Selected quad for the lemma: knowledge_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
knowledge_n	godliness_n	kindness_n	virtue_n	5,228	5	7.5183	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A68568	Ruths recompence: or a commentarie vpon the booke of Ruth wherein is shewed her happy calling out of her owne country and people, into the fellowship and society of the Lords inheritance: her vertuous life and holy carriage amongst them: and then, her reward in Gods mercy, being by an honourable marriage made a mother in Israel: deliuered in seuerall sermons, the briefe summe whereof is now published for the benefit of the Church of God. By Richard Bernard ...	Bernard, Richard, 1568-1641.	1628 (1628)	STC 1962; ESTC S101697	273,649	490

vnderstand that there be degrees hereof as to beleeue there is a God against all the Atheists which deny this principle in nature II. That that which we beleeue to be God be the true God euen God by nature and none other and that he is not many but one God onely against all Idolaters and worshippers of false gods III. That hee be such a one as hee reuealeth himselfe in his Word and so conceiued of and no otherwise a Spirit True Iust Mercifull Almighty and so forth against all carnall conceits and fleshly apprehensions of God as is in the ignorant multitude the blind Papists our Aduersaries IV. That we haue sure confidence in him wholy relying vpon him and commending our selues so to his protection as vnto a safe place where we thinke to be sure and so the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 recepit se in locum vbi sit tectus ab iniuria word in the originall is here vsed The knowledge hereof should make vs to examine our faith whether we thus trust in him and haue the sauing faith which maketh not ashamed Such a faith is First without hypocrisie being faith 1. Tim. 1. 5. Gal. 3. 14. Rom. 5. 1. Heb. 4. Ephe. 3. 12. vnfained Secondly It is accompanied with the Spirit of God Thirdly Where it is there is inward peace of conscience and freedome to draw nigh to God with boldnesse Fourthly It sheweth Act. 15. 9. 1. Tim. 1. 5. Gal. 5. 6. Iam. 2. 7. it selfe in a godly conuersation for the heart is purged and pure and a good conscience is ioyned with it it worketh also by loue and sheweth it selfe by workes and so causeth obedience to the good pleasure and will of God as we may see in Noah building the Arke and in Abraham offering Heb. 11. Act. 13. 48. 4. 32. vp Isaac Fifthly and lastly it maketh vs to reioyce in the meanes of saluation and to bee of one heart and soule with the Beleeuers and such as wee perceiue to feare God By all which our faith may be examined and by these may we know how little there is in men in these dayes where and when there is such hypocrisie so little true loue of the Word or of them that loue it and so much wickednesse and lewdnesse they make open proclamation that this grace of true sauing faith was neuer grafted in their hearts Verse 13. Then she said Let me find fauour in thy sight my Lord for thou hast comforted mee and for that thou hast spoken friendly vnto thine hand-maid though I be not like vnto one of thine hand-maidens RVTHS speech vnto Boaz acknowledging his fauour with great humility shewing what it wrought in her and the reason also thereof with a debasing of her selfe as inferior to his seruants Then shee said Let me find fauour in thy sight These words may be read two wayes either thus as here and then they shew Ruths desire of the countenance of his fauour For the poore doe not 1. Sam. 1. 18. 2. Sam. 16. 4. onely desire to get the rich mans good will but would gladly haue it continued And a thankefull mind seeketh the continuance of vndeserued fauours and not Hanuns part 2. Sam. 10. Or the words may be read thus I doe find fauour in thy sight And it is then as if shee had said It is enough that I a poore stranger find this fauour in thine eyes so are the words to be taken Gen. 33. 15. and so in 2. Sam. 16. 4. Shee did not expect so much at his hands and therefore knowing her selfe to haue deserued nothing at his hands shee rests very thankefull for this so great a kindnesse For where nothing is deserued and nothing owing there to finde speciall fauour deserueth great thankes Which heere shee acknowledgeth and in the like case so must we The choise of the reading I leaue to mens will either may stand and the Learned in the tongue vse either and our last Translation in the margent leaueth it free The thing shee either asketh or acknowledgeth is fauour or mercy compassion and good will all 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Misericordia compassio beneuolentia gratia fauor c. which the word signifieth in his eyes By which word shee confesseth all his kindnesses in word and deed shewed to her to be of his meere goodnesse and good will and so should workes of mercy come from the rich to the poore the eye of the rich looking vpon the poore should worke compassion in the heart then doe such find fauour in their eyes when they are beheld and looked vpon with respect to do them good This fauour in the eyes is not in euery rich man when he beholdeth the needy it must be a good Boaz that hath such eyes for a Nabal wants them My Lord. A title of reuerence shee giueth him The word signifieth such a one as beareth vp 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the familie or Common-wealth as a Pillar thus the name Lord importeth I wish this title to be remembred of the great Ones that they may shew themselues Pillars and vpholders of the Common-wealth and of their houses and not destroyers of them The thing I note is this It is lawfull to giue honorable titles vnto men as befitteth their place So did Aaron to Moses Hannah to Num. 12. 