Linguistic DNA - Concept Modelling Demonstrator

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
act_n	believe_v	faith_n	object_n	6,980	5	9.0206	5	true

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A39770	The confirming work of religion, or, its great things made plain, by their primary evidences and demonstrations whereby the meanest in the church may soon be made to render a solid and rational account of their faith / written by R. Fleming ... ; now published by Daniel Burgess.	Fleming, Robert, 1630-1694.; Burgess, Daniel, 1645-1713.	1693 (1693)	Wing F1279; ESTC R6736	83,701	146

Visible Professours are destitute of any defence from internal motives and solid conviction of the truth they profess upon its own evidence and there was never more cause to fear some unusual apostacy from the very visible profession of Christ upon any violent tryal and assault this way When such find it more easy to render up their Religion than to adhere to the same under strong temptations who yet never knew that substance advantage or certainty herein as could preponderate with the want of all external motives for such a profession Posit II. That thus one of the highest services of these times for the publick good of the Church does convincingly lye here to have the faith of assent to the truth and doctrine of Christ in a clear and firm certainty of the judgment on its own evidence more vigorously promoted and the proper means and assistances which the Lord hath given for this end in some other manner yet improved than seems to be at this day for a more universal use The grounds to inforce the necessity hereof are these I. That it 's sure wherever the Gospel is revealed to men it comes with so full an assurance of understanding and sufficiency of objective evidence as can admit of no possible doubtfulness herein Which is the credit and glory of our religion that in no other way it doth require acceptance but with the furthest conviction of evidence II. Because the express design and tendency of this blessed revelation is no less to found such a rational assurance in the judgment of its truth than to ingage the will and consent for imbracing thereof and though such great demonstrations for this end can only in suo genere have a convincing influence to perswade the understanding yet are they of such weight here as next to the demonstration of the Spirit of God they are the greatest means to bring up mens assent to a full and quieting rest on that security to which they must trust themselves for ever and to let them see that this even here by the way is assuredly full though not yet their enjoyment III. Because this faith of assent should be first followed in the order of nature as being the very first principle of conversion to know and be sure that God hath sent his son into the world to save sinners wherein as the Holy Ghost is not the Objâ—ctive but the Efficient Cause of our Faith so is not the internal work and Testimony he gives on the Soul the first Testimony but must still have respect to the revelation of the Word without and such demonstrative evidences thereof wherewith it is revealed to the world Nor may any ever separate that which God hath himself so indissolubly joyned IV. That there is so convincing a necessity and use hereof to the Church and in a special way with respect to the youth for a more firm laying of the groundwork of their Christian profession and for the seed-plot of a blessed and desirable growth amongst such in this day that they might thus know early something of these primary grounds and demonstrations of their faith so also is it a study of that high importance as I humbly judge should be of notable use for a Manuduction in the first place to Students of Divinity before they launch forth in that vast and immense Ocean of the speculative part thereof and for being at some greater advantage thus for carrying on such a confirming work in the Church in their future service V. Yea of what use might this be with respect to many who may be sore haunted with hidden and dreadful temptations to infidelity and to weaken them in the very foundations of their faith who are wholly unfurnished of any such grounds and arguments in their judgment to repel the same and it is certain that to believe firmly the History of the Gospel that God was manifested in our nature to save man is with respect to the object a much higher act of faith than to believe that he will save us since as the one doth unspeakably more transcend all human reason than the other so doth the Apostle thus argue from the greater to the less Rom. 8.32 that he who gave his own son to the death will he not also with him give us all things Posit III. That such a Confirming Work was most specially followed in the Practice of the Primitive Times and one of the great Ends of the Ministry of the Apostles and Evangelists to have this Faith of Assent and Doctrinal Certainty thereof on its proper Grounds and Evidences deeply founded in Mens Judgment is so clear as cannot come under Debate I. That this way did the great Author of our Profession himself take not only by the Authority of his Word and the Power and Energy of Grace but with that Convincing Evidence and Demonstration of his Truth to Mens Understanding as might found also a firm and rational Assurance hereof II. That for this End he did pray the Father Joh. 17.21 and was so much pressed herein that so great an external Demonstration of the Truth of the Gospel in the Concord and Unity of his People might be kept clear that the World might thus believe that he was sent of God and have a deeper Conviction hereof wrought in them by such an Evidence III. That one special Intent of the Gospel of Luke was for this end Luke 1.4 That men might know not only the things themselves by a naked Relation but the Certainty of these things wherein they had been formerly Instructed IV. That herein did the Ministry of Apollos so brightly shine forth Act. 18.28 And was then of most singular use to the Church by that clearness of rational Conviction and demonstrative Arguments for the Truth of Christ as the greatest gainsayers could not withstand V. That it 's sure it was then without Exception expresly required of the meanest within the Church to be always ready to render the Reasons of their Hope to all who asked and not only to know what they did Believe but why they did so as is clear 1 Pet. 3.15 This could not be by bringing forth of internal Evidences for Conviction of others but by giving them an account of the most cogent grounds and demonstrations of the Gospel as might be most prevalent and confirming to the weak and leave others inexcusable and seems to have been then specially pressed in these Primitive Times as a proper Test of their Christian Profession VI. And we see herein also how much these excellent Bereans were taken up and were so highly commended of the Holy Ghost Act. 17.11 To know the demonstrative part of Christianity and by its own evidence with that intire harmony and consent of the Scripture therein and their being thus diligently intent in that comparing-work of Religion to see the truth thereof not singly and apart by themselves alone but in that joynt-union coherence wherein they stand each in their own room for

