school prep...
I was reading Thomas Watson's "The Godly Man's Picture", which I would highly recommend for all men to read, and I wanted to share this quote with you. He is under the point that godly men prize Christ above everything else. In this quote he is referring to people who prize worldly knowledge above Christ. I hope this encourages and motivates you as you prepare for another year of learning.
Airy theorists, who prefer the study of arts and sciences before Christ. Not that knowledge of these is not commendable: 'Moses was learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians' (Acts 7:22). Human learning is of good use to prepare for the study of better things, as a coarser dye prepares the cloth for a richer and a deeper dye. But the fault is when the study of Christ is neglected. The knowledge of Christ ought to have pre-eminence...One leaf of this tree of life will give us more comfort on a death-bed than the whole idea and platform of human science. What is it to know all the motions of the orbs and influences of the stars, and in the meantime to be ignorant of Christ, the bright Morning Star (Rev. 22:16)? What is it to understand the nature of minerals or precious stones, and not to know Christ the true Cornerstone (Isa. 28:16)?
Let us so prize Christ that all the knowledge in the world could not compare to knowing Him!
posted by Elizabeth Plewniak at 10:40 AM
3 Comments:
Hey Mike,
J. Edwards has some great things to say about this in his sermon on Christian Knowledge. The whole thing is worth reading but here is one snip that really goes with what Watson was saying:
On the value of pursuing Divine Knowledge:
"They are so excellent and worthy to be known, that the knowledge of them will richly pay for all the pains and labour of an earnest seeking of it. If there were a great treasure of gold and pearls accidentally found, and opened with such circumstances that all might have as much as they could gather; would not every one think it worth his while to make a business of gathering while it should last? But that treasure of divine knowledge, which is contained in the Scriptures, and is provided for every one to gather to himself as much of it as he can, is far more rich than any one of gold and pearls. How busy are all sorts of men, all over the world, in getting riches! But this knowledge is a far better kind of riches, than that after which they so diligently and laboriously pursue."
Sweet!
10:20 AM
I like how he says, "Human learning is of good use to prepare for the study of better things, as a coarser dye prepares the cloth for a richer and a deeper dye." Though worldly knowledge without Christ will puff us up, may it encourage all the students who struggle with the value of their courses: worldly knowledge can also prepare our hearts to understand the richer things of Christ. When we've fed our souls with Christ, "the orbs and influences of of the stars," do point us to the bright Morning Star; and the "nature of minerals and precious stones" does direct us to the true Cornerstone and the pearl of greatest price. :D I miss the opportunities, so intense in college, to contemplate the glories of God in the created sphere. So students...take advantage of this time!!
2:21 PM
also, GREAT quotes, Jeff and Mike! Thanks for posting them! :D
2:22 PM
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