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
A77486	Brightman redivivus: or The post-humian of-spring of Mr. Thomas Brightman, in IIII. sermons. Viz. [brace] 1. Of the two covenants. 2. The danger of scandals. 3. Gods commission to Christ to preach the Gospell. 4. The saints securitie.	Brightman, Thomas, 1562-1607.; Halsted, John.	1647 (1647)	Wing B4691; Thomason E375_16; ESTC R201349	89,168	128

this certain perswasion common to all Christians But rather hereby is meant that justifying Faith whereby we are perswaded and assured that our selves with all ours are acceptable to God through Christ with the object and ground of this Faith to wit the Gospell and Promises of God For though wee were most certaine that that we doe is lawfull and expedient yet unlesse it come from this Faith it is sin and cannot please God For such workes as cannot expect God a rewarder of them by his Promise such as are all those that are done without this Faith though they be most glorious outwardly yet they cannot stand before God Object It may be asked how then must this be done that all our actions may be grounded on Faith Answ To this answer is made that Paul teaches this plainly Colos 1.10 11 12 and Colos 3.16 17. What ever you doe do all to the glory of God Object If it be demanded how all things may be done after this manner Answ The next words do teach giving Thankes or rather being Acceptable verse 15. So that the meaning of Paul in this place is Doe all things in the name of Iesus and daily thinke of that infinite mercy of God which you have obtayned by Iesus Christ and therefore what ever you doe in word or worke study to shew your selves thankefull to GOD through CHRIST The like direction St. Paul gives Colos 2.6 7. So walke in Christ rooted and built and stablished in the Faith Sure a most godly and wholsome Precept For if the sense of Gods mercy did alwayes dwell in our hearts and that we would examine all our thoughts sayings and deeds thereby as by a Goldsmiths Scales what dishonest things would at any time bee undertaken of us or if it were begun would not soone be rejected with many Teares Esra 9.13 14. Who would not accuse himselfe sinning and secretly reprove himself after this manner Is this my wicked thought saying or deed worthy and beseeming him all whose sins God hath pardoned in Christ whom he hath drawn out of the jawes of Death whom he hath adopted for his Son and heire of everlasting life Shall I shew my selfe thus thankfull for all his benefits Deut. 32.6 Yea rather O God! Seeing my goodnesse extends not to thee Psa 16. I will take the cup of Salvation and give thankes I will admire thy goodnesse saying Lord what is man Psal 144.2 3. Thus if we would square all our projects according to the Gospell apprehended by Faith we should not build Hey Stubble but Silver and Gold And thus much of the first Point of applying all our actions to the rule of Faith Now it followes how we may apply it to increase our Faith There are divers degrees of Faith There is a little Faith Math. 8.26 There is a great Faith Math. 15.28 There is a fulnesse of Faith Rom. 4.21 of Abraham who was fully perswaded and assured and then the mind and heart of a Christian is like to a Ship carryed with a full sayle Heb. 10.22 Yet this is not meant that the Faith of the best is perfit in it selfe but respectively in comparison of those that are weaker Hence 1 Iohn 2.14 15. divers names of ages are given to Faith For it hath its Maturity I write to you Fathers that is to you which have long beleeved and increased in Faith Faith hath its youth I write to you young men It hath its Infancy I write to you Children and Babes For these ages St. Iohn doth Spiritually understand for the measure of the knowledge of Christ and for the time which they had for the getting thereof Mark 4.28 Our hearts when they have received the seed of the Word are compared to the Earth which first brings forth the Grasse then the stalke then the fruit in the stalke noting the increase of Faith and Grace Which also is done in the Parable of the Mustard-seed and of the Leaven Math. 13 And the Gospel doth acknowledge no other righteousnesse for Salvation then that which is of Faith to Faith that is from a lesser degree to a greater So that let this be the Point Doct. That Faith as soone as it is cast into the heart is not sodainly perfit but as seed hath its daily increasing Hence 2 Thes 1. chap. 3. Paul praises God and commends the Thessalonians for increasing in Faith And yet further exhorts them to it 1 Thes 3.1 2. And Paul though he commend and that justly the Faith of the Romaines Rom. 1.4 Yet he desires to see them to strengthen them and exhorts them to go on Rom. 15.14 So then hence it followes that every one must carefully endeavour that his weake Faith may be increased and that he grow on forward to Grace Phil. 3.12 13 14. St. Paul sets himselfe for a president Solomon avouches that the Righteous man mounts in increase of Righteousnesse as the Sun doth