Linguistic DNA - Concept Modelling Demonstrator

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
world_n	fear_n	love_n	perfect_a	2,336	5	9.5198	5	false

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A09364	The first part of The cases of conscience Wherein specially, three maine questions concerning man, simply considered in himselfe, are propounded and resolued, according to the word of God. Taught and deliuered, by M. William Perkins in his Holy-day lectures, by himselfe revised before his death, and now published for the benefit of the Church.; Cases of conscience. Part 1	Perkins, William, 1558-1602.; Pickering, Thomas, d. 1625.	1604 (1604)	STC 19668; ESTC S114413	95,900	200

to his dying day Our light afflictioÌ„ saith he which is but for a moment worketh vnto vs an excellent and eternal waight of glory And elswhere he professeth that he did not count the afflictions of this present time answerable in value to the glorie which shall be reuealed vnto Gods children Ro. 8. 18. Saint Peter tels them to whome he wrote that in regard of their assured hope of eternall life they should reioice though now for a season they were in heauinesse through manifold tentations 1. Pet. 1. 6. Lastly the author to the Hebrewes comforteth the Church by this reason because it is is yet a very little while and he that shall come will come and will not tarrie IV. Though God with-holdeth his hand in respect of deliuerance euen to death yet his loue is constant and vnchangeable and the crosse which we vndergoe cannot seperate vs from that loue wherewith he hath loued vs in Iesus Christ Rom. 8. 35. And thus much of the first particular distresse of minde The Second kind of afflictioÌ„ is bodily temporarie Death which consisteth in the seperation of the soule from the bodie And touching this affliction it is demanded How any seruant of God may be able to indure with comfort the pangs of death For the answer hereof two things are required a preparation to death and helpes in the time of death Concerning preparation there are three duties to be performed The first and most principall is commended vnto vs in the booke of Psalmes where Dauid praies vnto God Lord make me to know mine ende and the measure of my daies And Moses in like manner Lord teach me to number my daies that I may apply my heart vnto wisedome In which places is remembred a notably dutie of preparation to wit that a man should resolue himselfe of death continually and afore-hand number his daies And this is done by esteeming of euery day as the day of his death and accordingly doing alwaies that which he would doe if he were now to giue vp the ghost Secondly in way of preparation we must indeauour to disarme and weaken death who is as an armed man that hath his weapons whereby he seekes to destroy vs. And in this case we must deale with death as the Philistims dealt with Sampson They saw by experience that he was a mightie man and by his power and strength had giuen them many foyles and therefore they laboured to knowe in what part of his bodie his strength did lie And after inquirie finding it to be in the haire of his head they neuer rested till they had spoiled him thereof And questionlesse the time wil come when we all must encounter with this strong and powerfull Sampson Death In the meane while it is a point of wisdome to inquire wherein his power might consisteth When this search hath bin made we shall finde that his weapons are our manifold sinnes and corruptions both of heart and life For as Paul saith The sting of death is sinne Therefore that we may spoile him of this his furniture we must exercise our selues in the practise of two duties First vse all meanes for the cutting off of the locke of our sinnes whereby alone Satan hath the vantage of vs and these meanes are the duties of inuocation and true repentance We must therefore be instant in praier for the pardon of our sinnes past and present and in this point giue the Lord no rest vntill we haue obtained in our consciences the sweete certificate of his fauour and mercie in Christ whereby our minds may be staied and comforted This done it stands vs in hand to turne vnto God to be carefull to leaue sinne to entertaine in our hearts a resolued purpose and intention of newe obedience and conformitie to the will and commandement of God in all things And this is the onely way in the world to bereaue this our enemie of his armour to pull the sting out of the mouth of this serpent and consequeÌ„tly euen in death to preuaile against him Thirdly in way of preparation our dutie is euen afore-hand while we liue in this world to indeauour to haue some true taste of life euerlasting and the ioyes of heauen The due consideration whereof will be of great vse For it will stirre vp in our hearts a desire and loue of perfect happinesse in heauen yea a feruent expectation of Christs comming to iudgement and it will further cause vs to say with Simeon Lord now let thy seruant depart in peace and with the Apostle I desire to be dissolued and be with Christ. Touching this spirituall ioy and comfort in the holy Ghost these Questions of Conscience are mooued First how may we in this life haue and nourish in our hearts a true tast of eternall happinesse and of the ioyes of the world to come Ans. First by a serious consideration of the euills that doe hinder or preiudice our happines and they are principally foure One is the Miserie of our liues in respect of sinne and the consequenâ—s thereof For there is no man in the world be he neuer so righteous that can truly say of himselfe I am cleane from my sinne Prou. 20. 