Selected quad for the lemma: knowledge_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
knowledge_n	heart_n	light_n	shine_v	8,936	5	9.6862	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A85302	Animadversions upon Sir Henry Vanes book, entituled The retired mans meditations. Examining his doctrine concerning Adam's fall, Christs person, and sufferings, justification, common and special grace; and many other things in his book. / By Martin Finch, preacher of the Gospel.	Finch, Martin, 1628?-1698.	1656 (1656)	Wing F941; Thomason E1670_2; ESTC R208407	75,370	163

and it may be in the same page tells us they go about to establish their own righteousness To conclude this Chapter after the Author hath so cryed up the attainments of men in his first image as we have seen when he hath affirmed them to be called out of the world Christ made their righteousnesse in a way of justification and told us how they are one flesh one body with Christ knit and married to Christ faithful walkers with Christ he tells us very fairly at last Page 361. That these are the devills subjects though he telleth us in that same page that they owne themselves in a professed subjection and conformity to the law of God that is to what is righteous holy and good in its nature and not onely as it is within themselves but as they are made righteous in another viz. Jesus Christ the righteous Truly we never thought the devill had such subjects but the Author could not this Gordian knot if he were set about it for if righteous in Christ in a way of justification and sanctified by his blood how are they the devills subjects nay the Author before had told us they were Christs subjects and a man at the same time cannot be Christs subject and the devils subject a man is translated from the power of darknesse when he is translated into the Kingdome of Christ Thus have we examined the Authors notions concerning men in his first image so full of contradiction to themselves and the truth Now to examine his doctrine about men in his higher image which he maketh a saving state shall be the work of the next Chapter CHAP. IV. Examines the Authors doctrine about his higher Image which he counts a saving state HE tels us Page 7. That this higher Image is the communion of the Holy Ghost 2 Cor. 13.14 which Paul wishes unto them after the grace they had shared in from Jesus Christ our Lord as the common salvation Jude 3. and as the fruit of the love of God the Father This shews the Author to be a Critick indeed as if a man might have the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and yet be shut out for ever from the love of God the Father and the communion of the Holy Ghost but what is it to have the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ but to have the pardoning strengthning sanctifying quickning grace of the Lord Jesus and he that hath this to be sure hath the love of God he both loveth God and God loveth him and this communion of the Holy Ghost is an effect of the love of God and the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ who giveth the blessed Spirit to those who are partakers of his grace and righteousnesse to sanctifie them wholly comfort them lead them into all truth and seale them to the day of redemption and the common salvation spoken of Jude 3. which the Authour quotes is the grace of God which bringeth salvation to all true Believers Gentiles as well as Jews called there common because this righteousness of God which is by faith in Jesus Christ is upon all and unto all them that believe whether Jews or Gentiles for the same Lord is rich in mercy to justifie and save all that believe on him though they be not Jews by nature but sinners of the Gentiles in this respect is the grace and righteousness that is in Christ called common salvation and not that it is common to them that are eternally saved and to them that perish Page 58. He describes the higher Image to be a beholding of Gods very similitude open and bare faced But is this saving faith to be beholding Gods very similitude open and bare faced as the Authors phrase is Alas we can have no access to him as an absolute God with comfort and for salvation without relation to a Mediator sesus the surety of the better Testament John 14.6 No man commeth to the father but by him and he saveth them that come to God by him Hebr. 7.25 that is true saving faith not the seeing of Gods similitude open and bare faced but how much better doth the Apostle describe faith and saving grace 2 Cor. 4.6 where he calleth it Gods shining into our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ There is a very neere approach to God that the Saints shall have in glory and a glorious view of him in the beatifical vision in glory but that is not faith but glorification not here but hereafter as God told Moses Exod. 33. No man shall see my face and live But blessed be the Lord for ever that he puts us into the clift of the Rock the Lord Jesus and there we see his goodnesse passing before us and hear him proclaming his name the Lord the Lord God gratious and abundant in mercy and that by beleiving in Christ we are his children and that because we are thus his sons he sendeth the spirit of his son into our hearts whereby we can call him Abba Father this is unspeakable comfort to