Linguistic DNA - Concept Modelling Demonstrator

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
lord_n	day_n	people_n	word_n	11,847	5	3.9748	3	false

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A19292	The mysterie of the holy government of our affections Contayning their nature, originall, causes, and differences. Together with the right ordering, triall, and benefit thereof: as also resoluing diuers cases of conscience, incident hereunto. Very necessarie for the triall of sinceritie, and encreasing in the power of Godlinesse. The first booke.	Cooper, Thomas, fl. 1626.	1620 (1620)	STC 5700.5; ESTC S113515	32,207	168

thereof in the presence of God and so labour for the acceptance of it aboue the worth thereof in the merit of Christ and we also maintaine the Spirituall Combate betweene the Flesh and the Spirit 9. If our affections run more vpon heauenly then earthly things and wee can begin our desires for earthly things from a spirituall ground and so can vse them with a spirituall desire still to thriue in grace and to a spirituall end namely to further vs to Heauen this is an argument of the circumcising thereof thus may wee learne to order them aright 10. Our affections must begin from our selues to others and from others returne vnto our selues againe 11. Wee must labour to quicken and order our Affections by Prayer Singing and Meditation especially 12. In most weightiest Occasions we must especially watch ouer our affections because now Satan will by them peruert vs herein 13. Our affection must be sutable to the qualitie of the Obiect and hence to be rightly iudged Concerning others Our affections are to bee ordered thus towards Men. First According to the diuersitie of Gods graces in them so must wee affect accordingly and not according to outward endowments of Nature or Worldly Happinesse For this is to haue respect of Persons and so is condemned Iam. 2 3 4. Act. 10. 34 35. Secondly According to present Necessitie so wee must affect those that are in greatest present Want howsoeuer farre inferiour in Grace to others that are not in such extremitie and out of our tender compassion minister present reliefe vnto them that so it may appeare wee doe it for Gods sake and not vpon any goodnesse in them expecting our recompence from the Lord which we are like to loose from men Thirdly Whereas there are some Callings on Earth which doe in some sort represent the Maiestie and Office of God as the Calling of the Magistrate Minister c. Therefore herein also there must be a wise ordering of our Affections As that howsoeuer in generall we must affect where there be best Graces yet now if the case stand betweene a Magistrate though wicked and a priuate Christian wee must more affect the Magistrate because he is the Image of Gods Maiestie Power c. and in regard of his Place and Office is to execute the Will of God whether for good or euill and so is an image of Gods free and absolute Power I say in these respects we must more lone feare and regard the Magistrate then any priuate Christian howsoeuer superiour in spirituall Graces The Reasons are First Because the outward Calling of the Magistrate and such Gifts as may concerne the same is that which the Lord in wisdome hath set ouer not onely the persons of priuate men but euen their best Gifts also either to reward them for the Good they doe or else to punish them for the Euill they doe yea to correct them also for the good they may doe because they haue fayled in the measure thereof so that wherein we thinke we haue most cause to spurne at gouernment because happily it layes the burthen vpon the wrong horse vexing the Doues and acquitting the Crowes as hee sayth Yet herein we haue greatest cause to loue the Magistrate As not onely being herein an Image of the Diuine Prouidence in bearing with the wicked in great patience and correcting his children but also expressing herein the Diuine Goodnesse first of his generall Prouidence to the Wicked in sparing them and therein his speciall Prouidence to the Godly in sparing the Wicked for the triall of his Children and so of his Goodnesse herein to his Saints in correcting them here that they may not be condemned hereafter and so of his speciall Prouidence to the Wicked in hardning them by his patience to the Day of Slaughter The like may bee said concerning the Faithfull Minister That whereas hee is the Interpreter one of a thousand to declare vnto Man his Righteousnesse Iob. 33. 22. Yea is so gracious with God as both to be the Mouth of God vnto the people the Lord reuealing his Will for our saluation by their Ministerie aa also to bee the Mouth of the People vnto God both to obtaine Blessings for them and also to remooue Iudgements from them Exod. 32. So that if hee doe not pray for them the Lord will not heare their prayers Ierem. 14. 11 12. If he pray for them the Lord will be gracious and pardon their Offences And so hee is as the Chariots and Horsemen of Israel to preserue the Land from desolation and maintaine the peace thereof Therefore as these are worthie of double honour 1. Tim. 5. 17. so wee must affect them accordingly as those which watch ouer our Soules and must giue vp their account for vs that so they may giue it vp with Ioy and not with Griefe Heb. 13. 