9. Yea euen the regenerate that haue receiued grace to beleeue to â—urne vnto God and to liue according to the Spirit doe finde by experience corruption and rebellion in their minds wills and affections which daily affordeth matter of sinning against God and on the other side hindreth and quencheth all the good motions of the Spirit that are in them Againe such is the irreconciliable malice of Satan that he taketh vantage of mans corruption and neglecteth no time or opportunitie to intrappe the children of God in the snares of his temptations And hence it is that man by reason of his owne corruption and the wicked suggestions of the Deuill is at continuall strife with himselfe hath daily occasion of sorrow worketh out his saluation with feare and trembling wading as it were euen while he liueth in a sea of many miseries The second euill is the Vanitie of all things that are in the world For whether we consider the world it selfe or the things therein contained done or suffered there is nothing so sure and steadie whereunto man hauing attained can possibly rest fully satisfied and contented or which in the ende will not prooue to be most vaine vanitie And the truth hereof appeareth in the experience of Salomon himselfe who beeing king ouer Israel wanted neither authoritie nor abilitie opportunitie to take knowledge and triall of all worldly things in all estates and conditions And hauing euen of set purpose carefully and earnestly searched into them all at length he concludes that the issue of all was vnprofitable vanitie and vexation of minde as we may read in his Ecclesiastes The third euill is the Changeable condition of our life in this world whereby it comes to passe that we are alway in a fleeting and

and pure and no mortall man being vncleane polluted by sinne can haue fellowship with him yet God hath shewed his mercy to those that beleue in him and hath accepted of the blood of Iesus Christ his sonne whereby they are clensed from all their corruptioÌ„s v. 7. If here it be asked how this pardon and forgiuenes may be known It is answered by two signes one is HuÌ„ble heartie Confession of our sins vnto god for so saith the Apostle If we confesse our sins he is faithfull and iust to forgiue vs our sins and to clense vs from all iniquitie v. 9. The other is the pacified Conscience for being iustified by faith we haue peace with God and If our heart condemne vs not that is if our conscience in respect of sinne doth not accuse vs then haue we boldnesse towards God Chap. 3. v. 21. The secoÌ„d note of fellowship with God is the sanctifying Spirit whereby we are renewed in holines and righteousnes Hereby we know that he abideth in vs euen by the Spirit which he hath giuen vs Chap. 3. v. 24. The third is holines vprightnes of heart life To this end the Apostle saith If we say that we haue fellowship with him and walke in darknes we lie doe not truely but if we walke in the light as he is in the light we haue fellowship one with another c. Chap. 1. 6. 7. The fourth is perseueraÌ„ce in the knowledge and obedience of the Gospel So the same Apostle exhorteth the Church Let therfore abide in you that same doctrine coÌ„cerning Christ which ye haue heard from the beginning If that which ye haue heard from the beginning remaine in you that is if ye beleeue and obey it you also shall continue in the same and in the father Chap. 2. 24. The second Ground He that is the adopted sonne of God shall vndoubtedly be saued This point the Apostle plainely declareth when he saith Beloued now are we the sonnes of God And we knowe that is we are vndoubtedly assured by faith that when Christ shal appeare in glory we shal be like vnto him for we shall see him as he is That the latter part of these words is thus to be expounded I gather out of Chap. 2. 28. as also by comparing this text with that of S. Paul where he saith When Christ which is our life shall appeare then shall we also appeare with him in glory And againe If we be sonnes we are also heires euen the heires of God and heires annexed with Christ if so be that we suffer with him that we may also be glorified with him Nowe put the case that the conscience of the beleeuer will not rest in this but desires to be further resolued touching the certainetie of his adoption Then I answer that he must haue recourse vnto the signes whereby a sonne of God may be discerned from a child of the deuill and these are principally three First is truely to beleeue in the name of the sonne of God for those that haue God for their father are made the sonnes of God by faith in Iesus Christ. And this faith shewes it selfe by obedience For hereby we are sure that we knowe Christ that is that we beleeue in him and apply him with all his benefits vnto our soules If we keepe his commandements Nay further He that saies I knowe him and keepes not his commandements is a liar and the trueth is not in him chap. 2 3 4. The second signe is a heartie desire and earnest indeauour to be clensed of his corruptions Euery sonne of God that hath this hope purifieth himselfe euen as Christ is pure chap. 3. vers 3. The third is the loue of a Christian because he is a Christian for hereby saies the Apostle are the children of God known from the children of the deuill because the sonnes of Satan doe hate their brethren as Cain did his brother Abel euen for the good workes which they doe On the other side Gods adopted sonnes may hereby know themselues to be translated from death to life because they loue the brethren Chap. 3. 