us in our present state that we thus know that we are now the sons of God though yet it doth not fully appear to us what we shall be but we know that when he shall appear even Jesus Christ the righteous that we shall be like him and see him as he is as 1 John 3.3 and however others pretend to see God in his very similitude open and bare faced we confess as 1 Cor. 13.12 that we now see but through a glass darkly though we yet expect at that day break of eternal brightness in Heaven to see face to face and know as we are known That which the Author saith of saving faith and the higher Image p. 75 76. we will grant taking it in a good sense and with this caution that what he there saith is improperly called the newbirth but rather glorification and that his expressions are too liable to mistakes but for quietness sake we will pass them by and come to Page 139. He saith these in the higher Image are under the ministery of Christs second appear ance wherein he doth not only appear a King of righteousness conveying a seed of righteousness answerable to that perfection commanded by the Law but also a King of peace conveying a seed of everlasting peace But the Author must know that where Christ is to any soul a King of righteousnesse he is also a King of peace The peace of God which passeth all understanding for its sweetness and comfort is an effect of Christs righteousness and so saith the Scripture Isaiah 30.17 the work of righteousness shall be peace to wit peace with God the effect of righteousness to wit Christs righteousness quietness and assurance for ever for as Rom. 5.1 being justified by faith that is by Christ and his righteousness believed in we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ so that this is the difference

to have new hearts should rather question whether they themselves be so sanctified and their hearts so really and actually changed as to have new hearts and spirits and when we come to examine this very thing we shall finde that it is not such an ordinarie thing to have the heart which by nature is so desperately wicked to be so really and actually changed though the life may be much changed yet the heart may be the same even like a painted Sepulchre beautiful without but within full of dead mens bones but for this he maketh use of 2 Pet. 2.20 of mens escaping the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ who yet may be againe intangled in them But doth the Author know no difference between mens hearing of Christs calling for holinesse and departing from iniquity in the preaching of the Gospel that they do now leave their former prophaneness and pollutions hoping to get heaven or make themselves worthy of Christ by this their reformation I say is there no difference between this and the having of the heart really and actually changeed because Herod did many things and heard John Baptist gladly doth it therefore follow that he was so sanctified as to have his heart really and actually changed and purified Acts 15.9 the heart is purified only by true faith in Christ Jesus the life may be reformed by education by convictions of conscience and by a common head and notional knowledg of the Gospel and of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ yet I confess in a good sense the hearts of some natural men may be said to be changeed but it must be very warily understood Another place he quotes for this attainment of the matural man is Heb. 6. Those that tasted of the heavenly gift and yet might fall away c. What if these are said to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 enlightened so was Balaam and others that I hope were never justified and sanctified by Christ we do not deny but that the natural man may have illumination what if they are said to have tasted of the heavenly gift and if this heavenly gift be Christ himselfe men may tast of Christ as Cooks do of their sauce which they spit out again men may come to try Religion and tast Christ and not having a pallat that savours the things of the spirit may not like him there is a great difference betweene the unbelievers tasting and the true believers experience what if they are said to be made partakers of the Holy Ghost that may be said of any man that is any way enlightened by the Holy Ghost and partakers of his common gifts only yea Bezaliel and Aholiab are said to be filled with the Spirit of God when yet it was but to enable them to devise cunning works in gold and in silver and in brasse Exod. 31.3.4 What if they tasted of the good Word of God I question not but a natural man may do so as Herod that heard John Baptist gladly which shewed he was affected with the word and tasted some sweetnesse in it And what if they tasted the powers of the world to come and have often been scared as Felix was Acts 24.25 when Paul reasoned of the Judgement to come Felix trembled and so may other natural men do but doth this Scripture say as the Author doth that they received Christ in their hearts as their Lord and Christ and were made the righteousnesse of God in him this is the thing that we deny any natural man attaines to but we grant they may tast of the heavenly gift and of the powers of the world to come as that place in the 6. Hebr. doth declare Page 134. he saith These in the first Image are righteous