Selected quad for the lemma: enemy_n
Text snippets containing the quad
|
ID |
Title |
Author |
Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) |
STC |
Words |
Pages |
|
A39252
|
The gentile sinner, or, Englands brave gentleman characterized in a letter to a friend both as he is and as he should be.
|
Ellis, Clement, 1630-1700.
|
1660
(1660)
|
Wing E556; ESTC R26096
|
111,865
|
282
|
think her such a Proserpine that either he or his Rivall must be sent to Hell before either can enjoy her There is indeed a Beauty for which the Gentleman thinks it no losse to die but such an one as is often black though alwaies lovely I mean his own Mother and his Saviour's spouse the Church of God and there is an Honour which he holds cheap enough when bought with the high price both of Life and Livelihood though if he might have his choise he had rather preserve both to maintain it then lose either to purchase it Loyalty to his Prince and Fidelity to his Country For these he does not fear to Embrace a Stake to make the Scaffold his Bed and a Block his Pillow seeing he is assured that whosoever thus lies down to rest at night shall without faile rise again to Glory in the Morning He holds it much more desireable to live a Beggar then to die a Traytor And that his Honour and Conscience should expose him to Tyranny and Violence then his Treachery or Hipocrisy buy out his temporall security He thinks it no great matter to trust that God with his Person and his Family who hath trusted him with his spouse and his Children Hence is the Gentleman's Prudence the Legitimate Daughter of Loyalty and Conscience not the Bastard of Covetousnesse and Cowardice 't is mixt of Discretion and Wisedome not Craft and Knavery He was never yet so blindly zealous as to worship a Golden Calfe for a God that so he might keep his Chest from being broken open Nor was he ever so absolute a Statesman as to call Rebellion Reformation for fear of Poverty or an Halter His naturall affection to wife and children is such that he would enjoy them for ever in happinesse and therefore his â—are is so to part with them now that he may meet them again in Heaven not in Hell hereafter His whole Policy is to avoid an aeternall though by incurring a temporall misery Such a Politician onely he thinks fit for Heaven that hath prudently managed his Lord's affaires upon Earth he cannot call him either a prudent or a faithfull Ambassador who prosecutes his own designe with more earnestnesse then his Master 's or acts more vigorously for the advancement of his own particular Interest then the Publick Good or his Prince's Honour It is his Prudence to secure what 's best by the losse of what 's Indifferent whensoever he is necessitated to part with one of the two and he chuses rather freely to part with that which he is only sure once to lose and by that lâ—sse become eternally happy then to throw away that which in spight of violence he might for ever have kept and can never part with without his utter ruine If tares must spring up amongst the good Corne in that field wherein God has intended him a labourer he had rather show by his activenesse that they were not sowne whilest he slept then by a covetous lazinesse give the Enemy an opportunity of Compassing his designes or occasion the disheartening of his brethren by withdrawing his shoulder and leaving them alone to beare the burthen in the heat of the Day He can think it a greater prudence with the Disciples of his Lord to leave his Father and his Net to follow a Saviour through Persecution into Heaven then with the Carking Fool to lie modelling out a Barne which may contain his wealth and in the mean time suffer his Soul to be stolne out of his Body by the sedulous craft of the seducer §. 12. His Behaviour in both Fortunes If Fortune smile upon him and be indeed such as he dare call her Good he makes it his businesse to be altogether as good as she and will be sure as well to deserve as to wear her Livery His care is that her good usage of him may be rather deem'd the just reward of his own Moderation and Good-Husbandry then the unmerited Bounty of so blind a Mistresse He makes his Prosperity a motive to his Piety not as others the opportunity of displaying his Vanity He proves by his example that he most happily enjoyes the World that Glories lest in the enjoyment of it He looks upon his present flourishing Condition rather as that which is not without ingratitude to be refused then with egernesse to be desired and upon what he now possesses as that which he knowes not how soone he may lose and therefore he makes himselfe now so carelesse an owner that if the wind chance to turne â—e may prove a cheerfull and Contented loser He dares not Phancy himselfe one jot the neerer Heaven for being thus mounted on the Deceitfull wings of Fortune lest when the contrary wind of adversity dismounts him and his unexpected fall awakes him from his pleasant dreame he should find himselfe to be really as low as he was before but seemingly high If Fortune be content to lodge with him as his ghest she is welcome But he cannot be so dotingly enamour'd of her as to entertain her either as his wife or his Harlot lest either an untimely divorce should break his heart or she should bring a Bastard for a Son and so at length shame and disgrace him He can neither so farre flatter her as to call her Goddesse which he knowes of her selfe to be no more but a name nor so farre Honour her as to aske her blessing because he knowes that whatsoever Goodnesse men are apt to ascribe unto her is but one of the meanest blessings of a Greater then she Laugh she never so heartily her pleasantnesse shall never overjoy him seeing for ought he knowes she either does or may ere long laugh at him and if she Frown he can frown as fast as she and that for her kindnesse He never relies upon her because he knowes she is naturally so unconstant nor can he see any reason why he should be proud of beeing her favourite because he may every where behold many of the most undeserving altogether as much in her Favour as himselfe To speak the whole the true Gentleman hath so slight an esteem of Fortune that he cannot vouchsafe her the Honour of a Beeing but leaves that to those poor Heathens who were indeed as blind as they supposed her to be Whatsoever blessings he enjoyes he received them as indeed they are as the bounties of an indulgent father with thanks and love and he useth them to that end for which he supposes so Good and Prudent a father would bestow them on a Beloved Son so that he may make them as much Instruments of his own Good as they are testimonies of his father's affection He looks upon his Prosperity not so much as a reward for doing well as an encouragement to do more and an opportunity of doing better Much lesse can he think his flourishing condition as many seem to doe a piece of Heaven's flattering Courtship where no more is intended then the affording him an opportunity of