Linguistic DNA - Concept Modelling Demonstrator

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	holy_a	lord_n	work_n	7,405	5	5.2371	4	false

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A34597	The country-curate's advice to his parishioners, in four parts I. Directs us, how to serve God on the Lord's day, II. On the week day, III. How to discharge our duty in our several relations, as husband and wife, parents and children, masters and servants, IV. How to prepare for death / by H.C.	H. C. (Henry Cornwallis), 1654?-1710.	1693 (1693)	Wing C6333; ESTC R37664	30,893	81

THE Country-Curate's ADVICE TO HIS Parishioners In Four PARTS I. Directs us how to serve God on the Lord's Day II. On the Week Day III. How to discharge our Duty in our several Relations as Husband and Wife Parents and Children Masters and Servants IV. How to prepare for Death By H. C. LONDON Printed by T. W. for J. Robinson at the Golden Lyon in St. Paul's Church-Yard 1693. TO THE READER REligion is the grand employment of our Lives the main design and biass of our rational Natures the important work and task that Heaven hath set us and calls for our greatest vigour and vivacity to attend it and though perhaps it may suffer some diminution from the meanness of the Person who treats of it Yet it is not to be denied that its own intrinsick worth and native excellency are sufficient to render it most acceptable to all intelligent Minds and unprejudiced Understandings I pretend not to any high strain of Eloquence or high flown Rhetorications for if I were Master of a very fluent Oratory yet should I at this time wave it and study plainness the Station I am in a Curate the Persons I write unto not Courtiers but Country-men oblige me to it My Office is to present my Reader with a Portraicture of Practical Religion especially as it hath an aspect to the Duties which constitute our Devotion Here it is not proper to be quaint and florid but to make Impression on Mens Hearts and bring the Deity into their Souls This I have attempted to accomplish in the ensuing Sheets though I most frankly acknowledge how feeble and languid my Enterprize hath been Among the plain Directions which I have given towards the Consummating of a Religious Life I have placed those which respect the Lord's Day in the Front of all and with good reason seeing this sacred time is the Queen and Empress of all the Days in the Week and hath a just precedency of them by our Saviour's Institution and the practice of his holy Apostles Religion commenceth here he that begins not with the right Celebration of this Day will be extreamly defective in all the other acts of Devotion and Religion This therefore in the first place I most passionately recommend to all Votaries of Christianity that they would concern themselves in the due Observation of this Divine Time and accordingly I here offer them such Rules as will be a certain conduct to them and fully instruct them how to behave themselves in all the Portions of that Sacred Day If this attempt be favoured and incouraged by the Religious Reader I shall be animated then to aspire to a further degree of consulting his Spiritual advantage by committing to the Press those other Directions which I have prepared for the guidance of pious Minds in the grand business of Religion In the interim I bid such adieu and incessantly implore the Tri-une Deity That these my weak endeavours may prove Auspicious H. C. THE CONTENTS of this BOOK Chap. I. THE Preparation for the Lord's Day upon Saturday Eve Chap. II. Of Awaking with God upon the Sunday Morning Chap. III. Closet-Prayer and the Preparations to it Chap. IV. Of Family-Duty ere we go to God's House Chap. V. Of the great Obligation that lies upon every one of us to worship God in publick Chap. VI. Of going to our Parish-Church Chap. VII The Souls Soliloquy as it walks to God's House and behaviour there Chap. VIII Of our behaviour at Church when the Minister is come unto it Chap. IX Of our due behaviour between Morning and Evening Service Chap. X. Of resorting to the Evening Sacrifice CHAP. I. Of Saturday's Eve Devotion I Shall wave all the Opinions I have read concerning the beginning of the Sabbath because I would not here enter into a Controversy with any Man The Sentiments of Men are various yet how different soever they may be otherwise sure I am all agree in this That a due Preparation the Even before will be a great help to perform the Duties of the Day following The Primitive Christians used to spend the greatest part of Saturday Night in Fasting Watching and Prayer to fit them for the Duty of the subsequent Day from whence I suppose our Church borrows the Custom of reading the Collect for the Sunday upon the Eve foregoing Nay so zealous were they in God's Service that upon the ringing of the Bell to Church the Plowman used to leave the Plow and the Tradesman his Shop to join with the Minister in publick Prayers for a Blessing on the Sabbath Which Devotion of theirs because this our degenerate Age is for the most part strangely averse to and very few if any will have recourse to the House of God there to perform their duty Let them repair to their private Oratory Let them enter into their Closets Let Conscience there call an Audit in their Breasts and both impartially judge the actions of the Week past and how the Case stands at present between God and their Souls Beg O beg of God Dear Christian to give thee