Linguistic DNA - Concept Modelling Demonstrator

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
duty_n	child_n	command_v	parent_n	3,363	5	9.0411	4	true

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A66097	The child's portion, or, The unseen glory of the children of God asserted and proved together with several other sermons / occasionally preached and now published by Samuel Willard, teacher of a church in Boston, New-England.	Willard, Samuel, 1640-1707.	1684 (1684)	Wing W2271; ESTC R33658	112,015	240

this great Truth affords you encouragement and comfort to think that though the World despise and reject you yet God owns you though they count you abject and base as the very off-scouring of the earth yet that he looks upon you as his Children having adopted you as his own and put his Name upon you so it may teach you these Lessons 1. Love God with a filial affection He deserves your best love who hath shewen you such love as this is Context vers 1. Behold It calls for attention observation and admiration What manner of love It is a love which your hearts cannot comprehend it is so great so strange that ever sinners should be taken so near to the great God Let your love meet it Hence 1. Love his Honour and Glory Nothing can grieve a Child more than to see his Parents vilified and hear them evil spoken of and their names traduced How then should it grieve the Children of God to see and hear what woful dishonour is cast upon his glorious Name by the profane lives and speeches of wicked men this was David's overwhelming grief Psal 119. 136. Rivers of tears run down mine eyes because men keep not thy Law 2. Love fellowship or communion with him Love to draw near him in all those wayes in which he reveales himself and holds correspondence with his own People Take delight in Ordinances and spiritual Duties value one day in the house of God better than a thousand elsewhere be willing to go through all difficulties and if called to it endure calamities that you may enjoy the presence of God Get to be able sincerely to make David's profession Psal 119 136. Lord I have loved the habitation of thine House and the place where thine honour dwelleth 3. Love his Image wheresoever you see it We look often and with great content upon the Pictures of those on whom our hearts are set There are those here in the World that are more than Pictures the Saints are living Images of the Lord we may see in them not only the likness to but the shining reflection of his communicated perfections Hence we should love the Saints as they are Gods Children and our fellow brethren so did David Psal 16. 2. The Saints in whom is all my delight 5. Love his commands The dutiful Child loves that his father should be calling for his service and is glad at the heart when any thing that he doth can find acceptance and give content How doth David love the law He cannot express it Psal 110. 96. How sweet and precious is it to him Psal 19. 9 10. Do not reckon it to be your burden but your priviledge that your heavenly Father will honour you so much who needs it not as to imploy you about any thing for him And though it be the meanest service yet because it is for him account it honourable true love will stoop low to express it self to the beloved 2. Serve God with a filial subjection It s the Apostles counsel 1 Pet. 1. 14. As obedient Children c. There is a great difference between the service of a Child and that of a servant Shew your selves the Children of God 1. By hearkening unto him in whatsoever he hath to say unto you How diligent should Children be to listen whither their Parents call them or no And what attention ought they to yeild unto them when they speak to or command them in any matter Eâ—e God in his providences consider what is his mind therein hear the rod and him that hath appointed it hearken to him in his word and make a particular application to your own souls of all those counsels aâ—d directions which are given in his Ordinances from one time to another II. Readily embrace his will and without grumbling or repining go about every work of God which you are called unto chearfully It is a note of great disobedience of heart and a thing very grievous unto their Parents when they see that their Children go about their doing of any thing that they are commanded with an ill will How acceptable must it needs be unto God when his Children do their duty so as in the manner of their doing it they make it to appear that they take great satisfaction in it Herein we shew our selves to be like Christ our elder Brother who rejoyced to do his Fathers will Psal 40. 7. 3. Endeavour in all things so to carry it that such as take notice of you may see and know whose Children you are Bear alwayes about with you the Image of God and labour after an evident representation of his perfections in your whole conversation Mat. 5. ult Be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect Remember that as there is a real so there ought to be a manifest difference between the Children of God and the Children of the Devil 1 Joh. 3. 