Linguistic DNA - Concept Modelling Demonstrator

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
lord_n	commandment_n	young_a	youth_n	69	3	7.6881	4	false

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A09364	The first part of The cases of conscience Wherein specially, three maine questions concerning man, simply considered in himselfe, are propounded and resolued, according to the word of God. Taught and deliuered, by M. William Perkins in his Holy-day lectures, by himselfe revised before his death, and now published for the benefit of the Church.; Cases of conscience. Part 1	Perkins, William, 1558-1602.; Pickering, Thomas, d. 1625.	1604 (1604)	STC 19668; ESTC S114413	95,900	200

of faith then also he iustifies the sinner and withall beginnes the worke of sanctification VII Then so soone as faith is put into the heart there is presently a combate for it fighteth with doubting dispaire and distrust And in this combate faith shews it selfe by seruent constant and earnest inuocation for pardon and after inuocation followes a strength preuailing of this desire VIII Furthermore God in mercie quiets and setles the Conscience as touching the saluation of the soule and the promise of life whereupon it resteth and staieth it selfe IX Next after this setled assurance perswasion of mercie followes a stirring vp of the heart to Euangelicall sorrow according to God that is a griefe for sinne because it is sinne and because God is offended and then the Lord workes repentance whereby the sanctified heart turnes it selfe vnto him And though this repentance be one of the last in order yet it shewes it selfe first as when a candle is brought into a roome we first see the light before wee see the candle and yet the candle must needes be before light can be X. Lastly God giues a man grace to endeauour to obey his commandements by a newe obedience And by these degrees doeth the Lord giue the first grace The second worke of God tending to saluation is to giue the second grace which is nothing else but the continuance of the first worke begun that a man may perseuere in grace to the ende Now then to come the Answer the holy Ghost hath propounded to vs this Question of conscience together with the resolution thereof in these examples following The men that were at Peters sermon beeing touched with the sense of their owne miserie vpon the doctrine which had beene deliuered as the Holy Ghost saies were pricked in their hearts and cried one to another Men and brethren what shall we doe Peter mooued by the spirit of God answers them Repent and bee baptized for the remission of your sinnes The like was the case of the Iayler who after that the stubbernnesse of his heart was beaten downe by feare of the departure of the prisoners he came trembling and fell downe before Paul and Silas and mooued this question vnto them Sirs vvhat must I doe to bee saued To whome they gaue answere Beleeue in the Lord Iesus and thou shalt be saued and thine houshold The young man in the Gospell sues to Christ and askes him What shall I doe to be saued Christ answers him Keepe the Commandements When he replied that he had kept them from his youth Christ tells him that he must goe yet further and sell all that he hath and giue to the poore And Iohn tells the Scribes and Pharises who came vnto his Baptisme and confessed their sinnes that if they would flie from the wrath to come they must repent and bring forth fruits worthie a mendement of life I answer then out of all these places that he that would stand in the fauour of God and be saued must doe foure things first humble himselfe before God secondly beleeue in Christ thirdly repent of his sinnes fourthly performe newe obedience vnto God For the first Humiliation is indeede a fruite of faith yet I put it in place before faith because in practise it is first Faith lieth hid in the heart and the first effect wherein it appeares is the abasing and humbling of our selues And here we are further to consider three points first wherein stands humiliation secondly the excellencie of it thirdly the Questions of conscience that concerne it Touching the first point Humiliation stands in the practise of three things The first is a sorrow of heart whereby the sinner is displeased with himselfe and ashamed in respect of his sins The second is a confession to God wherein also three things are to be done first to acknowledge all our maine sinnes originall and actuall secondly to acknowledge our guiltinesse before God thirdly to acknowledge our iust damnation for sinne The third thing in Humiliation is supplication made to God for mercie as earnestly as in a matter of life and death and of these three things we haue in scripture the examples of Ezra Daniel and the Prodigall sonne Ezra 9. Dan. 9. Luk. 15. The second point is the excellencie of Humiliation which stands in this that it hath the promises of life eternall annexed to it Esa. 57. 15. I dwell in the high and holy place with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit to reuiue the spirit of the humble and to giue life to them that are of a contrite heart Psal. 51. 17. A contrite and a broken heart O God thou wilt not despise Prou. 28. 13. He that hideth his sinnes shall not prosper but he that confesseth and forsaketh them shall finde mercie 1. Ioh. 1. 