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
A59035	The bowels of tender mercy sealed in the everlasting covenant wherein is set forth the nature, conditions and excellencies of it, and how a sinner should do to enter into it, and the danger of refusing this covenant-relation : also the treasures of grace, blessings, comforts, promises and priviledges that are comprized in the covenant of Gods free and rich mercy made in Jesus Christ with believers / by that faithful and reverend divine, Mr Obadiah Sedgwick ... ; perfected and intended for the press, therefore corrected and lately revised by himself, and published by his own manuscript ...	Sedgwick, Obadiah, 1600?-1658.	1661 (1661)	Wing S2366; ESTC R17565	1,095,711	784

ordinarily do count so people do look on it as a very small offence 1. To omit praying and reading in their Families but God threatens to poure out his wrath upon the Families that call not upon his Name Jer. 10. 25. Though this be spoken of the Heathens yet it is much more true of Christians 2. To pass by Christ offered unto them but the Scripture saith He that believes not shall be damned and that he shall not see life but the wrath of God abideth on him Mark 16. 16. 3. To despise the Ministers of Christ but Christ saith He that despiseth you despiseth me Luk. 10. 16. 4. To come unworthily to the Lords Table but the Scripture saith He that eats and drinks unworthily doth eat and drink damnation to himself 1 Cor. 11. 5. To be proud and speak lies but the Scripture saith that a proud look and lying tongue are an abomination to the Lord Prov. 6. 16 17. 6. To speak idly and vainly but Jesus Christ saith Matth. 12. 36. That every idle word that men shall speak they shall give an account thereof in the day of judgement for by thy words thou shalt be justified and by thy words thou shalt be condemned 7. To wound the name of others behind their backs whisperingly and cunningly and privately but the Scripture saith Deut. 27. 24. Cursed be he that smiteth his neighbour secretly 8. To give way to wicked thoughts and sins of heart but the Scripture shews that these are no small sins Acts 8. 22. Pray God if perhaps the thoughts of thine heart may be forgiven thee 9. To make mention of the Name of God vainly and rashly and irreverently on any occasion in ordinary discourse O God! O Lord but the Scripture doth not look on this as a small sin Exod. 20. 7. Thou shalt not take the Name of the Lord thy God in vain for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that takes his Name in vain 10. To profane the Sabbath by buying and selling but God threatens to send a fire for this Jer. 17. 27. Thirdly God hath expressed himself very severely against persons for those sins which we perhaps look upon as small Adam eating of the forbidden fruit it lost him Paradise and brought an exceeding misery on mankind Vzzah did but put out his hand to stay the Ark and he dyed for it on the place Vzziah would be medling with the Priests office and he was immediately struck with a leprofie to the day of his death 2 Chron. 26. 19 21. Korah Dathan and Abiram misliked the authority of Moses and Aaron and the earth opened her mouth and swallowed them up Ananias and Sapphira for a lye are struck dead Fourthly This very conceit that sins are so little and small that God will pass them by in course may lose a man the forgiveness of sin for it is a means 1. Of carnal security 2. Of impenitency 3. Of neglect of Jesus Christ 4. To implore God by prayer for the forgiveness of sins like the proud Pharisee who sought not for mercy and missed of mercy because he took no notice of his sins at all the greatest sin is pardoned upon repentance the least sin will damn without repentance Secondly I now come to the second position which is this That some do put Some put themselves out of a capacity of forgiveness themselves out of a capacity of the forgiveness of their sins and there are eight sorts of these persons 1. They who sin the sin against the Holy Ghost 2. They who will not repent and forsake their sins 3. They who delay and defer Repentance 4. They who do repent feignedly and hypocritically 5. They who do not believe on Christ and refuse to be his 6. They who do absolutely despair 7. They who do rest on their own works as reasons and causes of the forgiveness of their sins 8. They who are unmerciful and unplacable and will not forgive others who trespass against them They who sin the sin against the Holy Ghost First They do put themselves out of a capacity of forgiveness of their sins who do sin the sin against the Holy Ghost Matth. 12. 31. All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men Ver. 32. And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man it shall be forgiven him but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost it shall not be forgiven him neither in this world nor in the world to come Here you find it expresly and peremptorily delivered from the mouth of Jesus Christ himself that the sin against the Holy Ghost shall never be forgiven Quest But will some of you say What is this sin against the Holy Ghost What that sin is which never shall be forgiven Sol. It is a wilful and malicious and reproachful opposition of the Gospel attended with a total and final Apostacy from it after and against the clear convictions of the Holy Ghost First It is an opposition of the Gospel the Gospel must be preached and the Gospel must be opposed by such as hear it else it is not the sin against the Holy Ghost they therefore who are charged with this sin are said to hate the light Joh. 3. 