Selected quad for the lemma: knowledge_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
knowledge_n	law_n	sin_n	sinful_a	1,296	5	10.4091	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A47152	Immediate revelation, or, Jesus Christ the eternall Son of God revealed in man and revealing the knowledge of God and the things of his kingdom immediately : or, the Holy Ghost, the Holy Spirit of promise, the spirit of prophecy poured forth and inspiring man and induing him with power from on high ... not ceased, but remaining a standing and perpetual ordinance in the Church of Christ and being of indispensible necessity as to the whole body in general ... / writ by George Keith, prisoner of the truth in the Tolbooth of Aberdein, the 29th of the third moneth, 1665.	Keith, George, 1639?-1716.	1668 (1668)	Wing K175; ESTC R28754	117,830	152

for by his Word his immediate Word he does all things he speaks and it is done God made the Heavens and the Earth and this whole Fabrick of the Creation by his Word his immediate Word and he upholds all things thereby God said Let there be Light and there was Light Let there be a Firmament and there was a Firm ment Let the Waters be gathered together and they were Let the Earth bring forth Grass and it was so c. He spoke and it was done And he said Let us make Man in our own Image and it was so Gen 1. He had no other means but the word of his Mouth the word of his eternal Power which was in the beginning whereby all things were made and without it was nothing made And now does not Man in his being Created again unto good Works in his being formed again a new Creature depend upon the same immediate Word of Power which first Created him by this is man begotten again by the Word of God which liveth and abideth for ever and by this he liveth by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God so you may see it s the Scriptures testimony he does all things by his immediate Word the Word worketh in all things immediately which God ever made means are but ciphers without this means opperate but mediately but the Word immediately and this Word is Christ by whom all things are made and in whom they are upheld now here is the difference betwixt this noble piece of Workmanship Man Created a new in Christ Jesus the Word and the other parts of the visible Creation the Word is in him and opperates in them but that Word is not known felt tasted apprehended but God has given Man a knowledg thereof and herein is his glory beyond them he can feel the spring of his Life he can tast the good Word of God in which he liveth moveth and hath his being And he that knoweth not this Word of Life and heavenly Power and vertue in him is dead the corruptible earthly principle cannot apprehend it for it is spiritually discerned and then what differs he from a beast that perisheth but that he is the more miserable Argument 7. And hereby it is that man cometh to the knowledg of Sin and of Wrath and of the heavy displeasure of God because of it somewhat in his mind and conscience which awakeneth him as out of a dead sleep wherein possibly he has so many years seen the sorrows of death now begins to encompass him and the pangs of Hell takes hold on him and he is cast into a bed of torment and finds great troubles and sorrow the arrowes of the Almighty stick fast in him and he is distracted with the terrors of the Lord And the fearful sound of Judgment continually affrights him and what is it which worketh all this in man but the Word of the Lord immediately proceeding from himself God speaking in his Wrath and vexing him in his sare Displeasure As it is Psal. 21. And revealing his Wrath from Heaven against all his ungodlines and unrighteousness Rom. 1. 18. Is it not Christ to whom all Judgment is committed who thus judgeth him Is it not his Spirit which convinceth him of Sin and of Righteousness and of Judgment it is the Lord who bringeth to light when he comes to judg the hidden things of darkness and makes manifest the counsels of the Heart 1 Cor. 4. 5. And all things that are reproved are made manifest by the light and that judgeth them and reproveth the deeds of the evil doer John 3. 20. And worketh Condemnation in him this condemned Cain it condemned Saul it condemned Indas Whereby their punishment was unsupportable for them and now were it not God himself who spoke in them in his Wrath were it not his arm and finger that touched them and lay heavy upon them they could easily bear it they could be comforted against all their other troubles and anxieties could they get rid of this and fly from the fierce anger and wrathful countenance of God but where ever they goe his judgment follows them his witness in their consciences torments them the fire kindles which never goes out and the Worm that never dies gnaweth upon them this is the fiery flaming Sword which devoureth the adversary and cutteth down the man of Sin a fiery Law goeth out of the mouth of the Lord and burneth round about and by this Law is the knowledg of Sin whereof Paul speaks for before this Law came he was alive and secure in Sins his Legal righteousness touching the Law blameless it could not give him the knowledg of his Sin but when this Law came that gave him the knowledg of it and made it exceeding sinful and killed him Argument 8. And as it is God who speaking in man raiseth this storm in his Conscience he commandeth and raiseth the stormy wind as it is written which all the powers of Heaven and Earth could not do besides him Man could remain invincible as a brazen Wall against all their assaults could he be hid from the fierce wrath of God revealed against him in his conscience all the words of Scripture all the curses writ therein could not move him he hath oft heard them and made light of mem all I say as it is God alone who raiseth this storm and bringeth this trouble upon him so it is he alone who can calm and quiet it again he must say to the Wind and raging Waves of the Sea be still and they obey him and that which brings peace and calmness true calmness and stillness to a mans conscience when it is so vehemently troubled demonstrates it self to bear eternal Power for nothing else can do it when God speaks peace who can let it as it is written when he giveth quietness who can make trouble Job 34. and 29. And who can give it but he the Lord speaketh peace in his People he and he alone bindeth up the broken Heart and healeth the wounded in Spirit●… he sendeth his Word and heale●… the word that cometh from his own mouth which saith in the Soul fear not It is I be not affraid be of good comfort thy Sins are forgiven thee and faith in this word alone can only stay quiet and comfort the wearie distrest Soul faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God the word which proceedeth immediately from himself and faith laying hold on that Word which is full of Power All the words of the Scripture cannot do it when God ceases to speak himself to the Soul it refuseth to be comforted it may read and search and meditate upon the Scriptures but the wounded spirit remains the doubtings the tossings the terrours continue I appeal to any who ever knew any thing of the terrour of the Lord upon their Spirits if it be not so it would fain apply the promises it would fain suck comfort out of the Scripture words but

