April 10

Ye know all things. - 1 John 2:20.

THIS must be taken with some restriction, otherwise the assertion would not be true with regard to any individual, not even to an inspired Apostle, who says, “We see in part.” It must therefore be qualified, by being taken with four limitations. First, These “all things” include religious things only; the Apostle does not refer to the knowledge of nature, of commerce, or of policy, or of the arts and sciences; but what Paul calls “the things of the Spirit,” and the things which are of God “and which accompany salvation.”

Secondly, it extends only to all religious things that are revealed- “secret things belong to God, but the things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children.” Where the Scripture is silent, it is better for us to be silent also. The question with us is, What saith the Scripture?

Thirdly, All religious things which are revealed, and which are important. Everything in religion is not equally momentous, though equally true. The grand business of the things which are revealed is to answer the question, “What must I do to be saved?” The grand exhibition is, “Behold the Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world.” What we are required to know is not the decrees of God, but his commands; to study the promises of God rather than his prophecies. As soon as the disciples began to study prophecy, and came to our Saviour, saying, “Lord, wilt thou at this time restore the kingdom unto Israel?” he said, “It is not for you to know the times and the seasons which the Father hath put in his own power.” A man may be a Spiritual man, and yet not know what sort of a creature leviathan was. There are many things in the Scriptures the knowledge of which does not necessarily accompany salvation.

Fourthly, The knowledge of all things revealed is to be considered comparatively, not absolutely and completely; for “who by searching can find out God? who can find out the Almighty to perfection?” As to many of the things revealed, if we can know but little of their nature and mode of existence, or even the mode of their operation, we know them in their results and developments; how little of these we know, and which even the very “angels desire to look into.” They see there is much more to be known, and they come to the church to learn the “manifold wisdom of God.”

“The cross, the manger, and the throne,

Are big with wonders yet unknown.”