Linguistic DNA - Concept Modelling Demonstrator

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
world_n	good_a	seed_n	sow_v	1,957	5	9.8778	5	false

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A41657	The surest & safest way of thriving, or, A conviction of that grand mistake in many, that what is given to the poor, is a loss to their estate : which is so directly contrary as to the experiences of the charitable : so to the testimony of God's spirit in divers places of Scripture ... by Thomas Gouge ...	Gouge, Thomas, 1605-1681.	1673 (1673)	Wing G1377; ESTC R14065	59,429	70

none of His who hast no bowels God is a God of mercy His children are all merciful children Worldling wilt thou prove thy self to be no child of God wouldst thou prove that the faith thou hast is vain thy religion vain and that thou art but a pretender to the love of God and hast not the love of God within thee This unmercifulness of thine will put it out of question If thou hast no bowels of compassion the love of God is not in thee O get a compassionate and merciful heart Hast thou received Mercy and wilt thou not be merciful Dost thou hope for mercy and wilt thou not shew Mercy Put thy self into thy poor brother's case a while think how hard t is with him think of his hunger and nakedness of his pressing straits and miseries let thy soul go into his house and see his naked walls his cold chimney his empty cup-board his starveling children and then think again O how if it were thus with me Ah poor distressed creatures how are they pinch'd and pin'd whilst I have enough and abound O my bowels how can you but yern O mine heart how canst thou but bleed over such distressed ones Hast thou nothing to help them Ther 's enough in my house ther 's enough in my purse to yield them relief but is there no alms for them in my heart Can I have the heart to see them pine and perish and do nothing to hâ—lp them Where are ye O my bowels Where are my compassions O my soul help and send portions to them for whom nothing is provided 3. Out of a thankeful heart Remember what God hath done for thee Hast thou any sense or experience of his special love to thee in Christ What should that produce The sense of divine Goodness in a way of Common Providence calls for all due acknowledgment from us But a taste of his paternal love in pardoning our sins and justifying our persons and enstating us in eternal life and happiness upon the account of his Son's-suffering and dying for us this is as the strongest Motive to so the most commanding reason of our charity or beneficence to our fellow-creatures who stand in need of it In Christ the beams of Gods mercy are concentred as the beams of the Sun are in a burning-glass which falling upon our hearts they are or should be hereby inflamed and made to burn with greater heat of love and kindness to all in want especially to all who bear his image The right spring of Mercy to our neighbour is the sense of God's Mercy towards us IV. Let all your streams of love flow into the Ocean My meaning is Let all be done to the glory of God This must be your last end to which all must be directed as the Apostle charges 1 Cor. 10. 31. Whether you eat or drink I may add or whether you give to eat or to drink or Whatsoever ye do do all to the glory of God Let this be chiefly in your eye and your heart that God may be glorified Other subordinate ends there are As the refreshing of the needy the adorning our holy profession the edification of others by our good example but all at last must end here that God may be glorified Take heed your end be not to glorifie your selves As worms breed in the fairest fruit so pride and vain-glory are apt to creep-up out of the best duties V. Let your works of charity be done in humility giving unto God the honour of them by acknowledging that as what you have bestowed on the poor you first received from him So it was his goodness to give you an heart to give any thing out of your abundance towards their relief Yea you ought to be ever jealous over your-selvs lest there hath been some hypocrisie and self-seeking in your works of charity acknowledging that you are so far from meriting heaven and Salvation by your good works that if God should deal with you according to the rigour of his justice he might cast you into hell for that pride and hypocrisie which cleaves to your best works VI. Let your workes of charity to men be accompanied with prayers and thanksgivings unto God Thank God that he hath put you amongst the givers and not amongst the receivers it being a more blessed thing to give then to receive that he hath put you among the givers and not the withholders that he hath given you an estate to give and an heart to give Thank God that he will accept a gift at your hands that He whose is all you have and to whom it is owing will count that a gift which is but the payment of so small a part of your debt say with David in 1 Chro. 29. 