Selected quad for the lemma: knowledge_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
knowledge_n	life_n	light_n	shine_v	1,813	5	9.0770	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A10976	The righteous mans euidences for heauen, or, A treatise shewing how euery one, while hee liues heere, may certainely know what shall become of him after his departure out of this life	Rogers, Timothy, 1589-1650?	1624 (1624)	STC 21245; ESTC S953	57,847	316

not much differ from a bruit beast and * Praestat nasci iumē tum quam comparariiumento better were it to be borne a beast than being borne a man to become thus like a beast But how doe you proue that yours is this sauing knowledge and not rather that common knowledge of Gods word religion which may bee in the very reprobates Con. 5. Notes of true sauing knowledge This will appeare the better by comparing them together First then the common knowledge which may bee found in reprobates is generall they vnderstand spirituall things in a generall confused manner not vnlike the k Mar. 8.24 blinde man cured by our Sauiour who at the first opening of his eyes saw men aloofe off walking as trees they cannot abide to bring it home to themselues but I apply my knowledge to my selfe desiring to know chiefly how things stand at home in my owne soule Secondly their knowledge is partiall they desire not to bee acquainted with all the waies of God but are and will be wilfully ignorant of some things they will not know that to bee euill which they like well of nor that to bee good which they doe dislike though it be made plain and euident vnto them but I desire to know the whole truth of God yea that which is disrelishing at the first vnto mee Thirdly their knowledg puffs them vp with pride thy be not a little proud thereof but mine humbles mee for the more light of knowledge shineth in mee the more I see the corruptions of my heart and life thereby which minister greater matter daily of humiliation to me Fourthly all that they know or speake is onely from heare-say for they haue no experience thereof in themselues they know and learne Gods truth by rote but I learne it by heart my knowledge is experimentall I finde the truth thereof in my owne experience Fiftly their knowledge is not ioyned with conscionable practice whereas that is but raw knowledge that is not well digested into practice these two should alwayes goe inseparably together for knowledge without practice is lame and practice without knowledge is blinde And if the lame and blind were hated of e 2. Sa. 5.5 Dauids soule much more are these hatefull to the soule of the Lord as an abhominable sacrifice but my knowledge is practicall it walks vpon the feet of practice my practice sees with the eyes of my knowledge hereby wee know that wee know God if wee keepe his commandements 1 Ioh. 2.3 Though then there be many which know Christ to professe him which notwithstanding shall not be known of him for hee will say vnto them in that day m Mat. 7.23 Depart from me I know you not because they haue not the sauing knowledge of him yet I can thus bring proofe that I rightly know him or n Gal. 4.9 rather am knowne of him wherby I also know that I shall hereafter liue and raigne for euer with him Min. Thus it appeares that the true knowledge of Christ doth counterpoize yea and far excell all other knowledge whatsoeuer for if one know Christ it matters little though he be ignorant of other things but if hee bee ignorant of Christ it matters nothing though hee knowe all things wherefore the wisest wordly men with all their knowledge shall perish for want of knowledge So that I can well assent vnto him who saith that the knowledge of God Greenham is as necessary an Art for Christians as the Art of husbandry is for husbandmen Now if you thinke good name another speciall grace as the signe of your saluation Con. The eight signe of saluation taken out of Rom. 8.24 I haue a true hope of eternall life which who so haue they shall be saued for wee are saued by hope as saith the Apostle this grace also the Lord of his mercy hath vouchsafed mee to bee as an anker to my soule both sure and stedfast to hold mee to the port that I be not driuen backe with boysterous stormes and than beares vp my head aboue water in the seas of dangers in this present world that I sinke not Min. But the hope of most men is a false hope desperate madnesse as if a man hauing his throat cut or being thrust through the heart should yet hope to liue euery body would bee ready to deride his idle fancy or at least to pitie his extreme follie the hope of such o shall perish and be cut off and their trust shall bee as a spiders web how know you then that yours is a true hope Con. Truth it is that the common hope of men is such that they doe rather dream than hope and though they thinke they haue fast hold of it in their hearts yet it is but as a child that catcheth at the shadow on the wall hee thinks he holds it fast closed in his hand but when he openeth his hand there is nothing in it so when their hearts shall be laid open before God the shaddowlike hope being vanished there shall be no such thing found in their hearts and they shall haue hope to seek when it will bee too late to finde it 4 Notes of true hope First therefore I proue that my hope is true from the foundation wheron it is p Heb 11 1. grounded and that is Faith for as it is impossible for a mighty Castle to hang in the ayre or to stand without either ground or foundation euen so and much more impossible is it for hope to be or abide without faith Such therefore as boast of hope and are barren of faith may well be said to dreame of building castles in the ayre I contrariwise beleeue and therefore doe I hope apprehending the promises of God by faith and so hoping and looking for the performance and accomplishment thereof which faith the ground-worke I haue formerly proued to be effectually begun in mee Secondly true hope followes an effectual calling for first God calls men to saluation and then hee giues them to hope for it therefore the Apostle stiles it the q Eph. 1.18 hope of his calling Such therefore as hope for heauen not being effectually called vnto it come before they are called and are like to speed accordingly It was r Ester 4.11 death to rush into the presence of Ahasuerus vncalled and sure eternall death shall cut them off short of comming home which think to rush rudely into the Holiest of all the inner Court of God Almighty euen the highest heauen being neuer inwardly and truely called thither but well may I hope for I am truly called as I haue also proued before Thirdly my hope makes me vse diligently all good meanes appointed by God for the obtaining of saluation for hee that hath good hope to obtaine his wished desire will shew it by his industrious vse of the best meanes for the compassing therof so hee that in the mourning hopes to be 50. miles

