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 |
|
A54216
|
Some fruits of solitude in reflections and maxims relating to the conduct of human life. Licens'd, May 24. 1693.
|
Penn, William, 1644-1718.
|
1693
(1693)
|
Wing P1367; ESTC R216936
|
27,730
|
152
|
and thou wilt acceptably serve God 417. Is it but Reason if we expect the Acknowledgments of those to whom we are bountiful that we should reverently pay ours to God our most munificent and constant Benefactor 418. The World represents a Rare and Sumptuous Palace Mankind the great Family in it and God the mighty Lord and Master of it 419. We are all sensible what a stately Seat it is the Heavens adorned with so many glorious Luminaries and the Earth with Groves Plains Valleys Hills Fountains Ponds Lakes and Rivers and Variety of Fruits and Creatures for Food Pleasure and Profit In short how Noble an House he keeps and the Plenty and Variety and Excellency of his Table His Orders Seasons and Suitableness of every Time and Thing But we must be as sensible or at least ought to be what Careless and Idle Servants we are and how short and disproportionable our Behaviour is to his Bounty and Goodness How long he bears and often he reprieves and forgives us who notwithstanding our Breach of Promises and repeated Neglects has not yet been provok'd to break up House and send us to shift for our selves Should not this great Goodness raise a due Sense in us of our undutifulness and a Resolution to alter our Course and mend our Manners that we may be for the future more worthy Communicants at our Master 's good and great Table Especially since it is not more certain that we deserve his Displeasure than that we shall feel it if we continue to be unprofitable Servants 420. Let us then not cozen our selves with the Shels and Husks of things nor prefer Form to Power nor Shadows to Substance Pictures of Bread will not satisfy Hunger nor those of Devotion please God 421. This World is a Form our Bodies are Forms and no visible Acts of Devotion can be without Forms But yet the less Forms in Religion the better since God is a Spirit For the more mental our Worship the more adequate to the Nature of God the more silent the more suitable to the Language of a Spirit 422. Words are for others not for our selves Nor for God who hears not as Bodies do but as Spirits should 423. If we would know this Dialect we must learn of the Divine Principle in us As we hear the Dictates of that God hears us 424. There we may see him too in all his Attributes Tho' but in little yet as much as we can apprehend or bear For as he is in himself he is incomprehensible and dwelleth in that Light which no Eye can approach But in his Image we may behold his Glory Enough to exalt our Apprehensions of God and to instruct us in that Worship which pleaseth him 425. Men may Tire themselves in a Labyrinth of Search and talk of God But if we would know him indeed it must be from the Impressions we receive of him And the softer our Hearts are the deeper and livelier those will be upon us 426. If he has made us sensible of his Justice by his Reproof of his Patience by his Forbearance of his Mercy by his Forgiveness of his Holiness by the Sanctification of our Hearts through his Spirit we have a grounded knowledge of God This is Experience that Speculation This Enjoyment that Report In short this is undeniable Evidence with the reality of Religion and will stand all Winds and Weathers 427. As our Faith so our Devotion should be lively Cold Meat wont serve at those Repasts 428. It s a Coal from God's Altar must kindle our Fire And without Fire true Fire no acceptable Sacrifice 429. Open thou my Lips and then said the Royal Prophet my Mouth shall praise God But not till then 430. The Preparation of the Heart as well as Answer of the Tongue is of the Lord and to have it we must make our Prayers powerful and our Worship grateful 431. Let us chuse therefore to commune where there is the warmest sense of Religion where Devotion exceeds Formality and Practice most corresponds with Profession and where there is at least as much Charity as Zeal For where this Society is to be found there shall we find the Church of God 432. As Good so Ill Men are all of a Church and every Body knows who must be Head of it 433. It is a sad Reflection That many Men hardly have any Religion at all and most Men have none of their own for that which is the Religion of their Education and not of their Judgment is the Religion of another and not their own 434. To have Religion upon Authority and not upon Conviction is like a Finger-Watch to be set forwards or backwards as he pleases that has it in keeping 435. It is a preposterous thing that Men can venture their Souls where they will not venture their Mony For they will take their Religion upon trust but not trust a Synod about the Goodness of Half a Crown 436. They will follow their own Judgment when their Mony is concerned whatever they do for their Souls 437. But to be sure that Religion cannot be right that a Man is the worse for having 438. No Religion is better than an Unnatural One. 439. Grace perfects but never sours or spoils Nature 440. To be Unnatural in Defence of Grace is a Contradiction 441. He that is without Bowels is not a Man How then can he be a Christian 442. It