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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
book_n	old_a	testament_n	time_n	2,959	5	3.5347	3	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A07828	Two treatises concerning regeneration, 1. Of repentance, 2. Of the diet of the soule shewing the one, how it ought to be sought after and may be attained vnto, the other, how it being gotten, is to be preserued and continued.	Morton, Thomas, of Berwick.	1597 (1597)	STC 18200.5; ESTC S4792	100,213	251

by dipping and drowning the bodie in water For when as we receiuing the sacrament in our own bodies or els beholding it administred vnto others feele a sense of the guilt of eternal death due vnto vs for sin a mortificatiō of thinherent corruptiō of sin comming from thence thē do we feed our soules by this Sacrament that no lesse when we see it administred to others then when we feele it in our own bodies and therefore the custome which hath preuailed in most places of neglecting contemning this part of the foode of our soules is to be condemned and sharpely reprooued Likewise in the other Sacrament of the Lords Supper the bread and the wine receiued in it feede both our bodies and soules the one by their naturall vertue the other by their misticall and sacramentall signification working in vs a fresh remembrance and a liuely sense of the death of Christ represented vnto vs by the breaking of the bread in peeces and the pou●ing foorth of the wine Sect. 5. THus much of the publike foode of the soule besides the which we haue other meanes appointed by God to be vsed priuately For Christians must not bee as babes vnable to feede themselues or to take any nourishment vnlesse it be put into their mouths by others but must as they receiue the meate prepared by others so also dresse some for themselues and that by gathering the word of God the onely foode of the soule where it is to be had euen there where the publike food is had to wit in the Scripture in the creatures and in the actions of God In these fieldes the word of God groweth and therefore a Christian is to bee continually conuersant in them and so to make his soule strong fat and lustie First therefore he is to giue himselfe to the reading studying vnderstanding and meditating of the scripture For the profitable reading of the word of God diuers things are to be considered first that we reade it with this intent and purpose to edifie our selues in the knowledge and obedience of Christ making our spirituall edification the end of our reading Otherwise wee may spend all our dayes yea although they were as many as the daies of Methuselah and yet receiue no more encrease of holinesse then they who neuer heard tell of the word of God For why it is impossible that any man should find this spirituall foode but he who doth hunger after it and seeketh it with all care and diligence Indeede God sometimes is found of those who doo not seeke nor yet so much as aske after him and doth by his spirit renewe those who do not once thinke of regeneration or saluation but here we do not speake of the extraordinary and immediate working of God in regenerating men but of that ordinarie continuance and encrease of holinesse which euery faithfull man may and ought to worke in himselfe by such meanes as God hath appointed This he that seeketh findeth hee that seeketh it not shal neuer find it Hence it is that many haue beene very painefull readers of the scripture who neuer found in them any spiritual fruit or comfort because they read them not to that end but for some sinister respect The Iewes tooke great pains in reading or rather in learning without booke the books of the old testament yea so great as may make Christians who cannot finde in their hearts to bestow so much time and pains in seeking or keeping Christ pardon of sin eternal glory as they do in seeking an earthly king earthly glory the which onely they looke for by their Messiah and yet they finde not Christ nor any spirituall grace because they seeke not for such things So many other haue read the scriptures for other sinister ends some to get the knowledge of curious and vnprofitable questions and controuersies of endlesse genealogies yea some for confirmatiō of their erronious heretical opinions some for meere knowledge vaine ostentation But he who desireth to be a good phisitian of his own soule must laying aside these and all such respects propound to himselfe the confirmation and encrease of his faith loue patience temperance of all other spirituall graces These things must be continually in his mind yea he must apply to these purposes all the precepts examples and doctrines wherewith he meeteth minding onely poynts of spirituall edification and especially those whereof he most doubteth and would bee resolued and which belong most to his present vse This rule and counsell we haue giuen by Eliphas Iob. 5.27 who after that he hath declared at large both the iustice of God in punishing the wicked and his goodnesse in sparing sauing and blessing the godly hee addeth this notable conclusion Loe thus we haue inquired of it and so it is heare it and know it for thy selfe that is do not content thy selfe with the generall knowledge of this doctrine but applie it to thy owne speciall state Not as if it were vnlawfull for a Christian in reading the Scripture to obserue and studie those things which doo not directlye tende to spirituall edification for it is good and commendable if hee can giue so much time to the study of the word as that hee knowe all the circumstaunces of th● storie al questions which can be moued about any place but that when as all cannot be had as it is seldome seene that any gyueth or can giue himselfe so wholy to this studie who hath anie other calling choise be made of that which is most needfull profitable and excellent In the which respect he is also to make choyse of those bookes of Scripture for his dayly reading studying and meditating in the which this spirituall food dooth most plentifully growe and may most easily bee had For although whatsoeuer is written bee written for our comfort and edification and that no part of the Scripture ought to bee accounted barren and vnprofitable yet some partes are more excellent and more effectuall for spirituall edification then others are in that they handle those points wherein the good estate of the soule consisteth more fully and plainly then others do Thus the writings of the Prophets are to be preferred before the bookes of Moses to the which they are as Commentaries and the writings of the Apostles before the writings of the Prophets for that all the mysteries of our saluation are now in the time of the Gospel plainely reuealed which before were couered with types and ceremonies Yea of the bookes of the new Testament the Epistles written by the Apostle Paule and others do more didirectly ayme at this marke then the storie of the liues and acts of Christ and his Apostles But of all the bookes of Scripture it seemeth that the booke of the Psalmes doth most excell in this behalfe the which consisteth wholy of spirituall meditations obseruations precepts and experiments insomuch that it may truly bee called the Christian mans Garden wherein all manner of

