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it speculatively, but had also experimental knowledge of it. "Ye have known him that is from the beginning;" have known him, and tried him, and found him to be what his name signifies. And this is the right knowledge of Christ-not such as the devil has: he could say, "I know thee who thou art, the Holy One of God"-not such as too many nominal Christians have, who profess that they know God, but in works they deny him-not such as many professors attain, for whom it had been better not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they had known it, to turn from it. These fathers knew Christ by the inward teaching of his Word and Spirit, whereby he made himself known to them, as he does not to others: for he fulfilled to them the great promise of the new covenant" I will give "I them a heart to know me, that I am the Lord; and they shall be my people, and I will be their God." The covenant is well ordered in all things and sure, particularly with respect to the quickening of the soul from a death in trespasses and sins, and to the renewing of its faculties, that they may be capable of knowing God; and to the enlightening of them, that the light of the glorious gospel of Christ may shine unto them, even unto the heart, enlivening it with holy and heavenly affection to the person, to the offices, and to the glories of the blessed Emmanuel. Whereby the believer, thus taught of God to know him aright, can now trust him, hopes in him, and love him; which graces are strengthened from the consideration of God's standing related to him as his covenant God, and of his being one of God's redeemed people; from which relation he has a right to, and

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by faith may enjoy every covenant mercy in time, and shall be a partaker of them all in eternity. This is the knowledge, concerning which so many and such great things are spoken in Scripture, and which St. John says these fathers had received: they had attained, by the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, to that knowledge of Christ which is life eternal; and the same Spirit enabled them to be continually growing and increasing in the knowledge of Christ.

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As he shines more clearly into their hearts, he discovers to them more of their wants. He makes them better acquainted with themselves, and lets them feel more of the workings of their corrupt nature, and of their own entire helplessness. Thus, by his light, they see deeper into that mystery of iniquity which is in them, and they grow in the sense and experience of it all their lives. Day by day some failing, shortcoming, infirmity, or temptation, leads them to more lowly and humbling views of themselves, and brings them fresh discoveries of their fallen and helpless While they attend to what is passing in their own breasts, every moment something will be speaking for Christ" Without me ye can do nothing." It is this abiding sense of their wants, and faith in his promises to supply them, which lead them to be constantly looking unto Jesus. Many wants do not discourage them, for his promises are as many as their wants can be-nor great wants, for he has given them exceeding great promises-nor continual wants, for he has promised them grace every moment. As they grow in the knowledge of themselves, they see more need of living upon Christ in the several offices which she sustains. The daily experience

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which they have of their own ignorance, and sinfulness, and helplessness, endear to them their divine Prophet, Priest, and King. The continual sense of their want of him makes them glad to live in a settled, fixed dependence upon his fulness, and to be always receiving out of it. They would not live otherwise, if they could. They know that their dear Saviour will manage better for them than they could for themselves: he has taken their affairs, spiritual and temporal, into his hands, and he can make no mistakes: his infinite love is guided by unerring wisdom, and its blessings are bestowed by almighty power. Happy for them, they and theirs are under the care of this best of friends. They know it, and are sensible of their happiness. Daily experience brings them fresh proofs of the love and power of Jesus; which makes them wish for more, still more faith, that they may glorify their blessed Saviour by trusting him more. However, in this they are growing, increasing day by day in their knowledge of the salvation, and gaining a closer acquaintance and fellowship with the person of God their Saviour, until they come to see him as he is.

This is the character of those believers who are steadfast in the faith, and are become fathers, able now to teach others also: they have attained to that knowledge of Christ which is life eternal, and they are daily pressing forward. What they already know of him increases their desire to know more; and by being always conversant with him, (for without him they can do nothing), they have continual opportunities of making new discoveries. In him are laid up treasures of every thing that is great and

good. His riches are unsearchable, infinite, and eternal; there is no coming to the end of them. Believers are persuaded of it, and therefore they try to dig deep into this golden mine. It is all theirs: the farther they go, the more is their faith strengthened, and the more precious Christ becomes; for they find such an excellency in the knowledge of Christ Jesus their Lord, that their souls hunger and thirst to know more of him. The more they attain, the more the appetite increases; and nothing can perfectly satisfy it, but the full enjoyment of Christ in glory, when they shall know, even as also they are known. Till that blessed time come, they will be growing in grace, and in the knowledge of God their Saviour.

This is the distinguishing mark of these fathersthey are pressing forward. They have not yet attained to the perfect knowledge of Christ, but they are going on to perfection; and they make a happy progress: God meets them in, and blesses the means which he has appointed for their daily growth. In those he requires them to depend, and to wait upon him; and he gives them clearer discoveries of the adorable person, and of the gracious offices of the Lord Christ, and thereby enables them to live more by faith upon him, for all things belonging to their temporal, their spiritual, and their eternal concerns. These particulars will include the principal acts of the life of faith, and while we take a short view of them, may every page, reader, be the means of increasing and strengthening thy faith in the Lord Jesus.

1. They grow in the knowledge of his person, which is altogether wonderful, so that they can never

come to the end of his perfections; nor to eternity can they show forth all his praise; for he is God and man in one Christ-Jehovah incarnate-Emmanuel, God with us. This is the great mystery of godliness, God manifest in the flesh; in which he came amongst us, that he might be the second Adam, who is the Lord from heaven: that as the first Adam by sin had ruined all those who are born of him after the flesh, so the second Adam might save all those who are born of him after the Spirit. And for this end, he has all power in heaven and earth committed to him; he has all fulness, yea, the fulness of the Godhead dwelling in him, that he might be the head of the body the church, and that out of his fulness his members might be receiving grace in time and glory in eternity. Of this divine Person, all the prophets have spoken since the world began; and what they said in many words, the apostle sums up in a short description, where he is treating of that Person in the Godhead, who covenanted to come into the world to save sinners: "Who is the image of the invisible God, the first-born of every creature: for by him were all things created that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers; all things were created by him and for him; and he is before all things, and by him all things consist. And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the first-born from the dead; that in all things he might have the pre-eminence: for it pleased the Father, that in him should all fulness dwell," In which words, these three glorious truths are declared of Christ Jesus: first, that he

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