workers according to the Law in the most Gospel administration of it but at the bottome are still upon the tenure and account of debt What is the most Gospel like administration of the Law but Christs fulfilling of it for us and taking the Law now into his own hands and prescribing the obedience the Law requires as duty to him the Lord our righteousnesse so that there is a modification of the Law to the fallen estate of man that Christ now doth not propound the Law to us as a Covenant of works that we should seek righteousnesse to justifie us by the works of the Law but he himself is made of God unto us righteousnesse and his blood cleanseth us from all sin and now will have us obey the Law as he exhibits it to us in the way of the Gospel that we should now obey out of love thankfulnesse and obedience to our Redeemer and this is the Gospel and Christs administration of the Law but this Author tells us that all the bottome they are upon the account and tenure of debt and that they are but still under the first Covenant which is a meer contradiction for the obeying of the Law in the most Gospel like administration of it implyes a disclaiming our own righteousnesse and confidence in our owne obedience and obeying it upon Gospel principles even our love and duty to Christ that constraineth us to do his will and what is acceptable in his sight and I would ask the Author whether those that came into his higher image are not to obey the Law and if so surely he will say they must obey it in the most Gospel like administration of it and then the obedience of them both are alike the confounding of Law and Gospel doth a little hang in this Authors light Page 136. He saith This sort of men were incorporated with the true spiritual seed in every one of the seven Churches mentioned Revelations 2. 3. Chapters But I pray were the Laodiceans that were neither hot nor cold that said they had need of nothing and knew not they were miserable and poor and blind and naked did this frame of spirit shew them to be made the righteousnesse of God in Christ and to be sanctified in Christ Jesus which is the question under debate but do not these things rather shew the contrary and that they had but a name to be thus but were dead and without Christ and Philadelphia which was one of the seven Churches doth the Lord say there were any of that Church that were not in a saving state are any enemies to the Crosse of Christ detected in that Church let the Author read Revel 3.7 to 13. and then let him tell us how he cometh to know that there were such in that Church as were not true Saints and the spiritual seed I am sure he that is holy and true in his message to them saith no such thing findes no such fault with them as he doth with the rest of the Churches but truly whatsoever this Author saith it would have been well if all the members of all those Churches had been such as have Christ to be the Lord their righteousnesse and truly received Christ

saith this is the nursery and wombe of all the spirituall seed but v. 30. What saith the Scripture cast out the bond-woman and her Son for the Son of the bond-woman shall not be heire with the Son of the freewoman but he saith v. 26. Jerusalem that is above is free which is the Mother of us all The new Covenant of grace that is the womb the nursery the Mother of us all not the Law the bond-woman and telleth us plainly in the last verse that we are not the children of the bond-woman but of the free thus we see how this Author clasheth with the Scripture Page 166. And in divers other places he makes use of the 2 Cor. 5.16 to prove his doctrine that Christ may be known received into the heart as Lord and Christ and yet no saving state the words are these wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh yea though we have knowne Christ after the flesh yet henceforth know wee him no more What is the meaning of this Scripture we may understand it thus wherefore henceforth know wee not man after the flesh that is to say Jew and Gentile that because a man is a Jew that therefore he must pe accounted one of Gods people or because he is a Gentile that therefore he must be a lost creature without hope without God in the world yea though we have known Christ after the flesh that is have looked upon him onely as a Jew and of the seed of David according to the flesh but we henceforth look upon him on more Barely under such a consideration but as he that is the onely begotten Son of God full of grace and truth wee know him as he that was sent into the world to save sinners and was delivered for our offences and rose againe for our justification as the verse before saith that he dyed for us and rose againe or take it thus though we that is some of us the Apostles of Jesus Christ have conversed with Christ in the flesh when he dwelt amongst us and had too humane and natural affection to his bodily presence yet we knowing as John 6.36 that it is the spirit that quickens the flesh profiteth nothing that the bodily Presence of Christ profiteth nothing without the presence of his grace righteousnesse and spirit in our hearts henceforth we know him no more after that manner but our love and affections are set upon Christ as he that hath offered up himselfe in the eternall spirit to obtain an eternal redemption for