Linguistic DNA - Concept Modelling Demonstrator

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
religion_n	new_a	old_a	testament_n	3,965	5	8.0680	4	false

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A09376	A cloud of faithfull witnesses, leading to the heauenly Canaan, or, A commentarie vpon the 11 chapter to the Hebrewes preached in Cambridge by that godly, and iudicious divine, M. William Perkins ; long expected and desired, and therefore published at the request of his executours, by Will. Crashawe and Tho. Pierson, preachers of Gods Word, who heard him preach it, and wrote it from his mouth.	Perkins, William, 1558-1602.	1607 (1607)	STC 19677.5; ESTC S2273	415,205	614

It is needlesse For the man is good alreadie else the worke could not haue beene good Wee may therefore say workes are rather iustified by the person of a man then his person by the works and it is a most vaine thing to looke for Iustification from that which thou thy selfe must first iustifie afore it be iust if wee had no other reasons against iustification by workes but this this were sufficient Secondly hence we learne that till a man bee called and his person iustified and sanctified all that euer hee doth is sinne 1. His common actions his eating drinking sleeping walking talking are all sinnes Yea 2. The workes of his calling his labor in the same though neuer so iust equal and vpright 3. Further his ciuill actions namely the practice of ciuill vertues his outward grauitie meekenesse sobrietie temperance quietnesse vprightnesse and all outward conformitie are all sinnes Yea more then all this his best actions namely his practicing of the parts of Gods worship or his deeds of charitie his praier his hearing the word his receiuing the sacraments his giuing of almes they are all sinnes vnto him if hee haue not a belieuing and penitent heart yea such sinnes as shall condemne hâ—m if hee had no other Obiect This should seeme strange diuinity that the most holy actions as praier c. should be damnable sinnes I answer they are in themselues holy and good and as farre forth as God hath commanded them yet in the doer they are sinnes because hee doth them from a fowle vnholy heart for the same action may be holy in it selfe and in regard of God the author of it and yet a sin in him that is the doer of it As cleere water pure in the fountaine is corrupted or poisoned by running through a filthy and polluted channell so are euen the best actions sinnes as euen the preaching of the word to a minister whose heart is not cleansed by faith and his person accepted of God it is a sin vnto him and if he repent not shall be his condemnation Cain sinned not onely in hating and murthering his brother in lying and dissembling with God but Cain sinned also euen in offering sacrifice And Abels sacrifice had beene a damnable sinne but that his person was iustified before God And the reason of all this is good for nothing in the worke is able to make an action acceptable to God but onely the acceptation of the person by Christ. This being so it stands vs euery one in hand to looke to our selues and to labour aboue all things for faith and repentance that so our persons may be accepted righteous before God and thereby our actions accepted also If it be a miserable thing that all thy actions euen holy actions should be sinnes then labour to be iustified for that onely can make thy workes accepted if not then though thou labour neuer so much to be approued in the world set neuer so glorious a shew vpon thy workes to the eyes of men they are all abhominable sinnes in the sight of God and at the day of iudgement they shall goe for no better Preach and teach all thy life long nay giue thy life to die for religion Giue all thy goods to the poore depriue thy flesh of all delights build Churches Colledges Bridges High-wayes c. and there may come a poore shepheard and for his keeping of his sheepe be accepted when thou with all this pompe of outward holinesse maist be reiected And why this only because he had faith thou hast none his person was iustified before God and thine is not Therefore let this be my counsell from Abell Labour not so much to worke glorious workes as that which thou doest doe it in faith Faith makes the meanest worke accepted and want of faith makes the most glorious worke reiected for so faith the Text. Abell must be accepted else his sacrifice is not Thus wee see Abell was iust and God so accounted him The second point is That God gaue testimonie hee was so In these words God giuing testimonie What testimonie it was that God gaue of Abell and his gift it is not expressed in the word and so it is not certaine but it is very likely that wheÌ„ he Cain offred God in speciall mercy sent fire from heauen and burnt vp Abels sacrifice but not Cains for so it pleased the Lord often afterward when he would shew that he accepted any man or his worke he answered them by fire from heauen So he burnt vp the first sacrifice that Aaron offred Leuit. 