Selected quad for the lemma: fire_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
fire_n	earth_n	heaven_n	world_n	6,506	5	4.9346	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A55741	Christ's revvard of a Christians watch and ward, or, A sermon preached at the burial of Mr. John Berry of Thorverton in the countie of Devon, Aug. 23, 1654 by John Preston ...	Preston, John, b. 1598 or 9.	1655 (1655)	Wing P3297B; ESTC R1152	15,552	24

the primitive times O quantum mutatus ab illo Pectore O where is the heart and life and spirit the vivacity the constancy and continuance in the service of God Sathans watch and play is more used than our Saviours watch and pray But to the doctrine It is the office of every Christian to keep a constant and continual watch over his soul Reas. 1. Because we are in danger of sin and in danger by sin In danger of sin besides many other sins of that deadness and drowsiness and heaviness of spirit which hangs upon the best In danger by sin more than I can express offending of God the good Angels giving advantage to Sathan exposing our selves to his darts grieve the good spirit of God and put a sting into all other troubles yea sin makes the Blessings of God to be no blessings birdlimes or clips the wings of our prayers hinders us from praysing God for his blessings Sin is the continual make-bate between God and us it separates all good from us it withdraws our good God from us It cankers our gold blasts our good embitters our comforts It is cunning and will steal into our hears unless we keep a Guard and set a diligent watch What is it but the powerfull command of sin which like the Devil in the man possessed casts us sometimes into the fire where we burn and boyl with lust sometimes into the water where either we swim with vain delights or are drowned with the drunken pleasures of this flattering world sometimes it blows us up into the air with a giddy desire to hunt and hawk after the honours and preferments of the world and anon throws us down groveling on the ground nailing our affections to this earth with the covetous desires of worldly goods Sin lies daily and hourly at our doors at our beds at our boards in solitariness in company in the house in the field watching to surprize us therefore we ought constantly to keep our watch because of the danger Reas. 2. Because the life of man is a Pilgrimage and we travel through our enemies Countrey This is Sathans Empire we had need to watch when we are in the midst of our enemies and a traitor a bosom-enemy within us Alas our precious Iewel is in a fraile pitcher therefore keep thy heart with all diligence Prov. 4. 23. In the 2 Kings 20. 39. A disguised Prophet cries to the King and said Thy servant went out into the midst of the Battel and behold a man turned a side and brought a man unto me and said keep this man if by any means he be missing then shall thy life be for his life or else you shall pay a Talent of Silver to our purpose thus As thou camest into the midst of the Army the militant Church God gave thee a soul to make thee a man with this charge Keep this soul safe if it be missing when I come about the business of the world or sin or Sathan look to it thy soul goes for it and thou hast in all the world but one soul if unprepared and unappointed the Lord will cashier it and cast it into hell whence thou shalt not come forth till thou hast paid the utmost farthing It will be in vain for thee to say as the man of his prisoner vers. 40. As thy servant was busie here and there he was gone Lord I had much to do in the world many businesses much to look after c. So my soul was missing when thou calledst The Lord will say as the King to the delinquent there So shall thy judgement be thy self hast decided it Reas. 3. We are Runners in a race The price set before us is eternal Glory According as the price is above all other so in our running we should be more quick more yarr and circumspect Reas. 4. We are in a Warfare and souldiers can never promise to themselves security without a strong and diligent watch 't is certain the General of the enemies horse never sleeps Sathan is alwaies waking and watching to take advantage Simon dormis tu Christian souldier sleepest thou The poor Disciples slept when their Lord was in an Agony but Iudas slept not Ah! our husbandmen slept and the envious one hath sowed Tares Christs Disciples have left Christ alone to his own cause saying as sometimes the Israelites To your own tents Now look to thine own house O Son of David Reas. 5. We are Stewards and must shortly give an account how we have improved our talents The estate of an Account is a watchfull estate Our account will be strict our thoughts words and works shall be weighed in the impartiall scales of the Judge of heaven and earth and if they be found thoughts of the Flesh words of the world and works of the Devil we shall be sent away from the presence of God With a Go ye cursed c. Hell will be our Prison eternity our shackles fire and brimstone our Torment the breath of the Lord like a River of brimstone will kindle it Reas. 6. The daughter of Improvidence notably set forth Luk. 12. 45 46. If the servant say in his heart My Lord delayeth his coming and shall begin to beat the men-servants and maydens and to eat and drink and to be be drunken The Lord of that servant will come in a day he looketh not for him and at an hour when he is not aware and will cut him in sunder and will appoint him his portion with unbelievers Swift destruction is at the heels of promisers to themselves Peace and Safetie Yea then is the time of pouring down divine vengeance when men are dissolved to a secure negligence When they shall say Peace and Safetie then sudden Destruction cometh upon them as travail upon a woman with child and they shall not escape 1 Thess. 5. 3. Lastly we are perpetually under Observation 1 Conscience is an Observer of us 2 Sathan observes what we speak or do that he may accuse us to God and witness against us 3 God observes us his eyes behold his eye-lids trie the children of men Psal. 11. 4. he knoweth our thoughts he writes it down in his book and the faults can never be blotted out without Repentance If Conscience fail as for a time she may and lye asleep at the door of our heart and neither bark or bite she will awake at last and tear thee Assure thy self God will not fail to set thy sins in order before thee if now thou do not examin and set them in order before thy face judge and condemn them The case being such we had need to keep a perpetual Watch and Ward over our souls These Reasons are so many Motives to this necessarie dutie of a Christian watchfulness I shall now give you a few Directions For and In Watching First Labour to have waking Considerations Consideration is a help to Watchfulness 1 Know and believe that there is a God that eyeth thee an enemie