Selected quad for the lemma: knowledge_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
knowledge_n	brotherly_a	love_n	temperance_n	1,285	5	11.2878	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A01725	Foure sermons vpon seuerall partes of scripture, preached by George Gyffard, preacher of the worde, at Maudlin in Essex	Gifford, George, d. 1620.	1598 (1598)	STC 11859; ESTC S117695	68,936	149

of the holy spirite for when the Apostle saith the spirite himselfe witnesseth with our spirit that we be the sonnes of God doth he witnesse that we are and doth he not witnesse that we shall be so euen to the end Can a man to day bee the childe of God and to morrow not Moreouer there is no godly man which saith he is sure he shall not sinne for all men sinne dayly But the regenerate doe know that through the grace of God they shall not so sinne as to fall quite away from Christ or to haue the life of GOD whereof they are made partakers in the newe birth vtterly extinguished in them Touching this pointe S. Iohn in Chapter 3. of his Epistle verse 9. saith Whosoeuer is borne of God sinneth 〈◊〉 for his seede remaineth in him and he can not s●●● because he is borne of God What can all the Papistes in the world say vnto this S. Iohn saith not that some of those which are borne of God doe stand to the end but he saith Whosoeuer is borne of God sinneth not Then is it certaine that he which doth know hee is borne of God and le● by his spirite doth also know that hee shall not fall vnto destruction And for this hee rendreth a reason namely that the seede of God remaineth in him The regenerating grace is neuer lost if the seede of God remaine still in him that is borne of God yea euen when hee doth by infirmitie as Dauid did fall into some grieuous sinnes Also he saith that such a one can not sinne this seemeth an heard saying Is there any man beyond whose power it is for to sinne Is it so heard a matter for a man to doe wickedly if he will endeuour Wee must not take it that he which is borne of God will euer endeuour for to commit sinne No the grace of God doth still so guide him that he doth endeuour to please God and though by ignorance and frailtie hee doe after goe awrie and transgresse yet can he not fall from God hee can not vtterly loose his new birth The reason which S. Iohn rendreth is because he is borne of God God is immortall the seed of God by which his children are regenerate is immor●●● as it is written 1. Pet. 1. The life of God begin in them is immortall how then can it be extinguished or how can he that is borne of God fall away vnto perdition Let all men then knowe that where there is the witnes of the spirite of the water and the bloud there is the certainty of saluation according as S. Iohn sayth These thinges haue I written vnto you that beleeue in the name of the sonne of God that ye may know that ye haue eternall life and that yee may beleeue in the name of the sonne of God There are yet another sort of men I cannot tell what I should tearme them that are confuted by this place they hold that a man for the triall of his faith whether it be liuely or a dead faith is not to looke vppon the fruites thereof It is enough say they that a man doe beleeue in Iesus Christ what shoulde hee or what can hee examine further Faith is Faith Beleeue and thou shalt bee saued These men doe quite abolish and that most wickedly and profanely the testimony of the three witnesses in earth They bring in Epicurisme and all carnall liberty Let not the wise harken vnto them but looke for the testimony of the spirite of the water of the bloud within them if they will be assured that their faith is the true faith that they shal come to life eternall And nowe let vs come to the last poynt which is that the faithfull are by degrees to increase this certainty of their saluatiō To make an entrance into this matter it is good for vs to consider that the spirituall birth is compared and likened to the naturall birth for as in the naturall birth there is first brought forth a little weake babe which hath life and doth in tyme by degrees euen by little little grow vp vnto mans estate so in the spirituall birth such as be borne againe in Christ they be first as little babes they haue indeede the life of GOD in them but they be maruelous weake Reade touching this what S. Peter writeth in his first Epistle in the beginning of the second Chap. how he doth will these new borne babes to couet the sincere milk of the word that they may grow thereby And likewise what S. Paul saith to the Cor. 1. Epist Chap. 4. Then as in the naturall thinges as a man groweth vp in yeeres so he groweth to a riper knowledge and vnderstanding in matters of this worlde so they that grow vp in Christ come to more and more assurance that they be led by the Sprite of God and that they shall be saued Most true it is also a● no man can deny that in the naturall things men do grow vp from babes to mans estate by food and sustenance they grow also in knowledge vnderstanding by practise meanes The same is to be saide of the babes in Christ they cannot growe vp without the Spirituall food they cannot come to more assured knowledge of their saluatiō but by the means which God hath ordained and that is it which S. Iohn here leadeth vnto when he saith These thinges haue I written vnto you c. that ye may know that ye haue eternall life Well then seeing wee must grow vp vnto this happy assurance by meanes let vs in some fewe particulars consider howe first seeing the word of GOD is the sincere milke by which we are to be nourished and to grow vp it is our part as the same Apostle willeth to couet the same 1. Pet. 2.2 Wee doe all know this that when a childe is borne if it be aliue and in health howe much it doth couet the mothers breast and how sweete the milke is vnto it in like manner when a man is borne of God in the new and heauenly birth he hath a vehement desire and longing after Gods word it is maruellous sweete and delectable vnto him And questionles all such as care not nor labor not to know the heauēly oracles are void of the spiritual life they be like vnto those children which are borne dead which care not for the mothers breast We must labour therefore by reading and by hearing the word preached by meditation earnest prayer to come to the true vnderstanding and right vse of the sacred word of God Marke further what S. Peter then teacheth how men shall attaine to assurance of saluation He willeth to giue all diligence to minister in our faith vertue in vertue knowledge in knowledge temperance in tēperance patience in patience godlines in godlines brotherly kindnes in brotherly kindnes loue for if these things be in you and abound they shall make you that yee neyther shall be idle nor