till it come to his full height Prov. 4.18 Ephes 4.11 12 13. There is shewed that it was a chief end of Christs Ascention to Heaven to furnish his Church with such gifts as that every member might attaine his due proportion and St. Peter shewes that all the Faitfull are as living Stones which daily doe increase 1 Pet. 2.7 Whosoever therfore he be whither Noble or Ignoble learned or unlearned unlesse he be a living stone he is not a Stone of this building For as S. Pet. teaches 2 Ep. 1.6 7 v. Vnlesse there be a joyning of one Grace to another Christians will be idle and unprofitable in the knowledge of Christ hence on the one side are those serious exhortations 2 Cor. 7. at the beginning To grow up to perfit Sanctification And on the other side sharpe reproofe of those who decay in Grace Revel 2.4 5. How great force then should these things have to stirre up our dead minds and to give our utmost endeavour to this end What Shall we play the men in our youth and first times and become children and weaklings when we have been long fed Every thing moves swifter neerer the Center Doe we not see how in all things which are not perfited in their birth what care and diligence both in Art and Nature are used to finish the same What paines do the beasts take to perfit and nourish their young the Husband-man diligently covers the Graine in the Earth breaks Clods drawes Furrowes Weed and drive away all destroying Beasts And no lesse care is in any other Trade whither Marchandize or Mechanicall When as therefore there is the same nature and condition of our Faith shall not we apply all our care hereunto especially the Lord so encouraging us To him that hath shall be given and to him that hath not shall be taken away Luke 8.18 Mark 4.24 With what measure you meet c. That is according to our diligence and sincerity in the use of the meanes such will bee the measure of the Lords blessing for increase If wee Heare

blindnesse true it is that in things pertaining to this life there is some conceits as also in Morall and Civill actions and Vertues But in the chief to wit in things Spirituall i● is starke blind 1 Cor. 2.11 12. Where the reason is given because the things of God cannot be discerned but by the Spirit of God as none can know what is in man but the Spirit of man and in the 14 verse of the same chapter he shewes that the naturall man discernes not the things of the Spirit of God yea they are folly to him So that as a Beast is starke blind in things to be apprehended by reason neither can they be made so plaine that he can conceive them because he wants reason Even so things Heavenly and Spirituall cannot be comprehended by the depth of reason The truth of this doth further appeare by the estate of men both within and without the Church at such time as Christ came into the flesh and the Gospell began to flourish In the Church was many learned Scribes and Pharises and yet they could not see Christ that was the Sunne of righteousnesse and how ignorant did Nicodemus shew himselfe yea indoc●ble in the point of Regeneration Ioh 3. For others out of the Church the University of Athens then flourished but how did they entertaine the Truth delivered by Paul Acts 17. Eloquent Tully alive a little before But learned and Divine Seneca and learned and modest Plinie lived in the times of the Gospell but favoured it not ☞ And the whole state of the World that it was almost three hundred yeeres before Religion was countenanced in the World is a Testimony sufficient of the World blindnesse So then for the true manner of Gods Worship and the right way to Salvation with all things subordinate to these Man in his best wisdome cannot conceive Now to say no more hereby may appeare That this is a great misery These bodily defects may be supplyed by others if thou beest blind thou mayst be guided But here every man must have an eye for himselfe anothers knowledge will doe thee no good if thou remaine blind thy selfe Now as bodily blindnesse to any whatsoever is very uncomfortable and disadvantageous For the blind eat many a Fly and can hardly discerne Poyson f●om wholsome meats yet for some men of some speciall condition to be blind is very prejudicious As first For a Travailer who can take never a step forward but is either ready to stumble or to fall into some ditch or to go out of his way So that if some be not adjoyned that guide him which is here denyed he must needs perish by one misfortune or other running into the mouths of wild devouring beasts while he straggles the Forrest of this World Secondly For a watchman to be blind is most heavie and miserable for he can foresee nothing nor discover evils approaching Thirdly for a a Souldier because he must needs be wounded not knowing which way to decline the battery against him Fourthly for an overseer and keeper of precious Jewels and such like Now all these are our conditions we are Travailers in the unbeaten and strait way to Heaven We are all and ought to be Watch-men to foresee