PREPARATORY INSTRUCTION INSTRUCTIONS FROM THE CATECHIST

REV. BERNARDUS SMYTEGELT

The saving knowledge of God.

Q. Can it also consist with grace that a person is assaulted whether this Word is true?

A. Yes, we think there are few who have entered into heaven without tasting thereof. The devil always attempts to stir up unbelief. But when these assaults come, we must not give in to them but immediately examine the arguments proposed by us and firmly believe that the Word is truth. And if the devil still comes to us with objections, we must not expose ourselves too much and do not even give him a hearing. Simply say to him, “I have no time, answer it yourself!” — then he will flee.

Q. Does this book teach us to know more of God than the books of nature and conscience?

A. Yes, it not only teaches us the knowledge, 1st, That there is a God, but also 2nd. Who this God is, 3rd. That there is a Triune God, 4th. What He is willing to be for an unworthy sinner; that the Father is full of mercy in His Son even for the greatest of sinners; that there is a Council of Peace, a Mediator, and a Spirit to open the heart and enlighten the mind, 5th. It teaches us to know ourselves as being miserable and that there is deliverance and that upon this will follow gratitude.

Q. Supposing a person knows all this, is that enough?

A. No; with this we must say —

1. Let me with this knowledge have inward light and know Thee as my salvation.

2. If it pleases Thee, O Lord! Let me know inwardly that which Thou hast promised to pour out upon all flesh — that Thy sons and daughters shall prophesy and all Thy children shall be taught of the Lord. Outward knowledge is not sufficient to salvation.

3. Such a soul will say, “Lord, I desire that Thou would give me to know it in such a way that I would experience it with power in my heart.” It was this that David experienced, “O taste and see that the Lord is good!” The soul, which is taught in the inner-chamber and led into the banquetting-house, tastes and sees by experience the blessedness of that knowledge and must say. “Who is a Minister as Thou, Who preaches to the heart as one having power?” We will then say, we will part with our wisdom which dwells in foolish I, because the carnal mind is enmity against God.

Q. From what can we know that this knowledge is soul-saving?

A. 1. Historical or letter knowledge desires only wisdom, but spiritual knowledge loves the truth. “O how love I Thy law,” Psalm 119:97.

2. Where it is to the saving of the soul, there it makes humble; it is lodged in the heart. Historical knowledge is only in the head and mind and it puffs up; when spiritual, by its light it humbles, causing such to learn to know God in His greatness and themselves in their insignificance and littleness.

3. Where it is a saving knowledge it is modest and unassuming; it is not anxious to quarrel; they do not envy those who know more and those who know less they do not depise.

4. Such a soul always desires to increase in knowledge. They say, “No matter where I turn, I always find something new, something which I did not understand before.”

5. They take notice of their conduct whether it corresponds with their knowledge; and where they do not find it as such, it is to their great shame.

6. Letter knowledge is an enemy to all inward work; they can not endure what is spiritual; they lack those gifts and can not bear that others have them. To such they give evil names, for instance, simple, silly, or too precise and oftentimes they imagine themselves to be a thousand times wiser in spiritual things than those who truly possess spiritual knowledge; and they also want to speak differently about the Bible.

Q. Is it a great blessing for a person if God gives him this real wisdom?

A. Yes! It is his ornament. We read in Jeremiah, “Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom; but herein, that he understandeth and knoweth Me.” It is not only his ornament but it is all his delight when that man may see all the things which God does. Every work of God is equally new. This knowledge is a tree of life. The means and ways in which to obtain this knowledge of God are these:

1. The book of nature.

2. The conscience.

3. The Scriptures which are given to us so that we would learn to examine ourselves thereby and so by degrees come to the knowledge of our misery.

To be continued.

Deze tekst is geautomatiseerd gemaakt en kan nog fouten bevatten. Digibron werkt voortdurend aan correctie. Klik voor het origineel door naar de pdf. Voor opmerkingen, vragen, informatie: contact.

Op Digibron -en alle daarin opgenomen content- is het databankrecht van toepassing. Gebruiksvoorwaarden. Data protection law applies to Digibron and the content of this database. Terms of use.

Printen