Linguistic DNA - Concept Modelling Demonstrator

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
book_n	act_n	king_n	year_n	1,689	5	4.9630	4	false

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A09376	A cloud of faithfull witnesses, leading to the heauenly Canaan, or, A commentarie vpon the 11 chapter to the Hebrewes preached in Cambridge by that godly, and iudicious divine, M. William Perkins ; long expected and desired, and therefore published at the request of his executours, by Will. Crashawe and Tho. Pierson, preachers of Gods Word, who heard him preach it, and wrote it from his mouth.	Perkins, William, 1558-1602.	1607 (1607)	STC 19677.5; ESTC S2273	415,205	614

gathered it out of the Stories and Records of men which howsoeuer they bee not now extant yet in his dayes in the Primitiue Church were extant knowen and approoued Neither must this seeme strange vnto vs for the spirit of God in the olde Testament speaking of men hath oftentimes reference and relation therein to humane Writings as this phrase The rest of the actes of such and such are they not written in the bookes of the Chronicles of the Kings of Iuda and Israell so often vsed in the bookes of Kings and Chronicles doth euidently declare Nowe those bookes of Chronicles were not parcelles of holy Scripture but ciuill or ecclesiasticall Stories like to our bookes of Martyrs and Chronicles 2. Timothie chapter 3. verse 8 Saint Paul saith Iannes and Iambres resisted Moses Nowe in the booke of Exodus wee shall not finde the Sorcerers that withstoode Moses once named And Saint Iude maketh mention of a Prophecie of Enoch Iude verse 14 which in all the olde Testament is not recorded and it is like that Moses was the first Penne-manne of holie Scripture Whence then had these Apostles these things Answere No doubt the holy Ghost might reueale such things vnto them though they had beene vnknowen in those times but it is more probable that the Apostles had them out of some Iewish Writers or records then extant and approued among the Iewes So Paul preaching to the Athenians alledgeth the saying of Aratus an Athenian Poet For wee are his generation And to the Corinthians he propoundeth a sentence of Menander Euill words corrupt good manners 1. Cor. 15. And to Titus hee alledgeth Epimenides a Cretian Poet The Cretians are alwaies liers euill beasts slowe bellies Titus 1.12 Now whereas the spirit of God taketh these sentences out of the writings of men we may learne that to read the writings of men is not vnlawfull but a thing of good vse to the seruaÌ„ts of God But wheras som would hence proue that their authority may be alledged ordinarily at euery mans pleasure in the publique ministerie it hath no ground in these places For first the Apostles were so guided by the holy Ghost in their publique Ministerie that they could not erre but no Ministers at this day haue such a priuiledge Secondly the Apostles alledging or recording the sayings of men in their Sermons or Writings did thereby sanctifie them and make them to become a part of holy Scripture This no ordinarie Minister can doe but let him alledge a humane testimonie tenne thousand times yet still it remaines humane and is not Gods word Thirdly they that would warrant their practice in alledging humane testimonies in their Sermons by the Apostles ought to follow the Apostles in their manner of allegations Now the Apostles were so sparing heerein that in many bookes wee shall not finde one for there are onely three in all the new Testament Againe the Apostles did it without ostentation for the names of the Authors are concealed whence they tooke their testimonies And lastly the Apostles did it vpon weighty cause and iust occasion to wit when they were perswaded in conscience that those testimonies would conuince the consciences of their hearer in those things for which they alledged them Now how farre many differ from the Apostles in their allegations let the world iudge Yet before wee come to speake of these examples of faith in particular there are sundry generall points to be handled In the three former verses the spirit of GOD hath sette downe the prosperous successe of beleeuers through faith But heere hee comes to acquaint vs with a different estate of other beleeuers vnder greeuous persecutions and torments euen vnto most cruell and bitter kindes of death From this which the Apostle heere obserueth wee may take a view of the state of Gods Church and people heere in this world For GOD vouchsafeth peace and prosperous successe to some as a iust reward of faith and obedience but others must want the comfort of outward peace and welfare and vndergoe most greeuous trials and persecutions Looke as there is a continuall interchange betweene day and night and the one doth constantly follow the other so as it is one while day and an other while night so is it with the Church of God and with true beleeuers in this world somtime they haue peace and prosperity and this continueth not alway but another while they are in trouble miserie and persecution To make this point more plaine because it is of some importance wee may beholde the truth of it in the Church of GOD from the beginning Adams familie was GODs Church and therein was first notable peace but when GOD accepted Abels sacrifice and refused Cains then persecution began and Cain slew his brother Abell Abraham is called the Father of the faithfull and his family in those daies was the true Church of God wherin we may notably see this changeable estate for Gods