Linguistic DNA - Concept Modelling Demonstrator

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
heaven_n	angel_n	descend_v	ladder_n	1,870	5	11.7110	5	false

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A20960	Theophilus, or Loue diuine A treatise containing fiue degrees, fiue markes, fiue aides, of the loue of God. Translated by Richard Goring, out of the third French edition: renewed, corrected and augmented by the author M. Peter Moulin, preacher the reformed Church of Paris.; Theophile ou de l'amour divin. English.	Du Moulin, Pierre, 1568-1658.; Goring, Richard.	1610 (1610)	STC 7339; ESTC S118661	51,058	311

the name of Christians he hath made vs faithfull ones Herunto you may adde if you will the 4. that he hath adopted elected vs in his Sonne before the foundation of the worlde hauing had care of vs not onely before we were borne but euen before the world was made For if a woman lately conceiuing loue her future fruite much more doth she so when it is borne and embraced in her armes so if God loued vs before wee had any being how much more when we call vpon him and loue him with a filiall loue Now in this grace the lesse our number is the greater is our priuiledge the greater his bountie and mercie towards vs to be like a few wel sighted amoÌ„gst a throng of blind men like the portion of Iacob in Egypt alone enlightned in the midst of that darknesse which couered all the countrey like Gedeons fleece alonely watered with his blessing whilest all the rest of the earth is drie and destitute of his grace God hath enuironed vs with examples of blindnesse to the end wee might make the more account of light and that wee should go on in the way of righteousnes whilest the day lasteth whilest he enlighteneth vs by his word All these graces depend vpon one speciall grace which is our reconciliation with God by the death of Iesus Christ it is he that is the conduit-pipe through which the graces of God do flow vnto vs it is Iacobs ladder which ioyneth earth vnto heauen which ioineth man againe with God The Angels ascending this ladder do signifie our prayers The Angels descending signifie Gods blessings Iacobs sleeping at the foote of this ladder representeth the rest of our consciences vnder the shadow of his intercession For before on what side soeuer man could turne his eyes he could see nothing but matter of feare and astonishment If he looked on God he saw a consuming fire and a soueraigne iustice armed against sinners If he looked on the law hee saw the sentence of his condemnation if on the heaueÌ„ he said I am shut out thereof by my sins if on the world he saw himselfe fallen from the empire he before had ouer the creatures if on himselfe he saw a thousand corporall and spirituall infirmities By the signes in heauen and earthquakes he was seized with trembling and feare then Satan death and hell were the enemies which either drew him to perdition or tortured him with their apprehension But now each man which hath an assured trust in Iesus Christ looketh on all these things with another eye and singeth another song If he looke vpon God he will say It is my Father who hath adopted me in his Sonne If he thinke on the iudgement seate of the last day he will say My elder brother sitteth thereon and he who is my Iudge is also my aduocate If he thinke on the Angels he will say These are my keepers Psal 34. If he looke on heauen he will say It is my house If he heare it thunder from aboue he will say It is my Fathers voice If he consider the law he saith The Sonne of God hath fulfilled it for me If he be in prosperitie on earth he will say God hath yet better things for me in store If he be in aduersitie he wil say Iesus Christ hath suffered much more hereof for my sake God exerciseth me proueth me or correcteth me or rather honoureth mee making me like vnto his Sonne If he thinke on the diuell death or hell then he will triumph ouer all saying with the Apostle 1. Cor. 15. O death where is thy victorie O graue where is thy sting Thankes be to God who hath giuen vs victorie through Iesus Christ our Lord. If these things buzze and keepe a noise like angrie waspes yet haue they lost their sting If the old Serpent pricke our heele yet is his head bruised If the diuell through persecutions giue vs a false alarme yet belong we to Iesus Christ who hath bought vs and none shall snatch vs out of his hand Who wil feare hauing such a patron who not onely maketh intercession for sinners but of sinners maketh them iust who not only pleadeth for a bad case but also of bad maketh it good because that hee doth not only pray but also pay for vs so that to pardon vs is not onely a worke of his mercie but also an effect of his iustice These obligations vnto the louing God are common vnto all the faithfull But I thinke if each one would looke backe into the course of his life and call to mind the time passed there is none of vs but should finde iust cause to acknowledg besides these common benefites manie particular witnesses of the care and loue of God towards vs Of deliuerances