9.24 So he answered Salomon 2. Chron. 7.1 And so Elias 2. Kings 18.28 And so it is likely that he gaue this testimonie that he accepted Abell and his offring This was a great prerogatiue that Abell and the Fathers in the old testament had We haue not this but wee haue a greater for wee haue that that is the substance and truth and body of this For wee haue also the fire of God that is his spirit comes downe into our hearts euery day not visibly but spiritually and burnes vp in the heart of a beleeuer his sinnes and corruptions and lights the light of true faith that shall neuer be put out The vse hereof is this As no sacrifice in the old law pleased God but such as was burnt by fire from heauen sent downe either then or afore so our sacrifices of the new Testament that is our inuocation of Gods name our sacrifice of praise our duties of religion our workes of mercy and loue neuer please God vnlesse they proceede from a heart purged by the fire of Gods spirit that is from a beleeuing and repentant heart both which are kindled and lighted and daily continued by that fire of Gods spirit Therefore it is that Paul saith 1. Tim. 1.4 That loue must come out of a pure heart and good conscience and faith vnfained The duties of religion and works of loue comming from this purged heart ascend into the presence of God as a smoake of most acceptable sacrifices and are as a sweet perfume in the nosethrils of the Lord. Now of what did God thus testifie Of his gift It may here be asked at the first how can Abell giue a gift to God hath the Lord neede of any thing and are not all things his I answer God is soueraigne Lord of heauen and earth and all creatures yet hath hee so giuen his creatures vnto man to vse as that they become mans owne and so he may esteeme vse them and being mans a man may in token of his thankfulnes return them again to God especially seeing God accepts them being so offred as most free gifts This sheweth vs first the wonderfull mercy of God that whereas we can offer him nothing but his owne he vouchsafeth to accept a gift offred of his owne euen as though we had of our owne to offer 2. See here a difference betwixt the sacrifices of the old and

fiue foolish virgins did but get the oyle of grace into the vessels of our hearts Knowledge in the word is a coÌ„mendable thing but not sufficieÌ„t to make vs stand in the day of triall We therfore must labour for true sauing graces especially for this to haue our hearts rooted and grounded in the loue of God through faith whereby we are assured that God is our father in Christ and Iesus Christ our redeemer and the holy Ghost our comforter and sanctifier This assurance of faith will stablish our hearts in all estates come life come death wee neede not feare for nothing shall be able to separate vs from this loue of God in Christ Iesus And thus much of the coherence of this verse with the former Now to the words Others also were racked c. Heere the holy Ghost begins to propound the fruites of faith for which this last ranke of beleeuers are commended vnto vs. And they are not such famous exploites as the former but nine seuerall kindes of sufferings vnto all which wee must remember to apply this clause by faith from the 33 verse as thus Through faith they endured racking mocking and so for all the rest Out of these effects in generall wee may learne two things First a singular fruite of faith for which it is heere so highly commended in this last ranke of examples to wit that by it the childe of GOD is enabled to beare whatsoeuer the Lord shall lay vpon him The torments wherewith mans body may be afflicted are manie and terrible and yet be they neuer so many nor so terrible true sauing faith will make the childe of GOD to beare them all for the honour of Christ. The effects of faith before set downe were many and singular but vndoubtedly this strength of patience which it giueth vnder the greatest torments for Christes sake is one of the principall This Paul doth notably testifie in this profession Romanes chapter 8. verses 38 39. I am perswaded that neither death nor life nor Angelles nor principalities nor powers nor things present nor things to come nor height nor depth nor any other creature shall bee able to separate vs from the loue of GOD which is in Christ Iesus our Lord. Oh singular power of faith which so firmely vnites the beleeuer vnto Christ that no torments in the world no not all the power of Satan and his Angels can separate them asunder Question How doth faith worke this indissoluble power in cleauing vnto Christ Answere After this manner It is the