Linguistic DNA - Concept Modelling Demonstrator

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
life_n	line_n	page_n	read_v	4,280	5	9.9304	5	false

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

the seruice of God and of his owne saluation at length seeth the vanity of his life past is grieued for it and wisheth although too late that he had taken an other course Yea together with his minde he changeth â—is â—ill affections and his whole life vtterly renouncing and disclaiming all those vices and sinnes wherein before he delighted and liued and labouring to frame and inure him selfe to a vertuous and christian disposition of minde and life This state wee haue plainely set doâ—ne vnto vs in the parable of that prodigall young man who hauing wasted his money time strength in riot commeth at length to his right wits and to a sober kinde of life This is that state of man which is betwixt sencelesse security or open prophanesse wherein he seldome or neuer thinketh of God whom perhaps he thinketh neither to exist in him selfe nor to worke any way in the world or of his owne saluation he neuer dreaming of any other world then this which hee doth presently enioy and wherein hee placeth his whole happinesse In this first estate which may truely bee called Atheisme man is most wretched as in all other respectes so chiefely in that he accounting him selfe happy as all carnall men doe who are free from outward crosses is for the present without any knoâ—ledge desire hope or likelyhood of any better estate In the second estate also the which in this Treatise wee call the state of Repentance man is as yet not happy but miserable yet happy in this one respect for that he knowing himselfe to be wretched doth earnestly desire carefully endeuour and may well hope to become happy But in the third estate to wit in regeneration he knoweth him selfe to be both happy and holy and laboreth for the perfectioÌ„ of it by vertue of that holinesse which he hath receiued from God to ouercome that sinfulnesse which he hath by nature The second state is the way leading from the first to the third from sinne to holinesse from death to life the conuersion of a sinner not to God for he is as yet as farre from him as hell or rather as the earth is from Heauen but onely towardes God and the preparation for grace and regeneration commaunded vnto vs by the name of Repentance Thus the ministery of Iohn was the ministery of Repentance being appointed by God not so much to teach Christ and the doctrine of the Gospell or to worke faith as by preaching the doctrine of the Law to bring men to a sight and sense of sinne that so they might be stirred vppe to Christ the pardoner of sinne Thus he defineth his office and ministery Math. 3.3 The voice of a Crier in the wildernesse prepare the waie of the Lord and make his pathes straight And this was the summe of all his Sermons Repent for the kingdome of Heauen is at hand Likewise in other places of Scripture the word Repentance is thus taken altâ—ough sometimes put for Regeneration or sanctification it selfe yet vsually distinguished from it as being but a preparatiue vnto it As Math. 21.32 You did not repent to beleeue Or that so you might haue beleeued and Act. 2.38 Repent and be baptized for remission of sinne and yee shall receiue the gift of the holy Ghost and Act. 8.22 Peter saith to Simon Magus Repent and pray to God if perhaps the thought of thy heart may bee forgiuen thee And thus we take it in this Treatise for the naturall conuersion of a man to God wrought in a man vnregenerate as it seemeth Nicodemus was Iohn 3.4 although he did seeke saluatioÌ„ yet being the meanes of regeneration This way or this ladder whereby we are to clime vp to regeneration hath foure steps for so we will make a homely and familiar diuision of it that it being set down in many seuerall partes may the more easily be vnderstood and knowen The first step which is to be made by this carnal man now repenting is to get the true knowledge of his oâ—ne estate to wit how sinfull and wretched he is in him selfe by nature and at tâ—is present The second step is humiliation or contrition wrought in him by the due consideration of his own estate The third is a full purpose or resolution of mind to seeke for grace and regeneration The fourth and last part is the diligent vsing of the meanes appointed by God for the obtaining of grace the which meanes are three in number The first is amendment of life the second the hearing of Gods word the third is praier or inuocation of the name of God Read in the former Treatise Page 80. line 17. praise for practise page 64.3 done but his dutie pa. 61. lin 24. fainteth for faintly pag â—3 lin 24. reiected for receiued pa. 43. lin 8. great for grace pag. 40. lin 5. words for workes pag. 31. lin 14. of absolute for absolute pag. 26. lin â—0 humbled for humble Page 86. Line 10. liker for better page 88. lin 12. tempted to for tempted by page 90.26 sinfulnesse for sinfull life page 94.9 in alâ— the