a true sight and sense of all thy Sins which thou maist do in this following Prayer O Father of Light and God of Love grant me true Light true Love and true Wisdom that I may clearly discern what doth please or displease thy Divine Majesty most earnestly desiring even from my very Soul to detest the one and embrace the other Illuminate the Eyes of my Vnderstanding that I may truly see my Sins and Imperfections strengthen my Memory that I may duly confess them and rectify my Will that I may resolutely amend them Return O my Soul to thy Self and to thy God Lament Repent Amend The Spirit indeed is willing but the Flesh is weak therefore turn thou me O Lord and I shall be turned Convert thou me and I shall be converted Further me I humbly beseech thee with thy continual help that in all my Works begun continued and ended in thee I may glorify thy holy Name and finally by thy Mercy obtain Everlasting Life through Jesus Christ Our Lord. Amen Questions to be put to our selves every Saturday Night 1. How have I this Week kept my Heart Have I been diligent in putting away evil thoughts of sundry sorts and have I kept my mind exercised with good and holy Meditations Have I thought humbly of my self Charitably of my Neighbour and reverently of my Maker and Redeemer 2. How have I this Week kept the Door of my Lips Have not I uttered many idle vain and unprofitable words Have I spoke of my Neighbour with that Love and Charity as I would have others speak of me Have I had that compassion of others defects as of my own 3. What aim had I in all my actions Have I done them so purely for the Love of God as I ought or had I any Worldly respect in the doing of them 4. How have I kept my Senses this Week Have not mine Eyes gazed upon wanton objects Have

name thereby through Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour Amen You may also add this Prayer O Lord Holiness becometh thy House and dutifulness becometh me to go into thy Courts and wait upon thee and this is the great day of thy Service thou that hast given me to see the light of this day make me careful to do the duty of it timely to present my self unto thee and reverently to behave my self before thee that when I go hence I may return with fruit and favour from thee for Jesus Christ's sake Amen When you go to receive the Sacrament use this Prayer O Thou in whose Temple every man speaks of thine honour whose Glory no mortal man can sufficiently express whose Goodness no tongue is able to display whose Holiness transcends all the perfections we see here below overaw my Spirit when I go with the multitude to the House of God with the Voice of Joy and Praise O let me consider that it is the All-seeing God in whose presence I stand and that holy Angels are sent to observe my Devotion Give me sober Thoughts holy Affections devout Postures steadiness of Mind ardent Desires modest Looks and a grave Behaviour especially now I am going to receive the Sacrament Now let all that is within me turn into holy breathings banish from me all undecent thoughts and if thou dost not think fit to free me from temptations before they come give me Grace vigorously to resist them that I may show my Zeal to thy Glory by my abhorrence of all imaginations that exalt themselves against the obedience of Christ Jesus Amen CHAP. IV. Of Family-Duty ere we go to God's House AFter thou hast fitted thy Self for Church thy next care must be carefully and conscientiously to perform Family-Duties Jos 24.15 Let others do what they will I and my House saith he will serve the Lord. In order to the performance of which duty take along with you these following Rules 1. See that your Servants and Children waste not away the Morning in sleep and idleness 2. Cause them to join together in Prayer reading or any other Godly Exercise Gen. 18.19 3. Make them accompany you to Church command their Bodies though you cannot their Souls 4. Inform your selves and them what a great and glorious Majesty and Master you are to serve a God so glorious that the very Angels vail and cover their Faces not being able to behold the brightness of his Glory And if this lowly Reverence be performed by them who are in such nearness to God what posture is low enough for us who in comparison of those Heavenly Spirits are viler than the ground we tread on 5. Make them sensible what poor Worms and wretched Creatures they are Dust and Ashes their Hearts full of Putrefaction and a sink of Sin and therefore ought to come crawling crouching and trembling to the Throne of Grace 6. Examine what Preparation they have made for the Sabbath whether they have not spent more time and care to dress their Body for the Eye of Man than to deck their Soul for the Eye of God Whether they have prayed in private for a blessing on God's Ordinance 7. Inform them seriously of the great work they go about what a weighty work it is how that their Weeks Works are but toys and trifles in comparison of it What are Sheep Oxen or Shops to Grace Christ and Heaven Exhort them all to be careful and serious in God's work in Soul-Salvation-Work and therefore they ought to prepare themselves with all their might Remember the Fourth Commandment binds you to look to all within your care both Man-Servant and Maid-Servant c. Whosoever rides them unnecessary Journeys on that day the groans of the tired Beast will rise up in judgment against them and condemn them for breaking God's Command As