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

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A84653	Severall queries concerning the church of Jesus Christ upon earth, briefly explained and resolved wherein is shewed and proved, 1. That there is a church of Jesus Christ upon earth. 2. What this church is? 3. How a people become a visible church? 4. That the churches in England were at first rightly constituted? 5. What manner of government Jesus Christ hath ordained in and for his church? 6. What manner of persons those ought to be, that may be continued in, or admitted into the church? 7. What is the duty of church members towards Jesus Christ their head, and one another. / By John Flowre M.A. preacher at Staunton in the county of Nottingham.	Flower, John, b. 1623 or 4.	1658 (1658)	Wing F1386; Thomason E2141_2; ESTC R208378	33,318	112

SEVERALL QUERIES concerning the CHVRCH of JESUS CHRIST upon Earth briefly explained and Resolved Wherein is shewed and proved 1. That there is a Church of Jesus Christ upon earth 2. What this Church is 3. How a People become a Visible Church 4. That the Churches in England were at first rightly Constituted 5. What manner of Government Jesus Christ hath ordained in and for his Church 6. What manner of Persons those ought to be that may be continued in or admitted into the Church 7. What is the duty of Church members towards Jesus Christ their head and one another By John Flowre M. A. Preacher at Staunton in the County of Nottingham London Printed by T. Mabb for Edward Thomas and are to be sold at his Shop at the signe of the Adam and Eve in Little-brittain neer the Church 1658. TO THE Right Honourable EDVVARD Lord WHALEY Lievetenant Generall of the Army under his Highness OLIVER Lord Protector of the Common-wealth of England Scotland and Ireland and the Dominions thereto belonging Right Honourable THis which was at first conceived for the use and direction of my own Congregation I have at the desire of some private Friends suffered to be brought forth to a more publick view and I have also made bold to tender it to your Honour which though I confess unworthy either of your judgment or acceptance yet the countenance and many respects which I have received from you have heightned me to this presumption hoping you will please to pardon that confidence in me which your own favours and encouragements have begotten I hope I have not in this offended against the truth I am sure I have not willingly nor wittingly if I have through ignorance or mistake I shall willingly be rectified and be glad to see my errours Therefore in such ca●e Let the righteous smite me Ps 141.5 and it shall be a kindnesse let him reprove me it shall be an excellent oyle which shall not break my head In ●y pre●enting this small piece to your honour my ambition is onely to make an honourable and thankfull mention of your name your deserts h ve merited a better monument than I am able to elect for them Your Noble and civill deportment towards all in the Counties more especially under your Command chiefly your countenancing and encouraging of the pious painfull Ministers of the Gospel hath justly gained you a good report of all men and of the truth it self which honour that you may alwayes have by still co tinuing stedfast and unmoveable and always abounding in the work the Lord is the prayer of Your Honours most obliged in all duty and service JOHN FLOWRE TO My much esteemed friends and neighbours the Inhabitants of the Town and Parish of Staunton in the County of Nottingham BY the providence of the most high Isa 7. Acts 17.26 that hath appointed the tit es that are comming and shall come an ●●etermined the bounds of each one ha●itation I am seated among you in this place Ps 16.6 and I hope I shall have no other cause but that I may say with the Psalmist the lines are fallen unto me in a good place I account not that so much a good place where there are good fields good corne good pasture But I account that a good place where there is a good people a people swift to hear willing to be reformed ready to submit to the Scepter and dominion of the Lord Jesus and not crying ou● like those Rebellious Jews Lu 7.19.14 we will not have this man reigne over us I account such a place a good place for it is not the fatnesse of the soile but the fear of the Lord that maketh rich I blesse God I have received no discouragment since I came amongst you I have not found you stubborne or perverse froward or refractory or resisters of the word of truth which hath been delivered to you but I have found you rather humble and meek and willing to imbrace the Gospel which as it is your praise so it is also my happinesse and joy For what is it that makes the life of a Minister of the Gospel comfortable I tell you if he be a man that truly fears God and is faithfull to his master it is not the greatnesse of his Living the fulness of his barnes But it is the obedience of his people to gospel-precepts their growing in grace their adding to faith vertue and to vertue knowledge and to knowledge temperance 2. Pet. 1.5 and to temperance patience and to patience godliness and to godlinesse brotherly kindnesse and to brotherly kindnesse charity their willingnesse to be reformed their readinesse to receive the truth with love their not being barren nor unfruitfull in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ O! The blessing of God upon his labours in Spiritualizing his people this refresheth him when he seeth dead people quickned enemies to Christ reconciled children of wrath become children of grace those that were afar off now made nigh strangers from the covenant now interested in the promise there is no greater joy to a sincere minister of the Gospel than this This was St. 3 Ioh. 1.4 Johns greatest comfort I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walke in the truth O what a rejoycing is this when a Minister can say of his people as St. Paul could of his Corinthians 1 Cor. 6.11 But ye are washed but ye are sanctified and to the Romans to whom he preached Ye were the Servants of sin but ye have obeyed from the heart the forme of doctrine which was delivered unto you Ro. 6.17 But ah what woe is it to a faithfull minister that when he hath spent himself and his pains for many years yet is forced to complaine with the Prophet Lord who hath beleeved our report Isa 53.1 They were servants of sin and they are so still they have not obeyed from the heart the form of doctrine delivered to them They were thieves covetuous whoremongers drunkards Revilers Scorners and they are so still they are not washed they are not sanctified an● this is an heart-breaking to a sincere Minister of Jesus Christ and many such there are that with the Prophet Ier. 13.17 mourn in secret for this thing I must confesse I have what respects I can desire from you in relation to things temporal and my endeavours shall be to gratifie you with things that are spirituall which are of the greatest concernment in the world Our main businesse in this world should be to labor to make your calling and election sure To be diligent that at the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ to judgment we may be found without spot and blameless men indeed make other businesse then this But alass That so little regarded saying of our Lord Jesus Christ will be proved true one day What will it profit a man to win the world and lose his soule While providence

