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
View all documents for the selected quad

Text snippets containing the quad

ID Title Author Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) STC Words Pages
A63067 A commentary or exposition upon the four Evangelists, and the Acts of the Apostles: wherein the text is explained, some controversies are discussed, divers common places are handled, and many remarkable matters hinted, that had by former interpreters been pretermitted. Besides, divers other texts of Scripture which occasionally occur are fully opened, and the whole so intermixed with pertinent histories, as will yeeld both pleasure and profit to the judicious reader. / By John Trapp M. A. Pastour of Weston upon Avon in Gloucestershire. Trapp, John, 1601-1669.; Trapp, Joseph, 1601-1669. Brief commentary or exposition upon the Gospel according to St John. 1647 (1647) Wing T2042; ESTC R201354 792,361 772

There are 5 snippets containing the selected quad. | View lemmatised text

of heaven so let us to the wearing of our tongues to the stump as that Martyr expressed it preach and pray never so much men will on in their sins unlesse God give the blessing Paul may plant c. 4. As good seed if not cast into good ground yeelds no harvest so the word preached if not received into good and honest hearts proves 〈◊〉 The Pharisees were not a but on the better for all those heart piercing Sermons of our Saviour nay much the worse 5. As the harvest is potentially in the seed so is eternall life in the word preached Rom. 1. 16. As the rain from heaven hath a fatnesse with it and a 〈◊〉 influence more then other standing waters so there is not the like life in other ordinances as in Preaching None to that as David said of Goliahs sword Verse 5 6 7 8. Some fell upon stony places c. Our Saviour his own best interpreter explains all this to his Disciples vers 18. 19. The intent of these severall parables seems to have been to confirm that which he had said in the former chapter vers 50. that they that do the will of his heavenly Father shall be owned and crowned by him as his dearest relations and alliences As also to teach the people not to rest in hearing sith three parts of four hear and perish Which losse is yet sweetly repaired by the fruitfullnesse of the good hearers some whereof bring forth an hundred fold some sixty some thirty the fertilty of one grain making amends for the barrennesse of many so that the sower repents not of his pains It 's well worth while if but one soul 〈◊〉 to God by a whole lifes-labour Verse 9. Who hath ears to hear c q. d. Some have ears to hear some not So he divideth his hearers into Auritos surdos All men have not faith saith St Paul Mens ears must be boared as Davids their hearts opened as Lydias ere the word can enter Pray we that Christ would say Epphata unto us and that when he opens our ears and by them our hearts that he would make the bore big enough sith with what measure we meat it shall be measured to us and unto us that hear shall more be given 〈◊〉 4 24. The greater diligence we use in hearing the more apparent shall be our profiting Verse 10. And his Disciples came and said unto him They came to him for satisfaction Note this against those captious and capricious hearers that maliciously relate to others that which to them seems not so well or wisely said by the Preacher and come not to the Preacher himself who can best unfold his own minde all cannot be said in an hour and make his own apologie Some sit behind the pillar as Eli dealt by Hannah to watch and catch what they may carp and cavil at They content themselves to have exercised their criticismes upon the Preacher and that 's all they make of a Sermon 〈◊〉 never so savoury and seasonable These are 〈◊〉 hearers Verse 11. Because it is given to you Plutarch thinks that life is given to men meerly for the getting of knowledge And the Greeks call man 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for the inbred desire of light and knowledge that is naturally in all But desire we never so much none can attain to sound and saving knowledge but those only to whom it is given from above into whose hearts Christ lets in a 〈◊〉 of heavenly light Hence Prov. 30. 3. 4. to know heavenly things is to ascend into heaven And Luk. 12. 48. to know the Masters will is the great talent of all other there is a Much set upon it But to them it is not given By a secret but most just judgement of God who hath mercy on whom he will and whom he will he hardneth The reason of many things now hid from us we shall see at the last day Have patience and be content in the mean while with a learned ignorance Verse 12. For whosoever hath to him shall be given sc. If he have it for practise not else Zach. 11. 