11 13. Thine O Lord is the greatness both riches and honour come from thee Now therefore Our God we thank thee and praise thy glorious name But what am I and what is my people that we should be able to offer so willingly after this sort For all things come of thee and of thine own have we given thee VII Give out proportionably to what God hath given unto you 1 Cor. 16. 2. The Apostle adviseth the Corinthians to give as God had prâ—spered them Rich men therefore ought to be rich in good worâ—s for God expecteth fruit answerable to the seed which he soweth Hath he abounded to you in this worlds goods you ought thereupon to be abundant in good works towards others your Pounds are expected where the Widdows mites are accepted Having given you some Directions for the manner of bestowing your Almes I shall briefly shew you the means how to attain to this grace of Christian Charity Now the means I shall prescribe shall be 1. Such as tend to the bringing your hearts to be willing to this Duty 2. Such as shall tend to the helping of you for the better managing of it First for means to bring your hearts to be willing to set upon this duty take These Oft call to mind and imprint in your memories the manifold precepts in the Scriptures requiring this Duty at your hands As also the many gracious promises God hath there made for the encouragement of his people thereunto and thereupon reason thus with thy self what Hath God commanded me Deut. 15. 10. to give unto my Brother according to his necessity to cast my bread upon the waters Eccl. 11. 1. And hath our blessed Saviour commanded me Luk. 6. 38. to give unto the poor And hath the Lord for my encouragement thereunto promised that he will bless me in all my works and in all that I put my hand unto prosper me in my Trade and Calling That my Barnes shall be filled with plenty That what we shall give or lend unto the poor he will pay us again with Interest That though I cast my bread upon the waters where it may seem to be lost yet I shall find it after many days it shall certainly be returned into

my bosome with increase And hath my Saviour for my encouragement promised Luk. 6. 36. That if I give unto the poor it shall be given to me again good measure pressed down and shaken together running over Then certainly there is no such compendious way to thrive and prosper in the world as by my liberality to the poor 2. Prefer Heaven and the things thereof before this earth and earthly things Though the temporal reward which I have so much insisted on be a great encouragement yet the greatest encouragement is the spiritual and eternal reward that the Lord hath promised And that this may be the more prevailing encouragement learn to esteem and prize things spiritual and eternal above all things that are but temporal Suppose it should so fall out that you should never receive in kind what you bestow yet count those temporal things put off at the best rate which you receive in things spiritual and eternal Value grace and glory above all the treasures of the earth and count your selves to grow rich men according to your abounding in grace and your evidences for glory And esteem it an unthristy Saving and holding in where you have an opportunity to improve in your inner man by expending of your outward substance Till Heaven be valued above earth this great Argument encouraging to Acts of bounty and mercy will lose its efficacy When God says Cast thy bread upon the waters for thou shalt find it again after many dayes the Worldling will be ready to demand But how shall I find it in what way shall it be returned me Shall I have bread for bread or money for my bread or houses or Lands for my money probably thou may'st But suppose not so yet it shall be better than so thou shalt have in grace what thou partest with in bread or money thou shalt reap in Heaven what thou sowest on the waters I but the worlding will reply I do not mean to part with my bread or my money so No I know thou dost not but the reason is because thou lovest this earth more than Heaven Thou sayest Will Grace feed me Will Grace cloath me Can I keep my self and my Family Can we live and be maintained and preserved from poverty and beggery here by hopes of glory hereafter Go fool and learn better what God is and what his everlasting mercy is let the lasting treasures the durable riches be more priz'd and valued by thee and this will stop thy mouth and silence thine heart from such vain reasonings Thou wilt never again say I cannot spare my bread or my money when by spending it for God thou seest thou makest him thy debter who will pay it thee again in spiritual and eternal good things if once thou account these to be better than thy bread or thy money But till thou art come to be settled in this Judgement and belief both that the good things of God are infinitely better than the good things of this earth and that what thou sowest in the earth thou shalt certainly reap in Heaven till thou comest in good earnest to be of this mind God's poor are like to be but little the better for thee 'T is this beloved that will effectually do it will open your hearts and open your hands in