of God Gal. 5. 17. And now the wisdom of this Fleshly Devilish birth rules in every man in the natural state and subjects and brings into slayery that other Principle in him which in it self is apt to judge rightly of things within its own Sphere to witt things Natural and this Devilish Earthly Carnal Wisdom makes it do it service and answer its Designes and the more quick and discerning that a man be in the Natural Spirit or understanding this Devilish Earthly Carnall Wisdom which most usually is called in the Scriptures Acceptation also Natural being a top of it and ruleing therein the more it makes a man incapable of the true knowledge and wisdom and sets up the stronger Bulwarks in man against the wisdom of God And these are the strong holds which Paul speaks of which the Spiritual Weapons are mighty to pull down the high imaginations according to the Greek it is reasonings and every high thing that exalteth it self against the knowledg of God 2 Cor. 10. and 5. So it is clear That the reasonings of man standing in this wisdom which is altogether contrary to the true wisdom and knowledg of God are so far from being a help to him to further him in the true knowledg that it is a strong hold against it and therefore is to be cast down ere a man can come to the true knowledg which proceeds from the meek and lowly Spirit of Jesus Christ the beginning of which wisdom is the fear of God and so the more that a man is indued with the knowledg of Letters and other parts which might be of use to him were he come to have his mind Redeemed into Gods fear and so to have the wisdom of God to rule in him while he remains in the natural unregenerate State the more these things are a loss and snare unto him and this is that wisdom the Apostle speaks of when he sayes The World by wisdom knew not God and this Wisdom being a Type in the learned Doctours Rabbies Scrybes and Phtises among the Iews led them from the knowledg of Jesus Christ so that they not only did mistake him notwithstanding of all the Scripture skill but said he had a Devil and prevailed with the Rulers to Crucifie him and Persecute all his followers and this wisdom in them taught them to reason against Christ from the Scriptures this Man cannot be of God say they because he breaks the Sabbath and despiseth Moses Law but now the eye of that wisdom being open in them which cannot but judge amiss of the things of God they misunderstood the Scriptures and wrested them to their own Destruction and although they were learned in the Letter and form of knowledg yet they were unlearned and Idiots as to the true knowledg and Christ called them blind leaders of the blind Math. 15. 14. So you may per●…eive what learning that is Peter speaks of when he saies 2 Pet. 3. 16. These that are unlearned wrest the Scriptures to their own destruction for the Iewish Doctors Scribes and Pharises who were very learned Men in that knowledg Letters could give them and they had Languages Hebrew Greek and Latine and yet by Christs testimony they were blind and so unlearned and all their learning was so far from helping them to understand the Scriptures that the more they mis-understood them and the poor and simple and unlettered men they understood the Scriptures and knew Christ to be the Messiah that Moses and the Prophets writ off whereas they knew him not and for all their learning were shut out from the knowledg of the Scriptures and the wrong eye being op●…n in them they read the Scriptures backward and could not but judge amiss of them Now all this while I have not denyed that there is any thing in man who may be in a Natural State that can in any way or manner know any thing of God the Natural Man cannot indeed that is to say that Principle which in man makes him a man and Distinguishes him from a Beast That of it self cannot know the things of Gods heavenly Kingdom because they are above its reach and then far less can that Man or Birth of the Devills begetting called the old Man know them for its wisdom is contrary thereto but now there is a Seed of God in Man even in that State which is shut up in Death or Darkness under this earthly Wisdom which as a vaile blinds it yet the Light of Christ shines so thorow the Vail in this State as that it reaches the Seed and ministers some knowledge to Man in this State whereby he knows he ought to be righteous and sober and godly in a Measure and knows some things to be good and some things to be vile and were man faithful to that which gives him this knowledge it would redeem his mind out of the false wisdom and increase in him the true knowledg but man remaining Disobedient the earthly wisdom getteth dominion in him and the more it rules him the more it blinds him till he be altogether past feeling and then it is so with him as with these Isa. 6. 10. Now whereas it is commonly said that Scripture is the best Interpreter of Scriptures for what is obscure in one place is plain in another and so the obscure is to be expounded by the plain and there 's as much of the Scripture plain as is necessary for any man to know to this I answer in the words of Prov. 8. 9. They are all plain to him that understandeth to him who is endued with a measure of the same Spirit that gave them forth which has revealed to him the things by them declared so a man knowing the things the words concerning them stand open and clear and plain to his understanding for they are plain and manifest to that eye and ear which can read hear and understand them but now the plainest Scripture in the Bible treating of the things of Gods Kingdom which are most necessary to be known is dark and obscure and mysterious to the Natural Man and foolishness to the fleshly wisdom for that the things are not known by him and so he cannot understand the words concerning them for the knowledg of the things is as it were a key to open up the words but the plainest words that are cannot give the knowledg of the things which are onely known by a Spiritual discerning Is not that a plain Scripture Thou shalt Love the Lord thy God with all thy heart But what learned man with all his Letter knowledg understands it not having that love by the Spirit of God shed abroad in his heart The man who cannot read a letter and has a feeling of this Love abiding in him a thousand fold more knows that Scripture and can speak more pertinently concerning it from the feeling thereof and what it has wrought in him than the other can do from his housefull of Books and other helps of