18. Yea howsoeuer the person of the Minister may be exorbitâ—â—t and scandalous yet in regard of his Calling wee are bound to heare him And if wee affect him not we cannot profite by him â—hee may benefite vs though himselfe be reproued 1. Cor. 9. Yea with the Apostle If Christ be preached whether of Enuie or Uaine-glorie or any such by-respects yet wee must reioyce in the Truth and the rather embrace the same as hauing herein a gracious triall of our Sinceritiâ— that wee receiue the Word not with respect of Persons for the Uessels sake but as from the Lord 1. Thess. 2. 13. and in Obedience to his Ordinance As also hauing matter to exercise our spirituall Wisdome in discerning things that differ to seuer the truth of the Word from the scandals of the Parson to trie all things and hold that which is good 1. Thess. 5. Yea herein wee haue singular matter to exercise our Loue both in praying for his Parson that God may make him more profitable and so mourning for his Defects as that by our Meekenesse and Humilitie wee seeke by all holy meanes to winne him to more faithfulnesse by being faithfull in the obedience of that Truth which hee hath deliuered as knowing that our sinne is the cause that our Pastour is so defectiue And therefore mourne wee especially for our owne Sinnes so wee may giue him example to doe the like or else make him herein inexcusable Which as it reproueth the giddinesse of our people which heape vp Teachers vnto themselues according to their owne Lusts forsaking and disgracing those whom God hath set ouer them vpon pretence of their insufficiencie of Gifts or other defects so it ought to aduise vs to be humbled for our owne sinnes when any such stumbling blockes are offered Assuring our selues That if wee can truely examine and compare not out vaine and presumptuous Affections after the most eminent Gifts but our measure of profiting answerable to the meanest Gifts in truth wee shall find if wee deale truely with our owne Hearts may I not speake of those

And can we grieue especially at that which heretofore was our principall reioycing Can we delight in the mortifying of the flesh and reioyce that wee can sorrow for sinne and can we so reioyce in all spirituall comforts as that we can also be sorrowfull for our abuse of them so that we can be alwayes sorrowing and alwayes reioycing reioycing in our God and his Goodnesse sorrowing that wee cannot reioyce as we should that we cannot doe the good we would reioycing in this that wee haue got the masterie of some sinnes and yet sorrowing for our many faylings and faintings euen in those conquests for that body of sin that hangeth so fast vpon vs Can we discerne our Affections thus turned vpside down out ioy into sorrow our sorrow into ioy that so our carnall ioy in sinne may bee first swallowed vp of carnall sorrow for the punishment thereof And our carnall sorrow may be preuented of extreame despaire by the glad Tidings of Gods mercie in Iesus Christ speaking peace vnto our soules and breeding spirituall ioy by the euidence of our adoption And so our ioy in the goodnesse of our God may still worke in vs a spirituall sorrow and repentance of all our secure wayes that so wee may cleaue vnto our God in new obedience And so still as wee can now reioyce in the truth of our endeuours so wee can also mourne for the imperfection of them that so wee may still labour to be found in Christ. Surely by these changes and contrarieties of our Affections wee may vndoubtedly conclude a truth of our Conuersion and proceeding therein A Case of Conscience here to bee resolued Whether it be an argument of vnsanctified Affections to be more placed on Earthly then Heauenly things THe Resolution hereof consists in a wise distinction of our Affections which may be considered eyther as they are mixt and so they are at the best or as they are predominant and so the better part preuayles against the worse Take them as they are mixt And so because the corrupt part first breakes out and so is more sensible and so still accompanies the better part in the processe of the Worke and will haue a fling euen in the issue to share with God and rob him of his Glory and so though happily the intention and purpose bee to the best and in the issue of it may prooue best to the confounding of the flesh yet in regard of the appearance of that of flesh as being more naturall and sensible to a carnall eye it may bee coniectured that the Affection is more vpon that which is carnall then that which is spirituall Especially if wee consider That as Earthly things haue a present and necessarie vse in all Occasions so bring they a kinde of Warrant with them As to vse them so to affect them that so we may take comfort in them and by this comfort be prouoked vnto thankfulnesse So that thus to affect is not to affect them as earthly but as heauenly things as turned to the right end and being good Foundations and Euidences to a better life 1. Tim. 6. 19. Onely the Triall is in the setting of the Affection and resting of the same in these earthly things Psal. 62. 10. Col. 3. 