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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
book_n	great_a	life_n	write_v	5,211	5	5.2860	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A29676	Apples of gold for young men and vvomen, and a crown of glory for old men and women. Or, The happiness of being good betimes, and the honour of being an old disciple Clearly and fully discovered, and closely, and faithfully applyed. Also the young mans objections answered, and the old mans doubts resolved. By Thomas Brooks preacher of the gospel at Margarets new Fishstreet-hill.	Brooks, Thomas, 1608-1680.	1657 (1657)	Wing B4922A; ESTC R214145	141,163	402

leave Where Christ beginnes to love he always loves Jer. 31.3 I have loved thee with an everlasting love Now who would not venture the loss of all friends in the world to gain such a friend as this is Ah! Young men and women let mee say to you what Seneca said to his friend Polibius Fas tibi non est de fortuna conqueri salvo Caesare never complain of thy hard fortune as long as Caesar is thy friend so say I never complain of your loss of Friends so long as by loosing of them you gain Christ to be your friend Secondly Thou were 't better be without their friendship and favour than to enjoy it upon any sinful and unworthy accounts thou were 't better run the hazard of loosing thy friends and their favour by seeking and serving the Lord in the Primerose of thy dayes then to run the hazard of losing God Christ heaven Mat. 16.26 Mark 8.36 eternity and thy soul for ever by neglecting the things of thy peace It was a gallant return which the noble Rutilius made his friend requesting of him an unlawfull favour in such language as this I had as good bee without such a friend as with him who will not let mee speed in what I ask to whom hee replyed I can want such a friend as you if for your sake I must do that which is not honest The application is easy Well Young man remember this the torments of a thousand hells were there so many comes far short of this one vice to bee turned out of Gods presence with a Non novi vos I know you not Mat. 7.23 Ah! Young man Young man thou wer 't better ten thousand thousand times to bee cast out of the thoughts and hearts of thy carnal friends and relations than to bee cast out of Gods presence with cursed Cain for ever Gen. 4 than to be excommunicated out of the general Assembly of the Saints Heb. 12.23 and Congregation of the first-born which are writen in heaven and therefore away with this objection but Thirdly The favour and friendship of such carnal persons is very fickle and inconstant it is very fading and withering Now they stroak and anon they strike now they lift up and anon they cast down now they smile and anon they frown now they kiss and anon they kill now they cry Hosanna Hosana anon they cry Crucify him crucify him Haman is one day feasted with the King and the next day made a feast for Crows Esth 7. The Princes of Babylon were highly in King Darius his favour one day Dan. 6 and cast into the Lyons den the next The Scribes and Pharisees that cryed up Judas one day did in effect bid him go and hang himself the next day Mat. 27.3 4.5 Such mens favour and friendship Valerian Valens Belisareus Baj●zet Pythias Dionysius Pompey William the Conqueror and many other have found it so are as Venice Glasses quickly broken and therefore not much to bee prized or minded Histories abounds with instances of this nature but I must hasten onely remember this that every dayes experience tells us that wicked men can soon turn Tables and cross their books their favour and friendship is usually like to a morning cloud or like to Jonahs Gourd one hour flourishing and the next hour withering and why then shouldest thou set thy heart upon that which is more changeable than the moon Glaucus who changed his Armour of Gold with Diomedes for his Armour of Brass stands upon record for a fool c. But Fourthly and Lastly who but a mad man would adventure the loss of the Kings favour to gain the favour of his Page who but a stark Bedlam would run the hazard of loosing the Judges favour upon the Bench to purchase the good will of the Prisoner at the Barre Socrates preferred the Kings countenance before his Coyn and so must you prefer the favour of God Psal 4.6 7 the countenance of Christ and the things of eternity above all the favour and friendship of all the men in the World when your nearest friends and dearest relations stands in competition Psal 45.10 Mat. 10.37 Luk. 14.26 27 with Christ or the things above you must shake them off you must turn your backs upon them and welcome Christ and the things of your Peace hee that forsakes all relations for Christ shall certainly finde all relations in Christ hee will bee father friend husband Child hee will bee every thing to thee who takest him for thy great all Object 3. I but I shall meet with many reproaches from one and other if I should labour to bee good betimes if I should seek and serve the Lord in the spring and