vnfruitefull in the knowledge of our Lord Iesus Christ but hee that lacketh these things is blinde and cannot see farre off and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sinnes 2 Pet. 1. ver 5.6.7.8.9 Heere is the way prescribed and by this men shall attaine to the certainty of their saluation which S. Pet. there expresseth in verse 10. and 11. after this manner Wherefore brethren giue the more diligence to make your calling and election sure for if you doe such things you shal neuer fal And by this meanes an entrance shall be ministred vnto you abundantly into the euerlasting Kingdome of our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ What can be spoken more clearly for the certainty of saluatiō and that by meanes degrees men rise vp vnto it Doth he not teach that by those things men shal make their calling and election sure What is that but that they shall thereby know assuredly that GOD hath called them and chosen them vnto eternall life For doing those thinges he pronounceth that they shall neuer fal What is it thē which maketh men to doubt that they shall not be saued Is it not the conscience of sinne which is in them Is it not that their heart is full of vncleane vices and that the holie vertues are wanting Now where the vices haue their full power and doe raigne there is a whole doubting and worthilie for men may assure themselues that in such an estate they cannot be saued Then where the worke of the spirite is begunne so that the vices are somewhat suppressed and the vertues beginne to budde and growe vp there ariseth some comforte and assurance there the spirite the water and the bloud beginne to beare recorde This is a true recorde but yet it seemeth not so cleare because the remnants of sinne are verie strong and plenteous and the vertues are as I may say tender and weake Now as knowledge and faith and the power of the spirite increaseth as the deedes of the flesh are more and more mortified and subdued so the testimonie of the spirite of the water and of the bloud is more cleare and strong The more godly the heart the minde groweth the more assurance we haue that we shall be saued Many say O what a blessed thing it is if a man attaine to the knowledge and assurance of this saluation How willingly will that man loue and obey God how chearefullie wil he beare all troubles and afflictions I feele sometime great ioye and assurance of Gods loue towardes me but through mine owne negligence I haue so many sinnes as that they take away my comforte and make me doubt Then consider what waye we are to ouercome such doubtes and to come to that happie and blessed assurance Mortifie the deedes of the fleshe by the spirite What is it that depriueth thee of this happie estate and maketh thee to doubte Is it not through the want of the cleere testimonie in thee of the three which beare recorde in earth Thou hast many sinnes in thee which thou seest not and it may be very great ones as loftines of minde vaine-glorie couetousnesse selfe-loue vanitie of minde contempt of spirituall thinges and such like Yea further it may be that sundrie thinges which thou deemest in thy selfe to be vertues examine them wel by the light of Gods worde and thou shalt finde them to be vices So long as it is thus there will be doubting for where is the testimonie of the spirite with the water and the bloud Mortifie the vices by the spirite vse all diligence with feruent prayer and all other good meanes and giue not ouer although thou seemest sometimes to labour in vaine for in continuance of time thou shalt gaine much and great peace shall arise in thy consc ence and the same springing more and more as thou shalt purge it from dead workes O beloued this is the way of saluation enter into it and giue not ouer it is worth the labour The Lorde blesse vs that we may be founde constant euen to the ende Amen The end of the second Sermon THE THIRDE Sermon Hebrewes 12. 16 Let there be no fornicator or prophane person as Esau which for one portion of meate sould his birthright 17 For ye knowe that afterward when he would haue inherited the blessing he was reiected for he found no place for repentāce though he sought it with teares ALl wise men do account it a friendlie parte when any doe forewarne and shewe vnto them how they may preuent and eschue some great danger that was comming towardes them I trust therefore that you will be the more attentiue to this scripture in which not a mortall man but the holy ghost the spirite of wisedome and trueth doth set before vs a most horrible daunger and such as if we fall into it we are vtterly vndone for euer without all recouery Now that I may make it the more plaine and easie vnto you to beholde we may deuide it into three partes The first is a precept or warning giuen vnto vs to take heed there be no prophane person It is in these wordes Let there be no fornicator or prophane person I doe omitte to speake of the fornicator who is here ioyned with the prophane person The second parte propoundeth an example with the facte whereby he sheweth himselfe to be prophane that wee may see what the sinne of prophanesse is or whom the scripture calleth prophane men and it is in these wordes as Esau who for one portion of meate sould his birthright The third and last setteth forth the seueritie of Gods iudgement and wrath vpon him which is the horrible daunger that I spake of into which they fall with him that followe Esau in prophanesse The wordes be these For ye knowe that afterwarde also when hee would haue inherited the blessing hee was reiected for he found no place for repentance though he sought it with teares Come then to the precept Let there bee no prophane person It may be demanded whether this bee giuen to euery priuate and particular man or to the Pastors guides of the flocke or to both Doubtlesse to both For as the shepheards are to watch ouer the whole flocke to teach to exhort to admonish to rebuke euen euery particular man as need shall require so is euerie priuate man to haue a singular and speciall care to take heede to himselfe that he become not prophane otherwise what shall all the diligence of the teachers preuaile Yea moreouer all men are inioyned to cōsider one another to prouoke vnto loue good workes and to exhorte one another as we reade in the tenth Chapter of this Epistle to the Hebrewes ver 24.25 For hee that shall see his brother his friende his neighbour or familiar acquaintance grow prophane and so running into that daunger of Gods heauie displeasure here set forth in the example of prophane Esau and shall not be moued therewith nor touched with care and loue