11. 1. Sam. 2. 1. King 18. 7. 2. King 8. 12. Gen. 23. 6. Samuel Obadiah to Eliah and Hazael to Elisha and so did the Hittites to Abraham so as both such as were in and such as were out of the Church vsed such tearmes of reuerence and therefore may they be vsed as Saint Luke did and Luk. 1. 3. Act. 26. 25. also Saint Paul herein taking heed of vniust titles of base flattery the excesse in giuing euen iust titles Note againe another thing that the more humble men of good place wealth shew themselues to be the more honour they get as we see here Shee did him reuerence before verse 10. in a most humble gesture when shee saw his worldly kindnesse but now perceiuing the ground to be the loue of her vertues and so himselfe to be a louer of vertue shee calleth him Lord encreasing in her honouring of him as shee tooke knowledge of his worthinesse the more for his loue of vertue and godlinesse then for the outward and worldly kindnesse Here is wisedome and an excellent example teaching how to honour men truely how farre and especially for what This instructeth men to carry themselues lowly which are of place and to expresse their loue of vertue it shall not make them be lesse but more esteemed by much of those that be godly and wise else were they reprouable Ionathans humility and goodnesse lost 1. Sam. 20. 41. him no reuerence with Dauid They be counted clownishly base or foolishly proud or ill-manered which will giue lesse honour to a man for his vertues and humility when as he is to be esteemed for

friend nor kinsman nor the nighest of blood they can weepe for are very vnnaturall and worse then bruite beasts which bleate and loow for their own kinde so also they which can perhaps weepe for the world for departure of friends for losse of parents children husband or wise yet not for sin not for Gods dishonor not for the affliction of Ioseph not for want of the Word and the taking away of the righteous are worldlings are destitute of diuine grace of the true loue of God and goodnesse for men can and will mourne for such things as be euer neere and deare vnto them and which they indeede take to heart And Orpha kissed her mother in law As Naomi did by this act in verse 9. take her farewell of Orpha with Ruth so now Orpha departing thus taketh leaue of her She wept in loue and kissed her in token of loue and as loth to depart yet voluntarily leaueth her because shee perceiued by Naomi her words that she could not receiue worldly contentment if shee should goe with her So here were signes of loue onely but not the truth of it It is easie to make signes of loue but not to shew the true fruits of loue These be chargeable the other cost nothing therefore they are afforded very cheape and where onely outward signes of loue be and not a hearty vnion there worldly losses or the feare of such losses or not the hope to gaine the things of this life will soone separate such friends as wee see in this woman Note further I. That worldly respects are great hinderances in the course of Godlinesse the world keepeth from the entertaining of the Truth Mat. 22. 5. It hindereth in the receiuing of it Mat. 13. It pulleth men from it which haue somewhat gone forward in it as wee may see here in Orpha in Iehu Iudas Demas and Henry the 4. the last King of France and this commeth from the exceeding loue of it and our chiefest care for the body and the things of this life But let vs take heede of this world for such as loue it the loue of God 1. Iohn 2. 15. the Father is not in them many for loue of the world forsaking Religion haue felt the wo thereof and haue lost that which they loued Remember Iudas he had the money but what was hee the better it did not comfort him neither did it continue with him neither he long in the world And yet wretched Caitifes that wee be like Gadarens we will lose Christ rather then our swine and with Eue lose Paradise for an Apple II. That an vnsound heart may for a time make a faire shew in the way to Canaan but yet turne backe at the last as Orpha doth here and as we may see in Iehu Iudas Demas Hymeneus Alexander Philetus and many other in all ages falling backe from the Truth which they indeed did neuer soundly loue and yet will such make so faire an entrance And this is by reason first of certaine general motions of Religion which maketh them in generall to approue of the same againe the generall esteeme of the very name of