Selected quad for the lemma: knowledge_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
knowledge_n	commit_v	sin_n	sin_v	2,906	5	9.7075	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A33338	Medulla theologiæ, or, The marrow of divinity contained in sundry questions and cases of conscience, both speculative and practical : the greatest part of them collected out of the works of our most judicious, experienced and orthodox English divines, the rest are supplied by the authour / by Sa. Clarke ...	Clarke, Samuel, 1599-1682.	1659 (1659)	Wing C4547; ESTC R1963	530,206	506

day of judgement as was said before Fifthly it s known by the integrity and constancy of it It labours to approve it self both to God and man in all things at all times It respects the whole Law and every precept due order and proportion being observed in the weight and excellency of every duty It joynes piety and holinesse with righteousness and honesty and faith with good works Psal. 119.6 Heb. 13.18 It s the same in all places and companies Mr. Downams Guide to Godliness Quest. How hath original sin polluted every mans conscience Answ. First by bringing a veil of ignorance upon it whereby it horribly mis-judgeth calling good evil and evil good c. Thus the consciences of Heathens miserably enthralled them to the service of idols as if they could damne or save them Thus some Hereticks have thought that they served God by doing most abominable and unnatural things The Gnosticks taught that fornication and uncleannesse were often to be committed so as to avoid all conception and if a child do follow they did follow they draw it from the womb beat it in a mortar seasoned it with honey and pepper and so did eat it saying that in this manner they did celebrate the great Passeover The Carp●cr●cians affirmed that every one was bound to commit sin and that the souls were put into the bodies till they should fulfill the measure of their iniquities applying that in the Parable to this purpose Thou shalt not go out till thou hast paid the last farthing The Montanists made a sacrifice of the blood of an Infant of a year old whom with needles in a most cruel manner they prickt to death They said also that it was as great sin to pull a leaf from a tree as to kill a man The Donatists would throw themselves from mountains and drown themselves in rivers to make themselves Martyrs Here was also a voluntary contracted blindnesse upon their consciences and a judicial inflicted on them by God yet had there not been a natural blindnesse in their consciences they could never have been improved to such an height of impiety Secondly its polluted not only by the blindness but by the stupidity and senselesness that is upon it so that though one sin be committed after another though lusts as so many thieves come to steal their souls away yet this sleepy dog gives not one bark Such mens sinnes come from them as excrements from dying persons without apprehension of them their consciences are feared as with an hot iron Quest. How is this blindness and stupidity of conscience discovered Answ. By the actings of it in not performing those offices for which God hath put it into the soul● as 1. One maine work of conscience is to apply in particular what we reade in the Scriptures as generally spoken when it reads the threats and curses of the Law denounced against such sins as thou art guilty of then saith conscience This belongs to me Hence God gives the commands by particular application Thou shalt not commit adultery Thou shalt not steal c. that conscience may say this command belongs to me But if we read over the Scriptures a thousand times and hear so many Sermons if conscience doth not apply all becomes ineffectual Object How then can men commit those sins which they know to be sins which conscience tells them to be sinnes seeing we cannot will evill as it is evill Answ. First it ariseth from the defect of conscience it not making particularly such a powerful application pro hic nuns as it should do There is a general and habitual knowledge of such things to be sinnes yea it may be a particular apprehension that they are now sinning and offending God but it s onely a speculative apprehension it s not a practical one produced by conscience in them Secondly herein the corruption of conscience is seen in that though it doth apply yet it is so weakly and coldly that it loseth the activity and predominancy over the affections and will of a man so that he cares not for such checks and reproofs Rom. 1.18 such detain the truth in unrighteousnesse they keep conscience a prisoner that would gladly do its duty Thirdly or if it do apply yet it s seldom not daily and constantly The Cock crew once or twice before Peter remembred himself Conscience may apply sometimes yet may the noise of lusts drown the voice of it Thus the consciences even of natural men in some fits when they are in expectation of some great and eminent judgements may work strongly for the present as of Pharaoh Ahab and Foelix But this is a flash only Fourthly as conscience naturally doth not its duty in applying so neither in witnessing and bearing