Motives hereunto consider 1. That it is God in a Family not Man only that maketh it to prosper so that if thou wouldest have it go well with thy Family then oughtest thou to set up the worship of God in it The Lord blessed the House of Obed-Edom for the Arks sake so God will bless thy House if the Ark that is his worship be there Wouldst thou have thy Family flourish set up the worship of God in it Let no wicked Person remain in thine House He that will not pray and join in the worship of God with thee Let him not eat with thee Make Joshua's resolution As for me and my House we will serve the Lord. 2. Remember you must be accountable to God for those Souls he hath committed to your charge you ought therefore to take care that they be trained up in the fear of the Lord. See that none of your Family be given to any Vice viz. Swearing Drinking Lying or the like Make choice of such Servants as fear God chuse for him somewhat and not altogether for your self Enquire in the first place whether they will submit to his word if not let them not come under thy roof As thou wouldst not have the Devils Company in thine House so do not entertain any of his Friends and Servants but rather let it be an Harbour and Habitation of God's Children for so shalt thou be blessed You know that God blessed Laban for Jacob's sake so may you likewise expect a Blessing if you entertain such in your House A Family-Prayer before we go to Church O Lord encrease our Faith and by thy holy Spirit prepare our hearts to pray as we ought and for Christ's sake accept this Morning Sacrifice of Prayer though weak and imperfect which in his Name and by his Mediation and Intercession we offer up to Thee We humbly and heartily acknowledge thy infinite Wisdom tender Love and Fatherly Goodness towards us thy unworthy Servants most vile and wretched Sinners in that it hath pleased thee not only to give us a liberal allowance of time to do our own Works and follow our own Callings and Recreations for the health of our Bodies and the necessities of this present Life but also to appoint us one day in seven to attend upon thee do thy Work and fit our selves to keep with thee an Everlasting Sabbath in the highest Heavens We know O Lord that we are bound in Conscience to serve and worship thee every day of the Week and every day to set apart some time for Spiritual and Heavenly Exercises yea and when we are in Earthly business to carry Heavenly minds about with us yet it hath pleased thee further to allow us one day in seven to attend wholly upon thee and more throughly to acquaint our selves with thee with thy ways and with our sinful and deceitful hearts to wean them from the Love of this World and set them upon Heavenly Joys And now O Lord as thou hast given us a day to serve thee fit and prepare every Soul to worship thee as we ought To this end give us the assistance of thy holy Spirit that we may learn to redeem time and number all our days our Sabbaths more especially that so we may apply our hearts unto Wisdom that we may now get wise religious believing and Repenting Hearts O Lord give us Grace to consecrate this day as a day of delight holy and honourable to thee not doing our own Works nor

endeavour by your own good Works to let your Light so shine before Men that they may see your Works and glorify your Father which is in Heaven As thou art putting on thy Apparel remember some of them were at first given as coverings of shame being the effect of Sin and that they are made of the Excrements and Offals of dead Beasts so that thou hast very little cause to be proud of them Nay indeed thou hast great cause to be humbled at the sight thereof seeing the richest Apparel are but the fine covers of the foulest shame Therefore as thou art Cloathing thy Body endeavour to Cloth thy Soul with Christ's Righteousness as with a Garment Lest while thou art richly apparelled in the sight of Men thy Soul be found to walk naked in the sight of God Before thou betakest thy Self to thy Closet breath forth thy Soul to God at thy first awaking in this or the like short Ejaculation O Lord God as thou hast awakened my Body from last Nights sleep so by thy Grace awaken my Soul from the Lethargy of Sin that at the general Resurrection I may arise to Eternal Glory Amen CHAP. III. Of Closet-Prayer and the Preparations to it HAving thus fitted thy Self for thy Closet before thou prayest take the wise Man's Counsel Ecclus 18.5.23 Prepare thy Self and be not as one that tempteth God Now for thy better preparation observe these few Rules 1. You are to remember when you settle your self in Prayer you then place your self in the presence of God whose Eyes indeed are upon all Men but in a more especial manner upon those that call upon him in Prayer 2. The consideration of his presence is to put you in mind with what humble reverence both of Soul and Body you ought to appear before so great a Majesty 3. Lay aside all wrath and malice against your Neighbour I will saith the Apostle that men lift up holy hands without wrath 1 Tim. 2.8 St. Hierom confesseth this of himself that when he was angry he durst not enter into the Church but totum animo corpore contremuisse He trembled very much both in Body and Mind The Spouse of Christ is compared to a Dove which some say is sine felle without Gall. The very Heathens when they offered Sacrifice threw the Gall of the Beast away and wilt thou offer to God the Gall of wrath