Selected quad for the lemma: blood_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
blood_n	artery_n	heart_n	vein_n	9,504	5	10.0908	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A34544	Self-imployment in secret ... left under the hand-writing of that learned & reverend divine, Mr. John Corbet ...; with a prefatory epistle of Mr. John Howe.	Corbet, John, 1620-1680.; Howe, John, 1630-1705.	1681 (1681)	Wing C6265; ESTC R32518	22,650	98

Self-Imployment IN SECRET CONTAINING I. Evidences upon Self-Examination II. Thoughts upon Painful Afflictions III. Memorials for Practice Left under the Hand-Writing of that Learned Reverend Divine Mr. Iohn Corbet Late of CHICHESTER With a Prefatory Epistle of Mr. Iohn Howe LONDON Printed for Thomas Parkhurst at the Bible Three Crowns in Cheapside near Mercers-Chappel 1681 THE PREFACE THE Character of this Holy Servant of Christ is already given by an every-way sutable Hand in what Part it lay open to the Observation of others His more Interiour Portrai●ture which is contained in these Papers was as it could only be drawn by Himself Why it is now exposed to publick view there is no need to be scrupulously careful in giving an Account It must be acknowledg'd there is usually with the Holiest Men a modest shyness of Communicating these privacies of their own Souls Their Inner Man doth shew its own Face with the more difficulty by how much it is more beautiful and worthy to be beheld And so it was with this excellent Person as his Inscriptions upon these Papers shew The State of my Own Soul and Qotes for my Self signifying their intended Use was that of a Mirrour to represent himself to his own Eye not to other Mens Yet this Aversion though great hath not been always Invincible or such as no Reasons to the contrary could oversway What are the Psalms of David and sundry Memoires of Holy Men in Scripture that were remotest from Ostentation and vain Glory but records of the most secret Dispositions and Motions of the hidden man of the Heart made publick for the instruction of their own and succeeding Ages As also the other published Meditations and Soliloquies of some of the greatest Worthies in the Christian Church must be understood to have had the same Pious Design Nor hath a generous Benignity in some Heathens permitted them to Ingross to themselves or envy to the World those pleasant Sensations of their own Minds which they thought might be some way Instructive and Useful to other Men. As that Renowned Philosopher and Emperour is instance that scrupled not to Write and leave behind him for this purpose Twelve Books concerning his own Life The thing cannot be Culpable if the Design be Innocent which will in great part be discernable in the manner of doing it when it is with unaffected simplicity and without studied Disguise As we commend a Picture not so much for its being Specious as that it is like the Face So have good Men in giving Accounts of themselves not spared to put in the Distempers and Disaffections of their Spirits that are as great Blemishes and Deformities as a Wart or Mole on the Face which the faithful Pencil must as curiously Express as the greatest Decencies However if this Publication be Praise-worthy nothing is to be Arrogated to the Author as if it be thought Blameable nothing is to be Derogated For though the Work it self which carries its sufficient Praise with it be owing entirely to him or rather to the Grace of God in him the making it publick is from the advice and desire of some Friends willing to impart what was once most private for a publick Good It is but the Dissection of his Soul less to be regretted by Friends when he is now cut of Sight and much more Useful than that of his lately Pained Body And as Anatomy discovers all the curious Contexture of our Bodily Fabrick Here are ●●ived Representations of Faith Love an Heavenly Mind of Humility Meekness Self-denyal Entire Resignedness to the will of God in their First and Continued Motions with whatever Parts and Principles besides Compose the whole Frame of the New Creature as if we could perceive with our Eyes how the Blood in an Humane Body Circulates through all the Vains and Arteries how the Heart Beats the Spirits Fly to and fro and how each Nerve Tendon Fibre and Muscle perform their several Operations Here it may be seen how an Heart toucht from above Works and Tends thitherward how it depresses it self in Humiliation Dilates it self in Love Exalts it self in Praise Submits it self under Chastenings how it Draws in its Refreshings and Succours as there is need To many who have seen so Steady Uniform and Amiable a Course and Tenour of of Life How grateful is it to behold the secret Motions of those inward latent Principles from whence all proceeded Though Some others would look no further than the Advantages in external Respects that accrue by it As though Some content themselves to know by a Clock the Hour of the Day or partake the beneficial use of some rarer Engine The more curious especially any that design Imitation and to Compose Some like thing would be much more Gratify'd if through some pellucid Inclosure they could behold all the inward Work and observe how every Wheel Spring or Movement perform their several Parts and Offices towards that Common Use. What is here Presented as it may be of great Usefulness to all that seriously design the Christian Life so it hath a special Use for such as design it not and who think there is no such thing It may peculiarly serve to Convince such as are willing to think as Ill as they can of the Calling and Office of the Ministry that there are Some that serve the Lord in that Work who do not Study such Subjects as are here Exemplify'd only to frame Discourses of them wherewith to entertain the People for an Hour but for their own Use and Practice too That do Live the things they Teach And Eat of the Food they prepare for others That are in good earnest and most intent to Save themselves and them that hear them And do really venture their own Souls upon the same Bottom upon which they would perswade their Hearers to venture theirs taking all possible Care Left when they Preach to others they should themselves be Cast-awayes The very Opinion that we Preach only for Forms sake and to keep up the Custom and believe or regard not what we our selves say as well as the thing it self is no small nor perhaps uncommon hinderance to the success of Preaching at this Day It is hard to be serious in Hearing what I think he is not serious in himself who Preaches it If I Apprehend he Trifles 't is a great Temptation to me to do so too You may see this Worthy Man considered the Gospel as a Gospel of Salvation and not only Taught but Used it accordingly How Sollicitous was he to ground Substantially and Strongly his Hope of Eternal Life How warily did he feel his Way and Labour to Understand and Know Practically upon what Terms he might safely appear before his Judge To them who do not so this ought to be taken for a Reprehensive Example and may be very Directive to them that do That it may attain its proper Ends is the serious Prayer of One desirous to promote the Common