Selected quad for the lemma: earth_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
earth_n	holy_a	lord_n	praise_v	4,460	5	9.6294	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A35189	The young mans monitor, or, A modest offer toward the pious, and vertuous composure of life from youth to riper years by Samuel Crossman.	Crossman, Samuel, 1624?-1684.; Crossman, Samuel, 1624?-1684. Young mans meditation.	1664 (1664)	Wing C7276; ESTC R24109	112,999	295

ye ambitious of his Honour but I must say Be ye imitat●rs of his Industry Accounting with yourselves as the Father piously of old that labour is the honourable Schoole of Vertue wherein your proficiency would soon appear to all Such an one Solomon at a great distance foresees what advancement he would soon come to Seest thou a man diligent in his business he shall stand before Kings he shall not stand before mean persons These things are and most justly may be the Young Mans Lecture they walk with him they talk with him Wherever he goes he is still pondering of them He considers his outward man and observes godly diligence inherits a blessing while negligence goes cloathed in rags He considers his inward man and fears if time be carelesly lost here Eternity of happiness will very hardly be found hereafter He that labours not painfully in hi● Calling both Spiritual and Civil here on Earth his heart is not right in the sight of God his own Conscience will tell him he hath no lot nor par● in that rest which remains for the people of God in He●ven CHAP. VII Affirmative Characters what the vertuous Young Man is and ought to be YOu have now received some Negative Characters and description of the Young Person that is worthy of commendation and love indeed That we might plainly understand what he is not what he ought not to be And oh that you likewise may cordially hate the work of them that thus turn aside and for your parts unfainedly meditate a better course of life We will now look to the right hand Affirmatively and consider what the vertuous Young Person is and ought to be in whole heart are the waies of God We might almost make our bo●st here and say in some measure as in the Psalms Grace is poured into his lips and he is much fairer than the common Race of the Children of men He is one whose mind is richly inlayed like the Kings Daughter all glorious within curiously wrought by the hand of the Spirit There may you find the Prophets Vision Ierusalem pourtraied upon a tyle Much of the very glory of Heaven it self drawn upon his tender soul His heart is as a living Temple for the Holy Ghost His thoughts and affections as perfumed Odours aspiring and ascending continually as pillars of Incense heaven-ward He cometh forth out of the purple morning of his youth as the Bridegroom out of his Chamber as the Sun out of the dawning East and rejoyceth to run the Godly Race More particularly 1. He is one that chooseth the fear of the Lord with his whole heart For he knoweth it is to God he stands or it is to God he falls Others are vain others are profane but so dares not he because of the fear of the Lord. He believes the Scripture and accounts it no burden no sadning but a Jewel well worth his carefullest preserving and laying up The fear of the Lord is his treasure Wherever this is wanting he reckons that place an habitation of Dragons undesirable unsafe for any man to live in And Abraham said Surely the fear of God is not in this place and they will stay me He hath heard all true wisdome wherever it is may be found out and known by this This is its first and great principle The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom This is to him as the due ballast to the Ship which makes the Vessel indeed loome somewhat deeper but keeps it from tossing too lightly upon the uncertain waters It composeth his whole Conversation to great sobriety and stedfastness There is a sleighty sort of profession too frequently up and down the world in these last daies without much mixture of this weighty grace in it But he easily concludes that mans Religion will soon prove as salt that hath lost its savour and quickly go out into some stinch Oh! what shipwrack of faith and all good conscience must needs follow there where the heart stands in no awe of God The Father long ago gave over that man as an hopeless Patient He will soon be out of his way in point of conversation that sets light by the true fear of God in point of affection It is a sad note but it is a true one That man that will not fear God willingly shall be made though little to his comfort to do it by force What most would seem to refuse none shall be able to exclude That dread of God which they flee from shall pursue them and overtake them between the straits God will be we never so loath be feared of all But woe be to that man who having refused filial fe●re as a grace is constrained to lie under the scourgings of a judicial trembling as his torment for ever and ever The Lord preserve you from it But now it is still a note as