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	sin_n	sin_v	1,544	5	9.4687	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A67691	The method of salvation In two parts. I. A sinner's conversion to saving faith in God through Christ. II. The progress of a believer from his conversion to his perfection, under the work of sanctification. By John Warren, M.A. sometime minister of the gospel at Hatfield Broad-Oak in Essex.	Warren, John, minister of Hatfield Broad Oak, Essex.	1696 (1696)	Wing W975; ESTC R219940	84,414	163

not aware of So though their Brethren justify them they condemn themselves and have it usuall in a readiness to answer Oh if these men that seem to have such hopeful thoughts of me did but know the vile workings of my wicked heart they would never endure me They judge of me as they think but little think what I know by my self The heart as Solomon says knows its own grief The Soul that 's burthened with sinful Lusts and labouring against them cannot believe the Case of any others to be so bad as his As no man thinks his Neighbour's trouble though of the same kind so grievous as his own This high dislike and loathing of a man 's own Sin when it lies quite out of sight of other men is a great evidence that the work of Mortification is set on foot and proceeding in the Soul for God giveth grace to the humble 1 Pet. 5. and as Grace is coming in Sin is going out And thus have I endeavoured to shew you those Evidences that appear in Christians that are heartily intending and endeavouring the mortifying of inherent Sin But now a little to speak to the consequence which the endeavour of mortification has to the sincere practice of Holiness or the Reasons why Christians intending an holy Life are thereupon disposed to mortify indwelling Sin R. 1. A sincere intention of obedience gives a man notice of the sin within him By a sincere endeavour to reform his Life a Christian comes to discover Sin that is within himself As 't is said of Ephraim Hos 7.1 When I would have healed Israel then the iniquity of Ephraim was discovered and Rom. 7.23 I see another law in my members warring against the law of my mind Newly converted Christians till they have tried a-while what they can do in practice of Godliness little think what proud stubborn earthly and hypocritical hearts they have within them little think what work they have to do in their own Souls But by that time they have applied themselves a-while to it they find such a backwardness to duty as they could not have imagined and such an aptness to receive Temptations and Sin without temptation as they did not think themselves guilty of their often relapses and breaking of Resolutions sheweth them the falshood and treachery of their hearts which they were not formerly aware of and now they see that they have a great work of reformation to do as well within as without as if a man reform his Family he shall find not only ill Companions without but some of his own Children against it 2dly Internal Sin once discovered appears more evil and hateful to a Christian than his outward sinful Actions It is that which the Apostle calls exceeding sinful Sin as Rom. 7.13 Outward Acts of Sin derive all their Evil from the vicious Inclinations and evil Intentions of the Soul The more there is of Pride Wilfulness and Stubborness of the Heart in any Sin the worse and more hateful it is If we sin wilfully Hebr. 10.26 after we have received th● knowledge of the truth there remains no more sacrifice for sin And the soul that doth ought presumptuously shall be cut off Numb 15.30 So that now a Christian sees that he has cause and need to labour more to mortify his internal Corruption than to rectify his outward Actions that being the greatest part of his work 3dly Outward Reformation can never be throughly carried on without reforming the heart All the practice of Christianity that we can attain to in our outward Actions while Sin is unmortified in the heart is but forced and violent and such as will not hold Weeds you know that are cut off above the ground will grow again you must pluck them up by the roots if you would clear the ground of them therefore the Apostle blesses God for the Romans that they had obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered them Rom. 7.13 Cleansing the heart is of necessity to washing the hands in innocency Psal 73.13 till they come to this Christians do but intend and assay to rectify their Lives never do it to purpose But 4thly The motion of a Christian towards God is in prosecution of communion with him which is hindred by indwelling Sin Iniquities separate If a Christian would walk with God he must cleanse his heart or he can have no intimacy with him This Duty of Self-cleansing is propounded in the Text to this very end that we may attain the happiness of God's gracious presence that he may dwell and walk with us as in Chap. 6.16 17. I will dwell in them and walk in them Where God walks with a man he dwells within him and that cannot be without an ejection of Sin The Apostle James requiring men to draw nigh to God promises that he will draw nigh to them presently commands them to purify their hearts Jam. 4.8 Draw nigh to God and he will draw nigh to you Cleanse your hands ye sinners and purify your hearts 5thly Mortificatson of Sin is the proper effect of a sincere Obedience Every gracious action adds something to the habit or principle of grace in the Soul so much it doth to the weakning of the contrary corruption To perform the work of a godly man is the way to become more godly The way of the Lord is strength to the upright Prov. 10.29 And by holding on his way he grows stronger and stronger Job 17.9 Now the stronger a man is in grace the weaker sin is in him contrary qualities destroy one another as they increase Grace by doing its own work undoes its Adversary I now proceed to the Uses 1 Use The first Use is for comfort to sincere Christians against all the activity of men to hinder them in their spiritual work and business A main part of a Christian's work lies where men can give it no impediment nor so much as see what is done it lies within doors where no other person can force an entry It was the great endeavour of the Jews enemies to hinder their work of building the Temple and then of the wall at Jerusalem Neh. 4.11 And our adversaries said They shall not know neither see till we come in the midst among them and slay them and cause the work to cease So 't is the design of Satan and his Followers to hinder the work of Christianity but against this part of a Christian's work they can do nothing He may throw down and demolish the works of Satan and fortify himself inwardly against temptations and seducements and none can hinder him or observe him all external opposition serves to carry on this work to make Christians more holy within more heavenly-minded more zealous for God and indifferent to the world So they that would hinder you from the outward part of your Duty will further you in that which is your great and main work purging out malice and envy and wrath and bitterness against them