the Iudgements of God we are all Souldiers in the Lords Battle we are all keepers of our own Soules and what other precious Jewels we have from God Which the Divell lyes in wayt for How miserable then needs must the condition of Man be by reason of this blindnesse Vse This serves to teach us to take notice of the Worlds misery and to bewayle it both in our selves and others We can take it for a great Iudgement for any to be borne blind in body Yet we never bewayle our selves being such in Soule Second Hence may we learne a reason of the Worlds boldnesse in going on in Sin as that of the Proverb Who so bold as blind Bayard The blind man because he sees no danger he fears none That which the eye sees not the heart rues not One plodding through a desart of wild beasts in the night though continually there is but a step twixt him and death he feares nothing but if the Light arise and he see in what danger he is he is at his wits end for feare So is it with blind ignorant men Now whither this Ignorance be simple or affected whither in the mind or in the restraining of the knowledge through perverse violentnesse of affections or selfe-conceit the danger is alike yea greater to these latter as is seene in the Church of Laodicea Vse Lastly hence may wee learne the reason why after so long teaching and diligence there is great Ignorance It comes from the blindnesse of mans mind and heart which is so habuated and hath so hardned mans heart that the Seed fals as on the high-way and the fowles that is Satan devoures it and thus much of the misery Now followes the supply Vers 18. Recovery of sight We read of Christ giving sight to many blind in body all which were shadowes of this great work of Spirituall Illumination this benefit is in generall the grace of Sanctification or more especially of Illumination and Christian wisdome and prudence whereby wee may be made to discerne twixt things that differ How great and necessary this benefit is may appeare both by Pauls earnest Prayer unto God in the behalfe of the Ephesians Ephes 1.18 19 20. and Ephes 3. and 18 19 20. And his putting them in mind of it having received it Yee were darknesse but now yee are Light and so also his earnest Thanksgiving for it in all his Epistles as Ephes 1.8 Colos 1.3 4 5 and 12. verses Phil. 1.3 4. And so in both his Epistles to the Thessalonians Wee may see it also by the earnest Prayers of David Psal 119. And by that serious counsell that Christ gives to the Church of Laodicea Now for the manner how Christ doth performe this we must know that there are three things required to good Sight First a cleere Object Second a right Organ or Instrument the eyes Third the Medium or meanes of transporting the Object to the eye Now in all these regards Christ doth help the sight For first for the Eye it selfe the Mind he doth cause the thicke scales to fall off and doth take away all inward disturbances and annoyances and fits it for the right performing of his action he settles the eye that it be not distorted Secondly Christ helpes the sight by cleering the Object and making it neerer to our view For if the thing to be seene with the bodily eye be either darke or too remote it is not discernable Such were heavenly things they were too darke and hard for us they were too farre off too small God hath given us Spectacles to make them seeme bigger the Word is made more easie and cleere in the face of Christ 2 Cor. 3. The vaile is taken away and we all behold with

be thou of good comfort for now is Salvation and Health neerer to thee then before For sence and feeling is of the Living not of the Dead whip a dead man and hee regards it not the force of a drawing Corasive and searching is not felt in the dead and proud flesh the sence of the Iudgements of God doe argue that the Mind is quickned by the Power of the Spirit and is not quite dead in Sin and Satan being now to bee cast out makes a tumult being quiet before while no force was offered him Math. 12.29 The Israelites when ready to come out of Egypt were pressed with sore bondage Even so it befalls all the Broken hearted Object But they will say I feele my selfe forsaken of God Answ So said David Ezechias and other holy men in the anguish of their Spirit and apprehension of the Flesh but yee are not to judge of the grace of God by your owne sence and feeling but by Faith which against feeling perswades the heart that God is gracious Psal 22.2 Vse Third That by all meanes wee take heed of Sin for doe we not see what companions it hath the wrath of God curse death c. Which though now they be held from thy eyes through the pleasure thou takest in Sin yet when that short vanity shall vanish they will seaze on thee with such horrour as thou would wish thou hadst never been borne Let us then bethinke how foolish a thing it is for so small a pleasure to plunge our selves into such Miseries Is it not a lamentable thing that men endued with reason should suffer themselves to be taken as Fishes which have no