calls him out of Charran to dwell in the land of Canaan Exod. 12.1 10. But within a while the family was so great in the Land that hee was faine to goe downe into Egypt to soiourne there And there the Lord blessed him exceedingly and inriched him so greatly that he became a mighty Prince able to encounter with the Kings of those nations in battell after his returne to Canaan Exod. 14. The Israelites Gods chosen people were 400. yeare in bondage in Egypt but at the appointed time God gaue them a glorious deliuerance and yet they were tried in the wildernes 40. yeares after which time they were plaÌ„ted safely in the fruitfull Land of Canaan a Land that flowed with milke and hony And there also the Church of God was in this case sometime in prosperitie and otherwhiles in aduersity for when it was ruled by Iudges as in that booke appeares for ten twenty thirty or fourty yeares together the Israelites for their sinnes were in subiection bondage to the nations about them as the Moabites the Philistims the Ammonites c. Yet then when they cried to God he sent them some mighty iudge to deliuer them for so long time againe This was the interchangeable estate of the Church all the time of the Iudges And afterward when it was gouerned by Kings it was in the same case for one while God gaue them good Kings who would aduance religion and maintaine and cherish the Priests and Prophets of God and for their time the Church prospered But otherwhiles for their sinnes God would send them wicked Princes which persecuted the Prophets and the godly in the Land This is plaine in the bookes of the Kings and Chronicles After the raign of good king Iosias cam the captiuity into BabyloÌ„ 70 years expired the Lord by K. Cyrus returned theÌ„ againe After their returne they were one while in peace and another while in distresse as we may see in the bookes of Ezra and Nehemias but aboue all other that persecution of Antiochus Epiphanes was

steward ouer them for the good disposing of them to the glory of God and the good of his Church alwaies remembring this rule of the Prophet Dauid Psal. 62.10 If riches increase set not thy heart on them He saith not If riches increase refuse theÌ„ but set not thy heart on them and thus much of these Questions Now this practice of the Patriarchs is as necessarie for vs in these dayes as euer it was for the cause why we profit little after much hearing of Gods word is this we haue not behaued our selues like Pilgrimes and strangers in this world but the cares of the things of this life haue choaked it vp Math. 13 2â— that it could take no ground nor roote in our hearts when we haue heard the word wee remember it not because our hearts and the affections thereof are set on the pleasures and commodities of the worlde Wee therefore must shake off this filthy sinne and learne to behaue our selues like Pilgrimes and strangers not intangling our selues with the things of this life but vsing them as though we vsed them not so as they be no hinderance to the growth of Gods graces in vs. For they that say such things declare plainly that they seeke a Country In the former verse was set downe the constancie of Abraham Sarah Isaac and Iacob in the faith Now in the 14.15 and 16. verses the holy Ghost proceedeth to amplifie and inlarge the commendation of their perseuerance in the faith for the scope of all these verses is to proue that all these particularly were constant in the faith vnto the end The proofe is made by one substantiall reason the summe whereof is this Abraham Sarah Isaac and Iacob sought for their Country which was heauen and therefore they were constant in the true faith But some may thinke that this reason is not substantiall for men may seeke for heauen that neuer had true sauing faith As Balaam desired that his end might be like the end of the righteous Numb 23.10 wherewith no doubt he desired the state of the righteous after this life I answere that this desire of Balaams was not grounded vpon any constant perswasion nor settled resolution but vpon some sodaine motion Secondly though he desired to die the death of the righteous yet he would not liue the life of the righteous hee had no delight to walke in the way to come to that end which they walked in without which no man ordinarily can come to it Yet further some will say Many shall seeke as our Sauiour Christ saith to enter in at the straite gate of the kingdome of heauen and shall not be able Luke 13.24 Therefore to seeke for heauen is no sufficient argument of true faith Answer True indeede many shall seeke to come to heauen and shall not be able to enter because they seek when the dore of mercy is shut and when the day of grace is past for there is a time of grace wherein the Lord will be found Now if men seeke him not in this time though they seeke him neuer so long after yet they shall not finde him But the seeking of these Patriarchs was a sound and constant seeking and so a notable fruite of their true faith For 1. they sought a heauenly Country 2. they sought it in due time not for a brunt but through the whole course of their liues 3. they went the right way denying themselues and their estate in this life as being strangers vpon earth and they were willing to forsake all things in this world to attaine heauen esteeming it as their true dwelling place and their eternall rest Now more particularly the holy Ghost diuideth this reason into two parts handleth the same seuerally 1. he proueth that they sought a Country in this verse and 2. that this Country