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
B04886	No power but of God, and yet a power in every creature, or, A word in season, to all men not void of grace, or deprived of reason wherein is held forth that the Almighty God is not wanting to us in impowering of us, but we are wanting to him, in not improving our talent for him ... / by Robert Purnel.	Purnell, Robert, d. 1666.	1651 (1651)	Wing P4238A; ESTC R187132	119,586	280

plant●… his Spirit by vertue of which these men a●… women can pray in the Spirit rejoice 〈◊〉 the Spirit and in some measure worsh●● God who is a Spirit in spirit and in trut●… These can read and understand the letter 〈◊〉 the spirit they can discourse of spiritu●● things understandingly and feelingly b●… this power they can pull down strong hol●… cast down imaginations Read for the proof 〈◊〉 this 2 Cor. 10. 3 4 5 6 7. By this power th●… can keep down their natural or corrupt●…ble body as Paul 2 Cor. 9. 27. But I ke●● under my body and bring it unto subjection left should be found to preach that to others that should not practise my self Now this spiritual power as it was r●…ceived from God so it is to be improv●… for God which if we be faithful and di●●gent so to do then First the Lord will have the glory M●● 5. 16. Secondly it will redound to our gre●●est good Mat. 21. 22 23. And that there is a spiritual power it ●●ll further appear from the several com●…ands from the Lord to his people to be ●…ing in spiritual things which were all 〈◊〉 vain if there be no ability given forth to ●…e Creature to do that which is required ●…ight instance in as many places as there 〈◊〉 Chapters in the Bible to prove it but ●…r brevities sake I shall mention but a few ●●t 11. 23. Barnabas exhorted them all that ●●th purpose of heart they would cleave unto the ●●rd They did not answer him and say ●…at they had no power they could not doe it ●…il 2. 12. Work out your own salvation with ●…re and trembling These people did not ●…y there was Free-will in the Text. As King ●…AMES once said upon the like occasion ●…ere was Treason in the Text when a ●…inister that preached before him had taken Text of Scripture that did treat of the a●…se of Kingly power the King burst forth 〈◊〉 a passion and said There was Treason in the ●●xt But if Kings will not cast down their ●…rowns at the feet of Christ Christ will ●…uck them off and lay them at the feet of ●…en If there be no power in man Natural nor 〈◊〉 man Spiritual then away with all the ●…dmonitions Instructions Informations and so with the whole Bible cease to tea●● Man As good go teach the Sun Moon an●… Stars which way they shall go the Wind 〈◊〉 blow or the Sea to ebb and flow go tea●● the Fish to swim and the Bird to flie f●● they have power but man hath none And indeed if man regenerated if ma●… spiritualized have no power to act go an●… race out these ensuing Scriptures as requ●…ring that of man which man hath no abili●● to do Luk. 13. 24. Strive to enter in at t●● strait gate Many shall seeke to enter ●… Rom. 15. 30. Now I beseech you brethren f●● the Lord Iesus Christs sake and for the love 〈◊〉 the Spirit that you strive together with me yo●… prayers to God for me H●…b 12. 4. You have n●● yet resisted unto blood striving against si●● Heb. 12. 1. Let us lay aside every weight and t●● sinne that doth so easily beset us and let us 〈◊〉 with patience the race that is set before us 2 Pe●… 1. 5 6 7. And besides this give all diligence ad●… to your faith vertue and to vertue knowledge a●● to knowledge temperance and to temperance pa●●ence and to patience godlinesse and to godline●● brotherly kindnesse and to brotherly kindne●● charity c. 2 Pet. 1. 10. Give all diligence 〈◊〉 make your calling and election sure 2 Phil. 1●… Work out your own salvation with fear and tre●…bling Jer. 4. 14. O Ierusalem wash thine he●● 〈…〉 m wickednesse that thou mayest be saved ●●r 18. 11. Return from your evil wayes and ●…ake your wayes and doings good saith the Lord. ●…at 11. 28. Come unto me all ye that labour and ●…e heavy laden and I will give you rest J●…r 3. 