morning of my youth now to this I answer First What are reproaches to the great things that others have suffered for Christ his Gospel Heb●ews ch 10. ●● read the ten persecutions and the maintaining of a good conscience what is a prick of a pin to a stab at the heart what is a chiding to a hanging a whipping to a burning no more are all the reproaches thou canst meet with to the great things that others have suffered for Christs sake Ah! Young men you should be like the Scythian that went naked in the Snow and when Alexander wondred how hee could endure it Answered I am not ashamed for I am all forehead So should you in the cause and way of Christ you should not bee ashamed you should be all forehead you should bee stout and bold Colonus the dutch Martyr under all his reproaches called to the judge that had sentenced him to death and desired him to lay his hand upon his heart and then asked him whose heart did most beat his or the Judges All the reproaches in the world should not so much as make a Christians heart beat they should not in the least trouble him nor disturb him but Secondly I Answer That all the reproaches thou meetest with in the way of Christ and for the sake of Christ they do but adde Pearls to thy Crown they are all additions to thy happiness and blessedness 1 Pet. 4.14 If yee be reproached for the name of Christ happy are yee for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you on their part hee is evil spoken of but on your part hee is glorified the more you are reproached for Christs sake on earth Mat. 5.11 12 the greater shall bee your reward in heaven they that are most loaded with reproaches here shall bee most laden with glory hereafter Christ hath written their names in golden letters in his book of life that are written in black letters of reproach for his sake on earth T was a good saying of one Chrysostom a Reproacher saith hee is beneath a man but the reproached that bear it well are equal to Angells of all Crowns the reproached mans Crown will weigh heaviest in heaven But Thirdly

his word as you may see by comparing these scriptures together Deut. 29.18 19 20. Psal 78.36 Psal 36.1.2 Job 17.5 Ezek. 12.24 Dan. 11.21 32 34. Ps 12.2 3. They speak vanity every one with his neighbour with flattering lips and with a double heart do they speak Karath signifies any cutting off either by death or banishment c. The Lord shall cut off all flattering lips and the tongue that speaketh proud things And as God declares sadly against them in his word so hee hath declared terribly against them in his works as you may runne and read in his judgements executed upon Ahabs flattering Prophets and upon Haman and upon Daniels Princely false accusers c. And why then will not you stop your ears against those wretches that the hand and heart of God is so much against Again A preacher in Constantines time presumed to call the Emperour Saint to his face but he went away with a check Euseb de vit Const l. 4.4 As God declares against them so good men detest them and declare against them as you may see by comparing these Scriptures together Psal 5.8 9 10. Prov. 2.16 Prov. 7.21 Prov. 28.23 Job 32.21 22. 1 Thess 2.5.20 Prov. 20.19 Meddle not with him that flattereth with his lips Why so why because a man that flattereth his Neighbour spreadeth a net for his feet Prov. 29.5 The Hebrew word Mahhalik from hhalak that is here rendred flatterer signifies a smooth boots a soft butter-spoken man because flatterers useth smooth soft speeches Also the word signifies to divide because a Flatterers tongue is divided from his heart Flatterers have their nets and those that give ear to them will bee taken to their ruine A lying tongue hateth those that are afflicted by it The Hebrew word and a flattering mouth worketh ruine 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Prov. 26. ult A flattering mouth ruines name Dahbah signifies such aviolent forceing of one as he cannot stand it signifies to throw down to drive on forwards till a man fall into destruction same estate body soul life Valerian the Roman Emperour used to say Non acerba sed blanda not bitter but flattering words do all the mischeif When Alexander the Great was hit with an Arrow in the siege of an Indian City which would not heal hee said to his Parasites you say that I am Jupiters son but this wound cryes that I am but a man Now shall good men detest them and abhor them as they are the pest of pests the plague of plagues and will you own them will you take pleasure in them to your ruine here and hereafter the Lord forbid Oh say to all flatterers as hee to his Idols Hos 14.8 Get you hence for what have I more to do with you Nay once more consider that not onely the good but the bad not onely the best but some of the worst of men have manifested their detestation of Flatterers and flattery Leo the Emperour used to say occulti inimici pessimi a close enemy is farre worse than an open When a Court Parasite praised Sigismund the Emperour above measure the Emperour gave him