Selected quad for the lemma: knowledge_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
knowledge_n	darkness_n	heart_n	shine_v	3,010	5	9.0570	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A27353	Nehemiah the Tirshatha, or, The character of a good commissioner to which is added Grapes in the wilderness / by Mr. Thomas Bell ...	Bell, Thomas, fl. 1672-1692.; Bell, Thomas. Grapes in the wilderness.	1692 (1692)	Wing B1804; Wing B1803_PARTIAL; ESTC R4955	138,914	254

out therefore do the virgins love thee yea he ●an give a Soul-charming vertue to the very words of his name and cause the very naming of him kindle a flame of love in the Soul that many waters cannot quench thy name is as ointment that is powred forth He can open with his finger the ●stest lock that is upon the heart of any sinner Cant. ● 4. my beloved put in his hand by the hole of the ●●or my bowels were moved for him and if it ●o not open freely he can drop a litle mirrhe from is finger upon it that shall make it easy ● rose ●● to open to my beloved and my fingers droped myrrhe verse 5 and 6. yea without once asking liberty he ●an ravish a sinners heart and when ever he comes ●pon such a design he coms rideing in King So●●mons Chariot the midst whereof is paved with love ●● the daughters of Ierusalem Cant. 3. 9. 10. and after the Kings Chariot follows a large train the Chariots of Aminadab waiting to convoy and bring ●p his willing people Cant. 6. 12. and if once the ●●ul is got up into the Chariot the King bids drive the 13 verse return return O Shulamite return ●urn and then farewell thy Fathers house Psal. 5. 10. forget thine own people and thy fathers house ●ow the Chariots of Aminadab the Chariots of the ●ords willing People run upon these four wheels ● plain termes the inward power of Grace where●● the Lord allures sinners and gains them to himself consisteth and is carryed on of these Four ●1 A sound and clear Information of the understanding and Illumination of the mind as it is ●●ten in the Prophets and they shall be all taught of God John 6. 45. out of Isai. 54 13. with Ier. 24. 7. and I will give them an heart to know me 1 John 5. 20. he hath given us an understanding that we ma● know him that is true If a man by nature and study were never so judicious and learned yet ere he b● converted and effectually allured to ingage throughly in Covenant with God he hath need to be taught of God that the eyes of his understanding being opened he may know that which passes knowledge Otherways it may seem a strange saying but it is that which is noted in the Scripture of truth and the Scripture expressions of opening the eyes giving an understanding and the like make it clear That the meanest Saint and convert hath more knowledge of Christ and seeth somewhat in him that the most Subtile Seraphick Resolute or Angelick Doctor unconverted cannot see So that whatever differences there be betwixt Saving and Common knowledge there is certainly a difference even in regard of the intensive degree 〈◊〉 clearness or if it be not so let any man tell 〈◊〉 what such expressions mean 2 Cor. 4. 6 that God who commandeth the light to shine out of darkness hat● shined in our hearts to give the light of the Glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ and verse 3 and the Gospel is hid from those that perish for Satan hath blinded their mindes and no doubt many of these had more natural judgment and learning with more of the means also than some of the● that believed To conclude there is greater odd betwixt a Saint and a Rabbi than betwixt a Ra●●● and an Idiot for the last two I now suppo● them unconverted are neighboured in Nature but Grace separats the first from them both 2. The inward power of Grace consisteth in a powerful inflection and Bowing of the Will. Psal. 110. 3. thy People shall be willing in the day of thy power the Lord findeth sinners Unwilling he worketh on them not willing and he makes them Willing The Will as I said before is the strongest hold of the Soul and the most wilful piece of the man command the Will and you command the man the New Will say Divines is the New Man and therefore the Lord is concerned to possess the Will and this he doth wherever he savingly allures a Soul for he scorns any should say that they serve and follow him against their will all his Souldiers are Volunteers his People are a Willing People I find a Godly Man once saying and all such must say it often the good which I would that I do not Even as by Conversion oft times the greatest sinner becomes the greatest Saint so the Will before Conversion the most obstinate and unplacable enemy doth afterward become the most kind and trusty friend to God for in the midst of many exorbitancies of affections and irregularities of Practice and Conversation the Will retains its loyalty and persists in its duty to the Lord and when the whole Soul is in an uproar and confusion like that of the City of Ephesus Act. 19. 