bounty and liberality for God when you come to be rooted in the practical belief of this principle upon which the practice of all Religion stands and is upheld in the world That Heaven is better than Earth if this other be added to it That what is sincerely laid out for God in the Earth shall certainly be repayed in Heaven besides that return which the Lord here in this world oftentimes makes to the charitable 2. For the Means tending to help you for the better managing of it take these following 1. Either follow the Example of the Primitive Saints in setting apart something every Lords Day out of the former weeks gettings Or 2. Devote unto God a certain portion of thy yearly incomes for charitable uses That the former way of setting apart something every Lords Day for the relief of the poor was the practice of the Primitive Christians is clear from that of the Apostle to the Corinthians 1 Cor. 16. 1 2. Now concerning the Collection for the Saints as I have given order to the Churches of Galatia even so do ye Vpon the first day of the week which is the Lords Day let every one of you lay by him in store as God hath prospered him This way and course concerns such in special who live upon their daily labours But to such Gentlemen and others who live upon their Rents and Offices and to such Merchants and Citizens who once a year cast up their accounts I would commend the latter way of devoting unto God a certain portion of their yearly income by Rent or otherwise and then separating it from the rest to account it a sacred stock for the poor not to be imployed to any other use All men naturally through the corruption that is in them are hard-hearted and close-handed very unwilling to part with any thing considerable upon sudden occasions for charitable uses But having aforehand set apart something their ears hearts and hands are open to every charitable motion and very ready and forward are they the more liberally to contribute thereunto of what is laid by rejoycing that they have met with so good an object of Charity As for the quota pars what proportion every one ought to set apart out of his yearly income for good uses I do not find it particularly set down in the Word of God and therefore dare not positively determine the same and the rather because there are so many circumstances which alter the case that no certain rule can be given but shall leave it to the discretion and ingenuity of the prudent Christian. But though the Scripture doth not determine the exact proportion to be set apart for good works yet doth it command us to give out proportionably to what God hath given unto us to open our hands wide to the necessities of the poor to be rich in good works and the like Yea the Scripture doth commend unto us the examples of very bountiful Christians as of Dorcas who is said to be full of good works and alms-deeds which she did Act. 9. 36. And of Cornelius who is said to give much alms Act. 10. 2. And of the Macedonians who are said to give to their power yea and beyond their power 2 Cor. 8. 3. It likewse commendeth unto us the example of Iacob who in testimony of his thankfulness unto God for what he should bestow upon him vowed the tenth thereof unto God for pious and charitable uses as Gen. 28. 20 22. And Jacob vowed a vow unto God saying Of all that thou shalt give me I will surely give the tenth unto thee These examples are left upon record for our imitation for as the Apostle speaketh

charge the number of their children who must be cared for and thereupon have little to give to the poor Answ. 1. Hast thou many children thou oughtest the rather to be charitable that thereby thou mayest entail God's blessing upon them which is the best portion and surest inheritance thou canst leave them that will secure their stock and improve their store whereas unmercifulness to the poor will intail a curse instead of a blessing upon the persons and estates of thy children 2. Thou who objectest the number of thy children as a plea for thy parsimony how justly may God then lessen the number and so take away this excuse by taking thy children from thee 3. Suppose thou hast many children it may be half a score reckon God for one more give unto him a childs portion I mean bestow upon the poor for his sake as much every year as one child stands thee in give unto them a childs portion and I dare boldly say thou wilt not be the poorer but rather a great gainer For thereby wilt thou procure God's blessing upon thy self and children which in truth is all in all and without which all is like to come to nothing as wee see by daily experience which made St. Austin say Haeredi praestabis quicquid misericordiae causa de ejus portione detraxeris Aug. de Tempore Serm. 76. That which thou givest out of thine estate to charitable uses will be no loss to thy children but rather a great advantage Yea the Spirit of God in setting forth the happiness of a merciful man saith His children shall fare the better for his goodness and bounty as Psal. 37. 