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	wrath_n	1,461	5	9.1221	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A77486	Brightman redivivus: or The post-humian of-spring of Mr. Thomas Brightman, in IIII. sermons. Viz. [brace] 1. Of the two covenants. 2. The danger of scandals. 3. Gods commission to Christ to preach the Gospell. 4. The saints securitie.	Brightman, Thomas, 1562-1607.; Halsted, John.	1647 (1647)	Wing B4691; Thomason E375_16; ESTC R201349	89,168	128

are not his brethren with us Mark 6. But if we shall consider That Christ is King or Priest to none to whom he is not a Prophet and he is not a Prophet to those that contemn his Ordinance of Preaching then men shall he made to give due respect to the same Vse Third as touching the Ministers they ought not to be daunted if they see the proue contemn their Ministery for let them remember that they as Christ were sent to the poore so that if one or two poore embrace our Doctrine we have wherein to rejoyce Ezech. 2.5 Doct. Out of these words may be raised another profitable observation to wit What was the matter of Christs Doctrine to wit the Gospell and not the Law For this cause came he out of the bosome of his Father Iohn 1. The Law was given by M●ses c. So that this doth ●ichly commend the Office and benefit of Christ for the Gospell farre surmounts the Law Object But it may be said Did not Christ teach the Law Math. 5. and other places as to the young-man Luke 29. Answ To this answer is made Hee did it ●●t as his chiefe Office but as a preparing of men thereby to the Gospell for as the proper office of a Carpenter is ●o build not to pull downe Simile and of a Physitian to heale not to make sicke yet they are forced oft to doe both Even so was CHRIST Simile He saw that the Law was so taught as that men were made to trust in it to looke for Salvation by it as being possible to bee kept and so to exclude all helpe and necessity of any other Saviour So that most needfull it was that Christ should shew that the Law rightly understood was impossible to bee kept that so they might seeke Salvation else-where This being remembred to returne to the Point to wit The excellency of the Gospell it will soone appeare by the riches and benefits it brings with it As first Pardon of Sins Secondly gift of Righteousnesse Thirdly adop●ion of Sons Fourthly acceptance into the favour of God yea unto life everlasting Fiftly gift of the Spirit Faith Hope Patience Love Holinesse c. Sixtly freedome from the Curse of the Law Hell Death and dominion of Sin Seventhly Communion with the blessed Trinity 1 Joh. 1. at the beginning Eightly accesse unto the throne of Grace Ninthly Peace of Conscience Perseverance Sanctification of all afflictions with all other riches of Christ all which are wrought by the Gospell which how great they are may be seene by the contrary or the want of them as to bee under the gui●t of Sin wrath of God Children of Satan Curse and Death bondage sting and wo me of Conscience debarred Gods presence and reserved for the fearefull soci●ty of Satan And as the excellency of the Gospell doth partly appeare hereby so will it further by considering how it differs from the Law For the Law first is Naturall second the Gospell is Supernaturall both for matter and the manner of Revealing Ioh. 1.18 Colos 2.16 1 Cor. 2.7 Had not he wi●dome of God found out this meanes of Salvation and published the same all the wits of Men and Angels had not been able to have devised such a way whereby Gods justice might bee fully satisfied and yet infinite Mercy extended to miserable Man Secondly The Law and Gospell differ in the way that leads to Righteousnesse and Salvation For the Law sayes by Doing The Gospell ☞ by Beleeving The Law teaches it must be done by our Selves The Gospell admits and sets forth Another Philip. 3. Gal. 3. Rom. 10.5 6 7. Thirdly they differ in the manner and nature of the Promises annexed to either For the Legall requires the condition of our Righteousnesse and that every way perfit But the Evangelicall requires not our own but accepts anothers nor exacts Perfection in us but only Syncerity Rom. 4. By debt and freely distinguishing the Law and the Gospell Fourthly They differ in their effects for the Law causes wrath Increases sin gives not strength to doe the things Commanded But the Gospell brings Peace Righteousnesse and 〈◊〉 the Ministery of the Spirit This is largely and excellently taught 2 Corinth 3. Vse The knowledge of these things are most necessary First they shew the