9. If we acknowledge our sinnes he is faithfull and iust to forgiue vs our sinnes and to clense vs from all vnrighteousnesse By all these and many other places it is manifest that in the very instant wheÌ„ a sinner begins truly in heart and conscience to humble himselfe he is then entred into the state of saluation So soone as Dauid said I haue sinned Nathan pronounceth in the name of the Lord that his sinnes were put away And Dauid himselfe saith alluding to the former place I said I will confesse my sinne and loe thou forgaâ—est the wickednesse of my sinne When the Prodigall sonne had but said I will goe to my father c. euen then before he humbled himselfe his father meetes him and receiues him The third point is touching the Questions of conscience concerning HumiliatioÌ„ all which may be reduced to foure principall Cases I. Case What if it fall out that a man in humbling himselfe cannot call to minde either all or the most of his sinnes I answer A particular humiliation indeed is required for maine and known sins but yet there are two cases wherein generall repentance will be accepted of God for vnknown sinnes One is when a man hath searched himselfe diligently and by a serious examination passed through all the commandements of God and yet after such examination and search made cannot call to remembrance his particular offences then the generall repentance is accepted For this is answerable to the practise of Dauid who after long search when he could not attaine to the knowledge of his parâ—icular slippes then he addresseth himselfe to a generall humiliation saying Who knoweth the errours of this life Clense me Lord from my secret faults and vpon this he was no doubt accepted Againe when a man humbleth himselfe and yet is preuented by the time so as he cannot search his heart and life as he would his generall repentance will be taken and accepted of God The truth hereof appeares in the theife vpon the crosse who hauing no time to search himselfe made no speciall humiliation yet vpon his generall confession he was accepted Now the ground of

will and therefore no maruell though we be impatient Answ. When crosses doe come from men God vseth them as instruments to execute his iudgements vpon vs and in this worke God is the cheife doer and they are as tooles in the hand of the workeman And the Lord inflicteth them vpon vs by men to trie our patience vnder the crosse Ioseph though he knewe well the badde dealing of his brethren towards him yet he looked not to them alone but to an higher cause namely the Lord himselfe who executed his owne good will by them God saith he disposed it to good And againe God did send me before you into Egypt for your preseruation The Second ground is the commandement of God touching the crosse and obedience vnto him therein This commandement is expressed Luk. 9. 23. where we are commanded to take vp our crosse euery day and follow Christ. Abraham was commanded with his own hands to sacrifice his onely sonne Isaac and to this coÌ„mandement though otherwise a great crosse vnto him he addresseth himselfe to yeeld obedience And in the prophecie of Micah the Church saith Shee will beare the wrath of the Lord that is shee will performe obedience to him in the crosse because shee had sinned against him And S. Peter saith that God resisteth the proud and giueth grace to the humble therefore humble your selues vnder the mightie hand of God And this beeing the commandement of God that we should yeild obedience to him in euery affliction we ought to be no lesse carefull to obey it then any one commandement of the morall lawe The Third ground is that God will be present with his seruants in their afflictions Vpon this ground Dauid comforts himselfe because God had promised to heare him to be with him in trouble and to deliuer him And in another place though I should walke in the shaddowe of death I would feare none ill for thou art with me c. Nowe that we may the better vnderstand this doctrine we are to consider what be the Ends or Effects of Gods beeing with vs in aâ—fliction whereby he testifieth his presence and they are three The first is to worke our deliuerance from the crosse Call vpon me saith the Lord in the day of thy trouble and I will deliuer thee This promise must not be vnderstood simply but with an exception so farre forth as it shall be for our good For all promises of temporall deliuerance are conditionall and must be conceiued with this limitation of the crosse and chastisement if God please to impose it Some may say how if God will not deliuer vs but leaue vs in the affliction what comfort shall we then haue Answ. In the second place therefore we must remember that God will temper and moderate our afflictions so as we may be able to beare them Habbakuk praieth vnto God in the behalfe of the Church that he would in wrath remember mercie And Paul saith that the Lord will not suffer vs to be tempted aboue that we are able to beare but will giue an issue with the temptation Thirdly put the case that God doeth not moderate our afflictions but suffer them to remaine vpon vs not onely for some time of our life but to the very death yet then will be testifie his holy presence another way namely by giuing the partie distressed power and strength to beare his affliction Vnto you it is giuen saith Paul for Christ that not onely ye should beleeue in him but also suffer for his sake The Fourth ground of comfort in affliction is that euery affliction vpon the seruants of God hath some speciall goodnesse in it Rom. 8. 