comfortable on the other hand to every true Child of God that accepts his gracious fear chearfully the Lord will himself become their shelter and City of refuge that their hearts may quietly return to their rest and need no more be amazed at any terrour outwardly God would not have his dear people fear the fears of others Only let us sanctifie the Lord of Hosts i● our hearts and he shall be for a Sanctuary unto us The case is truly weighty on both sides The serious Young Person takes it up goes with it into the Sanctuary and there weighs it before the Lord and at length comes forth cordially contented that the just fear of God should be to him as to the Patriarks of old the great Badge and Cognizance of his Religion 2. He is one to whom the Lord Iesus Christ is exceeding precious He loves his Father he loves his Mother but still saies Jesus Christ alone he and none but he can be my Saviour He could herein even break forth into an holy triumph and begin with the Father to sing the Songs of the Lamb The Saviour is born oh glorifie the Lord. He hath appeared on Earth be ye henceforth lift up ye everlasting Gates The Bridegroom is shortly returning again oh light your Lamps and go out to meet him Sing to the Lord in the joy of this salvation Oh! let all the earth praise the Lord. The Iron though senseless willingly moves toward the Loadstone and is loth to part any more from it Christ is his Load-stone and his heart is even constrained and drawn out with great affection after him If the presence of the Sun be that which alone makes day to the dark world The enjoyment of Christ is more to him the light of life that makes a day of grace the chief of his comforts his heaven his all He could say wi●h pious Suenes in the midst of the greatest discouragements I will follow my Saviour in liberty and bondage in prosperity and adversity in life and death Whilest the smallest thread of life

are willing as others also ●re to be of it and so they conclude without further troubling themselves that all will be well I write not this to upbraid any but may and must freely say thus much to all The truest Religion falsely taken up will be but as the Arke to the Philistims it may encrease our torments but will never save our souls If we shall climb up to Religion some other way and not by the true door if we shall crowd into profession without a wedding garment the time is coming we shall be found out and our own conscience which have thus lied to the Holy Ghost shall even fail within us and leave us speechless at the Bar of God as those that have not the least excuse for themselves There is a time Dear Youths your own consciences cannot but tell you so wherein Religion must be first embraced on Earth if ever you desire glory or happiness in Heaven Now he that begins amiss is like to make but very bad work ever after Things once mislearned are exceeding hardly unlearnt And truly where one takes up the profession of the Name of God sincerely and upon Gospel terms it may be feared there are too many who receive it unworthily and to their own condemnation Some lose their souls while they seek with the blinded Iews to establish their own righteousness Other hearing Religion much commended and seeing somewhat of amiableness and beauty in it they hastily catch up some flashy heady ceremonial or remote opinion as best pleaseth them and think they have enough and so never regard to know what sound conversion and true communion with God meaneth all their daies Others again and herein I am more particularly speaking to your caso the Lord grant you may truly lay it to heart others I say as Children and Servants to satisfie the desires and counsel of their religious Parents and Friends yield and do those things outwardly which they bear no true affection unto inwardly Oh wretched hypocrisie at the same time seemingly to stand in some fear of Man but none of God Well whosoever can deceive men no man can mock the Lord. His eyes are eyes of fire and all men shall know that he searcheth the heart and trieth the reins Where Spiritual things are Carnally undertaken the evils that too necessarily ensue thereupon are exceeding many The fruit of the whole undertaking is inevitably lost The Duty that seems offered is not at all discharged The Comforts the dear comforts of Godliness are all lockt up as mercies peculiarly reserved for sincere and better hearts The Profession that is thus made will quickly decay and die in disgrace The heart can never hold out long in that which is but personated and so little delighted in Only the evil and guilt of the miscarriage that will still remain and must be elsewhere answered for So little shall any ma● gain that goes to build upon the sands The further he goes the more he wanders and will sadly find at last He that begins not duly with Christ as the Author can scarce expect to find him in the end the Finisher or ●●owner of his faith Yet notwithstanding all this what just cause of sorrow may it be to all sober hearts to consider What har● and