property of faith to perswade the conscience of Gods loue and fauour in Christ and vpon this perswasion the heart begins to loue God againe Now by this loue doth faith worke and make a man able to beare all torments that can be inflicted for religions sake for Loue suffereth all things 1. Cor. 13.7 euen that loue wherewith one man loueth another how much more then shall this loue wherewith we loue God in Christ make vs to suffer any thing for his names sake Hence it is that loue is said to be strong as death and the coales therof are fierie coales and a vehement flame yea much water cannot quench loue neither can the flouds drowne it that is grieuous persecutions and torments cannot extinguish the same Nay such is the power of loue to GOD when it is feruent that it makes a man so zealous of Gods glory that if there were no other way to glorifie God than by sufferings the childe of God would rather yeeld himselfe to endure the torments of the damned than suffer God to lose his glory This wee may see in Paul Rom. 9.3 I would wish my selfe saith he to be separate from Christ for my brethren that are my kinsmen according to the flesh that is the Israelites meaning for the aduancement of Gods glory in their calling and saluation Such zeale likewise we may see in Moses for thinking that God should lose his glory if the Israelites were destroyed he prayes the Lord to pardon their sinne But if thou wilt not then saith hee raze me out of the booke which thou hast written This being the fruite of faith To make a man able and willing to suffer any thing for Christs sake we must heereby be moued to labour for true faith for tribulation may come nay some affliction will come on euery childe of God more or lesse Now without faith wee shall neuer be able to glorifie God vnder the crosse The iust must liue by faith in this estate Heb. 10.38 as here they endure racking burning hewing asunder c. and all by faith Secondly out of all these sufferings heere endured by faith note the minde and disposition of vngodly men towards Gods Church and people they are most bitterly bloudily bent against them for here they put in execution vpon Gods children whatsoeuer cruelty the diuell could suggest into their hearts And this hath beene their disposition and behauiour not onely before Christes incarnation but also euer since as may appeare by the manifolde strange tortures deuised against Christians in the Primitiue Church and both then and since inflicted vpon them Beholde it in the Church of Rome especially in their late Inquisition whereby beside the cruell racking of the conscience by vniust inquiries they put the Protestants to most cruell torments The consideration of this cruell disposition in the wicked against the godly is of speciall vse First it proues vnto vs that the religion which by Gods mercy we professe contained in the bookes of the olde and new Testament is no politique deuice of man but the sacred ordinance of the euerliuing God For if it were the inuention of man it would so fit their humour and accord with their nature that generally it would be loued and embraced and not one of an hundred would mislike it But we see it is generally detested This Sect is euery where spoken against Acts 28.22 naturall men reiect it and persecute it and the professours of â—t vnto the death This they doe because true religion is contrary to their nature as light is to darknesse and condemnes those wayes and courses which they best like of This reason shall iustifie true religion to be Gods owne ordinance euen to the conscience of the worldly Atheist his diuellish malice against it proues Gods diuine truth to be in it Secondly doe the wicked hate the godly because of their religion and profession then on the contrary wee must learne to loue religion because it is religion and the professours of it for their professions sake This is Christs instruction to loue a disciple because he is a disciple Mat. 10. Indeede wee must loue all men but especially those that embrace the Gospell of Christ and be of the housholde of faith for all such are brethren hauing one Father which is God and brethren ought to loue one another But alas this lesson is not learned for the world generally is giuen to mocking and scoffing

