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
A93722	Englands patterne and duty in it's monthly fasts presented in a sermon, preached to both Houses of Parliament assembled, on Friday the 21. of July, An. Dom. 1643. : Being an extraordinary day of publicke humiliation appointed by them throughout London and Westminster. that everyone might bitterly bewaile his owne sinnes and cry mightily vnto God for Christ his sake, to remove his wrath, and heale the land / by William Spurstowe sometimes fellow of Katherine Hall in Chambridg [sic], and now pastor of Hackney near London.	Spurstowe, William, 1605?-1666.	1643 (1643)	Wing S5094; Thomason E64_2	20,339	37

as a crowne or garland on your head to morrow take nothing againe as a freind into your bosome that you have this day looked upon as an enemie But if any man shall dare to mocke God and by fresh apostacies to breake the solemne covennat that he hath now entered into let him know this for a certaine that if there be justice in Heaven or fire in Hell he shall one day be filled with the bitter fruits of his owne wayes and shall find the wages of sinne to be death For the application of this poynt I shall confine my selfe unto two Vses the first whereof shall consist only of some directions that may help us in confession which to performe aright is not the least part of a christians worke or care 1. Vse First studie well your hearts the heart is a vast maze and labyrinth in which not he that runnes fastest soonest comes to an end but he that walkes most circumspectly as a darke vault that stands in need of al the candles of the Lord for to enlighten it as a vast Sea which needs the longest line for to fathome it and the more you are acquainted with it the more you shall see cause to abhorre your-selves and matter to plead against your-selves There are in the eye a thousand vanities adulteries pride curiositie thefts and the like but si trabs in oculo sylva in corde if there be a beame in the eye there is a wood in the heart there are in the hands violence rapines bloudshed but they are there only as water in a stream the heart is the fountaine that feeds and nourisheth it in all the members there is a fulnesse of sin but the heart is the roote that derives life and strength vnto all as the Sea that filles the Rivers but yet it selfe is never the lesse emptie After all communications and diffusions of lust into everie facultie there are in the heart as the proper seate Atheisme blasphemies treasons against the very life and being of God sins at which the very flesh itselfe will quake and tremble when they doe begin to peep and put out in the verie shaddow of a thought Now can a man that is any way apprehensive that he hath such a treasure such an Hell such a magasin of sins within him want what to confesse and what to condemne himselfe for in the sight of God no certanly words he may want and teares and sighes but never matter of confession and astonishment were his life drawne out to an eternitie it is the ignorance only that men have of their hearts that filles them with pride boastings presumptions of their estates opinions of their goodnesse that make them like the Pharisie that can find little to confesse but much to commend himselfe for whereas if God did but discover the true condition of their hearts vnto them they would like the Publican knock and smite their brests and cry out Lord be mercifull to me a sinner Secondly Get a spirituall knowledge of the Law of God That is it which as a light discovers those corruptions and sins which lie hid and vnseen in the darke night of ignorance and makes them to appeare in their due shape and proportion Paul while this light of the Law shone into his heart was alive as himselfe confesseth Rom. 7. 9. full of conceits of his own righteousnesse and abilities to performe what ever the Law had required to salvation but when the Commandement came sinne revived and Paul dyed all his presumptions and misperswations they withered and fell away as leaves doe from the trees in Autumne and his sins they like the Crowes nests appeared which before are unseen and undiscerned then he saw that to be a mountaine which before he judged to be a moate and that to be sin which before he looked vpon as righteousnesse then he saw much to bemoan much to confesse and to be ashamed of but nothing to boast and glorie of some sins indeed the weake glimmerings of nature may discover vnto men to be vile lying luxurie idlenesse the Cretian Poet could tax in his owne countrie men but to read over the whole Historie of a mans life without any other candle is as impossible as to turne over great volumes by the light of a glow-worme Tit. 1. 12. Thirdly Keepe alive in your hearts the apprehension of some particular sinnes for which God hath deeply humbled you Christians in their way to Heaven as thay are not without assaults temptations importunities of the flesh So are they not sometimes without fals and bruses lusts tempt and they yeild the flesh flatters and must be gratified and by this meanes oftentimes their peace is impaired and their consciences deeply wounded Now if any of us have such blacke dayes in our Calenders such foule sins in our private Registers that may mind us what we have sometimes bin let vs as much as we can keep vp the apprehensiof that deformitie uglinesse contrariety to the Law which they seemed to have when first God set them vpon our consciences the fresh remembrance of sin in this kind it is like a pease in an issue that keeps it open and makes it run it makes the heart to be in a broaken and melting frame to be free in confession and earnest in prayer that God would shew him mercy and let him live before him Fourthly Reflect seriously vpon your wayes Running waters cast no shaddow no more doe fleeting thougts make any representation of a mans condition he that rides post can never make a true mappe of a Countrie nor that man any discoverie of himselfe whose thoughts doe not now and then make a stand and looke backward it is consideration that tels vs what need we stand in of mercie to pardon us and what need we have to confesse our sinnes that we may be pardoned it 's consideration that makes the issues of sinne dreadfull and causeth us with trembling to seeke him whom we have offended and to ●urne our feete unto his Testimonies 2. Vse A second Vse is in breife to discover how injurious they are not only vnto themselves but unto the the happinesse of the whole Kingdome that would in these sad times crie downe all acknowledgment and confession of sinne as that which is vselesse and unbecomming the dayes and times of the Gospel and would by certaine artes and wyles put a beautie vpon most mishapen and deformed opinions Pausanias tels a storie of a mirrour in the Temple of Smyrna that if any that had a beautifull face looked in it he would appeare exceedingly deformed and if any that were ilfavoured did looke in it they did appeare beautifull and amiable not much unlike to this glasse are their fancies which render the blessed truthes of God sorrow for sinne confession of sinne and prayer for pardon as things that the Law of the Gospel doth not injoyne or Christ accept and crie up a libertie and freedom from the Law as a rule to guide and order our conversations by which Opinion if they should once come to prevaile in mens minds they will quickely bid farwell to all holinesse But I spare to speake any more because that you with whom the weightie affaires of the Church are betrusted will doe that right to the Gospel and trueth which shall beseeme Persons of your worth and pietie FINIS ERRATA Page 13. l. 4. for devotious r. directions pag. 14. l. 8. r. prescribed pag. 17. l. 10. r. stroak Die Jovis 27. Julij 1643. IT is this day Ordered by the Lords in Parliament that Master Spurstowe hath hereby thankes given him from their Lordships for the great paines taken by him in his Sermon he made in Saint Margarets Church Westminster before the Lords and Commons on Friday the 21. of this instant July at the publike Humiliation And is hereby desired to cause his said Sermon to be forthwith Printed and Published John Browne Cler. Parl. Die Veneris 21. Julij 1643. IT is this day Ordered by the House of Commons that Master Salloway doe give thankes to Master Spurstowe who at the desire of the House this day Preached before the Commons at St. Margarets Westminster it being an extraordinary day of publicke Humiliation and that he be desired to print his Sermon And it is Ordered that no man shall print his Sermon but whom the said Mr. Spurstowe shall Authorize under his hand-writing H. Elsygne Cler. Parl. D. Com. I appoint Peter Cole to print my Sermon William Spurstowe