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
A20547	A plaine and familiar exposition of the eleuenth and twelfth chapters of the Prouerbes of Salomon	Dod, John, 1549?-1645.; Cleaver, Robert, 1561 or 2-ca. 1625. aut	1607 (1607)	STC 6957; ESTC S109740	155,503	198

their case the better Verse 30. The fruit of the righteous is as a tree of life and hee that winneth soules is wise THe meaning of these words is that a godly man is very plentifull in bringing forth fruit and his fruite exceeding profitable to them that receiue it Especially his instructions consolations prayers other spirituall meanes that he vseth to conuert or confirme the hearts of his brethren And he himself also is not without the fruit of his owne fruit which is intimated here by pronouncing him wise that winneth soules that is which with desire and indeuour faithfully and discreetly by Gods owne meanes according to his place and calling either doth draw men out of their sinnes and ignorance or else faileth of successe therein not by his negligence and want of loue but rather by their stubbornesse and want of will And herewith the Prophet doth satisfie himselfe whatsoeuer should bee the issue of his ministerie Now saith the Lord that formed me from the wombe to bee his seruant that I may bring Iacob againe to him though Israel be not gathered Isai 49. 4. yet shall I be glorious in the eyes of the Lord and my God shall be my strength On the other side wee dare not take vpon vs to iustifie the hearts and states of all those which haue been occasions of any mans conuersion if it bee not their fruite nor to extenuate the efficacie of euery vnregenerate mans ministerie that his doctrine should winne none to saluation It is graunted without question or gainesaying that he may prepare before and build vp after and we remember not any such stint or restraint spoken of but that he may also cōuert especially before his life is stained with any sinfull behauiour that might bring his ministerie into contempt The power of preaching standeth in the ordinance of God by the worke of his spirit and not in the person of the messenger that doth publish it Doct. Of all people none doe so much good as the godly Looke how farre the tree of life which was the best in paradise excelled all the brambles and briers which are the worst on the wild wast so farre doe such as feare God surmount the godlesse in goodnes In the first Psalme religious men which giue themselues to the exercise of pietie are compared to trees that yeeld the most and best and ripest fruite and sinful men which giue themselues to the practise of vanity are likened to chaffe or rather the dust of chaffe Psal 1. 3. which is good for nothing In the second of the Canticles the godly are resembled to the most beautifull and pleasant lilies Cant. 2. 2. which yeeld delight to those that gather them and the wicked to thornes or thistles which doe annoy those that meddle with them In other places of scripture the seruants of God are called sheepe which for lambe and fleece and flesh and euery other way are commodious insomuch that they make the very ground the better which they fit vpon and the slaues of sinne are called by the names of Wolues and Foxes and such kinde of beasts which are very hurtfull and be readie to doe mischiefe wheresoeuer they come In what respect the fruite of the righteous is so profitable it will appeare by the proportion it hath with the tree of life whereunto it is compared Reasons 1 First in regard of the cause it is said that it groweth by the riuer of life whose waters feede the roote Reue. 22. 22. thereof and the roote sendeth vp the sap and the sap sendeth out the fruite And so the good which a good man doth ariseth not from his wit nor naturall disposition nor fleshly wisedome but springeth from the word and spirit of God in his heart Gal. 5. 22. Secondly as touching the manner thereof it is said that it is continually bearing without stay or failing not once a yeere but once in a moneth not in sommer only but in winter also and euery time new kinds of fruit and not of one sort alone as it falleth out commonly with other trees for in them the same branch neuer varieth the kind and that rotteth not nor droppeth downe Ezech. 47. 12. with ripenesse In like sort doth the spirit of grace make Gods children constant in well doing and that also in performance of many dueties according to the varietie of occasions and opportunities offered They ioyne vertue with their faith and with vertue knowledge and with knowledge temperance and with temperance 1. Pet. 1. 