Selected quad for the lemma: knowledge_n
Text snippets containing the quad
|
ID |
Title |
Author |
Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) |
STC |
Words |
Pages |
|
A45335
|
A practical and polemical commentary, or, exposition upon the third and fourth chapters of the latter epistle of Saint Paul to Timothy wherein the text is explained, some controversies discussed, sundry cases of conscience are cleared, many common places are succinctly handled, and divers usefull and seasonable observations raised / by Thomas Hall ...
|
Hall, Thomas, 1610-1665.
|
1658
(1658)
|
Wing H436; ESTC R14473
|
672,720
|
512
|
where Brethren dwell in sacred amity and unity together 4. Such are odious to God The more lovely we are in our own eyes the more loathsome in Gods but the more we loath our selves the more God loves us Ier. 31.18 20. 2. They are odious to men As a publick spirited good man as much as in him lyeth doth good to all and so is beloved of all insomuch that some would even venture their lives for him Rom. 5.7 though for a rigid righteous man scarce any will dye yet for a good man who hath been usefull and serviceable in his generation whose life and labours have benefitted many for such a one saith the Apostle some would even dare to dye So on the contrary a private spirited man that is all for himself and for his own interests is slighted and abhorred of all 3. This inordinate Self-love is in effect Self-hatred We never loose our selves more then when we seek our selves most He that loves any thing better then Christ shall loose it Luke 9.14.17 Iohn 12.25 Henry the Third King of France forsaking God and turning to Idols he became a Catholick and lâ—st all for thinking to get the Monks on his side by affecting their devotion a Monk killed him and he became contemptible to his People Paris and all his great Towns revolting from him That we may not ruine our sâ—â—ves let us deny our selves and all that 's dear to us for Christ this is the onely way to save all As we must deny our Regenerate Selfe viz. all our Grace Services and Sufferings in point of Justification so we must deny our Corrupt self in point of Mortification We must deny our own carnall Reason and submit our selves to Gods counsell in all our Wayes we must acknowledge him Prov. 2.5 2 Cor. 10.5 being ready to deny our selves in any thing and to do what ever he commands us Act. 9.6 We must be content to be ordered by Christ as well as to be saved by him Christs Mind now must be our Mind and his Will our Will now we desire to be men according to Christs heart now we are Friends to all his Friends and Enemies to his Enemies for ever Now we hate our selves for hating him and take a godly revenge on our selves for our former rebellions If any would see more of Self-deniall which is directly contrary to that cursed Sin of Self-seeking let him peruse D. Preston His Treatise on Self-deniall D. Reynolds Serm. on Matth. 16.24 Pinks three Serm. on Self-deniall Mr. Ier. Burroughs His Treatise of Self-deniall Mr. Ambrose his Media Edit ult Fenner on Luke 9.23 Fol. p. 151. D. Taylor in Folio in fine p. 1. Mocket on Mat. 13.45 6. Consider that 't is a great blemish to Religion when the Professors of it are Self-seeking men the Lord layes this as a blot on Ezekiels hearers Ezek. 33.31 they gave him the hearing but their hearts were set upon Covetousnesse That But spoyled all so we may say of many They are eminent Professors but they are Self-seekers they are Knowing men but Hard Worldly and love their own private interests too much Away with these Buts they are great blemishes and cause Religion to stink in the noâ—trills of the men of the World Labour therefore for Self-deniall whereby we may advance Gods glory and our Brethrens good before our own private ends and interests and let that good mans Prayer be thy daily Prayer Deliver me O Lord from that Evill Man my Self Against Self-seeking see two excellent Semons Viz. Mr. Ienkyn on Phil. 2.22 Preached Aprill 9. 