13. ●●ly acknowledge thine iniquity I wil pardon it Now as many as have received this spiri●●al power are able according to its mea●●re to doe the thing required As to in●●nce The Lord said to David Seek my face ●…avid's heart being enlightened and im●●wered by God makes this answer to the ●●rds command Lord thy face will I seek ●●d sometimes God conveyes the power ●●gether with the precept to enable them 〈◊〉 do what he commands them to do And ●●en if a man do it not or do the contrary ●…e Scripture tels thee thou art slothfull ●●d dost not use thy power or covetous ●●d so abusest thy power 1 C or 9. 18. Now let me ask thee O thou enlighten 〈◊〉 Christian hast thou since thou wast en●●ghtened by Christ done as much for Christ thou mightest have done Doth not thy ●…nscience tell thee thou hast been negligent ●●d slothful and left undone those things ●…hich thou oughtest to have done and done ●…ose things which thou mightest have left ●…done In a word hast thou avoided so much evil and done so much good as th●● mightest have done What thou wilt 〈◊〉 now I know not but when thou an●… shall appear before the Searcher of all hea●● at●… the last day we shall not tell the Lo●● we wanted power to obey him in his co●…mands Surely if there be no life vigor pow●● in men and women regenerate then in va●● are all those stirrings perswafions and i●… treaties in Scripture as to instance in a fe●● 2 Tim. 1. 6. Wherefore I put thee in remembra●● that thou stirre up the gift of God which is in th●… 2 Pet. 1. 13. Yea I think it meet as long as I 〈◊〉 in this tabernacle to stir you up by putting you remembrance c. 2 Pet. 3. 1. This epistle 〈◊〉 loved I now write unto you in which I sti●● up your pure minds by way of remembrance ●… Heb. 3. 13. But exhort one another daily whil●… is called to day lest any of you be hardened thro●… the deceitfulnesse of sin Heb. 10. 24. Let us 〈◊〉 sider one another to provoke one another to l●● and good works 1 Cor. 4. 16. Wherefore I seech you be ye followers of me 1 Pet. 1. 15. 〈◊〉 as he which called you is holy so be ye holy in manner of conversation 2 Tim. 2. 19. Let e●●● one that nameth the name of the Lord depart fr●● iniquity Ephes 4. 22. That you put off the 〈◊〉 man which is corrupt Mat. 5. 16. Let your l 〈…〉 ●…shine before men that they may see your good 〈…〉 s and glorifie your Father which is in heaven Tim. 4. 13. Till I come give attendance to ●●ding to exhortation to doctrine c. Now if there be no power in a man re●●wed to do what is commanded then rase ●●t all the Commands for they be all in ●…in they be worse then Pharaoh they re●…ire heavenly bricks to be made of earthly ●…aw Away with all exhortations perswasi●●s intreatings

thee a●● not to faile thee nor forsake thee For I d●… know no precept but hath its promis●… though not alwayes in the same chapter 〈◊〉 verse 4. For our more careful practising 〈◊〉 ●●g and observing all the commands of our God consider these three things 1. As he hath promised to enable thee 2. So he hath promised to reward thee ●…or doing thy duty so that to every pre●●pt there is two promises the one to en●●le thee the other to reward thee and ●…oth to encourage thee 3. And in case of slothfulnesse and neg●…gence in leaving undone what we ought ●…nd might have done 1. The Lord complains on us 2. He exhorts us Be not slothfull in busines ●●t servent in spirit serving the Lord. 3. He threatens us saying Because I have ●●lled and you have refused you shall call and I ●…ill not answer 4. He tels us that we have forsaken our own ●…ercy He put a price into our hands but ●…e as fools had no heart to it and so our ●●struction is of our selves O Israel thou ●…ast destroyed thy self Oh then that all the Lords inheritance ●…aints by calling Sons of Sion would take ●●e Lords advice in these and the like com●…ands yea in all the will of God! Phil. 2. ●…2 Wherefore my beloved as you have alwayes ●…eyed not only in my presence but now much more 〈◊〉 my absence work out your own salvation witle ●●ar trembling Q. How shall I do that thou wilt say A. Peter being filled with the Holy Ghost shewes thee and me how we ma●… do it 2 Pet. 1. 