Linguistic DNA - Concept Modelling Demonstrator

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
fire_n	aaron_n	accept_v	offer_v	36	3	6.5171	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

It is needlesse For the man is good alreadie else the worke could not haue beene good Wee may therefore say workes are rather iustified by the person of a man then his person by the works and it is a most vaine thing to looke for Iustification from that which thou thy selfe must first iustifie afore it be iust if wee had no other reasons against iustification by workes but this this were sufficient Secondly hence we learne that till a man bee called and his person iustified and sanctified all that euer hee doth is sinne 1. His common actions his eating drinking sleeping walking talking are all sinnes Yea 2. The workes of his calling his labor in the same though neuer so iust equal and vpright 3. Further his ciuill actions namely the practice of ciuill vertues his outward grauitie meekenesse sobrietie temperance quietnesse vprightnesse and all outward conformitie are all sinnes Yea more then all this his best actions namely his practicing of the parts of Gods worship or his deeds of charitie his praier his hearing the word his receiuing the sacraments his giuing of almes they are all sinnes vnto him if hee haue not a belieuing and penitent heart yea such sinnes as shall condemne hâ—m if hee had no other Obiect This should seeme strange diuinity that the most holy actions as praier c. should be damnable sinnes I answer they are in themselues holy and good and as farre forth as God hath commanded them yet in the doer they are sinnes because hee doth them from a fowle vnholy heart for the same action may be holy in it selfe and in regard of God the author of it and yet a sin in him that is the doer of it As cleere water pure in the fountaine is corrupted or poisoned by running through a filthy and polluted channell so are euen the best actions sinnes as euen the preaching of the word to a minister whose heart is not cleansed by faith and his person accepted of God it is a sin vnto him and if he repent not shall be his condemnation Cain sinned not onely in hating and murthering his brother in lying and dissembling with God but Cain sinned also euen in offering sacrifice And Abels sacrifice had beene a damnable sinne but that his person was iustified before God And the reason of all this is good for nothing in the worke is able to make an action acceptable to God but onely the acceptation of the person by Christ. This being so it stands vs euery one in hand to looke to our selues and to labour aboue all things for faith and repentance that so our persons may be accepted righteous before God and thereby our actions accepted also If it be a miserable thing that all thy actions euen holy actions should be sinnes then labour to be iustified for that onely can make thy workes accepted if not then though thou labour neuer so much to be approued in the world set neuer so glorious a shew vpon thy workes to the eyes of men they are all abhominable sinnes in the sight of God and at the day of iudgement they shall goe for no better Preach and teach all thy life long nay giue thy life to die for religion Giue all thy goods to the poore depriue thy flesh of all delights build Churches Colledges Bridges High-wayes c. and there may come a poore shepheard and for his keeping of his sheepe be accepted when thou with all this pompe of outward holinesse maist be reiected And why this only because he had faith thou hast none his person was iustified before God and thine is not Therefore let this be my counsell from Abell Labour not so much to worke glorious workes as that which thou doest doe it in faith Faith makes the meanest worke accepted and want of faith makes the most glorious worke reiected for so faith the Text. Abell must be accepted else his sacrifice is not Thus wee see Abell was iust and God so accounted him The second point is That God gaue testimonie hee was so In these words God giuing testimonie What testimonie it was that God gaue of Abell and his gift it is not expressed in the word and so it is not certaine but it is very likely that wheÌ„ he Cain offred God in speciall mercy sent fire from heauen and burnt vp Abels sacrifice but not Cains for so it pleased the Lord often afterward when he would shew that he accepted any man or his worke he answered them by fire from heauen So he burnt vp the first sacrifice that Aaron offred Leuit. 9.24 So he answered Salomon 2. Chron. 