They are all head but no feet by Thomas Watson. A sermon is never rightly heard until it is practiced. If you know these things, happy are you if you do them. John 13 verse 17. Christ does not put happiness upon knowing, but upon doing. It is not knowledge of the points of religion, but practice which renders a man truly happy and blessed. Luke 6 verse 46, Why do you call me Lord, Lord, and don't do the things I say?

It is not the mere knowledge and acceptance of the most glorious gospel truths which will bring a man to heaven. If a man could fluently discourse on all scriptural truths, if his head were a treasury of wisdom, an ocean of learning, yet this would not entitle him to happiness. His knowledge might make him admired by men, but not blessed by God. If a man knew and believed all the doctrines of Scripture, this would not crown him with eternal happiness. Knowledge is a fair garland to look upon, but it is like Rachel. Though she was beautiful, yet being barren, she said, Give me children or I die. Just so, if knowledge does not bring forth the child of obedience, it will die and come to nothing.

I would by no means disparage knowledge. Knowledge is the pilot to guide us in our obedience. Yet, knowledge must usher in obedience. Knowledge may put us into the way of happiness, but it is only practice which brings us there. Knowledge alone does not make a man better. Therefore, it cannot make him happy and blessed. Bare knowledge has no influence. It does not leave a spiritual tincture of holiness behind. Knowledge informs, not transforms. Knowledge of itself has no power upon the heart to make it more holy. The bare knowledge is like weak medicine, which does not work. It does not warm the affections, nor purge the conscience. It does not fetch virtue from Christ to dry up the bloody issue of sin.

A man may receive the light of the truth, yet not love the truth. They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. 2 Thessalonians 2 verse 10. The apostle calls it a form of knowledge. Romans 2 verse 20. Knowledge alone is but a dead form, having nothing to animate it. He who has knowledge alone is a spiritual stillborn. He looks like a Christian but has neither appetite nor motion. Knowledge alone makes men monsters in religion. They are all head but no feet. They do not walk in Christ, Colossians 2 verse 6.

A man may have scriptural knowledge and still be profane. He may have a clear head and a foul heart. The understanding may be illumined when the foot treads in unholy paths. If knowledge is divorced from practice and does not make a man better, then it cannot make a man eternally happy and blessed. If bare knowledge will save, then all who have knowledge shall be saved. But that is not true. For then Judas would be saved, for he had knowledge enough. Then the devil would be saved. A man may have right knowledge and be no better than a devil. Hell is full of learned heads.

Knowledge alone makes a man's case worse. Knowledge takes away all excuse. Knowledge adds to a man's torment. Woe to you! I tell you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom on that day of judgment than for you. It will be better with heathen than with professing Christians living in a contradiction to their knowledge." Luke 12, verse 47. The servant will be severely punished, for though he knew his duty, he refused to do it. Knowledge without practice serves only as a torch to light men to hell. The brighter the light, the hotter the fire.

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