20. and to hate Christ and to hate the truth Joh. 15. 25. and to be disobedient unto the Gospel and to be a gain-saying people Rom. 10. 21. and to reject the Corner stone Acts 4. 11. and to refuse to hear Acts 13. 46. and to put the Word from them who resist the truth and contradict it 2 Tim. 3. 8. as you may read of the Pharisees and other of the Jews Secondly It is a peculiar kind of opposition not of ignorance not of inadvertency not of passion but 1. A wilful opposition therefore they who commit this sin are said to sin wilfully Hebr. 10. 26. If we sin wilfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth there remaineth no more sacrifice for sin A man sins wilfully when the reason of his sinning rests solely in the perverseness of his will though his judgement be disarmed of all Apology and his conscience be convinced yet he will sin and oppose the Gospel because he will do so 2. A malicious opposition it ariseth from a bitter hatred against Christ and rage against the truth therefore they who sin this sin are said to offer or do despite unto the Spirit of grace Hebr. 10 29. as if they did sin on purpose to vex and affront the Spirit of God 3. A reproachful opposition hence it is affirmed of these sinners that they speak evil of the ways of Christ and blaspheme his Word The Jews were filled with envy and spake against those things which were spoken by Paul contradicting and blaspheming Acts 13. 45. that they mock at Jesus Christ Matth. 27. 41. The chief Priests mocking him with the Scribes and Elders c. Ver. 29. When they had

sins be lesser sins a sinner shall be damned for them if he repent not Though sins have been exceeding great yet they shall be forgiven upon repentance You demand what a great sinner should do who can find no instance of mercy to any under the same guilt with himself I answer plainly 1. He should do what God calls upon him to do and what he hath called upon other great sinners to do and that is to repent Let the wicked forsake his way c. Isa 55. 7. Repent and be converted Act. 3. 19. Put away the evil of your doings Isa 1. 16. 2. He should by faith lay hold on the promises of mercy by Christ to a repenting sinner To dispute who hath found mercy is the least of your business but do you repent and you shall quickly see mercy in a promise to your own souls although you cannot find Instances of mercy unto others Fifthly Though you cannot find particular and answerable instances yet in case Though you cannot find instances yet in case of Repentance you shall find promises of Repentance you may and shall finde sufficient promises which are proper grounds for your faith to work on to answer your conditions All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men but the blasphemy aganist c. Matth. 12. 31. Certainly this promise will reach your sin be it never so great unless it be the sin against the Holy Ghost and that sin you are not guilty of because you are repenting of your sin whereas it is impossible to renew those who are guilty of that sin unto repentance Heb. 6. 6. Sixthly And let me tell you one thing more That as when God forbids any kind of sin he doth therein forbid the particular individual branches of that sin So if I do not exceedingly mistake when he doth promise to forgive a sin in any kind that promise of forgiveness will extend to any one particular or distinct sin of that kind be that particular sin never so hainous v●g When he promiseth to forgive uncleanness indefinitely upon the repentance of a person this promised forgiveness is appliable to the most vile and horrid wayes of uncleanness of which a person hath been guilty But I have said enough to this Scruple Whether the first work of a sinner be to repent or to believe 2. Quest Whether in case of great transgressions the first work which concerns the sinner be to repent of his sin or firsc to believe that God hath forgiven his sin or rather will do so Answered Sol. Truely I think that whatsoever we may Theoretically argue in such a case yet practically he that is wounded in Conscience for any great sin hath little leasure or ability to keep Rank or File I mean thus artificially to consider the Method or Order of Spiritual actings But one while he thinks on sin and another while on mercy when on his sin then with great fears and when on mercy then with great doubts That he should repent he knows that he may presently believe he questions and to speak plainly he can neither well repent nor yet well believe a third work ordinarily presseth him which is of a troubled and troubling Conscience But yet if you would have me speak my thought to this Nicity rather than Case of Conscience I should say First As to experience trouble and tears and fears and sighes and groanes are usually the immediate workings and issues of great sinings Secondly As to the command Repentance is the first work which God layes out for the great sinner This generally you read prescribed both in the Old and New Testament 2 Chron 7. 