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
A69196	Foure sermons viz. 1. The blessednesse of peace-makers. 2. The aduancement of Gods children. Preached before the King. 3. The sinne against the holy Ghost. Preached at Pauls Crosse. 4. The Christian petitioner. Preached at Oxford on the Act Sunday. By Iohn Denison Doctor of Diuinity, and one of his Maiesties Chaplaynes.	Denison, John, d. 1629.; Denison, John, d. 1629. Beati pacifici.; Denison, John, d. 1629. Sinne against the holy ghost plainly described.; Denison, John, d. 1629. Christian petitioner. Shewing how we must sue for reward and remission.	1620 (1620)	STC 6587; ESTC S120377	95,129	308

remains small hope of receiuing comfort by Christs eternall sacrifice but rather extreame terrour in the expectation of his dreadfull sentence small probability of being cleansed in his precious blood but rather a sore possibility of being deuoured by a violent fire Peccata sunt animae vulnera sins are the soules wounds according to the sacred Scriptures and the ancient Fathers phrase of speech And as the wounds of the body doe differ some being dangerous some more mortall some altogether incurable so fares it with the wounds of the soule some are cured more easily as the Maid was raised from death by Christ Mark 9. Some with lesse facilitie like the Widdowes Sonne Luk. 7. Some yet with greater difficultie like Lazarus Iohn 11. The cure will cost many a groane and many a sigh some are altogether vncurable the sinne cleauing to the sinner like the Leprosie of Gehazi for h 2 Kin. 5.27 euer Loe such a wound and such a sinne we haue in hand at this present euen the sinne against the holy Ghost For the subiect of this Scripture is a deadly wound euen a wound and death a wound going before and death following after it The wound is expressed in these words For if we sinne willingly after we haue receiued the knowledge of the truth The death and danger in these words There remaines no more sacrifice for sinne but a fearefull looking for of iudgement and a violent fire which shall deuoure the aduersaries Behold here is the most hainous sinne of all sinnes and the most grieuous iudgement of all iudgements here is a fearefull transgression and a dolefull affliction in the one behold the tower of Babel in the other the valley of Benhinnom in the one the extreamest degree of iniquitie in the other the vttermost measure of miserie in the one a sinners execrable condition in this life in the other his lamentable confusion in the life to come But now I purpose God willing onely to speak of the wound In the handling whereof I intend to take these courses 1. I will open it 2. I will search it 3. I will binde it vp againe by Application In the opening of the wound I finde it in the generall to be an Apostasie from the Gospell For it is a forsaking the communion we haue among our selues So saith the Apostle ver 25. And in the particular view thereof I note foure bad humours which feede it for mali humores sunt praui mores as Bernard h Bern. super Cant. ser 36. saith Vers 26 The first is an aduised sinfulnesse After we haue receiued the knowledge of the truth The second a resolute wilfulnesse If we sinne willingly Vers 29 The third is obstinate malice For here is an aduersary that despights the spirit of grace The fourth is a generall corruption of Religion For it is a treading vnderfoote the Sonne of God and counting the blood of the Testament as an vnholy thing and both these points are expressed in the 29. Verse So that in a word I finde and consequently doe define this sinne to be A Witting Willing Malicious Totall Apostasie First for the matter of this sinne It is an Apostasie either from the publike profession or priuate acknowledgement of the Gospell For the manner of it It must be witting and not of ignorance It must be willing and not of co-action It must be malicious and not of infirmitie It will be totall and not some particular impietie In the handling of which points let mee say to you in i Chris var. loc in Mat. hom 9. Chrysostomes words Excutite pigritiam non est res leuis quam audituri estis rouse vp your spirits and raise vp your attention the matter you are to heare is of no small moment The first part The opening of the WOVND The first bad Humour VVHen almightie God had laid the foundation of the world his first worke was fiat lux let there be light and this light being dispersed and confused he afterwards placed in the Globe of the Sunne which he made vehiculum lucis So in the creation of man 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a modell of that