“We know in part.”
IN one sense, the words of our text have been ever true, and ever shall
be. Even in the Garden of Eden, when man possessed knowledge of such a
kind, and to such a degree, as to be a feature of the moral likeness of
GOD, there were still many things which he could not grasp, nor fathom,
nor measure, and there were many others which the Divine will purposely
kept unrevealed from him. And so too, hereafter, in heaven itself, the
perfected finite being must necessarily fail to comprehend and scrutinize
thoroughly the great infinite, and doubtless will be left uninformed of
much that he could grasp, because the knowledge thereof will not concern
his duty or his interest.
But, in another sense, man did once know, and shall again know,
perfectly. In his unfallen state, GOD talked to him plainly, made His
presence to be realised, in a way showed Himself as He is, that is, as He
is in His relation to obedient and holy man, taught clearly the duty, and
revealed the destiny and hopes of His creature. And, again, in heaven,
though still dwelling in light which no one can approach to, though still
the Invisible, Whom no man hath seen or can see, GOD shall yet be plainly
reflected in His Son, the visible Deity with Whom the redeemed shall
stand face to face, Whom they shall see and know even as now they are
known by Him. And man, too, though still not omniscient, shall know
thoroughly with whom he has to do; shall trace with easy clearness the
path along which he has been led; shall realise his position and
appropriate his privileges, and see even to the utmost his eternal
future. This has been already, in a measure. This shall be hereafter
entirely; but this is not now. “We know in part.”
When man sinned, the lamp of knowledge grew dim, and well nigh went out.
GOD put a thick cloud between Him and His creature, and between that
creature and the future; and around him and above him, for light He gave
obscurity. But yet straightway of His compassion and love in Christ, He
began to give back as with a slow hand, what He had suddenly withdrawn
with a swift hand. A tiny spark was kindled, which was very gradually to
be fanned into a little flame, and finally to burst out into a blaze,
which should make all visible again. Yea, and _more_ visible than at the
first. You know how the grace of GOD—which made man at the first
innocent, upright, and happy, with great power of understanding and free
will—having been forfeited, was withdrawn, but yet began at once to be
recommunicated—not immediately in its former perfection, but by little
and little, and at slow paces; first, externally by the Spirit in the
world; then, internally, by the Spirit of regeneration planted as a seed
in each Christian’s heart, to be gradually developed into the blade, the
ear, and, finally, the ripe corn in the ear, at the resurrection, the
restoration to the full favour and realised presence of GOD.
This may explain to you how knowledge was reimparted. At first it was
but a spark for the whole world; then it became a tiny flame, by which
those near at hand might dimly see. Then a spark from it was struck into
each Christian mind, which may be, and is to be gradually fanned up in
him, revealing more and more what is in him, and about him, and before
him, till in heaven it bursts out into a full flame, showing all things
clearly. Into each of us this spark has been struck; in each of us it is
to be fostered, and fed, and developed; to exhibit more and more what GOD
is, and does; what we are, and have, and hope for, till we come unto
perfect knowledge, and see all clearly. Men of the patriarchal age had
but the one spark among them. The Jews had this spark become a little
flame; and some of them, as David, Solomon, and Daniel, had each a torch
lighted from it, and held near at hand to them, as by a guardian angel.
We Christians, I say, have each _in us_ a spark kindled. If we feed and
fan it, it becomes a flame; and according as we feed and fan it, grows
brighter and larger, and extends nearer and nearer to that point, where
it shall unite with others, and light up heaven with an eternal blaze.
_Thus_ do we know, all of us in part, but not all equally, some less,
some more, according to our measure, and according as we guard and tend
it, and all imperfectly, because the time and place of perfection are not
yet.
“We know in part.” Now, one of the most important thoughts which this
text suggests is, that we Christians all have to some extent the
privilege of spiritual knowledge, and consequently, we all have resting
upon us, the responsibility of maintaining and increasing knowledge. You
all, brethren, know in part. I do not mean merely that you have the
instinct and intelligence which certain sagacious animals of the lower
creation have, nor yet that by natural conscience, the embers of the
primeval spiritual fire, you are enabled dimly to discern between right
and wrong, to perceive that there is a power above you, and an immortal
future before you: I mean, that you all _as Christians_ are partakers of
a new gift of knowledge—that you have within you, as one of the ordinary
graces of the Spirit of regeneration in Christ, that Spirit which was
given to guide men unto all truth, to convince of sin, of righteousness,
and of judgment; the faculty of knowing spiritual things—a faculty to be
sustained in appointed ways, and to be exercised upon the revelations of
knowledge contained in the Word of GOD.
