Selected quad for the lemma: knowledge_n
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A28310
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A soul-searching catechism wherein is opened and explained not onely the six fundamental points set down Heb. 6. I. but also many other questions of highest concernment in Christian religion : wherein is strong meat for them that are grown and milk for babes, in a very short catechism at the end, exceeding needful for all families in these ignorant and unsetled times / written by Christopher Blackwood.
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Blackwood, Christopher.
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1653
(1653)
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Wing B3101; ESTC R24658
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62,833
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92
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hand-writings of Mosaical or Ceremonial Ordinances which did publickly profess the misery and guilt of the World and also did blot out take away and tear the damnatory power of the moral Law which being contrary to us did convince us of sin and condemn us for it Rom. 3.20 Gal. 3.10 So that as the Debter is quiet when his Debt is forgiven and the Bond cancelled so the heart of the Belâ—ever is quieted when not onely all his sins both original and actual are forgiven but also all hand-writings which may witness the same against him are taken away Col. 2.13 14. yea not onely so but also the same Lord Jesus did spoile strip and disarme the principalities and powers of Hell of all that power whereby they prosecuted the bond of the Law against us Col. 2.15 and made a triumphant shew of them so conquered to the Faith of the Believer as the triumphant Conquerors of the World were wont of old to lead the Conquered bound before their triumphant Charets all the people looking on Col. 2.15 And as in battel where the General and chief Commanders are overcome the rest of the Souldiery are also subdued so with the Devils whatsoever did war against us was overcomed as Law Sin Death Hell Heb. 2.14 1 Cor. 15.55 so that none can lay any thing to the charge of Gods Elect Rom. 8.33 Q. What is it to live by Faith A. To rest on Gods promises for justification Gal. 2.20 for Sanctification John 15.2 and for temporal things Psal 34.10 So that whereas carnal men live by sense believing no further then they see and live by their lusts helping themselves by indirect means in time of want and danger a Christian lives upon a promise Heb. 11.7 Gen. 32.9 10 11. Esther 4.4 Job 13.15 Q. Wherein is the life of faith seen A. In sundry particulars as 1. In drawing life and quickening from Christ as the branches draw sap from the root John 15.5 2. In believing pardon of sin notwithstanding many circumstances of aggravation alledged by Satan and Conscience Gal. 2.20 2. In comforting in afflictions though I be afflicted saith Faith yet it is the hand of a wise God and tender Father John 18.11 this Cup is a medicine out of a Fathers hand 4. In proposing God to the soul in the loss of all when there is nothing in the barn nor in the field faith sees enough in God 1 Sam. 30.6 Hab. 3 16 17. 2 Cor. 6.9 10. When friends dye and Credit is gone Faith tells the soul God lives and there is praise with him 5. In making a person let go the best of enjoyments for God as credit 1 Sam. 6.20 and estate Heb. 10.34 and pleasures Heb. 11.25 and life Acts 21.13 and causing him to suffer the worst of evils as reproaches Heb. 11.26 banishment Revel 1.10 and tortures Heb. 11.35 out of Conscience towards God 1 Pet. 2.19 6. In making a person refuse sinful gaine Acts. 8.21 when it might be had without any mans knowledge Prov. 21.6 7. In keeping the soul from the use of unlawful means to come out of trouble 1 Sam. 26.9 10. waiting till God open a door of deliverance Isa 28.16 8. In eying God for a good issue out of the midst of troubles 2 Chron. 