Linguistic DNA - Concept Modelling Demonstrator

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	confess_v	flesh_n	jesus_n	7,758	5	7.1789	4	false

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A01027	A fruitfull sermon made by the reverend and learned Mr. Iohn Forbes. Pastour of the English company of merchants adventures at Delft. Published by some of his flock out of sincere affection for common good	Forbes, John, 1568?-1634.	1626 (1626)	STC 11130; ESTC S116489	28,013	106

errour and then confirmeth his assertion The remooving of this errour is by way of Anticipation answering that which he knew they stumbled at and might object unto him after this manner how canst thou shew or wee feare anie might or power of Christ in thee towards us who art thy self so weake in Christ and destitute of all strength The Apostle answereth this by a distinction and confirmes it by the like example in Christ himself for he denyeth not simplie but confesseth himself to be weak in Christ but that this weakenesse was onelie according to the fleshe notwithstanding whereof he was mightie with Christ by the heavenlie and divine power of the spirit of God in him and in this he was like his lord master Christ who as coÌ„cerning the flesh was weak indeed having taken our nature upon him with all the infirmities therof except sin and according to this weaknesse did suffer death and was crucified who notwithstanding liveth againe by the power of his Godhead by the which he mightilie raysed himself from the dead So that even as Christ in himself was weake in or according to the fleshe and yet was mightie in the spiritt or accordinge to his divine nature so also his servants and messengers in him are weake in the flesh and in all fleshlie power but are aliue or mightie with him by the power of his spirit in them This conformitie of Christs ministers with Christ himself in fleshlie weakenes and spirituall power is carefullie to bee marked not onelie against the sacriligious vsurpation of both powers or swords by the Pope as Christs vicar but also against the corruption which originallie flowing from his practice hath yet too great place in reformed churches It s Gods will that the messengers of his truth should carie that heauenlie treasure in earthen vessells that the excellencie of the power may be of God and not of them For the weapons of their warfare are not carnall but spirituall mighty not through men eyther theÌ„selves or others but onely through God to cast downe strong houlds c. So that nether is he that planteth nor he that watereth anie thing but only God that giveth the encrease And hereof Christ himself in the daies of his ministry was a livelie patterne in shunning all wordly perferment and disclayming all civill authoritie walking in great weaknes outward as touching the flesh eveÌ„ from his birth to his death armed with no carnal might or fleshlie power but onelie with the heavenlie and spirituall power of his divine nature And even as his basenes and weakenes in the flesh made the world to dispise him notwithstanding the infinite power of his divine nature so in all ages and now doe most men stumble at the weakenes of his ministers in fleshlie things belonging to this world notwithstanding of the spirituall power of Christ in their ministry Now the Apostle having thus answered their objection he comes to prooue his former assertion to wit That Christ in his ministry was not weake towards them but was mighty in them so that this their seeking of a farther proofe of Christ speaking in him was nothing but a sinfull tempting of Christ and that the proofe which he should giue them behooved to bee sharp and bitter vnto them in not sparing them at his coming If before his coming they did not reverence his words and yeald obedience to his admonitions upon the proofe bypast in themselves of Christs mighty power towards them in his ministry The argument of confirmation is drawne from their owne testimonies grounded upon their owne knowledge experience in themselves which testimonie the Apostle doth forcibly constraine theÌ„ to yeald by an argument taken from the wofull consequeÌ„ce which must necessarie follow upon the contrarie the consequence being that if they acknowledg not this experience in themselves of Christs power in his ministry toward them then they themselves must be reprobate Christians but because manie careleslie and negligentlie do passe by the right consideration and observation of the powerfull effects of the ministry of the Gospell in themselves and so do fall in this sinne of the Corinthians despising that which they should highlie esteeme of the Apostle therefore referreth not the proofe of his assertioÌ„ to what they would vnadvisedlie say and witnesse of this might of Christ towards them in his ministry but unto their testimonie upon sufficient tryall and examination of themselves in themselves upoÌ„ which he boldlie affirmeth that they shall eyther find his ministry powerfull or themselves reprobats If then wee will consider this argument in al the particularities therein contained there bee 4 things to be marked of us the 1 is The tryall and examination of themselvs the 2 is These things whereof they are to take tryall in themselves the 3 is the argument remooving all excuse of ignorance or pretences of impossibilities of discerning these things in themselves The 4 is The argument it self whereby the Apostle drawes them to a necessitie of acknowledging the power of Christ in his ministry towards them from the hard consequence that must follow upon the contrarie Before wee speake of these particulars its necessarie that first wee marke and consider the maine points of the Apostles doctrine in this place first laying this supposition that the hearers are true Christians and not reprobates he concludeth absolutelie that they must haue proofe and experience of the mightie power of Christ in the ministry of those men by whom they are eyther first called or afterward confirmed in grace Thereupon he seemeth evidently to conclude these positions followinge First where no proofe of Christs power in the ministry is found or felt by the hearers eyther the Teacher must be a rebrobate Teacher or the hearers reprobate hearers Secondly that it is impossible that those who are the elect of God can be without sence feeling of Christs mightie power unto salvation in those who are the true ministers of the Gospell Thirdly That want of sence feeling in the hearers of this power of Christ in the ministry of his faithfull servants doth evidently evince such hearers to be reprobates Lastly That those ministers in whose ministry the hearers being of Gods elect do find no sence or evidence of Christs power unto salvation must needs be reprobate ministers For the true ministry of Christ Iesus is the power of God unto salvation to all that are to bee saved and is foolishnes to none but such as perish And if it bee not the power of God to them that are saved It must needs follow that that mans ministry is not of God These generall positions shal be most cleare and evident unto us after the exposition of the 4 former particular points contayned in the Apostles argument whereof wee are now to speake The 1 point is the tryall whereunto the Apostle doth invite them wherein 2 things are specially to be observed The 1 is the action it selfe of tryall or