out of many dangers vnhoped for good chances commodious afflictions our purposes crossed but for our good extraordinary meanes to bring vs vnto the knowledge of his truth Shall it be said that the blessings of God haue rained vpon the sands without making vs more fruitful of good works Shall we be like vnto beasts which drink of the brooke without thinking of the spring without raising vp our thoughts vnto God the wel-spring of all blessing Meane while when we say that God doth vs good to the end we should loue him it is not because he hath any need of our loue but because he would saue vs he would that we should loue him because it is impossible to be saued whilst we hate him Moreouer our louing him also is partly his gift for it is he which kindleth his loue in vs. God doth not only giue vs his graces but giueth also grace to demaund them the hand to apprehend them grace to make good vse thereof the vertue to glorifie him for the same in such sort as to acknowledge that we owe vnto him not only those his good things but euen our selues also God doth good vnto the vnworthy but he maketh them worthy by this doing them good his spiritual graces being of such nature as that they transforme such as receiue them This first degree of loue being holy and necessary is not for all that any more then a beginning of the loue of God and as the first stroke of true pietie For he who loueth God but for his profite is like vnto little children who say their prayers that they may breake their fasts and to speake properly they loue not God but themselues Such a loue if it extend it selfe no further is a mercenary loue yea and iniurious vnto God For it may be alwayes thought that the end is better then those things which tend therunto If then the loue of God haue no other end but our owne profit we place the same aboue God and make our interest more exelleÌ„t then his seruice Let him then which is come to this first degree of loue if he passe on no further know that God pardoneth vs much if he punish not that which is

grounded but vpon the loue of our selues wherfore wee must mount higher and come to the second step The second degree of Gods loue THe second step of Gods loue is to loue him not onely for our profits sake but euen for his owne sake to wit that laying aside all consideration of his benefites yea and our hope of any profit from him yet to loue him aboue all things Dauid speaketh of this loue in the 69. Psalme ver 37. Let all them which loue thy name reioyce Hee wold haue vs loue God for his names sake that is to say because he is soueraigne Lord wise in his counsels iust in his actions true in his promises dwelling in glory which none can attaine vnto possessing a soueraigne perfection God whose life is without beginning and ending his eternitie without change his greatnesse without measure his power without resistance who hath made the world by his word gouerneth it by his sight and shall ruinate it by his will who in one vertue and perfection which is his essence incloseth all vertue which is euery where dispersed in the creatures as diuers lines which meete in one center do disperse theÌ„selues by their extentioÌ„ For these considerations God ought to be loued more then for the good which he doth vs. Iesus Christ himselfe teacheth vs the same in the prayer he formed for vs in which he appointeth vs to demaund the sanctifying of his name and the aduancement of his kingdome before we craue any thing for our profit A desire which so possessed the spirit of Moses and the Apostle S. Paul that forgetting themselues they desired rather to be blotted out of the booke of life and to be accursed then that God should not be glorified Wherefore to plant in vs this loue which loueth God for his owne sake it is necessarie to know so farre forth as we may what he is in himselfe and wherefore soueraignly to be beloued Wee naturally loue beautie now light is the chiefe of beauties without which all other beauties do nothing differ from deformities God then being the chiefe light is necessarily the chiefest beautie He is the Father of lights saith S. Iames. The fountaine of light is in him and through his light we see crearly saith Dauid in the 36. Psalme For this cause when hee first set his hand vnto the creation he began with the light as a thing best representing his nature He is the Sunne of iustice the Sunne which setteth not which maketh no shadow vnto which all things are transparent which not onely enlighteneth the eyes but euen giueth sight And iudge you what this soueraigne brightnesse is seeing that the Scraphins standing before the Throne are dazeled and faine to couer their faces with their wings as Esay saith being not able to endure so great a splendor For if at the glorious apparition of the humanitie of Iesus Christ the Sunne shall be darkened as some litle light at the appearing of a greater what may be the splendor of his Diuinitie If you will consider the life of God ours is but a shadow and nothing in comparison For our life is a flowing and succession of