17. Men to the hearing of the word must bring with them the loan and advantage of former doctrine communicated to them if they mean to do any good of it And then as Manoah beleeved before the Angell vanished in the sacrifice and sought no such signe to confirm him yet had it so God will heap favours upon them and every former shall be a pledge of a future God gives grace for grace that is say 〈◊〉 where he findes one grace he gives another From him shall be taken away even that he hath That he seems to have saith St Luke for indeed all he hath is but a seeming a semblance he walketh in a vain shew he hath only the varnish of vertue which God shall wash of with rivers of brimstone Albeit hypocrites are commonly detected even in this life how else should their names rot as every wicked mans must Verse 13 Therefore speak I to them in parables Because their willfull blindenesse aad stubbornesse deserves I should do it They are sinuers against their own soules let them rue it therefore And hearing they hear not Audientes corporis sensu non 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Augustine Verse 14. In 〈◊〉 is fulfilled 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is again fulfilled q. d. It is 〈◊〉 with 〈◊〉 now as it was with those then The same fable is acted 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 only changed Mens hearts are as hard as ever they were 〈◊〉 grace of the Gospel hath not mended them a whit nor ever will do till God strike the stroke And shall not understand Deus ijs in lingua sua 〈◊〉 qui in Christo suis Atticus their wit serves them not in spiritualls Seeing ye shall see and not perceive As Hagar saw not the fountain that was afore her till her eies were opened Verse 15. For this peoples heart c. A fat heart is a fearfull plague Their heart is fat as grease but I delight in thy law Psal. 119 70. None can delight in Gods law that are fat hearted Feeding cattel we know are most brutish and blockish And Phyfiognomers observe that a full and fat heart betokens a dull and doltish disposition Eglons fat paunch would not part with the ponyard and Pliny tells of bears so fat that they felt not the tharpest prickles Their ears are dull of hearing So were the believing Hebrews for the which they are much taxed and 〈◊〉 by the Apostle Surdaster erat M Crassus sed illud pejus quid malè audiebat saith Tully These here hear very ill for their no better hearing Their eies they have closed Or they wink hard with their eies they shut the windowes lest the light should come in 〈◊〉 liberiùs peccent libentèr ignorant they do not what they might toward the work Lest at any time they should see See we may here in that which they should have
58. 10 11. Or if he be sick the Lord will strengthen him upon the bed of languishing he will make all his bed in his sicknes As he did for that faithfull and 〈◊〉 Preacher of Gods Word while he lived M. 〈◊〉 Whately Pastour of Banbury whom for honours sake I here name the most 〈◊〉 Minister to the poor I thinke saith a learned Gentleman that knew him thorowly in England of his means He abounded in works of mercy saith another grave Divine that wrote his life he set apart and expended for the space of many years for good uses the tenth part of his yearly commings in both out of his temporall and 〈◊〉 means of maintenance A rare example And God was not behinde hand with him for in his sicknesse he could comfort himself with that precious promise Psal. 41. 1 3. Blessed is he that considereth the poor Qui praeoccupat vocem petituri saith Austin that prevents the poor mans cry as he did for he devised liberall things seeking out to finde objects of his mercy and not staying many times till they were offered Therefore by liberall things 〈◊〉 stood as God had promised his estate as himself often testified prospered the better after he took that course above-mentioned For in the next place not getting but giving is the way to wealth as the 〈◊〉 found it whose barrell had no bottome and as Solomon 〈◊〉 it Eccles. 11. 1. The mercy of God crowneth our beneficence with the blessing of store 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 shall be exalted with honour and thou 〈◊〉 not 〈◊〉 Say not then How shall our own doe hereafter Is not mercy as sure a grain as vanity Is God like to break Is not your Creatour your Creditour Hath not he undertaken for you and yours How sped Mephibosheth and Chimham for the kindenesse their fathers shewed to distressed David Were they not plentifully provided for And did not the Kenites that were born many ages after 〈◊〉 's death receive life from his dust and favour from his hospitality 1 Sam. 15. 6. Verse 8. Blessed are the pure in heart That wash their 〈◊〉 from wickednesse that they may be saved Jer. 4. 