9. In this the Children of God are manifested It is therefore your part to be alwayes shewing the difference And to that end have a care of conforming your selves in the sinful and carnal courses and customs of the world Be not afraid no nor ashamed to run in a stream quite contrary to theirs And for this be observant of the rules of Gods word where you may learn to cleanse your way and regulate your lives sutable to your relation And hence 1. Shew your selves the Children of God by an holy life and conversation 1 Pet. 1. 15 16. As he that hath called you is holy so be ye also holy c. Live contrary to the worlds filthiness they love to be wallowing in the mire of fleshly lust to be polluting themselves with sin do you abstain from the very appearance â—â— any such thing God is most holy and he loves purity and hates filthiness and when we do so to and shew that we do so in our practical conversation then do we shew our selves to be like him It is a very great shame that the Sons of God should have fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness that believers should be overtaken with the like excesses of riot drunkenness wantonness c. with unbelievers this is a great disgrace to the high and honourable calling of the Children of God holiness becomes his Saints let then the shine of his Graces irradiat your loves 2. By expressing an holy confidence in God in all the cases and concernments of your lives In trouble affliction Persecution distress contrary to those cares and perplexities of the men of the world which eat them up and declare that they have no further to rely upon we then honour God and bring credit to Religion when we can at all times cast our care upon him believing in his power and promise in our sorest distress thus did David when he was reduced to the greatest imaginable difficulties 1. Sam. 30. 6. He encouraged himself in the Lord. 3. By a constant application of your selves to God in all your cases Children especially

spiritual right and all their enjoyments are theirs by the new Covenant 2. They have the Ministry of the blessed Angels Heb. 1. 14. Are they not all ministring Spirits sent forth to minister for them who shall be Heirs of Salvation Those glorious Beings which attend before the Throne of God are also made to wait upon Gods Children they guard these Heirs of Salvation they are unto them tutelary Angels to defend them from evil and to watch for their good Psal 91. 11. He shall give his Angels charge concerning thee they pitch their tents round about them Psal 34. 1. they bring them messages of peace from Heaven even answers of their Prayers Dan. 9. 23. they strengthen and confirm them in their secret conflicts Luk. 22. 43. and when they come to die they are a convoy to carry their Souls home to eternal rest Luk. 16. 22. The Angels carried Lazarus into Abrahams bosom 3 They have the cooperation of all things to do them good Rom. 8. 28. Gods Children are called to pass through varieties of changes in this life they meet with manifold afflictions they have many enemies men and devils that are engaged to plot their harm and take all advantages to bring it about but yet all these being over-ruled by the power and wisdom of God which stand on his peoples side are made beneficial to them and whatever they plot for evil is turned to good and though sorely against their will whom nothing more grieves then the welfare of the Saints all helps them forward for heaven and contributes to the encrease of their eternal glory every reproach and injury doth but add weight to their Crown 6. They are made Royal Heirs they are conjoyned with Jesus Christ in the glorious inheritance that is prepared Rom. 8. 17. Joynt Heirs with Christ they are as Children of the great King entituled to a Kingly estate yea they are constituted Heirs of all things God is theirs Christ is theirs the Throne and Crown that are prepared and the exceeding eternal weight of Glory are theirs and though for the present during their nonage and minority here in this life they seem but little different from servants to the observation of others their Inheritance being as yet in reversion and they mean while under manifold exercises of their graces yet erelong when they are made perfect men in Christ and having finished the work set them to do in this World shall be brought to take full possession of their own it shall then be known what happy ones they are 4. For the evidence of the Doctrine or wherein it appears that they are now the Sons of God notwithstanding their present despicable condition here take only two Conclusions 1. There is nothing in their present mean and despicable estate but what is well enough consistent with their Sonship though they are hated despised persecuted afflicted and every way as low and mean as is to be imagined For 1. That the World hates them is rather an evidence of their Sonship than any Argument against it as being an exercise and discovery of that enmity which God hath put between the seed of the Serpent of the Woman The Devil who is the Father of ungodly Men is Gods great Enemy and the ringleader of Rebellion against him and no wonder since he cannot touch God in his Being if Hell rise up against him and oppose him in his Children It is true that wicked men do not know them to be certainly the Children of God for the world know us not ver 1. but they know them to be other kind of men from themselves and for this reason they hate and persecute them our Saviour foretold his Disciples that they must expect to meet this measure from the World and gives the reason Mat. 10. 