Selected quad for the lemma: knowledge_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
knowledge_n	love_n	patience_n	temperance_n	1,817	5	11.3534	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A07488	Goodnes; the blessed mans badge: or Gods character stampt on mans conscience In two sermons before the most excellent Prince Charles. By Richard Myddleton his Highnesse chaplayne.	Middleton, Richard, d. 1641.	1619 (1619)	STC 17871; ESTC S107387	56,318	177

and of more maiesty and vse vessels of honor dishonor 2. Tim. 2. Thirdly those parts of the house that are destitute of goodnesse as sinkes draughts and such voyding places seruing for base yet necessary vses are ordayned to the common good of the whole house and so as that it cannot want them without a great inconuenience And therefore if the master builder to preuent these particular euills should leaue them our of his building he should preiudice and hurt the common good of his house which cannot bee without them So hath our God prouided in this goodly building of the World that euery man should bee good in his nature and kinde and that some should be vessels of honor better then the rest and withall that the wicked and impenitent which are the sinks and draughts to keepe the rest of the house sweete should for the common good exercise and seruice of the whole house be tollerated as necessary though stinking and noy-some euills Next are wee to consider the markes and euidences of goodnesse that it may bee knowne of euery man It is so painted out in the holy Scriptures and in such broade characters that euen runners may reade them Therefore if you would know where goodnesse is by the head you must obserue these foure enrollements First her witnesses Secondly her seales and assurances Thirdly vshers Fourthly her attendants First the witnesses which testifie for goodnesse are to bee found out For if witnesses bee needefull in euery doubtfull case then to prooue where true goodnesse is witnesses will bee most needefull If you please to call for them 2. Cor. 7. Saint Paùle hath rankt them for you into a short but sweete summe These witnesses are without all exception they wil proue infallibly where goodnesse is Let vs produce them The first witnesse is a care to come out of our sinnes The second is a clearing of the Conscience by a true and vnfayned repentance The third is an indignation against sinne and our selues for our sinnes The fourth is a holy feare to fall into any sin againe The fift is a great desire to be out of that fearefull and damnable estate The sixt is a zeale of Gods glory The seauenth is a punishing and taking vengeance of our selues for our sinnes that God may not punish vs nor take vengeance on vs here or hereafter Examine the goodnesse of thy heart by these witnesses If these witnesse for thee then happy art thou that euer thou wast borne if not labour to get these witnesses but take heede of suborning them The seales and assurances of goodnesse come next to be examined Call for them of Saint Peter 2. Pet. 1 they are also seauen in number The first of them is a liuely faith working by loue The second is a sound knowledge of God in Iesus Christ The third is temperance in all the good creatures of God the fourth is patience to beare sweetely whatsoeuer God shall please to lay vpon him The fift is godlinesse not to stagger or swerue from the commandements of God for any disaster The sixt is brotherly kindnesse in dispensing the blessings of God The last is loue of God and man euen our enemies that they may not want the vttermost of our helpe in body goods and minde If these things be amongst vs and abound wee shall neuer bee vnfruitfull in the knowledge of our Lord Iesus Christ These seales make our calling and election sure for if these things be in vs we shall neuer fall Let our labour bee to get these seales of goodnesse to seale vnto vs the inheritance of Heauen But the better to know this noble Empresse this goodnesse we must also behold her vshers For as Kings and noble Personages are knowne by their vshers euen so is goodnes Now shee hath not only one but fiue seueral vshers Gal. 5 no quarter waiters they waite all at once The first is called loue for all true goodnesse proceeds from loue The second is ioy for goodnes reioyceth whē it doth any good The third is peace for euen the peace of God which passeth all vnderstanding is in the heart of him that loues goodnes The fourth is long suffering for no iniuries can abate his goodnes The last is gentlenesse to entertaine sweetly all occasions of doing good And then followes goodnes All these I call vshers to goodnes because they leade and conduct goodnes to all her honourable actions for these make the way for goodnesse to worke In a word the last meanes to know goodnes by is her attendants They are not many but they are very excellent you may euer know her by them They are but three Gal. 5 as Saint Paul accounts them but they are worth all the glittering traynes of Kings and Emperours of the world One of them is called Faith a fit attendant to waite on goodnes and all great personages The second is Meeknesse the sonne and heire of Faith euermore at the heeles of goodnes that shee swell not with any conceite of her owne worth The last is Temperance another of Faiths issue to bring goodnes onely necessaries and to keepe off all superfluities Thus goes goodnes attended you easily may know her by her traine no King in the worlde is so nobly attended For seldome doe such seruants as these get any roome to serue in with great personages Onely goodnes giues them entertaynement else they might goe a begging For who will admit into his seruice such poore base bare leane hunger-bitten strangers as faith meeknesse and temperance but I must make an end Thus you see what a worlde of excellent matter my theame offers mee euen a whole body of Diuinity an Ocean of learning But I must now be contented to haue brought you thus farre acquainted with goodnesse in hope that Gods grace may so work the loue of it in your harts that you may be enamoured and rauished with the wonderfull beautie of it And that this beautifull Rahel may possesse the loue of your hearts the onely way is to put away that bleare eyde Leah the loue of the world for the loue of goodnesse and the loue of this world can neuer stand in any league together The sicke person though hee change his bedde and lodging neuer so oft hath neuer the better rest because hee carries his sicknesse with him the cause of his vnrest So though we lie neuer so soft though we think neuer so well of our selues yea except wee put away the loue of our goods which doth hinder euermore the loue of goodnes we shall neuer become the children of goodnesse or heires with God Temporall things may wel be compared to the tree that the Elephant leanes vnto that beeing halfe cut thorow deceiues him when he leanes vnto it Like vnto mandrage which if duly taken is good phificke but if immoderatly it casts one asleepe congeales the spirits and killes the naturall faculties So doe riches and the things of this life if we

