Lesson 37 Outline.
Lesson 37.
The great advantage of spiritual knowledge. Part 1. (Eternal life to those that have it)

Worship service.
Greetings and good morning beloved, Saints and Soldiers, Called to be Conquerors, Meek and Mighty in faith, The Purchase of the Precious blood of Christ. God has called us out of our natural State of Sin and Servitude to Satan into a Life of Love, Worship and Walking according to His commandments for His own glory.

‭‭Psalm‬ ‭100:3‬ ‭says,”Know ye that the LORD he is God: It is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; We are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.”
All those that know the Lord, Truly know that He hath made us and formed us both according to our first and second creation. Those who attribute salvation to an act of free will declare themselves to be the creators and lords and therefore deny God and usurp His divine office. But we are called to a life of worship which is demonstrated by submission to His sovereign power and adoration for what He hath done for us by the strength of His arm.

Therefore we praise and bless His name, and give him Glory.

Psalm 11:

1 This Psalm containeth two parts. In the first David showeth how hard assaults of temptations he sustained, and in how great anguish of mind he was, when Saul did persecute him. 4 Then next he rejoiceth that God sent him succor in his necessity, declaring his justice as well in governing the good, and the wicked men, as the whole world.

To him that excelleth. A Psalm of David.

11:1 In the Lord do I hope for safety: how say ye then to my soul, Flee as a bird to your mountain?

2 For, lo, the wicked bend their bow, they make ready their arrow upon the string, that they may secretly shoot at the upright in heart.

3 For the foundations are cast down, what hath the righteous done?

4 The Lord is in his holy temple, the Lord’s throne is in heaven: his eyes behold, his eyelids try, the children of men.

5 The Lord trieth the righteous: but the wicked and him that loveth violence his soul hateth.

6 Upon the wicked he shall rain snares, fire and brimstone, and an horrible tempest: this is the portion of their cup.

7 For the righteous Lord loveth righteousness; his countenance doth behold the upright.

David here in the Psalm preaches again what we have learned in previous Psalms, that the Lord is the approver of justice and righteousness and therefore will not abide the hypocrisy or malice of the wicked despite their appearance of prosperity. This we must always bear in mind as we walk through this valley of trials, for God would have us to love Him for His own sake and not for His generosity and indulgence. This is the mark of sincerity held in common with all the saints and this being a true sign of God’s favor is what the Lord approves of. True it is that God gives His people great estates and wealth at times, as in the case of Abraham, Job and David, but we are not therefore to annex outward prosperity with the favor of God so as to think that this must be, or that God will always bless the righteous with material gifts. For behold the way of the wicked and see how he flourishes among men. He has great estates, a family, many friends and appears in the sight of all to be blessed by God. But he does not see the hidden curse that God mingles with his blessings, for apart from faith in God’s Son, and a life characterized by covenant obedience, his outward prosperity will turn into death, and all his treasures will be witnesses against him. So David here in the Psalm protests against the Malice and cruelty of the wicked and resorts to the Lord for safety and security even while despised and rejected by men. Knowing that God will not suffer them to blaspheme forever he immediately recalls to mind and declares that God views their inward parts with a view of holy and righteous hatred. So that as the righteous in affliction are blessed and nourished by the mercy of God’s fatherly love, so the wicked being contrary to His holy nature are cursed even in their blessings. And thus in a manner of antithesis apprehending the promises of God, he thus prophesies of the destruction of the wicked, showing how God will rain hellfire upon them in due time, and as the cup is customarily filled with wine as a sign of success, prosperity and joy, so David declares that this curse is truly their portion, that at the last God by exacting vengeance on them for their abuse of His gifts shall fill them with sorrow, pain and torment . This is their expectation and end, and therefore we can have hope and confidence in the same, even in our own time relating this to the wicked in civil government who make bad laws in favor of wicked men, and in the false church today who justify those who walk contrary to God, though they overflow with abundance of wealth. And so encouraging ourselves in hope of the righteous judgment of God and thereby striving ever onward in the practice of piety, patience, and devotion, by meditation on God’s works we may boldly say with David, the Lord loveth Righteousness, his countenance beholds the upright.

1599 GNV v4.
Though all things in earth be out of order, yet God will execute judgment from heaven.

Calvin v7,
This conclusion of the psalm sufficiently shows, that the scope of the whole of it was to make it manifest that all those who, depending upon the grace of God, sincerely follow after righteousness, shall be safe under his protection.

Poole v7,
His countenance doth behold the upright; to wit, with an eye of approbation, and true and tender affection, and watchful and gracious providence; which is oft signified by God’s beholding or looking upon men, as Exodus 2:25; Ezra 5:5; Psalms 25:18; Psalms 33:18; Psalms 34:15, &c.: as, on the contrary, God is oft said to hide or turn away his face or eyes from wicked men.

