Linguistic DNA - Concept Modelling Demonstrator

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
knowledge_n	godliness_n	kindness_n	patience_n	5,208	5	9.3323	5	true

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A01739	Tvvo sermons vpon 1. Peter 5. vers .8. and 9 Wherein is shewed that the diuell is to be resisted only by a stedfast faith, how soeuer he commeth either against soule or body: and that whosoeuer hath once attained the true and liuelie faith, it can neuer be vtterly lost, but he is sure to get the victorie. By M. George Giffard, Preacher of the worde of God at Mauldon in Essex.	Gifford, George, d. 1620.	1597 (1597)	STC 11871; ESTC S112185	45,095	88

Moreouer he is to take heed that wil be stedfast in the faith to resist the diuel that he bee rich in good workes and that hee abstaine from committing those vices which nature doth lead vnto For in the time of triall in the hower of temptation or when Satan doth assault it will greatly shake the mind if a man when he doth looke for the arguments of a true faith and findeth that hee hath beene fruitlesse but if his conscience doe accuse him not only of a slacknesse in good workes but also of foule sinnes commited then will he crie out that all his former profession of the faith was but in shew or in hypocrisie This Apostle in the first chapter of his seconde Epistle teacheth that if we ioyne vertue with our faith and with vertue knowledge and with knowledge temperance with temperance patience and with patience godlinesse and with godlinesse brotherlie kindnes and with brotherlie kindnesse loue we shal make our calling and election sure we shall if we doe these thinges as he saith neuer fall 2. Pet. 1. vers 5.6.10 We shall perceiue assuredly if these things be in vs that God hath called vs effectually and that hee hath chosen vs. And therein doth consist the stedfastnes of faith euen when we are sure that God hath chosen vs in his sonne vnto life eternall If this assurance of Gods loue and fauour towards vs were not to be attayned vnto how could he say Whom resist stedfast in the faith Can there be any stedfast faith without that I beseech yee let vs thinke well of these things let vs vse all care and diligence yea all the holy meanes that God hath appointed to increase our faith that being armed therby we may resist and ouercome our enemie the diuell But here it may be demaunded whether the diuell be to be resisted only by faith or some other things to be vsed I answere that Saint Peter doth set downe the only way by which we are to resist the diuell we haue nothing whereby to withstand him but faith and that is sufficient alone to withstand him whatsoeuer way hee sekeeth to hurt vs. I suppose that the reason heerof is euident vnto all men The power of God alone is sufficient euery man will confesse to shielde vs from the Diuell and no power indeed but the power of God Faith onely armeth vs with that power of God and maketh it as it were ours He that standeth and liueth as the the Scripture speaketh by faith standeth and liueth not in himselfe but in the power of God If we thinke it lawfull to seeke help to resist him and to put him to flight any where but in God then may we vse some other way to resist him besides faith We are to resist him by praier will some say That is true for prayer is a speciall fruite of faith the liuely faith doth bring foorth true prayer And if the prayer bee not of faith it cannot help to deliuer vs from the tyranny of Satan Faith sendeth vp praier yea with fasting strong praier which draweth downe the power of God vpon vs which shieldeth and defendeth vs from the rage of the fiende All other meanes that haue beene deuised to put diuels to flight are vaine and friuolous yea meere illusions of Satans owne deuising which wickedlie deface the power of God For when men cannot resist by faith then doe they flie vnto those other meanes as more sure Wofull is the state of the world in this thing that when men wil not learne of God to resist the diuell they learne at the diuell himselfe But that this thing may be more euident we are to see how many wayes the diuell seeketh to deuour vs. I doe not meane that we should in particulars see those wayes by which the Diuell deuoureth the soules of men for who is able so to expresse them surely not any mortall man For he hath manifold sleightes subtilties and craftes yea euen ten thousand deuises of all sorts to snare and to entrap the soules withall Hee hath also his forces and fierie dartes of terrour to wounde withall It is no dealing in particulars but to bee armed stronglie to resist him howsoeuer he commeth My purpose therefore is but to touch certaine generall heads which containe the rest So that this cruell aduersarie this roaring Lyon the Diuell may catch the praie deuour it he careth not which way it bee for that is the ende of all if hee may carie soules to hell And therefore according to the seuerall states and conditions that men bee in hee frameth himselfe to set vpon them There is no man I suppose which will make any doubt that the diuel coueteth to plunge al men as