Selected quad for the lemma: knowledge_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
knowledge_n	know_v	law_n	lust_n	1,524	5	9.7462	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A04199	The celestiall husbandrie: or, The tillage of the soule First, handled in a sermon at Pauls Crosse the 25. of February, 1616. By William Iackson, terme-lecturer at Whittington Colledge in London: and since then much inlarged by the authour, for the profit of the reader: with two tables to the same.	Jackson, William, lecturer at Whittington College.	1616 (1616)	STC 14321; ESTC S107500	126,595	177

Agnitio peccati ct irae Dei The knowledge of sinne and of the wrath of God This knowledge is so needfull that without it we neuer flee from sinne witnesse that saying of Paul I had not knowne sinne but by the lawe for I had not knowen sinne except the lawe had said Thou shalt not lust By which it appeareth that by the iudgement of Paul concupiscence was no sinne and therefore hee in a happy and blessed estate as he saith in the 9 verse iudging himselfe to bee aliue and therefore sarte from repentance for his concupiscence because he did not see it to be a sinne But when the knowledge of sinne came by the Commaundement then hee rent his heart with contrition vers 10. And as he found this in himselfe so he commands it vnto others instructing them to meekenesse that are contrary minded proouing if God at any time will giue them repentance that they may come to the knowledge of the trueth The like course Peter tooke with the Iewes to make their sinnes appeare vnto them that so he might drawe them to repentance which hee could not haue done without the sight of sinne for the whole neede no. Physitian saith Christ. No man will seeke to the Physitian before he feele his disease no man will repent before hee beleeues himselfe to be a sinner Nemofacit Legem nisi qui credit Legi No man doeth the Lawe but hee that beleeues the Lawe saith Ambrose Who will grieue for his sinne before hee sees that hee hath sinned In this sense a man may say as the Eunuch said when Philip asked him if he knew what he read How can I without a guide So may we well say how shall sinners repent before they knowe their sinne Therefore the counsell of Ieremie is to be followed Let vs search and try our wayes to finde out our sinnes for he that hideth his sinne shall not prosper but he that confesseth them shall haue mercy The way to get pardon of sinne is first to know them 2. to repent for them This is the first effect of the plowe to discouer our sinnes To haue an acknowledgement of sinne these things are requisite First a skill in the word of God for there hee hath read a Lecture vnto vs both of good and euil sinne and vertue distinguishing the one from the other and painting them both out in their seuerall collours For that is it that is able to make it man wise vnto saluation Dauid asking this question of God Wherewith shall a man redresse his wayes Answere is made By taking heed vnto thy word for nothing doeth make sinne manifest what it is but onely Gods word The Deuill can but he will not Sinne is the lawe of his kingdome whereby it is gouerned and therefore this is to be obserued that the Deuill neuer taughtman to practise any thing but sinne as witnesseth the word of God and therefore farre from making sinne known vnto vs. The like proofe you may haue out of History as Augustine notes Does Paganorum nunquam bene uiuendi sanxisse doctrinam Those Gods of the Pagans neuer established the doctrine of liuing well for they neuer had care of those Cities that gaue them diuine honour And as the Deuill can and will not so nature is blind and cannot Therefore if the blinde lead the blinde they both fall into the ditch There is a kinde of Sympathie betweene sinne and nature onely the word of God can doe it The second thing that is necessary for the acknowledgement of sinne is the illumination of Gods spirit to worke true vnderstanding and iudgement in vs. Paul prayes that the God of our Lord Iesus Christ that father of glory might giue vnto vs the spirit of wisedome that the eyes of our vnderstanding might bee onlightened that we might knowe what the hope is of his calling and what the riches of his glorious inheritance is in his Saints and what is the exceeding greatnesse of his power towards vs. So that it is grace that giues vs true vnderstanding to iudge betweene sinne and vertue It is not the Preachers voyce that serues the turne Non verbis hominis fit vt intelligatur verbum Dei facit deus vt intelligatis The words of man cannot make man to vnderstand the word of God but it is God that maketh them to vnderstand Hereunto tend the wordes of Christ. I will send the holy Ghost and hee shall reprooue the world for sinne no man sees sinne in others nor in himselfe that he should reproue it but by the spirit The third thing necessary whereby we may come to the acknowledgement of sinne is a diligene searching into our selues and an examination of our actions as Dauid