Selected quad for the lemma: knowledge_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
knowledge_n	faith_n	grace_n	temperance_n	1,784	5	11.4380	5	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A61638	Shecinah, or, A demonstration of the divine presence in the places of religious worship being an essay, tending to promote piety, prevent apostacy, and to reduce grosly deluded souls, first to their right wits, then to the right waies, of Gods publick instituted worship / by John Stillingfleete ...	Stillingfleet, John, 1630 or 1-1687.	1663 (1663)	Wing S5680; ESTC R9466	109,230	256

and prophaneness See 2 Pet. 1. vers 4 5 6. Those that are made partakers of the Divine Nature have escaped the pollution of the world they add to their virtue knowledge to their knowledge temperance c. The Spirit changes the garments of those he takes to be his Scholars hee throws off the raggs of their old sins and puts on the Robes of Christs Righteousness and upon those Robes hee places this Golden Chain of Graces as an Ornament to him being under the guidance and teaching of the Spirit of God This Chain is made up of many links Faith Virtue Knowledge Temperance Patience Godliness Brotherly Kindness Charity Hee that hath all these is truly knowing vers 8. Hee that wants these is stark blinde vers 9. § 4. Rule 3. Hee is taught by the Spirit that hath the sweetness and comforts of Gospel-Truths made out seasouably to the soul Thus may a Christian know that a promise is set home by the Spirit when it comes in to the upholding of the soul under grievances and afflictions at present incumbent on the soul or for the mortification of sin which is his great burden and trouble of his life Where our own strength and parts fail there the Spirit of God ordinarily comes in with a supply When wee know not in what box our evidences our comfort our quickening our strength lyes then the Spirit of God comes in and opens the promise to us and such places of the Word as are both suitable and seasonable for us § 5. Rule 4. Hee is taught of the Spirit that is impartial in his desires of and endeavours after knowledge What-ever concerns either the Glory of God or the welfare of his soul hee labours to have that made known to him Partiality makes men act onely to have so much knowledge as to have their tongues by it tipt with the language of Canaan when in the mean while they look not at the ordering of their lives as becomes an Israelite indeed The language of Cornelius to Peter is that which well becomes a true Disciple of Christ Wee are all here present before God to hear all things that are commanded thee of God Act. 10.33 Nay be they never so bitter things yet a gracious heart desires to know the worst as well as the best of himself what makes most against him as well as what makes most for him As it was with Eli 1 Sam. 3.17 hee urges Samuel to let him know all that was the mind of God be it never so bitter It is contrary with carnal hearts if any thing cross their lusts or go contrary to their carnal designs they care not for knowing of it Herod cast John into prison because hee told him it was not lawful for him to have his Brothers Wife Mark 6.18 Thus ungodly hearts rise against the Word when it would part them from their sins and ascribe a close and convincing Sermon rather to the envy of the Teacher than to the teaching of the Spirit of God § 6. Rule 5. Hee receives the Truths of God with much humility Paul was desperately proud whilst a Pharisee ignorant of the spirituality of the Law but very humble when hee became a sincere Christian Act. 20.19 Serving the Lord with all humility of mind Sincere souls like the lowest valleyes are very fruitful whilst proud hearts like the lofty hills are barren and unprofitable See the deportment of Agur I am more brutish than any man p. 0.30.2 3 I have not the understanding of a man Yet hee exhorts his Scholars to fetch their knowledge from the High One. The Holy Spirit seeing so deep a Self-denial and Humility in him ranks his wisdome with Solomons and his Proverbs and the Wise mans are both joyned together Rule 6. Hee that is taught by the Spirit by that knowledge is carried out to purifie himself from sin 2 Cor. 7.1 Having these promises let us cleanse our selves from all filthiness of flesh and spirit perfecting holiness in the fear of the Lord. Where the Spirit teaches purity of life is one main lesson The very office of the Spirit is to sanctifie the soul Act. 15.9 Impurity of life is no Livery for the Disciples of Christ to wear 1 John 3.3 Rule 7. Knowledge taught by the Spirit speaks the soul under the influence of the Spirit both before and after his teaching First Antecedently The Spirit puts the soul to pray earnestly for his saving discoveries of Gospel-Truths Luke 11.13 How much more shall the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask it The Spirit here is further discoveries of the Spirit And hee that goes in the sense of his darkness and ignorance seldome comes away without an answer to his prayer Secondly Consequently hee is carried out to praise God for the communication of saving knowledge and teachings of his Spirit Carnal hearts ascribe all to their own parts and industry Gracious souls own Gods Spirit in all their discoveries and do desire to improve all to his glory and praise § 7. II. Hence arises matter for Exhortation If the Spirit be present to teach us wee should easily be exhorted to own the Spirit as