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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
book_n	prayer_n	read_v	scripture_n	2,527	5	5.9548	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A79898	A Looking-glass for good women to dress themselves by: held forth in the life & death of Mrs. Katherine Clarke, who dyed, Anno Christi, 1675. Late wife of Mr. Samuel Clarke, minister.	Clarke, Samuel, 1599-1682.	1677 (1677)	Wing C4540A; ESTC R223051	22,206	99

God bestowed upon him whereby he could experimentially say That a Prudent Wife is the Gift of God And that in the enjoyment of her he enjoyed more Mercies then he could well enumerate But to descend to particulars and to take notice of some of those virtues and Graces wherewith God had beautified and adorned her Soul First her Piety was signal and exemplary from her first Conversion to the Hour of her Death Her Piety Her life was not stained with any scandalous Sin which might be a blemish either to her Person Profession or Relations She was a constant and diligent attender upon the Publick Ministry of Gods Holy Word And when she lived where she had the opportunity of hearing Lectures in the Week Day she made choice to attend upon those who were most plain practical and powerful Preachers from whose Sermons and Gods Blessing upon them she always sucked some spiritual nourishment and came home refreshed from them And when Days of Humiliation or Thanksgiving came she never failed to make one among Gods People in the Celebration of them Sabbaths Sanctified The Lords Days she carefully Sanctified both in Publick and in Private rising earlier upon them then upon other's especially when she had many young Children about her that so she might have opportunity as well for secret as for Family Duties before she was called away to the Publick She was like unto Davids Door keeper One of the first in and last out of Gods House Her constant Gesture at Prayer was Kneeling thinking that she could not be too humble before God Her usual manner was to write Sermons to prevent drowsiness and distractions and to help Memory whereof she hath left many Volumes and her Practice was to make good use of them by frequent reading and meditating upon them And if at any time she was cast into such Places and Company as were a hinderance unto her in the strict Sanctification of this Holy Day it was a grief and burden to her Scriptures read There was no Day that passed over her head except Sickness or some other unavoydable necessity hindred wherein she did not read some portions of the Sacred Scriptures both in the Old and New Testament and of the Psalms and in Reading she took special notice of such passages as most concerned her self She was frequent and constant in Secret Prayer and Meditation She also read much in other good Books especially in the works of those Eminent and excellent Divines Mr. Ambrose and Mr. Reyner and in reading of them she used to transcribe such passages as most warmed her Heart She never neglected any opportunity of receiving the Sacrament of the Lords Supper Sacrament preparation and before her coming to it was very strict and serious in the Duty of Self-Examination and for her furtherance therein at those times she read some of those Books that treated upon that subject And the Fruits of her holiness manifested themselves in the exercise of those Graces which God required of her She was not a Wordy but a Real Christian A true Israelite in whom was no guile Her endeavour was to yield universal constant cheerful and syncere Obedience to all Gods Commandments and wherein she failed and came short it was her grief and Burden Her Meditations upon what she heard and read were frequent And her Heart having indited a good matter her Tongue was as the Pen of a ready Writer taking Opportunities to speak to the Edification of those with whom she conversed She filled every Relation with the Exercise of such Graces and Duties as were suitable thereunto knowing that where Relative Duties are neglected and not made conscience of there also our pretended Religion is in Vain A good Wife First As a Wife She was singular and very Exemplary in that reverence and obedience which she yeilded to her Husband both in Words and Deeds She never rose from the Table even when they were alone but she made courtesie She never drank to him without bowing His word was a Law unto her She often denyed her self to gratify him And when in her sickness and weakness he mentioned her Case in particular unto God in his Prayers the Duty being ended she would make him courtesie and thank him In case of his absence she would pray with her Famliy Morning and Evening The like she would do in his presence in case of his Sickness and inability to perform the Duty himself Her Modesty and Chastity were rare and remarkable But fitter to be conceived by those which know what belong to them then to be expressed in Words For there is a conjugal as well as a Virginal and Vidual Chastity In Case of her Husbands Sickness she was a tender diligent and painful Nurse about him Skilful and careful in making him Broths and what else was needful for him If at any time she saw him in Passion with sweet and gentle words she would mollify and moderate it She was often a Spur but never a Bridle to him in those things which were good She was alwayes well pleased with such Habitations as in their many removes he provided for her And with such Apparrel and Diet as his means which was sometimes short would allow She never grutched nor grumbled at any of those Dispensations which Gods Al-wise Providence carved out unto them As a Mother Secondly As a Mother to her Children whereof God gave her nine four Sons and five Daughters she nourished them all with her own Breasts was very handy and handsome about them in their minority Kept them sweet and cleanly In neat and modest Habits Knew how to order them both in Health and Sickness She loved them dearly without fondness Was careful to give them Nurture as well as Nourishment not sparing the Rod when there was just occasion And as soon as they were capable she was vigilant and diligent to season their tender years with Grace and Virtue by instilling into them the first grounds and Principles of Religion And as they grew up she did more freely discover her tender Affections to them by Instruction advice and good Counsel as there was occasion And when they were disposed of ●broad by her gracious letters and hearty Instructions at their meetings she laboured to build them up in grace and godliness And God was pleased to let her see to her great Joy and Comfort the fruit of her Prayers and pains in keeping them from scandalous Courses in these corruptions and in working Grace in most of their Hearts When they were married and had Children she was frequently making one thing or other for them As a Mistress Thirdly As a Mistress to her Maids She was careful so far as she could to bring such as were Religious at least seemingly into her Family And having occasion to be much in their Company she would take all occasions and opportunities to manifest her love and care of their Souls by frequent dropping in good