28. We know that all things worke together for good vnto them that loue God And in regard hereof the crosses which are indured by Gods children are so farre from beeing preiudiciall to their saluation that they are rather helpes and furtherances of the same Now this Goodnes is perceiued two waies First by the fruit and effect of it and then by the qualitie and condition thereof In both which respects afflictions are good Touching the fruits of Afflictions because they are manifold I will reduce them to seauen principall heads I. Afflictions doe make men to see consider their sinnes Iosephs brethren for twentie yeares together were little or not at all troubled for their wickednes in selling their brother yet vpon their affliction in Egypt they beganne to consider what they had done We haue say they verily sinned against our brother in that we saw the anguish of his soule when he be sought vs and we would not heare him therefore is this trouble come vpon vs. Manasses in the time of his peace gaue himselfe to witchcraft and the worshipping of strange gods but when he was captiue in Babylon then was he brought to the sight of his sinnes and mooued to humble himselfe before God for them II. Afflictions serue to humble men in their soules before God The young vnthrift in the Gospel called the Prodigall child while his portion lasted he spent liberally and was grieued for nothing but when he came to be pinched with hunger and that through his owne follie then he humbled himselfe before his father and returned home vnto him Dauid saith of himselfe that in his prosperitie he thought he should neuer be mooued because the Lord of his goodnes had made his mountaine to stand strong but saith he thou didst hide thy face and I was troubled then cried I vnto the Lord. III. They serue to worke amendement of life No chastising saith the Author to the Hebrewes for the present seemeth to be ioyous but aftervvard it bringeth the quiet fruit of righteousnes to them that are thereby exercised that is afflictions and chastisments that seaze vpon Gods children doe leaue after them amendment of life as the needle passeth through the cloath and leaueth the threed behinde it When we are iudged saith the Apostle vve are nurtered of the Lord that we might not be condemned with the world And Dauid confesseth Psal. 119. It is good for me that I haue beene afflicted that I might learne thy statutes And the good husbandman purgeth and pruneth the vine that it may bring forth more and better fruit IIII. They cause men to denie themselues and to rely wholy on the mercy of God Thus Paul receiued the sentence of death in himselfe that he should not trust in himselfe but in God that raiseth the dead V. The fiâ—t is Inuocation For afflictions make vs to crie hartelie and feruently vnto god to bringe our selues into his presence and there to abase our selues before him Thus the Lord saith of his children that in their affliction they will seeke him diligently VI. The sixth is Patience Affliction bringeth forth patience patience experience c. As if he should say because the loue of God is shed in our

the matter with God why his owne people should be so lamentably afflicted by a terrible and a furious nation and why they should be led away captiues by the Chaldeans the enemies of God To this the Lord makes answer that as he had certenly determined that iudgement to come vpon them so certenly had he appointed a set time wherein they should be deliuered In the meane while he biddes them to comfort themselues in this that though the affliction should rest vpon them for a season yet vndoubtedly they should be cased at the length and therefore that they should in patience waite for the vision that is the accomplishment of the vision touching their deliuerance Secondly hence we learne that we must not onely beleeue the promises of God in generall that God is true and faithfull in them and that he is able and willing to fulfill them euen as he made them but we must beleeue them in particular that is with application to their proper and seuerall circumstances which are the particular meanes places and times whereby and wherein he hath giuen his word as touching our freedome and exemption from the crosse Take an instance hereof in the Prophet Daniel who knewe well by the spirit of Prophecie that the Lord had determined to bring vpon the Iewes 70. yeares captiuitie in Babylon He knewe also that God had promised to put an ende to that captiuitie at the end and tearme of those yeares Nowe what did Daniel in this case Vpon knowledge of the will of God in that point during the said time he praied not vnto the Lord for deliuerance of his people But when he vnderstood that the time drew neere wherein it was the will of God that the Iewes should returne out of captiuitie then by faith applying the promise of God to that particular time he besought the Lord in praier and supplications with fasting in sackcloath and ashes and the Lord gaue eare vnto his praiers yeelded him a gratious answer II. The second point is that God when he deferres deliuerance he doeth it vpon great and waightie causes and considerations best known to himselfe The first whereof is that thereby he might humble men throughly and bring them to an vtter deniall of themselues and consequently cause them to learne patience in afflictioÌ„ which they would not learne if they might be their owne caruers and haue speedie deliuerance from the crosse at their owne wils pleasures Secondly that beeing afflicted they may