14. Isa 1. 16. Isa 55. 7. Ezek. 18. 21. and Luke 24. 47. Act. 2. 38. Act. 3. 19. And truely it will be no easie work to clear out that a man can or may believe that God according to promise will forgive him his sins though very great whiles he yet remaines impenitent Thirdly As to the order of practice I would prescribe both of them to be first The sinner should repent first and the sinner should believe first and that he may do both first he should pray for both first A believing Repentance and a Repenting Faith such a Repentance which is accompanied with Faith and such a Faith as accompanied with Repentance And verily in this case if the Faith be right it is not without Repentance and if the Repentance be right it is not without Faith you cannot rightly repent unless you have Faith to see some mercy neither can you confidently believe unless there be some Repentance I beseech you whiles others are a disputing which of these should appear first do you earnestly and seriously beg of God for grace to act them both What that sinner should do who cannot find a heart to repent or believe 3. Quest But there is another Case which is more real and more to purpose viz. What that sinner should do who upon the commission of some great sin cannot find a heart either to repent or to believe the heart is become hardned and no workings can be raised either of mourning for the sin post or of believing for mercy future Answered Sol. This is unto the sinner a very dreadful case because 1. God seems to deal with him in a plain judicial way and in a forsaking manner denying unto him the presence and power of his Spirit to raise him out of the depth of his sin and misery into which he hath plunged himself 2. God seldom leaves a sinner thus but where the sinner hath presumed to commit some great transgression against some special actings of knowledge and Conscience Nevertheless to the case propounded First Let the sinner in this condition consider whether no penitential and no believing operations at all are to be found in his heart whether he doth not at least Consider whether there be no penitential and believing operations at all to be found with a sad and troubled heart consider into what a condition he hath by his great sinning brought himself whether there be not some judgings and abhorrings of himself and some desires after a Spirit of mourning and believing Secondly this sinner should acknowledge it as a great and righteous judgement of God upon him for his sinning And that the Lord may for ever withdraw from Acknowledge it a righteous judgement of God upon him him and utterly leave him because he hath thus presumptuously sinned against him Never let him open his mouth against God but justifie and clear him as most righteous and condemn himself as most unthankfull and unworthy that ever the Lord should look on him any more That he should thus against light and warnings and reluctancies of conscience and against mercy and love and perhaps experience presumptuously venture to offend and provoke God Thirdly If under all the d●stinct Considerations of this sinning and his free confessions unto God and his self-judgings no tenderness yet

durationis He that hath a soft heart mourns and grieves 1. For his own sinnes Ezek. 7. 16. They that escape of them shall escape and shall be on the mountains like Doves of the valleys all of them mourning every one for his iniquity David that man of a soft heart how mourning and lamenting for his sin My sin is ever before me Psal 51. 3. I water my couch with my tears Psal 6. 6. Those in Zechary mourning as one mourneth for his only son And in bitternesse as one that is in bitternesse for his first born Zech. 12. 10. Mary Magdalen weeping and washing the feet of Christ with her tears Luke 7. 38. Peter remembred the words of Jesus who said unto him Before the cook crow twice thou shalt deny me thrice and he went out and wept bitterly Mat. 26. 75. The Penitent Corinthian so mourning for his sin that Paul writes unto the Church by all means to forgive and comfort him least he should be swallowed up with over much sorrow 2 Cor. 2. 7. Now by the way observe that persons whose hearts have been really soft and tender they have mourned not only for their gross sins but also for their lesser sins not only for corporal sins but also for their spiritual sins for pride hypocrisie vain-glory unbelief not only for outward sins but also for inward sins not only for the sins in life but also for their sins in heart for the sin of nature original sin and the secret motions thereof not only for his sinful doings but also for his sins which do accompany his best doings not only for the sins which they have committed alone but also for the sins which they have caused others to commit either by their perswasion or by their evil example Not only for their sins of knowledge but also for their sins of ignorance as he prayed Lord forgive me my known sins and Lord forgive me my unknown sins so c. not only for present sins but for sins long since committed and pardoned 2. For the sins of others as well as for his own sins Psal 119. 136. Rivers of waters run down mine eyes because they keep not thy law Ezek. 9. 