Selected quad for the lemma: evil_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
evil_n	good_a	know_v	knowledge_n	3,077	5	7.3450	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A67742	Carnal reason, or The wisdom of the flesh how foolish, deceitful, dangerous, reprobate and divilish; together with rectified reason, or the wisdom of the spirit, how divine, transcendent, safe, profitable and delightful: as also, how many was at first created; how he is now corrupted, and how he may be again restored: being three fundamental principles of Christian religion; which few do indeed know; and yet he who knows them not, cannot be saved. By Junius Florilegus. Licensed and entred according to order.	Younge, Richard.	1669 (1669)	Wing Y142; ESTC R218076	22,612	22

Celestial and Eternal Kingdom and weight of superabundant Glory in Heaven where are such joy as eye hath not seen nor ear heard nor can ever enter into the heart of man conceive 1 Cor. 2.9 Why else do ninety nine parts of all the me● in the Nation as we may conjecture all their life long walk in 〈◊〉 broad way which leads to destruction and resuse the narrow wa● which leadeth unto life Mat. 7.13 14. 1 John 5.19 Revel 20.8 Yea which makes their case much more miserable and deplor●ble and as one would think should make their sin unpardonable So far are they from obeying Christs Precepts in the Gosp●● themselves that they will hate scoff at and persecute others that do an● that for their so doing Again We are all born into the world guilty of High-Treason against t● great King of Heaven and earth and withal condemned to suffer eternal to●ments in Hell fire being onely reprieved for a time to see if we will sue o● our pardon in Christ Rom. 5.12 to 21. And God by his Ambassadors ●● the Ministry daily offers every of us a pardon the remission of o●● sins by the blood of his Son and the Kingdom of Heaven freely upon the condition of Faith and Repentance which is such a spectacle 〈◊〉 unspeakable mercy as might ravish our Souls with admiration God says S. Bernard so loved his Son that he gave him all the wor●● for his possession Psal. 2.8 but he so loved the world that he gave Son a●● all for its Redemption But alas most men will not yea very few amongst us will be redeemed by him or accept of a pardon from him They will choose r●ther to serve Satan that bloody devouring Dragon and vowed enemy of all mankind Mark it I beseech you for I have to do with unreasonable m● as the Apostle stiles all that have not faith 2 Thess 3.2 God hath give his only Son and his Son his own precious blood to purchase us life an● salvation and every day makes us gracious offers thereof b●● men will not accept of salvation Yea they are so remote from yielding or submitting that li●● blind beasts or mad men they run upon Gods judgements as Balaam 〈◊〉 upon the swords point in the Angels hand and yet are so far from be●●g afraid that they applaud their own wisdom for giving such li●erty to their lusts thinking that no men in the world enioy the 〈◊〉 freedom when indeed their bondage is much worse than the ●ruel and tyrannical bondage and slavery of Egypt Here is Blockishness with a witness onely the multitude of their ●●mpanions in this their foolish frenzy is the strongest testimo●● they have to prove themselves in their right minds And to ●●monish them is to no more purpose than if one should speak to ●●●ess stones or senseless plants or witless beasts for they will never fear ●●y thing till they be in Hell fire Wherefore God leaves them to ●●confuted with fire and brimstone since nothing else will do it Now these things considered what can any indifferent man ●●●nk As that the road to Hell a place so woful and dolorous ●ould be so exc●●edinglw thronged and the way to Heaven a place 〈◊〉 blessed and glorious should be almost wholly neglected Mat. 13.14 1 Iohn 5.19 Rev 20.8 That Christ should lay down his life 〈◊〉 ransom and redeem men from infinite intolerable and inter●●nable torments and to purchase for them such pleasures as ne●●● entred into the heart of man to conceive and yet Satan that bloody ●●vouring Dragon and vowed enemy of all mankinde should have ●●ore Servants and Volunteers than Christ and they do far more ●●r him than Christs Servants do for their Lord Rev. 3.4 13.16 ●om 10.16 That Men supposed rational should resolve to destroy ●●emselves that they should love damnation that they should 〈◊〉 their own souls as well as holiness and the holy God and ●●sor sin and vanity such a wretched emptiness This is the great●●● folly and frenzy imaginable this above all deserves bitter la●●ntation Yea what Sea of blood is enough to bemoan this fool● wicked and desperate madness And yet this is most mens ●epth of brain And thus it fares with all willful and impenitent ●●●ners who as we may probably conjecture are ninety nine ●●rts of all the men in this Nation if the word of God may be ●●ought worthy to determine it for which see Luke 12.32 Mat. 7. ●14 20.16 22.14 1 Iohn 5.19 Rom. 9.17 10.16 Revel ●● 16 20. 