Selected quad for the lemma: lord_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
lord_n	day_n	ghost_n	holy_a	10,874	5	5.1853	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A14996	A caveat for the couetous. Or, A sermon preached at Paules Crosse, vpon the fourth of December, out of Luke. 12. 15. By William Whatelie, preacher of the word of God, in Banbury; Caveat for the covetous.	Whately, William, 1583-1639.	1609 (1609)	STC 25300.5; ESTC S105709	57,700	142

though here his forefathers haue been at great toyle and perhaps hazarded a soule or two to get it Yea it hath serued many a Lord Nobleman and great Prince thus vntrustily and yet will we not take warning but trust it doate vpon it The holy Ghost cals it a lie because it will surely play him such slippery prankes that hath confidence in it as euery man hath in that measure he desires it and a shadow because euery cloud that flies ouer the Sunne may and that which is not to a shadow irrecouerably cut it off No man can promise himself to be wealthy till night one coale of fire one vnaduised word two false oaths of two false villaines and how many such be there in the world may make him a beggar and a prisoner both at once or if not so yet he may go from it in a moment as the rich man of whom Christ speakes immediatly after my text whose soule was called for that night that hee sang downe secure to himselfe and when a man hath gotten goods not by right and dyes in the midst of his dayes and leaues his wealth to another perhaps he knowes not whom doth hee not prooue that of himselfe the which was true before but neither himselfe nor others would see namely that hee was a starke foole But all this is a little in comparison of that which I haue to speake against it It is not alone vnprofitable 4. Hovv hurtfull it is too but hurtfull also and exceeding dangerous to him that possesseth it creating much euill to his body his soule which harmfulnes procedeth not from the nature of wealth but from the corruption of men as cold drinke in it selfe is good but not to him which hath the fit of an ague yea to him it is almost as bad as poyson and so some meates are naught for men of some constitutions which they loue but loue not them and of these men are accustomed to take heede Neither is this danger a whit the lesse because it comes from our ill nature not from wealth it selfe seeing this corruption of nature cleaues to our soule as fast as the skinne to the flesh and wee shall assoone cease to be as to bee so euill Yea most of all is it harmefull to him that most desires it and howsoeuer others may escape the hurt of it yet hee cannot escape seeing the ouerprizing therof bringeth forth the desire and both together cause the danger It may therefore very wel be likened to an artichoake a little picking meat there is not so wholesome as delicious and nothing to that it shewes for more than the tenth part is vnprofitable leaues and besides there is a coare in the midst of it which wil choke not feed and strangle not nourish if a man doe not picke warily what hee puts into his mouth better it is that God giue vs our portion than set the whole dish before vs wee shall well-neare choake our selues with it and such a thing is wealth yea it is like some kinde of fishes so full of small and vnseene bones that no man eates it without great heede but with great danger but a childe cannot scape perill if hee venture to eate it and where shall we finde a man not a child in vnderstanding if any other be past a childe yet certainly the man that loues wealth is not It is like an head-strong and lustie horse that casts the weake and vnskilfull rider to the breaking of his bones if not his necke and though children desires to be on horseback yet the father had rather keep them a foot and certainly few haue the strength to bridle and the skill to sit and manage this restie steede it is sure none that loues to be vpon the back of it hath skill in this horsemanship Bodily estate But wherein is it so dangerous will some man say I answer it is very troublesome to the outward man and like a luggring carriage makes him sweate and puffe that goes vnder it The rich mans plenty will not let him sleepe his varietie of dishes brings him to surfetting and that to many noysome diseases and vnquiet nights and dayes and besides his eyes his eares his hands his heart is not his owne hee cannot be where he would fainest nor speake nor thinke of what he most desires being called away by multitude of affaires too too many streames of businesse doe driue him by force euen from himselfe and hee may well be called any mans seruant rather than his owne so that in outward regards when wealth growes very large it is like a long coate or a garment too side that a man treades vpon often and catcheth a fall when another goes vpright eyther hee must holde it vp and were it not as good be cut shorter or else it will bring him downe yea it makes men obnoxious to enuy and so subiect to malice that none are more As a tree