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
A91944	The figg-less figg-tree: or, The doome of a barren and unfruitful profession lay'd open. In an exposition upon that parable: a certain man had a figg-tree planted in his vineyard, &c. Luke 13. 6,7,8,9,10. / By Nehemiah Rogers, a minister of the Gospel of Christ.	Rogers, Nehemiah, 1593-1660.	1659 (1659)	Wing R1823; Thomason E973_1; ESTC R203371	458,183	541

THE Figg-less Figg-Tree OR THE DOOME OF A Barren and Unfruitful Profession LAY'D OPEN IN AN EXPOSITION UPON THAT PARABLE A Certain Man had a Figg-Tree Planted in his Vineyard c. Luke 13. 6 7 8 9 10. By Nehemiah Rogers a Minister of the Gospel of Christ Now learn a Parable of the Figg-Tree Math. 24.32 LONDON Printed by J. S. for George Sawbridge and are to be sold at the Signe of the Bible on Lud-Gate Hill 1659. THE Epistle Dedicatory To the Worshipful and Religious Gentleman Mr. Thomas Roberts of Little-Braxsted in Essex The Continuation and Encrease of all needfull Blessings in this Life and eternal Life hereafter Good Sir THe Roman Orator tells us Quod exemplo fit jure fieri putamus There are few Writers humane or Divine but they entitle their Labours intended for Publique to some particular Person whom they make choyce of either to Pattonize their Persons and Works in which Case Wisdome directs them to some Learned Mecoenas one of high Place and eminent Parts and Power who is able to shelter them from the malice of carping Momus Or to testifie thankfulnesse for some special benefit received and in that Case discretion guides them to pitch their thoughts on some singular Benefactor The Community of the Act may plead an Immunity for my Action in going the common road of Writters Yet I close not with those who crave Protection there is no need of that for if it be Truth that I Preach and Print it is God's and needs no other Protector If it be Error all the Powers under Heaven are unable to support it That I aim principally at in my Dedications is The Testification of a thankful heart to those from whom I have received undeserved kindnesse And in the number of those should I forget you I should forget my self To you Sir I am many wayes obliged for your abundant favours fruits of love really expressed even then when it pleased God most to darken my outward Estate For three years space I most comfortably enjoyed my Ministery through Gods goodness and Yours in that Parish where you now Dwell all which time I found your house to be both to me and mine as the house of Onesiphorus was to Paul a house of great refreshment 2 Tim. 1.16 The shadow of your Trees was to me as Jonah his Gourd was to him Jon. 4. very comfortable but it pleased God to prepare a worme what worme I will not say but it went under the notion of an unknown Friend which did smite my Gourd and so gnaw the Stalk of my Shrowd that it soon withered to my grief I wanting those means whereby the World doth usually testifie their thankfullnesse to their Benefactors desire by this outward evidence to give evidence to the World of the inward disposition of my heart in presenting to you and sending forth under your name this Fruitlesse Figg-Tree The Title promiseth little yet I hope under the Leaves thereof you will find some Fruit that will please your Religious palate I cannot doubt but that as you were a Religious Hearer of something of mine that hath formerly past the Presse which in transitu as it was passing by you called in and gave it friendly entertainment so you will be a profitable Reader of this and give it House-room and Heart-room and seeing it comes unto you under your own name it will be a welcome Guest unto you And my poor Prayers shall accompany it and follow you The Lord so assist you with his Grace that by this and all other good means you may grow from Grace to Grace that so perfecting your Sanctification in the fear of God you may be made perfect in every good work to do his will working in you that which is well-pleasing in his sight through Jesus Christ our Lord Amen Thus prayes he who is Most obliged to you in the bonds of Thankfullnesse Nehemiah Rogers Dodding-Hurst Novemb. 1. 