14. Not their hands only with Pilate but their inwards as there How long shall thy vain thoughts lodge within thee These however the world censure them for every fool hath a bolt to shoot at that purity which yet they 〈◊〉 and pray for are the Lords darlings that purifie themselves in some truth of resemblance as God is pure Pura Deus mens est purâ vult mente vocari Et puras jussit pondus habere preces He will take up in a poor but it must be a pure heart in a 〈◊〉 but it must be a cleanly house in a low but not in a 〈◊〉 lodging Gods Spirit loves to lie clean Now the heart of man is the most unclean and loathsome thing in the world a den of dragons a dungeon of darknesse a stie and stable of all foul lusts cage of unclean and ravenous birds The Embassadours of the Councel of Constance being sent to Pope Benedict the 〈◊〉 when he laying his hand upon his heart said Hic est Arca 〈◊〉 Here is Noahs Ark they tartly and truly replied In Noahs Ark were few men but many beasts intimating that there were seven abominations in that heart wherein he would have them to believe were lodg'd all the laws of right and religion This is true of every mothers childe of us The naturall heart is 〈◊〉 throne he filleth it from corner to corner Act 5. 3. he sits abrood upon it and hatcheth all noisome and loathsome lusts Ephes. 2. 2. There as in the sea is that Leviathan and there are creeping things innumerable crawling bugs and baggage vermine Now as many as shall see God to their comfort must cleanse 〈◊〉 from all filthinesse of flesh and spirit and perfect 〈◊〉 sse in the fear of God This is the mighty work of the holy Spirit which therefore we 〈◊〉 pray and strive for beseeching God to break the heavens and come down yea to break open the prison doors of our hearts by his Spirit and to cleanse this 〈◊〉 stable He comes as a mighty rushing winde and blows away those litters of lusts as once the East-winde of God did all the locusts of AEgypt into the red Sea And this done he blows upon Gods garden the heart and causeth the spices thereof so to flow forth that Christ saith I am come into my garden my sister my spouse I have gathered my myrrhe with my spice Cant. 5. 1. For they shall see God Here in a measure and as they are able hereafter in all fullnesse and perfection they shall see as they are seen Here as in a glasse 〈◊〉 or as an old man thorow spectacles but there face to face Happier herein then Solomons servants for a greater then Solomon is here A good man is like a good Angel ever beholding the face of God He looketh upon them with singular complacency and they upon him to their infinite 〈◊〉 He seeth no iniquity in them they no indignation in him He looketh upon them in the face of Christ And although no man hath seen God at any time yet God who commanded the light to shine out of darkenesse hath shined in our hearts saith the Apostle to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. Pure glasse or crystall hath light comming thorow not so stone iron or other grosser bodies In like sort the pure in heart see God he shines thorow them And as the pearl by the beams of the Sun becomes bright and radiant as the Sun it self so we all with open face beholding as in a glasse the glory of the Lord 〈◊〉 transformed into the same image from glory to glory as by the Spirit of the Lord 2 Cor. 3. 18. Verse 9. Blessed are the peace-makers There are that like Salamanders live alwaies in the fire and like Trouts love to swim against the stream that with Phocion thinke it a goodly thing to dissent from others and like Sampsons foxes or Solomons fool carry about and cast abroad fire-brands as if the world were made of nothing but discords as Democritus imagined But as St John speaketh in another case these are not of the Father but of the world He maketh great reckoning of a meek and quiet 〈◊〉 because it is like to his own minde which is never stirred nor moved but remaineth still the same to all eternity He loves those that keep the staffe of binders unbroken Zech. 11. 7 14. that hold the unity of the spirit and advance the bond of peace among others as much as may be The wicked are apt as dogs to enter tear and woorry one another and although there be not a disagreement in hell being but the place of retribution and not of action yet on earth
laid hold of him Now I would we were all Lutherans in this saith One c. Verse 20. But lay up for your selves treasures in heaven That which you may draw out a thousand year hence For in a treasure there are three things a laying up a lying hid and a drawing out for present use Riches reach not to eternity Therefore whiles others lay 〈◊〉 upon riches Lay thou hold on eternall life 1 Tim. 6. 12. and that by following after righteousnesse god inesse faith love patience 〈◊〉 This this is the true treasure this is to be rich as our Saviour speaketh toward God and is opposed to laying up treasure for himself Luk 12. 