Linguistic DNA - Concept Modelling Demonstrator

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	abide_v	able_a	part_n	28	3	4.1922	3	false

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A20540	Three godlie and fruitful sermons; the two first preached by Maister Iohn Dod: the last by Maister Robert Cleauer. Whereunto are annexed, fiue propositions, or points of doctrine, comprehended in three other sermons, by the same author	Dod, John, 1549?-1645.; Cleaver, Robert, 1561 or 2-ca. 1625. aut	1610 (1610)	STC 6950; ESTC S117481	100,240	192

yet did they wish to returne to their former Psal 106. bondage rather then to bee brought to such straits but notwithstanding the grieuousnes of this their sinne many now adaies come nothing behinde them for their eyes are so vpon their wants that the want of one thing which they do desire though it be but small doth more disquiet them then manifold blessings doe comfort them to make them thankfull But this discontentment wee must be armed against which we shall be if wee can receiue the fauour of God for it selfe though it come alone yea though trouble doe come therewith for hauing it wee haue all things and wanting it wee haue nothing Againe if wee haue it no miserie can make vs miserable and if wee haue it not in greatest prosperitie we are most miserable But the Israelites here dealt after a cleane contrarie manner for the want of bread in the wildernesse being but for their bodies did make theÌ„ to despise their great and wonderfull deliuerance out of Egypt which was vnto them a signe of their spirituall deliuerance And this is the nature of all worldlings they had rather forgo many spirituall benefits then one corporall commoditie they grieue more at the losing and reioyce more at the hauing of wealth then of godlinesse But to returne to the point in hand sith murmuring is so great a sinne it shall be profitable to consider of some remedies against it Remedies against murmuring Now for as much as impatiencie proceedeth from infidelitie the remedie thereof must bee fetched from faith in Gods mercies in the merits of Christ in the hope of the resurrection and in Gods fatherly prouidence First I say Gods rich mercie and fauourable dealing with vs being duly considered cannot but worke in vs patience for seeing that the Lord forbeareth vs and that when for the ripenes of our sinnes he might confound vs he doth rather heape blessings vpon vs this cannot but bridle vs from murmuring though all things fall not out according to our hearts desire Especially seeing that the Lord will deale with vs still as hee did with the Israelites that when ordinarie meanes failed had extraordinary prouision made for theÌ„ the cloudes giuing them bread and the rock water to teach vs that man liueth not by bread only as Moses applieth it Deut. 8. but by the word of God A second remedie is to haue a liuely faith in the worke of our redemption to wit the remission of our sinnes the imputation of Christ his righteousnes and inherent sanctification First then if we can stedfastly beleeue that God for Christ his sake hath freely forgiuen vs all our sinnes and giuen his sonne that in him we might be blessed we cannot but be assured that with him Rom. 8. he will giue vs all things For seeing sin which is the cause of all miserie is taken from vs wee may bee sure that no crosse shall euer hurt vs. Againe if wee could beleeue that as God doth lay our sins vpon Christ so he doth impute his righteousnes to vs how should we doubt of food or raiment c For by this meanes he is made our mercifull and louing father who is for power able and for will readie to helpe vs in all extremities And thus doth he abide for euer and is neuer changed To these two former must bee added the second part of our redemption namely the sanctification of the spirit which if we feele in our selues may bee a great helpe vnto vs against impatiencie for it is a greater thing to sanctifie a sinner then to worke wonders in nature Therefore if we can beleeue in our hearts that God is able to make of sinfull and wicked men iust and righteous of whoremongers chast persons c. and that he is able and willing to deliuer vs from all our corruptions be they neuer so strong by nature or custome if I say we can giue credit vnto this why should we euer doubt that he will faile vs in outward things Further if we can beleeue that God hath prepared a kingdome for vs and that he will raise vs vp at the last day in body and soule to enioy the same how can we but be assured that he will giue vs lesser matters euen the things of this life Another thing to stay our hearts vpon when murmuring doth assaile vs is faith in Gods prouidence which is either generall or particular The generall prouidence of God must be considered first in the creation of all things secondly in the preseruation of them Doe wee then beleeue that the Lord made all things of nothing and shall we doubt of his abilitie to prouide for vs When God created light before the Sun the Moone or the Stars and caused grasse Gen. 1. 3. to grow vpon the earth before there was either raine or dew to water it hee did thereby teach vs first that we should not put too much trust in them whilest we haue them and againe that rather then we should suffer hurt by the want of light grasse or other such things the Lord both could and would prouide for vs without them Yet now if we should not haue the Sun wee would think that light were taken from vs and if we wanted raine wee would soone thinke wee should neither haue grasse nor corne but the Lord hath ordained these meanes to serue his prouidence not for himselfe for without them he can easily help vs but for our weaknes who otherwise could not easily bee assured of his goodnesse Secondly we must beleeue that God preserueth all so that a sparrow doth not fall to the ground Matth. 