5 6 c. And besides this giv●● all diligence adde to your faith vertue and 〈◊〉 vertue knowledge and to knowledge temperance and to temperance patience and to patience godlinesse and to godlinesse brotherly kindnesse and t●… brotherly kindnesse charity For if these things b●… in you and abound they make you that you sha●● neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowled●● of our Lord Iesus Christ but he that lacketh the●● things is blind and cannot see afar off Wherefor●… give all diligence to make your calling and elect●● sure for so an entrance shall be ministred unto yo●… abundantly into the everlasting kingdome of 〈◊〉 Lord and Saviour Iesus Christ Wherefore I will imploy my power saith Peter vers 12. I will not be negligen 〈◊〉 put you alwayes in remembrance of these thing yea I think it meet aslong as I am in this tabern●…●…le to stir you up by putting you in remembranc●… Now if Peter had no spiritual strength ho●… could he stir them up to spiritual things and if the people to whom he spake had n●… power how could they be doing the thing commanded Now thou O most excellent peece of a●… Gods workmanship Man and Woman whosoever thou art that readest these lines ●●deavour to know thy own strength that ●…ou mayest imploy and improve it for him ●…at gave it Study thy self examine what 〈◊〉 I able to doe by vertue of that power ●…hich I have received from God Surely I ●…ave left many things undone for this very ●●ason I was unable to do it It is true I saw ●…n the one hand that I could of my self do ●…othing but I did not see on the other and that I could do all things through ●…hrist enabling me It is a blessed thing to improve the power ●●ceived in making use of the present op●…ortunity and it is a dangerous case to ●…eglect it 1. Because it may be thou mayest not ●…ave another opportunity Prov. 1. 24. 26. ●…at 23. 37 38. 2. Because if he give another opportu●…ity thou art not sure to live to see it 3. Because if he doth give another op●…ortunity and thou live to see it yet thou ●…aving sleighted the Spirit at first thou art most like to do so still Heb. 3. 13. Act. 7. 51. 〈◊〉 Tim. 3. 8. 4. Because if the Lord doth give thee an●…ther opportunity and thou live to see it ●…nd imbrace it yet thou hast hindred thy self exceedingly and hast lost thy sight o●… Christ for many dayes Joh. 20. 24 25 A man that knowes not his own strength is like unto a man that hath a great summ●… of mony that lieth in a corner and he dot●… not improve it and so gets nothing by it for he knows not of it he hath a Talen●… but it is hid in a napkin and buried in th●… earth 1. I do but ask thee O man whosoeve●… thou art that readest these lines dost tho●● not think in thine own conscience tha●… there is many a man and woman belongin●… to the Election of grace that do die in d●…spair as it were and without assurance i●… point of manifestation that might have r●…signed up their souls to God in full assurance if they had obeyed God in giving 〈◊〉 diligence to make their calling and election sure 2 Pet. 1. 10. 2. Again let me ask thee whether tho●… dost not think in thy conscience that mo●● men and women with Martha are trouble about many things whereas they might wit●… Mary choose the better part Luk. 10. 41 42. 3. Again I do but ask thee whether tho●… dost not deprive thy self of thy comfortabl●… well-being here in this life by thy not looking more narrowly to thy conversation 2 Cor. 1. 12. Many things more might be here recited 〈◊〉 the confirmation of this truth That ●●re is a power natural and a power spiritual ●●d the neglect of the improvement of each is sin●●ll But at present I shall be silent to make ●…y further progresse therein only I shall ●●deavour to answer some objections that ●●ply may arise against it and then I shall ●…e you a few reasons why I have written ●…is and shew you the necessity that we have 〈◊〉 knowing this power by the danger of ●●t knowing it First I shall endeavour to answer a few ●…bjections that haply may arise in the ●…oughts of some against it and so much ●…e rather because I know that we live in 〈◊〉 age wherein some men make it the great 〈◊〉 peace of their Religion to lie at catch ●●d to esteem very highly of themselves and ●●eir own judgments and undervalue o●…ers as the proud Pharisee Luk. 18. 11 12. ●●d quite contrary to the command of ●…od Phil. 2. Let each esteem others better then ●●emselves But to proceed Ob. 1. If there be a natural power in all ●●d a spiritual power in some by vertue ●…hereof they can act and do act then I ●…umbly conceive that you must either by ●…olding this dostr●…y Free-grace or else hold ●…ree-will A. I answer In all that I have said 〈◊〉 done concerning the natural or spiritu●● power I have endeavoured to fail b●…twe●● these two rocks that I might not deny t●● one nor hold the other for if my 〈◊〉 should sail against either of these two roc●● all hopes of coming safe to land would 〈◊〉 taken from mine eyes First I have not destroyed Free-gra●● neither undervalued it in

