Selected quad for the lemma: knowledge_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
knowledge_n	action_n	good_a	know_v	1,425	5	4.0751	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A07450	The Christian mans assuring house. And a sinners conuersion Two sermons; the former, preached, before the Prince his Highnesse at St. Iames: the other to his Maiesties houshold at White-hall, on Sunday the 6. of February by George Meriton Doctor of Diuinitie, and Deane of Peterborough.	Meriton, George, d. 1624.	1614 (1614)	STC 17837; ESTC S112663	30,464	58

her a further search First who this woman was Secondly why her name is concealed Thirdly what was her Sinne Fourthly where was this City question For the first Origen with Theophilact tels vs that there were three Mary Magdalens wherof as they say this was one Chrisostome with whom agreeth Saint Barnard is of opinion that there were but two whereof one was the sister of Lazarns and the other this woman S. Augustine S. Gregory and Beda say plainely there was but one Mary Magdalen making this and the sister of Lazarus and of Martha to be the same vnto whom there were many sinnes remitted and out of whom there were many diuels remooued And albeit some thing might be obiected to the contrary yet for that I finde it to be the common opinion of ancient times I am willing to embrace it the rather for that she was one of them which followed Christ out of Galile where this accident fell out As we finde in the beginning of the next chapter which makes it more probable This woman then was Mary Magdalen question 2 Secondly why would not the Euangelist call her by her name was it because shee was so knowen a sinner in all the city as that shee had thereby as it were lost her proper name Indeed as by good actions names of honour are many times pocured as Aristotle for his knowledge is called the Philosopher Tullie for his eloquence the Oratour so for euill deedes are there oftentimes fastened vpon vs Nicke-names of disgrace As a contentious fellow may in time be called a towne-wrangler a couetous man a citie miser a flattering Preacher a court clawbacke Such perhaps was Maries cafe Shee was so wretched and shamelesse a sinner as in stead of Marie she was called the city-sinner Or was her name suppressed to teach others a lesson that when wee are about to publish the defects of men we should conceale their names so doth Saint Luke in his 16. chapter where describing a rich Glutton he tels of his cruelty he spareth not his particular sinnes yet doth he not publish or proclaime his name Our hatred must be against the sinnes of men and not the men themselues Or is she namelesse to teach all sinners that howsoeuer they heere striue to make their names great to call their lands after their names Psal 49. yet that God will not acknowledge them that before him they shall be namelesse not once remembring them to giue his allowance of them These are likely to be the causes why Mary is heere vnnamed and in place of Marie called a sinner question But what fowle sinne had she committed Some are of opinion that she was vnchaste yet not in body but only in minde and affection and that therfore being vsed to decke her selfe wantonly in light attire she gat the name of a sinner It is commonly found true that outward attire is the token of inward disposition yet for that publike censure passeth vpon none where sinne is secret and that the Euangelist nameth her a sinner in a city a knowen offendour it cannot choose but that her offences were publike in her outward actions Others suppose shee was a common whore prostituting her body to euery commer but this mee thinketh is too sharpe a censure For such for the most part are poore and miserable and know not readily otherwise to relieue themselues but Mary Magdalen was well descended of good wealth she ministred vnto Christ and his disciples out of her owne abundance And therefore it is not likely that she would betake herselfe to so base a trade Most probable it is that amongst other of her sinnes whoredome was one that she had giuen herselfe to idlenesse and so fallen into filthy lust which is a sinne subiect to great reproach especially in a woman of eminent rancke none more for which cause she was publiquely noted and termed a sinner in all the city question 4 This city out of Question was the city Naim in Galile of which wee reade in the eleuenth verse of this chapter which our Euangelist in this place nameth not being needlesse without cause to repeat one thing twice Heere did Christ raise to life the widowes dead son Heere did he raise to