10. without his prouidence and he hath a great care of beasts and fowles doth the Lord prouide for these Matth. 6. and will hee not prouide for man for whom these were made and are preserued Hereunto we must ioyne the particular prouidence of God Hath he made our bodies and will he not clothe vs hath he giuen vs life and will he not minister vnto vs foode for the sustaining thereof Hee could prouide for the Israelites in the barren wildernesse fortie yeeres together yea hee could preserue Moses and Elias fortie daies without any meate at all which euidently proueth that Gods blessing is all in all whether there be meanes or no meanes Dauid obserued by experience that the righteous seed of the righteous was neuer forsaken nor begged Psal 37. their bread and if wee could bee righteous as then many were wee should finde the same true in our owne experience as he did These things well considered will worke in vs a patient minde the properties whereof are First to be contented with whatsoeuer the Lord Properties of a patieÌ„t mind Philip. 4. 11. sendeth alwaies acknowledging godlinesse to bee great riches for wee ought not to seeke great matters nor suffer our desires to be carried after high things for this did the Prophet Ieremie rebuke in Ieremy 45. 4. Baruck And Christ would haue vs to pray only for our daily bread which also was Iacobs prayer that Gen. 28. he might haue food and raiment wherewith the Apostle would haue vs to be content Let vs first seek the 1. Tim. 6. kingdome of heauen c. and then if the Lord giue plentie let vs be more thankfull and seruiceable if not his fauour is sufficient of it self and wee shall be Psalm 4. more comfortable with a little then others are in great abundance without that But if wee cannot rest in the fauour of God though wee want these outward things it is certain we do not truly esteem it neither haue wee at that time any comfortable assurance of the remission of our sinnes The second propertie of a patient minde is simply to giue vp it self vnto God and to commit it self into his hand waiting at all times for help froÌ„ him who only is the author of al goodnes yet neither prescribing the meanes nor appointing the time nor in any case indenting with him for the Lord will haue the disposition of his mercies free vnto himself to giue and bestow when and where and hoâ— it pleaseth him and as it may most make for his glorie and therefore wee must wholly resigne vp ouâ— selues vnto him Which if we can doe so mercifully doth God vse to deale that when wee least desire outward things then we shall haue them and wheÌ„ we freely giue them vp to him he will giue them to vs againe Abraham gaue vnto the Lord Isaac his son which when the Lord did behold hee quickly gaue him his sonne againe and so will he deale with vs still The readiest way to retaine life goods c. is to yeeld them vp wholly into Gods hands not with this condition that he should giue theÌ„ to vs againe for that were to mock the Lord but without all care to haue them we must giue them to him being heartily well content for his glorie to forgoe them and then if they be good for vs we shall receiue theÌ„ againe if not we shall receiue some spirituall grace which shall better supplie the want of them Yea the infinite wisedom and mercy of God doth wonderfully appeare herein that sometimes he keepeth vs long without these things because that if we had them he seeth that we would abuse them and preferre them before spirituall blessings And sometime the Lord seeing our small regard of spirituall things will by the want of these outward things bring vs to make greater account of them that wheÌ„ we can well want the one and highly esteeme the other we may haue both together FINIS

and amiable in the sight of God and of his holy Angels which was before time a most vgly and deformed creature This must needes be a maruailous great benefite for if the defacing of Gods Image be the cause of all our woe then the repairing thereof must of necessity be the cause of all our happinesse A fift reason why their state is so happy that are endued with Gods spirit is because that is it which comforteth and strengtheneth them in all their temptations and troubles Those that are destitute of this holy comforter when aduersity lighteth vpon them do either fret or faint either fall to murmuring or to desperation but those that haue their hearts replenished with the holy Ghost doe then most strongly reioyce when tribulations and miseries lye most heauily vpon them as the Apostles when they were most grieuously persecuted are said then to be filled with the holy Ghost And Acts. 4. 31. what of that Then they reioyced that they were counted Acts 5. 41. worthy to suffer rebuke for Christ his name And as Pauls sufferings did abound so did his consolations 2 Cor. â— 5. in Christ abound also So that when comfort is comfort indeed and when life it selfe would go vnlesse comfort came then doth the holy Ghost most plenteously refresh the heart with inward ioy and contentment according to that saying of the Apostle Peter Now for a season yee are in heauinesse 1. Pet. 16. 8. and yet reioyce with ioy vnspeakeable and glorious Hitherto the reasons alledged haue tended chiefely to this euen to shew what good the Spirit of grace bringeth vnto our selues Now further there is a sixt reason for the confirmation of this poynt which is that it doth also make vs exceeding profitable vnto others which is a very great addition vnto our blessednesse All the wit learning and art in the world cannot make a man to bee a constant and conscionable doer of good but Gods spirit alone must doe that and therefore goodnesse is set downe as a fruit thereof Gal 5. 