ages pag. 104.20 required for requiâ—ed Read in the latter Treatise pag. â—2 lin 23. thus they die pa. 88. lin 1â— lying idle pa. 65. lin 18. shuld not pa. 110. lin 7. other mens pag. 112 lin 27. is not pa. 113. lin â— in a darke 116.1 blessing like OF THE FIRST part of Repentance called Repentance by the name of the whole CHAP. 1. Sect. 1. THe first thing to be done in Repentance is this that the carnall man labour to haue the true knowledge of his owne estate the which as it is in all other things neither could be continued if it were good nor can bee amended being now amisse vnlesse it be fully and throughly knowne And therefore we must endeuour in the first place to bring this our Nicodemus to know himselfe to wit how he standeth in respect of God and his fauour whereon his good estate doth wholy depend For as the good estate of a subiect or seruant consisteth in this that he liuing in the fauour and good liking of his king or maister procured by his loial obedience faithful seruice is free froÌ„ al euils and iniuries and enioieth all things either needfull or pleasant so the state of man being pure from sin is good happie otherwise if by sinning rebelling against god he incur his displeasure most wretched miserable But what doth not man knowe himself how caÌ„ we suppose that he who knoweth all things is ignorant of his own estate especially seeing this knowledge is most proper and pertinent vnto him For none knoweth the things of man but the spirit of man which is in him Surely as the eye of the bodie although it beholde all other things yet it can not see eyther it selfe or some other partes of the bodie euen those which are nearest vnto it so it fareth with the mynde of man the eye of the soule it raungeth ouer the whole

which in respect of the strength of man is altogether impossible is easie in respect of GOD who is no lesse able to restore the soules of men to their first puritie then hee was in the beginning to create both bodie and soule But all the doubt is in the wil of God whether that as he is able so he be willing to worke regeneration in euery one that seeketh it If hee bee willing then surely either euery one may attaine to regeneration which is vndoubtedly false or else very fewe doo seeke after it the which may be greatly wondered at that most men should be so carelesse of their owne saluation as not to thinke it worthy the seeking If hee be not willing to grant it to all that seek it then regeneration remaineth as impossible a thing for man to attaine as if it were impossible to God to worke it in man and men haue cause to abstaine from that which neither themselues are able nor God willing to bring to passe Wee answere first that it is not so easie and ordinarie a matter as it may bee supposed for a carnall man to seeke for regeneration and grace the which is contrarie to his nature Secondly if as it commeth sometimes to passe he do in some sort desire it and set himselfe to seeke it yet he doth not perseuer in this minde and desire as he ought but faintly in well doing and so returning to his olde bias ceaseth from seeking and looseth his labour But let vs suppose that which although it bee very rare and scarse to bee founde in a whole age yet it is not impossible to witte that a carnall man doth set him selfe with a resolute purpose of heart to seeke for regeneration and that in the carefull and painefull vsing of all the meanes of attayning it he spend and end his dayes whither is he sure to obtaine his desire or may happily loose all his labour we answer that although God haue appointed that the carefull seeking of regeneration should bee the ordinary meanes of obtayning it yet he hath not so tyed him selfe to the meanes that it should alwayes of necessity bring forth the effect but hath left it free to him selfe whither to giue good successe and a happy issue or no. Whereby it may come to passe that a man may desire and seeke for regeneration and yet die a carnall man out of the state of grace and life Yet wee are both in our selues and also in others to hope the best And in that hope both to beginne without despaire and to continue without faynting in the carefull seeking of grace leauing the euent to the will and good pleasure of the almightie God Yea further we are to take heede that no wrong opinion arise hereof in our mindes as it commeth vsually to passe in men carnally minded who in this case will not sticke to say that God dealeth both vnfaithfully in withholding grace hauing made this solemne promise in his word VVhosoeuer seeketh shall finde and whosoeuer knocketh shal haue the dore of grace sette open vnto him and also vniustly both in punishing him for the want of it whom hee knoweth to haue done what so euer is in the power of man for the aâ—tayning of it and also in not recompencing his painefull endeuours by graunting his requests and giuing grace We aunswer that God in withholding his regenerating spirite the worker of grace from men doth them no manner of wrong for