our grand Teacher In that it is both our greatest wisdome and chiefest comfort so to do First It is our greatest wisdome Learners if wise make choice of the ablest Masters to teach them There is none better nor abler to teach thee than the Spirit of God Best of men have their imperfections in point of Knowledge and so are but imperfect Teachers But the Spirit of God as hee is omniscient and knoweth all things so hee is infinite and able to teach us all things Job 14 26 Hee that teacheth you all things 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to teach is oftentimes accommodated in the New Testament to the Articles of Faith in the Gospel and then the meaning is the Spirit teacheth us all things necessary to salvation Is it not our wisdome now to have an Omniscient and Infinite Teacher Other Teachers though never so well accomplished are not able to teach an Art or Science if they meet with an unfit subject A dull Scholar is many times a discredit to an ingenious and very good Master yet the reason is not because the Master wants skill to teach but because the Scholar wants parts to learn Now the Spirit of God either findes or makes men fit to be taught If men want parts hee enlarges the abilities of their minds if they have natural parts hee sanctifies them And indeed in this sense hee findes none but makes all fit to be taught for none hath the least degree of saving and fanctifying knowledge but what comes from the Spirits teaching Secondly It will bee our chiefest comfort One dram of knowledge from the Spirit of God goes further than a thousand notions from natural and meer humane teaching in point of comfort What comfort will the most

taught to walk in the best way To aim at the best ends Pages 206 SHECINAH OR A Demonstration of the Divine Presence in the places of Religious Worship CHAP. I. Self-Reflection discovers the being of an Omnipotent God Gods Omnipresence These two introductory to this Discourse The right use of a Light within The Scriptures declare and prove Gods Omnipresence Several degrees of Gods special presence The Design of this Treatise § 1. MAns rational Reflection upon himself if faithfully improved would with convincing evidence secure him both against Atheism and Irreligion The sound acknowledgement of a Deity presently leads the mind to a Religious Apprehension of him For that comes short of a truly Divine Being and cannot rationally be owned as God which when discovered doth not forthwith present it self to intelligent creatures as the true object of their Religious Worship and Sacred Adoration Now Self-reflection may easily discover that there is a God and this may serve to rout Atheism And that same mind that is able thus to discover a Deity doth also naturally prompt us to an acknowledgement of that undoubted homage which is the unquestionable right of the Supream Soveraign of the world viz. Religious Worship and Adoration And this speaks Religion to be highly rational as that which is connatural to intelligent creatures and withall brands Irreligion with the greatest unreasonableness in the world Let us a little consider now what Self-reflection can do towards the discovery of a Deity 'T is evident that mans soul is not limited and restrained onely to direct Acts in its operation but it is usually as able to reflect upon its own Actions and take a review of them as it is at the first in a direct Act of knowledge to apply its self to any peculiar intelligible Object As Scripture plainly intimates a distinction 'twixt the direct and reflect Acts of Faith 1 Joh 5.13 So the constant experience of a rational soul evidences a clear distinction of the reflect Acts of knowledge from those that are direct For the mind in its reflection peculiarly fixes upon its own former Actions as the proper object it converses about But as it exerts direct Acts of knowledge its circumference is as large as the latitude of Beings or objects that are in themselves intelligible Suppose now a contemplative mind setting it self to take a true scantling of mans nature it must needs abstract the humane nature from all those conditions that would limit it to individual persons and it must conceive it as somewhat common to all men here is a direct act of the mind But when he reviews this Action and narrowly searches into the manner of apprehending and distinct understanding of the humane nature and takes notice of the power and species by which the act of the mind was exerted this is properly Reflection Now the mind by this may clearly perceive that those intellectual Images which represented the nature of man as abstracted from all material accidents cannot be corporeal and material themselves but immaterial and refined from the dreggs and dross of matter These being immaterial do necessarily require a Spiritual Power and Incorporeal Substance to reside in as their proper subject Therefore it follows the rational soul that thus reflects upon its self can be no other than an incorporeal and immaterial substance If it further searches into the Original of an immaterial substance as the soul of man is concluded to be it cannot but conclude that it could not possibly be made of any pre-existent matter when in its own nature it is immaterial or spiritual Besides the nobleness of its being and the excellency of its operations speaks it to be of no mean earthly or sublunary extraction If the soul being immaterial cannot be generated or made by any