficient, "to "direct us, how we may glorify God and enjoy him "for ever. 'Tis only in and by Jefus Chrift, that we attain fuch a knowledge of God, as fhall iffue in the enjoyment of God. In the face (or perfon) of Jefus Chrift we have given us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God (2 Cor. iv. 6) the cleareft and fulleft manifeftations of the glory of God the Father. In him we behold the divine perfon of the Father. Heb. i. 3. He is the exprefs image of the Father's perfon. He is the perfonal image of the Father; in whom a most exact reprefentation is given to us of the Father's perfon. Therefore Chrift faid, Joh. xiv. 9. He that bath feen me, bath feen the Father. For, whatever is in the perfon of the Father, is alfo in the perfon of Jefus Christ his Son, in whom alone he is to be truly feen. The fecond perfon, manifefted in the flesh, in our nature, is the image of the invifible God (Col. i. 15.) even the Father, who is in himfelf invifible. In the perfon of Jefus Chrift. we fee what a one God the Father is. Such a one as Chrift is, juft fuch a one is the Father. He perfectly refembles him, and in eflence is one with him, though a diftinct perfon from him.---In the perfon of Jefus Chrift, we alfo fee the glorious attributes and excellencies of the Godhead. For all the fulness of the Godbead dwelt in him bodily. Col. ii. 9. The whole na

ture

ture and perfections of God belong'd to him, and were exerted by him. The divine attributes are inftamped on the creatures, and are defcribed in the fcripture; but in Jefus Chrift they inhabited, and were acted and put forth by him in a way of operation. In and by him, the power, wisdom, holiness, truth, juftice, love, grace and mercy of God, were difplayed before the eyes of the world, in his miracles, life, paffion and death for finners. So that they who rightly know Chrift, have a right knowledge of God, even, the clearest and most refreshing knowledge of him, as of a God in Chrift reconciling the world to himfelf. In the perfon and office of Chrift, there is fuch a fight of God, as draws forth love, faith, and obedience to God, unto falvation.

2. He that knows Chrift, knows himself. The true knowledge of Chrift, gives a man the clearest knowledge of himfelf. Men are naturally proud and felfconceited, thinking themselves and their condition better than they really are. They don't fee themselves to be in themselves, Wretched, and miferable, and poor, and blind, and naked. But now, when men come to have a fpiritual difcerning of the work and office of Jefus Chrift, they plainly perceive their own deplorable condition. When they fee Chrift to be fent to be the Saviour of the world, they then fee themselves to be in a loft and perifbing condition. What need would

there be of a Saviour! what work would there be for a Saviour, if they were not in themfelves loft creatures! What need of Chrift to be a Prophet, to teach and enlighten them, if they were not ignorant and blind crea tures? What need of Chrift to be a Prieft, to offer himfelf a facrifice for their fins, and to make interceffion for them, if they were not guilty creatures, and deflitute of the favour of God? What need of Chrift to be a King, to fubdue their lufts, and to overcome their fpiritual enemies, if they were not the flaves of fin and fatan? The very offices of Chrift, do give them a full reprefentation and view of their finful and miferable eftate by nature. And therefore thofe that have the

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moft (true) knowledge of Chrift, are most fenfible of their own finfulness and vilenefs.

3. He that knows Chrift, knows his duty.---Our Lord Jefus Chrift, in his moft holy life and death, has fet before us our whole duty (for the fubftance of it) towards God and man. He loved God, trufted in God, prayed to God, praised God, obeyed Göd, refigned up himself to the will of God. And as to men, he loved them, pitied them, prayed for them, forgave them, did good unto them, in foul and body. And then, refpecting bimfelf, he was fober and temperate, chafte, and felfdenying. So that in Jefus Chrift, we have a perfect pattern of conformity to the holy will of God in all things. This example he has left us, that we might "follow his steps, and be guided in the way of our duty. Now, all that truly know Chrift, do know him in this his exemplary life and converfation, and therefrom do know what it is that God requires of them, in point of moral duty. And accordingly it is the care and study of thofe that know him, fo to walk, even as be walked, 1 Joh. ii. 6. They labour to be the followers of Christ, 1 Cor. xi. I.---And as to evangelical duties, such as repentance for fin, faith in Chrift, love to the brethren as fuch, and the like, thefe are fet forth in the doctrine of Chrift. So that he who knows Chrift, must know his duty, in all refpects.

4. He that knows Chrift, knows the evil of fin. The knowledge of Chrift and him crucified, gives us the higheft difcovery of the heinous, evil nature of fin. What was Chrift crucified for? It was for fin, as the meritorious cause thereof. I Cor. xv. 3. Chrift died for our fins. In the cross of Chrift then, we may fee the provoking, damning nature of fin. There we may fee the Son of God bleeding and dying, under the wrath of God for fin. All earth and hell, cannot afford fuch a profpect of the evil of fin, as this does. God's abhorrence of fin is much feen in the punishment of wicked men, and fpirits in hell, for their own fins; but much more is it feen, in his punishing his own

Son

Son for the fins of others imputed to him. This is what those that know Chrift, have a clear perception of. In the curfed death of the crofs, which Chrift underwent for fin, they do fee what a curfed evil fin is.

5. He that knows Christ, knows the vanity of this world. Jefus Chrift was the Lord and Owner of this lower world. Yet however, when he was in it, he poffeffed and ufed but very little of it. He fought no more of it for himself, than what was neceffary to the fupport of his bodily life. He looked upon this world, and all the enjoyments of it, with an eye of indifferency. He knew them to be perishing things, which moth and ruft might corrupt, and thieves break through and fteal; and therefore not fit to be made a treasure of. (Matth. vi. 19.) He faw the emptinefs, infufficiency, and unsatisfactoriness of all things under the fun; and fo, regarded them not as things of any great value, or conftituting parts of man's bleffedness. Indeed, he knew them to be needful and useful in their place, and therefore directed men to pray for them, and make a good ufe of them. But he also knew that a man's life, or happinefs, confifteth not in the greatest abundance of these good things, and that in this refpect they are altogether vanity. And accordingly his life of weanednefs from this world, and voluntary fubmiffion to fufferings in and from it, was a practical teftimony to the emptiness of it. Believers then that know Chrift, do, from the very demeanour of Chrift towards the world, know it to be a vain, empty thing. And as his heart was not fet upon it, fo neither is theirs. I Joh. iv. 17----as he was, fo are we in this world.

6. He that knows Chrift, knows the true blefjedness of beaven, and the way to it. The real bleffedness of heaven, and the right way thereunto, are little known in the world. Thofe that enjoy not the gospel, are utter strangers to both. And as for them that do enjoy the gospel, there are but few that look upon Jefus Chrift to be the bleffednefs of heaven, and the way there

to.

Yet however, he is both --He is indeed the ve

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