"The Lord giveth wisdom, and out of his mouth cometh
knowledge, and understanding," saith Solomon, Prov. ii.6: and therein warneth us, to
lay our ear close to the mouth of God, and when he speaketh once, Psa.lxii.11, we may hear
twice, and having our closed hearts opened by his Spirit, may attend to the words of
grace, and wisdom, which proceed from him, and are able to make us wise to salvation.
As all our wisdom to happiness consists, summarily, in the knowledge of God, and of
ourselves [Calvin]; so is it not easy to determine, whether of the two goes before the
other. But, as neither can be without other, in any competent, or profitable
measure, or manner; and as in vain the eye of the mind is lifted up to see God, which is
not fit to see itself [Bernard]; so seems the reasons of most weight, which prefer the
knowledge of God to the first place. For, first, God in his word and works is the rule and
measure of man's goodness, and man, at his best, but formed, and reformed after God's
image. As in nature, the rule is before that which is to be ruled by it, so must it
be in our knowledge. Secondly, such is our inbred pride, and hypocrisy, as that,
whilst we look only upon ourselves, and upon other creatures here below, we think we are
somebody for goodness, and virtue; but are then brought to that confusion in ourselves,
which is requisite for our humiliation, when we come to take some knowledge of the
super-excellency of God: even as our bodily eye forthwith dazzleth being cast upon the
bright sun; how quick, and strong-sighted soever it seem, whilst it is set only upon
earthly objects. Thirdly, so absolutely necessary is the knowledge of God, as that
we can ascribe nothing, as is meet, unto him, of whom, and for whom, we and all thing are,
till we first know him in his Word and works, but, even in our best devotions, with the
superstitious Athenians, shall build our altars "to the unknown God," Acts
xvii.23 and with the blind Samaritans, worship we "know not what," John iv.22.
To conclude: he that pretends the service of God, and yet knows him not in his
Word, and works of creation, and redemption also, wherein his face is seen, is like him
that counterfeits himself to be the household servant of some great lord, whose face he
never saw, nor once came within his court gates.
Some ambitious and curious wits, but not able, and no marvel, to raise up, and advance
their notions to God's infiniteness, for the comprehending of it, have laboured to
depress, and pull him down to their dwarfish conceptions of him; and have, indeed, rather
made him some great and giant-like man, or angel, than, as he is in truth, an infinite
God; allowing him an essence, power, and wisdom hugely great, but not properly infinite
and immense; as though God could not be that, which they cannot conceive of him.
The essence of God is known only to himself, but is undiscernible to all men, and angels:
partly by reason of its infiniteness, which therefore no finite understanding can
comprehend; and partly, for that no voice, sign, or form can sufficiently express it
either to sense or reason. And if God have placed such light and glory in some
created bodies, as that we cannot intentively fix our bodily eye upon them, without
dazzling; what marvel is it, though the eye of the understanding of all men, and angels
dazzle, in the too curious and intentive contemplation of his infinite, and infinitely
glorious majesty itself? So as, if the most wise and learned Christians should, with
the heathen philosopher [Thales] undertake to descry God's being; they would be compelled,
as he was, after one day's respite, to crave two; and after two, four; and so still to
double the time, with acknowledgment, that the more they searched into it, the more
unsearchable it appeared.
Albeit the understanding of man, though glorified, cannot possibly comprehend God's
infinite being, yet shall we, coming to enjoy the blessed vision of God, whereof the
angels, and "spirits of just men perfect," are made partakers, know in a far
both greater measure, and more excellent, and immediate manner, than now we do.
"We now walk by faith, and not by sight," 2 Cor. v.7, as we then shall do:
"We now see through a glass darkly; but then face to face: knowing him even as we are
known of him." 1 Cor. xiii.12. And for the present, we are by the means of
revelation vouchsafed us in his Word and works, partly within and partly without us, to be
led in our prayers, praises, and meditations of God, to such a being for the object
thereof, as in which, first, there is nothing which hath the least affinity with the
imperfection found in any creature [Dionysius]; for the expressing whereof those
attributes serve, which we call negative; as immortal, invisible, a spirit, that is, no
body, and the like; showing what God is not, though not what he is. Secondly, which
is that eminently, infinitely, and essentially, which we, in the creature, call power,
wisdom, goodness, and whatsoever else imports any perfection: and thirdly, which is that
first fountain, and original of all goodness in all creatures. And by these three
stairs doth our understanding raise up itself from created things to the knowledge of God.
This knowledge we must seek with all earnest diligence, and store it up carefully
in the treasury of our hearts: that knowing God, we may love him, and trust to him, and
fear him, and honour him; that as the daughters of Jerusalem, Cant. v.8, though before
marveling what ailed the spouse of Christ to be so affectioned towards her beloved, and so
earnestly to seek after him, as she did, when they once came to take knowledge of his
perfect beauty, would then seek him with her: so we knowing God, specially in the face of
Christ Jesus, may so be ravished with love of his Majesty, as to have our whole heart set
to seek, and find him, in whose presence is satiety of joys evermore. |