4. Go through the mid'st of the City through the mid'st of Jerusalem and set a mark upon the foreheads of the men that sigh and that cry for all the abominations that be done in the mid'st thereof Jer. 13. 17. If you will not hear it my soul shall weep in secret places for your pride Exod. 32. 31. Oh this people have sinned a great sin and have made them Gods of gold Luke 19. 41. When he came near he beheld the City and wept over it The sins of others do grieve the Lord Fourty years long was I grieved with this generation Psal 95. 10. and dishonour him and how can a tender heart endure to see his God and Father grieved and dishonoured but his soul must grieve and mourn be afflicted and troubled Paul reproves the Corinthians because they grieved not for the sin of the incestuous Corinthian Thirdly Fear to sin True tenderness of heart alwayes breeds the greatest care to please God and the greatest fear to displease God where there is no Fear to sin fear to sin there is no tendernesse of heart and where there is true tendernesse of heart there is an exceeding fear to sin against God Prov. 23. 17 Be thou in the fear of the Lord all the day long Act. 9. 31. The Churches walked in the fear of the Lord. There is one who sets out seven degrees of fear which are to be found in every truely tender-hearted child of God viz. 1. He is afraid to commit grosse sinnes though never so secretly as you finde in Joseph when tempted by his Mistris O saith he How can I do this great wickednesse and sin against God! Gen. 39. 9. And in David when he was strongly tempted to take revenge of his mortal enemy and had an opportunity also put into his hands yet he durst not do it and why because he durst not sin against God! Who can stretch forth his hand against the Lords Anointed and be guiltless 1 Sam. 26. 9. 2. He is afraid to commit little sins what a small matter had it been for Daniel and the three children being brought into Babylon to have eaten of the meat and to have drunk of the wine which Nebuchadnezzar appointed for them but Daniel saw it was such meat as was contrary to the Ceremonial Law then in force and therefore he would not defile himself with it Dan. 1. 8. 3. He is afraid to omit the least duty Moses was commanded to fetch the people of Israel with their cattel and substance out of Egypt Pharaoh consents for the people and their little ones but he would have the Flocks and Herds stayed by no means saith Moses Our Cattel also shall go with us there shall not an hoof be left behind Exod. 10. 24 26. So in the setting up of the Tabernacle and in all other Services commanded by God he was faithfull in all things he durst not leave out one knop not one tach not one pin which the Lord prescribed about the Tabernacle c. 4. He is afraid to serve the Lord carelesly and negligently Awake Psaltery and Harp I my self will awake early Psal 108. 2. With my whole heart have I sought thee Psal 119. 10. Not slothful in businesse fervent in Spirit serving the Lord Rom. 12. 11. 5. He is afraid to do any thing that is of evil report which though in itself it may be lawful yet if advantage may thereby be taken to cause Religion or the profession to be reproached and evil spoken of he is afraid to do that thing 1 Cor. 6. 1. Dare any of you having a matter against another go to Law before the unjust and not before the Saints And why might they not do so what unlawfulnesse was there in that Is not civil Magistracy ordained of God 't is true but though all things are lawful all things are not expedient 1 Cor. 6. 12. At that time such applications would have exposed the Christian Religion and Profession unto scorn and contempt amongst unbelievers c. Give none offence neither to the Jews nor to the Gentiles nor to the Church of God he speaks it concerning things indifferent 1 Cor. 10. 32. 6. He is afraid not only of apparent evils but also of the appearance of evil 1 Thes 5. 22. Abstain from all appearance of evil if it hath the look or shew of evil it is enough to a tender heart to avoid it and abstain from it If it looks like pride if it looks like unchastity if it looks like unbefitting service of God if it looks like persecuting of the Gospel c. like error idolatry c. 7. He is afraid not only to do any thing that is evil Let not any iniquity have dominion over me Psal 119. 133. nor only to speak any evil Set

comforts from God 23. 11. And the night following the Lord stood by him and said Be of good cheer Paul c. Psal 94. 19. In the multitude of my thoughts within me thy comforts delight my soul Ver. 18. When I said my foot slippeth thy mercy O Lord held me up Seventhly You cannot serve a better Master than your God therefore continue stedfast walking in his statutes and doing of his wo●k Mich. 7. 18. We cannot serve a better Master than God Four Masters Who is a God like unto thee that pardoneth iniquity c. Hose 2. 