greater world hee placed the light of vnderstanding in the firmament of his Soule to guide him in the way of holinesse and to bring him to the place of eternall happinesse But Sathan whose kingdome is the kingdome of darkenesse in enuie towards man and malice to God obscured that light with the clowdes of errour that so hee might lead wretched sinners blinde-fold to hell like the Syrians into the midst of k 2. Reg. 6.20 Samaria Yet God in mercy beholding this miserie into which man was cast gathering together as it were the scattered beames of knowledge doth by the spirit of illumination vnite them in the Globe of the vnderstanding and where hee affords this fauour the abuse thereof is very dangerous This is that knowledge of the truth which is here spoken of for it is cognitio accepta non acquisita knowledge receiued from the illuminating spirit of God not acquired or obtained by the light or industry of nature They who offend in this kinde must be such as Saint Paul speakes of you were once darkenes but now you are light in the l Lord. So that Turkes and infidels who neuer yet receiued the knowledge of the truth cannot commit this sinne Neither is this to be taken for some superficiall conceite swimming in the braine onely but such a knowledge as taking some place in the heart hath affected the same with a certaine comfort and delight therein and bringeth with it a glimpse of that glory which is reuealed in that truth and shall be receiued in the kingdome of heauen And therefore the Apostle attributes to those who commit this sinne not onely that they be lightned but that they haue tasted of the heauenly gift and beene made pertakers of the holy-Ghost and haue tasted of the good word of God and the powers of the world to m Heb. 6.4 come Now when a man shall finde the taste of Gods word sweeter then the honie and the n Psal 19.10 honie-combe as it was to Dauid and shall afterward distaste and happily detest it as the Israelites did o Numb 11.6 Manna When he shall reioyce in the meditation of eternall life and yet reiect the consolation thereof like the yong man who ranne to our blessed Sauiour kneeled to him and cryed out good master what shall I doe that I may possesse eternall life yet went away like a p Mark 10.17 flincher When hee shall haue relished and euen beene rauished with the comfortable taste of the powers of the world to come like Balaam who passionately wished O let me die the death of the righteous and let my latter end be like q Num. 23.10 his Yet shall like a gracelesse man abandon the meanes and banish the care and cogitation thereof what probability nay what possibility is there that hee

should be renewed by repentance Albeit affected ignorance is very lyable to the curse of God according to our Sauiours words Woe be to thee Corazin woe be to thee r Mat. 11.21 Bethsaida yet inflicted ignorance obtaines his conniuence as it is Act. 17. ſ Acts 17.30 The time of this ignorance God regarded not This circumstance doth much extenuate a sinne when a man may say for himselfe as the Lord said of Niniueh there are sixe score thousand persons that cannot discerne betwixt their right hand and t Ion. 4.11 their left And when a man can pleade for himselfe with Abimelech Lord wilt thou slea euen the righteous u Gen. 20.4 Nation as if he should say had wee knowne her to be his wife wee would neuer haue offered violence to him nor villanie to her And contrarily it doth much aggrauate the sinne when one can admire acknowledge and commend the graces of God in others yet be gracelesse himselfe When he is like the Athenians who knew what was good but would not doe x Athenienses scire quae c. Tul. de senect it and like the Scribes and Pharisees who had the key of heauen yet would not enter therein For as Saint Iames saith y Iam. 4.17 to him that knoweth to doe well and doth it not to him it is sinne that is sinne with a witnesse it is a sinne 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in a more eminent extraordinary manner then others As Bernard saith z Bern. in Cant. Serm. 36. Ac si diceret sumenti cibum at non digerenti perniciosum est As meate that is eaten and not digested so is knowledge receaued and not practised as the one breedes diseases in the body so the other brings destruction to the soule It was Adams great perfection that made his ruine so lamentable and the transcendent excellency of the Angels which made their sinne so damnable and their fall so vnrecouerable And no meruaile for it is absolute Iustice a Luke 12.47 that the seruant which knowes his Masters will and doth it not should be beaten with many stripes Saint Paul b Rom. 9. 