edifycation For if the heathen who haue no spirituall eyes wherewith to see can obserue the power and goodnesse of God in these creatures as wee are taught Rom. 1. how much more shall the spirituall man find in this feeld plentifull food for the feeding of the soule Sect. 8. THE last feeld wherein this spirituall foode of the worde of GOD dooth growe and is to bee gathered are the actions of GOD for as in the creation so also in the administration of the worlde God is to bee seene and sought as in the one the power wisedome and goodnesse of God so in the other his prouidence iustice and mercy do manifestly appeare or rather clearely shine His prouidence by the which all things all the actions and faculties of all creatures are disposed ordered directed restrained vpheld as that they all seuerally and ioyntly tend to those endes for the which he appointed them and the effecting of those things which he will haue brought to passe as namely first principally and generally the setting forth of his glorie which is the last end both of the creation and also of the administration of all things and secondly the execution of his iustice vppon the reprobate for their sins and of his loue and mercy in the saluation of the elect His iustice appeareth in that he recompenseth euery one according vnto his doings and that without fauour or respect of person laying feareful iudgements euen vpon his elect for their sinnes and rewarding the good deedes of the reprobate with temporall blessings but most of all he doth dayly poure forth the treasures of his goodnesse loue mercy toward his faithfull seruants in preseruing them frō all euill and in prouiding for them whatsoeuer is needfull These things may profitably and are diligently to be obserued in all the ages and stories of the Church but they are especially to be obserued in the age and time wherein we ourselues liue for that we giue greater credence are more affected with those things which wee behold with our owne eies which we haue noted our selues knowing the persons in whom they befell and all the circumstances of the said actions then with those which we haue at the second hand by the report of others and which in all respects are strange and vnknowne vnto vs. Thus the Prophet Dauid mentioneth Psal. 37.25 one of his owne obseruations the which he had bene al his life time euen a whole age in gathering of the gracious prouidence of God ouer his seruants saying I haue beene yong and now I am olde yet did I neuer see the righteous forsaken or his seed beg their bread Of these obseruations cōcerning the blessings of God bestowed on the righteous and his fearefull plagues poured on the wicked the bookes of Iob and of the Psalmes are full yea it is in many places made a signe of godlinesse to marke the doings of God as the neglect of it is of an vngodly man as Eccl. 2.14 The wise man hath his eies in his head but the foole walketh in darknesse And Es. 57.1 The iust man is taken away frō the plague that is cōming and no man regardeth that is carnall men who are not acquainted with Gods dealings nor exercised in marking thē know not this that the vntimely death of righteous men is a forerunner of some greeuous plague which God is to bring vppon that Cittie or countrey where they dwelt And more especially we are carefully to obserue those actions of God which concerne our selues as namely how he hath from time to tyme prouided for vs al things needful euen in our greatest wants when as all men did forsake vs how hee hath preserued vs from great dangers how he hath chastised vs for our sins how he hath heard our prayers and granted our requests how he hath comforted vs in our afflictions how hee hath rewarded all our good works godly endeuors how he hath assisted vs by his spirit in time of tentation how hee hath sometimes let vs remaine in sinne irrepentance and hardnes of heart at other times hath giuen vs soft hearts melting at his promises and threatnings as waxe before the fire sending forth riuers of the teares of true repentance how hee hath plagued for our sins or blessed for our sakes our friendes acquaintance wiues children kinsfolke and seruants how he hath reuealed himselfe his will and truth vnto vs and in short how he hath in euery respect dealt with vs since wee first knewe or serued him Sect. 9. THus wee see the right manner of feeding the soule with the heauenly manna the word of God contained in the scriptures creatures and actions of God beside the which there is required in the right nourishment of it spirituall exercise For it fareth with the soule as it doth with the bodie the which although it bee fedde to the full and daily filled with meate yet it cannot be preserued much lesse increased in health strength and vigour vnlesse it be exercised that so the meate receiued into the belly may be drawen and fastned to the other partes of the body which otherwise will not nourish but soone passeth away without any profit so for the preseruation of spirituall health and strength exercise is no lesse needefull then foode the truth heereof appeareth plainly in many who although they feede their soules with all are and diligence being continually conuersant in studying hearing reading meditating and regarding the word yet they are not nourished by this foode because they do not ioyne exercise vnto it This spirituall exercise is the practise of christianity or of spiritual graces or the performance of Christian duties belonging either to God or man and therefore it must of necessitie be of diuers kindes as there are many kinds of spirituall graces and of Christian duties The first and chiefe kind of spiritual exercise is prayer or inuocation of the name of God both publike also priuate by the right vse wherof wee shall feele all the graces of Gods spirit to be stirred vp in vs yea confirmed and encreased yea all drousines and heauiness of soule to be shaken off as will easily appeare by considedering the seuerall parts of it For the more that wee cōfesse our sins and the multitude and hainousness of them as it were painting them out in their naturall shape and in liuely colours the more wee loath and abhor them the oftner and more seriously that we consider the iudgements of God either present or which are like inough to bee shortly poured vpon vs for our sinnes and also the benefits temporall and spiritual receiued at the hands of God the more wee increase in feare and loue and all dutifull thankfulnesse towards him and therfore whosoeuer desireth to preserue his soule in health and strength must haue speciall regard to this that he giue himselfe to the daily continuall vse of prayer the necessity and efficacie whereof is so great that it may truely be called