32. a most lively Representation of a Soul in Perturbation wherein some cryed one thing some another for the Assembly was confused and the more part knew not wherefore they were come together All this while the Will is at ready to protest for the Lord as the superstitious Ephesians were for their Diana And when in a disorder all plead liberty I consent unto the Law says the will Rom 7. 16 and 25 with the mind I serve the Law of God 3. The inward power of Grace consists in a sweet Inclination of the Affections Deut. 30. 6. The Lord thy God will circumcise thine heart and the heart of thy seed to love the Lord thy God with all thine heart and with all thy Soul The Psalmist Prayes Psal. 119. 36. incline mine heart unto thy testimonys and Psal. 141. 4. incline not mine heart to any evil thing The Affections are ticklish things By much working and subduing with frequent turnings they become as ductile and formable as the potters clay whereof he makes a vessel as it pleases him Like those we call Good Natures they are sweet Companions but not so sure And as readily you do not leave them as you found them so you shall hardly find them where you left them nor know you when you have them or when you want them They are primi oc●upanti● they can refuse no body They welcome all comers follow all Counsels comply with all Companies And in a word they are compleat Conformists And they are courted by so many Lovers that it is much if they turn not common strumpets to the dishonour and grief of this concerned chaste Suter Who is broken with such whorish Hearts Ezek. 6. 9. Again they are like an Instrument with many Strings they make sweet Melody in Gods Service but with the least wrong touch you Mis-tune them Indeed the Saints have their affections frequently to Tune and it requires a time to do it This causes that the Affection of Grief which is the Basse of the Soul is oftest in Tune and keeps in Tune longest with the Saints Psal. 57. 7 8. When David's Heart was fixed his Harp was out of Tune when his

Apud Edinburgum Vicesimo primo die Aprilis 1691 post Meridiem TH● whilk day the Commission appointed by the late General Assembly of this Church having considered Report from a Committee of their own number whom the said Commission had appointed to Revi●● two Manuscripts written by the late Reverend Mr. Thomas Bell Minister of the Gospel and Professor of Philology in the Colledge 〈…〉 Edinburgh and given in to them by his Relick the one where 〈…〉 Grapes in the Wilderness the other Nehemiah the 〈…〉 or The Character of a good Commissioner whereby the 〈…〉 ●ommittee declared that they having perused the saids Peices 〈…〉 them to be solid and edifying Discourses and that 〈…〉 Printing there would be very useful and profitable And the said Commission being well and ripely advised with the said Report They do hereby recommend to the Relick of the said Mr. Thomas Bell to get the said two Pieces printed and published with all convenient diligence Extractum c. NEHEMIAH THE Tirshatha OR THE CHARACTER OF A Good Commissioner To which is Added GRAPES IN THE Wilderness By Mr. THOMAS BELL Minister of the Gospel and Professor of Philology in the Colledge of Edinburgh EDINBURGH Printed by George Mosman and are to be sold at his Shop in the Parliament Clōss Anno 1692. UNTO THE Most Noble and Illustrious PRINCESS THE Dutchess of Hamiltoun May it please your Grace I Have adventured though not without blushing and some fear because of the vastdistance to dedicate and commit the Tutelage of these two little Orphan treatises of my deceast Husband Mr Thomas Bell Grapes in the Wilderness and The Character of a Commissioner in the person of None-such Nehemiah to your Grace the every way most fit and proper Person under the benign in fluence of whose incouraging countenance he did for a considerable time preach the Gospel at Hamiltoun And indeed if any other in the World could possibly rival it with your Grace in my esteem yet could I not without the highest both Injustice and Ingratitude Dedicate them otherwayes it having been to my certain knowledge his firm resolution if ever they saw the light that they should be dedicated thus whose will i● 〈◊〉 such