Linguistic DNA - Concept Modelling Demonstrator

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
book_n	know_v	see_v	word_n	2,759	5	3.8676	3	true

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A02513	The arte of diuine meditation profitable for all Christians to knowe and practise; exemplified with a large meditation of eternall life. By Ioseph Hall.	Hall, Joseph, 1574-1656.	1606 (1606)	STC 12642; ESTC S118419	30,902	220

throgh their immunitie from those cares which accompany an actiue life might haue the best leasure to this busines Yet seeing there is no man so taken vp with action as not sometimes to haue a free minde and there is no reasonable minde so simple as not to bee able both to discourse somewhat and to better it selfe by her secret thoughts I deeme it an enuious wrong to conceale that from any whose benefit may bee vniuersall Those that haue but a little stocke had neede to knowe the best rules of thrift Chap. 2. THe rather for that whereas our Diuine Meditation is nothing else but a bending of the mind vpon some spirituall obiect through diuers formes of discourse vntill our thoughts come to an issue and this must needs be either Extemporall and occasioned by outward occurrences offred to the mind or Deliberate and wrought out of our owne heart which againe is either in Matter of Knowledge for the finding out of some hidden trueth and conuincing of an heresie by profound trauersing of reason or in Matter of Affection for the enkindling of our loue to God the former of these two last wee sending to the Scholes and masters of Controuersies search after the later which is both of larger vse and such as no Christian can reiect as either vnnecessary or ouer-difficult For both euery Christian had neede of fire put to his affections and weaker iudgements are no lesse capable of this diuine heate which proceedes not so much from reason as from faith One sayes and I beleeue him that Gods Schoole is more of Affection than Vnderstanding Both lessons very needefull very profitable but for this our age especially the later For if there bee some that haue much zeale little knowledge there are more that haue much knoweledge without zeale And hee that hath much skill and no affection may do good to others by information of iudgement but shall neuer haue thanke either of his own heart or of God who vseth not to cast away his loue on those of whom hee is but knowen not loued Chap. 3. OF Extemporal MeditatioÌ„ there may be much vse no rule forasmuch as our conceits herein varie according to the infinite multitude of obiects and their diuers manner of profering theÌ„selues to the minde as also for the suddennesse of this acte Man is placed in this Stage of the worlde to viewe the seuerall natures and actions of the creature To view them not idly without his vse as they doe him God made all these for man and man for his owne sake Both these purposes were lost if man should let the creatures passe carelesly by him onely seene not thought vpon He onely can make benefit of what he sees which if hee doe not it is all one as if hee were blind or brute WheÌ„ce it is that wise Salomon puttes the sluggard to schoole vnto the Ant and our Sauiour sends the distrustfull to the Lillie of the field In this kinde was that Meditation of the Diuine Psalmist which vpon the viewe of the glorious frame of the Heauens was led to woonder at the mercifull respect GOD hath to so poore a creature as man Thus our Sauiour tooke occasion of the water fetcht vp solemnely to the Altar from the Well of Shilo on the day of the great