Opening prayer,
O righteous Father, Lord of heaven and earth, preserver of the faithful, lover of righteousness, our Holy Lord God, we come before thee in solemn adoration of thy works, and praise thee for who thou art, and not what thou givest us. For the things of this world as vain, as saith thine own prophets, vanity of vanity, all is vanity, and again, we know not good or evil by all that is before us, so Father, enlightened by thine own Spirit to see past the false and framed facade of the world’s pleasures, we resort to thee for hope and safety. Our hope is in God and in the Lord we trust, therefore despite our outward estate we will patiently wait for the promise of salvation, which is the forgiveness of sins, the imputation of righteousness, the increase of faith, the cultivation of grace, and the perseverance therein to the end, all of which we know is perfectly harmonious and consistent with a life of suffering. If therefore it is alotted to us to suffer, cause us to suffer with joy and gladness, knowing it is thy will, and let us then search our own hearts to see if there be any stain or impurity in us, and turn our hearts to thee that we through suffering might serve thee more faithfully. O for a better heart! Oh for a heart to love God more. To hate sin more, to walk more evenly with God: Lord, deny not to us such an heart, whatever thou deny us; give us an heart to fear thee, love and delight in thee, even if we are cast into penury. And so may thy glorious name be praised forever by thy people, even we, poor miserable and afflicted, we thy people who hope in thy mercy. Be pleased to look on us O Lord through Jesus Christ, our King, in whose holy name we pray, Amen.

Lesson 37.

The great advantage of spiritual knowledge. Part 1. (Eternal life to those that have it)

1. The advantages, you see, in this design, are many and great; the way to spiritual knowledge is hereby made more easy, and 2. the ignorance of this age more inexcusable. If, therefore, there be any spark in you of love to God, be not content that any of yours should be ignorant of him whom you so much admire, or any haters of him whom you so much love. If there be any compassion to the souls of them who are under your care, if any regard of your being found faithful in the day of Christ, if any respect to future generations, labour to sow these seeds of knowledge, which may grow up in after-times. That you may be faithful herein, is the earnest prayer of, Henry Wilkinson, John Fuller, Edward Perkins, Richard Kentish, James Nalton, Ralph Venning, Alexander Pringle, Roger Drake, Thomas Goodwin, Jeremiah Burwell, William Wickins, William Taylor, Matthew Pool, Joseph Church, Thomas Watson, Samuel Annesley, William Bates, Has. Bridges, John Jackson, Thomas Gouge, John Loder, Samuel Smith, John Seabrooke, Charles Offspring, Francis Raworth, Samuel Rowles, John Peachie, Arthur Jackson, William Cooper, John Glascock, James Jollife, John Cross, William Jenkin, Leo. Cook, Obadiah Lee, Samuel Clerk, Thomas Manton, John Sheffield, Samuel Slater, Thomas Jacomb, Matthew Haviland, William Whitaker, George Griffiths, William Blackmore.

Intro.
The nature of spiritual knowledge and how it differs from carnal knowledge.
a.Spiritual knowledge always reaches the heart, carnal knowledge has not effect on the affections.
b.Spiritual knowledge applies itself regardless of experience or previous disposition. Carnal knowledge retreats from application and seeks for a way to justify itself and others.
Example.
Objections.

1. Knowledge is light to the understanding.

i. Knowledge is impossible to those who abide in darkness.
a. All who are not touched by the Spirit of God so as to understand divine mysteries are without knowledge.
b. The heathen who are without God are without knowledge.
c. The heretics who twist the scripture are without knowledge.”
ii. Knowledge is the gift of God.
“According as His divine power has given unto us… through knowledge” 2 Pet. 1
iii. Knowledge is easy to those who have it.
a. The knowledge of sound doctrine is not forced but natural according to the suitability of our new nature.”
iv. Knowledge is the only way to heaven.
a. Without knowledge of the law, there is no knowledge of the gospel
b. Without knowledge of sound doctrine we are left in error and ignorance as to how to please God and do His will.
c. Without the knowledge of how to please God in worship, we bow down to an idol. Hos. 4.
v. Knowledge is sealed up and preserved in us by the providence of God.
a. Those who are given knowledge are given eternal life by the power of the resurrection of Jesus Christ and shall never die, neither shall this gift depart from them.
vi. Knowledge is the natural effect of preaching.
“By his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many “
“Being justified by faith”
“Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God”

Concluding application.
If God is a God of knowledge, and Christ is called the Wisdom of God, it becomes us as God’s children to possess it. All God’s children are blessed with this gift, therefore let us strive to increase in it. “Grow in grace and in knowledge”

Let us adore and praise God who has given us this knowledge of Himself , His gospel, and His ways while the rest of the world perishes in ignorance. How rare a jewel is an enlightened soul!

Closing prayer,
Our gracious and merciful sovereign , Father of lights in whom there is no variation or shadow of turning, thou who art faithful to thy people fulfilling all thy promises to them, we ask for light and understanding of thy word, without which no man will see the kingdom of God. We pray for the knowledge of the holy Scriptures which enables us to worship thee as thou hast commanded, according to truth and righteousness and not after the carnal manner of hypocrites. We ask thee to shed the light of the gospel upon us so that we might know that our sins are forgiven and all else that is freely given to us in Jesus Christ on behalf of His death and resurrection. So let His life be a perfect pattern unto us and may we live as He lived and die as He died. Not that we all are martyrs or will be crucified but that according to the doctrine of the gospel we would die to self righteousness and self justification and seek only to be justified by thee through faith, and thus being alive to God and dead to self we would daily take up the cross in self mortification and the destruction of the flesh, even through thine own strength which lives in us by the Spirit. So give us a heart to take up the cross and follow our Lord and shepherd for a pattern and guide and may we walk in the light as He is in the light. So help us by thine own Grace and lead us in the way of truth forever. In the holy name of the Lord Jesus, for His sake who is the head of the church we pray. Amen.

YouTube Audio: https://youtu.be/GB0cJeEVDTk