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	transgression_n	3,416	5	11.8881	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A07666	A mappe of mans mortalitie Clearely manifesting the originall of death, with the nature, fruits, and effects thereof, both to the vnregenerate, and elect children of God. Diuided into three bookes; and published for the furtherance of the wise in practise, the humbling of the strong in conceit, and for the comfort and confirmation of weake Christians, against the combat of death, that they may wisely and seasonably be prepared against the same. Whereunto are annexed two consolatory sermons, for afflicted Christians, in their greatest conflicts. By Iohn Moore, minister of the word of God, at Shearsbie in Leicester-shire.	Moore, John, d. 1619.	1617 (1617)	STC 18057; ESTC S112851	257,806	358

would haue lurked in secret And as the beames in the Sunne are not euill though they descry and lay open things deformed or filthy which the wicked desire and as the knowledge of Physicke is not to be condemned which acquainteth vs with poyson and venemous things that are in themselues dangerous and abused by some to their owne destruction So the law is not euill in it selfe though it be abused as an occasion of euill to corrupt and wicked men Without the law sinne is dead not as though there was no sinne in the world before the publishing of the law for euen the Gentiles themselues which had not the law written shewed the effect of the law in their hearts the conscience also bearing witnesse and their thoughts accusing one another or excusing and therefore being conuinced in their soules of sinne without the Law written are a law vnto themselues and sinning without law shall perish without the law written by the law of nature that was grafted in their hearts This is confirmed by many Morall vertues which they naturally followed and by many vices which they naturally hated This knowledge of the light of Nature though vnperfect yet is sufficient to confound them albeit sinne indeede was then hidden in respect which is the meaning of the Apostle and their best knowledge of the Law ouer-shadowed and well-nigh blotted out that sinne could not appeare in his nature But when the Law was renewed sinne that seemed to be dead reuiued and shewed it selfe All the spots did then appeare which before were darkened by the ignorance of Gods Law which Man gained by his fall The Law then conuinced vs of sinne and reuealed our nakednesse which our figge leaues had hidden it opened the inward man with all his concupiscence it shewed vs our shame and confusion our vglesome shape most monstrous to beholde how wee were transformed from the image of God to the similitude of the Diuell It put vs in remembrance of our diuine nature which we had lost it shewed vs hell and the wrath of God nothing but condemnation appeared by it It let vs vnderstand how farre we were led from God how all things within vs and without vs were corrupted and out of course It painted our God in his nature according to his most pure holinesse and iustice how he requireth all our hearts all our soules all our mindes all our strength that is to say the whole man and euery part of him in his seruice The least sinne could not so shroude it selfe but the law discouer it not condemning onely all our outward acts but giuing sentence against all our wicked thoughts yea all our idle motions without consent And therefore since all flesh created of God is corrupted so that all the imaginations of mans heart are onely euill continually since all men by the law are conuinced of sinne all included vnder sinne and subiect vnto the same guilt of condemnation since by the Law commeth the knowledge of sinne which leaueth euery man without excuse since it was added because of transgression and that our sins might more appeare and abound therefore it is called to the vnregenerate man an importable yoke the occasion of sinne the law of sinne and of wrath the administration of condemnation the oldnesse of the letter which cannot giue life but pronounce all our workes accursed The law is a hammer not only to bruise the conscience but to breake it into powder which if it be not done we shall neuer haue the spirit of adoption to seize vpon vs The law commandeth but giueth no power to obey It is but a dead letter and hath but a dolefull and dreadfull sound vntill the spirit come and arme vs with power to performe what the law requireth And now behold the strength and sting of Death How did Death enter by sinne How did sin appeare and what is the strength of the same euen the law of God which giueth sentence of condemation against all flesh and leaueth not one iustified in Gods sight And yet notwithstanding all this the law of God is holy iust and good opening vnto vs his very will which is goodnesse it selfe setting a blessing before our eyes as well as a curse It was not contrary to our nature before it was corrupted but agreeable to the image of man in which hee was first created it sheweth the very perfect patterne of true obedience what is agreeable to God and his nature how much he hateth sinne and delighteth in