Selected quad for the lemma: knowledge_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
knowledge_n	believe_v	faith_n	ignorance_n	1,362	5	9.1101	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A61638	Shecinah, or, A demonstration of the divine presence in the places of religious worship being an essay, tending to promote piety, prevent apostacy, and to reduce grosly deluded souls, first to their right wits, then to the right waies, of Gods publick instituted worship / by John Stillingfleete ...	Stillingfleet, John, 1630 or 1-1687.	1663 (1663)	Wing S5680; ESTC R9466	109,230	256

such of all other men they are the worst and their condemnation will be the greatest Let mee leave with such one Latine sentence out of which they may easily pick plain English Arrows Tas. Sacra Pessima creaturarum visibilium est homo degener pessimus hominum pseudo-Christianus Christianorum vero pessimus nequam Verbi Minister The above-named particulars are some qualifications of Gospel-Stewards Christ is signally present in his Ordinances when his Stewards are faithful dispensers of the Word § 6. 3. Gospel-Ministers are co-workers together with God this speaks Gods Presence with them 2 Cor. 6.1 1 Cor. 3 9 Wee therefore as workers together with him beseech you not to receive the Grace of God in vain For wee are labourers together with God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 If Ministers are fellow-labourers together with God in the doing good to souls then certainly God is present in his Worship by his Ministers Mark 16. ●0 They went forth and preached every where the Lord working with them 1. Ministers do work together with God Behold here is infinite condiscention of God towards Ministers that God who can with one word convert and save souls as well as create a world yet should vouchsafe to admit men his fellow-workers for the conversion of souls 'T is true Grotius in Ep. ad Philem v. 10. Dei opus est regignere hominem 't is Gods work to regenerate and convert souls but God pleases to use the Ministers as his Instruments in the work And God by the secret grace and virtue and power of the Spirit works in them and by them Hee joyns himself to the Ministers resigns not his right but only communicates his power with them and graceth his Instruments with the honour and title of the work Thus God doth not onely speak to us after the manner of men but also by the Ministry of men Rom. 11.14 and that so that they by their Ministry are said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to save us Therefore 2. The Lord truly works together with the Ministers Mark 16.20 The Lord working with them It is an high priviledge onely to be the Servants of God in the work of the Ministry but this is common to us with other Saints But to be Fellow-labourens with God in the salvation of souls this is a peece of singular favour God vouchsafes to Gospel-Ministers The Angels are Gods Servants too being his Ministring Spirits but to which of the Angels hath God said at any time they are his fellow-labourers Both waies the Presence of God is evidenced with the Ministers of the Gospel § 7. Object But is it not derogatory to God to have Man as a co-worker with him in the conversion of souls is not Faith by which wee are saved the gift of God Answ 1. God is the principal cause man onely by the Ministry of the Word is the instrumental cause and so Gods glory and mans duty may very well stand together 2. In saving Faith wee must distinguish these two things First There is the knowledge of the things to be beleeved Secondly An assent of the heart to those credenda or things to be beleeved First Then the knowledge of things to be beleeved ariseth from the word preached by Gospel-Ministers Gospel saving knowledge is not communicated now adaies by revelations and immediate inspirations but by the Word preached and heard Rom. 10.14 See Rom. 1.16 How shall they beleeve on him of whom they have not heard and how shall they hear without a Preacher Now Ministers are co-workers with God because Faith depends on the Word preached by them as a necessary Instrument for its production as to the knowledge of things to be beleeved Secondly As for that Internal Assent of the heart whereby a Beleever doth firmly apprehend and comfortably apply the Doctrine propounded of things to be beleeved this ariseth from the habit of Faith infused by Gods Spirit The Doctrine of Faith is preached and promulged by men herein they are co-workers with God But the habit of Faith that is infused and implanted by God alone without any concurrence of the Preacher Thus it is the gift of God Man propounds truths to the soul by his preaching God by his Spirit makes us beleeve those Truths preached and propounded Thus have I cleared the third Argument CHAP. X. Practical deductions from Gods Presence with his Ministers The Ministers dignity Their duty As Embassadours As Stewards As Co-workers with God People must eye God and not men Prize Gospel truths Not be prejudiced against nor undervaluers of Gospel Ministers Good grounds for Ministers to Preach and people to hear § 1. FRom this third Argument to prove Gods Presence in Religious worship as being represented by the Ministers of the Gospel These practical deductions might be prosecuted and enlarged upon which I shall briefly name and come to the fourth and last Argument 1. It informs Ministers of two things First Of their Dignity That God should set them in the Church to represent the Majesty of Heaven This ought not to puff up pride in Ministers but to cause humble admiration of Gods goodnesse to honour their weaknesse so farre as to be the representatives of God himself This may vindicate them from contempt amongst men An affront is offered to the Prince by affronting of his Embassador So God is affronted by any indignities that are offered to His Ministers He that despiseth 1 Thes 4.8 despiseth not man but God Corinth was ruined by the Romans for abuse of Embassadors And it were just with God to destroy any place or person for the contempt of his Ministers § 2. Secondly it informs Ministers of their duty Gods Presence with them calls for a three-fold duty from them 1. As Embassadors they must eye that mainly that God sent them about viz. The salvation of Souls Wee pray you in Christs stead be yee reconciled to God 2 Cor. 5.20 Here is the main end of our Preaching and your hearing that you may be reconciled How then can any have so impudent a face as to pretend they are sent of God who make railing and reviling of others to bee their work with a neglect of the salvation of Souls and holding out the VVord of reconciliation § 3. 2. As Stewards of the mysteries of God they must bee faithful 1 Cor. 4.2 It 's required in Stewards that they be faithful That is that they keep nothing back from the people of God but discover to them according to their ability the whole councel and will of God that they deal faithfully with them in all things that they may render a good account of their Stewardship at the great Audit Now this faithfulnesse of Gods Stewards is seen in these two things First Davenantius in Col. c. 1. v. 7. that they seek Gods honour and not their own praise Hee seeks the glory and honour of God that speaks as the Oracles of God that God in all things