7. I will return to my first husband for then it was better with me than now There are four Masters and of necessity we must serve one of them 1. Satan 2ly The world 3ly Our sin●ul lusts And 4ly God himself Are you not ashamed to compare these Masters unto God and their service unto his God is the best Master 1. For authority 2ly For dignity 3ly For liberty 4ly For the service God is the best Master and why commanded 5ly For privil●dges 6ly For present benefit 7ly For future reward Other Masters are base and cruel and their service is bondage and their pay is destruction but God is a gracious Master and helpful and beneficial and blessed and therefore c. Eighthly Although you do many times halt and are drawn aside and go astray yet your God whom you serve will be merciful unto you he will God will pardon our weaknesses not forsake you nor cast you off but will recover and pardon you There are three unspeakable mercies which the Lord shews unto all his people in Covenant Three mercies which the Lord shews his people in Covenant He pardons all their old sins He looks after them when they wander 1. One is that he pardons all their old sins in which they walked before they came into Covenant with him he blots them all out and will never remember them any more casts them all into the depth of the Sea 2. A second is that he will look after them and seek and find them and bring them home again when they lose themselves by sinning and wander from him Psal 119. 176. I have gone astray like a lost sheep seek thy servant And did not the Lord indeed seek and find David when he exceedingly strayed in the ma●ter of Vriah he sends Nathan after him with such a message as convinced and humbled and turned him again and so when Peter went astray Christ lookt back upon him he did not leave him but toucht his heart and turned him as he in Luke 15. 4. that had an hundred sheep when he had lost one of them he went after that which was lost untill he found it Thus is it with the Lord if any of his servants should lose themselves yet the Lord will not lose him he will not cast him him off The Lord saith Samuel will not forsake his people for his great Name sake 1 Sam. 12. 22. but will send after him such a message by his Word or by afflictions or by conscience or by his own Spirit that he shall come back again Hose 2. 6. I will hedge up thy way with thorns c. Ver. 7. Then shall she say I will go and return to my first husband c. 3. A third is that he will accept of them again into love and favour Hose 14. 4. I will heal their back-slidings I will love them freely for m●ne anger is God will accept of them turned away from him Jet 31. 19. Surely after that I was turned I repeated c. Ver. 20. Is Ephraim my dear son is he a pleasant child for since I spake against him I do earnestly remember him still therefore my bowels are troubled for him I will surely have mercy upon him saith the Lord. 9. A ninth Encouragement for you is this the Lord in whose wayes you walk God stands by us to strengthen us in his wayes doth stand by you to strengthen you his eyes are upon you for good he doth behold all your works and labours and pains and is sensible of all your injuries and sufferings and troubles 1 Pet. 3. 12. The eyes of the Lord are over the righteous and his ears are open to their prayers Ver. 13. Who is he that will harm you if you be followers of that which is good 2 Pet. 2. 9. The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations Rev. 2. 9. I know thy works and tribulation and poverty but thou art rich and I know the blasphemy of them which say they are Jews and are not Ver. 10. Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer c. 2 Cor. 4. 17. For our light affliction which is but for a moment worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory 10. Lastly Your time of walking and working is almost at an end your day Our time of working is almost at an end is ending and it is but a little time more and then he that shall come will come your life is near expiring and your reward is hastning Rev. 22. 11. He that is righteous let him be righteous still and he that is holy let him be holy still Ver. 12. And behold I come quickly and my reward is with me to give to every man according as his work shall be SECT IV. 3. Use THe last Use from this That the people of God are to walk in his statutes and to hold on in that course all their dayes shall be of perswasion unto us all in general unto three things 1. To repent of and to forsake our sinful walkings 2. To approve of and to like of this walking in Gods statutes 3. To yield up your hearts to God and to make some essayes of walking in Gods wayes First To repent of and to forsake all our former sinful walkings It is high Three things we are exhorted to Repent of our former miswalking Arguments to perswade us hereto Such shall have mercy time to awake out of sleep Rom. 13. 11. The time past of our life may suffice us to have wrought the will of the Gentiles when we walked in lasciviousness lusts excess of wine revellings banquettings and abominable idolatries 1 Pet. 4. 3. I will present four Arguments to perswade you to harken unto this counsel 1. You may have mercy if you do so Isa 55. 7. Let the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts and let him return unto the Lord and he will have mercy upon him and to our God for he will abundantly pa●don So Ezek. 18. 21. If the wicked will turn from all his sins which he hath committed and keep all my statutes c. Ver. 22. all his transgressions which he hath committed they shall not be mentioned unto him in his righteousness which he hath done he shall live 2. You will certainly perish if you do not so Prov. 1. 29. For they hated knowledge