Selected quad for the lemma: religion_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
religion_n	aaron_n	action_n	profession_n	16	3	8.4283	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A74691	The arraignment of ignorance: or, ignorance. With the causes and kinds of it; the mischiefes and danger of it, together with the cure of ignorance: as also, the excellency, profit, and benefit of heavenly knowledge, largely set forth from Hos. 4. 6. / By W. G. Minister of the word at Lymington in the County of South-hampton.	Gearing, William.	1659 (1659)	Wing G429; Thomason E1760_1; ESTC R209751	109,901	231

we want vessels to receive Gods gifts and graces Hoc est humilitatis miraculam ut elatio deorsum humilitas sursum tendat Aug. de Civit. 4. Dei lib. 1. cap. 13. for as full vessels will hold no more liquor so a soul stuffed with pride and vain glory cannot receive in nor hold Gods gifts graces the proud shut their windows and will not receive in the light of saving knowledge God is not so prodigal of his grace as to cast it in upon those that are not willing to entertain it heavenly mysteries are hid from the prudent but revealed unto babes This is a wonder of humility saith Augustine that pride tends downward humility upwards the more true knowledge a man hath the more he is sensible of his want of knowledge and that which he hath is nothing to what he wants Quest Now peradventure some may step in and ask me what shall we do with our knowledge having attained to a competent measure thereof Resp I shall shew you what is to be done with it Direct 1 As you know what to do so now you must do what you know put in practice what you know In Paradise there was a Tree of Life Rom. 2.20 Aliud est habere legem Dei in corde Aliud habere cor in lege legem in corde habent qui veritatem sciunt cor in lege habent qui veritatem diligunt as well as a Tree of Knowledge and as one saith well One apple of the Tree of Life is worth twenty of the Tree of Knowledge We read in Scripture that there is a form of Knowledge as well a form of godlinesse A form of knowledge is nothing else but an Idaea of truth floating in the brain that hath no influence on the heart or life like a Winters Sun which shines but warms not knowledge is as the eyes to direct us practice as the hands and feet to perform that direction knowledge alone is as the eyes without feet and hands and practice without a solid knowledge is as strong legs and nimble hands in a blind man light and life are best together if naked knowledge be sufficient 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 then the Devill is a most perfect creature who hath one name from the greatnesse of his knowledg all men in the world do come short of him in the knowledge of good and evill he knoweth good but not to love and seek it he knoweth evill but not to hate and flee from it his actions and affections are set close unto his knowledge as Devils are called understanding spirits Eph. 6. ●2 so also they are stiled spiritual wickednesse his serpentine subtilty hath purchased him the name of an intelligent spirit but his wickednesse calls him Sathan an enemy to God It is said of the Cherubins that there were hands under their wings Ezek. 1.8 The word Cherubin signifies light intimating where there is the light of knowledge there should be hands to put that light into practice The Egyptians in their Hieroglyphicks painted a tongus and an hand under it to shew that knowledge and speech is good when that which is known and spoken John 13.17 is put in practice If you know these things sayes our Saviour happy are you if you do them It is nothing for one to have the Trumpet at his lips as Gideons souldiers who hath not the Torch in his hand saith a Father Greg. Nax the voyce of Athanasius was a thunder-clap and his life a lightning flash saith he because words never thunder well if examples enlighten not True wisdome is a prudence of works not of words saith Cyprian He that knoweth to do good and doth it not to him it is sin It is a great sin not to know what thou doest Jam. 4.17 a greater not to do what thou knowest Grave est peccatum non scivisse quod facias gravius non fecisse quod scias Ambr. de offic lib. 2.20 saith Ambrose for as one saith at the last day we shall not be demanded Quid legimus sed quid egimus nec modo quid diximus sed quomodo viximus what we have read but what we have done nor so much what we have spoken as how we have lived Bernard Knowledge and practice must go together for else as the saying is true amongst the Philosophers that power is to none effect which is never produced into act So it is as true in Divinity that it is a vain and idle antention Frustrà est potentia quae nunquam preducitur in actum Scientia contemplativa practica contemplativa quae docet res sibi subjectas scire tantum contemplari enjus finis est ipsa cognitio hac sufficit in Metaphysicis Physicis Mathematicis altera practica seu activa dicitur quae non solùm dicet scire sed agere operari aliquid corum quae cagnoscimus hujus finis est actio haec requiritur in disciplinis Ethicis Oeconomicis Politicis Porter Physic lib. 1. cap. 5. August 83. Quaest that is never put in execution The end of knowing Gods will is to do it There is say the Philosophers contemplative and practical knowledg contemplative or speculative is that which teacheth a man to understand things in their own nature and only to contemplate whose end is bare knowledge and this is sufficient in Metaphysicks Physicks and Mathematicks Practical or active knowledge is that which not only teacheth a man to know but to do the things which he knowes the end of this knowledge is action and this is required in Disciplines Ethicks Oeconomicks Politicks and Religion consisteth not in a bare naked profession but in action and practice all the bells of Aarons garments ring out a loud peal of practice and it is the common tenent of all the Fathers that Religion consisteth not so much in the fine faire leaves of knowledge profession and good words as in the sound and savoury fruits of practice and good works Yea even some of the Heathen have taught this truth for Aristotle affirmeth that felicity or happinesse consisteth not in the Theory or Knowledge but in the practice of vertue a man that hath knowledge without practice is like a man that carrieth a Lanthorn behind him to give light to others but breaks his own shins or like Noabs Carpenters Lyraglos in Jac. 1.22 that made an Ark to save others but were drowned themselves Lyra observeth that as that Physick is vain that doth not purge the bad humours and procure the health of the body so that knowledg is no better that mak●● no amendment upon the soule Aristotle in his Ethicks saith that such as content themselves with the naked knowledge of moral vertue and go no farther caring not to practice it are not unlike to such as consult with and ask the advice of Phyficians concerning their bodily diseases but care not for having them administer or apply any thing to