I shall not stay to prove this; you know that since in Christ all is
quickened, which died in Adam, knowledge must be revived. You know that
the Spirit of Christ is frequently spoken of as the Imparter of light to
all whom He visits; that the coming of Christ to men, _externally_ even,
as a teacher, took away all cloak and excuse for ignorance and sin; that
to sin after receiving the Spirit, is to sin against the knowledge of the
truth, knowledge attainable, if not attained; that under the Gospel
dispensation, the servant who knows not his Master’s will, is
nevertheless to be beaten if he transgresses it, because he might and
should have known it; that to remain ignorant is to bring upon us
judicial ignorance; that from him that hath not (that acts, _i.e._, as
though he had not), from him shall be taken away even that he hath; that
the light within us, if treated as darkness, will become the greatest and
most terrible darkness. You know, too, that we are commanded to increase
and improve this gift, to grow in knowledge, to walk in the light; and
you know how to do it, by asking wisdom of GOD, by heeding what the
Spirit says, and by searching the Scriptures, the source of spiritual
knowledge. We all know—that is, we all have the _power_ of knowing—we
all are required to know, we shall all be judged as those who know, and
we shall all be rewarded according to our use or abuse, our growth, or
falling off in knowledge.
Now, is not this a solemn thought? Does not it exhibit to us a great
responsibility? Does not it speak stern reproof to our frequent and
willing ignorance? How little are many of us acquainted with GOD, the
Father of our LORD JESUS CHRIST. What little knowledge have we, and do
we seek to have, of Providence, of grace, of moral discipline, of duty,
of prospects, hopes and fears, of spiritual succour and spiritual
assaults of time and eternity, of probation and judgment, of heaven and
hell. Is there any other subject of which the vast majority of us are so
ignorant, and so contentedly or carelessly ignorant, as of that which GOD
has made so easy to learn, and has so imperatively required us to learn,
the knowledge of Him, of ourselves, and of His dealings with us, revealed
to us in the Bible, to be discerned by the Spirit within us?
Year after year passes away, and we realise no more, and feel no more
what GOD is, what we are, what we have to do, and why, and what awaits
us. Chapter after chapter of the Bible is read, or heard again and
again, and what we did not understand at first, we still do not
understand; what we did not feel at first, we still do not feel. Sermon
after sermon is preached, and our stock of knowledge after all is just as
much (is it always this?) as was forced upon us at school, or in
preparation for confirmation and first communion. Restless and ever on
the move in all other respects, we are content to stand still here; ay,
and if the preacher strives to lead us on, by unfolding some great
spiritual truth as far as he can, by exhibiting and explaining some
difficult doctrine more fully than usual, too often we withhold the
attention which we usually give him, and after he has done, not
unfrequently condemn his pains, and exclaim against his learned and
abstruse sermon.
Is not it so? Are not there many who cannot recollect a time when they
had less spiritual perception than they have now, and who therefore are
witnesses to themselves that they have not grown in knowledge? Are not
there many who are less acquainted with the Bible than with any other
book that has come into their hands? Are not there many who, while they
may have familiarised themselves with the history, the geography, the
anecdotes so to speak of Holy Scripture, and the fanciful, often daring,
interpretations of unfulfilled prophecy, yet know comparatively nothing
of what GOD is to them, what they are to GOD, what is required of them,
and what is promised or threatened?
Oh! brethren, how and why is this? How is it that the Object of supreme
love and fear is to us but a shadowy and unintelligible name? How is it
that we have no perception of the ever-present, ever-speaking,
ever-acting, all-important Spirit? How is it that we have no intelligent
or inquiring thought of the heaven which we are bidden to seek, and of
the hell which we have to avoid; of the Master we are bound to serve; of
the business to which life is an apprenticeship; of the race in which we
are runners; of the warfare which we are enlisted to wage; the weapons to
be used; the mode of fighting; the field of battle; the foes we are
opposed to; the punishment of desertion: the reward of constancy; the
prospects of victory; the perils of defeat? Is not it that we are not
impressed with the responsibility of having this gift of knowledge? with
the peril of folding up in a napkin a precious talent given us to use and
improve? Is not it that we do not think seriously of the existence of
GOD, of the possession of His Spirit, of the reality of heaven and hell,
of the obligations of Christian service, of spiritual helps, and
difficulties, and perils? Is not it that we have not (which means that
we do not seek) that faith which is the substance of things hoped for,
and the evidence of things not seen, enabling us to realise and grasp, as
though it were a substance, that which is as yet but future; and to
behold plainly, with the eye of faith, that which to natural sense is not
perceptible?