acknowledge whence their deliuerance comes yea whence they doe receiue not onely that but euery other good benefit which they inioy namely not from themselues or any creature but onely from the Lord and accordingly may learne to value and prize his gifts at their deserued excellencie For it is a true saying and often verified in affliction and want that benefits easily obtained are lightly regarded and sooner forgotten Thirdly that by the continuance of the crosse without intermission he may make theÌ„ to distaste the world and consequently drawe them to the meditation of the life to come wherein all matter of mourning shall cease and all teares shall be wiped from their eies Fourthly the Lord deferreth deliueraÌ„ce from affliction that he might preuent greater euils and dangers whereinto those that are afflicted might runne if they had their hearts desire and were eased not at his will but at their owne wishes When the children of Israel came into Canaan they were informed that they should dwell together with the Canaanites and Moses reÌ„dreth a reason therof Least saith he the wild beasts of the field multiply against thee And for the preuenting of this euill the Israelites must indure some annoyance by the Canaanites Euen so the Lord keepeth his seruants vnder the crosse for the preuenting of greater sinnes and offences This should stay the mindes of men make them content to waite vpon God for deliuerance when they are afflicted The third and last point is that God alwaies hath and doeth exercise his best seruants with long and continued crosses Abraham was childlesse till he was 70. yeares of age and at those yeares the Lord promised him issue But this promise was not accomplished till a long time after when he was an hundred yeares old Dauid had a promise to be king of Ierusalem and Iuda but the Lord exercised him by many and grieuous afflictions before he came to the crowne in so much that he saies of himselfe that his eies failed with waiting vpon his God Zacharie and Elizabeth praied to God both of them in their youth and many yeares after for issue but the Lord graunted not their request till they were olde To adde no more examples by these we see the Lords dealing euen with holy men women his owne deare seruants that he doth not alwaies grant their requests nor condescend to their desires at the first but as it were holds theÌ„ off suspends his grace and fauour for a time And therefore if it shall please him thus to deale with any of vs we must froÌ„ these examples be taught to possesse our soules with patience resting contented in his will and waiting on his good pleasure to the end To conclude this point Suppose that the condition of Gods seruants be such as that they find no end of their afflictions but that they do continue euen vnto death what shall they doe in this case Ans. Besides that which hath beene said before for the resolution of this Question I answer further that first they must still euen vnto death liue by faith and say with holy Iob Lord though thou kill me yet will I trust in thee Secondly they must stay and releiue their soules in the meane time with these and such like meditations I. That it is the will and pleasure of God that we should through many afflictions enter into the kingdome of God Act. 14. 22. Nowe it is the propertie of a true child of God to rest content in his fathers good will and pleasure euen when he is afflicted Prou. 3. 11. My sonne be not grieued at my correction that is let it not be tedious vnto thee be content to beare it Our dutie therefore is meekely to subiect our selues vnto the hand of God as the child doeth vnto the correction of his father II. That though afflictions be long and tedious yet God will at length giue a ioyful comfortable issue For so himselfe hath promised Math. 5. 4. Blessed are they that mourne for they shall be comforted Psal. 34. 19. Great are the troubles of the righteous but the Lord will deliuer him out of theÌ„ all Marke the vpright man behold the iust for the end of that maÌ„ is peace III. Afflictions be they neuer so heauy in regard of continuance yet they are in no sort coÌ„parable to those eternal ioies that god hath prepared for theÌ„ that loue him This was Pauls meditatioÌ„ who indured the crosse eueÌ„

still he kept himselfe to the promise In the molestation and annoiance of houses by spirits two things are to be remembred First men must not consort together and abide there where it is certenly knowne that the Lord hath giuen the Deuill power and libertie least in so doing they tempt the Lord. Our Sauiour Christ did not of his owne priuate motion and will betake himselfe into the wildernes but by the direction of the holy Ghost Math. 4. 1. Paul in like manner did not of his owne head goe to Ierusalem but vpon the motion of the Spirit Act. 20. 