10 speakes of the errours of the Iewes his Country-men with great compassion because they had the zeale of God but not according to knowledge But our Sauiour checks the wilfull blindnesse of the Pharisees with as great indignation telling them that if they were blinde they should haue no c Ioh. 9.39.41 sinne meaning not so haynous sinne but because they said they did see therefore their sinne remained that is it stuck close by them So that as Saloman saith d Eccles 1.18 Hee that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow So may I say hee that increaseth knowledge and doth not vse it increaseth danger Men had need to consider what end they propound to their knowledge Some saith Bernard get knowledge Bern. sup Cant. Ser. 36. Et turpis quaestus est vt vendant that they may make merchandize of it and that is filthy gayne Some vt aedificent that they may edifie others and that is charitie Et charitas est Some vt aedificentur that themselues may be builded vp in grace Et prudentia est and that is wisedome And indeede it is great wisedome for a man to reape to himselfe the fruite of his owne knowledge and as great folly when he can teach another and not teach himselfe Rom. 2.21 Therefore Salomons counsell is good in this case e Pro. 5.15 Drinke thy water of thy Cisterne Hast thou a fountaine of knowledge to refresh others with the streames thereof yet thy selfe hast a thirsty soule and a barren life What an absurdity is this before men and danger in the sight of God O water and refresh thine owne soule make vse of the knowledge of the truth which thou hast receaued least after many gracious showers of instruction thy soule remaining bad and barren thou be exposed to the curse of God f Heb. 6.8 It had beene better for some not to haue knowne the way of righteousnesse as Saint Peter saith then g 2 Pet. 2.21 after they had knowne it to turne from the holy Commandements giuen vnto them Had they not knowne then had their Audit beene more easie For behold where the Lord deliuers forth large talents of knowledge there he expects great reckonings of obedience to be brought in not looking for the like at their hands towards whom hee hath not beene such a bountifull Creditour This caused Peter when he taxed the people in the Temple for betraying and denying Christ in the presence of Pilate h Acts 3.17 not to leaue them comfortlesse in so hainous a crime but to giue them hope that they should obtaine remission and haue their sinnes put away at the time of the refreshing because they did it through ignorance This also was a staffe of comfort to Saint Paul whose cruelty towards the Saints and seruants of God was most extreame For hee was a blasphemer a persecutor and an oppressor yea those outrages were prosecuted with violent fury and madnesse as himselfe ingenuously confesseth i Act 26.10.11 Yet these his mercilesse persecuting sinnes found mercy at Gods hands vpon his serious repentance as hee comfortably witnesseth k 1. Tim. 1.13 In a word this was the ground of our Sauiours prayer at the time of his passion l Luke 23.34 Father forgiue them for they know not what they doe As though hee should say If they knew indeede that I am the Sonne of God and would offer me this indignity the Messiah and Sauiour of the world and yet would shew mee this cruelty the Lord of glorie and yet would crucifie mee I would neuer vouchsafe to open my mouth for them but now O Father for as much as these things haue not beene reuealed to the eye of their vnderstanding nor made euident to the view of their conscience vouchsafe them pardon and lay not this sinne to their charge The second bad Humour THE second bad Humour that feedes this mortall wound is willingnesse If we sinne willingly If the Pilote be not skilfull or carefull those that goe by Sea must needes sayle dangerously but if they also carry full sayle in the midst of a tempest they cannot choose but be ouerset Euen so it fareth with vs while wee flote in the sea of this present world If our vnderstanding which is our Pilote doe fayle vs after we haue receiued the knowledge of the truth our case is dāgerous but if withall we giue our wills full sayle euery blast of Sathans temptations will be ready to sinke vs and this is the Apostles word here in this place If we sinne willingly which word implieth somewhat more then a simple and single will and importeth rather a resolute wilfulnesse So that this is not a mixt action wherein the sinner is partly willing partly vnwilling but an absolute resigning of that faculty for the performance