Linguistic DNA - Concept Modelling Demonstrator

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
truth_n	father_n	true_a	worship_v	5,831	5	9.4836	5	true

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A68718	A key of heaven the Lords Prayer opened, and so applied, that a Christian may learne how to pray, and to procure all things which may make for the glorie of God, and the good of himselfe, and of his neighbour : containing likewise such doctrines of faith and godlines, as may be very usefull to all that desire to live godly in Christ Iesus.	Scudder, Henry, d. 1659?; Sibbes, Richard, 1577-1635.	1633 (1633)	STC 22122; ESTC S1717	241,855	822

humblenesse and submission of minde or griefe and contrition of heart for sinne or fervency or joy hope and confidence in God or the like The knees are bowed and the body prostrate to shew humble submission a sad countenance and teares serve to shew contrition lifting up eyes and hands expresse the lifting up the heart to God in the heavens in hope and confidence of a gracious hearing Salomon stretched out his hands to expresse his earnestnesse and fervency and the publican smote his breast and would not looke up to heaven that hee might signifie his sorrow and the sense of his unworthinesse In publique prayers a man must use such gestures as are prescribed by lawfull authority or if none bee prescribed such as are in common use in the particular Church in which hee doth live they being free from superstition The not observing this rule is the mother and nurse of much variance and sometimes of schismes in the Church of God In private prayer alone every man may use such gestures as his heart doth prompt unto him provided alwayes that they bee decent and beseeming the holy presence of God and the holy action in hand such as may stirre up and continue right affections in him and may also serve to expresse the right disposition of his heart when he prayeth If a man sit giving of thanks at his meat or at other times when hee prayeth being disabled that hee cannot kneele or stand up then for that sitting is not a gesture of reverence it is convenient that with iâ— hee expresse reverence and devotion in some other gesture or meanes such as is in use and may bee joyned with sitting I will end the answer to this case about gesture in prayer with these cautions That no man please himselfe in his greatest bodily devotion Cautions concerningâ— gestures in prayer when it is severed from inward truth and devotion of the heart as if God were well pleased with it for that is grosse hypocrisie When a man is disabled that hee cannot kneele or lift up his hands or performe other acts of holy reverence in prayer this must not discourage him nor yet breed a scruple in him whether hee may pray or whether his prayer shall be accepted for as I said gestures are not of the essence of prayer and it is truth in the inward parts which God loveth and accepteth And when a gesture cannot bee used but with paine to the body or to the endangering of health or distraction of the minde in prayer God requireth it not for gestures are then to be used when they do further Mat. 12.7 and not hinder the heart and spirit in Gods service And in this case God preferreth mercy before sacrifice The case touching the place of prayer Fiftly the consideration of Gods heavenly majesty and specialty of glorious residence in heaven doth teach us that prayer may bee made to God in all places all places here below are alike distant from heaven and God can heare as well in one place as in another Wherefore our Saviour breaking downe the partition wall which stood betweene Iew and Gentile saith Iohn 4.21.23 Neither in Ierusalem nor in that Mount as if they should bee more holy places than other should men worship the Father but the houre cometh and now is that the true worshippers should namely in all places worship him in spirit and in truth According to that of the Apostle I will that men pray every where 1 Tim. 2.8 lifting up pure hands without wrath or doubting But is not the Church a better place to pray in Quest and is not God more present there than elsewere and are not private prayers which are made there more acceptable to God than if they were made in other places I answere Answ Papists and popishly affected say so but without good ground But to resolve this case difference must be put between publique prayers and private In the time of the Gospell in the primitive Church while it was under cruell persecution any place agreed upon by the Ministers and people to assemble in for Gods publique worship was a publique place though it were a chamber in a private mans house for for a long time Christians had no other Churches Tertul. Apol cap 39. but common houses But when the Church was at peace houses were built of purpose and dedicated to God for his publique worship which therefore both in borrowed and in proper speech were well called Temples houses of God or Churches Places publique or private are in themselves alike holy and alike fit for prayer respectively namely the publique place for publique and the