the chidren of God And so by consequence wherein stands the chief proof that the word of God is Gods power to our salvation but in the consideration of these our faith is the point that makes the conclusion For without faith its impossible wee can bee or know our selves to bee the children of God But notwithstanding that which makes the infallible determination of being in the faith depends upon the presence of Christ within us without which all conceit of having faith is frivolous and vain The order then of our minds in searching our spirituall estats is this 1. Wee are to try and examine our selves whether wee know our selves to bee of God or no for he is not of God that knowes not himself to bee of God for according to the saying of Iohn he hath given us a mind to know him which is true and wee are in him that is true and wee know that wee are of God Iohn 1. Epi. 5. 19. 20. Secondly wee are to try if wee bee in the faith because wee never can know our selves to bee of God untill the time wee find ourselves to bee in the faith according to the saying of Christ Hee that is of God heareth Gods words ye therefore heare them not because ye are not of God Iohn 8. 47. 3. For confirming our hearts in the knowledge of this 2. Point and so consequently in the full assurance of the first wee are to try if Christ bee in us without which wee can never assuredly know that wee beleeved and so consequently that wee are of God according to the saying of Christ speaking of the work of the spirit in those to whom he gives it at that day shall ye know that I am in my father and you in mee and I in you and againe in his prayer to God for his elect the glory that thou gavest mee I haue given them that they may be one as wee are one I in them and thou in mee that they may bee made perfect in one Iohn 17. 22. 23. And againe I haue declared unto them thy name and will declare it that the loue wherewith thou hast loved mee may be in them and I in them Ibidem 17. 26. For which cause the saincts are called the habitation of God by the spirit Ephesians 2. 22. Whereupon the Apostle concludeth that if any man haue not the spirit of Christ the same is not his Rom. 8. 9. And this dwelling of Christ by his spirit in our hearts is only wrought by faith according to the saying of the Apostle I bow my knees unto the father of our Lord Iesus Christ that he might grant you according to the richnes of his glory that you may bee strengthned by his spirit in the inward man that Christ may dwell in your hearts by saith Ephesians 3. 14. 15 16. 17. By all which it evidently appeares when it is that a man knowes himself indeed to be the child of God and also wherein this knowledge consisteth viz. when he comes to a lively feeling and cleare sight that Christ is in him all other gifts and graces whatsoever being of no valew or force in the least to give any assurance or true knowledge to a mans soule that he is truely and effectually called by the Gospell to the estate of grace and hope of glory for then onely it is that the Gospell becomes the power of God to our salvation when as thereby Christ is formed in us according to the words of the Apostle to the Galatians saying my litle children of whom I trauell in birth againe untill Christ bee formed in you Cap. 4. 19. The same is confirmed by that speech of the Apostle to the Colossiaus wherein he discribes what is the riches of the glorious mistery of the Gospell amongst the gentills saying which riches is Christ in you the hope of glory Cap. 1 27. The use of this is to teach us that in vaine any man contents himselfe with any other thing whatsoever thereby hoping to be saved if he haue not Christ within him and that he himself know it for with out him nothing availes to salvation synce nothing can make a man the child of God but he aloue in so far that faith it self is not the true faith of Gods elect whereby the heart is purified and a sinner justified and saved except that by it Christ be brought in and made to dwell in the heart and that in such evidency that the beleeving man know that he hath Christ within him for its impossible that a man can haue Christ but that he must know that he hath him such is the liuely operation and supernaturall working of Christ in the soule where he is illuminating quickning and transforming everie man who hath him in the spirit of his mind and in pacifying comforting the conscience and in filling and replenishing the soule with the sence of Gods loue and hope of his glorie that never man could ever more clearely discern that hee hath a soule within him by the naturall effects thereof in his bodie then a christian may perceaue Christ to be within him by his proper effects before mentioned Out of this use we gather a second viz. That a man should sett himselfe to gaine Christ rather and aboue all things esteeming all other things but losse and judging all to be but dung for the excellent knowledg sake of Iesus Christ our Lord according as Paul did Philip. 3. 8. So as with the same Apostle he may sencibly know the vertue of his resurrection and the fellowship of his afflictions and be made conform to him in his death ibid. ver 10 For as Christ himselfe saith What availeth it a man to win the whole world if he loose his soule Mark 8 36. But certaine it is that everie soule shall perish eternally hereafter which gayneth not Christ in this present life This yealds matter of just reproofe against the most part of men if not all who labour so much for the things of this earth which are but transitorie vanities and helpe nothing to their salvation and make so small account of gayning Christ for the inâ—oying of whom even when they are invited unto him will not forsake the smallest ease proffit or pleasure of this life but make light of him and goe their waies one to his farm another about his marchandize others take the inviters and use them sharply and kill them As Christ himself tels us in the â—arableâ— Mat. 22. 5 6. And â—e were to be wished that these were the worst sort of the dispisers of Christ though these be so bad that they shall never tast of the supper of the great King but there is another sort much more to be lameÌ„red who are lovers of sinfull pleasures more then of God spending the time appointed and sette for the purchase and gayning of Christ in abhominable filthines in chambring and wontonnesse in gluttony and drunckennesse in sport and unlawfull gayming and sinfull

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