1659. and To the Pious and Religious Gentlewoman Mrs. Dorothy Roberts his Vertuous and Worthy Wife The Continuation and Encrease of all needfull Blessings in this Life and eternal Life hereafter Good Mrs. Roberts THere is no Monument so lasting 2 Tim. 1.5 to perpetuate the memory of godly Parents and make them to survive after Death as is the godlinesse of the Child Solomon brings in the Children of the Vertuous Woman spreading of her praise They arise up and call her Blessed Prov. 31.28 which is not to be restrained to a Verbal praise given by Children to Parents whilst they live for that may proceed as many times it doth from self-love and flattery but it is principally to be understood of an Actuall and Real praising of her both Living and Dead which is done when those shining vertues of Modesty and Humility and other Graces that were in the Parent appear in the Child and proclaimes the Piety and care of the Mother in their Education Your Mother Mrs. Pert. now with God was a Godly and Religious Matron whom for her more then ordinary endowments both of Nature and Grace I honoured whilst she lived and cannot but gladly make mention of being Dead She had alwayes a great care of her Childrens Religious bringing up John Epist 3. and her joy was greater to hear and see that they walked in the Truth then that they enjoyed fair Estates and large Possessions in this World I need not embalme her being Dead with my Report who living was so well reported of by all that truly knew her and the grace of God that was in her and now being dead yet liveth in the godly Conversation of her Children both Sons and Daughters who manifest the fruit of their religious Education by such a Conversation as becometh godlinesse Should I speak of those excellent Parts that God hath bin pleased to endow you withall your Modesty would not like it and those that are not well acquainted with you would think I flatter but that is beneath my Calling and above my Skill This I may truly say without flattery that God hath enriched you with that which is more precious then Gold A true and lively Faith accompanied with the grace of Knowledge the Government of Temperance the Ornament of a meek and quiet Spirit the support of Patience the Splendor of Humility so that whilst you live your Mother is not dead and albeit God hath not given you a fruitfull Womb yet he hath blest you with a fruitfull Heart insomuch as that which the Prophet speaks may in a good sense be applyed unto you The Desolate shall have more Children then the marryed Isa 54. ●1 To my self in Particular 2 King 4.10 you have bin like that godly Shunamite to Elisha you have joyned as a Partner with your Husband in his love and bounty providing Light and Lodging House-room and Frying and other necessaries fitting for an Elisha and therefore I make bold to joyn you with him in this Dedication craving the

He had that was his Inheritance in general and a Figg-tree of note thereon growing which was his His after a more peculiar manner By this Vineyard we are not to understand any terrestrial Possession such a one as Noah planted Gen. 9.20 and Nabal possessed 1 Kings 21.1 but Vineam Intelligibilem an Intellectual Mystical Celestial Vineyard Doct. Psal 80.8 9 15. Cant. 8.11 12. Isa 5.1 7. Jer. 2.21 Math. 20.1 21 28. Quest Mark 12.1 Resp Luke 20.10 Heb. 3.2 5 6. Cant. 4. 12 13. 1 Cor. 3.9 Math. 3.12 which is the Church of God on earth And that The Church is a spiritual Vineyard is a truth that hath strong confirmation from Scripture In the old Testament we find it so styled Psal 80.8 9 15. Cant. 8.11 12. Isa 5.1 7. Jer. 2.21 The like in the New Math. 20.1 2 21 28 33. Mark 12.1 Luke 20.10 But why is it resembled to a Vineyard rather than to another thing It is compared to many other things in Scripture besides a Vineyard as to a house to an Orchard to a Garden enclosed to a Field in tillage to a threshing floor c. But of all other resemblances of earthly things none doth so fully express and set forth the nature and condition of the Church as this of a Vineyard which that it may appear the better let us take notice of some particulars wherein this spiritual Vineyard the Church doth hold resemblance with the other First A Vineyard is a place seperated and enclosed from other grounds No Vineyard is naturally a Vineyard See my Expos on Isa 5.1 Pag. 73. Levit. 20.24 26. Numb 23.9 Deut. 14.2 Joh. 15.19 hand and art must go to make it so The Church is called and seperated from the world both in life and conversation as appears Levit. 