private place for private prayer For since the death of Christ all religious difference of place is taken away And Gods presence is not tied to one place more than to another Yet because Churches are set apart for Gods service in that respect they are to bee had in speciall esteeme and reverence so as to be wel and sufficiently maintained and repaired and kept comely with all such outward beautie and ornaments as are beseeming the pure worship of God Also they are to be resorted unto by all sorts diligently at times appointed for the publicke worship of God where all are to behave themselves reverently before the Lord And out of the case of necessitie these Churches are to bee imployed onely for religious uses Touching esteeme of Churches a meane must be kept betweene two extreames wee must not prophane them with Atheists nor yet superstitiously idolize them with the Papists When men are not necessarily hindered Churches are to be frequented where publicke prayers may be best made and are like to bee best heard not because the place it selfe hath more holinesse than any other but because God hath in special sort placed his name in those his holy ordinances which there are performed and is there present Mat. 18.20 according to his promise in speciall sort all the while that the congregation and people of God with whom we joyne in the Church are in the act of performance thereof The Apostle had the Church in such esteeme that from the holinesse thereof he endeavoureth to convince the Corinthians of the greater sinne 1. Cor. 11.22 saying Despise ye the Church of God but by Church he meaneth not the place of assembling but the congregation assembled Also it is better to pray in the assembly of the Church because there we have the helpe of the Minister and the examples of others devotions besides that there is an uniting of the desires of many unto God who delighteth in the joynt prayer of many in such assemblies As for private prayer private places not the publicke are fittest for them Therefore our Saviour warned his disciples that they should not like the Pharises make their private prayers in publicke places Mat 6.5.6 as in the Synagogues or corners of the streets but in private as in the closet c. If

Answ and these they have uncertainely without a blessing with them They have them but as fruits of his common goodnesse providence Psal 36.6 Psal 145.9 God knowing what imployments he hath for them amongst men and not as fruits of his speciall love promise and mercy God giveth them oft-times in wrath with a curse Tit. 1.15 they are impure unto them they make leane soules increasing their sin Psal 92.7 fatting them but it is to the slaughter it is that they may bee destroyed for ever whereas on the contrary all that pray aright shall in the best time have what is best for them with Gods blessing as a token of his speciall love unto them Vse 1 It is therefore a great fault in all those that shall under any pretence omit and neglect prayer then which fault I know none more common For except it be when all other helpes faile and they bee in a desperate extremitie who in comparison seeketh unto God by prayer When they be sicke to the Physitian or to the Surgeon onely but not to God by prayer yea some runne to Witches and Wizards to charmes to the divell to any thing rather then unto God If they be in want then they betake them to their friends to their hands to their wits yea to câ—asening and shifting but never looke up to God and the like in all other cases The same course they take for their soules If the comming to Church and formall hearing the word receiving the Sacraments and the prayers of others will save them they will not alwaies be wanting in these externall devotions but as for prayer any more then a little lip-labour which indeed is no prayer they are meere strangers to it Causes why men call not upon God This neglect of prayer commeth from prophanenesse and pride of heart from confidence in the creature and from selfe-dependance which causeth them to be unwilling to come into the presence of the holy God or to be beholding to him For this cause God in justice casteth them into want They have not Iam. 4.2 because they aske not or if he give unto them without asking he giveth it with a curse it is impure unto them Tit. 1.15 as before you heard There are some so prophane that they omit prayer in contempt and with deriding all which conscionably performe it But as for those which have got into the scorners chaire and have made themselves unworthy the pearle of a reproof I leave them to the considerations following They carry in their faces the very brand of an Atheist for it is his guise not to pray himselfe but would shame him which maketh God his refuge Psal 14 4 6. And how can they be called Christians to whom the description of the heathen doth so properly agree Ier. 10 25. The Prophet Ieremie describeth the heathen by this that they were families that call not on Gods Name and these he holdeth to be meete persons upon whom God should poure out his fury and fiercenesse of his indignation But I leave these and