1645. and Mr. Calamy on the same Text at Pauls 1654. Mr. Daniel Rogers Naamans History p. 98. c. Mr. Iacombs Publick Spirit A Sermon on Acts 13.36 Covetous Boasters Proud c. See here what a Concatenation of Sins there is and how they are link't together Self-Lovers Covetous Boasters Proud c. Hence observe That Sins especially great Sins seldome go alone As great men have great attendance so great Sins have many followers and as he that admits of a great man into the house must look to have all his ragged Regiment and black Guard to follow him so he that admits but one great Sir into his heart must look for Gad a Troop of ugly lusts to throng in after Sin iâ— like a Tyrant the more you yield to it the worse it Tyrannizeth over you 'T is insatiable and knowes no bounds E. G. Davids great Sin of Idlenesse brings forth Adultery Murder Lying Drukennesse Inhumanity Cruelty So Lots Drunkennesse brought forth Incest Peters Self-confidence brought him to a deniall of his Master every deniall was worse then other Mat. 26.72 74. Adams eating of the Forbidden fruit brought with it a breach of all the Commandements as Divines observe and if it be thus with Gods children who Sin with Reluctancy oh how violently will Satan drive on his slaves who give themselves up to Sin Thus Iezabell coveâ—s Naboths Vineyard but doth she stay there no but she subornes false witness against him and takes away hiâ— life Iudas at first was a Hypocrite then a Covetous Caitiffe and at last sells his Master so that what we say of Errors in Opinion is most true in matters of Practice Concesso uno absurdo consequentur mille Grant but one and many will follow As there is a Concatenation of Vertues so that he who hath one in Truth hath all As 2 Pet. 1.5.6.7 8. adde to your Faith Vertue Knowledge Temperance c. there is a golden chain consisting of eight Vertues as so many Links for the compleat adorning of a Christian. Here Faith hath the Precedency it being the Root and Mother of all Grace then see how many Maids of Honour attend her 7. Vertue no true Faith without Vertue no true Vertue without Knowledge no true Knowledge without Temperance no true Temperance without Patience no true Patience without Godlinesse no true Godlinesse without Brotherly kindnesse no true Brotherly kindnesse without Love This is that golden chain which God bestowes on those whom he doth more especially honour As Christ was adorned with variety of Graces Isai 11.2 so is every Christian in his measure he receives Grace for Grace Iohn 1.16 So Mal. 4.2 Rom. 8.30 there is Vocation Justification Sanctification and growth in Grace all linked together So Luke 1.74 75. Titus 2.12 Phil 4.8 So there is a Concatenation of Vices they are so linkt one in another that as in a chain the drawing of one link causeth the following of the rest so the admittance of one notorious Sin brings with it another and that a worse unlesse God stay 〈◊〉 and restrain it e. g. admit of Covetousnesse then follow Usury Bribery Boasting Lying Forswearing Murder c. So true is that Iames 2.20 He that breaks one Commandement is guilty of all He that makes no conscience of breaking one will when a temptation comes make no conscience of breaking any one so
would not go into the Judgement-Hall lest they should be defiled yet think it no defilement to crucify Christ and after they had crucified him they had a form of godlinesse when Iudas brought the money to them Matth. 27.6 they refused to take it because 't was the price of blood and yet they refused not to crucify Christ. Thus Herod when he beheaded Iohn Baptist doth pretend Religion it was for his Oaths sake and under pretence of a Vow at Hebron riseth in rebellion against his Father and Herod under a pretence of worshipping Christ seeks to kill him Matth. 2.8 Iehu pretends the destruction of Baal but intends the Kingdom to himself Saul made a great shew and killed Witches yet at last runs to them for help Demetrius is zealous for Diana but 't is to preserve his own Silver Trade The Anabaptists under pretence of Liberty destroy Magistracy The Pope began his Bulls In nomine Domini The Papists cry up the Church that they may the better destroy it They put on a fair glove on a foul hand and get on the Vizard of Holiness the better to deceive The Devill gets much by such and therefore he transforms himself into an Angell of light No sword like Goliahs especially when wrapt up in an holy Ephod Of all Devills the Sanctus Satanas the white Devill is the worst and most dangerous and therefore when they cry Ave do thou cry Cave when they cry Domine remember 't is but in Nomine Saul may tell David of a marriage when he intends his funeral 2 Sam. 18.21 many are Cato's without and Nero's within open enemies are better then such secret ones for when the dogge barks we may prevent the biting The Devill cannot endure that sin should be seen in its proper dress for then it would be so odious that all men would abhorre it the Devill therefore puts a garment and cover upon it Hence we read of a cloak of Covetousness 1 Thes. 2.3 and a cloak of Malice 1 Pet. 2.16 So Pride goes under the cloak of Decency and