21. as 〈◊〉 laying up treasure in heaven is to that of laying up treasure in earth 〈◊〉 cannot be done because the heart cannot be in two so different places at once The Saints have their commoration on earth but their conversation is in heaven Here are their bodies but their hearts are 〈◊〉 Christ their head is Sancti ibi sunt ubi 〈◊〉 sunt non sunt ubi sunt saith Chrysostome The Saints are there in their affections whether as yet they are not come in their 〈◊〉 All their plowing sailing building planting tends to that life that is 〈◊〉 supernaturall they run 〈◊〉 the high prize they strive for the crown of righteousnesse they breath after the 〈◊〉 vision with Oh when shall I come and appear before God! And as the Athenians when they were besiged by Sylla had 〈◊〉 hearts with him without the walls though their bodies were held within by force So the Saints though detained here for a while in a farre countrey yet their hearts are at home They go thorow the world as a man whose minde is in a deep study or as one that hath speciall haste of some weighty businesse they wonder much how men can a while to pick up sticks and straws with so much delight and diligence The time is short or trussed up into a narrow 〈◊〉 the task is long of keeping faith and 〈◊〉 good conscience hence they use the world as if they used it not as having little leisure to trifle There 's water little enough to runne in the right chanel therefore they let none runne beside but carefully improve every opportunity as wise merchants and care not to sell all to purchase the pearl of price In a witty 〈◊〉 saith Broughton out os Rabbi Bochai Kain and Abel contain in their names advertisements for matter of true continuance and corruption Kain betokeneth possession in this world and 〈◊〉 betokeneth one humbled in minde and holding such possession vain Such was his 〈◊〉 sheep-kinde the 〈◊〉 of all living beasts and therefore the favour of God followed him And the offering of Kain was of the fruit of the earth as he loved the possession of this world and the service of the body which yet can have no continuance and followed after bodily lusts Therefore the blessed 〈◊〉 favoured him not Kains chief care was to build Cities that he might call his Land after his own Name Psal. 49. 11. and make his sonne Lord Enoch of Enoch Not so the better sort Abel Henoch Noah Abraham they were content to dwell in tents as looking for a City which hath foundations whose maker and founder is God Abraham bought a piece of ground but for buriall only Ishmael shall beget twelve Princes but with Isaac will I establish my Covenant and although he grow not so great as his brother that man of Gods hand that had his portion here yet he shall make reckoning that the lines are fallen unto him in a fair place that he hath a goodly heritage Esau had his Dukes and grows a great Magnifico but Jacob gets first the birth-right for a messe of red red which the hungry hunter required to be 〈◊〉 with as Camels are fed by casting gobbets into their mouthes so the word signifies And after this he gets the blessing by his mothers means And when 〈◊〉 threatened him and had bolted out some suspitious words she seeks not to reconcile the two brethren by making the younger yeeld again what he had got from the Elder but prefers the blessing before Iacobs life and sends him away This was to lay up treasure in heaven for her sonne who took herein after the mother too For if Esau will but 〈◊〉 him to settle in the Land of promise a type of heaven he will spare for no cost to make his peace Silver and gold he hath none but cattel good store 550. head of them sends he for a present to make room for him as Solomon hath it Let heaven be a mans object and earth will soon be his abject David counts one good cast of Gods countenance 〈◊〉 better then all the corn and oil in the countrey Solomon craves wisdom and not wealth Paul counts all but drosse dung and dogs-meat so he may win Christ and get home to him Here we have but a glimpse of those gleams of 〈◊〉 we see but as in a glasse obscurely our life is hid with Christ in God as the pearl lies 〈◊〉 till the shell be broken Compare the estate of Prince Charles in his Queen-mothers womb with his condition at full age in all the glory of his fathers Court there is not so broad a difference as betwixt our present enjoyments albeit our joyes here are unspeakable glorious with those we shall have hereafter Sursum 〈◊〉 cursum nostrum dirigamus Let therefore our affections and actions our counsels and courses be bent and bound for heaven our earthly 〈◊〉 dispatch with heavenly mindes and in serving men let us serve the Lord Christ. The Angels are sent about Gods message to this earth yet never out of their heaven never without the vision of their maker These earthly things distract not if we make them not our treasure if we shoot not our hearts over-farre into them The end of a Christians life is not as 〈◊〉 dreamed of the 〈◊〉 of man to 〈◊〉 the heavens but to live in heaven This he begins to do here by the life of faith by walking with God as Enoch and Elias those Candidates of immortality so the Ancients called them by walking before God as Abraham and David by walking after God as the Israelites were bidden to do With God a man walks by an humble friendship and familiarity before him by uprightnesse and integrity after him by obedience and conformity by doing his will on earth as it is in heaven And this is to lay up treasure in heaven this is as the Apostle expresseth and interpreteth it to lay up in store for our selves a good foundation against the 〈◊〉 to come that we 〈◊〉 lay hold on eternall life 1 Tim. 6. 19. There shall be 〈◊〉 of thy times strength salvation wisdome and knowledge for the fear of the Lord shall be his treasure Isai. 33. 6.