his graces being his owne it is lawfull for him to doe with them what he list He was not bound in the beginning to create man in naturall life and holinesse how much lesse then is he now bound to restore those blessings vnto him hauing so vnthaÌ„kfully wilfully rebelliously depriued him selfe of them As for Gods promise the which we confesse is to be perfourmed to those who are vnworthy of fauor for otherwise mans vnthankfulnes should make God vnfaithfull howsoeuer they are propouÌ„ded in general terms yet they beâ—oÌ„g to the elect only to whoÌ„ God doth perform theÌ„ to the full As for the reward due vnto the painefull seeking of grace man when he hath taken the greatest pains in this behalfe hath done but dutie nay he hath not in any measure done his dutie for one regenerate much lesse a carnall man cannot seeke for grace so as he ought and therfore when he hath done all that he can he is but an vnprofitable seruant But besides all this so endles is the mercie goodnesse and equitie of God yea so great is his desire to make him selfe manifest to all men in these respects that it pittieth him to see any thing made frustrate of the expectation in any good endeuours that rather then he will not do good hee will do it to those who are euill and that rather then he will seeme vniust in not rewarding that which men doo falsly thinke to be good and to deserue good he will in some sort not in truth for it is lawfull for him to bestow his blessings on whoÌ„ he will euen on the wicked be vniust in rewarding men for that which hee knoweth to be sinfull Thus this carnall man in seeking grace doth not either loose his labour or lacke his reward for by this meanes he doth not onely purchase vnto himselfe temporall blessings at the hand of God but also escapeth those fearefull plagues which are powred on wilfull and obstinate sinners in this life as wee reade 1. King 21.28.29 that Achab. did by his hypocriticall humilation yea that grieuous damnation which abideth them in the life to come As for the guilt of eternall death it is madnes to imagin that it should by this meanes be auoided seeing it is procured by these and the best actions of a carnall man the which comming from a corrupt fountain cannot but be sinfull and impure Sect. 4. ANother hinderance of seeking regenetion is another erroneous opinion coÌ„ceaued of it to wit presumption of the power goodnes of God It is to be seene in all those who thinke that God will in his good time worke grace in theÌ„ although they themselues take neither care nor pains about any such matter yea although they go a cleane contrary way liuing in all maner of sinne and altogither carelesse of the meanes of their regeneration and saluation To this we answer first coÌ„fessing that god as he alwaies can so somtimes doth worke â—â—â—eâ—eration without any meanes euen in â—lâ—â—se whâ—neuer thinke nor dreame of any such matter and haue not so much as either the knowledge or yet a desire either of grace or of saluation being as we read Râ— 10.20 found of those who did not seeke him and made manifest vnto those who did not so much as once aske for him as we may see plainly in the said Apostle who found God grace when as he did not only not seeke or follow them but also flie as farre off from them as hee coulde Thus regeneration is compared

sake Notable for this purpose is that saying and pratise of Dauid 2. Sam. 24 4. who when as he might haue had the threshing floore the oxen for sacrifice of free gift at the hands of Araunah he would needs giue him the full price for them saying I will not offer a burnt offring to the Lord my God which shal cost me nothing as if he had said if I serue God at another maÌ„s charges how shal it appear that I do it in loue obedience and conscience towarde him In like manner ought euery Christian to say with himselfe I know that many hypocriticall reprobates and proude Pharisaicall heretiks haue giuen all their goods euen a thousand times more then I haue to the releefe of the poore the maintenance of learning and other good vses that God regardeth the heart and not the hand that my best woâ—ks are sinful in themselues abhominable in his sight yet for the manifestation of the sinceritie of my fayth and loue I will labour to abound in al good workes towardes all men to the vttermost of my power yea my seruice which I offer to God shall be costly and chargeable vnto me although I knowe this will be grieuous to flesh and blood There shall no day passe mee without some good worke no more then there doth without praier and other spirituall exercises Sect. 16 THus wee haue in some sort declared that part of spirituall Diet by the which the soule is preserued in health and strength yea augmented in these respectes from one degree of grace to another till it come to the measure or stature of the fulnesse of Christ that is towarde that absolute perfection of holinesse which is in Christ in whom there is nothing eyther imperfect or wholye wanting This perfection can not bee