the Apostle speaketh that the beleeuers liuing in these last dayes might haue time of being in the Church to be called iustified and sanctified that so they might bee glorified with them that liued before For put the case that Christ had suffered in the dayes of Abraham or Dauid or there-about then the end of the world must needes haue come the sooner for so it was foretolde that Christ should come in the later ages of the world 1. Pet 1 20. Now if the world had beene sooner cut off then had there not beene time of birth and calling for all the elect that now liue and shall liue therefore for their sakes was Christs comming deferred till the fulnesse of time And this I take to be the meaning of the words Now in that the holy Ghost here saith The members of Christ in the new Testament must bee perfected with all the ancient beleeuers in the olde wee must heereby be admonished to conforme our selues vnto these ancient Fathers in the participation of grace practice of obedience in this life For how can we looke to be glorified with them after this life if heere wee be not like them in grace Christ tells his followers that many should come from the East and from the West to sit with Abraham Isaac and Iacob in the kingdome of heauen Math 8.11 12 because they were followers of these Patriarchs in the faith when as the children of the Kingdome that is many Iewes by birth borne in the Church should be cast into vtter darknesse Now if Christ denie to glorifie the children and posterity of these ancient beleeuers because they did not follow them in grace and in obedience how can we which are by nature sinners of the Gentiles looke to bee glorified with them vnlesse in grace and obedience we conforme our selues vnto them Thus much for these examples of faith Now something must be added out of the next Chapter because there the holy Ghost makes vse of all these worthy examples A Commentarie vpon part of the 12. Chapter to the Hebrewes VERSE 1. Wherfore let vs also seeing wee are compassed with so great a clowd of witnesses cast away euery thing that presseth down and that sinne that hangeth so fast on let vs runne with patience the race that is set before vs. IN these words the holy Ghost propoundeth a worthy exhortation to the Christians of the newe Testament that they should labour to be constant in the profession of the faith that is in holding embracing and beeleeuing true Christian religion And his reason is framed thus The Saints of God in the olde Testament were constant in the faith and therefore you must likewise be constant in the faith that liue in the new Testament The first part of the reason is laid downe in all the exaÌ„ples of the former chapter The conclusion or sequel is contained in this 1. verse Wherein wee may obserue two points an exhortation vnto constancy in true religion and the way or meanes to attaine thereunto The exhortation is inferred vpon the former examples which are all here applied as precedents and directions vnto vs for constancy and perseuerance in the faith in these words Wherefore seeing we are compassed about with such a cloud of witnesses that is Seeing Abel Enoch Noe Abraham and all the rest of the holy Fathers who are a clowd of witnesses vnto vs that is lights and leaders before vs were constant in true religion whether we respect their faith in Gods promises or obedience to his commandements therefore we also must be constant in the faith The way or meanes hereunto stands in three duties in the words following Let vs cast away c. For the exhortation First in generall the very inferring of it from the former examples teacheth vs this speciall duty That euery one in Gods Church must apply vnto himselfe those instructions that are laid downe either generally in doctrine or particularly in example And therfore the holy Ghost here saith not Let the Galatians or the Corinthians which were renowmed Churches bee constant in the faith but Let vs that is you Hebrewes with my selfe bee constant in the faith following the example of your ancient fathers It is said of the ancient Iewes that many of them heard Gods word but it was not profitable vnto them because it was not mingled with faith in them What is it to mingle the word with faith It is not onely to receiue it by faith beleeuing it to be true but also by the same hand of faith to apply it to a mans own soule to his heart and life And vndoubtedly Gods word thus applied to a mans particular person hath in it great power and fruite whether we regard information of iudgement or reformation of life But it is a hard thing to doe and rare to finde a man that doth sincerely apply vnto himselfe either generall doctrines or particular examples We are all prone to shift it from our selues and to lay it vpon others saying This is a good Item or a good lesson for such a one or such a one if hee were here or if he would marke it In the meane while what benefit reape we to our owne soules for the word not applied to our selues doth vs no good it is like Physicke not taken or food not eaten And hence it coms to passe that though we heare much yet wee profit little by the ministery of Gods word We must therefore learne to follow Maries example who pondered Christs words and laid them vp in her owne heart When an exhortation is giueÌ„ we must not post it off and lay it vpon others mens