10 11 12 c. The third Ground They that are assured of the loue of God to them in particular may also be certainely assured of their owne saluation This doctrine followes necessarily vpon the Apostles words chap. 4. v. 9. For those whome God hath loued from all eternitie to them he hath manifested his loue by sending his onely begotten sonne into the world that they might liue through him eternally But howe may a man be assured of Gods speciall loue and fauour The same Apostle answers by two notes The first is the loue of our brethren and that according to Gods commandement wherein it is commanded that he that loues God should loue his brother also 4. 21. Andif any man say I loue God and hate his brother be is a liar For howe can he that loueth not his brother whome he hath seene loue God whome he hath not seene 4. 20. Nowe that a man deceiue not himselfe in the loue of his brother Saint Iohn giues three rules One that Christian brotherly loue should not be for outward respects or considerations but principally because they are the sonnes of God and members of Christ Euery one that loueth him which did beget that is god the father loueth him also which is begotten of him 5. 1. Another is that it must not be outward in shew onely but inward in the heart Let vs not loue in word or in tongue onely but in deede and in trueth 3. 18. Lastly that it be not onely in time of prosperitie but vvhen hee stands in most neede of our loue For whosoeuer hath this worlds good and seeth his brother haue neede and shutteth vp the bovvels of compassion from him howe dvvelieth the loue of god in him 3. 17. The second note of Gods loue vnto vs is our loue of god For those whome God loueth in Christ to them hee giues his grace to loue him againe And this louing of him againe is an euident token of that loue wherewith he loueth them So saith the Apostle We loue him because hee loued vs first 4. 19. If it be demaunded howe a man may be assured that he loueth God the answer is hee may knowe it by two things first by his conformitie to him in holinesse The child that loues his father will be willing to tread in the steppes of his father and so in like manner he that loueth God will indeauour euen as hee is so to be in this world 4. 17. But howe is that not in equalitie and perfection but in similitude and conformitie striuing to be holy as he is holy and indeauouring to doe his will in all things Secondly by the vveaning of his affection from the things of this world yea from all pleasures and delights of this present life so farre forth as they are seuered from the feare and loue of

God Loue not this vvorld nor the things that are in the world if any man loue this world the loue of the father is not in him 2. 15. The Fourth place is in the second of Timothie 2. 19. The foundation of God remaineth sure and hath this seale The Lord knoweth who are his and let euery one that calleth vpon the name of the Lord depart from iniquitie In these wordes Paul goeth about to cut off an ofsence which the Church might take by reason of the fall of Hymenaeus and Philetus who seemed to be pillars and principall men in the Church And to confirme them against this offence he saith The foundation of God that is the decree of Gods election stands firme and sure so as those which are elected of God shall neuer fall away as these two haue done And this he declares by a double similitude First of all he saith the election of God is like the foundation of an house which standeth fast though all the building be shaken Secondly he saith that election hath the seale of God and therefore may not be chaÌ„ged because things which are sealed are thereby made sure and authenticall Nowe this seale hath two parts the first concerns God in that euery mans saluation is written in the booke of life and God knoweth who are his And because it might be said God indeede knowes who shall be saued but what is that to vs we knowe not so much of our selues Therfore Saint Paul to answer this sets downe a second part of this seale which concerns man and is imprinted in his heart and conscience which also hath two branches the gift of invocation and a watchfull care to make conscience of all euery sinne in these words And let euery one that calleth vpon the name of the Lord depart from iniquitie VVhereby he signifieth that those that can call vpon God giue him thanks for his benefits and withall in their liues make conscience of sinne haue the seale of Gods election imprinted in their hearts and may assure themselues they are the Lords A Fift place of scripture touching this question is 2. Pet. 1. 