Wever, R. · published 1565 · first performed or written 1550 [1547-1553] (Annals) moral T5 Christian faith, sin and salvation typicality 0.66 · 551 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of T5: god, christ, david, sin, holy, israel, lord, mercy, sins, faith.
Surely that I will from the bottom of my heart, And I think the living God with hath given me the knowledge To know his doctring from the false & pervarce I being yet young and full tender of age: And that he hath made me partaker of the heavenly in heritage Of his one mercy and not of my deserving For hell I have deserved by my sinful working. I know right well my elders and parents. Have of a long time deceived be, With blind hypocrisy and superstitious intents, Trusting in their own works, which is nothing but vanity Their steps shall not be followed for me, Therefore I pray you show me a brief conclusion, How I ought to live in Christian religion, The first beginning of wisdom, as saith the wise Solomon Is to fear God with all they heart and power And then thou must believe all his promise without any exception And that he will perform them both constant & sure And then be cause he is thy only saviour Thou must love him with all thy soul and mind And thy neighbour as thyself, because he hath so assigned, To love my neighbour as myself, I can not be to kind I pray you tell me, what mean you My meaning is as Chryste saith in the vi chap. Math. To do to him as you would be done to I pray God give me grace so for to do That unto his will I may be obedient. Here you shall recceive Christ's testament To comfort your conscience when need shall require To learn the contents there of, see that you be diligent The which all Christian men ought to desire For it is the well, or fountain most clear Out of the which doth spring sweet consolation To all those that thirst after eternal salvation. There in shall you find most wholesome preservation Both in troubles, percicutions, sickness and adversity And a sure defence in the time of temptation Against whom the devil can not prevail with all his army: And if you persever therein unfeignedly It will set your heart at such quietness and rest Which can not never be turned with storms nor tempest With this thing you must neither flatter nor jest But steadfastly believe it every day and hour And let your conversation opinly protest That of your heart it is the most precious treasure And then your godly example shall other men procure To learn and exercise the same also I pray God strengthen you so for to do Now for this godly knowledge, which you ha' ●●●rought me to I beseech the living God reward you again From your company I will never depart nor go So long as in this life I do remain: For in this book I see manifest and plain That he that followeth his own lusts & imagination Keepeth the ready path to everlast damnation. And he that leadete a godly conversation Shall be borught to such quietness, joy and peace Which in comparison passeth all worldly gloriation Which can not endure, but shortly cease Both the time and hour I may now bless That I met with you father good council to bring me to the knowledge of his heavenly Gospel
seed 43: T4 · seed 44: T5 — topic numbers are assigned independently in each run; equal or different numbers say nothing by themselves
Original spelling (EEBO-TCP, unregularized)
Surely that I will from the bottom of my heart, And I thēke ye liuing God whyth hath geuen me ye knowledge To know hys doctryng frō the false & peruarce I being yet yonge and full tender of age: And that he hath made me partaker of ye heauenly in heritage Of his one mercy and not of my deseruynge For hell I haue decerued by my synfull workyng. I know right well my elders and parentes. Haue of a longe tyme deceuid be, With blynd hypocrisy and supersticious ententes, Trusting in theyr owne workes, which is nothynge but vanyte Their steppes shall not be folowed for me, Therfore I pray you shew me a briefe conclusyon, How I oughte to lyue in chrystian religion, The first begyning of wysdō, as sayth ye wise Salomon Is to feare God with al they harte and power And thē yu must beleue al his promise wtout any exception And that he will performe thē both cōstant & sure And then be cause he is thy only sauiour Thou must loue hym with all thy soule and mynde And thy neybour as thy self, because he hath so assyned, To loue my neybour as my self, I cā not be to kynde I pray you tell me, what meane you My meanyng is as Chryste sayth in ye .vi. chap. Math. To do to hym as you woulde be done to I pray God geue me grace so for to do That vnto hys wil I maye be obedyent. Here you shall reseaue Christes testament To comfort your consience when nede shal requyre To learne the contentes there of, se that you be dilygent The which all chrystian men ought to desyre For it is the wel, or fountayne moste clere Out of the which doth spryng swete consolacyon To all those that thyrst after eternal saluacyon. Ther in shal you fynde most holsome presaruacion Both in troubles, percicucions, sicknes ād aduersytye And a sure defence in the time of temptacyon Agaynst whom ye deuel can not preuayle wt all his army: And if you perseuer therin vnfaynedly It wyl set your hart at suche quietnes and rest Which can not neuer be turned with stormes nor tempest With this thyng you must neyther flatter nor iest But stedfastly beleue it euery day and houre And let youre conuersacyon opīly protest That of your hart it is ye most precious treasure And then your godly example shal other men procure To learne and exercyse thesame also I praye God strengthen you so for to do Now for this godly knowledge, whych you ha rought me to I beseche the lyuynge God reward you agayn From your company I wyl neuer departe nor go So longe as in thys lyfe I do remayne: For in thys boke I se manyfest and playne That he that foloweth hys owne lustes & imagynacyon Kepeth the ready path to euerlast dampnacyon. And he that leadete a godly conuersacyon Shal be borught to suche quietnes, ioy and peace Which in comparison passeth all worldly gloriation Whiche can not endure, but shortly cease Both the time and houre I may now blesse That I met with you father good councel to bryng me to the knowledge of his heueuenly Gospel