22. In the light of these examples men are taught not to cast themselues into any places of apparent danger much lesse to frequeÌ„t those which God hath deliuered vp into the power of Satan And this condemneth the rash and headie conceits of some persons who vpon confidence of their owne strength doe put theÌ„ selues into needlesse dangers hauing neither extraordinarie calling from God nor any sufficient warrant out of his word If it be asked what meÌ„ are to doe in this case I answer First that they ought rather to flie to God by praier and to draw neere vnto him in their hearts and he in mercle will draw neere vnto them Secondarily that which we doe in meates and drinkes is also to be done in the houses and places where we dwell And what is that we must sanctifie them to our vse by the word and praier Noah at Gods commandement went into the Arke abode in it and came out againe and when he came forth of it into the earth afterward it is said of him that he built an Altar gaue thankes to God for his deliuerance and praied the Lord to vouchsafe him the vse of the earth as he had before Though Abraham had a promise of the land of Canaan to him and his posteritie for euer yet he went not out of his countrey toward it till the Lord commanded him and when he was come thither he built an Altar for the worship and seruice of God The like he did afterward at Bethel And many yeres after did Iacob offer sacrifice vnto God in the same Bethel when he came to dwell there And for this very ende in the law by a speciall ordinance the first frutes of the haruest were offered to sanctifie the rest of the corne And somuch touching the second distresse The Third kind of trouble of mind is that which ariseth of the Tentation of Blasphemie which in regard of the vilenes and vglinesse thereof is not amisse tearmed by some the foule Tentation And it is when a man is troubled in his minde with blasphemous cogitations and thoughts directly against the Maiestie of God the father the sonne and the holy Ghost As for example to thinke that God is not iust mercifull that he accepteth mens persons that he hath not knowledge of things that are done here below or at least that he doth not regard them that God cannot doe this or that that he is iniurious to some men and partiall to others c. These and such like blasphemous thoughts there be which are not fit to be vttered amoÌ„gst men forasmuch as they are most horrible and execrable as any can be conceiued That we may the better know this Temptation let it be considered what are the forerunners thereof and by what meanes it takes place in the heart possessed of it Sometimes it commeth meerely and onely of the suggestion of the Deuill which troubleth the phantasie euen of those which are in that regard innocent and casteth into their hearts impure and vngodly thoughts Sometimes againe it comes vpon men by an euill custome when as they willingly lend their eares to leude and cursed speeches that immediatly tend to the dishonour of God or the wilfull abuse of his word his iudgements and mercies and vpon the hearing either giue their applause and approbation though not expressely or doe not hinder or stay them as much as in them lieth Otherwhiles it creepes into the heart of man by degrees when he beginnes to waxe cold in Gods seruice to make little conscience of those duties that immediatly concerne his worship consequently inures himselfe to the taking of the name of God in vaine by often and eauselesse swearing for swearing cursing c. By these and such like meanes is this foule and horrible tentation conuaied into the minde of man Now the danger of it whether it ariseth froÌ„ these or any other causes is exceeding grieuous specially to those that haue begun to chuse the way of truth and to applie their hearts to serue God and to feare his name For it bringeth forth strange and fearefull effects as namely desperation manifold horrors troubles of mind yea diuers persons haue hereupon bin astonished in such sort that they haue bin mooued to make dispatch of theÌ„selues being in their own iudgement no better then the very firebrands of hell Now for the Curing of this woÌ„derfull trouble distraction of Conscience two things are to be done to wit Inquirie must be made into the next causes whence this Tentation should arise and after that the Remedie is to be applied For the first Inquitie must be made whether the present distresse had his beginning from the thoughts of a mans owne minde or from the suggestion of the Deuill For this is in all likelyhood the next way to minister Comfort to the afflicted partie It may be saide How shall a man discerne the thoughts that are from the Deuill from his owne thoughts Ans. He shall know them by sundrie notes First by the entrance of them into the mind For those that come from the Deuill come speedily as lightning into a house and they are after a sort forced into the minde by violence so as the partie cannot auoid them and they come into the minde againe and againe yea a thousand times in a day so as by their often comming they weaken the memorie dull the senses wearie and confound the braine These are thoughts that come from the Deuill and by him are conuaied from without into the minde of man And if such cogitations were from a mans owne selfe they would not come with so great vehemencie and celeritie but with leisure and they would rise with more moderation and lesse violence Yea further the frequent vse of them would not produce so many and so fearefull effects as it doth Secondly such thoughts may be discerned to come from the Deuil by this signe because they are against the very light of nature against naturall knowledge reason coÌ„science For they are most wicked and deuillish fastning vpon God things that are most vile and monstrous whereas commonly the thoughts that arise froÌ„ our owne corrupt nature are not against the light of nature though they be most corrupt The third signe is that at the first conceiuing of them the partie is smitten with an extraordinarie feare his flesh is

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