parts but God possesseth his life entirely at one instant and all at once He who wil know what the life of God is in comparison of mans life let him compare the sea with some litle brooke 1. The sea is very great and the brooke very little 2. The sea budgeth not from his place but the brooke runneth still forth and is alwayes a new water 3. The waters of the Sea come from no other place but all running waters come from the sea and return thither The like is the life of God compared with ours 1. His life is infinite and ours verie short 2. His life consisteth in rest and to possesse all his life at one instant but our life is a fluxe and succession of parts 3. His life commeth from none other but our life commeth from him Acts 17. ver 28. and returneth vnto him againe as Salomon saith in the 12. of Ecclesiastes The earth returneth vnto the earth as it was before and the spirit vnto God which gaue it Gods knowledge is also a bottomlesse pit He knoweth all things yea euen such as are not Things passed are not passed vnto him the future are present before him He soundeth the heart he seeth through the cloake of hypocrisie We behold things one after another but he seeth them all at one view as if a man were all eye and should see all that were about him without turning himselfe We see things because they are on the contrarie things are because God seeth them For in God to see is as much as to will and his will is to do To know things we looke vpon them but God to know things looketh on himselfe because that in his wisedome hee hath the models of all things and in his will the sentence of all chances How admirable also is his holinesse It infinitely surpasseth the holinesse of Angels and Saints as it is said in the booke of Iob chap. 15. Behold he hath no assurance in his Saints and the heauens are not pure in his sight how much more abhominable and vile is man who drinketh iniquitie like water Euen as the holy Scripture calleth the highest heauen the heauen of heauens because it incloseth the inferiour so also it calleth God the holie of holies because his holinesse incloseth that of all the Saints as being infinitely inferiour The holinesse of the creature is a qualitie that of God is his substance God is holy of himselfe but men and Angels are not Saints but because God hath sanctified them Also after a cleane contrarie manner vnto men is he iust For men are iust because they do iust things In God it is otherwise for the things are iust because God doth them For he is iustice it selfe Wherefore he is iust for no other cause but for that hee doth according to his wil according to which he hath giuen vs his law the perfect rule of iustice which he not only setteth before vs but also writeth it in vs and engraueth it with his finger in the stone as he promiseth vs in the 31. of Ieremie I will put my law into them and will write it in their harts He loueth iustice and truth He hateth the workers of iniquitie he rooteth out liers he hateth the bloud-thirsty and deceitful man Psal 5. What shall we say of his goodnesse through which he loueth them which hate him by which hee causeth his Sunne to shine vpon the iust and vniust the good and bad by which hee raineth down his goodnesse euen into the mouthes which are open to blaspheme him Aboue all this infinite goodnes shineth in the person of his Son This Sonne so begotten before all eternitie that he yet now begetteth him Sonne without beginning of time Sonne of the like age as his Father Essentiall

passage For the faithfull wil follow domesticall and ciuil affaires not as if he meant there to set vp his staffe to tie therunto his desseignes or therein to place his hope His thoughts will euer be in some other place and during his businesse will euer think of the vanitie of his trauell He will alwayes begin his actions with the seruice of God and inuocation of his name and that shal euer be the first which he will haue last whilest worldlings after the example of Martha paine themselues excessiuely in domesticke affaires he after Maries example will chuse the good part which shall not be taken from him placing himselfe at Christs feete to heare his word If hee haue any worldly feares they wil giue place vnto the feare of God If he haue any hopes they will giue place vnto his hope of the kingdom of heauen If he haue any sorrowes they will be swallowed vp of a greater sorrow proceeding from the sence of his sinnes or the bruisings of Ioseph God himselfe herein is an example vnto vs. For in building of the world he hath done coÌ„trary vnto men which do build also men begin at the foundation but God beginneth at the top He stretched out the heauens before he laied the foundations of the earth The naturall workes of God are spirituall instructions vnto vs. To the end that wee may follow this order and that wee may euer begin by the care of heauenly things the earthly will present themselues in the second rank to be thought on not of loue or of purpose but by necessitie and as much as is required for not seeming cruell vnto those which be ours or enemies to our selues Seeke ye first the kingdom of God and the righteousnes thereof and all other things shal be administred vnto you Math. 6. 