Selected quad for the lemma: knowledge_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
knowledge_n	add_v	brotherly_a	godliness_n	1,776	5	9.4522	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A88816	Gospel-separation separated from its abuses; or The saints guide in Gospel-fellowship. Whereby they may be directed not onely to preserve the purity, but withall the unity of Gospel-worship: by a well-wisher to Sions purity and unity, R.L. Imprimatur. Joseph Caryl.	Lawrence, Richard, d. 1684.	1657 (1657)	Wing L676; Thomason E1613_5; ESTC R202679	77,723	176

and David my Servant shall be King over them and they all shal have one Shepherd so Zech. 14.9 And the Lord shall be King over all the earth in that day shall there be one Lord and his name one But more particularly 1. This glorious union of Gods Church would renew its strength that though now in its divided shattered state it shews it self like Israel scattered abroad throughout all the Land of Egypt to gather stubble Exod. 5.12 in which state every Petty task-master of Pharcah can exercise Tyranny over them ve●s 14. but if once united they would then be in the sight of their enemies as Israel gathered together was in the plains of Moab terrible for their enemies to look upon Numb 22.3 their beholders then instead of cursing of them would say How goodly are thy tents O Jacob and thy Tabernacles O Israel Numbers 24.5 He hath as it were the strength of an Vnicorn he shall eat up the Nations his enemies and shall break their bones and pierce them through with his arrows verse 8. The Church in its united State is like a City with walls and bulwarks Isa 26.1 In that day shall this song be sung in the Land of Judah We have a strong City Salvation will God appoint for walls and bulwarks Beautifull as Tirzah comly as Jerusalem Terrible as an Army with Baxners Cant. 6.4 10. 2. The renewing of the Churches unity would renew its purity when there shall be One Lord and his Name One Zach. 14.9 Every Pot in Judah and Jerusalem shall be holy unto the Lord verse 21. The way of the Lord shall then be called the way of holiness Isay 35.8 compared with the 9th The Gates of the holy City might then be shut that there should no more pass through the uncircumcised and unclean 3. The Churches unity would repair its reputation and esteem the precious sons of Sion more precious then fine gold how are they esteemed as earthen Pitchers in their scattered divided State Lam. 4.2 The Church may then truly complain how is the gold become dim the most fine gold changed the stones of the Sanctuary are poured out on the top of every street verse 1. they are despised as the Common pibbles of the Brook every vile abject every mean base vile-spirited man can look uppon precious Saints if but branded with a nicknamed Religion as a meaner creature then himself of which the Church complains Psal 44.11 Thou hast given us like sheep appointed for meat and hast scattered us among the heathen and from thence in the 13th verse complains thou makest us a reproach to our neighbours and a scorn and derision to them that are round about us thou makest us a by-word among the heathen and a shaking of the head among the people But when Sion comes to be a City with Walls and Towers Psal 48.12 13. then Beautifull for stituation the joy of the whole earth is mount Sion verse 2. then the abjects and base people shall be so far from scorning her and shaking the head at her That loe Kings when assembled and pass by together shall see her they shall marvel and be troubled and haste away fear shall take hold upon them and pain as on a woman in travel verses 4 5 6. 4. The renewing the unity of the Church will renew the growth and increase of the Church it is a sad and just complaint of many of the godly in these dayes that converting work ceaseth we are spending all upon the old Stock Why what hinders as a second cause so much as our divisions I am perswaded that never since the ascention of him that ascended up on high to give gifts unto men and the cessation of extraordinary gifts there hath been such a measure of spiritual gifts given forth as this day affoords never more painfull Labourers sent into Gods harvest nor more able faithfull Pastors and Teachers given to his Churches of all perswasions for the perfecting of the Saints for the work of the Ministry for the edifying of the body of Christ Ephes 4.11 12. But this overflowing spirit of Division like a sweeping rain in harvest carries all the fruit away or like the frosts in spring nips all in the bud This spirit may well be reckoned as the chief of those little foxes that spoils the vines for our vines have tender grapes as Cant. 2.15 for no sooner is a soul brought to a sense of his lost estate by nature and begins to enquire after Christ to say with the Jaylor What shall I do but forthwith it meets with from this spirit such a multitude of needless or at lest unseasonable questions and doubts in its minde about some of the points in controversie that dissolves all its beginnings of heart-work into head-work that most of Christs new born babes at this day instead of desiring the sincere milk of the word to grow thereby 1 Pet. 2.2 will at first begin to drink wine and feed on strong meat which they being not able to digest fall into spiritual surfeits from whence proceed spiritual loathings of heavenly things spiritual sicknesses and diseases of all sorts which so many poor Professors at this day lie languishing under whereas if once the Lord should unite his people upon the principles of visible grace all would then be joyntly concerned chiefly to propagate those principles of grace and godliness upon which they were united and though most of the points in controversie might remain of weight upon the hearts of all that sincerely hold them to be faithfull to their consciences in walking up in the practice of them yet there would be an holy tenderness of troubling the heads of young Converts or weak Christians with unreasonable scruples but each sober mind would take the Apostles advice Rom. 14.1 Him that is weak in the faith receive you but not to doubtfull disputations And with the Apostle Peter would exhort them to add to their faith vertue and to vertue knowledge and to knowledge temperance and to temperance patience and to patience godliness and to godliness brotherly kindeness and to brotherly kindness charity 2 Pet. 1.5 6 7. and to tell them if these things be in them and abound they shall neither be barren nor unfruitfull in the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ verse 8. That the unity of Gods people in principles of visible grace and godliness would much tend to the encrease and growth of Gods Church therefore in the glorious day of the Churches Vnion Isa 60. when violence shall no more be heard in the land nor wasting nor destruction within thy borders but thou shalt call thy walls Salvation and thy gates praise verse 18. Then shall Kings come to thy light and Kings to the brightness of thy rising verse 3. then shall the Abundance of the Sea be Converted unto thee verse 5. It shall be then said who are these that flye like a Cloud and as the Doves to the Windows verse 8. The Sons also