point the Arminians erre saying Election and Salvation in effect depend upon Qualification yea for want of the true knowledge of this point doth that error of Free-will and Generall Redemption so abound at this day In a word for want of the knowledge of this point do so many at this time in this Common-wealth make a hotch-potch in mingling and interweaving Law and Gospel in joyning their obedience with the obedience of Christ to patch up a salvation 2. Here is another cheat of Satan wherein he endeavours to cheat thee and me in the Doctrine of Christ The doctrine of Christ tels thee that Christ came to reconcile thee to God 2 Cor. 5. 23. When this point is held forth a little in creeps Antichrist and declares that Christ came also to reconcile God to thee and so endeavours to make the immutable God mutable or the unchangeable God changeable You might trace him in every branch of the Doctrine of Christ and find him either endeavouring to make thee to deny it or if he cannot prevail in that then he endeavours to make thee adde something to it or take something from it Wherefore put on the whole armour of God stand upon thy guard and watch Belieue not every spirit but try the spirits whether they be of God 2. Again as first he endeavours to cheat us in the doctrine of Christ so secondly he endeavours to cheat us in the discipline of Christ Now Discipline though it be not of absolute necessity as to the being of a Church of Christ yet it is absolutely necessary to the well-being of a Church for as a City without walls a Sea without banks a Vineyard without hedges so is a Church without discipline For a Church without government is as a ship without a Pilot or a Commonwealth without a Magistrate or a World without a Sun Hence it is that you shall find the Apostles so frequently exhorting perswading and intreating the Church of Jesus Christ to walk by rule to observe order The Pastor is commanded to walk as a Pastor and Teacher that both by his doctrine and conversation he might win others to Christ the Teachers Elders Deacons have all their rules laid before them how they ought to build up one another in their most holy faith and to watch over the flock c. And so every member in the Church in his place is to observe order in endeavouring to be usefull to the whole body Nay hence it is that one quarter part of the New Testament is spent about treating of the several gifts of the Spirit to several men to several ends viz. He gave some Apostles and some Prophets and some Evangelists some Pastors and some Teachers for the perfecting of the Saints for the work of the ministry c. Now that Ordinances were the appointments of Christ I suppose that all rational men will easily grant And that they be now in being and ought to be in use will be easily proved The first is granted by all hands viz. That there were Ordinances appointments and institutions given forth by Christ unto the Churches in the Apostles dayes accompanied with Gods presence and confirmed ●…y miracles and extraordinary gifts of the Spirit But the question is whether these are still to continue are they now in being as to us Prove that For answer hereunto consider these things 1 ORdinances are not of humane but of divine institution 1 Cor. 1●… 28. 2. Consider the Saints both in Old and New Testament under the greatest discoveries living in the greatest enjoyments even these waited upon God in the use of Ordinances and Paul saith Phil. 3. 17. Ye ought to walk so as you have us for an example and in another place he saith Be ye followers of me as I am of Christ c. 3. We have not only commands of God and the examples of the Apostles but w●… have experience that God hath done u●… good by them it is our Fathers walks i●… which our soules do often meet with ou●… Beloved 4. Consider the Lord of glory doth blame those that neglect making use of Ordinances Mal. 3. 7. Ye have gone away fro●… mine ordinances and have not kept them Is no●… this the state of this Nation Luk. 19. 27 Those mine enemies that would not that I should reign over them bring them before me Compare this 27 verse with the 13. and 14. an●… you shal see that there were a people who●… Christ threatned to punish for not submit●…ing to his appointments nor improving their talents Not to wait upon God in the use of Ordinances is to be carelesse to ●…hearken to his voice and so the Lord may justly complain of thee and me as once he did Psal 81. 