sight of her Thirdly y Psa 119.57 I resolue in truth with a constant purpose and settled determination not to doe any thing that I know to bee sinne and so displeasing to the Lord the Lord hee knowes that I do not purpose to maintaine my selfe in any knowne sin whatsoeuer Fourthly I striue z Ps 119.101 endeuour in the whole course of my life to forsake euery knowne sinne and to come to the fight of vnknowne sins which as yet I haue not taken notice of that I may forsake them also I doe as heartily desire to forgoe my sins as to haue them forgiuen to part with them as to haue them pardoned whereas the man vnregenerate will at no hand part with his sinne a Iob. 20.1.2.1 for it is sweet in his mouth hee hides it vnder his tongue hee spares it and forsakes it not but keepes it still within his mouth as Zophar speaks he will as soon part with a limme nay his life as with his sweet sinne But for my part I desire that the bloud of Christ may as well wash away the filthinesse of my sinne as the guiltinesse thereof 5. I bring forth the right and kindly fruit of true repentance namely new obedience which cannot possibly grow out of any other roote than this thus it is my continuall care to b Luk. 1.6 walke in all the commandements and ordinances of the Lord without reproofe Min. Bet is not all this that you doe for feare of hell and condemnation onely Con. No surely but partly for loue I beare to God and partly for hatred I beare to sinne for though I knew there were no day of iudgement when men shall giue an account of all their doings and receiue a full reward according thereunto or though I could bee assured that there were no hell to take vengeance on wicked doers yet would I neuer commit those foule and filthy sinnes which I see some commit continually to my griefe though they are well-pleasing to sinfull corrupt nature and so were to mee whiles I was carnall now I doe abhor them Min. It seemes you make true griefe for sin a signe of true repentance shew mee then how godly sorrow which is only in the faithfull may bee knowne from worldly sorrow which causeth death and was in Cain Saul Ahab Herod Iudas and may bee in any reprobate Con. Difference betweene worldly and godly sorrow Hee that hath godly sorrow is at least perswaded that his sins are pardonable not that they are c Ge. 4.13 greater than may bee forgiuen as Cain said but that they may bee pardoned by the infinitely farre-surpassing mercy of God 2. Hee loues the Preacher and other wel-disposed persons that tell him of his faults and shew him his sins though happily reprouing him sharpely for them and hee reuerenceth and regardeth Gods word the more that he sees his sinne discouered and condemned thereby the contrary was in Ahab d 1 Kings 22.8 who hated the Prophet because hee dealt plainely with him and Herod e Mat. 14.3.4 who depriued Iohn the Baptist both of liberty and life because he touched his copy-hold in reprouing his incestuous life 3. Godly sorrow driues a man neerer to God by prayer and makes him seeke to the Minister to the godly-wise for counsell to the word spirituall means for comfort but the sorrow of the world driues a man further from God the means as in Saul who went to a witch and Iudas who hanged himselfe both of them hasting to get as far from God as the most remote place in all the world euen hell it selfe could make them 4. The sorrow of him that is truely-penitent is most occupied about the * Malum culpae euil of sinne the sorrow of others most about the “ Malum poena euill of punishment all their care and thoughts are taken vp therewith and were it not for that the euill of their sinne should not trouble their minds or disquiet them one whit Min. You named new obedience for a note of true repentance that not amisse if it bee true vnfained and of the right kinde But how proue you this Con. 3 Notes of true obedience First because it is obedience of the whole man inward as well as outward for a true obedienciarie vnto God must be both sound and streight sound in heart streight in life all ouer obedient though hee bee not perfect 2. It is obedience yeelded to the whole law of God to precept as well as promise and to one precept as well as to an other whereas they which are false hearted in obedience are also lame therein and will be dispensed withall in some things they can be content that some of their sins should dye with the leane cattel slaine by f 1 Sam. 15.9 Saul but they haue some one or two or more fat sinnes which they will needs haue spared I praise God in humility I speak it I haue no such reseruation in my obedience but that my master-sins darling-sins should be put to the sword as well as others of inferiour ranke 3. It is performed in the whole course of my life it doth not take me now and then at times like the Fit of an Ague but is constant and continuall For a man may crosse the way to heauen often-times in and out and yet neuer come thither but he that holds on constantly in the way shall bee sure of heauen Thus true obedience in all these respects is Catholike that is vniuersall and they none but they deserue the name of good Catholicks indeed which are carefull to yeeld to God this true and vniuersall though imperfect obedience Min. Hitherto you haue mentioned such graces as are more generall and concerne the whole person renewed now if you thinke good alledge some speciall graces which make their abode in seuerall seats of the soule and first for knowledge which resideth in the minde is not this a signe of saluation which you discerne in your selfe Con. Sauing knowledge is indeed a true signe which is called g Ioh. 2.20 the vnction of the holy one and Christs h Reu. 3.18 eye-salue because the vnderstanding being as it were anointed therewith is inlightned to see and discerne those things which before it neither did nor could it comprehendeth i Col. 1.9 spirituall vnderstanding that is a right conceiuing of the truth of God and wisedome that is a right applying thereof wisely and discreetly to all our particular actions for the right ordering thereof The seuenth signe of saluation taken our of Joh. 17.3 this knowledge of God is life eternall both because it is the beginning thereof as also because it is the meanes wherby we attain thereto now then seeing I haue found this knowledge I am sure I cannot lose eternall life Min. Euery one is a beast by his owne knowledge he therefore that wants this knowledge of God doth