Life Rev. 22.17 and that asking of which our Saviour speaks John 4.10 If thou hadst known the gift c. thou wouldest have asked God makes the humble Soul in the former act of Faith to know his Gift and to believe the worth and goodness of it and therefore now he earnestly desires and asks it And here we see at the very entrance how far Men are from saving-faith and hope in Christ that do not earnestly desire after God and Holiness A Man can never hope for that which he desires not and to desire after God and not hate Sin and all Unrighteousness is utterly impossible as for a Man to desire to be in the light and yet not be out of love with darkness No wicked Man while he continues so has any true desire after the Salvation of God in Christ Freedom from punishment he may desire but Holiness and Union with God he desires not nor can he have any good affection towards it yea he says to God Depart from me I desire not the knowledge of the most High Job 21.14 Now the knowledge of the most High is Life eternal John 17.3 So that wicked Men whatsoever Profession they may make of Faith and Hope in Christ for Life eternal do not so much as desire Life Eternal No you will say Is there any that doth not desire Eternal Life God that knows the Language of their hearts and will not wrong them in the interpretation of it gives us this account of what is said by Wicked men in general within themselves We desire not the knowledge of the Almighty We desire not his acquaintance no communion with him They had rather starve than go and dwell in the Father's House to eat bread there and live 2. As the belief of the Gospel makes the humbled Soul earnestly desire the Salvation of God so it gives him a persuasion that he may attain it and this makes his desire an hopeful desire i. e. it gives it the nature of Hope A man that rightly understands and believes the Gospel and earnestly desires the Salvation propounded in it must needs apprehend a possibility at least of his own Salvation while he remains under the dispensation of the Gospel For says the Soul if the Salvation of Christ be freely offered to all to whom the Gospel is preached i. e. If it be the good pleasure of God that whosoever accepts this Salvation should have it and if he invites and commands all to accept it without any other condition or any exception then there is fair probability that I may have my part in it I am sure I desire it more than any thing in the world and though I be never so unworthy yet the gift is free And though the Law condemns me yet Christ has so answered the Law that God may with honour save me if he will Who knows then but even I may attain everlasting Life by Jesus Christ under this persuasion now the humbled Soul earnestly desires the Salvation of Christ and this is Hope So the Prodigal as he hungrily desired to eat of his Father's Bread so he had a good persuasion that at his Father's House he might have entertainment that his Father would not shut the Doors against him but receive him and in this hope he went The Merchant Matth. 13. had not only a desire to be Owner of the Pearl but a persuasion that selling all that he had he might certainly entitle himself to it So he that comes to the water of Life comes not only in a thirsting desire after it but under an hopeful apprehension that he may take and have it freely for his own refreshment that his Soul may live This is very amply expressed in those words of the Apostle Gal. 2.16 We knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but by the faith of Jesus Christ Even we have believed in Jesus Christ that we might be justified by the faith of Christ 1. They knew and believed the Gospel that Justification pardon of Sin and so Salvation is to be attained only through Jesus Christ 2. This Justification or Pardon and Salvation they earnestly desired else they would not have prosecuted it 3. They had a persuasion that they might possibly attain it as well as others and so they believed in Jesus Christ that they might actually attain it This persuasion is utterly wanting in Devils and despairing Sinners though they should be never so earnest in desire of Salvation yet they have no persuasion that they shall or may obtain it The former having no Gospel for it the latter no right understanding nor true belief of the Gospel and therefore they have no hope no trust in Jesus Christ And as this Persuasion grows stronger and stronger in him that sincerely hungers and thirsts after Christ so his Hope gets up to better measures and degrees In these two things we see the Father's drawing of Souls to Jesus Christ John 4.44 It is a work done by the Gospel 1. Men hear the Gospel 2. Hearing it they learn it i. e. they believe it with an assenting Faith They believe 1. The Excellency of Salvation as propounded in the Gospel and so they desire it 2. They believe the free offer and grant that is there made of it to poor Sinners without exception and so they get a persuasion that they themselves may attain it and thus they come to him for it they come to him in their hopeful desire of his Salvation Thus much of the end of Faith which is Salvation and the tendency of Faith to that end in a way of hope Thirdly The next thing to be considered is the ground or foundation of this Hope The free mercy of God in Jesus Christ In all hope the expecting Soul has somewhat to rest and bear upon as the foundation and basis of its hope and that resting and leaning is the formal proper act of a fiducial Faith The lame man Acts 5. hoped that the Apostles would give him Money and grounded that hope in their supposed Liberality So he trusted in their Liberality in hope of an Alms. The Governour Acts 24.26 hoped for a Bribe and grounded that hope upon the love 't is likely which he supposed Paul's Friends had for him So he trusted in the interest that Paul had in his monied Friends in hope of a Bribe Thus Believers hope for the Salvation of God propounded in the Gospel and ground their hope on his free Mercy in Christ i. e. They trust on the free Mercy of God in Christ in hope of Salvation As in Faith of assent there is a persuasion of the truth of the Doctrine contained in the Gospel and a resting on the Testimony of God in that persuasion So in Fiducial Faith there is an hoping for Salvation propounded in the Gospel and a resting on the Mercy of God in Christ in that hope Now that the mercy of God in Christ is the proper Ground whereon the Soul