HOSANNAH to meditate and discourse of the Water of life Thus holy and sweete AVGVSTINE from occasion of the water-course neere to his Lodging running among the pebbles sometimes more silently sometimes in a baser murmure and sometimes in a shriller note entred into the thought and discourse of that excellent order which God hath settled in all these inferiour things Thus that learned and heauenly soule of our late Estye when wee sate together and heard a sweet consort of Musicke seemed vpon this occasion carried vp for the time before-hand to the place of his rest saying not without some passion What Musicke may we thinke there is in heauen Thus lastly for who knowes not that examples of this kinde are infinite that faithfull and reuerend Deering when the Sunne shined on his face now lying on his death-bed fell into a sweet meditation of the glory of God and his approaching ioy The thoughts of this nature are not onely lawfull but so behooueful that we cannot omit them without neglect of God his creatures our selues The creatures are halfe lost if wee only imploy them not learne somthing of theÌ„ GOD is wronged if his creatures bee vnregarded our selues most of all if wee reade this great volume of the creatures and take out no lesson for our instruction Chap. 4. WHerein yet cautioÌ„ is to be had that our MeditatioÌ„s be not either too farre-fetcht or sauouring of Superstition Farre-fetcht I cal those which haue not a faire easie resemblaÌ„ce vnto the matter froÌ„ wheÌ„ce they are raised in which case our thoghts proue loose heartles making no memorable impression in the mind Superstitious when we make choice of those grounds of Meditation which are forbidden vs as Teachers of Vanity or imploy our owne deuices though well grounded to an vse aboue their reach making them vpon our owne pleasures not only furtherances but parts of Gods worship in both which our Meditations degenerate and growe rather perillous to the soule Whereto adde that the minde bee not too much cloyed with too frequent iteratioÌ„ of the same thought which at last breedes a wearinesse in our selues and an vnpleasantnesse of that conceit which at the first entertainement promised much delight Our nature is too ready to abuse familiaritie in any kinde and it is with Meditations as with Medicines which with ouer-ordinary vse lose their Soueraignety and fill in stead of purging God hath not straited vs for matter hauing giuen vs the scope of the whole world so that there is no creature euent action speach which may not afford vs new matter of Meditation And that which we are wont to say of fine wittes we may as truely affirme of the Christian hart that it can make vse of any thing Wherefore as trauellers in a forreine countrey make euery fight a lesson so ought wee in this our pilgrimage Thou seest the heauen rolling aboue thine head in a constaÌ„t and vnmoueable motion the starres so ouer-looking one another that the greatest shewe little the least greatest all glorious the ayre full of the bottles of raine or fleeces of snowe or diuers formes of fiery Exhalations The sea vnder one vniforme face full of strange and monstrous shapes beneath the earth so adorned with variety of plants that thou canst not but tread on many at once with euery foote besides the store of creatures that flie aboue it walke vpoÌ„ it liue in it Thou idle Truant doest thou learn nothing of so many masters hast thou so long read these capitall letters of Gods great booke and canst thou not yet spell one worde of them The brute creatures see the same things with as cleare perhaps