understanding or conceit of danger and evill and yet it is so the Hooke is b●●ted the baite swallowed and the fish is taken Pleasure is the bait of Sin which while men greedily swallow they are taken of Satan by the jawes and wee suffer our selves to bee as easily deceived as is the silly Bird by the cunning Fowler Were it not a part of great madnesse for any willingly to stab himself or cut his owne throat with a Dagger because it was curiously gi●ded or to drinke Poyson sweetned a little with Sugar When Cyrus warred against the Amazonits and saw himself the weaker hee used this policy He counterfeited flight and left their Tents wherein were great store of Wine The Amazonits finding it fell on the prey and dranke securely then Cyrus suddenly returning slew them all Even after this manner the Divell deales and how many are slaine by him swallowing the full cups of Pleasures Take we heed then c. Thus much of this Misery The Remedy followes To Heale Great is our Misery by the curse of God hanging over our heads but most heavie had it been if there had not a Remedy been found by Christ The brazen Serpent for as hee of all Creatures is the most abject so was Christ in his Humiliation a Worme and u● Man c. Sight to the Blind This addes yet to out former Misery for when to Poverty inward Affliction outward bondage and Captivity shall be added the taking away the comfortable use of the Eye and on a contrary uncomfortable Blindnesse falls on us it is a great increase of Misery and more heavie is the blindnesse of the Soule then of the Body This Blindnesse consists chiefly in three things First in a want and inability of saving Knowledge in things Spirituall Secondly in the not knowing our Misery the filthinesse of Sin the horrour of Eternall death and wrath of God Thirdly the ignorance of the Remedy of all these But it may be sayd that these happily may bee true of Pagans and such as are out of the Church but all that are in the Church taught by the word of God they know and can spe●●e distinctly of these things To this it may be answered That the knowledge of all men sticking in the dregs and myre of Nature is meere Blindnesse and farre differing from that the Regenerate have as shall be shewed by Examples One borne blind by the relation of others and some helpe of the other senses comes to some knowledge of Colours of the brightnesse of the Sun Moon and Starres and of other things done in the World But if on the suddaine his eyes should be opened such an inexpected shape and shew of things wou●d offer themselves to his eyes that he would thinke hee knew nothing before And as it comes to passe with us For as our minds may have some conceit of Townes and Countries farre of by the relation of others and inspections of Mapps yet our knowledge is farre otherwise then theirs who have seene exactly these severall Countries distinctly Euen the like difference is 'twixt the knowledge of a Naturall man and one renewed for the one sees Sin naked in his lively colours and abhorres from his heart the filthinesse of it But the other sees it a farre off and through a false and deceitfull glasse of pleasure or profit whence followes a desire of committing sin And as a Drunken man is not altogether blind but sees those things before his feet and yet one while knock his face against this Wall another while stumbles against a stone and yet feeles no paine of this hurt till he hath slept out his Surfets So the Naturall man being drunk with Pleasures dashes his face against this Sin his foot against another continually reeling and falling into some ditch and never grieves for all these but even as the Drunkard is still a thirst hee desires more so these run most greedily after Sin But after he is once throughly awaked he wonders how he hath escaped alive and perished not in one danger or other Even such is the knowledge of the Naturall man Vse To teach all Naturall men not to trust themselves and their own senses concerning sin and other things belonging to Salvation but they must know they are Blind and Drunken and so not fit to judge of these things and so they must suffer themselves to be guided by others till the Spirit of God vouc●●afe to open their eyes Thus much of the Misery the Remedy followes Recovery Which is a wonderfull enlightning of the mind whereby it is able to judge twixt good and evill true and false and I say it is wonderfu●l for when this is once come into the mind Sin the wrath of God Christ and his benefits doe seeme such strange things from that they did before as that we shall wonder both at our own Blindnesse and Ignorance as also stand amazed at the Excellency of the thing we see as the Queene of Saba did at the sight of Solomons glory For this Recovery is nothing but a raising from the sleepe and drunkennesse of Sin whence it is said of them They come to themselves and 2 Tim. 2.26 To come to sobriety of mind and this is seene in the example of Paul and manner of his conversion as himselfe reports it Acts