saith I haue considered my wayes and 〈◊〉 my feete into thy testimonies for it is not enough for vs to consider sinne in others as Horac saith Cur in amicorum vitium tam cernis acutum Quamaut aquila aut sorpous Epidarlins Why doest thou into thy friends ill cariageprie With a quicke Eagles or a serpent eye No let the eyes of our vnderstanding bee looking into our selues as they said to Dauid See to thine owne house O Dauid So I say to thine owne heart O Christian to finde out thy particular sinnes Thus you see that the knowledge of sinne is needfull and you see also how to come to the knowledge thereof Now hauing seene how the spirituall and terrene plow doe agree in the first part let vs come vnto the second which is how the terreno plow doth teare and rent the ground So the spirituall plow teareth vp the soule that there is dolor propten peccatum offensum Deum A sorrow for sinne and for offending God wherein the heart is exceedingly greeued insomuch that no man can expresse the sorrow thereof For awounded spirit who can beare saith the wiseman and a sorrowfull mind drieth vp the boanes And yet this wounded spirit and sorrowfull mind wee must endure For the godly heart is neuer void Vuohospite recedoute alius statim subintrat One guest being gone another straight comes in Thus he is vexed that is to say haled and hurried by strong and violent force Of which Augustine saith Nihil est miserius misere non miser ante seipsum nothing is more miserable then a miserable soule not to comprehend her 〈◊〉 miserie O great is the sorrow of such a plowed soule That as Barnard saith Si msipsum 〈◊〉 speico 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Si inspecio me ipsum fere non quaeo If I looke not into my selfe I know not my selfe If I looke into my selfe I cannot indure my selfe So that they say with Dauid Out of the deepe I cried vnto the Lord. And this is the state of the poore penitent soule The consideration hereof teacheth vs that the dolor of heart is no true marke of reprobation for then God would not exhort hereunto as here he doth Sorrow is the

the Papists against the same The Apostles wrote certaine things not that their writings should be aboue our faith and religion but rather that they should bee vnder saith Albertus See what an imputation hee layes vpon the Apostles Epistles that they are not able to direct vs in faith and true religion Obserue yet another blasphemie of his The Scriptures are double iudges Now we know that a double Iudge is altogether vnprofitable and not fit for that place Euen so are the Scriptures by his argument and of lesse account then their traditions So it appeares by the saying of Andradius Neither in those bookes wherein the sacred mysteries are written is there one iote of diuinitie which by any force of religion can bind vs to beleeue what is there in contained By whose saying you heare that the word is not able to bring men to the knowledge of God religion and faith Thus he doth conclude them not to be holy pure and perfect Lodouicus saith The Scripture is as it were dead ynke fit for no vse but to bee caitaway So the Papists esteeme of Gods holy word as an vnholy writing saying What aduantage hath this fable of Christ brought vnto vs So the whole Gospel is reckoned by them as a fable In a word the whole Scripture is accounted vnholy But whether it be more meete to beleeue God or man let the world iudge Dauid saith that the Scriptures are pure and vndefiled And Christ saith that they are true and holy And I say let Gods word be righteous and the Papists blasphemers Now I come to the workes of righteousnesse which wee must sowe yet not as the Papists Necessitate efficientiae They are necessary as efficient causes together with faith of our saluation but necessitate praesentiae they are necessary for the present and we cannot be without them For faith doth iustifie and workes doe testifie Credis in Christum fac Christi opera vt viuat ' fides tua Doest thou beleeue in Christ do thou Christs workes that thy faith may liue There is a three-fold vse of the workes of righteousnesse first Gods glory secondly the good of others and thirdly our owne comfort How shall it appeare that wee are iustified if the fruit of righteousnesse be not seene as Barnard saith As we discerne the life of the body by the motion of the body so the life of faith by good works And that you may the better know how to doe the workes of righteousnesse obserue first that they be commanded of God secondly that they be well done thirdly that they be done to a good end Vt sit mandatum a Deo That it be commanded of God that is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 according to the Scriptures Then is it not so much to be inquired whether it bee good and equall as whether God hath commaunded the same or no for sometimes lawfull things are vnlawfull Againe sometimes vnlawfull things are lawfull As thus to kill and murther a mans owne child is vnlawfull yet if God command it then is it lawfull as for example