better eyes if thine inward eyes see not their vse aswell as thy bodily eyes their shape I knowe not whether is more reasonable or lesse brutish Chap. 5. DEliberate Meditation is that wee chiefly inquire for which both may be wel guided and shall be not a little furthered by precepts part whereof the labours of of others shall yeeld vs and part the plainest mistresse Experience Wherin order requires of vs first the qualities of the person fit for meditatioÌ„ theÌ„ the circumstances maner proceedings of the worke The hill of Meditation may not be climbed with a profane foote But as in the deliuery of the law so here no beast may touch Gods hill lest he die only the pure of heart haue promise to see God sinne dimmeth dazeleth the eie that it cannot beholde spirituall things The gard of heauenly Souldiers was about Elishaes seruant before hee saw theÌ„ not before throgh the scales of his infidelity The soule must therfore bee purged ere it can profitably meditate And as of old they were wont to search for and thrust out malefactors froÌ„ the preseÌ„ce ere they weÌ„t to sacrifice so must we our sins ere we offer our thoughts to God First saith Dauid I will wash my hands in innocencie then I wil compas thine altar WherupoÌ„ not vnfitly did that worthy Chauncellour of Paris make the first staire of his Ladder of Contemplation Humble Repentaunce The cloth that is white which is wont to bee the colour of innocencie is capable of any Dye the blacke of none other Not that we require an absolute perfection which as it is incident vnto none so if it were would exclude all neede and vse of Meditation but rather an honest sincerity of the heart not willingly sinning willingly repenting when we haue sinned which whoso findes in himselfe let him not thinke any weakenesse a lawfull barre to Meditation He that pleades this excuse is like some simple man which being halfe starued with cold refuses to come neere the fire because hee finds not heate enough in himselfe Chap. 6. NEither may the soule that hopeth to profite by meditation suffer it selfe for the time intaÌ„gled with the world which is all one as to come to GODS flaming bush on the hill of visions with our shooes on our feete Thou seest the birde whose feathers are limed vnable to take her former flight so are wee when our thoughts are clingd together by the world to soare vp to our heauen in Meditation The payre of brothers must leaue their nets if they wil folow Christ Elisha his oxen if hee will attend a Prophet It must bee a free and a light minde that can ascend this Mount of Contemplation ouercomming this height this steepenesse Cares are an heauie lode and vneasie these must be laid downe at the bottome of this hill if wee euer looke to attain the top Thou art loded with housholde-cares perhaps publike I bid thee not cast them away euen these haue their season which thou canst not omitte without impietie I bid thee lay them downe at thy Closet doore when thou attemptest this worke Let theÌ„ in with thee thou shalt finde them troublesom companions euer distracting thee from thy best errand thou wouldest thinke of heauen thy Barne comes in thy way or perhaps thy Count-booke or thy Cofers or it may bee thy minde is before hand trauailing vpon the morrowes iourney So while thou thinkest of many things thou thinkest of nothing while thou wouldest goe many wayes thou standest still And as in a crowde while many presse forward at once through one doore none proceedeth so wheÌ„ variety of thoughts tumultuously throng in vpon the minde each prooueth a barre to the other and all an hinderanceto him that entertaines them Chap. 7. ANd as our Clyent of Meditation must both be pure and free in vndertaking this taske so also constant in continuing it Constant both in time and in matter Both in a set course and houre reserued for this worke and in an vnwearied prosecution of it once begun Those that meditate by snatches and vncertaine fittes when onely all other imploiments forsake theÌ„ or when good motions are thrust vpon them by necessity let them neuer hope to reach to any perfection For those feeble beginnings of luke-warm grace which are wroght in them by one fit of serious meditatioÌ„ are soone extinguished by intermission and by mis-wonting perish This dayes meale tho large liberall strengthens thee not for to morrow the body languishes if there be not a daily supply of repast thus feede thy soule by meditation Set thine houres and keep them and yeeld not to an easie distraction There is no hardnesse in this practise but in the beginning vse shall giue it not ease onely but delight Thy companion entertaines thee this while in louing discourses or some inexpected businesse offers to interrupt thee Neuer any good worke shall want some hinderance Either breake through thy lettes except it be with inciuility or losse or if they bee importunate pay thy selfe the time that was vnseasonably borrowed and recompence thine omitted houres with the double labors of another day For thou shalt find that differring breedes beside the losse an indisposition to good So that what was before pleasant to thee being omitted to morrow growes harsh the next day vnnecessary afterwardes odious To day thou canst but wilt not to morrow thou couldst but listest not the next day thou neither wilt nor caÌ„st bend thy mind on these thoughts So I haue seene friends that vpon neglect of duetie growe ouerly vpon ouerlinesse strange vpon strangenes to vtter defiance Those whose very trade is Diuinity me thinks should omit no day without his line of MeditatioÌ„ those which are secular men not many remeÌ„bring that they haue a common calling of Christianitie to attend aswel as a speciall vocation in the worlde and that other being more noble and important may iustly challenge both often and diligent seruice Chap. 8. ANd as this CoÌ„stancy requires thee to keepe day with thy selfe vnlesse thou wilt prooue bankrupt in good exercises so also that thy mind should dwell vpon the same thought without flitting without wearinesse vntill it haue attained to some issue of spirituall profit Otherwise it attempteth much effecteth nothing What auailes it to knock at the doore of the heart if wee depart ere we haue an answere What are wee the warmer if we passe hastily along by the hearth stay not at it Those that doe onely trauell through Africke become not Blackemores but those which are borne there those that inhabit there We account those damosels too light of their loue which betroth themselues vpon the first sight vpon the first motion those we deeme of much price which require long and earnest soliciting He deceiues himselfe that thinkes grace so easily wonne there must be much suit and importunitie ere it will yeeld to our desires Not that we call for a perpetuitie

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