'My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.'—Hosea 4:6
Q. How comes it to be so difficult a thing to attain the true knowledge of God?—A. By reason of the pride and ignorance that is in us, as also by reason of our wicked ways (Psa 10:4; Eph 4:18,19; Titus 1:16).
Q. But do not everyone profess that they know God?—A. Yes, but their supposed knowledge of him varieth as much as do their faces or complexions, some thinking he is this, and some that.
Q. Will you shew me a little how they vary in their thoughts about him?—A. Yes; Some count him a kind of an heartless God, that will neither do evil nor good (Zeph 1:12). Some count him a kind of an ignorant and blind God, that can neither know nor see through the clouds (Job 22:13). Some again count him an inconsiderable God, not worth the enjoying, if it must not be but with the loss of this world, and their lusts (Job 21:9-15). Moreover, some think him to be altogether such an one as themselves, one that hath as little hatred to sin as themselves, and as little love to holiness as themselves (Psa 50:21).
Q. Are there any more false opinions of God?—A. Yes, there are three other false opinions of God. 1. Some think he is all mercy and no justice, and that therefore they may live as they list (Rom 3:8). 2. Others think he is all justice and no mercy, and that therefore they had as good go on in their sins and be damned, as turn and be never the better (Jer 2:25). 3. Others think he is both justice and mercy, but yet think also that his justice is such as they can pacify with their own good works, and save themselves with their own right hand (Job 40:14); contrary to these scriptures (Habb 1:13; Isa 45:21).
Q. How then shall I know when I have the true knowledge of God?—A.
When thy knowledge of him and the holy Scriptures agree.
Q. The Scriptures! Do not all false opinions of him flow from the Scriptures?—A. No, in no wise; it is true, men father their errors upon the Scriptures, when indeed they flow from the ignorance of their hearts (Eph 4:18).
Q. But how if I do not understand the holy Bible, must I then go without the true knowledge of God?—A. His name is manifested by his Word: the Scriptures are they that testify of him (John 17:6-8, 5:39). And they are able to make the man of God perfect in all things, and wise unto salvation through faith in Jesus Christ (2 Tim 3:15,16).
Q. But what must one that knoweth not God do, to get the knowledge of God?—A. Let him apply his heart unto the Scriptures (Prov 22:17, 23:12). 'As unto a light that shineth in a dark place,' even this world, 'until the day dawn, and the day star arise in his heart' (2 Peter 1:19,20).
Q. But how shall I know when I have found by the Scriptures the true knowledge of God?—A. When thou hast also found the true knowledge of thyself (Isa 6:5; Job 42:5).
Q. What is it for me to know myself?—A. Then thou knowest thyself, when thou art in thine own eyes, a loathsome, polluted, wretched, miserable sinner; and that not anything done by thee, can pacify God unto thee (Job 42:5; Eze 20:43,44; Rom 7:24).
Of Confession of Sin.
Q. You have shewed me, if I will indeed worship God, I must first know him aright, now then to the question in hand, pray how must I worship him?—A. In confessing unto him (Neh 9:1-3).
Q. What must I confess?—A. Thou must confess thy transgressions unto the Lord (Psa 32:5).
Q. Was this the way of the godly of old?—A. Yes, Nehemiah confessed his sins (Neh 1:6). David confessed his sins (Psa 32:5). Daniel confessed his sins (Dan 9:4). And those baptized by John in Jordan confessed their sins (Matt 3:6).
Q. What sins must I confess to God?—A. All sins whatsoever: for 'He that covereth his sins shall not prosper, but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy' (Prov 28:13; 1 John 1:9).
Q. But how if I do neither know nor remember all my sins?—A. Thou must then search and try thy ways by the holy Word of God (Lam 3:40; Psa 77:6).
Q. But how if I do not make this search after my sins?—A. If thou dost not, God will; if thou dost not search them out and confess them, God will search them out and charge them upon thee, and tear thee in pieces for them (Psa 50:21,22).
Q. Where must I begin to confess my sins?—A. Where God beginneth to shew thee them. Observe, then, where God beginneth with conviction for sin, and there begin thou with confession of it. Thus David began to confess, thus Daniel began to confess (2 Sam 12:7-14; Dan 9:3-9).
Q. What must I do when God hath shewed me any sin, to make right confession thereof?—A. Thou must follow that conviction until it shall bring thee to the original and fountain of that sin, which is thine own heart (1 Kings 8:38; Psa 55:5).
Q. Is my heart then the fountain and original of sin?—A. Yes, 'For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within, and defile the man' (Mark 7:21,23).
Q. When a man sees this, what will he think of himself?—A. Then he will not only think but conclude, that he is an unclean thing, that his heart has deceived him, that it is most desperate and wicked, that it may not be trusted by any means, that every imagination and thought of his heart, naturally, is only evil, and that continually (Isa 64:6; Prov 28:26; Isa 44:20; Gen 6:5).
Q. You have given me a very bad character of the heart, but how shall I know that it is so bad as you count it?—A. Both by the text and by experience.
Q. What do you mean by experience?—A. Keep thine eyes upon thy heart, and also upon God's word, and thou shalt see with thine own eyes, the desperate wickedness that is in thine heart, for thou must know sin by the law, that bidding, thee do one thing, and thy heart inclining to another (Rom 7:7-10).
Q. May I thus then know my heart?—A. Yes, that is something of it, especially the carnality of thy mind, 'Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be' (Rom 8:7).
Q. Can you particularize a few things wherein the wickedness of the heart of man shews itself?—A. Yes; by its secret hankering after sin, although the Word forbids it; by its deferring of repentance; by its being weary of holy duties; by its aptness to forget God, by its studying to lessen and hide sin; by its feigning itself to be better than it is; by being glad when it can sin without being seen of men; by its hardening itself against the threatenings and judgments of God; by its desperate inclinings to unbelief, atheism, and the like (Prov 1:24-26; Isa 43:22; Mal 1:12,13; Ju 3:7; Jer 2:32; Psa 106:21; Hosea 2:13; Prov 30:20; Jer 2:25; Rom 1:32, 2:5; Zeph 1:11-13).
Q. Is there anything else to be done in order to a right confession of sin?—A. Yes: Let this conviction sink down into thy heart, that God sees much more wickedness in thee than thou canst see in thyself. 'If our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things' (1 John 3:20); besides, he hath set thy secret sins in the light of his countenance (Psa 90:8).