that hath thick and large boughes euery man desires to lop him besides that the sidenes of his garment makes his owne feet stumble others also can more easily tread vpon it and giue him a fall But all this is nothing a man might well eyther beare or preuent such troubles There follows another ranck of mischiefes out of the ranknesse of wealth that are more pernitious to the soule and cannot so well be shunned It breeds many noysome diseases to the soule 1. Soule 1. Begetting euils False confidence First it makes the soule very vainely and falsly confident Men thinke themselues so much more safe by how much more rich and cannot be content to haue wealth vnlesse they doe also trust vpon it as Dauid on his hill which yet deceiued him The rich mans riches is a strong tower to his imagination saith Salomon he takes himselfe as it were walled and moated about by them though indeed he lie as open to danger as other men Secondly it swels the hart with loathsome pride 2. Pride making a man think himselfe also so much the better by how much hee possesseth more This disease as well as the former the Apostle notes saying to Timothy Charge them that be rich in this world 1. Tim. 6. that they be not high minded nor trust in vncertaine riches As if he had told vs that these two maladies false confidence and an hautie conceit of ones selfe the pursinesse of the minde do so quickly ensue vpon great possessions that few or none escape them None can misse them without many warnings many earnest exhortations nay nor scarce with them This wealth is like strong drinke to a weake braine which sends such hote and fuming vapours vp into the same that a man imagines he can hit the skie with his head when he cannot stand vpright vpon his feete yea scarce keep himselfe from tumbling in the mire The monstrous violence of fiery passions into which as into fits of a burning ague euery small crossing by an inferiour

to liue here for a few dayes and then yeeld to the stroke of death and of corruption the other a soule incorporall spirituall immortall which cannot die nor suffer corruption And the Lords will is that a man liuing here in the body should make all carefull wise and godly prouision for his soule that that departing hence out of the body may not be cast into the torments of eternall vengeance which are prepared for such as in this life vse not all good diligence to escape them but may rather enioy its portion in that euerlasting and vnspeakable blisse which is also made ready for all them that doe constantly and with honest hearts vse the meanes to attaine the same And the meanes of attaining this happines are faith repentance and the continual encrease of these graces by praying reading and meditating in the word and good conference daily as also hearing the word preached when occasion is offered and sanctifying vnto the Lord for these vses euery seauenth day For the former of these are to the soule of him that hath a true liuing soule as I may so tearme them daily repasts and meales wherewith his inward man is strengthened and refreshed growing daily from grace to grace the latter that is the celebration of the sabboth is as I may say a solemne feast day and a great banquet for the soule wherein all bodily labours so farre as mercy necessitie and comelinesse will permit being set apart the soule should haue libertie after a more then ordinary manner to solace and delight it selfe in God and feede vpon Iesus Christ in the word and Sacraments other holy exercises that it may grow fat well liking in all graces and chiefely faith and repentance the two principall graces Now these being the meanes of Gods owne ordaining to attaine sound grace here and glory hereafter dayly to pray read and meditate and conferre of good things weekly to sanctifie the Sabboth hee that doth so surcharge himselfe or his family with outward busines that he hath not leisure daily to performe the daily duties and weekly that weekly dutie in such conscionable sort as God doth require at his hand for a purpose so profitable and most excellent cannot denie that he loues the world too much being that he seeketh not as Christ commands first the kingdome of heauen but first the worthlesse things that this earth can afford and leauing that which is the true and proper end of his being here that is to get grace and saluation employes himselfe too much about that which was but a secondary end and to be done onely by the way so farre as might be helpfull to the former and no further Euery man will yeeld that hee desires earthly things inordinately which desires them more than eternall life and it is as certaine that he rather wisheth wealth then eternall life which suffers the meanes of attaining that to shoulder out and exclude quite or else driue into a very narrow corner small roome the means of attaining this for the desires rule the actions and that a man longeth most for which hee most labours for As he that suffers hawkes hounds and vain though in themselues lawfull pastimes