2. It is one thing to affect euen the meanest things as Gods blessings which wee are to receiue cheerefully and returne thankfully vnto our God And another thing to set the Affections vpoÌ„ theÌ„ that is first to rest in the thing not in the giuer thereof Secondly so to rest in the present as we place happinesse heerein and not make it a step to a further happinesse Thirdly so to giue way vnto these affections for the possessing of our hearts as that either we leaue no roome for spirituall Obiects but are wholly taken vp with desire and pursuit of earthly things or so to diuide our hearts to the entertainment of these diuers Obiects as that either they doe equally share in our desires we are indifferent to either wee can serue God and Mammon alike wee can be as eager take as great delight in the prosecuting and enioying of these as the other Or else as it vsually fails out that if once wee grow to this equall partition the Handmaid will shortly perke aboue the Mistresse the carnall Obiect will preuaile aboue the Spirituall and so wee shall labour more for the meat that perisheth then for that which endureth for euer Thus to set our Affections vpon earthly things is indeed to giue more roome in our hearts for the World then God and so to exclude God in regard of the World and this is carnall and diuellish But so to affect earthly things as to make them steps to higher blessings as to acknowledge our faithfulnesse in the least because God loues a cheerefull giuer and husband of his meanest blessings is indeed in earthly things to affect heauenly The resolution rests in the meanes and end of affecting these things that if we prosecute our Affections by holy meanes and subordinate still these thinges to better wee may affect them lawfully and thereby affect the better This is to liue by Faith and not by Sense euen in outward things This is to reioyce in God and not in the things themselues This is to lay vp a good foundation against the Day of Christ 1. Tim. 6. 19. 20. Especially if wee consider these two things First that the Lord conueyes vnto vs euen the most spirituall Blessings by outward and carnall meanes as the Word by an Earthen Vessell the Sacraments by outward Elements And secondly that wee receiue such blessings by the Ministerie of the Flesh as by hearing the Word eating the Bread c. which as the Wisedome of God no doubt hath intended for the humbling of the Flesh that it should not rest in the outward Instrument but in the inward operation of the Spirit so also hath it his especiall worke for the triall of the Spirit that it leads vs from that which is obuious to Sense to that which is apprehended by Faith that so being in the Flesh yet wee may not liue after it but rather vse the flesh for the mortifying of the flesh As that if wee were not Flesh we should not be thus led along with rudiments and elements to the capacitie thereof and because wee are thus led with elements therefore the Lord hauing now supplyed our Infancie and weakenesse wee should not bee weakelings still needing Milke c. but rather grow on to strength and power of Grace that so wee may digest the strongest Meat The summe of all is The Wicked affect heauenly thinges with an earthly appetite and so all things are impure vnto them the Godly affect earthly thinges with an heauenly appetite and so all thinges are pure vnto them The Wicked affect heauenly things for earthly thinges sake and so all become earthly vnto them the Godly affect earthly things for heauenly things sake and so all

heart made more pure and temperaâ—e more conformable to the will of God more fitted to the right end Secondly vnto which if wee adde that it is the Grace of God only whereof the Soule is only capable that altereth and purgeth our affections of their corrupt and pestilent qualities and so turneth them to their contrary and proper Obiects as Slauish Feare into Filiall Feare Carnall loue into the loue of God and goodnesse c. By this it necessarily followeth that our Affections proceed immediately from the Soule and haue their residence therein Thirdly if wee shall consider that our most principall and noblest Affections of Loue and Ioy are not determined and perfited in this life but doe accompanie vs after death as whereby we expresse our enioying of eternall Happinesse euen when the body lyes rotten in the Graue this is a plaine euidence that they arise out of the Soule as their proper Fountaine CHAP. IIII. Of the wise gouerning and triall of the Affections ANother speciall helpe to constant Obedience Here obserue First these generall Rules concerning Affections in regard of iudging thereof That they are not simply to bee discerned by themselues as being in themselues for the most part not simply good or euill but as they depend vpon their true Grounds affect their proper Obiects and ayme at their right Ends. And therefore Know wee that the true ground of all holy Affections is sound Knowledge of the thing wee affect and of our estate and right to and in the thing wee doe affect so that no Knowledge no sound Affection no Right therein no Hope for well-ordering of them Secondly obserue wee That all holy Affections haue generally one maine Obiect namely Our God in Christ Iesus and so subordinate The saluation of the Soule But particularly each of them hath it seuerall and proper Obiect whereon it is bent and conuersant therein so that here the Rules are That the particular Obiects must be subordinate to the generall and included therein both for direction and Limitation also all must bee from the Lord in him and for him Rom. 11. for the obtayning of saluation The particular Obiects must bee the Bounds to each particular Affection as shall appeare afterward Our hatred must properly be against sinne not goodnesse our loue to Good and not Euill c. Our Affections must so bee squared to the Obiects as that it onely leuell therein at that which is proportionable thereunto That whereas there is in the Obiect the person or thing wherein the qualitie