CHAP. III.                                 OF THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD.                                                                515

them by his word, his ministers, and his Spirit; with

him as their priest, who by his sacrifice has made atone-
meat for their sins, and by his intercession pleads for
every blessing for them; and with him as their king,
to rule over them, protect and defend them; and they
become willingly subject to his commands and ordi-
nances, and esteem all his precepts concerning all
things to be right; they know him as their living Re-
deemer, as Job did; and their souls rejoice in God
their Saviour, as Mary the mother of our Lord did;
they know him in the various relations he stands in to
them, as their everlasting Father, who bears an ever-
lasting love to them, takes an everlasting care of them,
and makes everlasting provision for them; as their
head of eminence over them, and influence to them;
as their husband, who has betrothed them to himself
in righteousness and loving-kindness; as their brother,
and one that sticks closer than a brother; and as their
friend that loves at all times, and of whom they say as
the church did, This is my beloved, and this is m2/
friend. And this knowledge which such souls have of
Christ is, (I.) Not merely notional and speculative,
such a knowledge the devils have: they know Christ
to be the holy one of God, and that he is the Sou of
God, and the Messiah, Luke iv. 34, 41. and men desti-
tute of the grace of God may know and give their
assent to those truths, that Christ is truly God, and
existed as the Son of God from all eternity; that he
assumed human nature in the fulness of time, that he
lived a life of sorrow and trouble, died the death of
the cross, was buried and rose again from the dead,
ascended to heaven, and is set down at the right hand
of God, and will come a second time to judge the
world in righteousness; but this spiritual special know-
ledge gracious souls have is,.. -(s.) An affectionate
knowledge, or a knowledge joined with love and affec-
tion to Christ; he is in their esteem the chiefest among
ten thousand, and altogether lovely; he is precious to
them, and there is none in heaven nor in earth so de-
sired by them as he is.           (3.) Their knowledge is a
knowledge of approbation, they approve of him above
all other lovers, and above all other saviours; they re-
ject all others, and say, Ashur shall not save us; we will
have no regard to our works, duties and services, as
saviours; but they say of him as Job did, Though he
slay me yet will I trust in him--he also shall be my
salvation., I will have no other, Job xiii. 15, 16..
(4.) Their knowledge of him is fiducial; they know
his name, his nature, his abilities, his fulness, and suit-
ablehess, and therefore they put their trust in him,
give up themselves to him, rely and lean upon him,
and trust him with all they have, and for all they want,
for grace here and glory hereafter.----(&)Their
knowledge of him is experimental, they have their
spiritualsenses exercised on him; they see the Son and
believe on him, see the glories of his person, the riches
of his grace, the fulness of his righteousness, the effi-
cacy of his blood, and the virtue of his atoning sacri-
fice; they hear his voice with pleasure and delight,
the voice of his gospel, so as to understand it, approve
of it, and distinguish it from the voice of a stranger
they feel, they handle him .the word of life by faith,
lay hold on him and retain him; they taste that the

Lord is gracious, and sayour the things which be of
Christ and not of men.... (6.) Their knowledge of
Christ is appropriating; it does not lie in generals but
in particulars, they know him themselves and for them-
selves; they do not only say as the Samaritans did,
We know that this is indeed the Christ the Saviour of
the world, Jolm iv. 42. but that he is their Saviour and
Redeemer; and say with Thomas, My Lord, and my
God; and with the apostle Paul, Who loved me, and
g. ave.himself for me; and with the church, My beloved
zs mine, and I am his, John xx. 28. Gal. ii. 20. Cant.
ii. 16.
3. Every renewed soul has knowledge of the Spirit
of God, the world does not know him, but truly
gracious souls do; our Lord speaking of him says,
Whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not,
neither knoweth him, neither his person, nor his office,
nor his operations; But ye know hint, meaning his
apostles and followers; and gives a very good reason
for it, for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you;
and therefore they must have a feeling and experi-
mental knowledge of him, John xiv. 17. Such as are
renewed in the spirit of their minds, have a knowledge
of him as a Spirit of conviction and illumination, he
having convinced them of sin, the evil nature and sad
consequences of it; of righteousness, of the insuffi-
ciency of their own righteousness to justify them be-
fore God, and of the fulness and suitableness of Christ's
righteousness for that purpose; and having had the
eyes of their understandings enlightened by him as a
Spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of
Christ, as an able, willing, and complete Saviour; and
having received him as the Spirit which is of God,
whereby are made known to them the things that are
freely given to them of God; the free-grace gifts of
righteousness, peace, pardon, and eternal life. They
have knowledge of him as the Comforter, who com-
forts them by shedding abroad in their hearts the love
of the Father and of the Son; by opening and apply-
ing the exceeding great and precious promises of the
gospel, and by ta[ing the things of Christ and shewing
them to them, and their interest in them; and these
comforts they have a feeling experience of, for they de-
light their souls amidst the multitude of their thoughts
within them; yea they walk in the comforts of the
holy Ghost, and are edified by them. They have
knowledge of him also as the Spirit of adoption, who
manifests to them their interest in this blessing; and
not only from his witnessing do they know their rela-
tion to God as children, but also from their being led
by him out of themselves to Christ, and into the truth
as it is in Jesus, for such are the sons of God, Rum. viii.
14--16. Moreover they have knowledge of the Spirit
as a Spirit of grace and of supplication, who first works
grace in the soul, and then draws it forth into act and
exercise; and perhaps there is no season in the christian
life in which this-grace is more drawn forth into exer-
cise than when in prayer, public and private, under
the influence of the Spirit of supplication; who helps
saints under alI their infirmities in prayer, and makes
intercession in them according to the will of God, im-
presses a sense of their wants upon them, puts strength
into them, and fills their mouths with arguments to
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