20.12 because of his promise that he will never fail us nor forsake us Heb. 13.5 9. In setting before the soul the recompence of reward both in eternity of joy 2 Thes 4.17 and property of interest 1 John 5.12 all this is thine saith Faith 10. In freeing the soul from a slavish fear of death Heb. 2.15 Psal 23.4 men have found out comfort against other evils as poverty shame but faith onely professes the Cure of the fear of death Of Sins against Knowledge and Conscience Q. WHat is it to sin against knowledge or Conscience A. It is when we take the fulfilling of a lust or the performance of a duty into consideration and consider motives against the sin or to the duty and notwithstanding all these motives that would stop us yet we commit the sin Dan. 5.22 Rom. 1.24 or omit the duty Jam. 4.17 Q. Whether are all sins against Knowledge and Conscience alike or are some greater then others A. The more a person considers the issues and events of such a sin before he commits it Rom. 1.32 and the more consultations thou hast about it Dan. 6.14 and the more warnings thou hast against it whether from God Conscience or men and yet dost commit it the more hainous is thy sin Mark 14.21 Mat. 17.18 19. Yea the more sorrow and reluctancy in committing such an evil argues thou sinnest against greater knowledge Mark 6.26 for this displeasure of minde arises from the deep apprehension of the evil then a doing from which thy knowledge would stop thee but it cannot Q. Whether are sins committed against Conscience and Knowledge pardonable A. Yes 1. Because they are not the sin against the Holy Ghost 2. Because for the most voluntary sins a Sacrifice was to be offered Levit. 6.8 There were Sacrifices to be offered for him that denyed a thing that was given him to keep in the day of Restitution but if persons persecute the Truth against light and maliciously then there is no pardon for that sin Heb. 6.4 5. and 10.26 27 28 29. Yet though sins against Conscience are pardonable yet this circumstance that such a sin was deliberately committed against light makes the soul more guilty than ordinarily the sin committed therewith Qu. Wherein is the greatness of sins against Knowledge soon A. In divers respects as 1. In such sins there is a great contempt of the power of Knowledge and Justice of God Numb 15.30 Deut. 29.19 Numb 15.32 33. 2. In such sins there is more of the Will 1 Sam. 13.12 hence Saul for sinning against Conscience was cast off 1 Sam. 13.12 compared with 1 Sam. 15.14 26. 3. In such sins there is a greater resistance of that light the Spirit kindles in us Acts 5.3 Ananias and Sapphira lying against that light the Spirit set up in them were smit with sudden death for sinning so against their knowledge Acts 7.51 4. In sins against Knowledge there are fewer pretences Matth. 22.12 Joh. 15.22 In sins of ignorance men pretend they know not duty but here 's no place for such pretence Ioh. 9.41 5. We may see the greatness of such sins from the stripes proportioned to them Luke 12.48 Rom. 1.15 such are beaten with many stripes 6. In that by such sins we do at once quench the fire of the Spirit and lose the feelings of Gods Love Psal 51.11 12. Q. Why do men venture upon sins against knowledge seeing they are dangerous A. 1. Union of the heart to some lust either of gain or pleasure Matth. 15.10 compared with verse 15. 2. Lothness to take up the Crosses that lye in the way of duty Hence persons lye and do other evils against conscience 1 Sam. 13.12 Iob. 36.21 3. Presumptuous hope of
Mercy Deut. 29.19 Rom. 2.4 5. Psal 68.21 Q. Whether may not a child of God fall into sins against his knowledge and conscience A. 1. There are some failings in duty and stirrings of lust in godly men which are committed with knowledge but not against it for it is not in the power of knowledge to prevent them Rom. 7.15 18. these evils arise on a suddain 2. A godly man may sin against his knowledge through strength of passion and suddain furreption before he hath time to compose his heart Conscience in the act of it checks him yet he cannot keep it back so Peter denyed Christ and Ionah his Conscience told him he should not be angry when God asked him if he did well to be angry Ionah 4.9 3. A godly man may fall sometimes into deliberate sins against knowledge when that which he knows habitually he doth not actually think of the violence of the temptation blinding the judgment and beating back the voice of Conscience so David is set forth as a smarting spectacle of misery lest any man should venture as he did to have fallen into the sins of adultery and murder against knowledge Davids mind was so taken up with Bathsheba that he little thought of what he knew 4. A godly man exceeding seldom or never falls into a deliberate sin against knowledge when he doth actually and deliberately think and judge of what he knows 1 Ioh. 3.9 Q But if sinning against knowledge be so dangerous is it not best to remain in ignorance A. Ignorance when it is against a mans Will may excuse from so much guilt Luke 12.48 yet will it not excuse wholly Acts 17.30 But when it is an ignorance of wicked disposition that a man is either willingly ignorant 2 Pet. 3.5 or winks and closes up his eyes against the light Isa 30.10 11. Matth. 13.13 14. Ioh. 3.20 so that they will not read such Books nor hear such Preachers nor confer with such men as might discover truth to them God is wont not only Judicially to harden such in their blindness Matth. 