come Vse 2 to speake to Gods owne children who even in this point of prayer are much to blame For many of them make too little account of this pretious dutie How seldome doe they set about it how loath to come to it how cold and livelesse in it and how soone wearie of it Is it any marvell if they be full of crosses and be impatient under them Is it any wonder that the world doth so oft overcome them and the divell so oft foile them when they are so seldome and so weake in prayer This failing proceedeth from want of faith in God from too much confidence in the arme of flesh and meanes here below and from poring too much upon the prosperitie of those Psal 73.7 who without prayer have more then heart could wish and by laying their owne crosses in which they lie notwithstanding they have praied too close unto themselves From these and the like causes as lying in some sinne unrepented of or the like it is that you are unwilling to pray and when you doe pray your edge of praier is quite taken off But enter I pray you into Gods sanctuarie that you may see confesse and bewaile your folly and learne with that Psalmist to say Psal 73.28 It is good to draw neere to God and to put your trust onely in the Lord. Vse 3 Let all that professe the name of God bee exhorted not to conceive of praier as a thing arbitrarie and indifferent but as of a necessarie duty as hath beene proved in the Doctrine Are any afflicted Iam. 5.13 let them pray Are any in prosperitie let them pray and praise God In what condition or state soever ye are pray For besides that it is Gods command and his immediate worship Manifold motives unto prayer we by prayer injoy an holy communion with God taking sanctuarie under his wings We edifie our selves also in our most holy faith and in all other the saving graces of Gods spirit when we pray in the Holy Ghost for by it all the weapons of our Christian warfare all the good gifts of God and meanes of our salvation become usefull and good unto us By prayer either we shall prevent Gods iudgements and corrections or bee made able to beare them and be made much better by them By prayer wee shall obtaine pardon and repentance of sins past and strength to resist temptations of sinnes to come In thus doing we shall have all such good things as be needfull for us with a blessing upon them or with contentednesse without them grace and peace in this life perfection of grace and glory in the life to come Would wee doe good to our enemies and to our friends and would we doe our selves good would we be beneficiall to the Common-weale and Church then let us pray 2 Chron. 30.20 Gen. 25.21 Mark 9.25 Mat 15.28 Mat. 8.13 Gen. 24.12 For Kings have prayed for their subjects husbands for their wives fathers for their sonnes mothers for their daughters masters for servants servants for masters and all have beene heard in that which they praied Prayer because it is ordained by God and hath his promise calleth in and ingageth Gods power truth for him that maketh it and so through God becommeth omnipotent What hath beene or can be too hard for Prayer Exod 14.15.16 It hath caused the Sea to divide it selfe and become an high way to Gods people also together with the Whale Ionah 2 1.1.10 Iosh 10.12 to give up Ionas alive and set him ashore It caused the Sunne to stand still yea to goe backe It hath loosed chaines and unlocked Prisons Act. 1â— 5.7.11 and iron gates and delivered the prisoners What hath not prayer done what will it not doe in the behalfe of the Church or of any of Gods chosen Nothing so deepe but with this bucket we may draw

most apt to enkindle the desires and helpe the faith of them that do pray If many and generall requests be to be put up then such titles and names must bee used that may perswade them they shall be heard in all If some particular petition be to be pressed then such names and descriptions of God are to be used as may helpe the heart in that particular Abrahams servant being to pray for successe in his masters businesse saith Geâ— 24 12. O Iehovah God of my master Abraham I pray thee send me good speed this day and shew kindnesse unto my mâ—â—tâ—er Abraham When Peter did intricate God to make choice of an Apostle to supply the place of Iudas hee saith Thou Lord Act. 1.24 which knowest the hearts of all men shew whether of these two thou hast chosen When David prayeth against the enemies of God and his children hee saith O Lord God to whom vengeance belongeth Psal 94.1 O God to whom vengeance belongeth shew thy selfe And when hee doth magnifie Gods name and would incire all people to pray unto him and praise him he speaketh to him in this description of God O thou that hearest prayer Psal 65.2 unto thee shall all flesh come For a wise choice of apt names Reason 1 titles to represent God with doth argue knowledge of God and wisedome to make use of his different attributes both which knowledge wisdome being mixed with faith doth much please and delight God to behold in his children The representing of God to Reason 2 the minde in convenient and meet names and notions is verie needfull for it will set the