10. Giue all diligence to make your election sure for if you doe these things you shall neuer fall Which words containe two parts first an Exhortation to make our election sure not with God for with him all things are knowne but to ourselues in our owne hearts and consciences Secondly the Meanes whereby to come to this assurance that is by doing the things before named in the 5 6 and 7. verses that is nothing else but to practise the vertues of the morall law there set downe which I will briefly shewe what they are as they lie in the text To faith adde vertue by faith he meaneth true religion and that gift of God whereby we put our trust and confidence in Christ. By vertue he meaneth no speciall vertue but as I take it an honest and vpright life before men shining in the vertues and workes of the morall law By knowledge he meanes a gift of God whereby a man may iudge how to carrie himselfe warily and vprightly before men By temperance is vnderstood a gift of God whereby we keepe a moderation of our naturall appetite especially about meate drinke and attire By Patience is meant a vertue whereby we moderate our sorrowe in induring affliction Godlines is another vertue whereby we worship God in the duties of the first table Brotherly kindnesse is also that vertue whereby we imbrace the Church of God the members thereof with the bowels of loue And in the last place Loue is that vertue wherby we are well affected to all men euen to our enemies Now hauing made a rehearsall of these vertues in the tenth verse he saith If ye doe these things ye shall neuer fall that is to say If ye exercise your selues in these things you may hereby be well assured and perswaded of your election and saluation III. Question THe last generall Question touching man as he is a Christian is How a man beeing in distresse of minde may be comforted and releiued Ans. Omitting all circumstances considering that much might be spoken touching this Question I will onely set down that which I take to be most materiall to the doubt in hand DIstresse of mind which SalomoÌ„ calls a brokeÌ„ or troubled spirit is wheÌ„ a maÌ„ is disquieted and distempered in conscience and consequently in his affections touching his estate before God This distresse hath two degrees the lesse and the greater The lesse is a single feare or griefe when a man standeth in suspense and doubt of his owne saluation and in feare that he shall be condemned The greater distresse is Despaire when a man is without all hope of saluation in his owne sense and apprehension I call dispaire a greater distresse because it is not a distinct kind of trouble of minde as some doe thinke but the highest degree in euery kinde of distresse For euery distresse in the minde is a feare of condemnation and comes at length to desperation if it be not cured All distresse of minde ariseth from temptation either begunne or continued For these two doe so necessarily followe and so inseperably accompany each the other that no distresse of what kind soeuer can be seuered from temptation And therfore according to the diuers sorts of temptations that doe befall men must the distresses of the minde be distinguished Now Temptations be of two sorts either of triall or seducement Temptations of triall are such as doe befall men for the triall and proofe of the grace of God which is in them The Temptations of triall are twofold the first is a combate of the conscience directly and immediately with the wrath of God which beeing the most grieuous temptation that can be it causeth the greatest and deepest distresse of conscience The second is the Triall of the Crosse that is of outward affliction whereby God maketh proofe of the faith of his children and not only that but of their hope patience and affiance in his mercie for their deliuerance Temptations of seducement be such as wherin men are entised to fall from God Christ to any kind of euil And these are of three kinds The first is the temptation of Blasphemies or the Blasphemous temptation which is from the Deuill immediately The second is from a mans owne sinnes originall and actuall and this also hath sundrie branches as we shall see afterward The third proceeds from Imagination corrupted and deceiued Now answerable to these seuerall kinds of temptations are the seueral kinds of distresses and as all temptations may be reduced to those fiue which haue beene before named so may all distresses be reduced to fiue heads arising of the former temptations Before I come to handle them in particular we are to consider in the first place what is the best most sure generall Remedie which may serue for all these or any other kind of

reason Hence followes the first effect strange imaginations conceits and opinions framed in the minde which are the first worke of this humor not properly but because it corrupteth the instrument and the instrument beeing corrupted the facultie cannot bring forth good but corrupt actions For example That which they call the beastâ— like Melancholie is when a man thinkes himselfe to be a beast of this or that kind and carries himselfe accordingly Of this sort are those that thinke themselues to be wolues and practise wolvish behauiour Thus we read Dan. 4. 