8. Isa. 53.1 The consideration whereof would ●●ze any one that is in his right wits Yea how is it possible ●●t the reasonable soul of man let him be professedly barba●●us should be capable of such a Monster Yet search the Scriptures ●●consider the reasons which follow and you will no less wonder ●●w it should be otherwise The reasons are many I 'll give you the ●●incipal First Man sinned away his light when he sinned against his light We 〈◊〉 lost the prerogative of our first creation by Adams eating the forbidden fruit and were thereby deprived of all other spiritual an● divine priviledges and endowments wherewith we were befo●● invested Gen. 3. Rom. 5.12 to 21. Indeed it was Satans brag to our fi●● Parents if you will eat the forbidden fruit ye shall be as Gods to know go●● and evil Gen. 3. But therein he proved himself the Father of 〈◊〉 Cheats and Lyars for instead of Gods they became Beasts yea D●vils and instead of knowing what was good and what evil they an● we who were in their loyns and were to stand or fall with them not onely lost our true knowledge of good and evil but we a● become so reprobate in our judgements that we mostly think go●● to be evil and evil to be good as you have in part heard and as I sha●● in the ensuing pages further acquaint you We read Genesis the first that God made us after his own Image wit● perfection of all true wisdom holiness and righteousness writin● his Law in our hearts and giving us ability to obey and fulfil th● same in every point so that man was created very good did fully clearly and perfectly know the whole will and works of his Maker was able out of the integrity of his soul and fitness of a● the powers fully willingly and chearfully to love observe an● obey his Maker in every tittle and circumstance he required an● to love his neighbour as himself Insomuch that neither the mind di● conceive nor the heart desire nor the body put in execution an● thing but that which was acceptable and well pleasing to God as those Scriptures do plainly shew Gen. 1.26 27 30. Eccles. 7.29 Rom. 2.18 15. But by giving credit to Satan and by eating the forbidden fruit the● and we with them not onely lost our blessed communion wit● our Maker had the Image of God forthwith abolished and blotted out but in the place of wisdom pow●r

Whence God in judgement gives them the Spirit of slumber Eyes that they should not see and ears that they should not hear Rom. 11.2 yea shuts up their eyes Isaiah 6.9 10. And blinds their mindes John 1● 40 and delivers them up to walk in their own counsels Jer. 9.14 And to strong delusions that they should believe lies and to a reprobate minde Rom. 1.28 Isaiah 6.9 10. Mat. 13.15 And lastly God in justice delivers them up to Satan the Prince of darkness so to be further blinded that the light of the glorious Gospel of Christ shall not shine unto them Psalm 69.23 Ephes. 2.2.2 Cor. 4.3 4. 2 Thess. 9 10. By all which you may see what a pitiful Chimera the Natural man is especially touching his knowledge in spiritual things and for the good of his soul. But hear also what the same Word speaks of the Regenerate I will give you their Character also in the very words of the Holy Ghost I pray minde them It is said that God circumciseth the hearts of his children that believe in him and of stony hearts makes them fleshy and soft Ezek. 11.19 Rom. 2.29 yea he takes away the stony hearts out of their bodies and giveth them new hearts Ezek. 36 26 even putting a new spirit into them Ezekiel 11.19 Besides he so farther softens them that they become like melting wax Psalm 22.14 Then opens them to hear and receive his Word Acts 16.14 1 Sam. 10.26 yea he washeth them from wickedness Ier. 4.14 Cleansath them Psalm 73.13 Purifies them by faith Acts 15.9 and sheds his love ●●r●ad in their hearts by the Holy Ghost Rom. 5.5 And having thus prepared them he writes his Law in their hearts Ier. 31.33 Heb. 8.10 10.16 and puts in them such a filial fear of his name that they shall never i●part from him Ier. 32.40 Whence they are said by the Holy Ghost to be pricked in their hearts Acts 2.37 to set and apply their hearts to understand his Precepts Prov. 2.2 Dan. 10.11 12. and to seek him with their whole hearts Psalm 1.2 To have per●eiving hearts Deut. 29 4. To lay up his word in their hearts Psalm 119.11 yea to have it written in them Psalm 37.31 and to keep his Commandments 〈◊〉 their hearts Proverbs 3.1 4.21 to have contrite hearts Psalm 14.18 Repenting hearts Rom. 2.5 Faithful and believing hearts Rom. ●0 9 Willing hearts Exodus 35.5 Meek lowly and humble hearts Mat. ●3 to 6. ●1 25 to have stedfast Isaiah 38.3 stable Heb. 13.9 rise Prov. 18.15 and understanding hearts 1 Kings 3.12 to have sin●hearts Ephes. 6.5 sincere hearts Gen. 20.5 true hearts Heb. 10.22 ●●est and good hearts Luke 8.15 pure hearts 1 Pet. 1.22 Matth. 5.8 clean hearts Psalm 51.10 and perfect hearts 1 Kings 8.61 Psalm 101.2 Isaiah 38.3 And what can be further said in praise of men But ●ake another instance Secondly As the Regenerate and Unregenerate differ in their ●●arts so no less in their sight and knowledge of spiritual things whence God is said to open the eyes of Believers Isaiah 42.7 Acts 26.18 To see the wonders of his Law Psalm 119.18 yea he gives them the spirit of Wisdom and Revelation to teach them all needful truths Ephes. 