7.1 And so Elias 2. Kings 18.28 And so it is likely that he gaue this testimonie that he accepted Abell and his offring This was a great prerogatiue that Abell and the Fathers in the old testament had We haue not this but wee haue a greater for wee haue that that is the substance and truth and body of this For wee haue also the fire of God that is his spirit comes downe into our hearts euery day not visibly but spiritually and burnes vp in the heart of a beleeuer his sinnes and corruptions and lights the light of true faith that shall neuer be put out The vse hereof is this As no sacrifice in the old law pleased God but such as was burnt by fire from heauen sent downe either then or afore so our sacrifices of the new Testament that is our inuocation of Gods name our sacrifice of praise our duties of religion our workes of mercy and loue neuer please God vnlesse they proceede from a heart purged by the fire of Gods spirit that is from a beleeuing and repentant heart both which are kindled and lighted and daily continued by that fire of Gods spirit Therefore it is that Paul saith 1. Tim. 1.4 That loue must come out of a pure heart and good conscience and faith vnfained The duties of religion and works of loue comming from this purged heart ascend into the presence of God as a smoake of most acceptable sacrifices and are as a sweet perfume in the nosethrils of the Lord. Now of what did God thus testifie Of his gift It may here be asked at the first how can Abell giue a gift to God hath the Lord neede of any thing and are not all things his I answer God is soueraigne Lord of heauen and earth and all creatures yet hath hee so giuen his creatures vnto man to vse as that they become mans owne and so he may esteeme vse them and being mans a man may in token of his thankfulnes return them again to God especially seeing God accepts them being so offred as most free gifts This sheweth vs first the wonderfull mercy of God that whereas we can offer him nothing but his owne he vouchsafeth to accept a gift offred of his owne euen as though we had of our owne to offer 2. See here a difference betwixt the sacrifices of the old and

yet neuer was saued vnlesse therewithall wee haue the couenant of grace belonging vnto vs and the assurance thereof sealed in our consciences by Gods holy spirit Againe consider who spake these words But in Isaac shall thy seed be called Wee shall finde in Genesis 21.12 it was God himselfe Let it not saith God vnto Abraham be grieuous in thy sight for the childe and for the bond-woman in all that Sarah shal say vnto thee heare her voice which was to cast out the bond-woman and her sonne Ismael For saith GOD in Isaac shall thy seede be called Here obserue a notable practice of Abraham as a good direction how we ought to iudge of all those that liue in the Church submitting themselues outwardly to the ministerie and regiment thereof Abraham here hath two sonnes Isaac and Ismael he circumciseth them both and instructs them both for he taught all his houshold to knowe God and to feare and obey him Gen. 18.19 hee iudgeth them both to be in one state in regard of Gods couenant though they were not but that difference is made by God Abraham doth not on his own head and by his own will put Ismael out of the Church which was in his family but God bids him put him out and then he put him out and not before till such time he kept him in and held him to be within the couenant as well as Isaac was Euen so must we deale towards those that liue in the church secret iudgement must bee left to God and till God manifest the contrary in the iudgement of charity wee must holde them all elect This is the practice of Saint Paul in all his Epistles writing to the Corinths 1. Corinth 1.2 he calls them all sanctified and to the Galatians Gal. 1.2 hee calles them all elect speaking so in the iudgement of charitie although he knew that among them there were many profane and wicked men and though hee reprooue many great errors and hainous sinnes amongst them And thus much of the first argumeÌ„t wherby Abrahams faith is commended vnto vs namely the great impediments which might hinder the same Now followeth the second Argument or reason wherby his faith is commended to wit Abrahams victory ouer these impediments or the meanes whereby he ouercame them and induced himselfe to obey GOD in these words VERSE 19. For he considered or reasoned that God was able to raise him vp euen from the dead HEre is the true cause that made Abraham to offer his sonne and yet beleeue the promise that in him his seed should be called Wee may perswade our selues that Abraham had rather haue died himselfe if it might haue stood with the will of God than to haue sacrificed his sonne How then doth he induce himselfe to offer him vp Ans. By this which is here set downe he reasoned that God was able to raise him vp euen from the dead Here are diuers points to be considered of vs First obserue the text saith not that Abraham murmured or reasoned against God but reasoned with himselfe that God was able to raise vp his sonne againe and thereby induced himselfe to sacrifice his sonne vnto God Hence wee learne that when God laies vpon vs any hard commandement wee must not plead the case with God or murmure against him but with all quietnesse and meekenesse obey This is a notable grace of God commended vnto vs by God himselfe In rest and quietnesse saith God Isay 30.15 shall be your strength