Selected quad for the lemma: heaven_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
heaven_n	angel_n	ascend_v	ladder_n	2,229	5	11.8933	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A51875	The loving husband and prudent wife represented in the persons of St. Eustachius and Theopista, martyrs / written in Italian by John Baptista Manzini and Englished by John Burbery.	Manzini, Giovanni Battista, 1599-1664.	1657 (1657)	Wing M556; ESTC R29503	56,382	213

air he adored the Spirit of God passing and triumphing on the wings of the winde He either plow'd mowed or sow'd never wanting occasion of recollecting himself He grieved that Man from the Earth an insensible thing could promise himself a gratitude for each though little labour of his tilling when he who had a soul and was rational and more oblig'd to God than any other Creature was cold slow and backward in returning him thanks who cover'd him with the Heavens warm'd him with the Sun sustain'd him on a Pavement of Flowers and nourish'd him with plenty of all things drawn out of the ground Every Flower put him in minde of a virtue The whiteness of the Lilly made him blush to think a Soul redeem'd by Christ should let a stinking Flower surpass it in purity In every Rose he found a thorn piercing his heart and upbraiding the little charity he express'd for the love of his God who crown'd and rent with thorns was torn to save him The herb Turnsole is never weary in following the tracks of the Sun Eustachius said mortifying himself and wilt thou O my heart let a Flower instruct thee in loving ●erving and contemplating on thy God The Hyacinth in the opening of his leaves sends forth sweet and sad notes and he that bewails not his sins in his heart bewails them in the leaves But what doth Eustachius perform who hath been so long and continually a Sinner Every green Herb taught him hope and every fruitfull Tree imitation These Meditations ended in extasies of his minde which sever'd from the body did run to the feet of his Creatour to thank him for the fruit he had gather'd as a benefit receiv'd and the immature fruit as a benefit expected Such was the life of Eustachius in that solitude inhabited by Angels who continually descending and ascending as it were on Jacob's Ladder beheld and admired the love which towards his Creatour he expressed whom I cannot call earthly since he alwayes liv'd in Heaven The Loving Husband and Prudent Wife c. The third Book WHosoever is thankfull to God in prosperity pays his debts but he that gives him thanks in adversity turns Creditor Tribulation sayes Saint Jerome is a fruit of the Almond-tree the rinde of which is bitter but the kernel very sweet And the Naturalists observe when the Almond-tree is full of blossoms 't is a sign of a plentifull harvest Our Eustachius makes it good whose sufferings all know which have been so great their billows have petrify'd his heart and render'd it stony obdurate and dead to passions and affections Under the bitter Plant of affliction as Jacob under the Turpentine-tree Eustachius hath bury'd the Idols of his affections his interest and desires His heart is no longer of flesh but of Christ and had it been open'd the name of Jesus would have been found there as in that of Ignatius the Martyr But God would not permit him to continue in this state Tribulations may serve to increase his temptations but cannot increase the faith of his invincible heart which can have no addition of courage The eagerness and valour he hath shew'd on all occasions give him worthily the praises and title of a Noble Commander who had been still victorious Here misery made a stand and Heaven clear'd up to this fortunate Passenger As Eustachius was discoursing one day with certain Husbandmen in order to their rural affairs two Strangers saluting them kindly approached to them whose civility the Country People returning offer'd themselves readily to serve them in what they were able The Strangers thanking them seem'd most desirous to have information of a Roman call'd Placidus who together with his Wife and two Sons had been missing fifteen years and they were in quest of Eustachius who before had been their General and their intimate Friend knew them but was not known again And who would e're have thought so pale so hairy and so humble a countenance colour'd onely with misfortune could have been the face of Placidus who formerly full of majestie and glittering like the Sun represented in the Colours of his Banners the Purple of his Triumphs At this their encounter and demands Eustachius could not choose but be sensible of the natural commotions our frailty occasions so as 't is no wonder if the memory of himself his Wife and his Sons caused him to relent The temptation was strong because too unexpected and had a too delicate opportunity and too little suspected His Friends were the cause whose affections incommodity and charity unless by not concealing them he could not return Quickly but quietly lest he should have been observ'd he sadly turn'd his back and leaving the company went weeping towards his home His tears trickl'd down in too great an abundance and he perceiv'd he wept with a kind of afflicted sensuality even tears said Metrodorus have their lust which he soon was sorry for Woe is me what do I Men weep not in this manner for the easing of nature whose sorrows to appease many tears are not requisite Men weep in this manner for some unruly passion tyrannically subduing their reason Le ts look to our selves O Eustachius least the Devill circumvent us for this violence is too great So he spake to himself when invaded by the memory of his former prosperity his love to his wife and his grief for the death of his sons but conquer'd by his fear to be seen by his God too devoted to the world he besought his sacred Majesty not to suffer any earthly affection to prevayle in his heart which dedicated and bequeathed to him was no otherwise of Eustachius than as Eustachius could not serve without a heart and love his gracious God So with unknown resentments resembling a trance which might be thought a punishment for his sorrow but probably was the sweetness and fruit of his devotion he fell to the earth beseeching God to moderate so immoderate a passion He would have begg'd of God as he was pleas'd to comfort him with the unexpected presence of two such dear friends so he would too be pleas'd even once before he dy'd to shew him his beloved Theopista since he could not hope possibly to see his little sons ah little sons so unfortunately lost and bewayl'd He would have pursu'd his desire with devout supplications and prayers if he could have been assur'd it was no temptation he being so confirm'd and onely intense in the will of his Creator that it seem'd to him a sin to desire it He so passionately was enamour'd of God that he thought if he lov'd any thing besides him 't would decrease his love to God These his irresolutions doubts exprest his devotion and affection to God T is one of the happinesses of a soul in the state of grace to see that all his thoughts affections and operations are prayers incenses and meritotorious To these supplications of Eustachius a voyce answer'd plainly from Heaven which spake in this manner Be