Selected quad for the lemma: lord_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
lord_n	bless_v	magnify_v	praise_v	46,047	5	12.5813	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A01881	The creatures praysing God: or, The religion of dumbe creatures An example and argument for the stirring vp of our deuotion and for the confusion of atheisme. Benedicite omnia opera Domini Domino; laudate & superexaltate eum in secula. G.G.	Goodman, Godfrey, 1583-1656.	1622 (1622)	STC 12021; ESTC S118284	27,928	40

in Meditation Come we then to their vocall prayers which in effect is our Leiturgy or Church-seruice and first behold the magnificence of their Temple which is the materiall world the naturall Temple of God a Temple made by God for himselfe and by himselfe consecrated to his owne vse where the heauens are the roofe the earth is the footstoole and wherein nothing is wanting which may serue for beauty and ornament here all the Creatures dayly attend and are euer conuersant in this Temple For the Sparrow hath found her a house and the Swallow a nest where she may lay her young ones euen thine Altars O Lord God of Hostes my King and my God Blessed are all they that dwell in thy Courts for they will euer be praysing thee Psal. 84.3 4. Decent and comely ceremonies which serue to stirre vp our dulnesse and to set forth Gods magnificence and therefore are most commendable in vs yet they haue none for they want none in stead of them they haue a truth and syncerity in their seruice without hypocrisie or dissimulation they are not troubled or disquieted in their owne thoughts as we are that they should be admonished by outward ceremonies but they are like the Angels in heauen wholly intent to their seruice I would I could say as much for our selues Now listen a while to their prayers here euery creature hath his sound his voice Vox naturae inclamautis Dominum naturae The voice of nature calling vpon the God of nature Nature is no foole that she should babble and talke to her selfe nor is there any other nature with whom she might haue conference she is no more idle and superfluous in her words then in her workes Natura mhilfecit frustrà natura nihil dicet frustrà Then vndoubtedly in these cries she offers vp her prayers to her Maker Now would you know the meaning and sence of these prayers Surely I conceiue them to be to this or the like purpose Venite iubilemus Deo nostro quifecit nos exultemus laetemur in ipso the very beginning of our Morning Seruice O all yee workes of the Lord praise ye the Lord blesse him and magnifie him for euer Doe you yet require some more particular notice what they request in their prayers Truely they pray in a strange tongue I neuer learnt their language yet this I can say for a truth in mine owne experience That according to the diuersity of occasions you shall finde a difference in their prayers in their ioy and mirth you may discerne their pleasant notes of thankfulnesse in their griefe and heauinesse you shall heare their sorrowfull sighes and groanes of complaints Then it should seeme nature becomes a petitioner and to whom should she petition but to that higher power which sits aboue nature Though the dumbe Creatures haue neither speech nor language among them yet their sound is gone out into all quarters though their cries be inarticulate and vnsignificant to vs yet are they vnderstood of their Maker he that sees the secrets of our hearts can much more easily discerne the intent of their prayers But in this their seruice or prayers doe they vse no meanes of deuotion haue they no respect to Gods magnificence but confusedly doe mumble vp or bellow out their prayers as if with their crying and roaring God could be praised which were indeed more to dishonour God in the manner then to honour him in the seruice Herein to giue you full satisfaction I say that euery thing according to the vttermost extent of his own ability doth offer vp his seruice to God in the most excellent manner To instance only in their Quier or in their Church-musick here you haue a full perfect and compleate Quier sufficient variety of voices the little chirping birds the Wren and the Robin they sing a treble the Gold-finch the Nightingale they ioyne in the meane the Black-bird the Thrush they beare the tenour while the foure-footed beasts with their bleating and bellowing they sing a base how other birds sing in their order I referre you to the skilfull Musicians here is diuersity of musicke some haue their seuerall notes as if they sung verses alone and did pawse and keepe time like Queristers while others vse their continued songs that all might please with variety These songs are fitted for euery season as if they had some proper seruice some collects appointed for the time Thus they alter and varie according to the quarters of the yere the houres of the day the coasts of the world and as if they were in some solemne procession and did purpose to compasse and circuit the whole earth with their Anthemes and Letanies some sing while they are flying others make choice of the woods for their standing some in the groues some in the meddowes some in the plaines some on the house toppe here are their voyces Now for their instruments me thinkes the rockes the caues and the woods with a hollownesse of their sound like a musicall instrument send forth an Eccho and seeme to vnite their songs together with the pleasant noyse in the fall and gliding of waters the pretty sharpe whistling of the winde which serues as a ground to their musicke And what is more beleeue it they obserue their canonicall houres as if they were some religious order they haue their lauds their Mattens their Vespers in effect they haue their Morning prayer and their Euening song for these are the speciall and the appointed times for their deuotion neither will I conceale that which I haue so often obserued sometimes one bird prouokes another to sing then me thinkes I heare the Churches Antiphona's one side of the Quier answering another a custome which hath anciently beene brought into the Church according to the patterne and president of the Seraphims Isa. 6. Et clamabant alter ad alterum dicebant Sanctus sanctus Dominus Deus exercituum To conclude how effectuall and acceptable their prayers are I will not demand of them they may chance to be foolish and partiall in their owne behalfe herein take rather the testimony of God himselfe and that to the poorest bird which of all others we might suppose to be most neglected for it is a night-bird melancholy ill presaging it hath a harsh note and it feeds vpon carrion and yet notwithstanding the Psalmist can testifie Psal. 147.9 Escam dat pullis coruorum inuocantibus eum as if God kept a watch ouer the nest and did teach the young Rauens to call vpon him and in effect to say grace and to giue him thankes before the receiuing of their food After their prayers followes in the next place their decalogue or law and truly for the practice of their religion in their liues and conuersations which appeares in the keeping and fulfilling of this decalogue or naturall law I cannot but greatly admire them They are still carried with the same course