is and the Qualitie it selfe and the person or thing is to be diuersly affected in regard of the different qualitie thereof Therefore the sinceritie of the Affection appeares in ayming at the Qualitie and so for it respecting the person or thing As to affect a thing for it goodnesse to hate it for the euill And yet so as whereas the substance is of God and the qualitie of Satan Therefore heere may be a concurrence of contrarie Affections in one maine Obiect As that the person of a sinner being Gods workmanship is to be beloued though wee hate the sinne of the person the good of the same person may bee loued though we hate the contrarie euil in him And therefore whereas the Ground next vnto Faith as of our worship of God and dueties vnto Men is Loue howsoeuer our affections are different in themselues yet they must all be deriued from this principall affection of Loue Wee must hope grieue reioyce c. because wee loue and loue must be the end and ayme of â—ll Therefore wee are angrie we feare we hope we ioy that we may still loue and make better way for the manifestation thereof And so as loue is an affection that is the ground and end of all other affections and therefore all must be subordinate therunto so also is there a subordination of other contrarie affections one to another that they may end in this loue as hatred is subordinate to loue griefe to ioy feare to hope c. as being not contraries in diuers subiects but all the same generall as no otherwise respecting diuers subordinate Obiects but that they ayme at one Principall as furthering each other in their particular contrarie and different Obiects to that one Principall namely the glorie of God and saluation of the Soule Hereby shall we know the sinceritie of our Affections if they are proportionable to the Obiect and measure thereof as If the sinnes of the Times be grieuous and extraordinarie so our griefe be sutable If the mercies of God and his deliuerances be wonderfull so our Ioy and Thankfulnesse be answerable And this may serue for the iust conuiction of our Times First In that though there be some feare of God yet it is not proportionable to the meanes Wee haue beene better taught then to feare God so little Wee haue had greater Iudgements then that we should be so secure Secondly In that wee set not our Affections high enough in good things and yet racke them too farre in euill things Wee feare not God enough and yet feare the World too much We loue the World too scantly and loue our profits too excessiuely And so there is a iarre in both Our Feare in spirituall things is defectiue in worldly things excessiue So in this proportion if wee loue God without limitation as the most excellent Obiect and our Neighbour as our selues this is to proportion the Affection to the Obiect Our Affections are good Seruants but bad Masters that is they must not beare rule but still be in subiection to their seuerall Limitations of the Word our Callings the common Good without which the best Affection euen of Zeale and Loue may be euill Not onely â—ill Affections or such as â—re more inclinable thereâ—o but euen the best must â—hus be tryed if they make â—s fitter for Gods seruice â—s Anger if we can fall to â—ray Zeale if we can reâ—it priuate Offences c. First I say our Affections must be informed and â—imitted by the Word that is Whereas the Lord hath giuen vs a sure Word both as a Light shining in a darke place to enlighten the darkenesse of our nature and so as a Guide to the well-ordering thereof If our Affections now follow and not runne before our Knowledge We first know what to loue and then affect the same and if our Affections are proportionable to our knowledge we affect so farre as wee are informed and perswaded of the truth and according to the particular truth we know so our particular affection is leuelied at and confined thereunto This is a certain euidence of the true light and ordering thereof Hereby wee shall hold out and continue therein Whereas otherwise if wee affect what wee know not this may eyther arise from some tickling delight of the flesh from Vaine-glorie and such like or else from some outward

that presume most in this case that wee are generally to learne the very first grounds of Religion Heb. 5. 11. and so are short of answering the meanest Gifts And so may iustly feare that whereas we would be generally thought better then wee are as being ashamed that we haue been so short in answering so long and gracious time of our Visitation therefore God hath giuen vs vp to this Presumption to iudge of our Teachers that wee may iustifie our selues and so to this wandring and hunting after those as we take it of the best Gifts that so by following them inordinately wee may be conceited to be that wee are not men of greater vnderstanding of more spirituall experience as being able to reach and attayne to their measure and so thereby be further hardened in our owne ignorance and corruptions Thirdly Our Affections to others must be deriued from our Affection to our selues we must begin at home and so be enlarged abroad so loue others out of loue to our selues so to be zealous against others sinnes as to begin at home c. And secondly Our Affections to others must returne home againe if by grieuing for others sinnes we can doe little good vpon them let our griefe returne home for our owne sinnes yea let vs be grieued that they are not grieued Fourthly Our Affections to others must be alwayes bounded within the Rules of the Word the glory of God We must so affect the saluation of others as may stand with Gods glorie with the good of his Church according to his Word We must so grieue for their sinnes as that we submit to Gods will and not hinder our Callings 1. Sam. 16. 