shoulders but apply it to our selues and lay it to our owne hearts saying This instruction is for me Hereby no doubt wee should feele greater blessings vpon the preaching of the word than yet wee doe And to mooue vs hereunto let vs consider that Satan our vtter enemie who seekes nothing but our destruction is most busie to hinder this application of the word either by the minister or by a mans owne conscience As for example when the minister by occasion out of Gods word shall confute either errour in iudgement or misdemeanour in life then men that heare and are guilty thereof should say This is mine errour or my fault now am I confuted or reproued And God no doubt if men would thus do would make it effectuall vnto them at the length But in stead of this applying to our selues either through our owne corruption or Satans suggestion or both we shift it from our selues and say Now hee reprooues such a one and such a one and speakes against such and such and indeed Satan by his good will would neuer haue a man to apply the word rightly to himselfe Therefore seeing Satan is so busie and this is his deceit to make a man shift off an exhortation or reproofe from himselfe and to lay it on others wee must be as carefull to apply it to

will counsell in a speciall manner vnto them that be his children As in this place he reuealeth vnto Iacob the particular estate of the two sonnes of Ioseph In like manner when God was to destroy the Sodomites Shall I hide saith the Lord from Abraham that thing which I do seeing that Abraham shall be indeede a mighty Nation for I knowe him that he will commaund his sonnes and his houshold after him that they keepe the way of the Lord. And the Prophet Amos saith Surely the Lord will doe nothing but he reuealeth his secrets to his seruants the Prophets So saith our Sauiour Christ to his Disciples Ye are my friends and he giueth a reason because saith he I haue reuealed vnto you all that I haue heard of my Father Iohn 15.15 So that those which are in Christ the friends of God they shall in a particular and speciall manner knowe those things which God will not reueale vnto others And looke as this is here verified to Iacob in a speciall manner so it is true generally in all Gods seruants children hee reuealeth some particular things vnto them more then hee doth vnto others For besides that generall knowledge which they haue in his word he reueales particularly vnto them the knowledge of their owne election of their iustification sanctification and glorification to come though not by way of prophecie yet by the working of his spirit in the ministerie and meditation of his word And thus much of the blessing Now followe the Circumstances The 1. Circumstance to be considered is the time when Iacob blessed the two sonnes of Ioseph noted in these words when he was dying that is being ready to die not in the act of dying In this circumstance wee may learne two especiall duties one for masters of families the other for the Ministers of Gods word for here Iacob beares the person not onely of a Father but of a Prophet First Masters of families are here taught to set in order their houses and families whereof they haue charge before they die for Iacob hauing a great charge and many children calls for the sonnes of Ioseph Ephraim Manasses before his death and makes them his owne to perfect his family Quest. How will some aske must a man set his house in order when he dies Answer By doing two things after Iacobs example for first he disposeth of his temporall things and distributeth his temporall inheritance in the Land of Canaan Secondly he giues them charge of some duties concerning himselfe and some others especially concerning religion and Gods worship and then he dies as it is said When he had made an end of giuing charge vnto his sonnes he plucked vp his feete into his bed and gaue vp the ghost Genesis 49.33 So likewise Masters of families they must set their houses in order by the like two duties 1. By a due disposing of their temporall goods and possessions and 2. by giuing exhortation and charge vnto their children and family concerning the worship of GOD and the practice of true Religion This as wee may also reade 1. Kings 2 was the practice of good King Dauid when he was about to die and as he saith to goe the way of all flesh hee calls for Salomon his sonne and makes him King in his stead and giues him a most notable charge concerning Gods worship Verse 3 reade the place it is worth the marking So the Prophet Isaiah when he comes to Hezekiah from the Lord hee aimes at these two and bids him set his house in order for hee must die and not liue Isay 38.1 and so ought euery Master of a familie after their example both learne and practice these two duties Secondly Gods Ministers must hence learne their