attayned vnto in this lifâ— for as long as the soule remayneth in this sinfull tabernacle so long it shall haue in it infirmities wantes and reliques of sinne which keepe out the perfection of grace yet we must endeuour to come as neare it as wee can dayly rysing vp from strength to strength In the which respect the soule differeth from the bodie the which hath a short time of life but farre shorter of growth and an appointed limit or periode of stature beyonde the which it cannot bee brought but there standeth at a stay But as for the soule although it also haue a sette pitch beyonde the which it cannot go yet because it cannot be attayned vnto in this life therefore it is to growe continually Yea it beeing of so subtile a nature and so quicke motion is seldome or rather neuer made to stande at a stay but if it do not increase it doth decrease in grace For although sometymes Christians doo so frame the course of their liues in a safe quiet and prudent kinde of mediocritie that there is not in them anie sensible chaunge in respect of godlinesse but as they were mynded and affected and as they liued manie yeares ago so they go on and do still continue yet without all question there is some inward chaunge eyther to the better or which is liker to the woorse For as when the bodyes of menne or rather of children do not grow vp to their full and naturall stature it argueth some secret distemperature and some naturall infirmitie in them so when Christians do not grow on from one measure of grace to a greater it doth of necessitie infer an euill constitution of the soule And therfore no man ought to count it sufficient and as much as is required at his hands that hee doth not decrease in grace and godlinesse but rather to thinke as it is indeede needeful that he growe on from grace to grace as we are often taught and exhorted in the scripture Ephesians the fourth chapter and fifteenth verse Following the truth in al things let vs grow vp in Christ who is the head in all things And in the second Epistle of Peter third chapter and ninteenth verse Let vs grow in grace and in the knowledge of Christ. This is to bee brought to passe by the same meanes by the which the health and that measure of grace whereunto wee haue alreadie attained is preserued for as the holines of the soule is nourished by the same thing by the which it is begotten so it is encreased by the same Diet by the which it is nourished For as there is required a greater vertue and force both of nature and of diet to augment the bodie in stature then to keepe and continue it in lyfe and health so hee that desireth not onelie to continue but also to go on in grace must indeede vse this conseruatiue Diet of spirituall foode and exercise which hath beene in part described yet in a greater measure with greater care and diligence Here is required a free kinde of lyfe not intangled much lesse ouerwhelmed with worldlie affayres cares and encumberances in the middest whereof although a Christian may serue God and worke his owne saluation and maintaine that measure of grace which hee hath receyued from God yet hee cannot giue himselfe so wholie to the vse of those meanes which are effectuall for this purpose as is needfull This free kinde of lyfe beeing got hee is that wee may vse the wordes of the Apostle in the first Epistle to the Corinthyans the seuenth Chapter and fiue and thirtie verse to cleaue to GOD to his seruice and to all spirituall exercises without separation or intermission to wit to the hearing reading and studying of the worde of God to the considering of his woorkes and obseruing of his actions to prayer singing of Psalmes to the exhorting horting and instructing of others in the waies of godlinesse and lastly and summarely to the daily performance of all Christian duties and the exercising of all those graces which he hath receiued The last vse and commoditie of good workes the which is also the least and iâ— truth little to be esteemed in comparison of the other and yet that which perhaps will preuaile with those with whom wee haue to doo more then the other is temporall retribution for so it pleaseth GOD for the incouragement of his seruants to rewarde their good workes with temporall blessings as also hee requiteth their sinnes with temporall punishments By this argument the Apostle stirreth vp the Corinthians 2. Cor. 9.6 to make a libeberall contribution to the Church which was in Ierusalem He that soweth sparinglie shall reape sparinglie and he that soweth liberallie shall reape liberally for God is able to make you abound in all blessings that you hauing sufficient may abounde to euerie good woorke and so no doubt it is for howsoeuer men of carnall mindes iudge it a losse and damage to doo the woorkes of loue and mercie yet sure it is that hee that aboundeth in them doth heape vp for himselfe for his children and for his friendes treasures of blessings which hee shall certainely meete with when as

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