unkind usage what disingenuous and careless handling that sacred thin● Religion in most Ages meets withal from the hands of a froward carna● World Well take you this Item with you all your daies whatever you do in the matters of Religion do it heartily reverently Gospelly and humbly as in the sight of God the all-seeing the jealous God Where God sees he cannot be cordially believed or feared take outward shews who will they are of little value in the account of God These saies the Father are but worthless leaves we must still demand and call for real Fruits If the Lord asks or accepts any thing it must justly be the best we have Give me thine heart my Son Now the Lord himself direct you and give you a right entrance into his right waies with that kindliness of Repentance that truth of Faith that soundness of Conversation that you may not run in vain losing the things you seem to have wrought but may in the end happily obtain the crown of life Happy is that man that can truly say the Foundation stone is thus laid the Top stone shall also in Gods good time be as certainly vouchsafed with those gladsome shoutings to the God of such great and unexpected mercies Grace Grace Seventhly Take heed yet once more in the last place if God hath enkindled any heavenly affections in you now that you lose not your first love afterward The kindness of your youth it is dear it is lovely in the sight of God Christ looked upon the young man in the Gospel and loved him God sees and takes it well that it is in your hearts while you are young to enquire after him These first ripe grapes I might reverently say as in the Prophet they are the fruits that his righteous soul desireth Oh! let not your present convictions your present willingness your present delight in the good Word of God in the sweet Sabbaths of God in the dear people of God Oh! let not all this verdant hopefulness of your youth vanish as a morning cloud or like the early dew I give you this particular warning because miscarriages are so sadly frequent in all Ages of this nature And because I further know Satan will come to winnow you With this temptation if you live you may assure your selves he will assault you with it I have been too forward too zealous too careful for Religion while I was young I will even spare my self now Thus are the first daies of many Professors sadly clouded with lukewarmness formality wordly policy and earthly mindedness ere they die But I hope you will not dare so to do True motion is alwaies most intense the nearer it comes unto its Center And if you be truly aiming for Heaven you will dayly renew your strength and be loth to slacken your pace when it groweth nearest night Relapses in nature Physitians tell us are very sore Relapses in Profession are still far sorer How oh how shall such be ever renewed again unto repentance Dear Youths your thoughts are yet green your years hitherto but little experienced You have scarce yet known how bitter and evil a thing it is to forsake the fountain of living waters and God grant you never may But are you willing to believe what God shall testifie in this matter Then may you soon understand the Backslider though but in heart shall quickly have gall and wormwood enough in his Cup He shall be filled saies the Lord with his own waies Or are you further desirous to hear what Experience hath also to testifie in this weighty case Then may the horrour of Iudas the despairing groans of Spira become your warning They

let i● no wan● its due p●ofessors Fif●hly Say not Alas I know n●● what to do far wiser than I the p●ud●m the ancient are at great c●nt●oversie abo●● Religion who can tell where to pitch It is true it is too sadly true There are many pious men that may and doubtless have much sweet communion with the Lord who yet through the straightness and frowardness of their own hearts will have but little each with other Thus men wrangle themselves into a life too joyless to themselves too dishonourable to the Lord. Cadmus Teeth of strife seem every where sown and coming up very thick We might justly renew Erasmus his sad complaint of the former Age Contention lives while love and sweetness dies Tenets of faith are usually multiplied while sincerity goes as palpably down the wind Such is our wound oh that God would drop into it the balsom of love oh that he would bind it up and become our healer But because men can or rather will agree no better refer thy self and thy thoughtful heart to God and his Word Give credence in the strength of his grace to what he is there pleased to express or promise to thee Depend upon him according to all that he hath there allowed thee And compose thy self to be intirely at his command Aiming that whenever thou comest to die thou mayest resign thy self to God with these few words unfainedly breathed forth I have in my weak measure kept the word of thy patience on earth And now oh Lord be thou pleased to remember thy Servant according to this word of thine wherein thou hast caused me and I upon thy