material production it remains it must have its being immediately raised out of nothing which being a work of Omnipotency will evidently demonstrate the being of an Infinite and Omnipotent Agent which first gave life and being to an immortal and immaterial soul which can be no other than God himself § 2. Having thus discovered the Being of God and that hee must be of an Infinite Power to create an incorporeal substance out of nothing it were no difficult task to demonstrate the rest of Gods Attributes from this that hee is Omnipotent or of an Infinite Power But to pass by all other Attributes I shall onely consider the necessary Inference of Gods Immensity or Omnipresence from the presupposed Being of his Infinite Power For a Being or Agent of Infinite Power must of necessity be of an Infinite Essence because otherwise the principle of operation would transcend the nature of the Essence and Being and a Finite Essence would absolutely and simply be invested with an Infinite Power which is as repugnant to right reason as derogatory to the nature of the Supreme Being or Being of Beings God blessed for evermore If the Essence be infinite that is of Infinite Power it follows that that Essence cannot be limited or restrained to any finite space For that which is any waies limited cannot every waies and absolutely be Infinite If an Infinite Essence be not limited by any finite space then this created Fabrick of the world being finite because created cannot contain it within its bounds But as it is every where present in the world so being infinite it must needs exceed the limits of every creature and so also the largest bounds of the highest Heavens So that God which is Infinite and illimited in his Essence must necessarily be granted to be in that boundless Imaginary space which must be supposed beyond the surface of the world This may further be proved thus either God can produce another creature in that supposed space or hee cannot If hee cannot then he would not be Infinite in his Power which would be repugnant to his Being and the contrary hath already been evinced If hee can then hee would either be present with that creature or not If not his Essence would not be Infinite because excluded from that space where the creature is supposed to be If hee be present then either newly present with it or he was eternally so If newly then there would be a real mutation in his Being being present now where hee was not before which is as derogatory to Gods Infinite Perfection as a local restraint and limitation is to the Infiniteness of his Essence It remains then that hee was eternally present there and if so then hee alwaies was in that boundless Imaginary space where the creature was supposed to be produced which was the matter to be proved § 3. That this Introduction thus industriously designed may not to any one seem wholly unsuitable to the ensuing discourse concerning the special Presence of God I would advise the Reader seriously to weigh both the matter expressed and the manner of its discovery and hee shall finde both highly subservient to my main design The

such of all other men they are the worst and their condemnation will be the greatest Let mee leave with such one Latine sentence out of which they may easily pick plain English Arrows Tas. Sacra Pessima creaturarum visibilium est homo degener pessimus hominum pseudo-Christianus Christianorum vero pessimus nequam Verbi Minister The above-named particulars are some qualifications of Gospel-Stewards Christ is signally present in his Ordinances when his Stewards are faithful dispensers of the Word § 6. 3. Gospel-Ministers are co-workers together with God this speaks Gods Presence with them 2 Cor. 6.1 1 Cor. 3 9 Wee therefore as workers together with him beseech you not to receive the Grace of God in vain For wee are labourers together with God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 If Ministers are fellow-labourers together with God in the doing good to souls then certainly God is present in his Worship by his Ministers Mark 16. ●0 They went forth and preached every where the Lord working with them 1. Ministers do work together with God Behold here is infinite condiscention of God towards Ministers that God who can with one word convert and save souls as well as create a world yet should vouchsafe to admit men his fellow-workers for the conversion of souls 'T is true Grotius in Ep. ad Philem v. 10. Dei opus est regignere hominem 't is Gods work to regenerate and convert souls but God pleases to use the Ministers as his Instruments in the work And God by the secret grace and virtue and power of the Spirit works in them and by them Hee joyns himself to the Ministers resigns not his right but only communicates his power with them and graceth his Instruments with the honour and title of the work Thus God doth not onely speak to us after the manner of men but also by the Ministry of men Rom. 11.14 and that so that they by their Ministry are said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to save us Therefore 2. The Lord truly works together with the Ministers Mark 16.20 The Lord working with them It is an high priviledge onely to be the Servants of God in the work of the Ministry but this is common to us with other Saints But to be Fellow-labourens with God in the salvation of souls this is a peece of singular favour God vouchsafes to Gospel-Ministers The Angels are Gods Servants too being