deep as he can into all euill but according as men are apt and incliued he is faine to deale as he may with some one way with some another Such as be ignorant in darknesse with them he dealeth that he may keep the pure cleere and heauenlie light of the Gospell out of their harts so holde them still vnder the power and in the kingdome of darknesse Touching these Saint Paule saith If our Gospell be hid it is hid to those that perish in whom the God of this world hath blinded the mindes euen of the infidels least the light of the Gospell of the glorie of Christ shoulde shine vnto them which is the image of God 2. Cor. 4. vers 3.4 To bring this to passe this enemie vseth speciall meanes by which he may diffame the Gospel and the profession of it as a doctrine not to bee suffered breeding and drawing with it so manie enils As namelie he soweth errours heresies and wicked opinions He is the father of al such things He raiseth vp the heretickes and Schismatickes and then suggesteth to the heartes of men which be his chiefe seruants that the Gospell hath bred them and they proclaime it with open mouth Behold and see say they what a doctrine is this yea this new learning that hath brought foorth so many foule heresies and diuisions The diuell say they the diuell goeth with it How can it be of God how can it bee good doctrine which bringeth foorth such fruit Satan did practise this while the holie Apostles were aliue vpon the earth as we read how the false Apostles did seeke almost euerie where to pul down that which S Paule had built S. Iohn in the Reuelation mentioneth the Nicholaitanes and a woman which said she was a Prophetesse that taught seduced the seruaÌ„ts of the Lord that they might commit fornication and eat of things offred vnto Idols And the same Apostle saith that in his time there were many Antichrists for so he calleth the heretikes which then were 1. Ioh. 2. S. Paule said to the Elders of Ephesus I knowe this that after my departure there shall enter in among you grieuous Wolues not sparing the flocke and there shall rise vp of your selues that shal speak peruerse

Lyons doe seeke continually for to swallowe vs vp so if we seek so farre as to be armed with a stedfast faith wee attaine to that estate out of which wee can neuer bee cast It is as much as if he should say the Diuell can neuer ouercome a stedfast faith obtaine that and you are sure to stand to the end Beloued wee are not then to labour onelie for faith but if we will be sure to ouercome the diuel and to stand to the end we must labour to obtain a stedfast faith But how can we bee sure that this is the mind of the Apostle to warrant men that they shall get the victorie ouer the diuell euen to the end if they attaine vnto a stedfast faith I answere that hee agreeth with himselfe teaching here the same thing which hee exhorteth vnto in the first chapter of his second Epistle Here unto saith he giue all diligence in your faith minister vertue in vertue knowledge in knowledge temperance in temperance patience in patience godlines in godlinesse brotherlie kindnesse in brother he kindnesse loue For if these things be among you and abound they will make that you neither shall be idle nor vnfruitful in the knowledging of our lord Iesus Christ For he that hath not these thinges is blinde and cannot see a farre off and hath forgotten that he was purged from his olde sinnes Wherefore brethren giue rather diligence to make your calling election sure for if ye doe these thinges ye shall neuer fall For by this means an entring shal be ministred vnto you abundantly into the euerlasting king dome of our Lord Iesus Christ 2. Pet. 1.5.6.7.8.9.10.11 In this place S. Peter doth most plainlie affirme that they which haue such a faith as goeth with those fruites they come to an assurance that they be called of god chosen vnto life and glory and he doth assure and warrant them that they shall neuer fail Hee addeth as a reason that they haue an entrance into the kingdome of Christ which is euerlasting If the true liuely faith may faile and be wholy lost what assurance can anie man haue that hee is called of God and chosen to life eternall Or how could the holie Apostle say If yee doe these things ye shall neuer fall Doe not they fall which loose the faith or in whome it is wholy quenched Christ raigneth in all those which haue the liuely faith and if his kingdome may be broken downe againe where it once taketh place how can it be said in euery respect to be eternall Now to ioyne these two places together that man hath the stedfast faith whereby he doth resist the diuel which doth those things which S. Peter mentioneth and thereby is sure hee is called and chosen and that he shall neuer fall Hee is firme stedfast in the faith which commeth vnto this and such as haue proceeded no further in the power of a fruitfull faith but that they be still vncertaine whether they shall stand to the ende howe can they be said to resist the diuell stedfast in the faith When S. Paule telleth vs that the shielde of faith doth quench all the firie dartes of the Diuel it is to giue courage