13.14 compared with Iohn 12.40 but will also one day reckon with such wilful ignorants as if all their sins had been committed against Knowledge Q. What are the Covenants principally considerable which God made with his people A. Besides divers other Covenants which he made as with Noah and with every living creature both fowl and beast that there should be no more a flood to drown the Earth of which Covenant he made the Rain-bow a token Gen. 9 9 10 11. as also a Covenant made with David that his seed should still rule over Israel with the Levites that they should be his Ministers Jer. 33.20 21 25 26. And a Covenant to give the Land of Canaan to the Jews Psal 105.9 10. there are two other Covenants most considerable Q. Which are they A. 1. A carnal typical Covenant or Testament called old Heb. 8.13 second Heb. 9.1 worse Heb. 8.6 which was dedicated with the blood of beasts Exod. 24.6 7 8. compared with Heb. 9.19 This was with all Israel in the day when God took them by the hand to lead them out of the Land of Egypt Heb. 8.9 2. A spiritual or new Covenant Q. What did this old Covenant signifie A. 1. An obligation of the Jews to the Mosaical Law in general Exod. 19.5 6 7 8. Exod. 24.6 7 8. in the perfect observation whereof it's thought they were to have Canaan here and Heaven hereafter but failing in one point they were under a curse Gal. 3.10 the Ceremonial part of it also shadowed our redemption by Christ Heb. 9.18 19. Q. What was the proper effect of this old Covenant A. Bondage and slavish fear for not performing what this old Covenant did require this was signified by Hagar the bond-woman Gal. 4.24 25. and this Mount Sinai in Arabia a place without the bounds of the Land of promise and by the fleshly Jerusalem which was in bondage with her children all three which resemblances signifie that the old Covenant begot children to bondage not only under the unsupportable burthen of the Ceremonial Law Acts 15.10 which was a yoak of bondage Gal. 4.1 2 3. also chap. 5.1 but also under the bondage of the curse and of Gods wrath for not performing what the Law requires for which cause the Law is said to work wrath Rom. 4.15 to be a ministration of death 2 Cor. 3.7 and to slay the soul Rom. 7.11 Now as when a Pitcher falls upon the stones it 's the weakness of the Pitcher not of the stones that it is broken So the reason why the Law ministers death is not because of the weakness of the Law but the weakness of our flesh Rom. 8.3 Q. What is the other Covenant called A. It 's that Covenant which the Scripture cals the second Covenant Heb. 8.7 9.1 18. Heb. 10.9 or the new Covenant 1 Cor. 11.25 Heb. 8.13 9.15 or the better Covenant Heb. 7.22 as being established upon better Promises Heb. 8.6 of which Christ was surety Heb. 7.22 Q. What is this new Covenant A. It is Gods free Promise whereby he promiseth not only pardon of sins and eternal life to them that are elect or do believe the same but also doth promise to to take away the stony heart and to give them a new heart and a new spirit and to put his Laws in their minds and to write them in their hearts so that all of them from the least to the greatest know the Lord yea vouchsafes to be their God and takes them to be his people Q. What are the Articles or Branches in particular of this new Covenant A. They are these 1. Forgiveness of sins Heb. 8.12 I will be merciful to their unrighteousness and their sins and iniquities will I remember no more So that the Elect have not onely redemption from Original sin but from all transgression under the first Testament Heb. 9.15 by sprinkling clean water upon them Ezek. 26.25 Christs blood 2. A second branch is eternal life Rom. 5.15 Heb. 9.15 Christ is the Mediatour of the new Testament that by the means of death that is of Christs death they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance in this inheritance no bond-slave of Satan doth partake which appears Gal. 4.30 in the type in that the son of the Bond-woman which was Ishmael did not partake with the son of the Free-woman which was Isaac the message from God being Cast out the Bond-woman and her son for the son of the Bond-woman shall not be heir with the son of the Free-woman The third Branch is softning of the hearth Ezek. 11.19 that whereas in the natural state the heart was so hard that neither promise threat nor command mercy misery moved Now this stony heartedness is taken away that the soul melts under the sense of Christs sufferings it 's own infirmities and Gods mercies The fourth Branch is Newness whereby Christ doth not onely