bitterness and revenge with the Sacrifice of Prayer 4. Banish all Worldly thoughts out of your Heart Our Saviour when he taught us to pray by the Preface to the Petitions telleth us where our affections in Prayer should be viz. in Heaven Our Father which art in Heaven Therefore before you begin to pray you are to resolve within your self seriously to intend the Duty you are about that your heart may not wander but go along with your Prayers Or if through weakness it happens to stray to call it back again and ask Pardon for it in some such Prayer as this Lord strengthen me and restrain me and lay not this weakness to my charge Having entred thy Oratory propose these few Questions to thy Soul and engage thy self to an Answer O my Soul Wherefore art thou now retired into this place What is thy design What are thy Pretensions Where is thy God whom thou comest to treat with Is he present Doth he hear thee Is he merciful Will he help thee What is the business thou art to negotiate Is it the saving thy Soul or the satisfaction of Earthly desires What words wilt thou use to move God to hear thee What humble Gesture What profound Reverence Dost thou know who thou art before Is not Gods Eye upon all to observe Head and Heart Lip and Life Darest thou suffer thy thoughts then to wander Will he be pleased with that Sacrifice he hath accursed of drawing nigh to him with our Lips when our Hearts are far from him Answer thy self briefly to every one of these Interrogatories as thy own Conscience dictates to thee for by this Discourse made to thy self thou shalt be better prepared to discourse with God Having thus prepared thy self for Prayer thou maist then fall down on thy Knees and to thy ordinary Prayers which must not on this Day by any means be omitted add these following Heads of Prayers suitable in some measure to the solemnity of the Day 1. You are to pray for the Minister that God would give him the door of utterance that he may open his mouth boldly to publish the mysteries of the Gospel that he may speak the word truly sincerely powerfully and profitably delivering that which is sutable and seasonable to your condition 2. You are to pray for your selves that he would banish out of your Head all wandring worldly thoughts which may distract your minds in the hearing of the word and so choak that Heavenly Seed make it Fruitless and that he would give unto you as attention to hearken so Understanding to conceive Wisdom to apply Judgment to discern Faith to believe Memory to retain and Grace to practise what you shall hear So that the word may prove unto you not a Savour of Death unto Death but of Life unto Life all which you may do in this following Prayer O Lord God from whom alone are the Preparations of the heart the day is now come which being holy unto thee I am to spend in thy more solemn Worship many Sins there are by me not duly repented of which may justly bring upon me a Curse instead of a Blessing especially my crying Sins Here mention thy particular Sins which thou hast found thy Self guilty of and also the Sins committed by thee the last Week that may make my Prayer an Abomination to thee Accept O Lord this my Confession and at least desired sorrow for them turn my heart from them for the future and through the blood of my Saviour so remove the guilt of them that they may not hinder good things from me Let the effusions of thy Grace both upon me and all the Congregations of thy People be ever plentiful Let my heart be fixed that no vain or worldly thoughts harbour there while I am in thy House Quicken me with thy holy Spirit that I may draw near unto thee with a true Heart that I may be fervent in Spirit serving thee and that receiving thy word with an honest and good heart I may understand and keep it and bring forth fruit with patience and to perfection Remember thou thy Servants which are to dispence thy mysteries unto thy People and especially him upon whose teaching I wait Pardon their Sins and Frailties open their Mouths guide their Minds and Tongues that they may deliver thy truths in the demonstration of thy Spirit and let thy Work so prosper in their hands that they may both save themselves and them that hear them that both may be built up in our most holy Faith to the perfecting thy Church and Eternal Glory of thy

acknowledge we have neglected thy Day we pray thee therefore pardon all our unchristian Sabbath-breaking for the time past and give us Grace to observe the Christian Sabbath better for the future Now shall we confess in the Forenoon and transgress in the Afternoon Will you beg pardon in the Morning and sin again the same Sin before Night Will you open your mouths to ask God's Grace to sanctifie and keep holy the Sabbath-Day and it may be prophane it in a graceless manner as soon as you are out of the Congregation But now to draw to a Conclusion You that God Almighty have blessed with Families I beseech you to take care of making any Visits on that day after Evening-Service for by that means you may become guilty of a double Sin 1. In neglecting to worship God your selves in your Family 2. In hindering others from doing that Duty But if the Weather invite you into the Fields let your Walk be such as Isaac's was to meditate and that you may not want matter to exercise your Thoughts about when you divert your self in the Field meditate on these Ten Particulars 1. The Greatness and Goodness of that God that you paid