and comfort that such as haue once gotten that shield shall neuer be ouercome for if the faith bee ouercome then it doth not quench them all The like courage and comfort Saint Peter doth heere minister by shewing that being stedfast in the faith Satan is resisted Where a man is sure to get the victorie how valiantlie hee doth fight what assaultes he wil endure and with what comfort and consolation of minde But if the battell be made doubtfull that although hee haue so liuely a faith which woorketh by charitie yet he may loose it he may be ouercome it daunteth and discourageth it taketh away the comfort and consolation And this is to ouerthrowe that which the Lord of speciall purpose hath allotted to his children namely that in all the trials and afflictions and temptations which they passe through they may haue strong consolation For it is written Wherein God willing more abundantlie to shewe vnto the heires of promise the stablenesse of his counsell confirmed by an oth that by two immutable things in which it was impossible for God to ly we might haue strong consolation Heb. 6. ver 17.18 If God hath confirmed his promise by an oth that all they which beleeue in his sonne shall haue eternall life why is it or to what end is it but that wee should come to the assurance of saluation without which assurance there can be no strong consolation If men bee condemned for high treason and then some hope of pardon followeth it somewhat comforteth that they may suppose it may be they shall escape the tormentes of death and not be executed but so long as there is doubt they haue no strong consolation but when they know assuredly haue it confirmed vnto them that they are set free by pardon then is their consolation strong indeede We are all of vs for high treason against God condemned to hell to endure eternall tormentes A couenant and promise is made that so many as doe beleeue in the sonne of God shall haue free pardon and so not onelie escape from those endlesse miseries but also be lifted vp into eternall glorie So manie as doe wisely and sensiblie consider this wofull and miserable estate in which all are in by nature cannot but be touched with great horror and fear For is it a light matter to be cast with the diuell and his Angels into eternal fire Is hee not more then mad which can be merie so long as he is subiect vnto so horrible damnation Wel there is hope of pardon that so hee shall escape in as much as God hath not only giuen his sonne to bee a redeemer but hath promised and bounde that his promise with an oath that euery one which beleeueth shall bee saued Hee feeleth that he hath a faith and it doth comfort him but vntill he feele that the same his faith is the true and liuelie faith which getteth the victorie ouer Satan and which can neuer be vanquished he cannot haue strong consolation Eternall woe with the diuelles in hell is a most grieuous thing vnpossible it is that any man shuld haue strong consolation vnlesse he be sure that he shall be deliuered from it Whereupon it followeth that feeing the blessed Lord God hath ordained that his children shall heere in the midst of the battell against Satan haue strong consolation that he doth also giue vnto them assuraÌ„ce of faith yea such a faith as they doe knowe can neuer be ouercome Take away the one take away the other Wherby we see that they which do hold that the true and liuelie faith may be wholy lost ouerthrow the stablenesse of Gods couenant If they will obiect that manie haue great gladnesse and consolation which haue not any true saith I aunswere

things to draw Disciples after them Act. 20. When all the Apostles were taken out of this life then was this prophecie fully accomplished for then did the diuell send foorth euen routs of wicked heretickes which did seduce manie greatlie trouble all Churches Then had hee those which cried out Beholde what a Gospell is this which hath brought foorth so foule and monstrous opinions Thus cunning lie did Satan work to keepe manie still in their former blindnes And in like maner in these dayes when the light of the gospell againe brake foorth he raised vp horrible heresies and sectes and then setteth his seruants a worke to crie out See what fruits this new Gospell bringeth forth This hath made many so much offended at it that they will not heare it and so the Diuell holdeth them still in their former blindnesse and deuoureth them as a praie Also hee raiseth vp lies and slaunders to diffame both the doctrine and al that professe it This hath beene his ancient practise Christ was said to haue a diuell to be a raiser of sedition and an enemie to Cesar His Apostles were deemed to be raisers of faction and disturbers of the common peace enemies to the state of princes and the Christians euer were accused to be men which secretly amoÌ„g themselues did commit most foule and abominable sinnes True it is that in all times he had manie which were hypocrites that professed the trueth for a time and then falling into notorious offences all the professors were said to be such Thus hath he in all times held many in darknesse by making