his Ministring Spirits but to which of the Angels hath God said at any time they are his fellow-labourers Both waies the Presence of God is evidenced with the Ministers of the Gospel § 7. Object But is it not derogatory to God to have Man as a co-worker with him in the conversion of souls is not Faith by which wee are saved the gift of God Answ 1. God is the principal cause man onely by the Ministry of the Word is the instrumental cause and so Gods glory and mans duty may very well stand together 2. In saving Faith wee must distinguish these two things First There is the knowledge of the things to be beleeved Secondly An assent of the heart to those credenda or things to be beleeved First Then the knowledge of things to be beleeved ariseth from the word preached by Gospel-Ministers Gospel saving knowledge is not communicated now adaies by revelations and immediate inspirations but by the Word preached and heard Rom. 10.14 See Rom. 1.16 How shall they beleeve on him of whom they have not heard and how shall they hear without a Preacher Now Ministers are co-workers with God because Faith depends on the Word preached by them as a necessary Instrument for its production as to the knowledge of things to be beleeved Secondly As for that Internal Assent of the heart whereby a Beleever doth firmly apprehend and comfortably apply the Doctrine propounded of things to be beleeved this ariseth from the habit of Faith infused by Gods Spirit The Doctrine of Faith is preached and promulged by men herein they are co-workers with God But the habit of Faith that is infused and implanted by God alone without any concurrence of the Preacher Thus it is the gift of God Man propounds truths to the soul by his preaching God by his Spirit makes us beleeve those Truths preached and propounded Thus have I cleared the third Argument CHAP. X. Practical deductions from Gods Presence with his Ministers The Ministers dignity Their duty As Embassadours As Stewards As Co-workers with God People must eye God and not men Prize Gospel truths Not be prejudiced against nor undervaluers of Gospel Ministers Good grounds for Ministers to Preach and people to hear § 1. FRom this third Argument to prove Gods Presence in Religious worship as being represented by the Ministers of the Gospel These practical deductions might be prosecuted and enlarged upon which I shall briefly name and come to the fourth and last Argument 1. It informs Ministers of two things First Of their Dignity That God should set them in the Church to represent the Majesty of Heaven This ought not to puff up pride in Ministers but to cause humble admiration of Gods goodnesse to honour their weaknesse so farre as to be the representatives of God himself This may vindicate them from contempt amongst men An affront is offered to the Prince by affronting of his Embassador So God is affronted by any indignities that are offered to His Ministers He that despiseth 1 Thes 4.8 despiseth not man but God Corinth was ruined by the Romans for abuse of Embassadors And it were just with God to destroy any place or person for the contempt of his Ministers § 2. Secondly it informs Ministers of their duty Gods Presence with them calls for a three-fold duty from them 1. As Embassadors they must eye that mainly that God sent them about viz. The salvation of Souls Wee pray you in Christs stead be yee reconciled to God 2 Cor. 5.20 Here is the main end of our Preaching and your hearing that you may be reconciled How then can any have so impudent a face as to pretend they are sent of God who make railing and reviling of others to bee their work with a neglect of the salvation of Souls and holding out the VVord of reconciliation § 3. 2. As Stewards of the mysteries of God they must bee faithful 1 Cor. 4.2 It 's required in Stewards that they be faithful That is that they keep nothing back from the people of God but discover to them according to their ability the whole councel and will of God that they deal faithfully with them in all things that they may render a good account of their Stewardship at the great Audit Now this faithfulnesse of Gods Stewards is seen in these two things First Davenantius in Col. c. 1. v. 7. that they seek Gods honour and not their own praise Hee seeks the glory and honour of God that speaks as the Oracles of God that God in all things

unnecessary Jewish and meerly Ceremonial 2. Tithes are abolished as Jewish and Ceremonial a burden to the Saints of God and a discouragement of Industry and Tillage 3. Ministers are abolished as Antichristian and of no longer use now Christ himself descends into the hearts of the Saints and his Spirit enlighteneth them with Revelations and Inspirations 4. Magistrates are abolished as useless now that Christ himself is in purity of Spirit come amongst us and hath erected the Kingdome of the Saints upon the Earth besides they are Tyrants and Oppressors of the Liberties of the Saints and tye them to Laws and Ordinances meer humane inventions 5. Shewing them a Bible hee said here is a Book you have in great veneration consisting of two parts the Old and New Testament I must tell you 't is abolished it containeth beggarly rudiments Milk for Babes But now Christ is in glory amongst us and imparts a fuller measure of his Spirit to his Saints than this can afford and therefore I am commanded to burn it before your faces so took a Candle that hee had in a Lanthorn and set fire on the leaves Oh horrid and