33. The fourth aide of the loue of God FRequent and often prayers doe likewise nourish this loue I mean as well publicke as priuate for the publick are a quire of sighes a harmonie of affections sent vp with one accord vnto God which imitateth that holy consort of the Angels soules of the Saints sounding on their harps in heauen wherof mention is made in the 5. of the Apocalypse In our priuate prayers the faithfull man being hidden from mans eies discouereth himselfe vnto God maketh his complaints to him with a child-like familiaritie prayeth vnto him not of custome but with affectioÌ„ with words broken off with sighes which are vsed euen in the midst of businesse through a gentle distraction and wholesom interruption which prayers haue no other motiue but loue nor other subiect but necessitie or other eloquence but affection None craueth an almes with the flowers of Rhetoricke Familiar simplicitie is verie comely in prayer To make these solitary praiers Isaac went out into the fields So king Ezechias turned his face vnto the wall for feare to be troubled in his praier So the Apostle S. Peter went vp vnto an high roome of the house to pray alone Iesus Christ himself in the 6. of Luke withdrew himselfe into a mountain to make his prayers and continued therein all night Both these sorts of prayers haue promise of God to be heard As touching the publick our Sauiour promiseth vs that there where two or three be gathered together in his name he will be in the midst of them and that all which they shall aske with one accord shall be ganted them As for the priuate he also speaketh thus in the 6. of S. Matth. When thou prayest enter into the closet and hauing shut the doore pray vnto thy Father which is in secret and thy Father which is in secret shall reward thee openlie These prayers are so many matches of the loue of God For as soone as God will be prayed vnto by vs this is a great witnes vnto vs that he loues vs. Our importunitie is pleasing vnto him he giueth by his commandemeÌ„t free accesse vnto our praiers That wee may obtaine his graces hee demandeth no other price of vs but our prayers For riuers of his goodnesse he demandeth but some drops of our thankfulnes He is attentiue vnto the crie of the afflicted He is nigh vnto them which call vpon him If the crie of dead Abels bloud came vp vnto him how much more the cry of his liuing childreÌ„ which cal vpon him in the name of Iesus Christ If he reckon our haires how much more our sighes and our prayers which hee himselfe hath prescribed vs Adde hereunto that prayer is a strong bridle vnto vs to hold vs in the feare of God For this onelie thought that it is before him that we present our selues before him who knoweth our harts who seeth all our filthinesse through the cloake of hypocrisie obligeth vs to purifie our hearts and our hands to wit our thoughts and actions according to the commandement of the Apostle I will saith he that all men make praiers in all places heauing vp pure hands without anger or debate On the contrarie God by the Prophet Esai reiecteth haÌ„ds full of bloud euen when they lengthen out their praiers Then when we come to frame our prayers each word that we say is a lesson or a reproach For example we thus begin the Lords prayer Our Father which art in heauen In calling him our Father wee learne on the one part to be his obedient children and to be perswaded of his loue on the other side to despise the world as inferiour to our dignitie seeing wee be the children of God This word also of Our frameth vs vnto charity towards our neighbors to procure their good not only in our prayers but in all our actions And these words which art in heauen aduertise vs to seeke for heauenly things and that our conuersation should be as that of heauenly citizens and children of the heauenly King Then when the faithful shall come to propose his demaunds he will chide himselfe on this sort I craue of God that his name may be hallowed and yet I profane and dishonor it I desire that his kingdome may come and be aduanced and notwithstanding I resist and foreslow it as much as lieth in me vnwilling that he should reigne in me not subiecting my selfe vnto the scepter of his kingdome which is his word nor contributing any thing to his Church which is called in the Gospell Gods kingdome Item I pray his will may be done and yet I resist this wil. I beg my bread and yet couet another mans My dailie bread and yet my couetous care extends it selfe vnto many yeares So likewise wee craue that God would forgiue vs as wee forgiue them which haue trespassed against vs and for all that wee are vnreconcileable our hatred is mortall or to say better immortall and yet feare not that God should heare vs pardoning vs according as we pardon our neighbours So we desire not to be led into temptation and yet we runne after temptations

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