be instructed of him, "as the truth is in Jesus," Eph. iv. 21.

(7.) To purify the soul in obeying the truth, 1 Pet. ii. 22.

This shall suffice for clearing up, and applying in the general this
excellent truth, that Christ is the truth. We shall now come and make
some more particular use of this precious point, by speaking to some
particular cases (which we shall instance in, by which the understanding
Christian may be helped to understand how to carry and how to make use
of Christ in other the like cases), wherein Christ is to be made use of
as the truth, and show how believers are to make use of him in these
cases as the truth.

CHAPTER XIII.

HOW TO MAKE USE OF CHRIST AS THE TRUTH, FOR GROWTH IN KNOWLEDGE.

It is a commanded duty, that we grow in the knowledge of Jesus Christ, 2
Pet. iii. 18; and the knowledge of him being life eternal, John xvii. 3,
and our measure of knowledge of him here being but imperfect, for we
know but in part, it cannot but be an useful duty, and a desirable
thing, to be growing in this knowledge. This is to walk worthy of the
Lord unto all pleasing, to be increasing in the knowledge of God, Col.
i. 10. Knowledge must be added to virtue; and it layeth a ground for
other Christian virtues, 2 Pet. i. 5, 6. In this knowledge we must not
be barren, 2 Pet. i. 2. And this being so necessary, so desirable, so
useful, and so advantageous a grace, the believer cannot but desire to
have more and more of it, especially seeing it is a part of the image of
God, Col. iii. 10.

Now it is the truth that must teach them here, first and last. "The
light of the knowledge of the glory of God must be had in the face of
Jesus Christ," 2 Cor. iv. 6. The question therefore is, how we should
make use of Jesus Christ for this end, that we may attain to more of
this excellent knowledge.

_First._ It is good to live in the constant conviction of a necessity of
his teaching us, and this taketh in those particulars:

1. That we should be conscious of our ignorance, even when we know most,
or think we know most, remembering that the best knoweth but in part, 1
Cor. xiii. 9. The more true knowledge we attain to, the more will we see
and be convinced of our ignorance; because the more we know, the more
will we discover of the vastness and incomprehensibility of that object,
which is proposed to our knowledge.

2. That we should remember, how deceitful our hearts are; and how ready
they are to sit down up