face in this Life and our Heaven upon Earth And now Reader if thou art in an ignorant estate and one who art willing to be brought to the sense of thy ignorance and blindnesse and so to come to him who is the Light of the World Then say I to thee as Jehu to Jonadab Give me thy hand and thou and I shall quickly accord and thou shalt be a fit and welcome Reader to this poor Treatise and I hope I have written that which shall be both for thy satisfaction and comfort I have here laboured for such plainnesse as might best informe thy judgement and affect thy heart purposely avoyding that unnecessary artificialnesse which might make it like those Spiders webs to which one once compared Logick which are said to be much in workmanship 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but in profit nothing My hearty desire is if the will of the Lord be so to do a double good with these my poor labours and therefore to write the same things which at first I Preached to my own Congregation it is not grievous I have here for the Common good changed my tongue Solet apertior esse sermo vivus quā scriptus Bernar. into a pen though a dead letter be of lesse effectuall perswasion than a lively voice The scope of this Treatise is to bring-men out of darknesse into the true light and to shew them how to walke in the direction of that light That is the best knowledge which is of God the chiefest good a knowledge that suffereth least alteration in the hour of death but onely admitteth of a graduall change advancing to perfection All other knowledge then will vanish away this is the knowledge according to godlinesse whereunto I labour in this small Treatise to stirre thee up that knowing God in a saving way thou mayest live in him and walke in communion with him The knowledge of God in Christ is the pith and marrow of Christian Religion and Profession which whosoever wanteth he is but the shadow of a Christian though he abound with all other knowledge If this that I have now done shall be acceptable to the Church and People of God and be any thing though but Goates haire towards the Lords Sanctuary I shall rejoyce and give God the glory and the Reader may expect a Treatise from me on another Subject in some short time the Lord assisting me In the mean time if thou reape any benefit to thy soul by these my Labours let God have all the glory and me a share in thy prayers I shall conclude with that of Austin who having in his Books of Christian Doctrine propounded the Rule of Christian Faith yet notwithstanding thus concludeth To such as understand not what I write I answer they must not blame me if they conceive not these things as if I shewed them with my finger the Moon or a Starre which they would see being not very clear and if they have not eyes to see my finger much lesse a Starre they must not be offended at me if they see it not So they who reading these things cannot yet see the things which in the Scripture are darke and obscure let them cease to blame me and rather pray to the Lord to give them eye-sight for I may point with my finger but cannot give them eyes to see the things that I point to Now that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ Eph. 1.17 18. the Father of Glory may give unto you the spirit of wisdome and revelation in the knowledge of him the eyes of your understanding being opened that you may know what is the hope of his Calling and what the Riches of the Glory of his Inheritance in the Saints I shall not cease to pray and rest Thine in the Lord. W. G. THE ARRAIGNMENT OF IGNORANCE From Hos 4.6 My people are destroyed for lack of Knowledge IN the three foregoing Chapters were typical Prophesies in this fourth and in the following Chapters are plain Oracles and predictions not covered with Types This Chapter is a sharp Sermon to the ten Tribes the beginning whereof consisteth 1 In a citation of them to Gods tribunal Hear ye the Word of the Lord ye children of Israel for the Lord hath a controversie with the inhabitants of the Land v. 1. as if he should say Seeing ye set at nought and lightly esteem all the admonitions of the Prophets I cite you by Gods appointment to his tribunal to hear the controversie which he hath with you and most of the inhabitants of the land 2. In an accusation of them for their sins he accuseth them for their sins against their Neighbour and against God 1. He chargeth them with their sins against their Neighbour which he sets down in two things want of Truth want of Mercy There is no truth nor mercy in the land ver 1. Righteousnesse is there understood for truth by a Synecdoche There is no truth that is there is no righteousnesse and justice in the land and by mercy is understood bountifulnesse and liberality to those that are in misery this also was not to be found in the land though there were many objects of mercy yet there were none that would put on bowels of mercy 2. He chargeth them with their sins against God and the first and leading sin is their Ignorance of God there is no knowledge of God in the Land in this sixth verse the Prophet aggravateth this sin of theirs shewing that ignorance is the cause of their destruction My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge In the words there are three things to be observed 1. The persons of whom the Lord speaks his own people not strangers but his people that were in covenant with him not of his elect people neither but of those that were his people in outward profession My people whether it be referred to God or to the Prophet some make a question but whether that affix meus be referred to God or to the Prophet an opposition is here and elswhere made to other people that were not Gods people and had not the Prophets for their Monitors This word my signifies propriety they are called Gods people 1. Because God had called them to be his peculiar people from all people of the earth Amos 3. ● and the Lord had entred into covenant with them to become their God c. 2. They had the Word and Sacraments and sacrifices among them and to them were committed the Oracles of God they and they only had the knowledge of the true God among them Rom. 3.2 3. Of them came many holy Prophets and Patriarchs that were men in great favour with the Lord. 4. The Lord wrought many signs wonders and miracles among them 5. They had many visions prophesies dreams and revelations from God 6. The Messiah was promised to descend of that Nation and in particular of the Tribe of Judah These were the priviledges of the people of God which