so to deuour his time that he hath little or no leisure for the performing of the fore-mentioned religious duties is conuicted before all vnpartiall Iudges to be a louer of pleasure more than a louer of God So hee that suffers buying selling bargaining reckoning trauailing and any such businesse lawfull in it selfe but vnlawfull in the immoderate vse of it to rob him of leisure for the same exercises must needs be condemned to loue wealth more than God by the verdict of any man that will speake the truth according to his conscience and therefore bee it noted as a sure rule that euery man is in that measure couetous that ouer-worke-some and laborious about worldly things and in that measure ouer-laborious that he suffers the plenty of these things to withdraw him from the conscionable constant and holy performing of better things tending more directly to a better life 4. Vniustice of which Now folfows the last note of couetousnes and that is vniustice or the vsing of iniurious and indirect meanes to get wealth For must it not needes be yeelded that hee desireth wealth too much which will dig to hell fall downe to the diuell for it And what else is it but a falling downe to the Diuell for it when a man doth put the regard of obedience to God of charitie to his neighbour of honestie in himselfe behinde the respect of enriching his estate to al which things doth he not manifestly prefer mony that wil do wrong to win it God forbids wrong charitie honestie and euery mans conscience forbids it onely the Diuell and lucre commaund it Is hee not worthy to be called a money-slaue and a slaue to the diuel that wil disobey all these to serue the desire of being rich for is not euery man his seruant to whom he doth obey And doth he not obey lucre abiectly that will rebell against the most high Lord and the conscience his officer for these things sake So then euery man is so farre forth couetous as vniust in his dealings 1 In generall Now all those practises are vniust and vnequall which be not conformable to two generall rules set downe in Scripture that by them we might square out al our particular actions The first is to do to euery man as we would haue him do vnto vs. Not as we out of our disordered distempered passions somtime be content to haue another deale with vs so we may deale with them but what in the true sentence of our iudgement Mat. 7.12 grounded vpon due and deliberate consideration of the things we would approue of being done to vs that wee must doe to our neighbours so that whatsoeuer thing a man would condemne in his iudgement not in his passions being offered to himselfe that is wrong and iniquitie if he offer it to another The second rule is Gal. 5.13 1 Cor. 13.6 to serue each other in loue for loue seekes not it owne thinges meaning only without regard of another but doth so equally and indifferently consider another with it selfe that it would not profite it selfe with this endammagement therefore whosoeuer is wholy possessed with selfe-regards and hath his eye so fixed vpon his owne aduantage that he cannot looke vpon another man with any euen regard of him this man in all such dealings walkes iniuriously because vncharitably and shal be condemned though not by the strict law of humane iustice yet by the perfect rule of Christian charitie for a wrong doer And by these 2. rules wisely applyed to each seuerall action it wil be easie to spie out vniustice though it hide it selfe vnder neuer so faire and colourable pretexts But wee shall not haue sufficiently pressed this sore if wee deale with it alone in

beggar as well as hee that is so borne And I pray you doe but aske your owne memories if they cannot tell of diuers in their owne knowledge that from great wealth came to a morsell of bread whose youth swimming in dainties their elder yeeres would haue snapt at a crust as we say and beene glad of any releefe and that also in many not through their owne default And yet is not wealth vnprofitable Againe for inward troubles that be naturall as griefes cares iealousies and feares 4. Minde for natural respects wee know that as cobwebs breed sooner vnder wainscote and faire hangings than vpon a plain wall so these arise in greater measure to them that are most clogd with plenty as whose liues in all mens sight doe most shew it and if they doe at any time want them not their money but some other thing doth free them from the same But yet perhaps wealth may mittigate the paine of a crosse though it cannot keepe it off Indeed of all the profitable effects 3. For mittigating any euill this is the least lowest but wealth is too base and weake to effect any such mittigation When a rich man lies sicke of any disease hath hee one pang lesse or is he able to beare one pang more patiently because hee can make a greater Inuentory than his neighbours or when hee is falne into pouerty and decay doth it asswage nay doth it not rather augment the sorrow that once he was in this and this place abundance If a libell or a false report be