1.17 1 Cor. 2.10 whence they are said to have their eyes in their heads and open Eccles. 2.14 to have seeing and enlightned eyes Ephes. 1.18 and called children of the light and of the day 1 Thess. 5.5 counted a sober wise knowing and understanding people Deut. 4.6 and that increase in knowledge daily Prov. 4.18 and many the like expressions mentioned in the Word which I purposely omit Which being so were the same but truly believed rightly applied and seriously considered as O that men would but believe the Word of God to be Gods Word who would not long for and strive after such a condition What rare and incomparable Priviledges are these that the Regenerate man enjoys over what the Natural man does Can there be a greater difference between beasts and men or between the living and the dead than there is between the one and the other No. Onely the Sensualist perceive● it not therefore he desires not to become so wise so happy And if ever they do it must be the gift of God alone In the mean time if it be so that so long as we remain in our Natural condition we have eyes and see not ears and hear not hearts and understand not spiritual things as Christ himself plainly affirms Mat. 13.15 and his Apostle Acts 28.27 and before them both the Prophet Isaiah Chap. 6.9 10. and that we are onely bent to follow the ways of our own hearts Isaiah 57.17 which are deceitful above all things Ier. 17.9 And that these men have so lost the Prerogative of their Creation that they are become Beasts in condition if by nature they are blind deaf drunk mad yea stark dead in sin and in soul. How is it possible they should know bolieve and live a● Christ in his Gospel requires which is so Divine Spiritual and Supernatural so holy just and good Rom 7.12 Again If men by Nature are become Beasts and Serpents as th● Word Gods Dictionary who can give most congruous names to Natures every where stiles them how can any wise man wonder tha● these men should refuse a pardon when offered them That they should prefer Satans service before Christs choose Hell and refuse Heaven c. Yea● how should it be otherwise when their judgements are becom● so reprobate that touching spiritual things they altogether o● mostly judge by the rule of contraries esteeming good evil and evi● good put darkness for light and light for darkness bitter for sweet an● sweet for bitter They justifie the wicked and condemn the just as the Prophet affirms Isaiah Chap. 5.20 23. And so much of the secon● Reason But to these we may adde 3. Every man is born stark dead in sins and trespasses You hath he quickne● says the Apostle to his converted Ephesians that were dead in sins and tre●passes Ephes. 2.1 By one man sin entred into the World and death by si● and so death passed upon all men in whom all have sinned Rom. 5.12 to 2● O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from the body of this death Rom. 17.14 to 2● As in Adam all dye 1 Cor. 15.21 22. Briefly we are not onely dead in sin but so burified in the grave of long custom that we cannot so much as stir the least joynt no not so much as feel 〈◊〉 own deadness nor desire life but resist all means tending thereunto except God be pleased to raise and restore our souls from the death of sin and grave of long custom to the life of Grace Now you know that a dead cond●tion is an insensible condition The dead are not frighted with fire and brimstone the dead hear not though God be on Mount Eball thnudring curses upon curses the dead feel not though that

which is ●●●vier than Mountains of Lead be lying on their backs Nor can it be expected that dead persons should be able to choose the good and refuse the evil Those that are dead tell them of everlasting burnings they fear it ●t Offer them everlasting joys they value them not Again This may serve to inform you why they are never troubled for their sins be they as wicked as Heliogabalus was who ●●vented all new vices he could and destroyed the memory of all ancient vir●●●s How many men live as if the Gospel were quite contrary ●o the rule of the Law As if God were neither to be feared nor ●ared for as if they were neither beholding to him nor stood ●●aw of him both out of his debt and danger yea as if there were no God to judge nor Hell to punish nor Heaven to reward That 〈◊〉 even make a trade of sin and live as if they had no souls to ●●ve Such as have shaken out of their hearts the fear of God the 〈◊〉 of the world the love of Heaven and the dread of Hell not once ●uring what is thought or ●poken of them here nor what becomes ●f them hereafter yet nevertheless be their sins never so many ●nd innumerable for multitude never so great and hainous for ●●ality and magnitude not one of these sins ever trouble them ●●a they can find wherewith to boast of As that they are no dissemblers yea they hate the hypocrisie of Professors they do not ●●stifie themselves and despise others like the Puritans they