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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
nature_n	father_n	person_n	union_n	3,953	5	9.3015	5	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A08055	Mans actiue obedience, or The power of godlines especially in the commandement of the gospell, which requireth faith in euerie Christian: or A treatise of faith, worthily called precious faith, as being in it selfe a most rare iewell of ioy, and peerelesse pearle, that excelleth in worth the highest price. Wherein is plainly declared what faith in Christ is what properly is the obiect of it, what is the speciall operation of faith, by which it may bee discerned; and the worke about which it is principally imployed, the subiect wherein it is placed; what things are needfull to the making it up, what to the being, and what to the wel-being of it; with the differences that are betweene true beleeuers and fained in all of them, and the vses thereof. By Master William Negus, lately minister of Gods word at Lee in Essex.; Mans active obedience.	Negus, William, 1559?-1616.; Negus, Jonathan, d. 1633.	1619 (1619)	STC 18420; ESTC S113618	278,658	364

practice or vse you would haue to be made Rom. 1. 21. Psal 89. 7. Psalm 68. 35. Psal 96. 9. Exod. 15. 11. Iob 11. 7. Psalm ●6 8 10. Iob 9. 4 5. Psal 77. 13. Ezeck 43. 2. Psal 89. 6. Isaiah 57. 15. Psal 8. 1. Iob. 37. 23. 13. 11. Iob 26. 14. Psal 76. 7. Psal 66. 5. 7. Psal 18. 31. Psal 103. 17. Psal 103. 8. Exod. 34. 6. Psal 86. 15. Psal 99 9. Isai 41. ●4 29. Deut. 32. 17. Psal 97. 7. 13. 6. Isaiah 6. 3. Tit. 1. 16. 1. Ti● 3. 16. 2. Cor. 5. 19. Rom. 9. 5. of that knowledge we are to haue of God that wee know what he is in himselfe which is the first point that is mentioned A. That when wee so know God wee then doe glorifie him as God trembling before his fearefull Maiestie wondring at his great Omnipotencie astonished with his infinite Glorie rauished with his incomparable Excellencie awed with his dreadfull Power comforted with his endlesse Loue cheared with his abounding Mercy and falling low downe before the throne of his glory all false gods and lying vanities of the Heathen being vile in our eyes to say Hee is holy hee is holy he is holy the Lord of Hostes the earth is full of his glory And as thus in our minds to worship him and with our words to praise him so to take heed that in our deeds we do not deny him Q. What vse are wee to make of that knowledge wee ought to haue of God whereby wee may know what hee is to vs A. Thereby we are occasioned seriously to consider of and daily to seeke better to vnderstand that great mysterie of godlinesse which concerneth the worke of our redemption that is by Christ Iesus how God was in Christ reconciling the world to himselfe not imputing their trespasses vnto them and how Christ being God ouer all blessed for euer became also man to suffer what was due for mans transgression that being both God and Man hee might make a perfect satisfaction vnto 1. Tim. 2. 5. 6. God for man And being sealed and sent of the Father to bee the attonement-maker betweene the two parties Ioh. 6. 27. 5. 30. at variance who were God and man hee might first get them inseparably ioyned together in himselfe And these two Natures to bee set at one and by a happy vnion to meete together in his owne person and then in the body of his flesh through death and by the Coloss 1. 20. 21. 22. blood of his Crosse to set all things at peace in heauen and in earth so reconciling man to God as he might bee presented holy and vnblameable and vnreproueable in his sight And thus was hee made vnto vs Iesus that is a full and perfect Sauiour to saue vs from our sinnes Mat. 1. 21. Acts 2. 36. Heb. 5. 5 6. Deut. 18. 18. Luke 4. 18 21. Matth. 17. 5. Dan. 7. 14. 27. Zach. 9. 9. Luke 1. 32 33. God hauing for the same purpose first made him Christ that is annointed him with the holy Ghost and with power to be a Priest Prophet and King to purchase publish and apply saluation for and vnto all that should beleeue in his name Q. What practice or vse of the knowledge of the works of God in generall are we to make A. The same or like to that which is contained in the Song of Moses the seruant of the Lord and in the Song of the Lambe sung by those victorious Conquerors that had the Harpes of God in their hands the ditty whereof Apoc. 15. 3. was this Great and marueilous are thy workes Lord God Almightie iust and true are thy waies thou King of Saints Who is like vnto thee O Lord among the Gods who is Exod. 15. 