character had this been of St. Pauls Christianity and Saintship I live according to the light within I am directed by the rule of Reason I avoid all those gross sins that the light of nature checks mee for I am no sensualist nor swearer nor drunkard nor adulterer or prophane person yea but what is all this to the life of Faith in the Son of God And indeed Paul could have said all that and much more whilst hee was in his wretched estate of unregeneracy Yea as touching the Righteousness of the Law hee was blameless Phil. 3.6 Hee was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 such an one that in the judgement of others hee could not be complained of as a breaker of any Law hee was a strict Pharisee a very exact observer of Gods Law Yet how doth hee esteem of these things which once hee counted his gain vers 7. Vers ● But what things were gain to mee these I counted loss for Christ The inside the outside the all of a Moralist reaches no further than the meer outside of a true Beleever I have sometimes thought that the Pharisees prayer which describes his profession of Holiness meerly by negatives was a pretty exact character of that Religion that is most exactly squared by the Light within Quaker God I thank thee sayes the Pharisee that I am not as other men are Extortioners Unjust Adulterers or even as this Pablican Luk. 18. Thus they ordinarily make up their Profession of Negatives they are none of the debaucht prophane swearing rabble Alas what is all this to the Positive part of Christianity to the life of Faith and Holiness in a crucified Jesus and depending upon his Righteousness for eternal salvation Look but to the Positive Practical part of a Pharisees Religion see how they are shamefully out-stript Vers 12. I fast twice in the week Vers 12 I give Tithes of all that I possess Alas what hopes of Heaven in the way of such a Profession that leaves men far short of Pharisaical Holiness When as our Saviour in his Sermon on the Mount tells us plainly Mat. 5. ● Except your Righteousness exceed the Righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees yee shall in no case enter into the Kingdome of Heaven Well! when all is done the life of Faith is the life that a true Christian must lead that will bring him to Heaven This the Word of God teaches and this was St. Pauls practice when hee out-went his own former Pharisaical Holiness Phil. 3.8 9 I do count all things but dung that I may win Christ and be found in him not having mine own Righteousness which is of the Law but that which is through the Faith of Christ the Righteousness which is of God by Faith § 6. Secondly Heavenly-mindednesse 'T is the VVord of God onely directs us to this ●ol 3.2 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Set your affections upon things that are above not upon things that are below The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To set our affections implyes a double act of the soul the one of the mind meditating the other of the will loving and embracing Things above should be objects of a true Christians thoughts will and affections Doth any Loadstone in the world draw Heaven-ward except the VVord of God To mind things that are above is quite crosse to our natural inclinations and our carnal desires And if ever wee are effectual in this duty wee must attribute it wholly to Gods Presence in his VVord that sets it home closely and powerfully upon our hearts Hence S. Paul Phil. 3.2 Our Conversation is in Heaven 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 our Citizen-ship it is in Heaven The VVord of God is a Christians Charter that entitles him to be a Citizen of the New Jerusalem Look to the wisest man in the world that wants Grace and the direction of the VVord hee hath much of the Devil and of the Beast in him his very wisdome is both sensual and Devilish VVill not such as these are stand upon their own heads and shake their heels against Heaven rather than set their hearts and affections and minds there 'T is the VVord of God alone that herein is like to water which mounts up as high as its first rise it had its Original from Heaven and it rests not till it brings mens minds thither again at present and both soul and body too of all true Beleevers at the last § 7. 3. Mortification of all the most hidden and secret sins Rom. 6 1● Col 3.5 Let not sin raign in your mortal bodies c. Mortisie therefore your members that are upon the earth that is wee must study how to repress and beat down all our corrupt nature however it breaks out whatever affections or unlawful actions do arise wee must slay in their first rising This is a peculiar injunction of the VVord of God to promote inward mortification of the whole body of sin and all the members thereof And this speaks First A serious purpose of resisting of sin and this turns the heart from the waies of sin Secondly An avoiding all the occasions of sin this keeps the heart from returning unto sin Thirdly A daily use of the best means to subdue sin this helps us to a constancy in our purpose against sin that wee may prosperously go on in this work of God § 8. 4. Inward Humility of the mind Be clothed with Humility Pet. 5.5 1 Pet. 5.5 To make Humility the inward ornament of the soul is onely an effect of the VVord of God which no other Rules can reach unto And herein the VVord of God is no waies unreasonable in this Rule for our inward soul-adorning If wee consider man either as a creature depending upon God or as a sinful creature defiled with Original sin or as a renewed creature accomplished with grace the free issue and product of Gods distinguishing mercy who may by grace become sincere but can never be made innocent or as one endowed with humane Learning though his knowledge be much yet his ignorance is greater Such like considerations as these are speaks it highly rational for a man to be truly humble The highest Moralists are ignorant of this spiritual duty because they are unacquainted with those pressing motives that the Word of God urges us to humility with Let never so great a shew of humility be made if wee own not the Word to teach us our very humility will discover our pride Wee may perhaps make a shew of humility because there is some real comeliness in that grace but not in that way or manner that the Word directs us and so wee discover our pride in that wee will not be beholding to the Word to teach us Such duties as these are come not from corrupt nature nor indeed can they for nothing crosses it more than these VVe need not suspect the Devil to have a hand in the putting of us upon the sincere