a sound box on the ear When Aristobulus the Historian presented to Alexander the Great book that hee had written of his glorious acts wherein hee had flatteringly made him greater than he was Alexander after he had read the book threw it into the River Hydaspes and said to the Author it were a good deed to throw thee after it When the Flatterers flattered Antigonus hee cryed out mentiris mentiris in gutture Hae virtutes non laetent in me thou liest thou liest in thy throat these vertues that thou speakest of I have not in me but I am like a Leopard that have ten black spots to one white Augustus Caesar and Tiberius Caesar were deadly enemies to flatterers insomuch that they would not bee called Lords by their own children A good Symbole is attributed to Trebonianus Gallus viz. Nemo amicus idem et adulator no Flatterer can be a true friend Aristippus the Philosopher seeing Diogenes washing of herbs for his dinner said if Diogenes knew how to make use of Kings hee need not live upon raw herbs as he doth to which Diogenes replyed that if Aristippus could content himself with herbs hee need not to turn Spaniel or to flatter King Di nysius for a meals meat Ah! Young men Young men shall God shall good men shall bad men detest and declare against Flatterers and flattery and will not you turn a deaf ear upon them yea fly from them as from a Serpent and shun them as you would shun hell it self if you do not the very Heathens but now cited will rise in judgement against you Flatterers are the very worst of sinners The Flatterers told Caesar that his freckles in his face were like the starres in the Firmament they bought and sold Aurelius the Emperour at pleasure And Augustus complained when Varrus was dead that hee had none now left that would deal plainly and faithfully with him So men may gain by Flattery they will bee like Harpaelus who said Quod Regi placet mihi placet that which pleaseth the King pleaseth mee When Astyages set his own Sonne before him to feed upon him O but let every young man say into whose hands this treatise shall fall Quod Deo placet mihi placet that which pleaseth God pleaseth mee I have been the longer upon this out of love to young mens souls Whilest an Asse is stroaked under the belly you may lay on his back what burden you please who are so apt to bee insnared in the Flatterers net if ever you would bee good in good earnest you must abhor Flatterers as the first born of the Devil and as such that are most pernitious to mens happinesse both here and hereafter It is reported of one Oramazes that hee had an enchanted Egg in which as hee boasted himself hee had inclosed all the happiness of the World but being broken nothing was found in it but Wind. Flatterers are the greatest cheaters the greatest deceivers in the world They say of the Crocodile that when hee hath killed a man he will weep over him as if hee were sorry and did repent for what he had done the Application is easy Fourthly If you would bee good betimes if you would seek and serve the Lord in the spring and morning of your dayes then take heed of engageed affections to the things of the World The Young man in the Gospel took many a step towards heaven Mat. 19 16-24 All these things have I kept from my Youth up what lack I yet Christ makes a very fair offer to him in the next words Jesus said unto him if thou wilt be perfect go and sell that thou hast and give to the Poor and thou shalt have treasure in heaven and come and follow mee thou shalt have heaven for earth a Sea for a drop a

a means to preserve thee from lying in those everlasting Flames Bellarmine tells us of a certain advocate of the Court of Rome that being at the point of death Bellar. de arte moriendi l. 2. c. 10. was stirred up by them that stood by to repent and call upon God for mercy hee with a constant countenance and without signe of fear turned his speech to God and said Lord I have a desire to speak unto thee not for my self but for my wife and Children for I am hastening to hell neither is there any thing that thou shouldest do for mee and this he spake saith Bellarmine who was present and heard it as if hee had spoke of a journey to some Village or Town and was no more affrighted Sir Francis Bacon also in his History of Henry the Seventh relates how it was a common by-word of the Lord Cordes that hee would bee content to lye seven years in hell so hee might win Calice from the English but if thou O young man art given up to such desperate Atheisme and carnal Apprehensions of Hell I am affraid God will confute thee one day by fire and brimstone but I would willingly hope better things of all those young persons into whose hands this Treatise shall fall and thus you see what things must bee declined and avoided if ever you would be good betimes if ever you would seek and serve the Lord in the spring and morning of your daies But in the second place as those things must bee declined so other things must carefully and diligently bee practised if ever you would be good betimes I