16. He is ever merciful and lendeth and his seed is blessed that is God will bless his children not only with spiritual but also with temporal blessings 2. Obj. Many Professors in these daies are very barren in good works Answ. Fruitless and uncharitable Christians may make a profession of Religion but questionless they are no sound Christians nor sincere Professors For most certain it is that the Elect of God do put on bowels of mercy and compassion as the Apostle speaketh Col. 3. 12. And therefore an uncharitable Christian is a meer contradiction For who is a Christian but he who conforms himself to the Law and Life of Christ The substance of whose Law is Charity and whose Life was spent in going about doing good some way or other to the soul and bodies of men and women Whosoever therefore having this worlds goods seeth his Brother in need and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him and will not communicate any thing considerable towards his necessities let his profession be never so specious and glorious in the eyes of men yet certainly he is but a rotten Professor and dissembling Hypocrite in the sight of God In Matth. 25. 23. We find that liberality to the members of Christ is made the special touchstone of true Faith and Godliness For they are the charitable persons who at the great day of Judgment will appear to be the Sheep at Christs right hand and shall hear that joyful sentence of absolution Come ye blessed of my Father inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world for I was an hungred and ye gave me meat I was thirsty and ye gave me drink I was a stranger and ye took me in I was naked and ye cloathed me I was sick and ye visited me I was in prison and ye came unto me And on the other side all unmerciful men who have not relieved Christ in his members whatsoever profession of Religion they have made here in this world yet at the last day will appear to be the Goats set on Christs left hand and shall hear that dreadful sentence of condemnation Depart from me ye cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the Devil and his Angels For I was an hungred and ye gave me no meat I was thirsty and ye gave me no drink I was a stranger and ye took me not in naked and ye cloathed me not sick and in prison and ye visited me not Hence it appeareth that as mercy and bounty to the poor members of Christ is a conspicuous evidence of true Faith and sincere godliness in a Christian and signally declare him pious so illiberality and unmercifulness to them is a clear mark of infidelity and ungodliness and signally declare him as an unbeliever so a wicked and prophane person Therefore I should much question the sincerity of their faith and piety who making a profession of Religion shew little or no charity to the poor members of Christ. For as the Apostle Iames speaketh c. 1. v. 21. Pure Religion and undefield before God and the Father is this to visit the fatherless and widdows in their affliction Implying that works of mercy and charity rightly performed are clear evidences of the truth of our Religion and of the sincerity of our Profession And if you look into the Scriptures you shall scarce read of a man truly godly but you may read also that he was merciful and charitable forward to every good work So much shall suffice for this Point of Doctrine A word or two for my Brethrens sake of the first Doctrine raised from the foregoing verse which is the principal Point there intended by our Saviour which was this 17. That all needfull succour and good entertainment ought to be afforded in special to the Ministers of the Gospel Our Saviour in commending objects to our Charity in the first place mentioneth Prophets and the Righteous ones saying He that receiveth a Prophet in the name of a Prophet shall receive a Prophet's reward and then addeth He that receiveth a Righteous man in the name of a Righteous man c. Indeed so general must be the extent and emanation of our Charity that it must not exclude any who are in want and distress For though we may and ought to put a difference between men upon whom we bestow our Charity yet ought we not to restrain it from any men who are in want but must act the grace of Charity towards them who have not the grace of Faith Yea we ought to do good unto all as the Apostle exhorteth Gal. 6. 13. But especially unto them who are of the houshold of Faith And among them chiefly to the Ministers of Christ. So as this object of Charity Prophet is not here to be taken exclusively but by way of eminency and preferment Ministers are before and above others with more readiness and chearfulness to be ministred unto The people of Israel we read were commanded once and again not to leave nor forsake their Levites especially when they were reduced into any streights and exegencies as Deut. 12. 19. and 14. 27. Then much less should the Ministers of the Gospel be left and forsaken by the people of God when they lye under any want or distress The examples of God's people that have gone before us in the

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