in Abraham which was commanded to kill his-sonne which if he had refused had sinned and to haue done it without command had been a sinne likewise Or thus It is lawfull to pray one for another yet when God forbids it then is it a sinne to pray not in respect of the subiect of prayer but because it is a disobedience vnto Gods command as appeareth by the Prophet Ieremy Againe lawfull things done by some are vertues which being done by others are sinne As thus It is lawfull for a Magistrate to put a murtherer to death but for a priuate man it is a sinne Therefore that is a false rule that many examine things by Whether it be good or equall and not whether God hath commanded it or no. By this rule the vsurer examines his vsury In deed saith hee God hath forbidden it yet marke what profit comes hereof Men that can vse no calling may liue if they haue money Besides marke what good it doth vnto the borrower Many are made by borrowing and to giue ouer the same would doe much hurt But this is a false rule if God hath not commanded the same it is altogether vnlawfull By the same rule we measure our charitie saying If I shall giue vnto the poore and relieue the needie then I my felfe may want Likewise in their callings If I shall tell the trueth in selling vse good wares and true weights and measures it is the way to be a Beggar and the like But this is a false rule I denie not but that it is good for a man to keepe his estate and not to grow into pouertie yet not by such a meanes as God hath not commanded By such a false rule Saul examined his obedience Shall I kill the King and the chiefe cattell no I may haue a great ransome for the King and for the cattell they will serue for sacrifice or for breede or the like and therefore it is better to preserue the King and the best cattell aliue But for all his wisedome God told him that he was a foole and had sinned in so doing and therefore hee receiued a iust recompense for his desert It is dangerous to call Gods precepts into question touching the purity thereof If he hath said it or commanded it it is righteous and we must obey it Secondly as it must be commanded of God so it must be well done as it must be bonum so it must bee bene That you may take your worke along with you obserue there must be first knowledge secondly faith thirdly readinesse 1. There must bee knowledge for euery action is to be knowen before it can be well done either we shal doe more then we ought or lesse then we should The heathen man could say that he that knoweth not what he seeketh cannot tell when to finde that which he lacketh as Cato obserues Ignotum tibi nolito praeponere notis Cognita indicio constant incognita casu Doe not thou preferre any thing vnknowen before things that are knowen Knowen things stand in iudgement and vnknowen in chance As the common Prouerbe is A blind man may catch a Hare and as well may an ignorant man light vpon some of the precepts of God yet seldome seene Pithagoras hath a pretie saying He that knoweth not what he ought to know is a brute beast among men He that knoweth no more then hee hath neede of is a man among bruit beast and He that knoweth all that may be knowen is a God among men And because knowledge is the ground of all Arts God taught his people first to know and then to doe for the way to doe well is to know the good 2. It must be done with the heart that is in zeale loue reuerence feare and the like Vt sit ex vera fide That it be of true faith not so much the things

was with the Athenians For the more good they did know the lesse they did But Scire tuum nihil est nisi te scire hoc sciat alter Thy knowledge is nothing vnlesse another man know that thou hast knowledge Fiftly it is fitly compared vnto sowing because the best seede is to bee put into the ground to teach man what seede of obedience to sowe namely the best And to shew the same God commanded in the Law they should offer the best of all their cattell and without blemish It is not the sowing but the good sowing that brings this haruest of happinesse For the husbandman knowes if he should cast bad seede into the earth that either it would not spring vp or being sprung vp it would come to bee lanke and emptie corne So if wee sowe seede which is not good it will die and perish or if it doesping vp to giue vs any comfort it is vnitable and vanishing Therefore our seede must be such as that it will endure the earth vndergoe the stormes and boisterous weather When the merchant sets his shippe to the sea hee lookes that it be sound within and without and able to endure the weather or else shee is neuer like to returne home againe but with losse Would a Christian send forth his seede of obedience let it bee good that it may endure all weathers otherwise it will hardly returne againe and if it doe it will bee with a broken conscience and a weather beaten spirit God commanded the Tabernacle to be made of the best stones wood gold and other things and the best spices for ointments principally to teach the people