grace this sinfull woman In this prouince of Galile was Mary borne in a towne called Magdaleel of which we read in the nineteenth of Iosua and of which towne shee tooke her name Magdalen Now in this city of Galile she hearing of the fame of Christ and being moued in her minde with the strangenesse of the Miracle wrought vpon the widowes sonne being also touched with the spirit of God and resoluing with her selfe that this was the Messias that was to come we may well conceiue by reason of the Sequel her speedy Conuersion which followed that she thus reasoned within her soule Surely he that hath restored to life a dead young man can likewise giue life vnto mee who am deade in my sinnes Hee that onely by a Touch caused the men that bare the corps to stay can compell these to cease which are carrying me to Hell My beauty my riches my liberty my youthfull yeeres they are now transporting mee into the hands of death I will goe vnto this Christ it may bee hee will vouchsafe to touch me with his hand of mercy and can se these porters to stay When a widdow cryed for the death of her sonne hee was mooued with compassion towards her If I then who am motherlesse goe and bewaile mine owne estate if I water his feet with mine owne teares there is hope of mercy for me He that calleth all sinners to repentance will not despise mee though I bee a sinner Surely this is that Prophet which is sent to visit vs I will runne vnto this fountaine I will returne vnto my God from whom I haue gone astray And forthwith sayth the Text when she knew that Iesus sat at the Table in the Pharisies house shee went vnto him Conuersion And heere doth our Euangelist begin to describe her Conuersion Wherein hee imitateth a skilfull painter who first draweth out the lineaments of his picture with a coale or blacke lead and then layeth on liuely colours So doth S. Luke first he noteth out Marie with a black coale and now hee setteth her out with beautifull and perfect colours This first thing obseruable in her Conuersion is her knowledge with all her speed when she knew then she went Knowledge is the first step to amendment of life knowledge of Christ knowledge of our selues both in this woman For vnto a sound Conuersion these three things must concurre 1. A heauenly light in our vnderstanding 2. A holy heat in our will and affections 3. The strength of Gods arme in our works and actions Now a heauenly light in the vnderstanding must go before The first thing which God made in the framing of the world was light and the first thing also which he worketh in our conuersion is light

a true knowledge in our vnderstanding This light this heat this strength of action had this blessed conuert First she knew there was her light Then shee carried a Box of oyntment there was her heat Then she stood she wept she watered she wiped she kissed she annoynted Christs feet Heere was her strength in action Now as the first degree vnto amendment of life is knowledge knowledge of God whom we haue offended and knowledge of our selues who are offendours according to that in the 51 Psalme Wash me O God from mine iniquities and clense me from my sins sayth Dauid why so Because I know mine iniquities and my sinnes are alwaies before me So the second step to Conuersion is presently to goe vnto him that can heale that can pardon that can cure our infirmities Thus went this woman on she had knowledge of Christ and then forthwith she goeth vnto him She knew that her sins were like snakes in her bosome which she would not hauing knowledge of them sleepe with all but by and by labour to rid herselfe from them Vnhappy Pharaoh being plagued with frogges in his Bed in his ouen in his kneading troughes and all his chambers feare caused him to seeke vnto God but when Moses sayd vnto him Exodus 8. 9. verse When shall I pray for thee that these frogges may be destroyed he answereth in the tenth verse that he should doe it to Morrow It had beene fitter for a man in his case to haue requested Moses to pray presently but hee was content to deferre and put off his deliuerance Many are there in the worlde at this day iust of Pharaohs stampe who hauing their sinnes croking in their consciences as the frogges crawled in Pharaohes chambers are yet contented to delay their Conuersion from day to day To Morrow say they or some time heereafter will serue the turne But Marie was of another minde for being a woman whose vsuall commendation is to keepe at home the leaueth her owne house beeing a sinner she steppeth into the house of a Pharisie who could not abide the presence of a Sinner she made no bones