Have but this faith, and you will soon add to it knowledge. Concern
yourselves about GOD only as much as you would about the man with whom
you have most to do in life, and from whom you have most to expect or
fear; treat religion as you would the business by which you are to
sustain natural life, and to make or mar your temporal fortune; and then
interest and desire (as much and more than duty) will impel you to use
every effort to acquaint yourselves thoroughly with GOD; to understand
the working and unravel the mysteries of religion; to ascertain all
particulars about what you have to hope for or fear—heaven and
hell—angels and demons—the Holy Ghost—and the spirit of evil. Deeper and
deeper will you drink of the well of knowledge; and each deep and
frequent draught will but quicken your thirst and impel you to drink
again.
But take care not to err in the other extreme: we know _in part_, and are
always to know in part only. Our knowledge of allowed and enjoined
things, though ever increasing, shall never be perfect on this side of
the grave. We are to augment it as much as we can, but we must stand
really face to face with Christ, before we see Him as He is. Our
grossness must be refined, our souls and minds wholly transformed, and
our bodies glorified, before we can fully perceive and appreciate the
Holy Spirit. We must be in heaven to know thoroughly what heaven is. We
must have Christ for our audible teacher, and angels for our prompting
fellow scholars, and the eternal records for our books, and all time
spread out before us as a map, before we can learn _perfectly_, what we
are to spend this life and exercise the Spirit of knowledge in acquiring
_in part_. And even then, as I said before, there are things which we
shall not be able to grasp, or fathom, or perceive thoroughly. We shall
never see GOD the Father visibly; we shall never comprehend altogether a
Being without beginning or end; we shall never be omniscient or
omnipresent. GOD will treat us as trusty and privileged friends, and
reveal to us much that is not revealed here, and give us new powers of
understanding it. But He will not open to us all the workings of the
Divine mind. He will not transform us into gods, nor even into angels.
We shall still be finite human beings, of limited understanding and
limited knowledge. The things which concern us we shall know fully; the
things which concern us not, we shall not know; just as the angels
desired once to look into, but were not able, the mysteries (which did
not concern them) of our redemption.
Well, then, if there is to be holy ground in heaven, which we must not
tread on with the shoes of idle curiosity; if there is to be there a bush
behind which we must not look; if even then there shall be secret things
which belong only to GOD, and which we must not pry into; how much more
so here and now! How necessary to remember that we are to know only in
part; that we are not to seek to be wise above what is written; that,
respecting mysteries which concern not us, it is distinctly charged:
“Draw not nigh hither”!
When God puts forth and reveals His arm, He proves to us, indeed, that
there is more of Him that is not revealed; but it is profane to demand
that it should be revealed. When He tells us, that the world was created
so many thousand years ago, He proves that it was not before then; but He
does not permit us to inquire, what was then? When He tells us, that He
made all good, and that the devil introduced evil, He does it not that we
should inquire subtilly into the origin of evil. We are to study what is
revealed, and not what is hidden. Where did GOD exist before the worlds
were made? What is existence without beginning? How was matter produced
out of nothing—evil out of good? How is it possible for GOD to have His
will, and man his? Why did not GOD prevent evil? Why does He now
tolerate it? Why were fallen angels not redeemed? Why is man not
perfected without trial? How can finite beings be infinitely rewarded or
punished? These, and the thousand other curious questions, which
perverse man is ever asking, are inquiries which He forbids and
baffles—which we may be sure provoke His displeasure.
Check we, then, brethren, our wandering fancies, by the thought that we
are to know only in part; and that the only part which we are to know is,
that which concerns our duty, and hopes, and fears; and our intelligent
service and worship of Him. There is no better sacrifice to God than
that of curbed idle curiosity. There is no better discipline than that
which requires us to trust in what we can only imperfectly comprehend.
There is no surer test of our earnestness about salvation, than the ready
renunciation of unnecessary inquiry, and the steady, concentrated effort
to understand that which was revealed to be understood.
SERMON VI.
CONFESSION.