which they sought was heauen it selfe verse 15.16 For the first part that they sought a Country is thus proued They which say they are Pilgrimes and strangers they shew plainly that they seeke a Country But Abraham Isaac and Iacob saide of themselues that they were Pilgrimes and Strangers Therefore they shew plainly that they seeke a Country The first part of this reason is euident in it selfe for hee that saith hee is a Pilgrime and a stranger in any place sheweth plainly that hee is forth ã€ˆâ—Šã€‰ his owne Countrey and therefore seeketh one The second part of the reason is assumed from their confession in the end of the former verse and confessed that they were Pilgrimes and strangers on the earth from whence the conclusion is laid downe in this 14. verse that therefore these Patriarchs sought a Country In this reason obserue first that the Author of this Epistle had diligently read the History of Abraham Sarah Isaac and Iacob penned by Moses in the booke of Genesis and in reading had obserued that which they particularly confessed of themselues in many places of that booke namely that they were Pilgrimes and strangers yea also hee gathered from their confession this most heauenly meditation that therefore they were not in their owne Country but sought another These three thinges then the Author of this Epistle vsed about the holy Scriptures Reading meditation and obseruation Whence we learne that all Gods Ministers and those which prepare themselues to the worke of the Ministerie are diligently to reade and study the holy Scriptures and to meditate therein No doubt the Author of this Epistle was an Apostle and had most notable giftes by vertue of his calling and yet hee bestowed paines in viewing the particular words of Abraham Isaac and Iacob recorded by Moses in the booke of Genesis Daniell also was an extraordinarie Prophet yet as wee may reade Daniel 9.2 hee studied with admirable diligence the prophecies of Ieremie and Ezekiel And Timothie though he were a Disciple Acts 16.1 and well learned yet Paul chargeth him to giue attendance to reading to exhortation and to doctrine 1. Timothie 4.13 And Ezekiel is commaunded to eate the role and to fill his belly with it Ezekiel 3.3 And Saint Iohn likewise is commaunded to eate vp the little booke Reuelations 10.9.10 which thing he did all which strongly inforce the former duty shewing that Gods seruant in the Ministerie must as it were eate vp Gods booke that in iudgement and vnderstanding he may digest as farre as is possible the deepe things of God and the hardest places of the Scripture here must he lay his foundation and hither haue recourse froÌ„ all other writing whatsoeuer in any matter of doubt This direction is most necessary for the Schooles of the Prophets and for all Gods Ministers and yet notwithstanding the contrary practice beareth sway in the world For in the Popish Vniuersities most of their diuines apply themselues to study the bookes of certaine schoole-men and the Expositors or Commenters thereupon These are applied day and night though they be both many and large and full of needlesse quiddities and oftentimes they be also

quite degenerate from that they ought to bee when they are babes in knowledge voide of spirituall wisdome Indeed we must grant that our aged persons are worldly wise hee must haue a cunning head and as wee say rise early that herein goes beyonde them But bring them to the booke of God and to giue a reason of their actions that they are done in faith herein they are meere babes and ignorant neither can they tell what it is to doe a thing in faith so as it may be acceptable to God Heerein many that are yong in yeares doe quite out-strippe them What would wee thinke or say of a childe that beeing set to a good schoole should still bee in the lowest forme though he had long continued at it Surely wee would iudge him either exceeding negligent or destitute of ordinary capacity Behold the Church of God is the schoole of Christ if a man haue liued long therein as twentie or fourtie yeares and yet be no wiser in religion than a yong child is it not a shame vnto him and shall wee not condemne him of great negligence Wherefore let all aged persons here learne their duty which is to growe to ripenesse in spirituall wisdome that so their age may be to them a crowne of glory beeing found in the way of righteousnesse Prou. 16.31 VERSE 25. And chose rather to suffer aduersities with the people of God than to enioy the pleasures of sinne for a season THe meaning of these words is this Moses cast with himselfe that if hee should yield to become heire to Pharaohs daughter he must liue with her and please her in all things and so altogether leaue Gods Church and people and gods holy religion which thing to doe he abhorred in his heart and withall hee must leaue and lose the eternall blessednesse of Gods children for the honours sinnefull pleasures of the Court which were but momentany These things considered hee chooseth rather to bee in affliction and misery with the people of God than vpon these conditions to liue in Pharaohs Court to becom his daughters sonne and heire And because this may seeme a strange choice the holy Ghost doth afterward render a reason hereof which is this Because Moses liked rather to inioy the prerogatiues of Gods Church though it were in misery than to enioy any honour in a wicked Court such as indeede Pharaohs was In this verse therefore wee are to note a second fruit of Moses faith to wit that hee preferred the fellowship