us and has ascended to his Father and to our father to his God and to our God where he ever liveth to make intercession for us and therefore I doe not see how this place will make in the least for the Authors doctrine but he maketh to know Christ after the flesh to be the receiving of Christ into the heart as Lord and Christ and being justified by his blood and sanctified by his spirit according to the first image as he calls it I hope such knowledg of Christ should be retained not thrown up though he calls it but the first image Page 170. He saith God is pleased through the blood of Christ to declare himself reconciled to the whole Race of mankind beholding them in the seed of the woman the second Adam and to prove this quotes 2 Cor. 5. Jer. 31. compared with Ezekiel 18. where he saith Christ challenges all souls to be his But the Author should have quoted the verses of those chapters that he thought would prove this and should have shewn how he would have argued from them and then I would have taken the pains to have answered him though there is no need at all seeing Perkins Twisse Mr. Owen and Mr. Kendall and others have so fully canvassed that opinion of generall redemption to whom the Church of God owe much for their labours and travels in that point but whereas he saith that in that Ezek. 18. it s said all soules are mine what if it be spoken of God as Creator and not of Christ as Redeemer nay plainly enough it appears so to be meant if we view the place and let the Reader well consider Rom. 5.10 If we were reconciled by Christs blood how much more shall we be saved by his life by him reigning in heaven and sit down at the right hand of God But in the same page he saith That this is so evident that the creature it self Rom. 8.19.20 entrnestly groans and labours exspecting a restonation by this price of redemption paid by Christ There is no question but the creature suo modo according to its own manner and capacity both waits for a restoration and for the manifestation of the sons of God but doth this make the point of universal redemption evident surely no for I hope that the Author will not say that Christ died for their irrationall creatures then indeed we might do as he did that went and preached to the Wolfes and wild beasts truly this which he saith maketh it so evident to me comes not within many miles of a clear proof or any at all of universall redemption Page 172. He saith of those in this first image that God doth not impute sins past to them and often reneweth pardon to them for sins present exercising his forbearance for the sake of his own Justice as pacified and attoned by Christs Sacrifice and for this he quotes Psal 78.38 But I pray what sins doth the Author account sins past that God doth not impute what all sins before their coming into this image all their unbelief pride hatred of God and all their sins whatsoever before they came to have this union with Christ he calls union with Christ in the flesh and doth he think that the gifts and calling of God are not without repentance doth God justifie and unjustifie again pardon and then fall upon the sinner crosse the book and then make him pay the utmost farthing no with him is no variableness nor shadow of changeing once pardon and ever pardon once our God in Christ and ever so it s one thing for God to exercise forbearance to men and another thing to pardon their sins its one thing to forbear the debt and another thing to forgive it and cancel the bond this forbearance is no payment nor forgiveness of the debt though God doth not presently sue the bond and vengeance be not executed speedily yet this doth not argue that he hath forgiven the debt But let us see whether the Scripture he quots Psal 78.38 prove what he saith the words run thus but he being full of compassion for gave their iniquity and destroyed them not yea many a time turned he his anger away and did not stir up all his wrath But with forgiveness was this but that the generality of that people God was propitious to them as the word is often rendred and did not stir up all his wrath and the elect a mong them their sins

born are transgressors from the womb and if le●t to our selves grow worse and worse revolt more and more and if what the Author saith were true then every man had power to keep himselfe from unbeliefe for to be sure that is one of the highest provocations for which God swears in his wrath men shall not enter into his rest And the Author here telleth us that men may keep themselves from such provocations and if they have power to keep themselves from unbelief then consequently they have power to believe then farewel the discriminating grace of God his making us to differ we know men have their Wil nots as wel as their Cannots there is both they will not and they cannot they want will and power there is both wilfulnesse and weaknesse such vile and miserable Creatures are we of our selves and let not the Author make our case better then is is let us have a care of Freewill Page 182. and 183. He saith men may have a feare of God to keep them from sinning against him and may have an experimental sense of the emptinesse of their good works to justifie them and yet neither be under the Law nor Believers and so it was with the Centurion who was neither under the Law nor