things was alwayes and is still to me as an inviolably obliging Law I am very confident your Grace will read them in Print after his death with the same edifying complacency and delight that you had wont to hear him discourse by vive voice in the Noble Family and in the solemne Assembly for really they resemble their Father to the very life That I have therefore sent them abroad into the wide World under the Patronage and Protection of your Graces Noble and Renowned Name which will sufficiently secure I am against all the Censures Cavills of the most malevolent Carpers of this ill natured Age will not be construed impardonable presumption is the humble hope of Most Noble Princess Your Graces most humble most obliged and most devoted Servant L. R. TO THE READER Christian Reader THE Discoveries that the Majesty of GOD hath made of himself in these latter dayes are so transcendent and eminently beyond what was informer Ages that it may truly be said that the Men of this Generation shall be signally indebted either to the Grace and Mercy or Justice of God For informer Ages thought was comparatively dark the Sun but rising in our Horizon But in this Age the light of the Moon compared with former Generations is like the light of the Sun the light of the Sun sevenfold as the light of seven dayes But alas our not walking in the light may justly provoke the Lord to cause our Sun go down at noon Beza complained in his time that there was multum Scientiae much Knowledge but parum Conscientiae little Conscience and how much more is there ground for this Complaint now For since the Primitive and Apostolick Age greater light hath not broken forth and moe Stars of the first and greatest magnitude have not more clearly shined in any age But oh how little walking is there sutable to such great light How many eminent Christians were there in former ages who had not so much all their dayes of the riches of free Grace discovered and of the mysteries of the Gospel unfolded as some in this Generation have had in a very little time who have far surpassed us in this Generation for eminency in Faith Love Holy Zeal Prayer and Wrestling with God Patience Meckness diligence in duty and a Gospel adorning conversation And the generality have shut their eyes and will not behold the Glory of God manifested in the 〈◊〉 of Jesus Christ in this Gospel For which cause the holy and jealous God in great anger and holy indignation hath removed many and eminent Candlesticks out of their place and taken away many shining and burning lights not in their old age and gray Hairs but even in the flower of their age and in the prime and flowrishing of their Graces and Gifts One of which was the Reverend now Triumphant and Glorified Author of these following Treatises who was eminent for Piety and Learning as his Writtings do manifest His Roman Antiquities which he published before his death cannot but command his Learning to all knowing persons and his Piety was so eminent to all that knew him that he needs none of our Commendation And these his Works which are a specimen of his great Knowledge Eloquence piety and solid Judgement will praise him in the gate where he draws a Vive Picture and Patern for all but especially for Rulers and Magistrates to look on and walk after Which I am hopeful will be very acceptable to all the Judicious and Godly He I say was taken away in the flower of his Age flowrishing of his Gifts God not accounting the World worthy of him And having left amongst his Papers these two Treatises one of which was for me established by a privat Person but without the knowledge and advice of the Authors Friends some of his Friends lovers of the publick Good judged it expedient to review and correct these Treatises that they might be published for the good and edification of the Church that he by them though dead might speak Which we hope shall through Gods blessing be very edifying for over throwing of Atheism discovering of the Souls happiness in Union and Communion with God directing great Persons in their duty and holding forth the excellency of the Scripture and pointing out to these who are walking in this Wilderness the way to the Heavenly Canaan with many other edifying purposes which that the Great God may bless is the earnest Prayer of Thy Servant in the Work of the Gospel M. C. NEHEMIAH THE Tirshatha OR THE CHARACTER OF A Good Commissioner THE Scripture casteth such a light of Divinity every way its Purpose being the Mind of God its Writting the Writting of God as whole the Oracles of God and every part of it