BOOK 6. THE DEATH.
CHAPTER 3.
6.3.1. Of Knowing Jesus, as carrying on the great work of our salvation in his death.
Of Knowing Jesus, as carrying on the great work of our salvation in his death.
Let us know Jesus, carrying on the great work of our salvation, during his sufferings and death. This is the high point which Paul was ever studying on, and preaching on, and pondering on; "For I determined not to know anything among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified," 1 Cor. ii. 2. Christ crucified is the rarest piece of knowledge in the world; the person of Christ is a matter of high speculation, but Christ farther considered, as clothed with his garments of blood, is that knowledge, which especially Paul pursues; he esteems not, reckons not, determines not to make any profession of any other science or doctrine, than the most necessary and only saving knowledge of Christ crucified. O my soul, how many days, and months, and years, hast thou spent to attain some little measure in the arts, and tongues, and sciences? And yet what a poor skill hast thou attained, in respect of the many thousands of them that knew nothing at all of Jesus Christ? And what if thou hadst reached out to a greater proficiency? Couldst thou have dived into the secrets of nature? Couldst thou have excelled "the wisdom of all the children of the east country, and all the wisdom of Egypt, and all the wisdom of Solomon, who spake of beasts, of fowls, of fishes, of all trees from the cedar tree that is in Lebanon, even to the hyssop that springeth out of the wall," 1 Kings iv. 33. Yet, without the saving knowledge of Christ crucified, (Christ suffering, bleeding and dying) all this had been nothing, see Eccl. i. 18, only that knowledge is worth the having, which refers to Christ: above all, that is the rarest piece of Christ's humiliation, which holds him forth suffering for us, and so freeing us from hell sufferings. Come then, and spend thy time for the future more fruitfully, in reading, learning, and knowing this one necessary thing. Study Christ crucified in every piece and part; O the precious truths, and precious discoveries that a studying head and heart could hammer out here! Much hath been said, but a thousand thousand times more might yet be said; we have given but a little scantling of that which Christ endured; volumes might be written till they were piled as high as heaven, and yet all would not serve to make out the full discoveries of Jesus' sufferings. Study therefore, and study more, but be sure thy study and thy knowledge, be rather practical than speculative; do not merely beat thy brains to learn the history of Christ's death, but the efficacy, virtue and merit of it: know what thou knowest in reference to thyself, as if Jesus had been all the while carrying on the business of thy soul's salvation, as if thou hadst stood by, and Christ had spoke to thee, as sometimes to the women, "Weep not for me, but for thyself," thy sins caused my sufferings, and my sufferings were for the abolition of thy sins.