Religion all holding this that it is a good thing to bee religious and that none can find fault with a man for that Further the working of the Word mouing the heart in some sort to intertaine it and lastly the desire of praise and good esteeme with men These will make hollow hearts to set on a while to heauenward but shall not bee able to enter Therefore we are not easily to entertaine men for sincere because they haue made and doe make faire shewes in Religion for a time seeing they may be vnsound and after fall away And this should make vs to examine our owne hearts lest secret hypocrisie lurke therein and it breake out at the length to our shame III. That such as want soundnesse towards God for Religion may yet haue otherwise commendable parts in them For Orpha is commended for a kind wife as well as Ruth by Naomi and for a kind daughter in law verse 8. and shee shewed good humanity ●● going on the way with her mother in law ye●● good natural affection in weeping so at parting What shall I speake of Ioahs valiant and hardy spirit of the great vvisedome of Achitophel in all worldly affaires and of morall men among the Heathen Many which had no part nor portion in Christ haue done vvorthily in the things praise-vvorthy among men by a restrained nature by the povver of conscience from the law of nature vvritten in their hearts and by the common gifts of the Spirit And therfore not to iudge our selues or others soundly religious and regenerate by Gods Spirit for our cōmendations in meere moral vertues or common gifts of the Spirit for the Heathen haue surpassed many true Christian hearts herein many by a meere ciuill education and orderly bringing vp in the lavvdable fashions of men and good carriage of themselues as men among men attaine to great commendations in and for their courtesie affability discretion many qualities in learning and Arts which they affect for praise with men for their priuate profit for aduancement in the world and not that they doe good things for goodnesse sake from the power of grace and godlinesse in their hearts which was as yet neuer ingrafted in them as appeareth by their little knowledge in the Word of God by their demeaning of themselues like Statists indifferently betweene two religions by neglecting the examination of their wayes by the Word but keeping company with all sorts alike so farre as worldly disgrace come no● hereby by neuer caring for the growth of Religion in themselues or in others to make the least opposition for it against the common streame By all which and by many good things wanting in them as a holy zeale feruency in prayer the loue of the truth for the truths sake such as loue it delight in meditating of Gods Word and conferring thereof sorrow for the afflictions of Gods people and ioy in the ouerthrow of the enemies thereof which graces meere moralists are quite destitute of wee may see that the life of Religion and that heauenly light of true grace is not ingrafted in them which is more worth than all the rest which yet are commendable but these ought chiefely to be our praises and yet not leaue the other vndone for the one makes a man but the other a Christian and these together I meane good carriage and ciuill behauiour Learning Arts and other good qualities make an excellent Christian man But Ruth claue vnto her Though Orpha gaue occasion for Ruth to fall off from Naomi yet her example moued not A well-grounded affection is not remoued by the inconstancy of others Ioh. 6. 68. for true loue is fixed vpon the thing beloued and is not tyed to any by-respects Their loue then is to be reproued who fall off for company their affections were neuer well

Onos or the Asse-fish which hath the heart in the belly so is this man set all on his panch Hee is like the beast called Gulon a name answerable to his nature which Gesner eateth that which hee preyeth vpon if it bee a horse till all be deuoured euer filling his belly and then emptying it and then falling to it againe till all bee consumed such a delight hath he in his appetite And such beast-like men there haue been who hauing filled their belly haue for the greedy desire and vnsatiablenesse of their appetite in variety of dishes and delicacies wished their backe a belly Such Gulons may from this beast behold themselues now like him they bee but I may say how worse they bee for he is a beast and doth but like himselfe but these bee men hauing reason to guide and should haue Religion to bridle their deuouring nature and brutish appetite Lastly note that Ruth left of that which was giuen her which she also reserued to giue vnto her Mother in law as it followes after in vers 18. Vers 15. And when she was risen vp to gleane Boaz commanded his yong men saying Let her gleane euen among the sheaues and reproach her not RVTHS returne to her labour is here set downe and her encouragement in the same by Boaz his loue who charged his seruants to giue her leaue to gleane and that among the sheaues and not reproach her for so doing Before I come to the words here it may be demanded Whether there was giuing of thankes seeing there sitting downe and there arising vp to labour is mentioned but not this duety of thanksgiuing and prayer to God for a blessing vpon their food Answ We are to thinke they did though not here noted for euery thing is not written which there was done as Ruths thanks for her food which we cannot thinke shee omitted who before did shew her selfe euery way so thankefull And there are such reasons to perswade vs that Boaz would not neglect this duety as we may easily admit his giuing of thankes First his owne godlinesse and knowledge of his duety and then the commandement of God Deut. 8. 