22. Ye shall be hated of all men for my Name sake it is for the profession which they make and the glory of God which they are bound for that they are hated and scorned in the World 2. That God suffers the World to afflict and persecute them denies not his fatherly care of them for in this very thing he makes men and devils to serve them there is no Saint that ever was or ever shall be a loser by all that Gods and his Enemies shall do against him and that because what they intend for harm God evermore by a powerful over-ruling providence turns for their good his Graces are hereby tried and made to shine forth and that trial proves to be much better than that of God 1 Pet. 1. 7. God hereby puts an advantage into his hands to glorifie him and testifying his love and sincerity to him in chearfully suffering all things for his Name and Faith at such a time teacheth him to rejoyce that he may be counted worthy for this so did the Apostles when scourged before the Council Act. 5. 41. and when wicked men have done their worst to the Children of God they do but prepare for them a glorious Chariot to ride home in tryumph to the City of God 3. That they are low and mean in the world is not because God loves wicked men better than he loves them whom he suffers to flourish and abound in all delights to live at ease and die without bands but because such a condition in this life is usually best for them and still when they are most distressed poor and bare they are his chosen they are rich because God himself is their portion and a Kindom is prepared for them Jam. 2. 6. as long as they are here they are from home they are Strangers and Pilgrims and it is safest for them to be so and still that remains to be a great truth Psal 37. 16. A little that a righteous man hath is better than the riches of many wicked better because it is his own and he hath it with Gods favour and love 4. That God is often angry with them afflicts them and withdraws the light of his countenance from them and puts them to grief is not because he loves them not but because it is that which their present condition requires they are but Children and childish and foolish and if they were not sometimes chastened they would grow wanton and careless of Duty a Fathers love is evidenced as well in correcting a wanton child as in providing for him God doth it to shew his love Heb. 12. 6. Whom he loves he corrects he doth it for the saving of their Souls 1 Cor. 11. 32. Ye are judged of the Lord that ye may not be condemned with the World when the time comes that all their sin is done away then they shall sorrow no more so that in all this way how dark soever it seems to be God is guiding them by counsel that he may bring them to glory 2. In this mean and despised estate of theirs God is pleased to be giving of them many testimonies and clear evidences of their Sonship As 1. Their fellowship

it be done to one whom the King of glory delights to honour VSE I. For Information learn we hence 1. That this Truth may satisfie us in the great reason why the People of God are not now known nor esteemed by the World it is because the time of their manifestation is not yet come we are often ready to think in our selves if we are his Children why doth he suffer us so little to be taken notice of and so much contemned and are hence prone to judge and censure his Providence in this respect whereas it is his Wisdom and good pleasure that it should be so Christ had his mean and obscure state upon Earth and so must his followers if we would be like him in glory we must be conformable to him in obscurity God hath his appointed seasons Men do not as yet know God nor Christ how then should they know his Children but they shall know him they shall see him and be astonished at him and they shall see and know his People and it is our duty to think Gods time the best 2. How miserably mistaken shall the Saints Persecutors ere long find themselves to have been about the Children of God whom they persecuted they think if they can but get the People of God under ground if they can but see an end of them in this World there is then an end for ever and now they can triumph over them and promise themselves henceforward never to be troubled with them any more they have their wills and hearts desires and are apt to boast over them and say where are now your great confidences your faith your hope what is become of all your Prayers and resolute patient sufferings in expectation of