goodnesse it offereth both life and death life to the obayers death to the breakers Therefore let vs all glorifie God in this behalfe let euery mans mouth be stopt from accusing God or his law let vs confesse against our selues our manifold sinnes and say vnto him Shame and confusion appertaineth vnto vs Death and condemnation are our due Thy heauy anger wrath and hell be our deserts and thou O blessed God art iust righteous good and gracious in all thy doings for euer Let vs thus I say giue sentence against our selues that God may be iustified and praised euen before the most wickedest men when he is iudged Well then let vs beare in minde that God is not rigorous in punishing sinfull man with euerlasting Death by reason of his innumerable sinnes conuinced by his Law and that Gods infinite iustice thus broken and disobeyed could not otherwise be answered of man but by the infinite sustaining of eternall Death And now I pray you marke the whole power of Sathan and kingdome of the Diuell first hee fighteth and warreth with temptations which are as darts to wound our soules to Death which if we resist not being so tempted but yeeld to sinne then comes the Law against vs with his force and by vertue of the Law Death entreth and triumpheth for the sting of Death is sinne and the strength of sinne is the Law for it sheweth vs hell which is the pallace of Death and leaueth vs in perdition See I say what Prince Death hath and what strong souldiers to keepe his kingdome to wit the Diuell himselfe sinne law wrath of God and all to vphold it Wherefore it is no maruell if the remembrance of Death be bitter vnto many and that they abhorre and hate it I say it is no wonder if all their ioynts doe quake and tremble yea and shake a sunder since the horrour thereof made the sonne of God to pray against it to sweate drops of blood for the agony of it and to cry out to his father as a man forlorne why hast thou forsaken me Neither was this so strange a wonder to see the sonne of God so amased at Death for it set both Diuell law sinne hell graue and wrath of God against him All these were armed to ouerthrow him and any or the least of these without this our Captaine Christ will quite destroy vs. CHAP. IX Of

will be thy sting O hell I will be thy biting The Grecians also deriue it from a word importing to looke vpwards because it brings vs to God and they tearme it Initiation or Perfection because in ending this life it entereth vs or rather perfecteth our life in heauen And the Latines take the name thereof from mora which signfieth delay or tarrying for a thing because it waiteth and expecteth for all men of all sorts and conditions And this may suffice for the dedescription of Death and declaration of the nature thereof CHAP. VI. At Death is due to all mankinde by the meanes of Sinne so all creatures actions and experience it selfe preach and proclaime the same AS the wages of Sinne is Death so all Adams sonnes hauing sinned must needes dye the death As in Adam saith the Apostle all men dye so in Christ shall all beleeuers be made aliue It is Gods Statute enacted in heauen that all must dye euen this were enough to cast a cloud ouer all our fayrest delights but there is more behinde and after that comes the iudgement The perswasion whereof possessing our hearts should one would thinke more then all penall Lawes deterre vs from impietie Ashes saith one are wont to keepe the fire the remembrance whereof wee beare about in our bodies But I would to God that the knowledge of these ashes I meane our fraile estate would keepe in our hearts the fire of Gods grace that we might neuer forget our graue And as the Law of dying was enacted at the first for sinne so hath it beene and shall be executed vpon all men without repeale vnto the end Neyther saith the Apostle any more then hath beene confirmed by a continuall course from the first creation as the registers of the death and buryals recorded in the Scripture doe declare Adam liued saith the holy Ghost by Moses nine hundred and thirty yeares and so hee dyed Seth liued nine hundred and twelue yeares and after dyed c. And is not this a true table most liuely representing our mortalitie and death Of some others it is said that they were gathered to their fathers of others to their people c. but of none that hee euer escaped For what man liueth and shall not see death shall bee deliuer his soule from the hand of the graue Therefore Iosuah calleth Death The way of all the world David The way of all the earth Iob The house of all men liuing He calleth it also The heape whereupon the liues of all men shall be powred where Kings and Counsellors are great and small Captaines and Souldiers bond and free Wee see how the best and happiest dayes of man slide swiftly away after come diseases and dolefull age and last comes cruell Death the lodge of all estates All must dye without distinction wee came by the wombe and wee must goe by the graue Before wee come to the sweet running waters of Shilo which runne softly we must passe the rough waters of Iorden that runne most swiftly Death is the Lady and Empresse of all the world her seizure is without surrender and