Abrahams seed and heirs according to promise and in the 7th verse Know you therefore that they which are of Faith the same are the children of Abraham And for the Antitype of Circumcision it is evident to be the inward work of grace in the heart In whom also ye are circumcised with the Circumcision made without hands in putting off the body of the sins of the Flesh by the Circumcision of Christ and so Rom. 2.28 29. Rom. 4.9 10 11 12. and divers other places Now that which I desire you to observe in order to the finding out the everlasting infallible bounds of Gods true Church and Character of his true children on earth is that these Anti-types of Abraham's fleshly Seed and Circumcision are made use of in the Gospel and pleaded for the same end That the Types themselves were under the Law as you may read at large in the Epistles to the Romans and Galatians the chief drift and scope of those Epistles being to convince the Jews that what they formerly enjoyed by vertue of Abraham's Covenant were now made out to believers by Faith in Christ pleading with them that now all partition walls betwixt Jew Gentile were broken down Eph. 2.13 14. And shewing that in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing nor uncircumcision but faith which worketh by Love Ga. 5.6 And so Peter Act. 10.34 said Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of Persons but in every Nation he that feareth him and worketh Righteousness is accepted of him and if you do but consider the Apostles Arguments in the aforesaid Epistles to prove the Gentiles to be fellow-Heirs with the Jews and of the same body partakers of his promise in Christ by the Gospel as in Eph. 3.6 you shall find he proves it by proving that they are Abrahams seed Rom. 4.15 16 17. Rom. 9.7 8. Gal. 3.16 29. And therefore heirs according to promise Rom. 8.17 Gal. 3.29 Eph. 3.6 And that they were not of the uncircumcised but were the true circumcision Rom. 2.25 26 27 28 29. Rom. 4.9 10. 1 Cor. 7.19 Phil. 3.3 Col. 2.11 From all which Scriptures and abundance more that might be added of like tendency it is evident that the distinguishing Character of Gods People and Church in Abrahams Covenant continues the same and ought to be observed by Gods Ministers and People to the end of the world to be the true unalterable and infallible bound of Gods Church and mark of Gods Children The swerving from which hath led into all those confusions and divisions which are at this day in Gods Church most particular opinions and perswasions laying waste those old Church bounds and clipping off Gods antient Sheep mark would confine the place of his flock to their own Folds and owne none to be his Pasture sheep but such as will receive their by marks against whom the Sons of the Church of Christ may justly take up that complaint Labans sons made against Jacob Gen. 31.1 He hath taken away all that was our Fathers And of that which was our fathers hath he gotten all this glory Some on the one hand wholy breaking down this hedge about Gods Vineyard they will not so-much as admit of an inward work of grace and regeneration of heart of being born again which is the undoubted type of Circumcision and Abrahams seed as before to be the visible bound of Gods visible Church and mark of visible Saints but content themselves with a bare profession of the Christian Religion and some others there are as we minded before will add some further uncertain disputable qualifications of knowledge and suitable conversation But doubtless this unsound Principle hath Antichrist set himself upon his thron by and laid Waste the mountain of God by and trodden under his Feet the holy City by This hath let in the Boare out of the wood and the wild Beasts out of the Field to devoure that it is time for the Church to cry out against this Principle with the Prophet Isay 64.10 Sion is a wilderness Jerusalem a desolation and to plead with the Lord in the words of the Psalmist Why hast thou broken down her hedges so that all they which passe by the way do pluck her the Boar of the forrest doth waste it and the wild beast of the Field doth devoure it Psal 80.12.13 For it is evident that Antichrist if you do but observe the History of the Churches declining state made his way into Gods Church and ushered all his train of false Prophets and false Doctrines by laying waste the Churches true fence and bounds and by laying the garden enclosed Cant. 4.12 into an open field in which every unclean beast may make his den and pass through Psal 80.12 13. And as these ancient bounds of Gods Church are again discovered and made up that our spiritual watchmen may keep their guards upon the towers of these holy walls so shall the Churches purity and unity be recovered But now there are some other Christians that admit visible grace and holiness to be a distinction nay the chief and main distinction betwixt Gods Church and the world beleevers and unbeleevers but they will not admit it to be the onely distinction but will add some other private mark according to their particular opinions and perswasions some doctrine or practice that they have attained to some different understanding in from the rest of Gods people must be as a post of their own set up by Gods post as in Ezek. 43.8 in the bounds of his Church Now though this be not so dangerous as the former in regard it preserves holiness and visible grace as the main rule or bound yet the effect of this error is very sad for this was the apparent inlet of all those divisions and carnal contentions that happened in the Church of Corinth and the rest of the Churches in the Primitive times and that continues and increaseth the same at this day even to the hazard of the total ruine and destruction of the Church of Christ as we shall more at large prove when we come to speak of the particular evil consequences of it For Jerusalem must not onely be as a City of righteousness an holy City Isa 52.1 Isa 1.26 but as a City compact Psal 122.3 A City with walls Psal 51.18 Lam. 2.8 18. Cant. 5.7 Now the way to avoid both these extreams is to observe the bounds and marks that God hath set about his Church to walk about Sion and go round about her and tell the towers thereof mark ye well her Bulwarks and consider her Palaces that ye may tell it the generations following the right observation and preserving of which would make the Church to be comly as Jerusalem Cant. 6.4 God would then be known in her Palaces for a refuge Psal 48.3 we should then behold how good and pleasant a thing it is for brethren to dwell together in unity Psal 133.1 But for the first and worst