excellency of the Ministery of the new Testament 2 Cor. 4.1 2 3. So that the Ministers thereof need not to be ashamed Rom. 1.16 It is the power of God to Salvation Ephes 3.7.8 9. And hereby the meanest Preacher of the Gospell is become greater then Iohn Baptist namely in regard of his Office Because they are publishers of these glad-tydings accomplished by Christ Vse Second this shewes the happy condition of the faithfull now Math 13. Luke 10. Blessed are the eyes that see those things which you see c. Heb. 12.17 18 19. Vse Third it admonishes all Christians of their duty and that they take heed they neglect not the same Heb. 2.1 2 3. If they escaped not that transgressed the Law much lesse shall they that offend against the Gospell For Christ is the Prophet whom who so will not heare must be destroyed Acts 3. at the end God suffered evill entreaty of his Servants but after he had sent his Son and they had despised him presently he tooke away the Vineyard Woes were denounced against Corazin Bethsaida and Capernaum wherein is shewed that their state should be worse at the day of Iudgement then Sodome and Gomorrha Vse Fourth this teaches the simple to distinguish the Law and the Gospell the knowledge whereof is the key of the whole Scripture as whereby all the wiles of the Papists may be discovered and avoided They commonly teach that the Gospell is the new Law and a more perfit Law whence they inferred their Doctrines of Counsell and works of Supererogations But alas if the Gospell were a more perfit Law it were wofull tydings to all mankind Hereby also may appeare that the Law and Gospell cannot be joyned in the point of Iustification for as these two are quite contrary To to do a thing by our selves and to do it by another to have a thing by desert and to have it of free gift and such are the Law and Gospell in the justification of a sinner To Preach deliverance to the Captives That which before was set down in generall only both in regard of the Benefit as also of the Misery of man this same after the usuall manner of Scripture is described more particularly and as opposites set together doe make each other more conspicuous so is it here a Misery and a mercy a defect and a supply And as the disease is before the remedy so it must first be handled and it is expressed in the word Captives wherein as before the outward and bodily Captivity is used to expresse and declare our inward miserable Captivity and bondage Captives As God sold his people into their Enemies hands suffered their houses to be pulled down the

be thou of good comfort for now is Salvation and Health neerer to thee then before For sence and feeling is of the Living not of the Dead whip a dead man and hee regards it not the force of a drawing Corasive and searching is not felt in the dead and proud flesh the sence of the Iudgements of God doe argue that the Mind is quickned by the Power of the Spirit and is not quite dead in Sin and Satan being now to bee cast out makes a tumult being quiet before while no force was offered him Math. 12.29 The Israelites when ready to come out of Egypt were pressed with sore bondage Even so it befalls all the Broken hearted Object But they will say I feele my selfe forsaken of God Answ So said David Ezechias and other holy men in the anguish of their Spirit and apprehension of the Flesh but yee are not to judge of the grace of God by your owne sence and feeling but by Faith which against feeling perswades the heart that God is gracious Psal 22.2 Vse Third That by all meanes wee take heed of Sin for doe we not see what companions it hath the wrath of God curse death c. Which though now they be held from thy eyes through the pleasure thou takest in Sin yet when that short vanity shall vanish they will seaze on thee with such horrour as thou would wish thou hadst never been borne Let us then bethinke how foolish a thing it is for so small a pleasure to plunge our selves into such Miseries Is it not a lamentable thing that men endued with reason should suffer themselves to be taken as Fishes which have no understanding or conceit of danger and evill and yet it is so the Hooke is b●●ted the baite swallowed and the fish is taken Pleasure is the bait of Sin which while men greedily swallow they are taken of Satan by the jawes and wee suffer our selves to bee as easily deceived as is the silly Bird by the cunning Fowler Were it not a part of great madnesse for any willingly to stab himself or cut his owne throat with a Dagger because it was curiously gi●ded or to