in quietnesse and confidence shall yee bee saued Many thinke it impossible to endure or doe some things which God imposeth on his children But our spirituall strength stands in these two in silence or rest and in quietnesse by these wee shall be enabled When Nadab and Abihu the sonnes of Aaron offered strange fire before the Lord which hee had not commaunded There went out a fire from the Lord and deuoured them so they died before the Lord. Now when Aaron their father asked Moses a cause hereof Moses saide It was that which the Lord spake he would be glorified in all that came neere him which when Aaron heard the Text saith He heide his peace and said not a word so Dauid behaued himselfe in the case of distresse I helde my peace and saide nothing because thou Lord diddest it And this is a speciall point for vs to learne and practice wee must not grudge or repine at Gods hard commaundements nor pleade the case with him but in all quietnesse and silence obay God in all that he saith vnto vs. Againe whereas it is said that Abraham reasoned that God was able c. Here we learne that it is a necessary thing for a man that beleeues to haue good knowledge in Gods word that when a temptation comes against his faith by knowledge and reasoning out of Gods word hee may be able to put backe the same for all our reasoning in matters of faith must be grounded on the word so doth Abraham in this place against this strong temptation reason out of Gods word to stay himselfe so that knowledge in the word of God is necessary to him that beleeues And therefore that Doctrine of the Church of Rome is erronious and here condemned which saith that if a man become deuout beleeue as the Church beleeueth though he knowe not what the Church beleeueth yet this faith will saue him but this is a meere deuice of their owne and hath no ground in the word of God for as we see heere knowledge in the word is necessary for him that hath true sauing faith But what is Abrahams argument whereby hee moues himselfe to obay God Surely this Hee reasoned that God was able to raise vp Isaac from the dead One part of his reason he takes for graunted which heere hee conceales for this promise was made vnto him In Isaac shall thy seede be called Now this he takes for graunted that God will neuer change his promise From whence hee reasoneth thus God is able to raise vp Isaac my sonne from the dead to life againe and therefore I will sacrifice my sonne according to his commaundement for this I knowe certainly that in Isaac shall my seede be called seeing God hath promised that as well as he commaundeth this other In this example wee see a meanes set downe vnto vs to enduce vs to obey God in all hard and difficult cases imposed by God which is a point to be considered carefully of euery one of vs. For say that any of vs shall be so touched in conscience for our sinnes that we euen despaire of our owne saluation what must we doe in this case wee must take Abrahams course and dispute with our selues for our selues we must drawe our arguments from the promise of God and from the power of God we must ioyne the promise and power of GOD together As for example thus wee must say God hath made this promise this I haue heard and I doe beleeue it

This besides the instance we haue in hand appeares plainly in Christes Apostles they were called by Christ to preach the Gospell to all the world and to plant his Church vniuersally and thereupon howsoeuer they were simple men before were furnished with extraordinary gifts of wisedome zeale knowledge and with this excellent grace of sauing faith which did sanctifie their other gifts for howsoeuer Iudas was numbred among them hauing been a Disciple yet he neuer came to the execution of the Apostleship but went astray from that ministration Acts 1.25 And in these later dayes when God restored his Gospell to light out of the darke myst of Popery hee raised vp extraordinarie men whom he endued with wisedome zeale and iudgement which gifts also he sealed vp in them by a liuely faith which they testified by their piety and godlinesse in life conuersation And this course he obserueth vsually in all those whom hee raiseth vp extraordinarily for the good of his Church This we must obserue to acquaint vs with a special difference betweene those whom God raiseth vp extraordinarily for speciall good and all arch heretiques and traytors that set vp themselues vnsent of God For many such wretches haue excelled in wisedome in worldly policy in zeale and authority whereupon they haue pretended and perswaded many that they were called of God But hereby especially they are to be discouered that they are voide of this rare gift of true sauing faith for look at their lyues and ordinarily for impiety they haue beene and are arch-diuels So that though they wanted not authority or outward zeale and wisedome yet they wanted faith which should purifie their hearts or else they would neuer haue liued in such notorious sinnes as they were