11. like thee glorious in holinesse fearefull in praises doing wonders And in considering the great workes of God in generall to say with Dauid the sweete singer of Israel O Lord how manifold are thy workes in wisedome Psal 104. 24. hast thou made them all the earth is full of thy riches Blessed be the Lord God the God of Israel who Psal 72. 18. 19. onely doth wondrous things and blessed be his glorious name for euer and let the whole earth bee filled with his glorie Amen and Amen Q. Goe on to shew the like of the workes of God more particularly according as you haue distinguished them And first touching those works which you call the secret works of God what is the practice or vse we are to make of our knowledge we haue that there be such A. First because they belong not to vs but vnto the Lord God himself alone that therfore in all reuerence we leaue Deut. 29. 29. them vnto him and neuer dare presume to prie into the Lords secrets nor desire to vnderstand aboue that which is meet but keepe our selues within the lists and bounds Rom. 12. 3. which God hath set to ranke and raile vs in this way vnder as great a penalty as euer hee set bounds to the children of Israel at the giuing of the Law which they were Exod. 19. 12. 21 not to passe in any desire they had to gaze and see that which the Lord would not haue shewed as in the example of the men of Bethshemesh prying into the Arke 1. Sam. 6. 19. which was not lawfull for them to doe may appeare accounting it a point of our best wisedome and deepest knowledge yea a very learned ignorance not to know that which the Lord seeth not good to reueale yet so as we alwaies doe honour in the workes of God that which we doe not vnderstand And when wee perceiue the iudgements of God to be as a great deepe that cannot Psal 36 6. Eccles 8. 17. and 11. 5. Psal 77. 19. be sounded his wayes to bee past finding out and that his foot-steps cannot be knowne that we then doe stand and wonder at that wee cannot comprehend and with the Apostle cry out Oh the depth of the riches Rom. 11. 33. both of the wisedome and knowledge of God! how vnsearchable are his iudgements and his wayes past finding out to the end that God may haue the greater honour thereby Q. What is the vse we are to make and practice of the knowledge we haue that there be other workes of God that are openly manifested and reuealed in the world A. We are to remember as Elihu speaketh to Iob that wee doe magnifie his workes which men doe behold And seeing the reuealed workes of God are things Iob 36. 24. that doe belong to vs and to our children for euer that Deut. 29. 29. Deut. 6. 7. 20. Psal 78. 5. 6. 7. we therefore doe both labour and learne to know them our selues and that wee likewise doe teach them to our The Lords workes like the curtaines of Salomon haue their beautie within we had neede hold our eyes neare them and put our heads

to their idle and their single sold faith and they runne away counter with this in their minde and this in their mouth the iust shall liue by his faith as though they had now found out such a way to heauen as doe what they will in all their life time they can neuer come short of the place that they seeme so to hunt for But they and their faith are like to perish together and their assurance is as sure to trust to as is a reede or broken staffe which will be sure to leaue them in the ditch when they trusting vnto it most doe reckon and looke to leape ouer thereby True beleeuers who know of Gods loue and fauour towards them indeed and apprehend th●se euerlasting sweete mercies of God in Christ Iesus which haue eternall life and saluation accompanying them whereof they haue good assurance giuen them and wrought vp in their hearts by their so beleeuing their soules being now satisfied as with marrow and fatnesse which makes them praise God with ioyfull lips they doe not receiue this grace of God in vaine but because they finde such mercie from God they feare him the more with a child-like feare which makes them awfully to serue him and willingly to performe euery good dutie vnto him Yea the loue of God in Christ Iesus constraines them to doe their Psal 18. 1. dutie and to professe with Dauid that of force they must loue God Now are not his commandements grieuous vnto them but their delight is in the law of God which they haue learned Iob to preferre before their appointed food The more assurance they haue of Gods loue towards them whereby they know God to bee their God and haue boldnesse to crie abba father vnto him the more surely hath the Lord their hearts ioyned vnto him in true loue againe they being tyed fast with the cords of his owne loue wherewith first hee loued them which causeth them reciprocally to loue him backe againe And because he hath giuen them the Spirit of adoption whereby they know him to be their father the more may hee reckon vpon the naturalnes of their loue and child-like dutie vnto him because hee now knoweth them as being so made by him to be his owne true children indeed whom he hath made partakers of his owne diuine nature setting 2. Pet. 1. 