testimony to our actions which yet is one great end why conscience is put into man Hence it s said to be a thousand witnesses yea and its a thousand tormentors too But alas it s so defiled that in many things if not in all it fails and gives at least no true witnesse at all as appears in that if men can conceal their sins from others they matter not at all what witnesse conscience and God can bear against them Fifthly the pollution of conscience will further appear by the actings of it in accusing and excusing Rom. 2.15 As for its duty of accusing it s almost wholly silen● and men run into all excess of riot embrace all wickednesse their consciences scarce smiting at all for it Divines say that its an exceeding great mercy of God that he hath left a conscience in man for if that had not some actings there would be no humane societies Conscience being a cu●b to them but when it s so corrupted that it cannot do its office what hope then remaines for such as we see in the example of Josephs brethren Gen. 37.25 And as for the other act of excusing conscience is turned into a Camelion to be like every object it stands by It excuses and flatters men in all they do and makes them say God I thank thee I am not like other men c. Luk. 18.11 whereas if conscience were well inlightned by Gods Word it would instead of excusing accuse and condemn Sixthly conscience is further polluted in the actings of it for when application witnessing and accusing will not do it should smite and terrifie It should fall from words to blows Act. 2.37 they are said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be pricked in their hearts as if a dagger had been stabbed in them So it was with Foelix Cain Judas c. Now conscience naturally is greatly polluted herein For either it doth not at all give any blows or if it do it s with slavish and tormenting thoughts which makes the sinner runne from Christ and indisposeth him for mercy and comfort Seventhly there should a tribunal be erected in every mans heart wherein conscience should sit as Judge and this court of conscience should be daily kept So Psal.

not in love with any Fifthly The next Rule for the subduing of the flesh is that we must neglect no sin as though we were in no danger of falling into it For we have the seed of all sin in us and need nothing to the committing of it but that God should leave us to our selves and Satans tentations Hence we are commanded to work out our salvation with fear and trembling Phil. 2.12 and when we think we stand to take heed of falling 1 Cor. 10.12 Sixthly The last Rule is that we set no stint to our mortification but that we endeavour from one degree to aspire to another till we come to perfection we must not deale with these Spirituall Enemies as Joash with the Aramites 2 King 13.18 contenting our selves with two or three victories over them much less as the Israelites with those cursed Nations suffering them quietly to dwell with us on condition that they will contribute something to our pleasure profit c. but we must war with them till we have utterly rooted them out or at least to deal with them as Joshuah with the Gibeonites to make them our slaves Let us not deal with them as Saul and Ahab with Agag and Benhadad get the victory and so suffer them to live least through Gods judgment they kill us because we killed not them neither with Saul let us destroy the meanest of our lusts and keep the fattest alive which bring most pleasure or profit to us Let us not be like Herod that refrained from many sins but would not part with his Herodias But our mortification must be without stint or restraint extending to all lusts in respect of the object and in respect of the time continually even to the end of our liues and thus continuing faithfull to the death we shall receive the Crown of life Rev. 2.10 And lastly in respect of the degrees we must not content our selves that we have mortified our lusts in some measure but we must strive after perfection not suffering sin to live in any of our members but must cleanse our selves from all filthiness of flesh Spirit c. 2 Co. 7.1 Labouring to be perfect as our heavenly Father is perfect Mat. 5.48 For which end we must pray God to sanctifie us throughout 1 Thes. 5.23 and Christ our Saviour to sanctifie and cleanse us by th● washing of water by the Word c. Ephes. 5.25 and to our prayers we must add our endeavours to encrease in the measure of mortification getting daily new victories over all our sinfull lusts True grace is growing grace c. Quest. What means may we use to strengthen the Spirit to the obtaining of the victory Answ. First We must avoid the means whereby it s weakned For in this spirituall warfare both these concur in the same actions for the famishing of the Flesh is the nourishing of the Spirit and the weakning of the one is the strengthening of the other Quantum carni detrahes tantum facies animum spirituals bona habitudine relucere saith Basil. Look how much thou detractest from the flesh so much thou makest thy spirituall part to prosper and flourish in good health and liking Now the chief means whereby the Spirit is weakned are our sins whereby we grieve the good Spirit of God and make him weary of lodging in our hearts but above others such sins weakens the Spirit as are committed against knowledge and conscience wilfully and presumptuously with which kind of obstinate rebellion the spirit is tired that he will no longet contend with us but leave us to our lusts and a reprobate mind to go on to our perdition Gen. 6.3 So it was with the old world Of this God complains Amos 2.13 that he was pressed under their sins as a cart under the sheaves For this God gave the Gentiles up to vile affections c. Rom. 1.26 we must not therefore quench the Spirit 1 Thes. 5.19 nor grieve him Ephes. 