22. And in the sixth chapter of that Epistle ver 1. the Apostle saith If any man be ouertaken by any offence ye that are spiritual restore such a one not ye that are wittie or learned c. For no man can be a good Physitian vnto others but he that hath first wrought a cure vpon his owne soule in which 2 Cor. 1. 4. regard the Apostle Paul saith Wee are able to comfort others with the consolations wherwith we our selues haue bene comforted Looke then who is most spirituall and we shall finde that he doth alwayes most good Therefore was it that when the Apostles were to conuert the whole world and to batter downe hell gates vpon Sathans head they had the Spirit plentifully powred down vpon them which filled them so full of heauenly wisdome and courage Acts. 2. and zeale that they did that which all the Kings and Monarches of the earth could neuer haue effected by all their power and policy So also when Christ was to do the greatest good that euer any creature did the Lord saith that his Spirit shall rest vpon him and thereby was he fitted to go through with the great worke of our redemption Isa 11. 1. For as it is in that place the Spirit of the Lord is a Spirit of wisdome and vnderstanding making those that haue it to be of a sound iudgement and able to search into the hidden things of God a Spirit of counsel to guide and direct them and of power to strengthen and confirme them though they were neuer so feeble and weake a Spirit of knowledge and of the feare of the Lord to make such as are indued therewith prudent in his feare as there the Prophet speaketh Now seeing it is cleare by these reasons that the hauing of this holy Spirit is the way to al happines Vse 1 First of all this may serue for the iust reproofe of those that would faine liue happily and comfortably and yet neuer had any feruent longing nor made any earnest request for Gods Spirit and the graces thereof they plainly manifest themselues to be ignorant and carnall persons that do not yet know what true happinesse meanes Secondly here are those much more sharply to be rebuked who thinke it best not to be led by the Spirit but rather by the lusts of the flesh and the lusts of the eyes imagining in their folly and madnesse that if they can heape together a great deale of wealth aduance themselues theirs to great places in the world then they shal be happy men leade a merry cheerefull life albeit they neuer take any care nor vse any endeuour to get the spirit of grace into their hearts but rather think them to be out of their wits that labour to be spirituall Wil these men know what their estate is the Apostle telleth them If any man haue not the Spirit of Rom. 8. 9. Christ the same is not his and if he be not his he is for the present a bond-slaue of Sathan and in the state of a reprobate and if such can be happy men 2 Cor. 13. then are they happy otherwise not If it were possible that for their outward condition of life they could be equall vnto Adam in paradise yet must they needs be very miserable as he was when the spirit of God was taken from him it was not the garden of Eden that could then yeeld him contentment but he was in farre greater misery and perplexity in that place then many theeues are in the dungeon or vpon the gallowes when they are ready to be turned ouer He that hath the spirit of God as Paul had shall finde a heauen in prison in sickenesse in death it selfe whereas he that hath it not shall finde a hell though he liued in as good a place as the very paradise of God was Thirdly here is an vse of instruction viz. that we should search and try whether we haue the Spirit or not for it is not a matter of small consequence but such as neerely concerneth vs. If then we would be resolued of this point let How wee may discerne whether we haue the spirit or not Gal. 5. 17. vs first examine whether there be in vs that continuall warre and conflict mentioned Gal. 5. 17. betweene the flesh and the Spirit which all godly men doe finde and feele in themselues more or lesse for as the Apostle there speaketh The flesh lusteth against the Spirit and the Spirit against the flesh Now this combat is generall throughout all the powers and faculties of the soule as to giue instance in the chiefe of them First in the vnderstanding part there is a conflict betweene carnall reason the iudgment rightly informed by Gods word as in this particular A good man is railed vpon and vnderseruedly traduced and vilified in this case reason will thus play its part Why should you

8. whit as bountiful yea more bountiful then they What will they say to those that offered their sons and their daughters vnto Moloch and such like abominable Idols will that proue there was any soundnesse and vprightnesse in them Indeede this much may bee gathered from thence that they had a great measure of loue which made them so bountifull But what kinde of loue was it a Christian and well-grounded loue nothing lesse but a fleshly and diuellish loue as is very apparant in this that it made them so forward in performing the workes of the flesh and of the diuell And the like may be said of Papists long and tedious pilgrimages and their cruell and vnnaturall whipping of themselues and other such bodily exercises it is no maruell to see them vndertake and vndergoe the same with all readinesse and willingnesse because they are things vnwarrantable by the word and consequently seruices of the flesh and not of God And it is an easie matter for a man to spend his riches his strength yea and his blood