dutie for Iacob was a notable Minister and Prophet in Gods Church which was then in his family Iacob he blesseth the sonnes of Ioseph that he might receiue them into his family and into the couenant that so hee might continue and preserue the Church of God after his death for looke as Isaac his Father did call him into the couenant and blessed him so dealeth hee with the two sonnes of Ioseph And accordingly euery Minister of GOD in his place ought to haue speciall care to conuay and deriue true religion and the Gospel of Christ from hand to hand so much as they can while they liue that so after their death it may be published and maintained In the new testament we haue a worthy commandemeÌ„t for this purpose S. Paul hauing instructed taught Timothy in the waies of godlines and religion chargeth him that what things he had heard and learned of him the same he should deliuer to faithfull men which should be able to teach other also that so Gods Gospel and religion going on from hand to hand from person to person might increase from time to time S. Peters practice herein was notable 2. Pet. 1.15 I will endeauour therefore alwaies that yee may bee able to haue remembrance of the things of God after my departure hauing professed before that while he liued he would stirre them vp by putting them in remembrance v. 13. And in like sort all Gods faithfull ministers must doe their whole endeauour before they die that the Gospel may be preached when they are gone 2. Circumstance By what meanes did Iacob blesse the two sonnes of Ioseph Ans. By faith in the promises of God so the text saith By faith Iacob blessed the two sonnes of Ioseph And if we consider the matter well wee shall see it was a notable faith for hee was now a poore pilgrime in Egypt and yet by faith giues them portions in the Land of Canaan Quest. Why will some say did hee not keepe himselfe in the Land of Canaan Answ. Iacob indeede dwelt there for a time but yet as a soiourner hauing no more liberties than hee bought for himselfe no not so much as water for his camels or a place to bury the dead and besides he was driuen out of this his own Land by famine and was faine to flie into Egypt for food and sustenance and there to liue as a poore pilgrime and stranger forth of his owne countrey And yet for all this extremitie as though he had bin some mighty potentate of the world or some Emperour hee makes his Will bequeathes vnto his children the Land of CanaaÌ„ allotting to euery one his part portion which must needs be a worke of a notable faith wonderfully apprehending applying the promise of God In his example wee are taught a notable dutie in the matter of our saluation When as any of vs by reason of the rigorous temptation of sinne and Satan and by their assaults shall seeme to our selues to bee as it were thrust out of our inheritance in the heauenly Canaan what must we doe We must not despaire but euen then set before our eies and call to remembrance the promises of God made vnto vs in

our selues and to lay it to our owne consciences and then no doubt we shall finde it to be a word of power able to reforme both the misdemeanour of our liues and the errours of our mindes Now to the reason more particularly Wee must be constant in the faith because we are compassed about with so great a cloude of witnesses Heere the ancient Fathers of the olde Testament which in the former chapter were commended vnto vs for their faith are compared to a cloude and then to a cloude compassing vs. Lastly to a cloude of witnesses They are compared to a cloude as I take it by allusion to the cloud which directed and led the Israelites in the wildernesse for when they came from Egypt and were 40. yeares in the Desert of Arabia all that while they were directed by a pillar of cloud by day Exod. 13.21 Now looke as this cloud guided the Israelites from the bondage of Egypt to the Land of Canaan so doth this companie of famous beleeuers direct all the true members of Gods Church in the new Testament the right way from the Kingdome of darknesse to the spirituall Canaan the kingdome of heauen And this is the true cause why these worthy beleeuers are compared to a cloud Mark further they are called a cloud but what a cloude namely compassing vs. A compassing cloud they are called by reason of the great company of beleeuers so as which way soeuer a man turnes him hee shall see beleeuers on euery side and they are said to compasse vs because they giue vs direction in the course of Christianity as the cloud did the Israelites in the wildernesse Now wheras the whole company of beleeuers is called a cloud compassing vs heere is answered a coÌ„mon obiection of temporizers which argue thus against religioÌ„ There are so many kindes of religion now a-dayes that no man can tell which to be of