4.30 Quest. But what are those speciall sins which most wound and w●aken the Spirit Answ. First Ignorance and blindness of mind which pulls out of the hand of the Spirit his chiefest weapon the Sword of Gods Word whereby it defends it self and offends its Enemies It also dazels the understanding that it cannot discern the slights and subtilties of our Spirituall Enemies nor on which side they strike us nor how to ward off their blows Secondly Infidelity which disables the Spirit whilst it deprives it of the chief comforts and encouragements whereby it s strengthened against the assaults of the flesh viz. Gods sweet promises of grace in this life and of glory in the next to all those who walk in the Spirit and mortifie the flesh Yea it weakens the spirituall bond of our union with Christ which is our Faith by which alone he is applyed and so hinders the influences of his graces by which we are strengthened against the flesh and enabled to withstand the assaults of all our spiritual enemies Thirdly Impenitency which is most pernicious to the health and vigour of the Spirit for besides that it hinders all the operations of Faith the application of Christ and all the promises made in him our communion with God hiding his loving countenance from us in the appehensions whereof consists the life of our lives it also depriveth us of peace of conscience and joy in the holy Ghost by which our spiritual man is strengthened after we have received wounds by the flesh in the spirituall f●ight it hinders their cure and causeth them to rankle and daily to grow more incurable Fourthly Carnal security and hardness of heart greatly weakens the spirit whereby we bless our selves when our state is dangerous and have no sence and feeling either of Gods mercy and love or of his displeasure by the one whereof the Spirit is strengthened in Gods service and by the other we are preserved from sinning against him Carnall security weakens the Spirit as it makes us put the evill day far from us and utterly to neglect our spiritual enemies as though there were no danger It makes us lay aside our watch and so to lie open to the assaults of our adversaries and to neglect the means of our safety Fifthly The love of the world which like birdlime so besmears the wings of of our soul that thereby it is fastened to the earth and worldly vanities more especially the love of honours and the glory of the world makes the spirituall man sluggish in the pursuit of eternall glory The love of riches hinders him from seeking after those incomparable treasures which are reserved for us in Heaven It choaks the seed of the word that it cannot take root and bear fruit It frustrates all the good motions of the Spirit that they cannot take effect It exposes us to many tentations and sna●es which drown men in destruction 1 Tim 6.9 10. and so the love of earthly pleasures hinder the pursute of those eternal pleasures

that hath adorned me with so many gifts afforded me such means to keep me from sin that I should abuse my talents and his mercies so as to fight against him with his own weapons As he hath laden me with his mercies I have pressed him with my sinnes c. Secondly the second circumstance is the injury it self as if we be injured in our soul body name goods c. and as the thing wherein we are wronged is the greater so is our anger which we conceive against it This we should consider in the wrong we do against God We injure him in his glory which is most deare to him impeach his sovereignty deny him homage and all this to satisfie our fleshly lusts and to enlarge the Kingdome of Satan Thirdly the person injured as if he be a person of great authority esteem and vertue If one that was then endeavouring the offenders good c. In these particulars we have great reason to be angry with our selves for sinning against God For hereby we have done intollerable injury to the Lord of glory To whom we are indebted for inestimable favours who hath been always ready to do us good c. Fourthly the mannner of injuring as if we be esteemed as friends and yet secretly injured as enemies If the injurie was premeditated long aforehand If in place where we ought to be loved and honoured we be wronged and disgraced If the injury be publick before many If often reiterated c. In which respects we have the more cause to be angry with our selves for sinne For in words we professe our selves Christs servants but in deeds we deny him We lightly regard his presence sin against