your Homage unto 2. With the Vileness of Sin and your selves because of it 3. With the Sweetness of Christ and the Greatness of his Love and Mercy 4. With the Excellency of that heavenly Work you have been about and the Gain of Godliness 5. With the Vanity of the World and all things therein 6. With the Worth and high Value of your immortal Souls 7. With the Rage Subtilty and Diligence of your Souls Enemy 8. With the Deceitfulness of your Hearts 9. With the Terrour and Torment of Hell 10. With the unspeakable and everlasting Glory of Heaven 2. Endeavour to spiritualize every Object you see As you walk and travail by the King's High-way say I am the way the truth and the life saith my blessed Redeemer the Way I must follow the Truth I must believe the Life I must hope for the Way which leadeth me the Truth which teacheth me the Life whereunto he bringeth me the Way is undefiled the Truth is infallible and the Life without end blessed are they that walk in this way that leads to everlasting life When you behold pleasant Grounds and variety of Objects O Lord how manifold are thy works in wisdom hast thou made them all the Earth is full of thy Riches When you perceive a gentle Brieze of Wind Come Holy Spirit blow upon my Garden that the Spices may flow out make my Mind calm serene and quiet breath upon me and revive me with the Light of thy Countenance When you hear a Clock strike or perceive by the Sun the Hour of the Day O how fast do hour after hour come on Time hastening to be swallowed up of Aeternity So teach me O Lord to number my days that I may apply my heart unto Wisdom wisely providing for that long day wherein the Sun of Righteousness shall rise with healing in his Wings When you see an high place Thy Mercy O Lord reacheth unto the Heavens and thy Faithfulness to the Clouds When you perceive a Dunghill O make me to know my self and discover to me my false deceitful Heart and the Odiousness and Loathsomness of my Sins that I may hate them with a perfect hatred When you behold a stately House O God make me in love with that City which hath foundations whose Maker and Builder is God Oh when shall this earthly house of this Tabernacle be dissolved and I received into that Building the House not made with hands aeternal in the Heavens When beholding any Children or Infants O Lord out of the mouth of Babes and Sucklings dost thou prepare Praises for thy self When beholding a beautiful Woman O Lord let not this Creature 's Face be her Pride or the Beholder's sin or shame If you see any Cattle to stray think with your self O God how apt am I to go out of thy way I have erred and strayed O Lord like to a lost Sheep By such holy Ejaculations as these you may banish all Worldly thoughts out of your Mind and keep the Devil that is always busy to hinder the good Seed of the Word from taking effect better out of your heart than Teresa's holy Water or St. Anthony's Sign of the Cross When you come home observe the same Rules that were given you before to be practised after Dinner viz. to read the Scripture sing Psalms meditate repeat the Word c. but when you have done all look upon your selves as unprofitable Servants and that you come short of what God requires or deserves at your hands O what heavenly fervent and zealous Prayers doth such a God deserve such rich Mercy call for God is worthy a better Tongue to praise him and a better Heart to love him Disown therefore all your own Righteousness and expect all the Blessings you have prayed for through the alone Merits of Jesus Christ CHAP. XI Evening Exercise THE Day thus happily sliding away draws on the Night-season and there remains an Evening Exercise in order to even out Accompts with the great Father of the Family concerning our days labour in his Vineyard Before therefore you take your repose at night look over your days work search back into every hour of the day humble your selves and be heartily sorry for your miscarriage bless God if you have received any good Put these Questions to your Soul ere you betake your self to your rest First How did I ly down or rise up was God in my thoughts or no Secondly How did I put up my Prayers in my Closet did they proceed from my Heart or Lip only Have I gone this day with Joy into the House of Good have I heard â—he Word and treasured it up in my Heart Have not I aimed more at the information â—f my judgment than at the warming of my â—ffections was it curiosity or piety that led â—he thither have I gathered my thoughts â—ogether in the publick Prayers of the Church â—nd have my heart and desires gone along with the Supplications which the Minister of God put up to Heaven Have not I thought â—f my Farm Trade and Oxen while I have â—een repeating after him Have I read in priâ—ate have I called my Family together read â—o them instructed them made them give â—e an account of what they did remember When I received the holy Sacrament were â—y thoughts fixed on the Cross of Christ â—nd were my Soul affected with the great â—ystery of God's Love and did I meditate â—n the Word as soon as I left the Church â—as not the World in my Heart as soon as â—e word was out of the Minister's Did not â—eat and drink at Table more to please my â—ppetite than to repair the decayed strength â—f my nature Was my Discourse holy at â—â—e Table when I craved a Blessing was â—ot my mind more intent on the meat before

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