11. But my people would not heark●…en to my voice c. 5. Consider while we are in a body we be in a form and therefore cannot altogether live without forms unlesse we will be monst●…rs and neglect our own mercies God hath given us an external body as well as an internal soul and will be waited upon worshipped and glorified by both 1 Cor. 6. 20. Glorifie God in your bodies and in your souls which are the Lords 6. Consider that these appointments institutions and ordinances when they were appointed and instituted were to continue in the Church till the Saints were perfected Ephes 4. 11 12 13. And he gave some Apostles and some Prophets and some Evangelists and some Pastors and Teachers for the perfecting of the Saints for the work of the ministery for the edifying of the body of Christ till we all come into the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God unto a perfect man unto the measure of the stature of the fulnesse of Christ In which there be four things considerable I will but name them 1. Here is the giver and that is the Lord Christ the Fountain in whom all the fulnesse of the Godhead dwels bodily from whom we receiv●… grace for grace 2. Here is the gift and that is his Spirit in its measures according to the measure of the gift of Christ 3. Here is the end why God gave such gifts v. 12. For the perfecting of the Saints for the work of the ministery c. 4. Here is the time how long these institutions offices and ordinances are to continue and that is in v. 13. Till we all come i●… the unity of the faith into the knowledge of the Son of God unto a perfect man unto the measure●… of the stature of the fulnesse of Christ Now if there be any Church of Christ o●… Congregation o●… Saints that be compleatly come up to this state spoken unto in that verse why then all that I would say to them is Cast not a stumbling block in thy brothers way speak not so disdainfully of those paths which thou●… thy self hast gone through must not thy brother that is weak eat milk because thou dost eat strong meat must not he speak as

wiped from the eyes of his and 〈◊〉 there shall be no more sorrow nor paine ●●ereas thou and I have it may be neither ●●tience to wait nor faith to beleeve our 〈◊〉 interest in these things There be foure characters of a servant of Christ that I lately received from a frien●● 1. What is highest in thy judgement 2. What is dearest in thy affections 3. What is strongest in thy will 4. What is the most constant thing thy resolution So much shall serve at present to written of the temptations of the wor●● flesh and the devil and of the Armour Christ wherewith a Christian may defe●● himselfe and conquer his enemies and 〈◊〉 of the power natural and of the po 〈…〉 spiritual which is our duty to impro●● and all our remisnesse to be charged up our selves and not upon God and how serious consideration of this would be 〈◊〉 bar to stop that blasphemous princi●●● saying God is the author of sinne Of our in the first Adam and of our recovery by second Adam and how we may know th●● that are restored of Ordinances how t●● they be still in force Next I shall spe●● of Faith and then a few words to the ●●nisters An Epistle to the world Anot●●● to those chosen out of the world Of 〈◊〉 deliverances of the Saints and of their 〈…〉 ing too sudden in expecting deliverances A few words of Faith FAith is as it were the wings of the soule whereby the soule doth flye to heaven and bring downe it's evi●●nce under hand and seale Heb. 11. 1. 〈◊〉 Now this grace of Faith is of singular 〈◊〉 to Christians it is that first and princi●● wheele that makes all the other wheeles ●●move But most men be mightily as I ●●ppose mistaken in the true definition of ●●th Seeing then it is that whereby we live grace and it is that whereby we are ●●ried on to glory that we might not be ●●staken in that that is of such rare use to Give me leave to tell thee there is a Faith the History and a Faith of the Mystery ●●re is a Legal Faith and a Faith of ●●racles dead Faith and a temporary ●●ith c. There is an Evangelical Faith ●●ing the Faith of the Gospel Now men 〈◊〉 various in their thoughts of the true na●●re of this Gospel Faith I know one man 