shall instance onely in those that are most considerable and weighty as First if ever you would bee good betimes c. then you must labour to bee acquainted with four things betimes First You must labour to acquaint your selves with the Scripture betimes you must study the Word betimes David studied the Word in the morning of his dayes in the primrose of his youth Psal 119.97 98 99 100 101 102 103 and this made him wiser than his enemies yea than his teachers this made him as much excel the Ancients as the Sunne excels the Moon or as the Moon excels the twinkling stars Timothy was good betimes and no wonder for in the prime-rose of his dayes 2 Tim. 3.15 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from a suckling hee was acquainted with the Scripture hee was inured to the Word from his child-hood yea from his infancy as the word properly signifies so in that 119 Psalm the 9. Wherewithall shall a young man cleanse his way by taking heed according to thy Word there is no way to a holy heart and a clean life but by acquainting of your selves with the Word betimes one hath long since observed Aug. that God hath bowed down the Scriptures to the capacity even of babes and sucklings that all excuse may be taken away and that young men may bee encouraged to study the Scripture betimes Ah! Adoro Plenitudinem Scripturarum Tertullian Young men no Histories are comparable to the Histories of the Scriptures 1 for Antiquity 2 Rarity 3 Variety 4 Brevity 5 Perspicuity 6 Harmony 7 Verity All other books cannot equal Gods either in age or authority in dignity or excellency in sufficiency or glory Moses is found more ancient and more honourable than all those whom the Grecians make most ancient and honourable as Homer Hesiod and Jupiter himself whom the Greeks have seated in the top of their divinity The whole Scripture is but one intire love letter Gregory calls the Scripture Cor animam Dei the heart and soul of God dispatcht from the Lord Christ to his beloved Spouse and who then but would still be a reading in this love letter Like Caecilia a Roman maiden of Noble Parentage who carried alwaies about her the New-Testament that shee might still be a reading in Christs love letter and behold the sweet workings of his love and heart towards his dear and precious ones Luther found so much sweetnesse in the Word in Christs love letter that made him say he would not live in Paradise if he might without the word at cum verbo etiam in inferno facile est vivere but with the Word hee could live in hell it self The Word is like the stone Garamantides that hath drops of Gold in it self enriching of the beleeving soul This the Martyrs found which made them willing to give a load of hay for a few leaves of the Bible in English Augustine professeth that the Sacred Scriptures were his holy delight Hier. Epistola ad Heliod in Epitaphium Nepotiani And Hierom tells us of one Nepotianus who by long and assiduous meditation on the holy Scriptures had made his breast the library of Jesus Christ And Rabbi Chiia in the Jerusalem Talmud saith that in his account all the World is not of equal value with one word out of the Law That which a Papist reports lyingly of their Sacrament of the Mass viz. that there are as many mysteries in it as there bee drops in the Sea dust on the earth Angels in heaven stars in the skye Atomes in the Sun-beams or sand on the Sea-shore c. may be truly asserted of the holy Scriptures Oh the mysteries the excellencies the glories that are in the Word Ah no book to this book none so useful none so needful none so delightful none so necessary to make you happy and to keep you happy as this It is said of Caesar major fuit cura Caesari libellorum quam purpurae that he had greater care of his books than of his Royal Robes for swimming thorow the waters to escape his enemies hee carried his books in his hand above the waters but lost his Robe now what are Caesars books to Gods books Ah! Ps 119 Young men young men the Word of the Lord is a light to guide you a Counsellor to counsel you a comforter to comfort you a staffe to support you a sword to defend you and a Physitian to cure you the word is a Mine to enrich you a Robe to cloath you and a Crown to crown you it is bread to strengthen you and wine to cheere you and a honey-comb to feast you and musick to delight you and a Paradise to entertain you Oh! The Jewish Rabbins were wont to say that upon every letter of the saw there hangs mountains of profitable matter Therefore before all and above all search the Scripture study the Scripture dwell on the Scripture delight in the Scripture treasure up the Scripture no wisdome to scripture Wisdome no knowledge to Scripture knowledge no experience to Scripture experience no comforts to Scripture comforts no delights to Scripture delights no convictions to Scripture convictions nor no conversion to scripture conversion Augustin hearing a voice from heaven Tolle lege that bad him take and read whereupon turning open the new-Testament hee fell upon that place