from her sentence there is no appeale It is not the Maiestie of the Prince nor the holinesse of the Prophet nor grauitie of the Prelate that shee respecteth Strength of body feature or comelinesse of face or other parts learning riches or any such secular regard can plead against Death or priuiledge any person against the graue be thy dayes neuer so few or thy yeares neuer so full be they many or be they few all is one Dayes and yeares and time are no plea against the graue but a fitter pray for Death The Decree is out All must dye Balthasars embleame is written vpon euery mans wall God hath numbred thy dayes he hath laid thee in the ballance thou art found too light though not thy Kingdome which thou hast not yet thy life which thou possessest is diuided and giuen to death All Princes and the basest Peasants yea all persons whatsoeuer may say with Iob Corruption thou art my father Rottennesse thou art my mother Wormes and Vermine yee are my sisters yee are my brethren All men may truely say Graue thou art my bed Sheete thou art my shrine Earth thou art my couer Grasse thou art my carpet Oh Death therefore demand thy due and thou gathering hoast Dan come last and sweepe all cleane away Death is not partiall but dealeth vprightly with all making the state and condition of all men alike that none can repine for as well died righteous Abell whose sacrifice God accepted as enuious Cain whose seruice he reiected as well Abraham the father of the faithfull as Abimelech the infidell as well Isaack as Ismael as well Iacob whom God loued as Esau whom God hated as well chast Ioseph as incestuous Ammon as well meeke Moses as rayling Rabsheka as well Dauid a man after Gods owne heart as Saul from whom God tooke his spirit as well tender-hearted Iosiah as hard-hearted Pharaoh as well Salomon the wise as Nabal the foole as well poore Lazarus as the rich Glutton as well Iohn the beloued Disciple as Iudas the Traitor as well Simon Peter as Simon the Sorcerer mercilesse Death doth exercise her crueltie vpon all alike Notable is that saying of Agesilaus to diuers Captaines counselling him to walke to the hill Olimpus where hee should see such store of wealthy Merchants vttering a world of riches and precious Iewels If I could saith he buy and sell or exchange there sorrow for mirth sicknesse for health death for life I would then goe thither and spend all that I haue but I see that the buyers and sellers yea and the very things themselues are condemned to dye and to perish Wherefore neyther the sight of any thing there can better my estate or help me at the houre of death when I must creepe into my graue For although honour wealth and riches beare here a great sway amongst men yet can they nothing at all preuaile against the graue and Death it selfe Men by wisedome haue found out how the hardest stones may be broken and softened how wilde beasts may be tamed c. but nothing could be inuented whereby Death might be auoyded Gods hand saith one may a man escape but for Deaths dart no man can shunne it Against bodily enemies there may Fortresses be made Castles and Bulwarkes builded but to Death and his forces all men lye open as vnfenced Cities In other dangers power money flight counsell and policie may serue our turne but as for Death it can neyther be banished with power bought with money nor escaped with flying away nor preuented with counsell nor turned backe with policie All I say without redresse must hasten vnto Deaths home Hee therefore that thinketh it strange to dye forgetteth himselfe and his owne nature complaineth of the God of heauen that suffered him to be

The experience of Gods loue in our former deliuerances out of danger ought still to encourage vs to resort vnto him when the like or greater troubles shall againe assaile vs. 8 God is still ready and at hand to comfort and relieue his children in their greatest dangers 9 God will maintaine and vphold the righteous cause of his seruants whatsoeuer be their dangers 10 There is nothing many times more dangerous in the world then to defend and maintaine the truth of God 11 God not onely maintaineth the cause but preserueth the persons of his seruants in their greatest perils that defend his truth 12. FINIS The first SERMON PSALME 119.92.93 Except thy law had beene my delight I should now haue perished in my affliction I will neuer forget thy precepts for by them thou hast quickened me THe summe of this Psalme is the Prophet Dauids long and earnest suite to GOD to be fully informed in the sound and sauing knowledge of his word The excellent fruits and effects whereof he relateth and inlargeth well-nigh in euery verse and professeth to haue found and felt the sweetnesse power and efficacy thereof not onely for his daily vse and instruction in that his changeable fraile and weake estate then liuing but for the assurance of Gods loue and truth of his promises to be accomplished and performed to him and all the elect in the life to come Now in these two Verses he speaketh of his afflictions so great and grieuous confessing that he had perished except Gods law had been his delight His meaning is hee had miscarried in his troubles had not