that their obedience must be of the best sort Answerable hereunto was that of Marie who brought oyntment and that very costly to anoint Christ Shee knew she ought to obserue the custome of the Law in bringing the best as strictly should wee obserue and performe this duety in sowing the best obedience For it will be more glorious vnto God and with greater profit returne againe vnto our selues Here I cannot but condole and wish mine eyes to weepe day and night for the seede of our dissembling Protestants who like the Grecians speake much and do little They beleeue as Christians but liue as Pagans ciuile in speach rude in their manners The name of God is in their tongues but the feare of God is not in their hearts The Papists call vs Solifideans but our workes doe declare vs rather Nolifideans for the more we knowe the lesse good we doe we frie in words and freeze in deedes speake by elles and worke by inches changing workes into wordes and godly deuotion into bare knowledge O remember that the Vrim and the 〈◊〉 must goe together That is light of knowledge and holinesse of life for there is as great danger in not doing of good as there is profit in forbearing of euill It was a question whether it were better to haue a soe that hurts not or a friend that helpes not The rich man is in hell Non quod abstulerit Not for taking away another mans Sed quod non donarit sua But because he gaue not of his owne Barrennesse was euer accounted a curse a shame and areproch The first borne of idlesle is to doe nothing The second is to doe some thing to no purpose And the third is to doe that which is pernitious and hurtfull Some will take no paines in sowing vnlesse the deuill set them a worke and too many haue wee of these sowers in this land So that I thinke there was neuer more filthinesse in Sodome drunkennesse in Flanders lying in Creete and hypocrisie in Iurie then is now practised in England The custome of iniquity hath so chased away the shame of sinne that common wickednesse is taken for no priuate offence He ere is such vnmercifulnesse bribing oppressing and grinding the faces of the poore as if there were no God to honour Deuill to dread Heauen to hope for nor hell to shunne Men are more ready to keepe their money then their consciences and their soules are of lesse credit then their seales Is this the sowing of our Christians the practise of our profession the seale of our faith and the fruite of our Religion O remember the tree that had no fruite on it was accursed how much more when there is euill fruite thereon as drunkennesse adultery swearing lying stealing killing brybing c. Some cruell as Lions craftie as Foxes filthy as swine enuious as dogges and as rauenous as wolues Homo homini lupus est Man it to man a wolse Therefore let my counsell bee vnto you as Daniel was vnto the King Breake off your sinnes by righteousnesse and your iniquity by mercy towards the poore let your soules be pure your hearts zealous your liues religious your actions holy and your handes 〈◊〉 or good workes that it may be saide to you as it was to that good seruant Well done thou good and faithfull seruant enter into thy masters ioy Giue me leaue to speake one word more of this terrene sowing which is a worke very laborious yet not like vnto the spirituall sowing a worke very hard yet effected with ease greatly opposed yet not hindered much neglected yet most necessary commonly despised yet none more amiable A worke it is saith Saint Paul Worke out your saluation with feare and trembling For the kingdome of heauen comes not with obseruation there belongs more vnto it then haue and hold it dilligence that industerous worke-master must worke it out it is not gotten by speculation For the life of man is short the way is long if thou wilt come vnto the worke beginne to runne with speede The more a man hath to doe and little time allowed the greater is his labour to effect it Qui cupit optatem cursu contingeremetam Multa tulit facitque miser sudauit alist He that in running doth desire the wished marke to tuch He runneth very speedily and sweateth very much Nothing can bee effected without labour and shall wee thinke heauen to be obtained with a song Idlenesse in humaine affaires is accounted a sinne but in Religion a double sinne and many are infected therewith which rather then they will take a little paines to walke in the pathes of righteousnes that leades to heauen they will tumble in the greene pleasures of iniquitie which leade to hell The common harlot the world with her painted amorous face hath so bewitched the fooles of this age that they are sicke of loue and euery one is ready to doe her the best seruice they can Some are so infected with the silken dropsie that they cannot tread in the pathes of saluation without a Coatch and then they goe but like vnto a snaile least they should come there too soone The vsurer would walk in this would walke in this way but he hath not yet read ouer his billes nor gotten the waxe cleare from his fingers and