Drunkenness of good fellowship Ungodliness could drive no Trade without these cloaks as a Fisher-man could take no fish if he had not a bait as well as a hook so in every sin there is a bait as well as a hook a bait of profit pleasure c. now the Devill hides the hook and shews the bait and so makes it take How many in our days pretend Religion but intend their own interest and advancement Like Maximilian the Emperour that pretended to Reformation and thereupon pulled down many golden Images but saith Sleiden it was not out of love to the Reformation but out of love to the gold of the Images To make you abhor this sin consider 1. That this dissembled Piety is double iniquity what a cursed Practice was it for Iesabel to proclaim a Fast that she might murder Naboth 2. As his horrible Hypocrisy so 't is horrible Atheisme also 'T is one of Machiavells Maxims I would saith he have great men to have a shew of Holiness because it makes for their advantage but the power of Godliness is a burden They may serve themselves with a shew of Holiness but the truth of Godliness will not abide it 3. ' Tâ—s a sin that makes Religion a foot-stool to iniquity and God himself a Pander to your lusts 4. 'T is blasphemy against Religion and causeth it to be blasphemed and therefore God never suffers it to go unrevenged but sooner or later he will uncase all those that dawb over their wickedness with pretences of Godliness He will send the sword against such Hypocritical ones as a people of his curse Isay 10.6 Oh then let us take heed of this Land-destroying and soul-murdering sin of Formality which so exceedingly abounds at this day if any sin ruine England 't is this 'T is said of King Shishak 1 Kings 14.25 26 27. that he should take away the shield of gold out of Solomons Temple and Rehoboam made shields of brass instead of them There was a time when the Professors of England were shields of gold when we lived together and served God with one heart aud one way in sincerity and simplicity of heart but now our shields of gold are turned into shields of brass brass may shine more then gold but there 's great difference in their worth True devotion is now turned into Hypocritical dissimulation and therefore seriously ask your selves this question Am I a shield of gold or of brass am I a fixed Starre or a blazing Comet a painted or a living man a Formall or a Reall Christian if you have only a Form So had Iudas and the Pharises which are now in hell Matth. 5.20 This may as soon carry you to heaven as a dead horse can carry a man a journey a painted ship save a man from drowning a painted Helmet save the head from wounding or painted food keep a man from starving Quest. But how shall I know whether I be a meer Formalist or whether I have the power of Religion in me Answ. First see whether any of those 18. sins before mentioned do live and raign in thee if so thou hast but a form of Godlinesse for if thou hadst the Power it would conquer the power of all those sins As we say of a furnace it is of no use if it sâ—parate not the dross from the silver and a sieve is of no use if it separate not the bran from the flower so may I say of godlinesse if it conquer not all thy ungodliness it is but a naked empty powerless thing 2. The formall Hypocrite is all out-side in his most spirituall performances all duties must be serviceable and subordinate to his private ends and interests View him in his intellectuals or Morals and you shall find self and formality in all 1. His knowledge is meerly notional discursive and speculative 't is in his head and not in his heart Hence it is called a Form of Knowledge i. e. a meer empty shadow and shew of Knowledge Rom. 2.20 But he that hath the Power of Godlinesse hath a Rooted Affective Saving Sanctifying Experimentall Practical knowledge He knowes Christ as the truth is in him Ephes. 4.21 he knowes and doth Christs will Iohn 13.17 'T is a soul-convincing and converting a sin-crucifyng and conquering Light Ephes. 5.14 'T is not a dimme glimmering vanishing Light but a through soul-awakening soul-enlivening Light 2. The Formalists Obedience and Practice is meerly extenal in words and shews In their deeds they deny the Power of Godlinesse they live as if Godlinesse were but an empty name and matter of fashion voyd of all force and efficacy Such are like a wicked Minister in a white Surplice Extimè lineus intimè lanius fair without but foul within or like an Inne that hath an Angell without and a Devill within Of such we may say as Erasmus said of a Friars-cowle it covers a multitude