contrary to the rule of modesty to thrust herselfe amongest a company that sat at meat nothing could withhold her from the house where her Sauiour was vir● egeno inutilis pud●r sayth the Prouerbe ouermuch shamefastnesse is no profitable vertue for a beggar Marie therefore takes not counsell with the world shee respects not the speech of men which many times cause vs to surcease from good actions she feared not the mockes and scoffes of the Pharisies she stayed not till Christ had dined and come foorth with his disciples she forgat circumstances of behauiour And remembred nothing but God and her sinnes when shee knew where Christ was shee could not rest till shee came vnto him Why could she not haue inuited Christ vnto her owne house as Matthew and Zache did who were also sinners She knew that hee receiued sinners did eat with sinners I but Mary made more haste then so shee had fire in her bowels the Spirit of God was as a flame within her Beside she was an humbled and a broken hearted sinner deeming herselfe now vnwoorthy to receiue Christ vnder the roofe of her house if like a dog she might wait at his feet and there receiue but the crums of his goodnes mercy she thought that enough for her A notable example for vs to follow teaching vs in our necessities both 〈◊〉 whom and how to goe euen to ru●…e vnto our God with a broken heart So did the Centurion in the third verse of this Chapter So did the Cananitish woman Math. 15 So Dauid in all his troubles Lord sayeth he Psalme 143. Deliuer mee from all mine enemies for I hide mee vnder the shadow of thy wings that I may bee defended by thy power So did Moses and Aaron who to auoide the Rage of the people betooke themselues vnto the Tabernacle of their God Numb 16. Vnto this course are wee inuited by our Sauiour himselfe in the 11. of Mathew Come vnto mee you that trauell and are heauy laden and I will refresh you Who euer cried vnto God and was not heard who euer sought him with his heart and did not finde him who euer shrowded himselfe vnder the shadow of his wings and was not protected by him As a father is pittifull vnto his owne children so hath the Lord mercy of them that feare him hee knoweth whereof wee are made hee remembreth that we are but dust When Kings are in their Courts and keepe their Priuy Chambers none may speake vnto them nor yet approch neere them but Nobles and parsonages of great account but if they walke into the fieldes take a iourney or ride a hunting euery shepheard and Peasant of the Country may haue free accesse and speake his minde So may wee say of Christ being in his glory in the Court of heauen in the Chamber of his Maiesty those who familiarly neerely conuersed with him were Angels Archangels Principalities and Powers but being made man and become a Traueller in this worlde Publicans Theeues Harlots notorious Sinners they came vnto him He speaketh he giueth audience to them for Mary a great Sinner resorted vnto him and was receiued The Pelagian heretikes for that Mary went vnto Christ conclude from hence that man hath free wil and power in his owne nature to seeke after God But the truth is that he who receiued Mary did also make her come Therefore doth Gregory call Christ both trahentem and suscipientem the drawer and the receiuer Riuers runne howerly into the Sea yet doth not the Sea thereby ouerslow the banckes because as the Preacher tells vs out of the Sea did they first proceed Secretly doth the Sea by pores and hidden veines send his waters out publikely by riuers receiueth them home againe Euen so did Christ with this woman he called her secretly he instilled deuotion loue repentance into her heart he called her vnto him by priuate inspiration but he receiued her openly as the Sea doth the riuers The gifts of grace which after an inuisible manner did issue from him by a visible returning were made acceptable vnto him Surely if Christ had not called Mary had neuer thought of comming The spirit came saith Ezechiel in his second chapter and set me vpon my feet If the spirit had not entred the prophet had not been raised neither can sinners rise till Gods spirit raise them vp they cannot goe till they be mooued They are not vnlike the Eccho in the wood for as the Eccho hath no power to speake first but onely to answer so is it with all kinde of sinners Gods voice must sound before they haue power to speake He must draw before they can obey Hee must often call yet will they slowly answer And herein also doe they resemble the Eccho which though many words be spoken yeelds but few againe Mary then being priuately called did openly come