cast out against him doeth it sting or nettle him lesse or not rather more than another Nay doe wee not see that because it makes the hart bigger it makes also the crosse heauier commonly so that a meaner man could with fewer cryes and lamentations lay fiue Children in the graue than he can carry out one A poore man could with lesse vexation beare an hundred ill words and raylings than he the least crosse-word Of all men ordinarily none vexe themselues more vnder a crosse than the wealthy because they least looke for it and wealth we know cannot buy patience because not wisedome and godlinesse that are the mothers and nurses of patience But yet will some man say the rich man hath a fire when another man sits cold the rich man is warme clad when another is subiect to winde and weather he fares well when an other is hungry I answere hee is as free from colde that goes in frize or carsey as he that is in sattin and veluet and it hath not yet beene brought to light that the warmth of veluet is more wholesome or more comfortable than that of frize Also hee sleepes as well that lyes vpon a flock-bed or a pad of straw as hee that hath his down-bed and pillowes and his Arras couering and the softest sheetes Yea and he that hath but one dish or perhaps onely bread and cheese and now and then some warme meate feeds as sweetly and with as good an appetite digests as wholesomely and with as sound a stomacke as hee that hath dainties brought to his table from the furthest quarters of the world so that herein the man that hath but enough for food raiment is at least his equal that hath an ouerplus and not the rich mans superfluitie but his competency doth afford him these benefits which diuers times are made more vnsauory neuer more able to comfort and content by their ouer-plentious store and wee tooke in hand to shew not that sufficient for meate drink and cloath to content nature which is the measure wherewith God limits our desires but a superfluitie of things which couetousnes aimes at is vnprofitable worth nothing Which seeing it can bring neither health contentmēt nor good name neither grace vertue nor forgiuenes of sins seeing it cannot driue away sin Sathan hell death sicknesse pain sorrow yea or pouertie nor extenuate the torment of any of these as euery mans heart will tell him that it cannot In a word seeing it wil not make a man liue one whit the longer or with more comfort nor die one whit free for pangs and griefe nor gaine heauen nor escape hell the sooner when hee is dead will you not see and confesse it to be a thing of naught And may I not say cease from wealth which hath no breath or strength at all for wherein is it to be esteemed And therefore though thy crooked heart is not willing to yeeld How fickle and vncertaine it is yet thy iudgement cannot choose but be conuinced of this that great riches are vnprofitable and not worth a rush But say it were not so little commodious yea say that it could doe any of the fore named things yet I wil prooue to your consciences that it is not worthy your desires because of the next property thereof which is vncertaintie It is like a runnagate seruant a fugitiue a plaine vagrant which though he be big-boned and strong and skilfull and able to worke yet no man greatly cares for because hee will be gone when a man hath most neede of him and perhaps also take something away with him that was more worth than all his seruice So wealth will take its heeles when a man hath most vse for it and carry contentment away too which is more precious than all the false happinesse that it could procure whilest it remayned with vs. This wealth hops from man to man and place to place as a light winged bird from tree to tree And no man can say where it wil roust at night The holy Ghost hath compared it to a wilde foule most swift of wing and strong in flight saying Prou. 23.5 Riches takes it selfe to it wings and flyes away Not like a cocke or hen or some tame house-bird that a man may follow and cath againe no nor like an hawke that will shew where she is by her bels and be called againe with a lure but like an Eagle that mounts aloft past sight and is caried away with so much hast that nothing will recall her And where is the man that can clippe the wings of this eagle when it is in his owne custodie that it shall not be gone from him when hee thinkes least of it If it could procure any benefit to your liues you see it were not yet worth your wishes nor your toyle for it departs when you should vse it and that without taking leaue and then as he that riseth from a stoole and thinketh to sit downe againe the stoole being remooued takes the more dangerous knocke so the minde that relyed on wealth when it misseth it is more tormented with vexation by the vntrustinesse thereof And surely who hath liued so litle a while but he hath seene wealth run away from many a maister and neuer came at him againe to his dying day Yea ofttimes also leaue him to hunger thirst nakednesse and all miserie and reproch yea