a Believer until Peter came to him and this he speaks in reference to those that are usually called the Heathens But though the Heathen have such a light set up in their understandings according to which their consciences accuse them or excuse them yet where doth the Scripture say that the fear of God keeps them from sinning nay most of them have denied that there is a God that infinite first being of all things and then they could not through the fear of him be kept from sinning and the truth is no man but the true believer is truly kept from sinning through a true fear of God the fear of hell and wrath may be without a true fear of God the true feare of God is a peculiar benefit of the covenant of grace and how have the Heathens an experimental sense of the emptinesse of their good works to justifie them that know not of heaven or hell to come the businesse of justification before God and forgivenesse of sins is not in all their thoughts But let us come to the Centurion and try whether he were thus and whether he was neither acquainted with the Law nor was a Believer before Peter came to him and the tenth chapter of the Acts will resolve us in these things out of that Chapter we may gather that Cornelius was a Proselyte in his beliefe and Religion and so might be a true believer in Christ though he did not know that Christ was already come and therefore the Lord sent Peter to acquaint him with it and so ver 22. shewes us that this Cornelius was of good report among all the Jewes and the word which God sent unto the children of Israel preaching peace by Jesus Christ that word Peter told Cornelius he knew Acts 10.36 37. From all which it is plain that Cornelius was not to be reckoned among the Heathen and that he might be a believer in Christ before Peter c●me to him he might believe in Christ as to come though he might not have light to believe that he was already come as he was taught afterwards by Peters Sermon Page 183. He saith Paul when he saith that he was alive once without the Law Rom. 7. shews that he lived in good conscience in such a state But when Paul saith he was alive without the law once his meaning is not that he was not acquainted with the Law that was written in Tables of stone but that he was not acquainted with the spirituality of the Law but only made an overly Exposition of it not knowing how the Law reached the thoughts and principles of the heart for otherwise Paul knew the Law and was no Heathen in that sense for he was an Hebrew of the Hebrewes a Jew by father and mother and circumcised the eighth day but it shewes how a man may have the outward knowledge of the Law and yet be without the inward and spiritual knowledge of it Page 197. He saith those that hold general redemption and their opposers that goe under the name of Orthodox doe both bear a true witnesse and a false one against another and both of them oppose and exclude upon divers grounds the true righteous seed that live by faith But they cannot be both in the right in that dispute either Christ did die for the whole race of mankind or he did not and either there is an election from all eternity of a certain number to grace and glory or there is not and so throughout that controversie so that I say they cannot be both in the right in these disputes Well but he saith they both oppose and exclude though upon divers grounds the true righteous feed that live by faith God forbid But if it be so is not the Author one of them for I am sure he holdeth general redemption as his book doth sufficiently witnesse and though those that hold universal redemption are surely mistaken in that yet it doth not follow that they and their opposers therein doe exclude the righteous seed that live by faith for most that hold universal redemption and those that oppose them agree in that to wit that he that truly believeth in Christ shall be saved and no other many who are mistaken about the extent of Christs death are yet sound in the Doctrine of Justification Page 198. He saith those that are for the general extent of Christs death finding the truth of their belief expressed in the Letter of the Gospel as indeed it is satisfie themselves in that and rest there thinking it sufficient to try and judge all men as they reject or own this literal knowledge of the Gospel I shall not mingle so many disputes together or else I might undertake to shew that general redemption is not expressed in the letter of the Gospel if by the letter the Author meanes the meaning and mind of the holy Ghost but that hath been sufficiently witnessed by the worthies of our times but yet this Author doth not doe well to charge all those of that judgement in general that they rest there and try or judge all men as they reject or own that Doctrine for though I have known some that have been so rigid yet it is not so with all there are those of that judgement that do not own all to be saints that believe general redemption neither do they disown others that differ from them in that point but notwithstanding their judgement in that particular they do own or disown men according to their faith in Christ and power of godliness neither do they as the Author saith rest there but hold the necessity of applying the blood of Christ and of a new birth though yet some of them may take up