godlines that is 〈◊〉 upon the word to the truth whereof we have found Gods 〈◊〉 perswading our hearts and yeelding us comfort in it Ioh. 6. 45. 1 Ioh. 2. 27. Abstain or stand off from all appearance of any 〈◊〉 evil Shun the familiarity of seducers that discredit the truth hear them not their mouthes should be stopped Tit. 1. 11. 3. 10. See how exceeding earnest the Apostle is in this argument 2 Thes. 2. 1 2 3. he knew well the danger So Rom. 16. 17. The 〈◊〉 and false Apostles would only have brought in a Jewish rite or two yet are 〈◊〉 to subvert the Gospel Gal. 1. 7. and the Apostle 〈◊〉 they were even cut off for it Hymeneus and 〈◊〉 denied not the Resurrection but affirmed it only to be 〈◊〉 already and yet they are said to overthrow the faith of some 2 Tim. 2. 18. And although we are wont to wonder at the 〈◊〉 of a contrary religion and think a simple man may easily answer them yet it is certain the grossest adversaries of the truth are able to urge such reasons and use such perswasions as have in them great probability of truth and may deceive the simple Ye therefore beloved seeing ye know these things before beware 〈◊〉 ye also being led away with the errour of the wicked fall from your own stedfastnesse Which to prevent Grow saith the same Apostle there in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord 〈◊〉 Christ. Exact of your selves a groth in every grace in humility howsoever growing downward at least if you cannot finde so comfortable a groth upward Humility is both a grace and a vessel to receive grace for God will give grace to the humble and teach the lowly-minded Grow also in the knowledge of our Lord Iesus Christ proving by experience in your selves what that good that holy and acceptable will of God is Let your knowledge and practice run parallell and be of equall extent Study to live rather then to dispute to act rather then to contemplate learn and labour to feel in your selves the sweetnesse and goodnesse the life and power of that you know The devil confessed Christ as well as Peter Mark 5. 7. Mat. 16. 17. but the devil with 〈◊〉 knowledge swimming in the brain Peter with a saving knowledge soaking to the heart root and working upon the affections those immediate springs of action This is that knowledge not apprehensive only but affective too that makes the minde good full of incitations to good glad of all occasions to doe good 〈◊〉 from the stain and raign of former lusts inclinable to serve God and our brethren by love fearing the Gospel more then the 〈◊〉 and Gods goodnesse more then his justice Now to grow in these graces and in this knowledge is the ready way to secure our selves from seducers to approve our selves to have been conscionable hearers of a sound Ministry such as are founded upon a rock and are therefore unmoveable such as have gotten a knowledge so 〈◊〉 and certain as no haeretick can draw from us And lastly to save our selves from that untoward generation our Saviour speaketh next of in the subsequent verses that have no more to shew or say for themselves then Lord Lord c. Verse 21. Not every one that saith unto me Lord Lord shall 〈◊〉 c. Not every verball professour or forward pretender to me and my truth shall be saved That son of perdition called Christ Lord Lord yet 〈◊〉 him wich a kisse and is gone to his place How many Judasses have we that speak Christ fair but by their loose and 〈◊〉 lives deliver him up to the scoffs and buffetings of his 〈◊〉 that bow the knee to him and bid Hail King of the 〈◊〉 yet smite him on the face and bid him prophecy who 〈◊〉 him that put a reeden scepter in his hand and make him a 〈◊〉 Lord only having no more then a form of knowledge Rom. 2. 20. a pretence of piety 2 Tim. 3. 5. and a semblance of 〈◊〉 Luk. 8. 18. contenting themselves with the name of Christians As if many a ship had not been called Safe-gard or Good-speed and yet fallen into the hands of Pirates These are blots of goodnesse botches of the Church as Augustus was used to tearm his three untoward children tres vomicas tria carriomata mattery impostumes ulcerous sores Epictetus complained that there were many would be Philosophers as far as a few good words would goe but were nothing for practise Socrates made no distinction between 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 knowing and doing so to know good as to practise it and evil as to avoid it this he esteemed the only wisedom Such as