monstrous blasphemy Are not these New Lights think you such as are kindled with some sparkles from the fire of Hell When such Revelations and Visions are admitted then the Word is vilified and decryed And the same Spirit wee see that witnesses in the Saints as they call themselves against Tithes witnesses also against Sabbath Ministers Magistrates yea and against the very Bible too So true is that observation of Aristotle Grant one absurdity and many will unavoidably follow Admit once of New Lights and Visions of the Spirit as they are termed and you cannot keep out the most devilish and damnable errors from following after To return therefore from whence I have a little digressed when I say the Spirit teaches gradually It is thus to be understood that hee sets home Old Truths with New Light and Discoveries of them made to the soul which were not experienced before Gradual progress and such growth in grace and knowledge is the Christians duty as well as the donation of the Spirit of God Grow in grace and in the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ 2 Pet. 3.18 God in the Gospel commands us and hee by his Spirit helps us to grow in grace and knowledge And though the Spirit teaches in the Word that there can be no absolute perfection in this life telling us in the Words of St. John 1 Joh. 1.8 That if wee say wee have no sin wee deceive our selves and the Truth is not in us Yet the Spirit teacheth the soul of a true Christian gradually to breathe after Perfection Hee makes him come to God in and through Christ for justification and absolution from sin ne damnet that the condemning power of sin may be taken away hee breathes after sanctification ne regnet that sin should not reign in their mortal bodies hee breathes after glorification ne sit that sin should not exist or have any being at all in him that hee may be wholly freed from sin CHAP. XIV Practical Deductions from Gods Presence by his Spirit Matter for examination and tryal Seven Rules to try whether wee are taught by Gods Spirit Exhortation to own the Spirit as our Grand Teacher Motives and Directions Matter of Reproof to those that are all for the Spirit and nothing for the Word To Formalists To Carnal Persons Matter of Consolation to true Christians The Spirit teaches them the best lessons Especially four They are taught to walk in the best way To aim at the best ends § 1. FRom the Presence and Teaching of the Spirit of God many practical and profitable inferences may be raised Some few that are most material and most subservient to the design of this Treatise I shall propound and prosecute in this chapter as the Conclusion of the whole I. If God be present to teach his Children by his Spirit If wee would know then whether wee are the Children of God let us examine and try whether wee are taught by the Spirit or no. There is an easie way for our being deceived herein Natural parts may carry men far in the knowledge of the things of God and common illumination of the Spirit may carry us much further and yet all this while wee may come far short from the saving teaching of the Spirit of God 'T is worth while then to examine our selves by such Rules as may clearly undeceive us in a matter of so great concernment § 2. Rule 1. That Knowledge of Divine Truths that drives us off from God comes not from the teachings of the Spirit The very end and main design of the Spirits teaching is to bring us home to God and Christ Now if any Truth drives us off from God how can this come from the Spirits teaching Conviction of sin and self-abhorrency under it may and usually do come from the Spirit of God but then these drive the soul to God for the pardon of sin And when the Spirit is come he shall convince the world of Sin Joh. 16.8 and of Righteousness When the Spirit sets home sin upon the soul in order to conversion and salvation hee also clearly discovers the Righteousness of Christ for the removal of it But when sin is discovered so as to drive us to despair or to tempt us to presume upon Gods mercy without any consideration at all that the Justice of God also must be satisfied this is no teaching of the Spirit Coming unto God in a way God never owned nor prescribed is a direct running away from him So that though wee come to God to presume upon his mercy wee do in reality run away from him because God cannot shew mercy to the eternal dishonour and ruine of his Justice Mercy cannot be exerted on poor sinners till the breaches of Gods honour are repaired and his Justice satisfied Coming to God by Faith through Christ makes way for both and then both Mercy and Justice shall triumph and rejoyce together in the salvation of rebellious sinners § 3. Rule 2. Hee that pretends to much new knowledge and yet continues in his old sins is not taught by the Spirit of God To pretend to the Spirit and live in the flesh is double iniquity Simulata sanctitas est duplex iniquitas The Law of the Spirit frees the soul from the Law of sin and death Rom. 8.2 Vers 5. They that are after the Spirit mind the things of the Spirit read 6 7 8 9. verses Gods Spirit teaches none to continue in the constant practice of known sins Hee doth not allow them to sin and then teach them that that is to be spiritual to deem nothing sin that wee possibly can commit Hee doth not allow souls to live as they lift and then teach them that God sees no sin in his Children How can you be taught of God and yet follow your old courses of sin