were better to be of no Church than to be bitter for any 443. Bitterness comes very near to Enmity and that is the Devil because the Perfection of Wickedness 444. A good End cannot sanctify evil Means nor must we ever do Evil that Good may come of it 445. Some Folks think they may Scold Rail Hate Rob and Kill too so it be but for God's sake 446. But nothing in us unlike him can please him 447. God has replenisht this World with abundance of good Things for Man's Life and Comfort but they are all but Imperfect Goods He only is the Perfect Good to whom they point But alas Men cannot see him for them tho' they should see him in them 448. It is as great Presumption to send our Passions upon God's Errands as it is to palliate them with God's Name 249. Zeal dropt in Charity is good without it good for nothing For it devours all it comes near 450. They must first judge themselves that presume to censure others And such will not be apt to overshoot the Mark. 451. We are too ready to retaliate rather than forgive or gain by Love and Information 452. And yet we could hurt no Man that we believe loves us 453. Let us then try what Love will do For if Men did once see we Love them we should soon find they would not harm us 454. Force may subdue but Love gains And he that forgives first wins the Lawrel 455. If I am even with my Enemy the Debt is paid But if I forgive it I oblige him for ever 456. Love is the hardest Lesson in Christianity but for that reason it should be most our care to learn it Difficilia quae Pulchra 457. It is a severe Rebuke upon us that God makes us so many Allowances and we make so few to our Neighbour As if Charity had nothing to do with Religion Or Love with Faith that ought to work by it 458. I have often wondred at the unaccountableness of Man in this among other things that tho' he loves Changes so well he should care so little to hear or think of his last great and best Change too if he pleases 459. Being as to our Bodies composed of changeable Elements we with the World are made up of and subsist by Revolution But our Souls being of another and nobler Nature we should seek our Rest in a more enduring Habitation 460. I find all sorts of People agree whatsoever were their Animosities when humbled by the Approaches of Death Then they forgive then they pray for and love one another Which shews us that it is not our Reason but our Passion that makes and holds up the Feuds that reign among Men in their Health and Fulness They therefore that live nearest to that which they should die must certainly live best 407. Did we believe a final Reckoning and Judgment or did we think eno ' of what we do believe we would allow more Love in Religion than we do since Religion it self is nothing else but Love to God and Man 462. He that lives in Love lives in God says the Beloved Disciple And to be sure a Man can live no where better 463. It is most reasonable Men should value that Benefit which is most durable Now Tongues shall cease and Prophecy fail and Faith shall be consummated in Sight and Hope in Enjoyment But Love remains 464. Love is indeed Heaven upon Earth since Heaven above would not be Heaven without it For where there is not Love there is Fear But perfect Love casts out Fear And yet we naturally fear most to offend what we most Love 465. What we Love we 'll Hear what we Love we 'll Trust and what we Love we 'll serve and suffer for too If you Love me says our Blessed Redeemer keep my Commandments Why Then he 'll Love us then we shall be his Friends then he 'll send us the Comforter then whatever we ask we shall receive and then where he is we shall be also Behold the Fruits of Love the Power Vertue Benefit and Beauty of Love 466. Love is above all And when it prevails in us all we shall all be Lovely and in Love with God and with one another Amen FINIS ERRATA P. 8. l. 8. del by p. 34. l. 15. r. in daring p. 35. l. 14. r. of the p. 38. l. 12. r. bond vertue p. 71. l. 22. by by del p. 88. l. 6. r. Shift Heads l. 7. r. Hands are p. 117. l. 3. r. is not
a Friend we are to find them before we chuse one 107. The Covetous the Angry the Proud the Talkative cannot but make ill Friends as well as the False 108. In short chuse a Friend as thou dost a Wife till Death separates you 109. Yet be not a Friend beyond the Altar But let Virtue bound thy Friendship Else it is not Friendship but an evil Confederacy 110. If my Brother or Kinsman will be my Friend I ought to prefer him before a Stranger or I shew little Duty or Nature to my Parents 111. And as we ought to prefer our Kindred in point of Affection so too in point of Charity if equally needing and deserving 112. Be not easily acquainted lest finding reason to cool thou makest an Enemy instead of a good Neighbour 113. Be Reserved but not Sour Grave but not Formal Bold but not Rash Humble but not Servile Patient not Insensible Constant not Obstinate Chearful not Light rather Sweet than Familiar Familiar than Intimate and Intimate with very few and upon very good Grounds 114. Return the Civilities thou receivest and be ever grateful for Favours 115. If thou hast done an Injury to another rather own it than defend it One way thou gain'st Forgiveness the other thou doubl'st the Wrong and Reckoning 116. Some oppose Honour to Submission But it can be no Honour to