are ●ot factious singular censorious c. they pay every man his ●wn and do no man wrong they love an honest man with their ●earts c. and as touching their Faith in Christ they never doubt●d in all their lives a plain confession that they ●re strangers to ●aith for he who never doubted never believed nor were they ever ●●oubled in mind as many scrupulous fools are an evident proof ●hat Satan the strong man keeps possession whereby all is quiet and in peace ●esides which strikes the nail up to the head they are no Changlings ●●ey are the same they were ever a plain confession that they are ●et 〈◊〉 Devils children 〈◊〉 But this is not all for admit these blind Sensualists are so no●●riously vicious that Sata● cannot cover their sins or totally ●●ind them rath●r than own their own wicked●ess they will plead the goodness of their hearts desires meanings As whatsoever thier words and actions be they thank God they have as good hearts and mean as well as the best As commonly they think best of themselves that have least cause Nor can the best Preacher alive ever bring them off of that cursed principle of nature laid down Revel 3. They are rich and wise and good enough and want nothing when indeed they are wretched and miserable and poor and b●ind and naked of all spiritual endowments Verse 17.1 Tim. 6.4 onely they want eyes to see the same And no wonder for Satan who is the God of this World and the Princ● of Darkness Ephes. 2 2. so rules in the darkness of their understandings and so blinds the minds of his servants that the light of the glorious Gospel of Christ cannot shine unto them Whence their deceitful hearts serve them as Jae● did Sisera who promised him protection and safety but paid him with shame and ruine Iudges 4.18 to 22. It is very observable how there are none more jocond confident and secure than the worst of sinners they can strut it under an unsupportable Mass of Oathes Blaspemies Thesis Murthers Adulteries Drunkennes and other the like sins yea can easily swallow these Spiders with Mithridates and digest them too 〈◊〉 when one that is regenerate shrinks under the burthen of wandring thoughts and want of proficiency But why is it they are dead in sin● Ephes. 2.1 Revel 3.1 Now lay a Mountain upon a dead man he feels no● once the weight To a Christian that hath the life of grace the least sin lies heavy upon the conscience but to him that is dead let his sins be as heavy as a Mountain of Lead he feels in them no weight at all The more grace the more spiritual life and the more spiritual life the more antipathy to the contrary whence none are so sensible of corruption● as those that have the most living souls But had they eyes they would see that those streams of defilement that are in their lives do but shew what a fountain of wickedness there is in their hearts Even as a little ware men lay on their stales does shew the great abundance they have in thei● shops and Warehouses Poor souls they brag of good hearts when th● heart of mam by nature is like Hell it self whose fire of lust is unquenchable For all those monstrous impieties which the lives of men are tainted with are not to be compared with the venome that lurks in the heart of every man by nature But alas how few see in themselves a general defect of all righteousness and holiness wherein at first they were created How few are convinced of an antipathy in themselves to all that is good and that the● are haters of Go● by nature That they are dead in trespasses and sins and that th● Devil works in them his pleasure and that he possesseth the hear● of every ●nregenerate man Ephes. 2.2 yea touching these o● any other saving truths there is no convincing them Neither is this that you have heard all or the worst for they not onely think themselves thus wise and good but they think as basely of those that are better As it 's worth the●●observing how basely these Sensualists think of the Religious and their ways● O what a poor slave do they hold the man of a tender Conscience They dare deny any fact and wager lyes with that Grandfather of lyes and Lyars we dare not tell an untruth though it were to save our lives They dare drink themselves into beasts we dare not lest we should never be recovered again unto men They dare sin God in the face and presume upon his patience we fear him as a consuming fire c. But you must know that until we are born again we are like Nicodemus who knew not what it was to be born again Iohn 3.4 Until we become zealous our selves we are like Festus who thought zeal madness Acts 26.24 Until we be humble our selves we are like Michael who mocked David for his humility and thought him a fool for dancing before the Ark 2 Sam. 6.16 For to carnal-minded men all Religion seems foolishness 1 Cor. 1.18 It faring between the Sensual and Spiritual as it does between Youth and Age For as Young men think Old men to be f●ols but Old men know the Young to be fools so Worldlings think the Religious fools but the Religious know them to be fools because they have had the experience of both conditions as the old have been young but the