〈◊〉 Mr. H. D. that saith that this is the faith the Gospel to believe that Jesus Christ is 〈◊〉 Son of God and another saith that this the true faith of the Gospel viz. Faith is a holy and humble perswasion ground upon the word of God and witnessed his holy Spirit In a word most men 〈◊〉 give too general a definition of Faith 〈◊〉 general definition of the history with●● a particular application of the myst●●● will stand the soule in little or no stead the time of necessity Therefore I humb●● conceive that the faith of the Gospel th●● we are commanded to contend for Jude is such a Faith viz. Faith is a gift of God begotten in 〈◊〉 creature by the powerful preaching of 〈◊〉 word whereby the understanding is 〈◊〉 lightned whereby he believeth to be 〈◊〉 whatsoever is revealed in the word 〈◊〉 cepting receiving and resting upon Chr●● alone for iustification sanctification wi●● a particular application of Christ and a●● his benefits unto his own soul I say Faith is a gift of God begott●● in the creature by the powerful preachin●… of the word whereby the understanding enlightned so that he believeth to be tr●● whatsoever is revealed in the word 〈◊〉 cepting receiving and resting upon Chri●● alone for justification sanctifieation wi●● a particular application of Christ and 〈◊〉 his benefits unto his own soul c. Now the life of all lyes in the particu●●r application Psal 18. 2. The Lord is my 〈◊〉 and my fortresse and my deliverer my God strength in whom I will trust my Buckler and 〈◊〉 horne of my salvation and my high ●…ower ●●al 118. 28. Thou art my God and I will praise ●●e Thou art my God I will exalt thee Luke 46 47. And Mary said My soul doth magnifie 〈◊〉 Lord and my spirit hath rejoyced in God my ●●viour Joh. 20. 28. Thomas answered and ●●d unto him My Lord and my God! In the ●●xt verse Christ pronounceth him to be a ●●iever Gal. 2. 20. The life that I now live ●●ive by the faith of the Son of God who loved me ●●d gave himself for me Phil. 3. 8. For the excel●●cie of the knowledge of Christ my Lord c. general declaration without a particu●●r application will not assure the soule of ●●lvation Is not faith the first stone in the ●●iritual building and the first step in a ●…hristian race the first linke in our golden ●●aine of Christianity the first act of our ●…ew life that first degree of our holy con●…ersation the first round in our Jacobs lad●●r whereby we ascend up into the presence ●…f our Lord First there is in a true believer an assu●…ance of understanding Secondly there is an assurance of rejoy●…ing 1 Pet. 1. 8. Thirdly there is an assurance whi●● carrieth forth a soule to powerful a●● ings A Christian believeth that he who ma●● man was made man himselfe he believe that no man hath seen God at any time an●… yet he believeth that Moses talked with his face to face he believeth him to be borne 〈◊〉 time who was from everlasting and him be shut up in a narrow room whom heave●● and earth could not containe Religion is a mystery in every part of 〈◊〉 Faith believeth strange things Hope w 〈…〉 for the accomplishment of that which re●…son cannot comprehend and so for lo●● and patience and all other graces there 〈◊〉 a great mystery in the actings of each 〈◊〉 these as to instance in one for all a littl●… look upon faith and see what it believe concerning the Trinity and Election Justification and Sanctification and Repentance First concerning the Trinity He believes that the Father is not th●● Sonne and the Sonne is not the Spirit and yet the Father Sonne and Spirit are a●● but one He believes that God is Alpha and Omeg●… the beginning and the end and yet he be●● ●●ves that God had never a beginning and all never have an end He believes that the Father sent forth the ●●nne and that the Sonne sent forth the ●●pirit and yet he believeth they were never ●●parated the one from the other And concerning Election He believes that God is no respecter of ●●ersons and yet he believes that God elected ●●me and left others when he found no ●●fference And concerning Iustification He believeth that his qualifications doth ●…ot cause Gods love yet he would question ●…hether God loved him if he were not ●…ualified H●… works not for wages yet hath an eye ●…o the recompence of reward He believes that the most just God hath ●…unished the most innocent person and to ●…ave justified himself though a sinner he is often in