say well and doe well are to be embraced saith Aristotle but their very profession is to be suspected that second it not with a suitable practice Nesciunt insani 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 qui non vivunt honestè saith another There are that speak like Angels live like devils that have 〈◊〉 smooth tongue but Esaus rough hands Audi nemo 〈◊〉 specta nemopejùs Loquitur hic ut Piso vivit ut Gallomus 〈◊〉 men admire Tullies tongue saith S. Austin not so his practice 〈◊〉 could give excellent counsel to others which himself did 〈◊〉 take He is much taxed for flattery luxury covetousnesse 〈◊〉 and something he confesseth hereof though covertly in that sentence of his in his book de Tranquillitate Necaegroto 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I am neither sick nor found Lillies are fair in shew but foul 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Coin is white in colour but draws a black line after it 〈◊〉 worms seem to have both light and heat but touch them only 〈◊〉 it will appear they have neither Livy saith that the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 warre against Phillip of Macedon with letters and words So 〈◊〉 many against the devil they defie him with their 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 him in their lives they spit at his name but admit 〈◊〉 his suggestions they call Christ Lord Lord but in truth and 〈◊〉 the matter the devil is their good Lord for his servants they are 〈◊〉 whom they obey They lean upon the Lord and say Is not 〈◊〉 Lord amongst us none evil can come unto us But he shall 〈◊〉 them off with a discedite depart ye He likes not this Court-holy water as they call it these fair professions and deep protestations 〈◊〉 love when mens hearts are not with him when there is not 〈◊〉 power of religion the practice of godlinesse The leaves of profession he dislikes not for as they are of medicinable use Ezek. 47. 12. so they are good inducements to force a necessity of more 〈◊〉 But he looks for more then leaves he goes down to 〈◊〉 garden to see how it comes forward in righteousnesse peace 〈◊〉 in the holy Ghost in meeknesse tender-heartednesse love 〈◊〉 patience humility contentednesse in mortification of sin moderation of passion holy guidance of the tongue in
with them for the which he praiseth God from the bottom of his heart Shew them a signe Them by all means as more worshipfull men then the multidude such as might merit an extraordinary signe See here their Satanicall arrogance So Herod would see our Saviour that he might see a signe from him He looked upon him no otherwise then upon some common juggler that would sure shew him his best tricks Thus these hypocrites here would gladly be gratified but they were deceived Verse 2. When it is evening ye say It will be fair c. q. d. Are you so weather-wise which yet is not your profession are ye so skilfull in nature and yet so ignorant of scripture as not to know that now is the time for the Messias to come and that I am He surely you are either notorious sots or deep dissemblers or both in seeming so curiously to search after the truth which yet you 〈◊〉 care to know nor obey Verse 3. Can ye not discerne the signe of the times The men of Issachar were in great account with David because they had understanding of the times to know what Israel ought to doe 1 Chron. 12. 32. A prudent man foreseeth an evil and hideth himself Prov. 22. 3. He foreseeth it not by divination or starre-gazing but by a judicious collection and connection of causes and 〈◊〉 as if God be the same that ever as holy just powerfull c. If sin be the same that ever as foul loathsome pernicious c. then such and such events will follow upon such and such 〈◊〉 As God hath given us signes and fore-tokens of a tempest so he hath also of an ensuing judgement and blames those that take not notice thereof sending them to school to the stork and swallow Jer 87. If Elias see but a cloud as a hand arising from Carmel he can tell that a great store of rain will follow that the whole heaven will anon be covered Finer tempers are 〈◊〉 sensible of change of weather Moses as more acquainted with God spies his wrath at first setting out so might we have done ere it came to this and have redeemed a great part of our present sorrows had we had our eyes in our heads Eccles. 2. 