10. which he could not be ignorant of and of which no doubt he made conscience Therefore let not any from hence gather a loose liberty to neglect this duety because the holy Writer mentioneth it not but learne from other places to know it to be their 1. Cor. 10. 30. duety It was a custome among Christians as at this day with vs there is a commandement to 1. Cor. 10. 31. glorifie God in eating and drinking The creatures of God are to be receiued with thanksgiuing 1. Tim. 4. 3 5. and are sanctified by the Word of God and prayer And holy men haue vsed it Samuel Saint 1. Sam. 9. 13. Paul yea when he and the people had long fasted Act. 27. 35. yet ate hee not before grace Our blessed Sauiour the innocent Lambe of God spotlesse and Ioh. 6. 11 23. sinlesse yet ate not but first gaue thankes It therefore is our duety and befitting all before they receiue food to giue thankes For what can our meate doe without Gods blessing How soone haue some beene choaked and haue ended their dayes suddainely And doe we not remember that the Israelites perished with meate in their mouthes Neither let this duety be put off to children as if it were too meane a duety for the Master of the table Were it not grosly ridiculous and a very scornefull part for a man to receiue a fauour from a King and then call his child to giue him thankes Our Sauiour put not this off to another nor Samuel nor Paul are they not worthy imitation And when shee was risen vp to gleane The History turneth againe to Ruth and sheweth what shee did after her repast and the liberall feeding allowed her by Boaz she betooke her selfe to gleaning againe and returned to her former labour Whence we may learne I. That the godly poore by their fauours receiued and helps in their need are not the more negligent but the rather the more painefull in their labours as may be seene here in Ruth For they know that such helps are for to stirre them vp to well-doing which vse they make of them and not to liue idly as many doe who are not 2. Thes 3. worthy to eate The poore are to follow Ruths steps and learne for the mercies of men towards them to continue painefull in their calling II. That the true vse and end of receiuing food is to Eccles ●0 17. strengthen our bodies to preserue them in labour Ruth eateth to suffice nature to returne to worke The Apostle ioyneth eating and labour together neither 2. Thes 3. 10. 2. Thes 3 8. would he eate the bread of idlenesse nor the good woman commended in the Prouerbs Prou. 31. 27. God would not allow the sole Monarch of all the whole earth no not in innocencie when the Earth brought forth without labour to eate without paines-taking he must dresse the Garden Food is the reward of labour of such as be able and it is a blessing to eate the labour of our Psal 128. 2. hands Therefore such are here reproued which rise vp to eate and drinke and doe eate and drinke to rise vp and play or prate or sleep or to runne to playes to fulfill their lust to decke themselues like wantons the sonnes and daughters of Belial of Iezabel some be Cains race and eate to be vagabonds going vp and downe begging some of Esaus race and eate to hunt and hawke till they haue sold their inheritance for a messe of pottage and themselues be lesse worth than one meale which they before bestowed vpon their dogs these should know that they are borne to labour and that godly men and women haue so bestowed their time yea Iesus Christ himselfe liued in a calling painefully Boaz commanded his yong men saying Let her gleane euen among the sheaues What Ruth desired verse the seuenth here Boaz alloweth her when he saw her so well giuen and so painefull So we see how the godly diligent hand obteineth fauour and Prou. 13. 4. Gen. 31. a blessing as appeareth in Ruth here and in Iacob whose paines the Lord rewarded abundantly Mat. 25. This is taught in the Parable of the talent in which the stocke of the diligent is increased For Prou. 13. 4. God hath thus promised to doe and labour is a meanes appointed of God to get his blessings who also openeth the heart of the rich to doe good to the poore which labour painefully Would we haue supply of our wants Would we haue earthly blessings Then must we labour and take paines Of gathering among the sheaues see verse the seuenth Boaz here is not onely content that shee should gather by or besides but betweene the sheaues where more plentifull gathering was of eares and scattered corne it was more then a