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	patience_n	temperance_n	4,962	5	11.6128	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A70791	A sermon preach'd before the honourable society of the natives of the county of Kent, Novemb. the 17th. 1698, at St. Mary le Bow, London by John Peter, D.D. ...	Petter, John, 1661 or 2-1700.	1698 (1698)	Wing P1891; ESTC R8020	18,071	34

when the Distemper and Passions of it does overcast and darken our Reason and Understanding the Mind returns the Malignity in an ill aspect on the Body as the Vapour and Venom exhal'd in some Climates from an unwholesome Soil falls again in deadly Showers upon it In short the Body looks fresh or withered gay and lively or dull and unactive as the Mind shines or lowrs upon it So that the approbation of the Spirit does chear and quicken the Body it communicates new Life and motion to it Since therefore we are carried by instinct and by our meer animal motion and tendency to Compassion and Pity or to raise and assist our own drooping Natures in the Persons of others as I have shewn and that besides this Inclination and Byass impress'd upon us we have the dictate of reason and the chearful reflection of the Mind which spreading new pleasure upon us at the review of our good actions to inspirit anew and heighten the quickness and life of the Body and to make it go on easily and with pleasure because we have both these advantages on our side we are obliged on a double account not only to exercise acts of Compassion and Goodness but to make a mighty advance in them When wise Men advise how to make a Progress in any Science or Art or Calling they often consider and study the genius and tendency of the Man's temper that they may apply him to that which he is most strongly byass'd and inclin'd to not doubting but that he will go on more smoothly when he goes along with the grain of his Nature the pleasure he finds in following his own fancy and humour makes him apply more closely and the difficulties he meets with do but whet his desire and make him pursue his Business with more appetite and keenness than before and this is such an advantage as a Man would wish for to attain to a dexterity and perfection in any thing Since therefore we have these Advantages and Inclinations rooted in our Natures not only as we are Men and endued with Reason but as meer Animals how strongly are acts of Mercy and compassion enforc'd upon us nay what a mighty proficiency may justly be expected from us herein and therefore if we do violence to these Principles if we so deprave our native tenderness and not only come short of that perfection that may be hoped for from these of our Talent and which is yet lower not go one step or degree towards it but which is worst of all if we have so corrupted our own Natures that we have acted counter to these Principles and have hardned and contracted our Hearts so that our selves or a few more have engross'd all our kindness and affection when our covetous and penurious temper takes off from that universal tenderness we were born with and not only so but which was farther recommended to us by our common Reason When the Seed sown in good Ground is choakt up by Thorns and Bryars and the Cares of this World when we not only omit doing good to others but do suffer and commit many acts of Unkindness and Oppression upon them and are fruitful of Tares instead of that wholsom Grain which the Divine Husbandman had planted in our Natures when we do all this we are liable to a complicated Guilt to many Guilts comprized in that one of dealing unkindly by another for 't is an offence not to go on by the spring and good tendency of our lower Nature and when the reflections of right Reason do carry us farther and are a new incitement to us 't is an offence of an higher nature but when we do not only offer our selves this violence when we not only omit acts of kindness and compassion but commit their very contraries we arrive at an high strain and pitch indeed and this last is comprehensive of the two former and has besides a special Malignity superadded That saying of Nero in the beginning of his Reign e're his tenderness was perverted is remarkable I search saith he every where for some object worthy my Liberality I take pity on the Poverty of one I encourage the Merits of another the Youth of one and the old Age of another and if I find a miserable Creature that deserves not to be holpen I consider my self in his Person and I solace my self in solacing him so that there is no body I would not do good to on the account of his being a Man and yet this Idolater had not the Motives we have to perswade him to this Duty he knew not that eternal Inheritance promised in lieu of that perishing Portion we exchange for it And now I have made it sufficiently appear that our Reason as well as very Frame and Constitution obliges us to be tender compassionate and kind to others But if we look yet farther and consult Thirdly Holy Writ how closely how inexcuseably is the duty of Compassion and Charity tied upon us 'T is enforc'd upon us with all the earnestness and vehemence possible we are allured and excited to it by sweet perswasives and endearing promises and least we should not be drawn by the Cords of a Man lest we should become insidious to our selves and countermine our own Happiness lest there should be base and ungenerous Men that would not be drawn by the disinteress'd love and kindness of God and the prospect of an undeserv'd mighty reward God endeavours to lay an Holy force and a kind of necessity upon them he would awaken these by threats and menaces assuring them that the Unmerciful shall receive no Mercy and thus he stirs them up by hopes and fears the Springs of Humane Actions Sacred Writ does thus press Charity upon us with that holy Warmth that plainly shews the great Value of this Grace our good Works are there made the characteristick and mark of our Christianity and Discipleship as if our Initiation in Baptism by which we have a Right to the external Priviledges of the Church were not to be nam'd when compar'd with these there is such a stress laid on it in the Gospel that it seems to intimate That the whole Process of the day of Judgment shall be grounded on this one Grace of Charity and truly it is so recommended that perhaps it is not altogether unnecssary to Observe That as the Moralists as well as Divines agree that the Virtues are connected and joyn'd together so should the Graces go hand in hand and as you may read it in the 2d Epistle of St. Peter chap 1. That we should give all diligence to add to faith virtue and to virtue knowledge and to knowledge temperance and to tempeannce patience and to patience godliness and to godliness brotherly kindness and to brotherly kindness charity Here Charity finishes the Catalogue and crowns the rest And by Moses 't is made the sum of the Old Law as 't is by Christ made the sum of the New the price and value of