August 17

"Ye know all things." 1 John 2:20.

THE reason or the cause is previously given: "We have an unction from the Holy One." This unction means, the Spirit of grace and truth. This the Saviour possessed personally: he "was anointed with the Holy Ghost and with power," and had the Spirit without measure. And as Mediator, for the suffering of death, he received all the fulness of it for the supply of his people. They therefore derive it from him, and it is not only sanctifying, but illuminating; it leads them "into all truth," and "they know all things." This is a bold expression; but the extensiveness of it must be taken with four distinctions.

First, it means only things religious. It does not intend to intimate that every Christian is familiar with the secrets of nature, the resources of trade, the mysteries of government, the structure of language, and a thousand other things. With regard to these, he may be far surpassed by the people of the world. Not that religion stultifies its possessor; it is favorable to the acquisition of knowledge generally, by rousing and employing the mind, and thereby improving it. But it is distinguishable from learning and science, and makes us acquainted with "the things which accompany salvation."

Secondly, it means not only things religious, but revealed. "The secret things belong unto the Lord our God; but those things which are revealed belong unto us, and to our children for ever, that we may do all the words of this law." This passage should never be forgotten. It would draw some persons a little farther from the decrees of God, and a little nearer to his commands. The sacred writers prophesy but in part. Had every thing been made known in the Scripture, the world could not have contained the books that would have been written, and our attention would have been so divided and diffused, that the one thing needful would have been forgotten. There are numberless subjects upon which a busy and curious mind would speculate, concerning which the word is silent. But where God says nothing, we are not to be wise above what is written. If men will conjecture, let them conjecture without devouring much of their time or injuring their temper, and without censoriousness, self-conceit, and positiveness. He that hath a dream, let him tell a dream. What is the chaff to the wheat? When our Saviour had foretold the duty and destination of Peter, and Peter, not satisfied with this, inquired concerning John, "Lord, and what shall this man do?" instead of answering him, he reproved his impatient and presumptuous curiosity: "If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee? follow thou me."

Thirdly, it not only means things revealed, but revealed things of importance. Every thing, even in the Scripture, is not equally momentous and interesting. Some things are hard to be understood, but then it is not necessary to be able to understand them. Yet such things as these are not without their use, if they make us humble, by showing us the limits of the human understanding, and lead us, while we adore here, to study elsewhere. How many things are there in the geography, the chronology, the natural philosophy of the Scriptures, in which we may be safely unversed. A man may be able to number his days so as to apply his heart unto wisdom, without knowing when antichrist will be destroyed. He may not know what creature Behemoth was, or where Ophir was, and yet he may know what is life eternal, and the way to it he may know. The Jews had the fiery cloudy pillar, not to examine, but to follow. They knew no more of its essence at the end of forty years than at the beginning, but it had led them by a right way to the city of habitation. There are things which concern the Lord Jesus, and to know these is the excellency of knowledge. These will make us wise unto salvation. There are things that are ornamental to a Christian, and these are not to be undervalued; but others are essential to his very being. Some things conduce to our comfort, but others involve even our safety. It is desirable, but not equally necessary, that a Christian should be informed in all these truths.

Fourthly, with regard to things of importance, it only means a comparative knowledge of these in our present state. Of the God of grace as well as of the God of nature we are compelled to say, "How small a portion is known of Him." What one truth is there that we can trace back completely to its rise, or follow on to its last outfall? We read of things which angels desire to look into; of a peace which passeth all understanding; of a joy unspeakable. The love of Christ passeth knowledge.

"The cross, the manger, and the throne, Are big with glories yet unknown."

More we cannot concede. If Christians are comparatively ignorant, they are comparatively wise. They are children of the light and of the day. They have an understanding given them to know him that is true. Not that they are endued with a new physical faculty, but they have another kind of knowledge; and it is as superior as it is peculiar. There is as much difference between their present and their former knowledge, as between the shining of the glow-worm and the vital lustre of the sun. They have a heart to know. They see divine things, not only in their reality, but in their beauty and excellency; and while this gives them a firmer conviction of their certainty than they had before, so it gains their affection to them, and brings their souls under their influence. Thus with them the darkness is past, and the true light now shineth. They walk in the light as he is in the light. The secret of the Lord is with them, and he shows them his covenant. "The natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. But he that is spiritual jubeth all things."

Thus another reproach is rolled away. Christians are not only considered as slaves, as cowards, as the victims of gloom and melancholy, but are often despised or pitied as fools. Yet are they the wisest people in the world. Their religion, from first to last, is wisdom. And it is justified of all her children.