5. 6. patience and with patience godlines and with godlines brotherlie kindnes and with brotherly kindnes loue If they see the members of Mat. 25. 35. 36 Christ hungrie they giue them meate if thirstie they giue them drinke if naked they clothe them if they bee strangers they lodge them if they be sicke they visite them if they be in prison they come vnto them c. Thirdly for the effect the tree of life was for meate and the leaues for medicine and both for life and no lesse vertue proceedeth from righteous persons their lippes doe feede many their tongues are whole some their instructions are as a welspring of life to Prou. 10. 21. turne away from the snares of death Pro. 13. 14. Vse 1 Admonition for euery one to search his wayes and to trie his state by this rule If thou be a fruitefull tree thou art a righteous man if thou be giuen to shew mercie thou canst not be vnfruitfull if thy labour bee to kill sinne and to helpe mens soules to euerlasting life then who can denie thee to bee truely mercifull In this case though the diuell come roaring with grieuous accusations though he would perswade thee that thou art an hypocrite and they would perswade others that thou art an arrogant proud person yet be not dismaied at the matter Satan saith that thou bearest a dissembling heart but god seeth that thou liuest a sincere life They impute thy speeches and other behauiour to pride and vaine glorie but thine owne soule knoweth that they proceede from loue and vnfained faithfulnesse And let this be spoken for thy comfort that shall neuer faile thee that those which are trees of life to men are trees of delight to God himselfe and he is nothing lesse pleased with them than his people are benefited by them And so the Apostle saith they please God in all things which are fruitfull in all good workes And so doth Col. 1. 10. Christ speake of his Church and the members thereof in Salomons songs My sister my spouse is as a garden inclosed Thy plants Cant. 4. 12. 13. 14. are as an orchard of Pomegranets with sweete fruits as Camphire Spikenard and Saffron Calamus and Cinamon with all trees of Incense Myrrhe and Aloes with all the chiefe spices But if thou bee fruitlesse thou art voide of righteousnes and so destitute of Gods fauour and thine owne safetie For vnfruitfull trees hath God

skins when thornes will take vpon them to be vines when thistles will be figge trees and euill workers haue the place of Prophets then our Sauiour admonisheth vs to looke to our selues and take heede of them Secondly consolation if wee corrupt not others with our tongues but rather vse them to heale the corrupted this declareth that we are neither openly wicked in behauiour nor secretly hypocriticall in heart for a holesome tongue is euermore a certaine note of an vpright conscience Doct. 2 But the righteous c. Though the tongue of the wicked be a deadly weapon to doe hurt yet the knowledge of the godly is a defensiue armour to preserue him from it The medicine which Saint Peter doth prescribe with his caueat to auoide the delusions of subtill seducers doth after a sort make a promise of remedie against them to such as shall carefully receiue it Beware saith he least ye he plucked away with the error of the wicked and fall from your owne stedfastnes But grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ 2. Pet. 3. 17. 18. Reasons 1 First Ignorance is that which giueth entertainement to errors and all sound knowledge excludeth them out of dores Whom doth the foolish woman or folly her selfe call to her feast but such as are simple Whom doth she vtter her minde vnto but to Prou. 9. 16. such as are destitute of vnderstanding And whom doe the lurking corner-creepers so much pray vpon as simple women laden with sinnes and lead with diuers lusts Secondly men of knowledge haue their wits exercised to discerne betweene good and euill betweene light and darkenes betweene the seruants of God and the workers of iniquitie They beare the image of God and therefore know the image of God where it is and see the defects of it where it is not They carrie a light within them whereby they are able to discouer the doctrines of falsehoode which are contrarie to the trueth and the workes of darkenes which are contrarie to holines and therefore can reiect them both Thirdly the sound knowledge of Christians is not onely a shield to warde off all detestable errors and damnable heresies that they seduce not the mind but also a preseruatiue to expell all flattering inticements and sinfull suggestions that they corrupt not the heart And that the holy Ghost doth expressely promise in this booke to euery one that doth loue and labour for knowledge When wisedome entreth into thine heart and knowledge delighteth thy soule then shall counsell preserue thee and vnderstanding shall keepe thee and deliuer thee from the euill way and from the man that speaketh froward things and from them that leaue the waies of righthousnesse to walke in the waies of darkenesse which reioyce in doing euill and delight in the frowardnesse of the wicked Prou. 2. 