and communion of Gods Saints before all other societies in the world The same also was Dauids practice Psal. 16.3 All my delight saith he is in the Saints that dwell on the earth This fruite of Moses faith doth discouer vnto vs a grieuous fault which raigneth in this age to wit the neglect and contempt of the communion and societie of Saints There is a societie and fellowship that is loued and magnified among vs but what manner of societie is that surely of such as giue themselues to drinking iesting scoffing riot mirth and gaming This is the common and generall good fellowship through which God is greatly dishonoured For most men set their delight therein and are neuer merry but in such company wherein indeede they delight themselues in their sensuality True it is men pleade that this good fellowship is a vertue But then was Moses farre ouer-seene for in Pharaohs Court he might haue had all kinde of such good fellowship and company yet hee likes it not but rather chooseth affliction and misery with the people of God then to enioy such fellowship in Pharaohs Court And as for the goodnesse of it it is neither so esteemed nor called by any but by them that call good euill and euill good We see Moses a man of wisedome and learning Acts 7.23 no childe but a man of xl yeares olde hates and abhorres this good fellowship as the worst estate in the world rather chusing the societie of a miserable and persecuted Church then the best of that fellowship which a Kings Court could yeeld Let vs therefore learne more wisedome out of his practice Some say this good fellowship is harmlesse and such men who thus merrily passe their times doe no such hurt as many others doe But I answere men are borne to doe good Againe to misspend time wealth and wit are not these euill harmfull both in themselues and in the example And which is worst of all it is no fellowship with God nor any part of the communion of Saints but rather a fellowship with Satan therefore let all that will like true Christians haue true comfort in that article of their Creede the communion of Saints esteeme the fellowship of good and holy men aboue all other For by this communion with Gods Saints a man reapes great profit when as the other brings to a man the ruine both of his body and soule By the societie of the godly wee are first made partakers of their giftes and holy graces and secondly of their prayers and the blessings of God vpon them which things if there were no other might moue vs to embrace this blessed society before all other And yet further by being of this society a man auoids many of Gods iudgments If there had beene ten righteous men in Sodome they had all beene spared from destruction Wherein we may see that they that cleaue to such as feare the Lord indeed neuer receiue harm by them but rather much good for for the elects sake it is that the world yet standeth and if they were gathered heauen and earth would go together but for the calling of the Elect the hand of God is yet staied Why then should not Moses example be our rule Aboue all worldly pleasure to reioice in the society of Gods Saints Thus much in generall Now in the particular words are many notable points of doctrine which wee will touch in their order And chose rather c. Marke heere a rare and strange choise as euer wee shall reade of There are two things propounded to Moses The first is honour and preferment in Pharaohs Court to be sonne and heire to Pharahs daughter wherewith hee might haue enioyed all earthly pleasures and delights The second is the miserable afflicted condition of GODs Church and people And of these two Moses must needes choose the one well what chooseth hee Surely hee refuseth the prerogatiues and dignitie that hee might haue had in Pharaohs Court and makes choise of the miserie and affliction of GODs people in aduersitie that so hee may enioy the priuiledges of GODs Church A wonderfull choise for which his faith is heere commended and hee renowmed to all posteritie The same choise hath GOD set before men in all ages In former times GOD set before Esau two things A messe of red broth and his birth-right but profane Esau chooseth the worser he forgoes his birth-right so he may haue the broth But farre worse

most notorious which was foretold by Daniel in his Prophecy Dan. 11.36 and is recorded in the books of the Maccabees To come to the times of the Gospel The Primitiue Church after the ascension of Christ in the first 300. yeares suffered ten most bloody grieuous persecutioÌ„s betwixt each of which shee yet had some times of peace and as it were respite to breath in And after the tenth persecutioÌ„ ended the Lord raised vp the good Emperour ConstaÌ„tine who broght peace welfare vnto the church But soone after him the heresie of Arrius raised vp by the diuell brought as grieuous persecutions vpon the church as euer the Pagans did beeing a most blasphemous heresie denying the eternall deity of Christ and of the holy Ghost and it preuailed in the Church for 80. yeares Not long after the suppression of that heresie began the idolatry and tyrannie of Antichrist to preuaile in the Church for many hundred yeares And now about some fourescore yeares agone the Lord in mercy raised vp worthy instruments by whose meanes hee deliuered his Church from that idolatry and blindnesse yet so as still the church hath felt the bloody hand of Antichrist in grieuous persecutions All which shewes this to be most true that the outward state of Gods Church is interchangeable hauing one while peace