and yet nothing prevailed to quiet and calm my Heart and to bow me to the Obedience of his revealed Will And withal considering that it was God only that could quiet the Heart and set our unruly and carnal Affections into an holy frame and order and That he was a present Help in times of trouble I often and earnestly sought unto the Lord with many Prayers and Tears beseeching him to quiet my Heart and to over power and tame my unruly Affections so as to be willing to submit unto him and to bear his Afflicting Hand patiently and fruitfully and to be ready and willing to submit either in doing or suffering to whatsoever he pleased to impose upon me And to be ready to part with the best outward Comfort I enjoyed whensoever he should please to call for the same And it pleased God seasonably to hear my Prayer to regard my Tears and to grant my Requests by calming and quieting my Heart and Spirit and by giving me much more contentedness to submit to his Holy Will and good Pleasure who is a God of judgment and knows the fittest times and seasons to come in with refreshing comforts and who waits to be gracious unto those that trust in him Yet surely I was not without many Temptations in this Hour of Darkness from that subtile Adversary who always stands at watch to insinuate and frame his Temptations answerable to our Conditions and like a Roaring Lyon walks about continually seeking to devour poor yet pretious Souls Then I called upon the Lord in my distress and he answered me and delivered me Bless the Lord O my Soul and all that is within me Praise his Holy Name For he hath remembred me in my low and troubled estate because his Mercy endureth for ever Having thus had new experience of Gods readiness to hear and help when I called upon him And having found that it is not in vain to seek to and to depend upon God in all our Straits I could not but record these things that so Every one that is Godly may seek unto him in a time wherein he may be found who is a present help in times of trouble and who doth for us abundantly above what we can ask or think The Lord knows that I write these things for no other end but that God may have the Glory and that others especially my Relations may be encouraged to seek God in their Straits and to trust in him at all times Amen After her Decease there was also found in her Cabinet a Paper with this Superscrip My Will and desire is with the leave of my Husband to bestow upon my Children these things as tokens of my Motherly Affections and that I may be remembred by them She began with her Husband and what she gave to him and all the rest were all wrapped up in several Papers and each Name endorsed on the outside to whom it did belong And then concludes all thus But above all my Prayers unto God are that he would especially bestow upon you all needful Saving Graces whereby y●u may be enabled to Glorifie his Great Name in those several places and callings wherein he hath set you Amen Amen She left also Legacies to some Poor Neighbours As also ten shillings to Mr. W. the Minister of the place to buy him a mourning Ring Concluding thus If God shall please to bring me to my Grave in Peace let this be the Text at my Funeral Ephes 2.8 For by Grace ye are saved through Faith This Scripture I was oft put upon to have recourse to in times of Temptations and Desertion In an other little Book she had collected sundry Texts of Scripture which might minister grounds of great Comfort against Satans Temptations whereby he labours by setting before us a black Bill of our Sins and daily Infirmities and our great inabilities to every Good Duty to blot out our Evidences to stagger our Faith and to make us go heavily and drooping in our way to Heaven Isa 1.17.18 Cease to do Evil Learn to do well And then Though your Sins be as Scarlet they shall be as white as Snow Though they be red as Crimson they shall be as Wool Isa 43.25 I even I am he that blotteth out thy Transgressions for mine own sake and will not remember thy Sins Ezek. 16.6 When I passed by thee and saw thee polluted in thy Blood I said unto thee when thou wast in thy Blood Live Yea I said unto thee when thou wast in thy Blood Live V. 8. When I passed by thee and looked upon thee behold Thy time was the time of Love And I spread my Skirt over thee and covered thy Nakedness Yea I sware unto thee and entred into a Covenant with thee saith the Lord God and thou becamst mine V. 9. Then washed I thee with Water Yea I throughly washed away thy Blood from thee and anointed thee with Oyl Ezek. 36.26 27. A New Heart will I give you and a New Spirit will I put within you And I will take away the Stony Heart out of your Flesh and I will give you an Heart of Flesh And I will put my Spirit within you and cause you to walk in my Statutes and ye shall keep my Judgments and do them Lam. 3.31 The Lord will not cast off for ever Joel 3.16 The Lord will be the Hope of his People 1. Joh. 1 9. If we confess our Sins he is faithful and just to forgive us our Sins and to cleanse us from all Unrighteousness He that believes shall be saved Rom. 8.33 34. Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods Elect It is God that Justifies Who is he that Condemneth 2. Tim. 2.13 If we believe not that is If sometimes we are not able to act Faith yet God is faithful He cannot deny himself Ephe. 1.4 According as he hath chosen us in him before the Foundation of the World V. 5. Having Predestinated us to the Adoption of Children by Jesus Chrisi to himself according to the good pleasure of his Will V. 6. To the Praise of the Glory of his Grace wherein he hath made us accepted in the Beloved v. 7. In whom we have Redemption through his Blood the forgiveness of Sins through the riches of his Grace 2. Thes 5.9 For God hath not appointed us unto Wrath But to obtain Salvation by Jesus Christ our Lord. Joh. 10.28.29.30 I give unto them Eternal Life and they shall never perish neither shall any Man pluck them out of my Hand My Father which gave them me is greater then all and no Man is able to pluck them out of my Fathers Hand I and my Father are one Isa 50.10 Who is among you that searcheth the Lord that obeyeth the voice of his Servant That walketh in darkness and hath no Light Let him trust in the Name of the Lord and stay upon his God Psa 32.1 2. Blessed is the Man whose iniquity is forgiven Whose Sin is covered Bless●d is the