30. that Nebuchad-nezzar liued behaued himselfe and fed as a beast Some say that he loss his soule and had the soule of a beast But they erâ—e For there is no such transportation of soules into bodies either of men or beasts Others thinke that Nebuchadnezzar was smitten in the brain with this disease and in a beastly imagination carried himselfe as a beast And this interpretation is not against the text for in the 31. verse of that chapter it is said that his minde came to him againe and therefore in the disease his vnderstanding the right vse of his reason was lost And the like is true in historie by diuers examples though it were not true in Nebuchadnezzar Againe take another example that is common and ordinarie Let a Melancholike person vpon the sudden see some fearefull thing the strength of his imagination presently fasteneth the thing vpon himselfe As if he see or heare that a man is hanged or possessed with a Deuill it presently comes to his minde that he must be hanged that he is or shall be possessed Likewise vpon relation of fearefull things presently his phantasi workes and he imagineth that the thing is alreadie or shall befall him And this imagination when it enters once takes place it brings forth horrible and fearefull effects The second effect or worke of Melancholie is vpon the heart When the mind hath conceiued and framed fearefull things there is a concord and consent between heart affection then comes affection and is answerable to imagination Hence doe proceede exceeding horrors feares and despaires and yet the CoÌ„science for all this vntouched and not troubled or disquieted Thirdly it may be demanded whether there be any difference betweene the trouble of CoÌ„science and Melancholie for many hold that they are all one Ans. They are not all one but differ much Affliction of Conscience is one thing trouble by Melancholie is another and they are plainly distinguished thus First when the Conscience is troubled the affliction it selfe is in the Conscience and so in the whole man But in Melancholie the imagination is disturbed not the Conscience Secondly the Conscience afflicted hath a true and certen cause wherby it is troubled namely the sight of sinne but in Melancholie the imagination conceiueth a thing to be so which is not so for it makes a man to feare and despaire vpon supposed and fained causes Thirdly the man afflicted in Conscience hath courage in many things but the Melancholike maÌ„ feares euery man euery creature yea himselfe and hath no courage when there is no cause of feare he feares Fourthly imaginations in the braine caused by Melancholie may be cured taken away and cut off by meanes of Physicke but the distresse of Conscience cannot be cured by any thing in the world but one and that is the blood of Christ and the assurance of Gods fauour Fourthly the way to cure Melancholy is this First the person troubled must be brought to this that he will content himselfe to be aduertised and ruled not by his owne but by the iudgement of others touching his owne estate and by this shall be reape much quiet and contentation Secondly search triall must be made whether he hath in him any beginnings of faith and repentance or no. If he want knowledge of his estate then meanes must be vsed to bring him to some sight and sorrow for his sinnes that his melancholy sorrow may be turned into a godly sorrow If he want faith and true repentance some good beginnings thereof must be wrought in his heart Thirdly when he is brought to faith in Gods mercie and an honest purpose not to sinne any more then certaine mercifull promises of God are to be laid before his eies and he must be exhorrâ—d to rest vpon these promises and at no time to admit any imagination or thought that may crosse the said promises Now the promises are these and such like Psal. 34. 9. No good thing shall be wanting to them that feare God Psal. 91. 10 No euill shall come neere the godly man 2. Chron. 15. The Lord is with you while you are with him and if you seeke him he will be found of you Iam. 4. 8. Drawe nere to God and he will draw neere to you And the best meanes to cause any man thus diseased to be at peace with himselfe is to hold beleeue know the truth of these promises and not to suffer any bythought to enter into his heart that may crosse them Moreouer though the former promises may stay the minde yet will they not take away the humour except further helpe be vsed Therefore the fourth and last helpe is the arte of Physicke which serues to correct and abate the humour because it is a meanes by the blessing of God to restore the health and to cure the distemper of the bodie And thus much touching the trouble of minde caused by Melancholy The second meanes whereby the bodie annoies the minde is when it occasions trouble to the minde by strange alterations incident to the bodie When a man beginnes to enter into a Phrensie if the braine admit neuer so little alteration presently the minde is troubled Thus by the trembling of the heart many fearefull imaginations are caused when a man knowes not the cause The same is procured by the swelling of the splene by the rising of the entralls by strange convulsions and such like The remedie hereof is this First it is still to be considered whether the partie thus troubled hath true faith and repentance or no. If he hath it is so much the better If he hath not the first dutie is to vse all meanes to stir vp in him some godly sorrow for his sinnes Secondly this beeing done meanes must be vsed to take away the opinion conceiued and to giue information of the alteration of the bodie and of the true cause thereof This beeing knowne the griefe or feare conceiued will easily be staid For take away the false opinion and informe iudgement and the whole man will be the better Thirdly the opinion beeing altered and reformed it may be the alteration in the bodie will remaine the partie therefore in that case must be taught that it is a correction of God and that God doth not barely suffer the correction to be inflicted but is the very author of it and therefore the partie is to be well pleased and

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