drinke Poyson sweetned a little with Sugar When Cyrus warred against the Amazonits and saw himself the weaker hee used this policy He counterfeited flight and left their Tents wherein were great store of Wine The Amazonits finding it fell on the prey and dranke securely then Cyrus suddenly returning slew them all Even after this manner the Divell deales and how many are slaine by him swallowing the full cups of Pleasures Take we heed then c. Thus much of this Misery The Remedy followes To Heale Great is our Misery by the curse of God hanging over our heads but most heavie had it been if there had not a Remedy been found by Christ The brazen Serpent for as hee of all Creatures is the most abject so was Christ in his Humiliation a Worme and u● Man c. Sight to the Blind This addes yet to out former Misery for when to Poverty inward Affliction outward bondage and Captivity shall be added the taking away the comfortable use of the Eye and on a contrary uncomfortable Blindnesse falls on us it is a great increase of Misery and more heavie is the blindnesse of the Soule then of the Body This Blindnesse consists chiefly in three things First in a want and inability of saving Knowledge in things Spirituall Secondly in the not knowing our Misery the filthinesse of Sin the horrour of Eternall death and wrath of God Thirdly the ignorance of the Remedy of all these But it may be sayd that these happily may bee true of Pagans and such as are out of the Church but all that are in the Church taught by the word of God they know and can spe●●e distinctly of these things To this it may be answered That the knowledge of all men sticking in the dregs and myre of Nature is meere Blindnesse and farre differing from that the Regenerate have as shall be shewed by Examples One borne blind by the relation of others and some helpe of the other senses comes to some knowledge of Colours of the brightnesse of the Sun Moon and Starres and of other things done in the World But if on the suddaine his eyes should be opened such an inexpected shape and shew of things wou●d offer themselves to his eyes that he would thinke hee knew nothing before And as it comes to passe with us For as our minds may have some conceit of Townes and Countries farre of by the relation of others and inspections of Mapps yet our knowledge is farre otherwise then theirs who have seene exactly these severall Countries distinctly Euen the like difference is 'twixt the knowledge of a Naturall man and one renewed for the one sees Sin naked in his lively colours and abhorres from his heart the filthinesse of it But the other sees it a farre off and through a false and deceitfull glasse of pleasure or profit whence followes a desire of committing sin And as a Drunken man is not altogether blind but sees those things before his feet and yet one while knock his face against this Wall another while stumbles against a stone and yet feeles no paine of this hurt till he hath slept out his Surfets So the Naturall man being drunk with Pleasures dashes his face against this Sin his foot against another continually reeling and falling into some ditch and never grieves for all these but even as the Drunkard is still a thirst hee desires more so these run most greedily after Sin But after he is once throughly awaked he wonders how he hath escaped alive and perished not in one danger or other Even such is the knowledge of the Naturall man Vse To teach all Naturall men not to trust themselves and their own senses concerning sin and other things belonging to Salvation but they must know they are Blind and Drunken and so not fit to judge of these things and so they must suffer themselves to be guided by others till the Spirit of God vouc●●afe to open their eyes Thus much of the Misery the Remedy followes Recovery Which is a wonderfull enlightning of the mind whereby it is able to judge twixt good and evill true and false and I say it is wonderfu●l for when this is once come into the mind Sin the wrath of God Christ and his benefits doe seeme such strange things from that they did before as that we shall wonder both at our own Blindnesse and Ignorance as also stand amazed at the Excellency of the thing we see as the Queene of Saba did at the sight of Solomons glory For this Recovery is nothing but a raising from the sleepe and drunkennesse of Sin whence it is said of them They come to themselves and 2 Tim. 2.26 To come to sobriety of mind and this is seene in the example of Paul and manner of his conversion as himselfe reports it Acts