Heauen saith Cyclops but I offer Sacrifices to one of the greatest of the Gods my belly other Gods I know none Such are they that consecrate more dayes and yeeres to their pleasures and lusts then houres or minutes to the knowledge of God such as that wicked iudge that neyther feare God nor reuerence man Luc. 18 such as dedicate most of their golden time to paint and varnish an vgly face to deck and dresse a rotten filthy stinking carcasse The internall and externall worke and seruice of God together being the second part of piety and consisting both in the inward affections of the heart and outward gestures and actions of the body I reduce to these two duties The first is prayer vnto God the second is prayse and thankesgiuing vnto him for his benefits For as God is a most pure essence so will he be worshipped and serued with a pure and vncorrupt minde and voice The first of these duties is prayer which is so powerfull with God if it be put vp with a liuely faith a holy zeale and a penitent heart that as a learned Father saith Aug. Vincit inuincibilem it ouercomes the most inuincible God and so acceptable a messenger withall Io. 16.23 as that whatsoeuer we aske in faith we shall obtaine This opens the gates of Heauen at his pleasure and shuts them This ambassadour preuailes in what message soeuer it be sent Iac. 5.15 The Oracle of Inpiter Hammon being consulted by the Ambassadours of Athons why the Gods vntill that time bad giuen victory to the Lacedemonians and not to them answered That the cause was for that the prayers of the Lacedemonians were to them more pleasing then all the Sacrifices of the Graecians shewing what acceptance prayer had with God Epictetus Whence the wise and learned heathen was wont to say that if wee did rightly inuocate God it would come to passe that by his Angels he would admonish vs of the chiefest and best things Most high and wonderfull priuiledges are these but how may I a silly worme vnworthy to appeare in the presence of his maiesty and goodnesse frame my petition and suite to the great maiesty of God I will tell thee Learne of that most heauenly Teacher saying vnto thee when thou prayest say Luc. 11.1 Our Father which art in Heauen But if thou wilt not heare God himselfe teaching thee to pray learne of that heathen first to desire of God that he would graunt vnto thee Zenophon Vt sentias loquaris agas quae ipsi gratissima sunt That thou mayest vnderstand speake and doe the things that are to him most pleasing and to thy friends and common-wealth most glorious and profitable The second duty of the second part of piety is prayse and thanksgiuing vnto God for his benefits Of which I remember what Philo the Iewe writ That a certaine Prophet being demanded of God if hee desired any thing in this most beautifull frame of the World to the further perfection thereof answered that all things were most full perfect and excellent yet one thing hee required more Laudatorem horum sermonem A voice to set forth the praises of these things which answere so much pleased the Father of this vniuerse that not long after there was heard a most musicall sound and Harmony from that only virgin of all diuine powers Memory This is a principall part of the worke and seruice that God requires of vs namely that we remember and make knowne to the World how great his power wisedome and goodnesse is And who are these musitions these sweete singers that make such heauenly harmony in the eares of the Almighty but we mortall men of whom he requires this worshippe this seruice this goodnesse And what is this for so many benefites for so great goodnesse to vs Why are we so slow and negligent in this duty wherein the very birds of the ayre are so diligent Si luscinia essem saith the learned heathen Epictetus Facerem quod luscinia cum autem homo rationalis sim quid faciam Laudabo Deum nec cessabo vnquā vos verò vt idem faciatis hortor If I were a Nightingale I would do as the Nightingale doth but seeing I am a reasonable man what shall I doe I will prayse and magnify my God nor will I euer cease to do it and my counsell is that you should also doe the same For as Cyrus sayd well hee doth most easily obtaine his suite at Gods hands not who in aduersity flattereth him but who in a prosperous estate remembers him Yet all these excellent duties of goodnes and piety as the knowledge feare prayer and praise of God are but cadauera dead bodies and so they were in the hearts of all the Heathen whom God did not further inlighten except they be animated by a liuely faith and tempered with the liuely heate of the loue of God But when these two do make way for the worshippe and seruice of God and duties of sanctificatiō then is our knowledge feare prayer and praise full of life then is our seruice acceptable vnto him and not else What then ought Kings and mighty men of the earth to doe in this duty of prayse but with king Agesilaus if any prosperous thing befall them not to growe proud and contemne any man in respect of themselues but to giue thankes vnto God in whose hands are not onely the hearts of Kings but euen all that belongs vnto them What should the wise men of the world doe but with Socrates sacrifice vnto God euen for the fruits of the earth What should all men do Kings and Councell and Common people but with Cicero and the Romaines supplicate our good God and praise his blessed name for that hee hath deliuered Vrbem incendies ciues caede Italiam bello The City from burning the citizens from slaughter and Italy from warres when Catiline was vanquished Thus should wee bee affected in euery deliuerance yea in euery blessing not to think it is our owne wisedom or prouidence our owne bow sword our owne worth and vertue that procures these good things vnto vs and preserues vs from so many iudgements but the onely goodnesse of God and that to prouoke vs vnto this duty of goodnesse The second pillar of goodnes is probity and honesty of life which is as the lampe and light by which wee shew our piety goodnesse to the view of the world This is that grace by which in the things of this life wee behaue our selues aright as becommeth the children of God and this is of two sorts For first it either respects our selues and so these vertues belong vnto it fortitude temperance magnanimity patience continencie sobriety chastity parsimony Wherin I pray you obserue what is written of Pomponius Atticus one of the richest of all the Romanes yet Nemo illo minùs emax nemo minùs aedificator There was no man bought lesse no man built lesse then hee