invitation have taken boldness for to hope Religion however pulled several waies is of it self a quiet and striseless thing Holy indeed but harmless Divine but still shining forth in much plainess and simplicity And be you as near as you can of that Religion which gives Glory to God on high on earth peace and good will toward men Oh! that the Lord would hasten such sweet times of refreshment from his own presence amongst us In the mean season if you see somewhat of inferiour diversity in gracious hearts a peculiar feature as it were upon several faces who have yet somewhat of true life and beauty shining in each be not too much amazed Remember Solymans great delight at the variety of flowers in his Garden professing himself highly pleased in this Though they were various they were still sweet and comely flowers Or rather call to remembrance the Fathers pious and ingenious Allusion Iosephs Coat may be of several colours so it be without a rent If you also see uncomely contentions even unto Paroxysm's and the utmost bitterness as once between the Apostles themselves it sadly was step in and tell them they are brethren desire them to be kinder to each other The Master is at hand If you shall lastly see and hear great controversies and little agreement yet know there is a true and plain way that leadeth unto life The way fating upon though a fool needs not erre therein Go 〈◊〉 to God and he will shew thee 〈◊〉 ●●w and living way which conducteth unto himself There are many oh that they were not so many that quarrel themselves carnally to Hell be thou cordial with God laborious in the profession of his name so shall hearty Faith and unfained obedience become thy safe and honourable convoy unto Heaven Whoever quarrel in other things no man shall blame thee no man shall charge thee with folly for these Sixthly Say not lastly I have a greater discouragement yet behind then I almost dare make known some of my Friends are not so willing to have me mind such things or meddle much with Religion It is a sore temptation where the Complaint is true What shall that poor Child do whom God hath spoken to as once to the children of Israel in the Land of Egypt and his very heart even melts within him opening it self day and night as Daniels window toward Ierusalem and yet all the countenance he hath from the Family is like that churlish speech of Pharaoh He is idle he is idle encrease his burden and let him not go to ●erve the Lord This is indeed the ●rial of all trials wherever it falls A 〈◊〉 straight which needs tears rather ●han words Oh that none would lay this stone ●f stumbling before young people ●est it unhappily revives that undesired ●●gh used by some in the Primitive 〈◊〉 Our Parents are become unto us 〈◊〉 the Ostrich in the wilderness and almost the murderers of our souls It 〈◊〉 hard for any to be an hindrance ●here they ought rather to be a fur●erance To be found a real offence 〈◊〉 discouragement to the least of Christs little ones Here have we cause to renew the ●mentation in the Prophet and say ●he children are once more come to the ●●rth and there wants strength to bring 〈◊〉 Here will be need of much wis●ome and choiceness of spirit more ●●an such tender years commonly at●●in un●o to cut the tread aright so 〈◊〉 obey the Lord as to shew the ut●ost tenderness of disobeying or dis●●easing Friends and yet so to ful●●ll our respect to them as not to forget we still owe as the Father well states it a far greater unto God The Lord himself put the everlasting arms underneath and bear up those discouraged children whose hard lot this is till he hath brought them with joy to his own bosome But this case blessed be God is rare the case of very few and I hope none of yours Be you modest I charge you Cast not the blame upon others to excuse your selves God easily sees through such pretences and understands right well where the fault still chiefly lies You know not the heart of a Parent It is natural to them though evil and too regardless of themselves to desire the welfare of their Children Your Parents have been often instilling good things have been previously laying in ponderous memorials upon your tender minds They have with much c●re brought you up to reading They have procured you that treasure of all treasures the Bible they have recommended it to you as your Saviours Legacy where you may find the words of eternal life your safest guide your best Friend when they are gone So that you may justly confess as St. Austine concerning his Mother Monica with how great solicitousness of heart they have often admonished you in the Lord. Whose Counsels you ought to receive as Iunius the instructions of his Father Scarce ever without tears So greatly might the weight of the Argument so greatly might the authority of the Speaker affect and move you And must it now be objected or dare you now say your Friends are unwilling with your souls good It is likely they would not have you pretend Religion to be stubborn against them It is very likely they would not have