and therefore it is good to be of no religion till we be certified which is the true religion This carnall reason is here answered for howsoeuer in som things there be variety of opinions in Gods Church yet for the substance of religion all agree in one For the company of beleeuers in this world resembles a cloud that goes before vs shewing vs the right way which we are to walke in to the Kingdome of heauen Secondly in that these ancient beleeuers are called a cloud compassing vs we are taught that as the Israelites did follow the cloud in the wildernes froÌ„ the Land of Egypt to Canaan so must we follow the example of these ancient beleeuing fathers Prophets to the kingdom of heauen It is a strange thing to see how the Israelites followed that cloud They neuer went till it went before them and when it stood still they stood still also though it were 2. yeares together and when it began to moue they moued with it So in the same maner must we set before our eyes for a pattern of life the worthy examples of beleeuers in the old Testament for whatsoeuer was written was written for our learning We must therfore be followers of them in faith obedience and other graces of God and so shall we be directed to life euerlasting in the spirituall Canaan the kingdom of heauen And yet we must not follow theÌ„ absolutely For all of theÌ„ had their infirmities som of theÌ„ had their grieuous faults wherby they were tainted their coÌ„mendation somwhat blemished but we must follow them in the practice of faith other graces of God The cloud that guided the Israelites had two parts a light part a dark The Egyptians who were enemies to Gods people had not the light part before them but the dark part so following that they rushed into the red sea were drowned wheÌ„ as the Israelites folowing the light part went through in safety Euen so these beleeuers had in them two things their sins which be their darke part which if we follow we cast our soules into great danger destruction and faith with other graces of God which are their light part which we must follow as our light which if we doe carefully it will bring vs safe to the Kingdome of heauen So Paul bids the Corinthians be followers of him yet not absolutely in euery thing but as he followes Christ and so must we follow the Fathers as they went on in faith in Christ. Further they are a cloud of witnesses that is a huge multitude of witnesses And they are so called First because by their owne bloud they confirmed the faith which they professed Secondly because they did all confirme the doctrine of true religion whereof they were witnesses partly by speaches and partly by actions in life and conuersation And so is euery member of Christ a witnesse as the Lord often calls the beleeuing Israelites his witnesses Quest. How came this to passe that these beleeuers should bee Gods witnesses Answere Surely because they testified the truth and excellencie of Gods holy religion both in word and action in life and conuersation Now seeing these in the olde Testament were Christs witnesses First hereby all ignorant persons must be stirred vp to be carefull to get faith and to learne true religion If any thing will moue a man to become religious this will for out of all the world God will chuse faithfull men to be his witnesses to testifie of his religion vnto others If a man were perswaded that some worthy mighty Prince would vouchsafe to call him to beare witnesse of the truth on his side he would be wonderfull glad thereof and take it for a great honour to him How much more then ought wee to labour for knowledge faith and obedience in true religion that we may become witnesses vnto the Lord our God if it be a dignity to be witnesse to an earthly Prince oh then what a great prerogatiue is this for a silly sinfull man to becom a witnesse to the truth of the euerliuing God who is King of Kings whose word needes no confirmation This must make vs al to labour for knowledge for faith and for the power of religion but if we wil remaine stil in our ignorance and neuer labour for knowledge then shall these seruants of God that beleeued in the olde Testament stand vp and witnesse against vs at the day of iudgement for they had not such meanes as we haue and yet they became most faithfull witnesses Secondly this must teach vs to be careful that as in word we professe Christ so indeed we may confesse him expressing the power of his grace in vs. For by this true confession of Christ we are made his witnesses but when wee confesse Christ in word onely and yet in life practice denie him then we are vnfaithful witnesses for we say vnsay In an earthly court if a maÌ„ should one while say one thing another while another thing he would not be accepted for a

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