and another while grieuous persecution To apply this to our selues God hath planted his Church among vs in this land and for many yeares together hath blessed vs with prosperity and peace which in great mercy hee hath giuen vs as a reward of the faith of his seruants which are among vs and during this time wee haue had great freedome and liberty in Gods holy ministery for the word praier sacraments But we must knowe that the state of Gods Church for peace and trouble is interchangeable as day and night for light and darkenesse Wherefore we must be aduertised to look vnto our selues for our estate in peace must not last alwaies these golden daies will haue an ende and troubles and afflictions will vndoubtedly come Indeede God onely knoweth what kinde of afflictions shall befall and the particular time thereof but that they shall come in the time appointed of God we may resolue our selues by the reasons following First the tenour of the Law is this that the curse doth follow the transgression so that when any man family or people liue in the breach of Gods commandements they must looke for Gods iudgements to bee powred vpon them Now we may too truely assume that this our nation and people abound with grieuous sinne in all estates For in the ciuill estate to omit manifold practices of oppression Where is iustice without bribery or bargaining without fraud and deceit And in the ministery beside many abuses where is that care which ought to be for the building of Gods Church And for the body of our people beside grosse ignorance and superstition what fearfull blasphemy whoredome swearing and Sabbaoth-breaking doth every where abound beside fearefull Atheisme which is a mother of abhominations whether we respect naturall Atheisme whereby many deny God by their workes or learned Atheisme in some who dispute against the truth of God reuealed in his word All these and many other sinnes among vs crie lowd for GODs iudgements vpon vs euen for that fearefull iudgement the remooueall of Gods kingdome in the Gospel of peace Secondly consider what manner of persons of place and note both in Church and common wealth God takes from vs by death even in their best time are they not such as excelled among vs for great wisdom and learning and for true piety and good conscience now howsoeuer this may seeme but a small thing in the eyes of many yet vndoubtedly it is a forerunner of Gods iudgements for the righteous perish and no man considereth it in heart and mercifull men are taken away and no man vnderstandeth that the righteous is taken away from the euill to come Isa. 57.1 Thirdly God hath set his fearefull iudgements among vs and about vs warre and sword in our neighbour nations which also hath beene oft shaken at vs also famine and pestilence throughout our owne Land by intercourse and long continuance Leuit. 26. Now this is the truth of God that when God sendes his iudgements vpon a people if they doe not repent one iudgement is but the forerunner of another more grieuous and terrible than the former But little or no repentance appeares among vs nay rather we fall away more and more and so stand still in daunger of more fearefull iudgements Lastly it is vsuall with God thus to deale with his own seruants as he doth sometime reward their faith and obedience with peace so otherwhiles he wil trie their faith by affliction Thus he dealt with his seruant Iob though there were none for piety like him in his time through all the world Now God hath his seruants among vs for the triall of whose faith we may perswade our selues some tribulation shall come vppon vs For all that will liue godly in Christ Iesus shall suffer tribulation 2. Tim. 3.12 This being so that our peace shall be turned into trouble as by the former reasons which directly fasten themselues vpon our Church and state may euidently appear let vs then here learne our dutie First wee must cast with our selues what may bee the worst that can befall vs when triall and persecution shall come This is the counsell of our Sauiour Christ to those that would follow him constantly as good disciples they must as good builders consider of the cost before they laie the foundation and like good Warriers consider of their strength before they goe out into the field lest they leaue off turn back like fooles and cowards Luk. 14.28 c. We by Gods mercy doe now professe the true religion of Christ with hope to be saued thereby therefore wee must cast with our selues what our religion may cost vs and see before hand what is the worst thing that may befall vs for our profession of Christ and his Gospel If wee haue not done this at the beginning of our profession we must now doe it for Better late than neuer lest going on securely without this account making we shamefully forsake Christ when triall comes In former times the constant profession of Christ hath cost men losse of friends losse of goods and liberty yea the losse of their hearts blood and the same case may befall vs. Wherefore wee must cast with our selues and see whether wee bee willing to suffer the losse of goods and frieÌ„ds yea the losse of our liues for the defence of Christs true religion Againe as this estate of the Church must mooue vs to make this account for resolution in suffering so it must teach vs to labour for those sauing graces of Gods spirit which may inable vs to stand fast in all temptations troubles persecutions We must not content our selues with blazing lamps as the

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