Selected quad for the lemma: world_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
world_n	knowledge_n	light_n	shine_v	2,465	5	9.1921	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A01724	Foure sermons vpon the seuen chiefe vertues or principall effectes of faith and the doctrine of election: wherein euerie man may learne, whother he be Gods childe or no. Preached at Malden in Essex by Master George Gifford, penned from his mouth, and corrected and giuen to the Countesse of Sussex, for a Newyeeres gift.	Gifford, George, d. 1620.; Josua, Richard.	1582 (1582)	STC 11858; ESTC S118830	40,121	112

excellent shoulde moue vs but dealeth with vs as with those which are lumpish and dul needing many spurres to bee pricked forwarde withall and all litle enough let vs bee careful therefore to take heede to that hee saieth If these things be with you abound they will make c. In this 8. verse hee beginneth to shew the commodities which shal redounde vnto vs if wee so giue our diligence that wee may bee richly decked with these graces they wil make you saith the Apostle that yee shal not bee idle nor vnfruiteful in the acknowledging of our Lorde Iesus Christe It is a shameful thing when GOD hath shewed himselfe vnto vs in his Sonne hath called vs into his seruice out of miserable bondage for vs to bee ydle and vnfruiteful If the Lorde haue planted vs if he haue dressed vs then as it is also said by our sauiour Christ Iohn 15. Herein is my father glorified that ye goe and bring foorth much fruite Then it is by this place very apparant that a man may draw out a sure an infallible argument against all those whiche are idle and slouthful in the profession of religion and as they say key colde or slack in the worship seruice of god or vnfruitful in good workes namely that they are graceles voide of faith those vertues which doe euer accompany the same for when Saint Peter saith if these things bee with you they wil make that ye shal not be idle nor vnfruitful it foloweth necessarily that such as bee idle which ariseth for want of zeale or bee vnfruitful continuing in their sinnes it is because they did neuer yet come to the true knowledge of Ch●ist they may wel bost thēselues of their strong faith make a braue shewe of their skil sine wit so that men might think there were some deepe thing in them that they shold be able euē to iudge giue aright verdit in al matters but a man reading but euen this place finding them ydle and vnfruitful yea euen a simple man shal easily sounde them to the bottome and say of them that they haue not as yet knowne or learned Christe because they want those former thinges Wee must note this also when hee saith If these thinges abounde in you this is that wee should not content our selues with a scant and bare measure of faith of vertue of knowledge and of the rest as he setteth them downe but we must labour to haue a dayly increase for that must bee gathered by this that he pricketh forwarde these ripe and grounded men A doctrine most necessary to be vrged because if men haue gone two or three steppes or haue once a litle begunne to labour about these thinges so that they can looke backe and see some come behinde them or can say I thanke God I knowe somewhat I hope that I am not without faith somewhat there is which I haue done that I would be loth to doe againe they by and by persuade themselues that they are sufficiently furnished so that they wil not sticke to say I trust I haue that which shall serue the turne Naye the Apostle telleth vs an other thing heere from the Lord that is that we must ouerflow in these and abounde and truth it is that these men which thinke they bee well fraught and so seeke for no further increase of store haue as yet nothing for if they had once founde the sweete of these thinges and seene withall that they are farre behind and in beggerly need they would neuer content themselues with so little for who is hee which feeleth increase in worldlye treasure that wil crie hoe and say I haue enough Is there lesse in the heauenly treasures to drawe men to like them than in the earthy Or is it because men doe not knowe them Wee must learne to take heede of such therefore as woulde beare men in hande that it is sufficient yea that it is the best of al for men to content thēselues with some ciuil honestie and not to seeke and weerie their mindes to gaine knowledge But these were neuer as yet the men which might bee right called the schollers of Christe much lesse wee are to deeme them worthie masters or teachers of others when they goe flat contrary to the holy Apostle of Christe who willeth to seek for so great abundance when as they would contēt themselues and persuade others to bee contented with scant a shadowe of these thinges which shoulde bee so plentifully founde in them Notwithstanding some are so blinde that hauing no shadow or shewe at al of goodnesse yet thinke they bee gone farre enough In the next verse where hee saith Hee that hath not these thinges is blinde and seeth not a farre of and hath forgotten that he was purged from his olde sinnes hee setteth forth the discommodities which follow the want of these vertues And this hee doth because some man wil be litle mooued to heare that commoditie which hee spake of and wil say what care I though I bee idle What care I though I bee vnfruitful I will not goe about to be better thē other men what should I labour to excel those which are wiser then I If then they wil not regard this that these vertues wil make them excellent seruants of God yet let them consider what the Apostle maketh them without the same where hee affirmeth them first to bee blinde a very miserable thing in the bodily sight muche more in the spirituall which hee here meaneth when God hath so cleerely reuealed himself in the face of his sonne in the knowledge which bringeth saluation that the God of this worlde as Saint Paule speaketh 2. Cor. 4. should so blinde their minds that the light of the glorious Gospel of Christe which is the image of God shoulde not shine vnto them Secondly he saith they cannot see a farre of or that they be poreblinde for such as haue the beames of sight scattering or spreading a sunder so soone as they be out of the eye cā see wel enough iust by them but not a farre of to these S. Peter doth compare those men But it may be asked what he meaneth first to say they be starke blinde afterward to attribute some sight vnto them It may seeme by this worde that hee maketh their cause not so euil as before he had saide it was yes euen as euill for he saith as much in this worde as he did in the other for when he saith They cannot see a farre of hee taketh from them al sight of heauenly thinges which are remoued from vs seene only by faith hee doeth not denie them the sight of those things which are at hand because they haue a good and a sharpe sight in the thinges of this worlde for the most part better then they which can see a far of But what are these quicke wits the better whē they are but for this world and their condition no