the ioy and comfort he receiued from Gods word teaching him to relye vpon his speciall prouidence and promises farre surmounted and exceeded his worldly sorrows so sore oppressing him and that indeede he had dyed and vtterly perished had he not beene quickened and recouered by the vertue thereof and therefore resolueth neuer to forget that most comfortable and soueraigne meanes of Gods word so relieuing and restoring him in his distresse The words in effect offer vnto vs first Davids confession and secondly Dauids resolution with a seuerall reason annexed to the one and to the other His confession that he had perished in his affliction The reason why hee did not was the ioy and delight that was ministred vnto him from Gods law Secondly his resolution that Hee will neuer forget Gods precepts the reason is For by them thou hast quickened me being out of heart and hope in his owne conceipt The substance and summe of all is briefly this That Dauid could neuer haue endured the extremitie of his crosses had not the word of God comforted and confirmed him in his faith and resolution to depend vpon God But before we proceed to particular instructions let vs in a word consider the variety of Names and Titles he giueth to Gods word in this Psalme and the reason thereof Hee calleth it hereby the name of Law and precepts and in other places Statutes Commandements Ceremonies Iudgements Counsell c. The reason is to expresse the excellent vse thereof to euery Christian and to teach euery man not lightly to esteeme of the Scriptures as words of liberty and licentiousnesse but such as exact obedience at our hands and binde vs with a penalty as sure as any law or statute to performe our duties And that we cannot do iudge counsel resolue or be warranted of the lawfulnes of our actions without the direction thereof And this is proper to the whole word of God both in the Olde and New Testament Hitherto for the information of our knowledge for the Text it selfe our further instruction for the Christian vse thereof followeth Except thy law had beene my delight I had perished that is if thy word had not beene prouided as a meanes and remedy of comfort I had beene swallowed vp with despaire Whence first ariseth this instruction That God alwaies prouideth meanes to keepe his children doctrine 1 from distresse in their trials and afflictions Dauid had perished in his troubles if Gods law had not comforted him But Gods word brought ioy and delight to his afflicted soule therefore he perished not Christ speaking of the destruction of Hierusalem and of the last and worst daies before the consummation of the world And hauing amplified the dangers thereof especially amongst the Iewes by many circumstances hee addeth that the tribulation shall be such as was not from the beginning of the world to that time nor should bee hereafter being indeed beyond the compasse of all comparison and concludeth That except those dayes should bee shortened no flesh should be saued Yet for the elect sake sayth Christ those dayes shall be shortned So Israell in Egipt that house of bondage and furnace of afflictions was made to serue with sore labour in Bricke and Clay and all manner of worke in the field being wearie of their liues besides the hard vsage of their taske-masters and what mischiefe else could bee deuised by the Diuell and Pharaoh vtterly to roote them out yet the more they vexed them the more they grew Their estate is well resembled by the bush that burned and yet was not consumed As their enemies deuised to doe them h●rt so God deuised to doe them good Who knoweth as Saint Peter speaketh to deliuer the godly out of tentation and to reserue the vniust vnto the day of iudgement I cannot reckon vp the crosses of this people after their deliuerance out of Egipt See the Catalogue thereof in the Psalmes They wandred in the Desert both hungrie and thirstie with fainting soules They dwelt in darkenesse and in the shadow of death being bound in misery and iron Their hearts were humbled with heauinesse and there was no helper Their soule abhorred all meate and they were brought to deaths dore Yet when they cryed to God in their trouble he deliuered them out of their distresse The miseries of Gods children infflicted vpon them by Sathan and his instruments cannot be so many as the meanes and remedies of comfort and deliuerance that God prouideth for them See how the Church and children of God triumph and exult vpon the experience of this poynt They haue oftentimes afflicted mee from my youth vp may Israell now say They haue oftentimes afflicted mee from my youth but they could not preuaile against me The Plowers plowed vpon my backe and made long furrowes but the righteous Lord hath cut the cords of the wicked Although God suffer his people to be vsed as the field that is plowed and their enemies be as the strong and lusty iades appoynted for the plough Or as the stalled Oxen to breake vp the fallow ground renting and tearing the furrowes of the same and not leaue so much as a clod vnturned but attempt all manner of wayes euery way to annoy them Yet the iust God most faithfull in his promises and sure in his iudgements