them out of loue with the doctrine of saluation And as when Christ was risen from the dead Satan did raise and spread a lie namely that while the watchmen were asleep the disciples of Christ did steale him away and then sayd he was risen and this lie was beleeued though it were most absurd had no shew of liklihood so looke what lies and slaunders he raiseth vp nowe manie doe beleeue them For as S. Paul saith 2. Thess 2. Because men receiue not the loue of the truth God sendeth them strong delusion to beleeue lies Nowe for a man to resist the diuell in these practises that he be not seduced and held in blindnes it is necessarie to haue knowledge of the trueth and a liuely saith For if he come once to that he shal find that the Gospel is the pure and heauenly light euen the power of God to saluation as S. Paule saith to euery one that beleeueth Rom. 1. And that these sectes and heresies and troubles that follow it are raised vp by the diuell himselfe euen of purpose to diffame the truth that so men may abhorre to hear it preached Such as haue receiued the knowledge of the truth and are lightened in them hee seeketh how he may quench the light or take the power of it out of their harts and so deuoure them as his praie He hath diuers wayes and means to effect this To such as be the weaker in knowledge euen as babes in vnderstanding of the heaueÌ„ly mysteries he layeth stumbling blockes and offences that he may cause them to stumble and fall or to turne aside out of the way into which they haue entred He raiseth vp terrours troubles and perilles to abash them He tempteth and leadeth into dispair shooting his fierie dartes To auoyde these perils there is no way but that as S. Paule prayeth for the faithfull at Colossa that we bee filled with the knowledge of the will of God in all wisdome and spirituall vnderstanding that we may walke worthie of the Lord in all pleasing being fruitfull in all good workes and increasing in the knowledge of God strengthened in all might through his glorious power vnto all patience and long suffering with ioyfulnesse Coloss 1. vers 9.10.11 Some others that haue receiued more knowledge he seeketh to cast downe through pride and presumption he tempteth them to be puffed vp and to swell and so leadeth them into sectes errours and heresies as his fit occasion serueth one parte into one another into another Heere is need of sound knowledge of heauenlie thinges and of that sincere faith which purgeth the heart and emptieth it of pride and humaine presumption leading men to rest only vpon God with feare and trembling euen with true humilitie Also as hee perceiueth mens inclination hee tempteth and leadeth them into grieuous and abominable sinnes and such as God is highly displeased withal some into one and some into another and so casteth them downe And in this hee is woonderfull subtill and can finde what sinne a man may most easilie bee brought into If he bee inclined to vaine mirth and lesting hee seeketh to fit him with companions for that that when he hath receiued the touch of heauenlie motions that vaine mirth may put it out If hee bee inclined to vncleane lustes of fornication he wil finde the meanes if it bee possible to set as it were the bait before him where hee may bee intised And so is it in all other vices so that men had need watch and pray least they enter into temptation They neede to bee armed with a stedfast faith to renste that by their faith all the firie dartes of this horrible enemie may bee quenched His subtilties to keepe men in blindnesse his lies and slaunders to driue men from the Gospell his assaultes to lead into despaire his stumbling blocks and terrours to turne men out of the way his temptation to leade into heresies and sectes or into any foule sinne or whatsoeuer dartes hee shooteth there is no way to resist him and to be kept safe but by a true a liuely and a stedfast faith Therefore beloued seeing this enemie is so vigilant doth so cruellie seek our destruction night and day euen to swallow vs vp into the gulfe of hell and seeing he hath so manie sleightes so many trappes so manie baytes and allurementtes so manie firy dartes to wounde vnto death and seeing we are so readie to bee seduced hauing no power of our selues let vs seeke to bee stronglie armed with the power of God that so wee may get the victorie There is no way for vs to bee armed with the power of God but by faith so that the ende of all is this that men labour for the increase and strengthening of their faith vse all good meanes and that continually for the furtherance of the same If vpon such a danger wee will not bee admonished by this wholesome admonition of the Apostle we are more then foolish or mad It may be some man will say that the diuell is to be resisted onlie by faith when he commeth to hurte the soule but is it not another case when he commeth to hurte the bodie the cattell or the goods of a man Is he then also to be resisted onlie by faith Or is it all one when he commeth to doe those thinges of himselfe and when he is sent to

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