a desired end methinks I see what blushing what confusion of face what dismal consternation these poor cheated wretches are filled withal when as soon as they look out of their Graves in the morning of the Resurrection one of the first sights that accosts them is those very Saints whom they oppressed persecuted slew and hoped they had perished for ever appearing before them in highest state and glory shining in robes of Majesty and blessed in the company of Jesus coming to see the fearful judgement executed upon their proud Enemies and it will be no little aggravation of their misery to see those whom they despised contemned and hated made thus happy when they themselves are for ever miserable and when that shall be verified concerning them Psal 49. 14. The upright shall have dominion over them in the morning then shall they confess how foolish they had been so to despise and abuse those honourable and precious ones 3. The Children of God ought not to value themselves according to what they are at present but what they shall be at Christs appearing If the present visible condition of the Saints were the only rule of judging themselves by they might reckon themselves among the most unhappy of mankind and hence when their judgments have been byassed that way and they have looked with a carnal eye upon themselves which is bounded on things present they have been ready to be envious at the wicked and foolish men but if they could ever keep an eye firmly fixt upon the day of revelation and contemplate what is providing for them against that day could they but fetch up the evidence of those unseen things and feed their hearts with such thoughts they would soon turn their envy into scoâ—n at least pity and confess their former thoughts to have been ignorant foolish bruitish USE II. For Exhortation to the Children of God the great Lesson which the Doctrine teacheth you is to live by Faith all a Believers Consolation is laid up in the promise and must be thence extracted by Faith when Paul would strengthen the hearts of his Corinthians with the thoughts of their future Glory he inserts this necessary parenthesis 2 Cor. 5. 7. For we live by Faith not by sight The Saints Life of Glory is an hidden Life at present Col. 3. 3. Your Life is hid with Christ in God It is hid from the sight of the World and hid from their own sence but Faith is the evidence of things not seen Faith must carry us as far as the great judgement that day of Christs appearance and thence we must gather our comforts and present supports and there are three things especially unto which we should exercise our Faith upon this consideration Viz. 1 To a patient bearing of all the afflictions and troubles of the present time troubles and afflictions are unwelcome Ghuests to the mind of Man nature is averse to them and if grace doth not afford something to sweeten them they will be hard to bear and there cannot be a greater cordial against these Faintings then a due application of the consideration of that happy day wherein the glory of the Children of God shall be made manifest this hope will put life into the Soul Rom. 8. 24. For we live by hope the thoughts of this day were those which did put courage into Christians in their greatest adversities and made them valiant in suffering for God and Christ yea to contemn and despise those sufferings and speak of them as poor things and scarce to be valued see what Paul thinks of them Rom. 8. 18. Not worthy to be compared with the Glory to be revealed and 2 Cor. 4. 17. Our light affliction which is but for a moment How David contents himself in such a meditation Psal 17. ult I shall be satisfied when I awake with thy likeness And Asaph Psal 73. 24. when a Child of God sits down and thinks with himself thus I that now suffer for Christ shall Reign with him ere long I that now am judged and condemned by the World shall shortly at Christs Bar be approved and acquitted that for which now shame and reproach is cast upon me shall then be my glory what though I am now in heaviness through manifold temptations am despised disgraced trampled upon and made a mock and laughter for a wicked World when Christ shall appear then I shall be honoured approved arraâ—ed in state and crowned with Glory and they that now despise me shall see it they that will not now believe shall then know that my reward was with God how can he châ—se but find his heart quieted and the tumults thereof appeased with such thoughts as these yea quietly to suffer all things for Christ in these hopes of Glory 2. To a chearful willingness to tarry and wait till Christ shall appear for the manifestation of our happiness be we content to live obscurely and die obscurely and be forgotten for a while this should satisfie our mind when we are ready to think it long to remember and consider that Christ defers our appearance no longer than he doth his own that as soon as he shall appear we shall appear with him and is it not enough that the Disciple be as his

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