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	sinner_n	2,820	5	9.3094	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A41840	Great precious promises, or, Some sermons concerning the promises and the right application thereof whereunto are added some other concerning the usefulnesse of faith in advancing sanctification, as also, three more concerning the faith of assurance / by Mr. Andrew Gray ... ; all being revised since his death by some friends, the last impression carefully corrected and amended.	Gray, Andrew, 1633-1656.	1669 (1669)	Wing G1609; ESTC R39446	117,294	219

shall not dispute with such about the reality of these enjoyments or how they came to know that these are such as proceed from a saving work of the Spirit of Grace but waving that debate give me leave to say this much of all enjo●ments and sensible manifestions as in the point in hand they may bee sometime a good supporter to underprop a Christians assurance when i● 〈◊〉 but never a good foundation whereon he may lay the first stone of that building and therefore ●ee is the wiser-Christian who first tryeth the reality of his interest in Christ by other blessed fruits of righteousnesse and holinesse before he ●●ust the reality of sensible enjoyments how sweet or comfortable soever they may seem to be 2. Some build their assurance upon the number and bulk of their duties without considering the frame of their spirit and the principle from which they flow they use prayer and reading and conference they wait upon Ordinances and are alwayes there where the means is thought to bee most powerfull and upon this they take up themselves in their own arms blessing themselves as that poor man Luke 18. I fast twise a week I pay tithes of all that I possesse But alas they do not consider that they do but build their house upon the sand which the first blast of a temptation will overturn because not only all our duties when weighed in the ballance may be found light but when put to the tryal may be found empty dead and lifelesse things wherein the LORDS soul can have no pleasure 3 Some are mistaken in the matter of their assurance by judging themselves by the law not knowing or not regarding the spiritual meaning thereof Paul was a gallant man in his own apprehension when hee was without the Law that i● when he knew not the spiritual meaning of the Law he thought himself the most eminent 〈◊〉 in all his N●tion and as he sheweth us Phil ● he could compare with any of them but when the Lord opened his eyes we see he put himself last in the roll of Saints and first in the roll of sinners Rom. 7. He was alive without the Law that is thought himself living and reigning above his sinnes but when the commandement came that is when it came to his knowledge and he saw the spirituality of it sin revived and he died then hee saw how that hee had triumphed before the victory he then saw all his sins alive and as it were risen from the dead and himself a dead man lost and undone in the estate hee was in O how many are there amongst us in Pauls first condition alive without the Law O how many destroy themselves with this they think there is not a sin forbidden in all the Law of God but onely Ten but alas thou fool thou errest in this not knowing the Scriptures should thou not judge thy self by that spiritual extent of the meaning of the Law and that divine commentary which the Apostle Iames hath set forth upon it wherein hee sheweth thee That if thou bee guilty of the breach of one point thou art guilty of all and by that infallible exposition which Christ himself the blessed Law giver hath set down Mat. 6. whereby hee discovereth adultery in the heart and in the eye O atheist thou must take up the Ten Commands and subscribe guilty to them all And let mee tell you this if yee will subscribe the Law to Christ He will subscribe the Gospel to you if thou wilt sincerely say I am guilty Hee will as sincerely say I have pardoned Son or daughter be of good courage thy sins are forgiven thee Fourthly Some build their assurance upon the apprehension of their hatred of some particular sin that albeit it was sometimes as their right hand or their eye yet now they can pluck it out or cut it off But O! will thou but consider some sin may be made weak and the soul though not upon a right principle brought to hate it and to cry unto it get you hence and yet the interest of Satan may be strong in the heart The fifth mistake is of many who judge themselves because they go a greater length then the former and are kept free from all grosse outbreaking sin how many are there who go sleeping down to hell with this I am no drunkard no adulterer no murderer no thief nor whore this long have I lived in the town and they were never born that can say I wronged them and so they adventure their soul upon this they never committed any grosse sin But I beseech you bee not deceived remember how that wretched man did speed Luke 18.11 I am no extortioner nor adulterer nor even as this publican c. poor creature that hee was Christ giveth not a testimonial to every one who take it for themselves and I must tell some of you that there may bee desperate atheists without God and without Christ in the world and yet be free of grosse outbreaking sins I do not think but many of these who crucified the Lord of Glory were keeped from other grosse sins What knowest thou O man that there is more favour shewed to thee in that thou art keeped from some grosse sinnes when yet thou hast a desperately wicked heart then is shewed to the devil when some links of his chai● are taken in and restraining power keeping him i● from his outmost bounds God will sometimes restrain a hypocrite or a heathen as it was said of Abimelech and God restrained him there may be a cord put upon thy jaws when thou art far from having the power of conquering grace It may be also that all that abstaining from outward out-breakings proceedeth but from outward disadvantages and not from any fear of God or respect to him yea not so much as from the fear of any eternal punishment Are the●e not many amongst us I believe it there are many that take away shame and Church ce●su●e or civil punishment and other inconveniences of that sort and set a thousand hells before them they would not be keeped back from one sinne but would take their hazard of them all Yea is it not want of tentation and nothing else that hindereth many from grosse out-breakings If Satan would come but with a kindled match there wanteth no more to set tongue and hands and all on fire of hell O wretched soul do but ask thy self how often thou hast tempted Satan when he would not tempt thee and how often thou hast followed a tentation when it fled from thee yea when the Lord hath hedged up thy wayes that thou could not overtake thy lovers how many a long look hast thou sent after them and what lustings of thy spirit within and do ye think that heart sins are nothing although thou had no out-breakings what were the matter of that if thou had not a tongue thou would break the third command and curse God in thy heart if thou