Selected quad for the lemma: knowledge_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
knowledge_n	diligence_n	godliness_n	kindness_n	1,444	5	9.4108	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A51916	Sermons preach'd on several occasions by John March ..., the last of which was preach'd the twenty seventh of November, 1692, being the Sunday before he died ; with a preface by Dr. John Scot ; to which is added, A sermon preach'd at the assizes, in New-Castle upon Tine, in the reign of the late King James.	March, John, 1640-1692.; Scott, John, 1639-1695.	1699 (1699)	Wing M583; ESTC R18158	123,796	330

all sorts of Graces And Secondly Serious endeavours after the highest degrees of them First This growth in Grace denotes the getting all sorts of Graces It is a known Maxim in Philosophy aucto toto augetur quaelibet pars in the Natural Growth of Plants when the whole increaseth every part increaseth also and the Maxim holds in Spiritual Growths too For all the Faculties of the Soul are improved together and the New Creature must be adorned with all sorts of Vertue To this purpose is that saying of Cicero Omnes virtutes inter se nexae conjugataeque sunt all the Vertues saith he are linked and joyned together so that he that has one must have them all Hence we find Christ's Spouse in the Canticles compared to a pleasant Garden which is adorned with great variety of Flowers and perfum'd with all sorts of Fragrant Spices thus the Kings Daughter must be all Glorious within The good Christian that will grow in Grace must be possessed with all sorts of Virtues according to that exhortation our Apostle gives Chap. 1. 5. Give all diligence saith he and add to your Faith Vertue and to Vertue Knowledge and to Knowledge Temperance and to Temperance Patience and to Patience Godliness and to Godliness Brotherly Kindness and to Brotherly Kindness Charity All these Vertues must dwell together and that man hath none of them who has them not all in some degree and measure But Secondly This Growth in Grace as it denotes the getting all sorts of Vertues so it denotes our serious endeavours after the highest degrees of them As the growing Christian must add Vertue to Vertue and pile one Grace upon another so he must not sit down with some lower attainments but advance to the highest pitch and degree of every Grace I need not tell you that there are several degrees in every Grace and Vertue the number of which is variously reported by Learned Men. Aristotle that Prince of Philosophers reckons but eight Gregory the Great fifteen Iohannes Climachus doubles the number and makes them Thirty But these Great Men do all fall short of the truth for there cannot be fewer than infinite degrees in every Vertue seeing God Almighty possesses them all in infinite degrees of Perfection Now this is the Pattern which is proposed to the Christians imitation For as our Saviour speaks he must endeavour to be perfect even as his Heavenly Father is perfect Sure then he must endeavour to grow very high who is to grow as high as Heaven he must not be content with low attainments who is to imitate the infinite Perfections of the Divine Nature Thus the Righteous must hold on in his way and he that hath clean Hands must wax stronger and stronger according to the advice of St. Ierom it must be his constant study to grow in Grace as he grows in Years Like the Vine to which the Holy Ghost so frequently compares him he must know no other period of his growth than that of his Life and like Caleb must be active and vigorous even at eighty years of Age. The serious Christian still finds something that needs to be amended something also decayed he must be careful to repair and something not yet attained he must press hard after As the diligent Bee flies from Flower Flower that it may gather greater plenty and abundance of Hony so the serious Christian goes from Duty to Duty and from Ordinance to Ordinance out of a longing desire to gain higher degrees of Grace To this purpose is that Character the Psalmist gives of a Righteous Man Psal. 92. 12. c. The Righteous shall flourish like the Palm-Tree he shall grow like a Cedar in Lebanon those that be planted in the House of the Lord shall flourish in the Courts of our God They shall still bring forth Fruit yea even in Old Age they shall be fat and flourishing What elegant and significant Expressions are these Here is not only mention of growing but of Flourishing too and here is Flourishing mentioned no less than three times and it is the flourishing not of an ordinary Tree but of a Palm tree which is famous for its Flourishing under the heaviest burthens Nay further it is flourishing like a Cedar and that not growing in a barren Wilderness but in Lebanon it self where the Best the Goodliest the Tallest Cedars grew Nor is he said only to Flourish in Boughs and Leaves but also in Fruit and that not for one year only but the Righteous Man is still bringing forth Fruit and that not only in the Years of his Youth or the beginning of Grace but in Old Age too What a Divine Climax what an Elegant Gradation is here used by the Holy Ghost to represent the continual growings of a Righteous Man in Vertue He is still climbing higher and higher till he climbs as high as Heaven Thus have I considered the Duty it self Grow in Grace And come now in the Second place Secondly to enquire what is that Degree or Stature of Grace a Christian must grow to before he can assure himself of Eternal Salvation I have shewn already that the degrees of Grace and Vertue are no less than Infinite so many indeed that the best of Christians may more easily endeavour after them than ever perfectly acquire or attain them But notwithstanding all this there are certain degrees of Grace which must be attained to before a Christian can have any comfortable assurance of his Eternal Salvation There is such a state of Holiness and Perfection he must grow to in this Life before he can have any evidence of his Title to a better Life Now for your better information in this important Point I shall shew you these two things First That there is a certain growth in Grace attainable in this World which is sufficient to assure us of Eternal Salvation Secondly What this saving growth in Grace imports First Let me shew you that there is a certain growth in Grace attainable in this World which is sufficient to assure us of Eternal Salvation Solomon tells us Prov. 4. 18. That the Path of the Iust is as the shining Light which shineth more and more unto the perfect Day There is therefore a perfect Day of Grace the Just Man may arrive at and this will receive farther light from those Elegant Expressions of our Apostle 2 Pet. 1. 19. We have saith he a more sure word of Prophesie whereunto ye do well that ye take heed as to a Light shining in a Dark Place until the Day dawn and the Day-Star arise in your Hearts It is plain from hence that the Day-Star of Grace doth arise in the Hearts of Believers in this Life such as will be sufficient to bring us to Heaven It is yet a clearer proof of this which you 'l find Ephes. 4. 11. where St. Paul tells us that Christ at his Ascention gave Apostles Prophets Evangelists Pastors and Teachers for the edifying of the Church and the perfecting of