4. his owne image vpon them and giuing them a heart and disposition to be like minded to himselfe to loue that he loueth and hate that hee hateth euen to loue righteousnesse as their life and hate all manner of wickednesse which God doth most hate He may now reckon vpon them as vpon his peculiar ones to haue seruice done at their hands though others will doe none that they will stirre when others sit still and though others doe grumble and snuffe when they are spoken vnto yet for them to be found willing chearefull and vnwearied in their well doing CHAP. XVI How easie it is to get a false perswasion but difficult to attaine sound assurance of saluation which is another difference betweene them THe assurance of an hypocrite is of no such excellencie but it is easie to come by and may bee as soone light vpon as euer it is looked after for it is as refuse stuffe that lieth in euery mans way not worth the taking vp No marueile then that they are so full of it for of such rubbish there be cart load fuls ro be had in euery ditch and throwne out vpon euery dunghill which hee that hath vnderstanding to discerne between things that differ would rather throw from him then euer take vp though it lay in his way A wise Christian will rather emptie his heart of such idle conceits as these set so great store by if any such he found there then so to fill himselfe as with emptinesse and winde that will put him more to paine then profit him any whit Such Christians as these they are no sooner borne but they are growne men the first so soone as euer they begin to make any profession of Christian religion they attaine to their perfection so fast as they make any beginning they by and by know as much as any can teach them as to loue God aboue all things and their neighbour as themselues This they reckon to be all that can be taught them there is no more to be learned they know al are to be saued only by faith in Christ Iesus what need they any more they are now sure of their saluation for euer they will neuer doubt after It may be said of the assurance that these men haue according to that which goeth in the prouerbe it is soone ripe and it will be as soone rotten it is brought foorth at once like Ionahs gourd they neuer laboured for it no more then hee did for his gourd for such weedes as these idle conceits and fond fancies wherewith such sort of Christians vse to flatter their owne hearts they wil grow fast enough of themselues but as it is easily come by so it is as easily lost againe it may grow in one night as did Ionah 4. 10. his gourd and perish in another and then it will be with them as it was with him they will fret more for the want of it then euer they ioyed in their first hauing of it The good assurance of Gods faithfull seruants is very True assurance hardly gotten hard to come by The assurance of faith like faith it selfe as it is most pretious so it is most rare and not common to be found In this particular the truth of that which runneth in another prouerbe that is common is much confirmed that daintie things are deare things and things of most excellencie will not be attained to without great difficultie Great is the cost many of Gods seruants haue been at and hard hath been the labour which they haue taken about this one point of their assurance they haue sweat much and taken sore paines hereabout night and day doe they seeke it yea daies and yeeres haue they bestowed vpon it in seeking after it and yet hardly can finde 〈◊〉 and with much difficultie can euer attaine vnto it the Lord seeing it meete so to haue them exercised so to de●erre them and so long to put them off before euer hee will giue them to haue their hearts desire herein For he knoweth such to be the worth and excellencie thereof as it will quit well the cost they haue been at and pay well for the trauaile and paines they haue taken for the comming by it when once they shall haue obtained it hee holds it therefore at so deare a price that knowing what it cost them before they could purchase it they may the better esteeme of it when they haue it The Lord seeth well enough that the things we easily come by wee vse as little care for and as lightly to set by Neither doth the Lord vse to giue this to be had