10 11 12 13 14. Vse 1 Encouragement to vse diligence by all good meanes in all Gods ordinances appoynted to that end to get vnderstanding and righteousnesse since our neede thereof is so great and the vse so good Neither wealth nor wit nor any other thing can stand vs in so good steede for the preseruation of our hearts as these doe For they all without those are treacherous and deceitfull ready alwaies to betray vs and open the dores to let in flatterie and corruption but these haue faithfulnesse and courage and power and constancie to stand for the defence of our soule to the end Though there should come neuer so many bands and armies of Satanicall and hellish hypocrites and euery mans mouth were a a musket or cannon to send out most mortal and deadly poyson yet if we be armed with these graces we neede not to feare them The Antichristian deceiuer cannot illude them that haue receiued 2. Thes 2. 10. the knowledge and loue of the truth The false Christs shall Matth. 24. 24. not deceiue the elect as being protected by Gods power and furnished with holy vnderstanding The diuell himselfe with all Ephes 6. his fierie darts and temptations shall be resisted and driuen backe by those that haue on the breast-plate of righteousnesse and the other pieces of Gods complete armour The Lord Iesus by the sound knowledge of the sacred Scriptures hath alreadie repulsed and turned him to flight and putteth the same weapon into our hands with strength and power to pursue him Conuiction of them that are drawne away by euery iugler and sinfull companion The Iesuites and Seminaries the heretickes and traytors may disgorge their stomackes and vomit vp their venome into their bosomes and they haue neither hand nor heart nor tongue to reiect them but suffer themselues to bee carried to errours to heresies to idolatrie to conspiracies to treasons to rebellions to shamefull executions to fearefull damnation Therefore they were not righteous therefore they wanted knowledge therefore they were naked and destitute of all defensiue armour And here come also to bee taxed as friends to corruption all they that are enuious to vnderstanding and the meanes thereof which thinke it so much the more dangerous to seeke for by how much there are more which goe about to deceiue But this hath been sufficiently spoken of in the sixteenth verse of the ninth chapter especially in the vse Verse 10. In the prosperitie of the righteous the citie reioyceth and when the wicked perish there is ioy IN the prosperitie of the righteous that is when things goe well with thē the citie reioyceth that is the honest and well disposed citizens and countrie men be inwardly glad and outwardly declare their ioy by cheerfull countenance and speeches and other meanes as opportunitie serueth to expresse the same And so doe they also at the death and ouerthrow of oppressours and tyrants and other wicked persons by whose fall the people rise and whose ruine is the repaire of the citie Doct. 1 Good men haue not onely Gods hand to giue them good things but godlie mens hearts to bee ioyfull for them When Mordecai was aduanced the citie of Shushan reioyced and was Hest 8. 15. glad And when the Lord shewed his great mercie on Zacharie and Elizabeth in giuing them a sonne their kinsfolke and neighbours Luk. 1. 58. came and reioyced with them Reasons First the prouidence of God hath the disposing of all mens affections he deriueth their loue and their hatred their liking and loathing to euery one as seemeth best to his owne wisedome And he hath appointed by decree in his counsell by precept in his word and by working of his spirit that godly men shall bee well affected towards the godly and Christians shall bee tender hearted one towards another Secondly they are all members of one bodie and therefore a sympathy and fellow feeling of one anothers state is mutually among them If one suffer all suffer with it if one member be had in honour all the members reioyce with it 1. Cor. 12. 26. Thirdlie it is well knowne