knowledge and conscience c. If ever we had just cause of indignation it 's against our selves for sinning against God Quest. Why is anger rightly to be ordered Answ. First because of all passion it 's deepliest rooted and extends its branches farthest For no age condition or nation are free from it other passions onely trouble some particular persons Lust enflames one ambition another covetousnesse another c. But whole states are enflamed by anger and fury Secondly Inordinate anger is most infamous an argument of shameful levity infirmity madnesse An angry person hates truth embraceth errour opposeth them that admonish him entertains perverse counsel forgets his own credit is an enemy to his own safety against himself is untameable against his neighbours is intollerable under a weak pretence of revenge anger makes men violate all bonds of friendship tread under feet all Laws both Divine and Humane Other passions will hearken to Reason but this to none Thirdly as of all infirmities there are none worse or more dangerous then those which disfigure the face of a man so of all Passions none are more pernicious then anger for the eyes of such a man sparkle his face is enflamed with blood which flows from the heart his hair stares with horrour his mouth foames his tongue falters his feet and hands are in perpetual motion he vomiteth out nothing but threats speaks of nothing but blood and revenge c. Fourthly It 's a deceitful passion An angry man sees not the thing as it is and yet swells and boils inwardly Fifthly it 's the character of a fool Prov. 12.16 and 14.17 29. Eccles. 7.9 Sixthly it makes a man unmindful of his own condition If poor yet hee 'l waste his goods Being a private man he would rule being weak he becomes a lion where delay is requisite he makes haste where haste is necessary he doubts Seventhly an angry person can neither please God nor man He regards no commandments doth nothing in order but all rashly and without discretion Quest. What are the several kindes of disordered anger that must be shunned Answ. It 's disordered when it 's not moved by faith ariseth not from love keeps not within its bounds and is not directed to a right end The kinds of it are many First devilish which rageth against vertue and godlinesse is incensed by innocent and vertuous actions as in Caine Genes 4.5 In Saul 2 Sam. 20.30 In Asa 2 Chron. 16.10 In the Jews Luke 4.28 In Nebuchadnezzar Dan. 3.13 Secondly rash and unadvised the branches whereof are 1. Unjust anger that proceeds from our own suspicion and imagination only as in Eliab 1 Sam. 17.28 2. When we are provoked without cause or upon every smal occasion contrary to the law of love 1 Corinth 13.7 Prov. 10.12 and it 's a mans glory to passe by a Transgression Proverbs 19.11 And so sudden anger which is admitted without deliberation condemned Eccles. 7.9 It s a foolish thing Prov. 14.17.29 such abound with transgressions Proverbs 29.22 Thirdly immoderate and immodest anger which may be discerned by these signes 1. When men utter words dishonourable to God by blaspheming swearing cursing c. or opprobrious to their neighbours as when their anger breaketh out into bitter and reviling speeches as Shemei did against David 2 Sam. 16.5 the Jewes against Steven Acts 7.54 Forbidden Ephes. 4.32 3. When we have no regard of order and comelinesse either in respect of our selves or those with whom we are angry In respect of our selves when though private men we take revenge which belongs to God Rom. 12.19 In respect of the party with whom we are angry as when a sonne being angry with his father though upon just cause useth him unreverently and so of servants towards their Masters c. and all inferiours towards their superiours 4. When it makes us forget any duty of love which we owe to them as to pray for them and endeavour their reformation So in the Disciples Luke 9.54 5. When it stirs us up to violent and unseasonable reproofs Psalme 106.32 33. 6. When it s not mixed with sorrow proportionable to the displeasure that we conceived He that is rightly angry though he be displeased with the offence yet he pities the offender Fourthly when anger is partial its disordered and that is 1. When its hot against some sins and can brook others as bad either because they suite with our disposition or that we have little wrong by them 2. when we are zealous against sin in our enemies but ●avourable to it in our selves or friends 3. When we are as angry for small as for great offences whereas our anger should be proportioned to the offence Fifthly when it 's directed against the person of the offendor not against his offence and aimes at his hurt and destruction but seeks not the glory of God the good of the Church or Common-wealth the private benefit of our selves or neighbours or the reformation of the offendor Such was Cains towards Abel Sauls towards David Nebuchadnezzars towards the three children but Christs rule is otherwise Mat. 5.44 Sixthly when being long retained it turns to hatred Quest. What Motives may disswade us from sinful anger Answ. First consider the sinful causes of it which are 1. Unbelief in Gods Word David