discouered to doe And this is the triall which our Sauiour Christ directs vs vnto saying Ye shall knowe them by their fruites Math. 7.16 Let them therefore pretend what knowledge what zeale or authority soeuer they will if the fruits of faith appeare not in their lyues by obedience they are not called of God for the speciall good of his Church Thus much of these men in generall now wee come to entreate of them seuerally as they are propounded in the Text. THe first person here commended vnto vs is Gedeon the History of whose acts is laid down at large Iudges chap. 6. In his example note one point especially to acquaint vs with the manner which God vseth in begetting and encreasing true faith in the hearts of his children If we reade the Story we shal see that the Lord in the likenesse of an Angel called Gedeon once twice yea thrice to be a Iudge to his people But GedeoÌ„ greatly doubts of his calling therefore desires a signe of the Lord which God gaue him For the sacrifice which he offered was burned vp with fire from heauen yet still hee doubted and was in a greater feare then before euen of death it selfe but being confirmed by the Angell and set a-worke he brake down the Altar of Baall and built one to the true GOD and thereon offered sacrifice as God commaunded though with some feare And when the Midianites and Amalekites came armed against Israell hee is stirred vp by the spirit of God for their defence but yet still hee doubted of his calling and therefore againe asked a signe at Gods hands and had it and after that asked another which GOD also graunted Nowe hauing all these one in the necke of another at length hee knowes his calling and so goes in faith and defends Israell so that hee got the assurance of his calling by sundry particular signes and confirmations of his faith And though hee doubted greatly at the first yet after hee beleeues not onely that hee should bee a Iudge and Deliuerer of Gods people out of the hands of their enemies but this principally that God was his God and would giue vnto him euerlasting life Here then we haue a notable precedent of the manner of Gods working true and sound faith in the hearts of his children They receiue not this grace at once but by degrees God works it in them by little and little When a man is first called of GOD hee hath much doubting and feare but then God sends sundry helpes to weaken this feare and doubting and as they decrease so is faith encreased No man beleeues soundly at the first but weakely euen as he growes in yeares so he must grow in faith and the encrease of our faith is by continuance in the meanes and by experience of Gods loue and fauour And indeed the more faith encreaseth the more wee vse the meanes to grow therein and the more we delight in the meanes and at length after long experience of Gods mercy wee shall haue wrought in our hearts this gift of true liuely faith which shall be able to preuaile against all feare and doubting And thus much for the person of Gedeon The second person commended vnto vs is Barac of whom wee may reade Iudges 4. His Storie is large and plaine enough and therefore wee will not stand vpon it The third person is Samson of whom wee may also reade Iudges 13.14 c. Now touching Samson this question may well be asked how hee can be iustly commended for his faith seeing it may seeme hee killed himselfe Answere Samson did not kill himselfe for hee was called extraordinarily to be a Iudge ouer Israell for their defence and deliuerie out of the hands of the Philistimes Now when the Princes of the Philistimes were gathered together being his enemies and the enemies of God and his people hee cast the house downe vpon their heads to kill them therein because beeing blinde hee could not pursue them in battaile And therefore hauing them by Gods prouidence in his hands hee destroyed them as his calling was albeit hee lost his owne life in the same action Againe Samson in pulling downe the house purposed not directly and wilfully to kill himselfe but to aduenture his owne life by taking iust reuenge vpon his enemies and the enemies of God and therefore as Gods seruant he prayed first vnto God and so did no more thaÌ„ the Souldier in the field ought to doe who bearing a louing minde towards his Countrey is content to aduenture his owne life for the destruction of his enemies in the defence of his Countrey and is resolued that if hee die in that defence hee dieth in his lawfull place and calling and dieth Gods seruant yea Gods Champion This did Samson and therefore may iustly be commended for his faith neither is this fact of his any disgrace but rather a notable commendation of his faith and an euidence of great zeale for Gods glory and of singular loue to his people The fourth person commended heere is Iephte of whom wee may reade Iudges 11. Iephte was the base sonne of Gilead borne of an harlot To be base borne is noted in Scripture as a matter of reproach and

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