shall continue me among you in this place my endeavour shall be by Gods assistance to set you in heaven-way to be plaine and faithfull to you in things of soul concernment To tell you that you are altogether such as ye ought to be all reall christians a visible Church such as have a right to the sacrament an interest in the promises I dare not sow such pillows under your armes if I should well might you suspect me of daubing I mean with untempred morter But I shall endeavour to shew you out of the Scriptures who are Christians indeed not only by a change of name but by a change of nature also who are a true visible Church of Jesus Christ what manner of persons they are and ought to be to whom Seals and Promises are given and if you be or become such then may I tell you without deceiving you that you are Christians indeed a Church indeed have a right to the Seals and promises of the Gospel indeed If a Parish or People be altogether profane atheisticall dead in sins and trespasses without any favour or taste of spirituall things To tell such a people that they are good Christians a visible Church have a right to the Sacrament is no other then to cheat them of the truth harden them in their sins and lead them blindfold to destruction A formall and generall Preacher that words and phrases out his own wisdom tickling the ears without touching the hearts or awaking the consciences of his hearers he may have the praise and applause of men but not the praise and peace of God give me the latter let who will take the former It will be worth all his pains and sufferings if a Minister drawing men to his latter end and ready to give up an account of his stewardship can appeale unto God and his Congregation as once Samuel ready to die did unto the people in another case 1 Sam. 12. Whose Oxe or whose Ass have I taken whom have I defrauded So when a Minister what soul have I beguiled What soul have I defrauded What soul have I hardened in sin by covering and not discovering the truth and danger of its estate to it What people have I deceived by telling them they were Christians when they were not a Church when they were not had a right to the Kingdome of heaven and the seals thereof when they had not to be able to say thus will be worth something one day O that all that take upon them the Ministry of the Gospel would consider this If plain dealing have outward disturbance yet it hath inward peace But indeed an ingenious people whose reason and understanding is not quite lost or infatuated will in time make good that saying of the wise mans Pro. 28.23 That he that rebuketh a man afterward shall finde more favour than he that flattereth with his tongue My endeavour therefore shall be to cause you to know your miserable estate by nature and the remedy thereof by grace To cause you to look into that great mystery the infinite love of God in Jesus Christ in that great work of your dedemption through him that ye may know the Lord Jesus the power of his Resurrection and the fellowship of his sufferings being made conformable unto his death That when I am called to give an account of my Stewardship amongst you I may do it with joy and not with griefe Ministers of all men had need to look about them for they must give account for more souls than their own and if any be lost through their default Ezek. 3.18 that blood will be required at their bands I would not at the day of judgement be found in the condition of a negligent idle Pastor that hath fleec'd and not fed his flock for ten thousand worlds Not in his condition 1 Cor. 2.4 that daubs with untemperd morter that speaks smooth things that preacheth not in the demonstration of the spirit and of power but with the inticing words of mans wisdome For fearefull will be the end of such a man when Jesus Christ and he shall reckon together for so many sheep lost through the earelesness of the shepheard It was the saying of one That of all men that should be saved Ministers should be the fewest Indeed they have the greatest charge and are subject to the sorest temptations and it is to be feared that many Ministers either for fear or love or some other worldly respect may offend too much against their commission which bids them cry aloud and spare not Isa 58.1 lift up thy voice like a trumpet shew my people their sinns and the house of Israel their transgressions and so hazard themselves too neere the pickes of Gods eternall vengeance and displeasure which thing of all other I most fear and therefore through grace shall labour to avoid which I cannot do unlesse I look strictly unto you over whom I set an Overseer therefore blame me not if I be plain and earnest with you to press you forward towards the mark of the price of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus Phil. 3 14. If I should be negligent herein your blood would be upon my head The Lord pardon my neglects past I had rather disturbe my own peace if it must be so and trouble the water to stir you out of the lees of carnall security than to have you curse me and accuse me before God at the day of judgement for the deceiver and betrayer of your soules I blesse God I can say through the grace given me that my destre is so farre as I know my own heart not to seek yours but you I had rather see you thrive in spirituals than my self in temporals and my greatest encouragement among you will be to see you walking in and obedient unto the truth If you will give up your names to Jesus Christ if you will obey the Gospel and not run with the wicked of the world into the same excess of riot you must look for many oppositions affronts scornes reproaches but passe thorough all these with patience looking unto the End Jesus the Author and Finisher of your Faith who for the joy that was set before him endured the Cross despising the shame Heb. 12.1 and is now set down at the right-hand of God and there if you run with patience the race that is set before you shall you sit down also For which things sake I shall alwayes bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ and that he would grant you according to the riches of his glory to be strengthened with might Ephes 3.14 by his Spirit in the inward man That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith that ye being rooted and grounded in love may be able to comprehend with all Saints what is the breadth and length and depth and height and to know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge That ye might be filled