14 had we not been of those wilfull ones who seek straws to put out their eyes withall as Bernard hath it or that wink for the nonce saith 〈◊〉 Martyr that they may not see when some unsavoury potion is ministred unto them Verse 4. A wicked and adulterous generation See the Notes on Chap. 12. 39. The same wedge 〈◊〉 the same knot They shall have no new answer from Christ till they have made 〈◊〉 use of the old Let them return to thee not thou to them Jer. 15. 19. And 〈◊〉 left them and departed Because he saw his sweet words were even spilt upon them Frustrà lavantur AEthiopes certatur cum hypocritis none are more obstinate and obdurate Verse 5. They had forgotten to take bread As wholly transported with fervour in following Christ the bread of life This is the fault of but a few now-adayes worldly cares eat up heavenly desires as the lean kine in Pharoahs dream did the fat Verse 6. Take heed and beware of the leaven Or take knowledge of and then take heed of false doctrine which is fitly called leaven because it sowreth swelleth spreadeth corrupteth the whole lump and all this secretly slily easily suddenly neither can our eyes discern it from dowe by the colour but only our pallate by the tast Now the 〈◊〉 trieth words as the mouth trieth meat Job 343. Try all things before you trust any thing Those that sow 〈◊〉 doctrine are somewhere in the Acts called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pests botches for their danger of infection some can carry their collusion so cleanly that if possible the very elect might be deceived like serpents they can sting without hissing like cur-doggs suck your bloud without biting Nota est Arry 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith one quâ 〈◊〉 de fide Ni 〈◊〉 elusit examen by the cogging of a dye by the adding of one Iota they corrupted the sense of the whole Synod The Valentinians had a trick to perswade before they taught The ancient Antiirinitarians set forth a base book of their doctrines under 〈◊〉 name and sold it dog-cheap that men might the sooner 〈◊〉 it and be led by it as Ruffinus complains Take heed and beware of such ye are not ignorant of their wiles Of the Pharisees and of the Sadduces 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Never a barrel better herring Howbeit the Sadduces affected by their very name to be held the only just men haply because they held that all the reward that righteous men are to look for is here in this world The occasion of this 〈◊〉 is said to be this When Antigonus taught that we must not serve God for wages his scholars understood him as if he had utterly denied all future rewards or recompence attending a godly life and thence framed their heresie denying the Resurrection world to come Angels devils and lived as Epicures and Libertines Verse 7. It is because we have taken no bread Oh the dullnesse that is in the best to receive or retain heavenly mysteries Surely as Owls see best by night and are blinde by day so in deeds of darknesse we are sharpsighted wise to doe evil but in spirituals we are blinder then beetles our wits serve us not we are singularly 〈◊〉 and stubborn Verse 8. O ye of little faith Fides famem non formidat It was want of faith that made them fear they should perish in the wildernesse for lack of bread God was better to them then their fears He makes the best living of it that lives by faith Feed on faith So Tremellius reads that Psal. 37. 3. Why reason ye amongst your selves 〈◊〉 likely laid the fault of forgetfullnesse one upon another but none found fault with himself for his unbelief and carnall reasoning Verse 9. Neither remember Tantum didicimus quantum 〈◊〉 So much we learn as we remember Our memories are naturally like hour-glasses no sooner filled with good instructions and experiments then running out again It must be our prayer to God that he would put his finger upon the hole and so make our memories like the pot of Mannah preserving holy truths in the Ark of the soul. Verse 10. Neither the seven loaves Learn to lay up experiences If we were well read in the story of our own lives saith a Reverent man we might have a Divinity of our own The Philosopher saith that experience is multiplex memoria because of the 〈◊〉 of the same thing often done ariseth experience which should be the nurse of confidence Verse 11. How is it that ye understand not Ignorance under means is a blushfull sin The Scripture calls such Horses Asses 〈◊〉 and sends them to school to unreasonable creatures