maintain what it is Dishonourable to do 117. To confess a Fault that is none out of fear is indeed mean But not to be afraid of standing in one is Brutish 118. We should make more haste to Right our Neighbour than we did to Wrong him And instead of being Vindicative we should leave him to be judge of his own Satisfaction 119. True Honour will pay treble Damages rather than justifie one Wrong by another 120. In such Controversies it is but too common for some to say Both are to blame to excuse their own Unconcernedness which is a base Neutrality Others will cry They are both alike thereby involving the Injured with the Guilty to mince the Matter for the Faulty or cover their own Injustice to the wronged Party 121. Fear and Gain are great Perverters of Mankind and where either prevail the Judgment is violated 122. Avoid Company where it is not profitable or necessary and in those Occasions speak little and last 123. Silence is Wisdom where Speaking is Folly and always safe 124. Some are so Foolish as to interrupt and anticipate those that speak instead of hearing and thinking before they answer which is uncivil as well as silly 125. If thou thinkest twice before thou speakest once thou wilt speak twice the better for it 126. Better say nothing than not to the purpose And to speak pertinently consider both what is fit and when it is fit to speak 127. In all Debates let Truth be thy aim not Victory or an unjust Interest and endeavour to gain rather than to expose thy Antagonist 128. Give no advantage in Argument nor lose any that is offered This is a Benefit which arises from Temper 129. Don't use thy self to dispute against thine own Judgment to shew Wit lest it prepare thee to be too indifferent of what is Right Nor against another Man to vex him or for meer trial of Skill Since to inform or to be informed ought to be the end of all Conferences 130. Men are too apt to be concerned for their Credit more than for the Cause 131. There is a Truth and Beauty in Rhetorick but it oftner serves ill turns than good ones 132. Elegancy is a good Meen and Adress given to Matter be it by proper or figurative Speech where the words are apt and Allusions very natural Certainly it has a moving Grace But it is too artificial for Simplicity and oftentimes for Truth The danger is lest it delude the Weak who in such cases may mistake the Handmaid for the Mistress if not Error for Truth 133. 'T is certain Truth is least indebted to it Because she has least need of it and least uses it 134. But it is a reproveable Delicacy in some that despise Truth in plain Cloaths 135. Such Luxuriants have but false Appetites like those Gluttons that by Sawces force an Appetite where they have no Stomach and Sacrifice to their Pallate not their Health Which cannot be without great Vanity nor that without some Sin 136. Nothing does Reason more Right than the Coolness of those that offer it And Truth often suffers more by the Heat of its Defenders than from the Arguments of its Opposers 137. Zeal ever follows an appearance of Truth and the Assured are too apt to be warm But 't is their weak side in Argument Zeal being better shewn against Sin than Persons or their Mistakes 138. Where thou art obliged to speak be sure to speak the Truth For Equivocation is half way to Lying as Lying the whole way to Hell 139. Believe nothing against another but upon good Authority Nor report what may hurt another unless it be a greater hurt to others to conceal it 140. It is wise not to seek a Secret and honest not to reveal one 141. Trust thy self and another shall not betray thee 142. Openness has the Mischief tho' not the Malice of Treachery 143. Never assent meerly to please others For that is beside Flattery oftentimes Untruth and discovers a Mind liable to be servile and base Nor contradict to vex others for that shews an ill Temper and provokes but profits no Body 144. Do not accuse others to excuse thy self for that is neither Generous nor Just But let Sincerity and Ingenuity be thy Refuge rather than Craft and Falshood For Cunning borders very near upon Knavery 145. Wisdom never uses nor wants it Cunning to Wise is as an Ape to a Man 146. Interest has the Security tho' not the Virtue of a Principle As the World goes 't is the surer side For Men daily leave both Relation and Religion to follow it 147. 'T is an odd sight but very evident That Families and Nations of cross Religions and Humors unite against those of their own where they find an Interest to do it 148. We are tied down by our Senses to this World And where that is in Question it can be none with Worldly Men whether they should not forsake all other Considerations for it 149. Have a care of Vulgar Errors Dislike as well as Allow Reasonably 150. Inquiry is Human Blind Obedience Brutal Truth never loses by the one but often suffers by the other 151. The usefullest Truths are plainest And while we keep to them our Differences cannot rise high 152. There may be a Wantonness in Search as well as a Stupidity in Trusting It is great Wisdom equally to avoid the Extreams 153. Do nothing improperly Some are Witty Kind Cold Angry Easie Stiff Jealous Careless Cautious Confident Close Open but all in the wrong Place 154. It is ill mistaking where the Matter is of Importance 155. It is not enough that a thing