20.24 26. Numb 23.9 Deut. 14.2 John 15.19 Secondly No Vineyard is in its perfect glory so soon as it is taken in Her plants being set come not presently to perfection and growth but by degrees So it is with the Church Ephes 4.11 12. Divers Workmen and Labourers are ordained to be imployed about it for the perfection of it Ephes 4.11 12. even after it is planted The Apostles took great paines in planting Churches but had not Evangelists followed after and watered what they had planted with a diligent hand all had bin lost And for this purpose St. Paul left Titus at Creta after he had planted the Church there to redresse things that were defective or to straiten things that were aptto grow crooked amongst them T it 1.5 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and to perfect his work And hereto tends that prayer of Peter 1 Epist 5.10 Thirdly A Vineyard when it flourisheth 1 Pet. 5.10 and is come to some perfection is a place of great delight both in respect of the pleasant smell that it yieldeth and comfortable shadow that it affordeth So is the Church Hos 14.6 7. The smell of it is like unto a field that the Lord hath blessed Hos 14.6 7. Gen. 27.27 Cant. 2.13 14. Cant. 4.13 14. Isa 4.6 Exod. 9.27 28. Her graces are compared to things most sweet Cant. 4.13 14. And it affoards a Refrigerium a comfortable shadow and Arbour against extreamity of heat according to that Isa 4.6 There shall be a Tabernacle for a shadow in the day time from the heat and for a place of Refuge and for a covert from storms and rain The very enemies of the Church have found this to be true Pharoah flyes to Moses and Aaron and begs their prayers So did Marcus Antonius of the Christians in the time of his distresse and was with his whole Army delivered from that danger that he was in through their powerful prayers Fourthly To a Vineyard it may be compared in inspect of the Fertility or fruitfulnesse thereof It beares much fruit and fruit of the best kind A Vineyard is stored with divers plants one plant maketh not a Vineyard and those plan●s are loaden with fruits they bring forth in bunches and clusters and not a berry here and another there but the load is such that the branches bear that it seems many times to exceed the strength of the branch that bears them The Church is fertile of Children there are multitudes of them that believe Acts 4.32 5 14. So fruitful is the Church of Children as that she wonders at her own encrease and saith The place is too straite for me give place to me that I may dwell Isa 49.19 20. Cap. 54.1 Rom. 15.14 Phil. 1.11 Acts 9.33 2 Cor. 8.7 Who hath begotten me these seeing I have lost my Children and am left desolate Isa 49.19 20 54 1. which is to be understood of the calling of the Gentiles after the casting off of the Jews And every member of the Church every branch of the Vine is loaden with good f●uit they abound in every thing in faith in utterance in knowledge in the works of Charity 2 Cor. 8.7 and therein beyond their power they are willing of themselves vers 3. they do all that ever they can do Luke 21.4 and indeed many times more then they seem able to do in the service of God and love to man as did the poor widdow that cast in all that ever she had into the treasury And as a Vineyard is more fruitful then any other plantation so it yieldeth the best fruit of any other No fruit is more delectable to the taste Judg. 9.13 nor more comfortable to the heart then that which comes from the Grape Let the Vine it self be heard speaking in Jothams parable My wine cheareth both God and Man Math. 26.29 It is an high Hyperbole yet seconded by the God of truth Math. 26.29 It must needs be an excellent Liquor saith a Learned Divine which is used to resemble the joyes of Heaven And what fruit can be compared with the fruit that a Christian beats all other fruit that grows without this fence is but soure and bitter seem it never so fair and glorious to the eye yet it is but hedge fruit or like unto the grapes of Sodom and clusters of Gomorrah Deut. 30.32 Deut. 32.32 Extra Ecclesiam nulla salus without the Church no salvation is to be expected Fifthly A Vineyard is a well ordered place there the Hillocks may be seen equally swelling the Stakes pitched in a good height and distance the Vines handsomely pruned the ground cleanlily kept and well howed all things are well ordered in it And so is it in the Church insomuch that Balaam himself could not but admire at it and in a rapture cry out How goodly are thy Tents O Jacob and thy Tabernacles O Israel Numb 24.5 6. Expounded as the Vallies are they spread forth as gardens by the Rivers side c. Numb 24.5 6. as if he should have said I see in this people the Church of God a most goodly order in the pitching of their