and New Nature with as discernible evidence as if one man should meet with another of the same kind in such a place of the Earth which were only inhabited with Beasts 6. By considering also with a deep and serious reflection hereon that sure and known Conjunction which is betwixt the most rare Experiences of a Christians Life and the most searching Tryals thereof with that uniform Consent that hath in all Ages of the Church been in such marvelous things as these 1. What solemn Tokens and Testimonies of the Love of God and his Acceptance are found usually to meet his People in the entry of some great Tryal or Service for him even in some unusual manner then in the sense whereof as it was with Elijah they have been made to go many days after in a Wilderness-state yea how this does not respect Persons only but Churches that the Word still useth to go before with some remarkable confirming work to secure the heart before the Cross and some special Tryal of Persecution comes 2. That as each day hath its proper burden and work so hath it its proper allowance provided for the same which should be no less sought after by a Christian than his daily Bread and when the pressure of such a day grows to some more singular height so also should the expence hereof be in Faith sought for and expected 3. How the choicest Mercies are reserved to the saddest Times of a Christians Lot and most usually cross to their own choice and they have had the greatest struglings with those Methods of Providence which in the issue tended most to their Advancements 4. Yea how the returns of a long deferred hope after much humble waiting have been to them as a Pisgah whence they have not only had a clear and comforting prospect of their by-past Tryals but have been more fully confirm'd for the time to come and can bear now that Testimony that the Lord hath cleared all past things to them and hath taken the Vail off his work which for long had been as a dark and strange Riddle 7. This likewise gives a most clear and confirming prospect of that great Seal of Experience when he can now see both in his own case and of others what the issue of believing in a singular Exigency and Tryal and upon some special act of trust and adventure herein does at last come to which the more deeply it 's considered he finds one of the most peculiar assistances to his Faith and one of the greatest attainments of Experimental Religion within time when he can thus see the same way of believing in some strong and extraordinary assaults which he hath found to crush and break him herein which hath carried so many thorow in their saddest Tryals bring him also in his turn to be an instance in the same kind to bear an honourable Testimony to this sure and excellent way of believing before the World that none may fear after him to hold by the promise of God and venture on that security tho' it then seem against hope whose Dispensations did yet never never give his Word the lye CHARACT IV. He is a truly confirmed Christian who in a dismal time is not staggered in his Faith from the present signs and appearances thereof but hath his Soul ballasted with such solid grounds of confirmation against the same that those Providences whereat others do most stumble tend to his further strengthening in the way of the Lord when he does now clearly see 1. How Tribulation and the Cross make one of the most illustrious and beautiful parts of the whole frame of Providence about the Church and in the Lot of each Christian so as there can be no possâ—ble stumbling to any for want of Light here that sore Tryals and Distress should most remarkably follow those in their Journey who have an Eternal Blessedness before them in the close hereof when so great a part of the Scripture is directed not only for comfort but for clear conduct of the Christians Faith through all the intricacies and labyrinths of such a dispensation He sâ—â—s how highly congruous it is to the Infinite Wisdom of God that so strait and narrow a way in such a sâ—ate of Tryal as is here should go beâ—ore the stâ—te of everlasting enjoyment that there should be sâ—â—h a Stage and Theatre also whereon the passive Graces of the Spirit may not only be exercised but displayed in their true lustre and glory before Angels and men Yea that thus the Redeemed of the Lord should be first trained in so sharp a Warfare as may not only put a due value and respect on the greatness of that Triumph and Reward which is to come but be matter of ineffable Joy and Exultation that ever they were admitted thus to evidence their Love and Adherence to their blessed Head and his Truth here on the Earth and accounted worthy to be put on some hotter service and to peculiar Tryals and Conflicts this way beyond others for some example and encouragement to the Church in their day and here also he can now see how the greatest enjoyments of Comfort are more owing to the most sharp and afflicting Tryals of their Life than to the greatest external Calm and that to endure patiently and suffer for the name Christ is such a Priviledge as the Elect Angels have not been admitted to Yea that the Lords chastning work and sorest smiting of his own is an Act also of saving so that thus the more deeply he searcheth here the more does he see admire and consent to that glorious piece of the administration of Providence about the Church and finds it to be one of the greatest Confirmations of his Faith within time 1. He does now clearly see how the Truth and Faithfulness of God is commensurate to his whole work of Providence and that all the Lines hereof as they do lead from his Revealed Counsel in the Scripture which is the adequate sign of his Eternal Counsel and Decrees so do they return thither again to make this great demonstration clear that if a full History were written of this World and what hath been conspicuous thorow the whole series of times past in all these Conjunctions of Inferiour Causes whether necessary free or contingent and of such Events that seem most casual it should be nothing else but an exâ—ct Transcript and History of the Bible to bear this witness That the World is nothing but God set forth in his own Scripture-Light But tho' a full discovery hereof be not attainable within time yet is it a sad and deplorable want that the great Acts of the Lord in each Age of the Church are not more searched and sought out of all them that take pleasure therein that they may be seen observed and admired by that part of the Creation Angels and Men who are only in a capacity to know the same Which is a Service for the Lord wherein his Praise and

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