also vpon his wicked lusts and vngodly affections Secondly seeing our nature is so inclinable vnto wickednesse let vs be humbled for the corruption thereof and testifie the truth of our humiliation by auoiding all occasions of euill Are wee such drie wood as will easily be kindled then let vs take heed how we come too neere the fire are wee such light stuffe as will soone be tossed and carried hither and thither with euery puffe then let vs beware how wee aduenture vpon such places and such companie where the winde of false doctrine or of diuellish counsell and perswasion may blow vpon vs. Men will yeeld that the flesh is fraile but why then will they rush vpon the occasions of falling if the flesh bee so subiect to euill why doe they not crucifie it by prayer by applying the threatnings of the word to their owne soules by keeping good companie and the like This is it that maketh a number to fall into Poperie into Brownisme or into some such dangerous sects or other that when they giue themselues to the profession of the Gospell they finde it to bee crosse and contrarie to their corrupt and sinfull nature and therefore they are full of contradiction and gainsaying and at length fall to reading of the bookes of Papists or Brownists or the like and then they are carried vnto their opinions with such eagernesse and violence as a ship on the sea that goes with winde and saile Now what is the reason hereof because the flesh is neuer strongly bent vntill it meete with an ill obiect but then it passeth on amaine without any stop or let Therefore let vs be carefull that wee doe not rush vpon any such inducement vnto Idolatrie or schisme or any manner of impietie for otherwise wee shall be sure to be intrapped and insnared Obiect Oh but this is too much nicenesse and scrupulositie will some say I hope we are not so weake nor so simple but we can chuse the best and leaue the worst be present at any popish worship and yet keepe our hearts to God conuerse with any companie and yet continue honest men still Answere Haue you so good a perswasion of your flesh certainly you doe thereby giue men iust occasion to haue an ill perswasion of you and to suspect that in truth you doe not much care of what religion or of what conuersation you be Others haue bin as well conceited of themselues as you and thereupoÌ„ haue bin bold without any calling or warrant to trauell into strange countries and being there to see Images and to heare Masses and to vse familiaritie with men of all sorts But what hath been the euent thereof they haue returned home either of no religion or of a false religion This lamentable experience doth shew to be most true in many yong gentlemen of the greatest houses in this our land whose atheisticall and prophane cariage should be a warning vnto others not to presume vpon their owne strength nor to tempt the Lord by casting themselues vpon the occasions of euill Thirdly this may serue for a caueat vnto vs that when we finde our selues very eager and forward vnto any thing we make a stay and a pause examining whether the thing be lawfull good yea or no and if it be so yet let vs search whether our flesh be not set a work in that spirituall action which we are about whether there be not in it some mixture of corruption and some carnall respect or other that maketh vs so nimble and readie in the performance of it let vs I say looke well vnto our hearts in this behalfe for all is not fire from the altar that seemes to be such it is a rare thing for vs to bee trulie zealous of good workes and much of our heate proceedeth rather from our owne flesh then from Gods spirit and therefore when wee perceiue our violence and eagernesse to arise rather from some inordinate lust then from any good and holy affection let vs curbe and restraine the same and beseech the Lord to moderate our desires that wee may doe all our workes in meeknesse and modestie and with that good temper which beseemeth Christians Fourthly sithence there is in euery mans nature such pronenesse vnto sin and iniquitie this should be a singular comfort vnto Gods childreÌ„ when they finde many motions vnto euill and much dulnes and backwardnes vnto that which is good they need not be dismaied hereat if so be they see their corruption and be grieued for it Rom. 7. and striue against it Obiect But why should Heretikes bee able to cleaue more earnestly and firmely to superstition and idolatrie then wee can to true religion and pietie Answere There is good reason for that because they haue all helps that Satan the flesh or the world can affoord them and we haue all the hindrances that may bee from them all for it pleaseth the Lord that while we haue a natural life we should haue also naturall corruption and albeit the flesh be in part crucified yet will it still rebell against the Spirit and the diuell and the world will take part with it Obiect But what then is the difference between Gods seruants and the seruants of the diuel seeing there is in them both an vnwillingnes vnto that which the Lord commandeth and a pronenes vnto that which he forbiddeth Answere Herein standeth the difference that the godlie take notice of the corruptions of their nature bewaile them and labor to suppresse them not fulfilling the lusts of their flesh either for the omission of holy duties or the practise of any manner of euill for they haue the spirit in them which Galath 5. doth alwaies resist the sinfull motions of the flesh so that as they cannot doe the good which they would because the flesh lusteth against the spirit that is against the regenerate part in them so neither can they do the euill

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