1. We must so pitie them as not to harden them in sinne not to pamper them in wantonnesse c. Secondly Towards God For the right ordering of our Affections toward God this generall Rule must be obserued That there are some Affections which properly and only belong vnto him as Trust and Hope these are peculiar onely to the Lord so that it is high Treason to that supreme Maiestie to transferre them to any other As for Trust Onely in the Lord Not in Princes not any Psal. 146. 2 3. So for Hope Onely in God not in Man The meaning is not that wee must not trust them that is yeeld some ciuile credit to them as to their words to their actions c. in regard of temporall things nor that wee must not hope well of them in charitie 1. Cor. 13. in regard of spirituall because we know not the contrarie but wee must not repose any religious confidence in them concerning saluation neyther hope in them as being able to effect the sâ—me in which sense wee here speake of these Affections A second Rule is That though some Affections respect our selues others yet they must be subordinate to our respect of God Our Affections to God must be without Limitation Wee cannot loue him enough we cannot feare him too much so farre as possibly wee may our affections must be enlarged proportionably to the Obiect they must be boundlesse and endlesse as the Obiect is But those to our neighbor must be confined within their Limits both subordinate to God and secondly as our Callings and the condition of the party doth require with reference still to Gods glory CHAP. VI. Of the Benefit of the right vse of holy Affections FIrst Hereby wee shall be sure to profit and thriue in all well-doing for as the thing is affected so it is encreased and continued Secondly Hereby wee shal discerne vndoubtedly the true worke of Grace begun in vs for as is the Affection so is the truth of the heart Looke what we loue what we feare what we reioyce in what we are sorrie for these will discerne the vprightnesse of the heart Thirdly Hereby also wee shall approoue our selues in the growth of Grace for as our Affections are more quickened to holy duties as we more loue and reioyce in them as we more feare and hope in the continuance of them as wee are more grieued in our selues for our fayling are more zealous against sinne more angrie against it so wee doe thriue in well-doing And Fourthly So also by our Affections wee may discerne our perseuerance and constancie in well-doing each of them being furtherances thereunto and assurances thereof Fiftly Our Affections rightly ordered will enable vs to haue more comfortable fellowship with God in Prayer Meditation c. as quickening our zeale of his Glorie our loue vnto his Maiestie procuring our more free and bold accesse into his glorious presence our more entire and cheerefull societie with him our better contentment in his prouidence enabling vs with more patience to wait vpon him and so to striue more effectually with him that we may not be sent emptie away Sixtly These also well ordered will proue gracious helpes for our more comfortable societie with men to our mutuall profite and aduantage As whereby First wee are enabled and enlarged to doe them most good Secondly and so hereby fitted to maintaine the fellowship as being enabled to ouercome whatsoeuer euills may arise to the breach thereof with our Patience and Meekenesse And so fitted to further each other to the Heauenly Communion Seuenthly Especially whereas there are three speciall Times wherein our Affections are not onely much distempered but euen quite peruerted so farre as wee can perceiue from their right Obiects and vse namely First The Time of Desertion when our God with-draweth the Light of his Countenance from vs. Secondly The Time of violent Distresse by reason of acute Diseases as in Feuers power of Melancholy c. Thirdly The Time of vehement Tentation by the Malice of Satan In all these as wee must bee wise to iudge of our Affections and our selues by them so wee may reape sound comfort thereby both to preuent distraction and despaire as also giue hope of recouerie thereout As first generally That our Affections must not be measured by any of these extraordinarie Conditions wee may not bee iudged by the distemper of our Affection in them First because the distemper is contrarie to the maine bent of our hearts in our ordinarie course of Sanctification and Secondly When wee come to our selues againe and can iudge rightly of things wee are the first that iudge our selues and condemne our folly and ignorance in such distem pers and Ps. 73. 22. Thirdly Our God lookes vpon vs not as wee are transported with these distempers but as he hath from euerlasting loued vs in Christ and in his singular wisedome and mercie hath intended to turne our distem pers as to the manifestation of our priuie corruption as it was in Iob Cap. 3. so to the purging out of more inward and dangerous euils of Pride Vaineglorie c. And so to the aduancing of his free mercie and goodnesse not onely in sustayning vs by his mightie power in these Desertions but in ouer-comming our Distempers

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