heart and keepe it in good plight working aw and reverence fervencie uprightnesse and confidence all which are requisite in prayer Vse It behoveth therefore every one that would make a good entrance into prayer without which he is not like to make a good proceeding to acquaint himselfe with the true understanding of the manifold names and descriptions of God recorded in Scripture and then let them make choice of the fittest titles of God to name him by according as there shal be especiall cause or use of his power wisedome mercie truth or justice c. Then to use such names as may best expresse those attributes which are especially to bee exercised in the granting of their requests Thus much of the whole description of God being coÌ„sidered joyntly now followeth the consideration of each part of the description Father hath relation first to Christ the second person in Trinity whereby our Saviour directeth us unto a consideration of the three persons in Trinity and to the order of directing of prayers ordinarily viz. to the Father whence the doctrine is In prayer God is to be known Doct. 5 and conceived of in the distinction of persons Father Sonne and holy Ghost to whom prayer must be directed ordinarily in this sort scil to the Father by the Sonne through the helpe of the holy Ghost Christ saith Ioh. 16.23 Whatsoever ye shall aske my Father in my Name he will give it you The Apostle giveth thanks to God and the Father in the name of our Lord Iesus Christ Ephe. 5.20 We call God Abba Father by the Spirit which maketh our intercessions for us Rom. 8.15.27 For such is the divine dispensation of God the Father Reason Son and holy Ghost that though they are but one indivisible essence and whatsoever any one doth out of himselfe the very same doth the other also Ad extra yet they sustaine different persons and offices that I may so speake and do the same things in a different and distinct order yet so as the naming of one doth not exclude but necessarily include the other In prayer the Father sustaineth the person and place of him that is offended by sinne that must be appeased and doth heare and grant requests If we sinne we have an Advocate with the Father Which sheweth plainly that the Father in especiall sort must be appeased and sought unto The Sonne supplieth the place of a Mediator and intercessour by whom requests ascend and become acceptable to the Father He is that golden altar Ioh. 16.23 upon which the prayers of all Saints are offered and caused to ascend as incense Revel 8.3 No man can come to the Father but by him Ioh. 1â— 6 He is appointed of God to be a Mediatour and being God and man is both a fit and all-sufficient Mediator between God and man Without him no mans person or best actions can be acceptable because of the many imperfections Wherefore all prayers must be offered up by Christ Iesus The holy Ghost doth supply the office of a teacher and of one that helpeth our infirmities and in us Rom. 8.26 to make our intercessions and requests for us that they may be offered to the Father by the intercession of the Sonne For we know not what we should pray for as we ought and if the Spirit do not worke together in our prayers there would be no goodnesse at all in them no not so much as truth and uprightnesse without which Christ Iesus will not offer them to his Father for us Therefore prayers must bee made in the Spirit through the helpe of the Spirit Now because of this order of persons in the Deitie the Father being first and because of the different places they sustaine in the worke of our salvation the counsell and will of all three is that the Father should be prayed unto and worshipped in the onely mediation of the Sonne through the Spirit and therefore it is that the Father is here named not the Sonne or holy Ghost But because of the indivisible essence of the Godhead the naming of the Father doth necessarily imply the calling upon both Sonne and holy Ghost also If God must be known and Vse 1 worshipped in the distinction of the persons in Trinitie then it is impossible to represent God by any image as the Papists do For by what visible likenesse can an invisible Spirit which is truly not imaginarily distinguished into three persons and different manner of subsisting be likened or resembled The Papists that come to Vse 2 God by the mediatioÌ„ of Christ but in part joyning to Christ the mediation of Saints are hereby confuted For there is no Mediatour but that one person by whom God is our Father They come a distinction saying Christ is onely Mediatour of redemption but not the onely Mediatour of intercession that so they might leave a roome in which they might place the mediation of Saints but this is to sever what God hath joyned For the Scripture knoweth no Advocate or Intercessour but him who is the Redeemer 1. Ioh. 2.12 scil Christ Iesus the righteous who is the propitiation for our sinnes And it is as proper to the Mediatourship that Christ onely should make intercession at the right hand of God as to die and rise againe for the elect Rom. 8.34

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