Selected quad for the lemma: lord_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
lord_n	word_n	world_n	zion_n	484	4	9.0079	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A65659	A short treatise of the great worth and best kind of nobility Wherein, that of nature is highly commended, that of grace is justly preferred; the one from humane experience, the other upon divine evidence. / By Henry Whiston, rector of Balcomb in Sussex.	Whiston, Henry.; Pearson, John, 1613-1686.	1661 (1661)	Wing W1680; ESTC R204022	110,367	185

world is not worthy The one are the Jewels of Kings the other the Jewels of the King of Kings The one are the glory of Princes Courts the other the glory of Christ and his Kingdom And howsoever there be to use the words of the Prophet in another sense then he spake them upon this glory a covering so that the world knows not their worth yet the Lord knows it and shall in due time manifest it to the world as it was said of Cassius and Brutus his image which were concealed in Iunia's Funeral when twenty others of less note were brought forth that they shone the more because they were not seen at all so may it be said of the godly The less conspicuous they are with men the more illustrious they are with God Who more despicable with men then Peter a fisher man and poor who more honourable in the sight of God What meaner creature then the blessed Virgin espoused to a poor Carpenter who higher in the favour of God her Maker To the one were given the keyes of heaven To the other it was given to be mother to the God of heaven And though all attain not here to the like honour and dignity yet all are greatly beloved of God and shall partake hereafter of the same glory Now they are the sons of God and it doth not yet appear what they shall be but when Christ shall appear they shall be like him then they shall be as he is himself glorious in holiness having sanctified and cleansed them he shall present them to himself a glorious people Though they lie among the pots here yet shall they be hereafter as the wings of a Dove covered with silver and her feathers with yellow gold Though in this life they be black like the tents of Kedar yet in the life to come they shall shine as the brightness of the Firmament yea as the Stars yea as the Sun in the Kingdom of their father And what then is the glory of the of the Nobles and Potentates of this world compared to the glory which shall be revealed in the Saints What are all the Titles Ensigns and Badges of Honour which the various Fancies of men have invented to set out the great Ones of the earth to the splendour and lustre beauty and Majesty wherewith the wisdome and power of God shall invest the heirs of heaven That which the Apostle speaketh in honour of the Gospel above the Law may we fitly speak in honour of the spiritual Nobility above the carnal That which is glorious hath no glory in this respect by reason of the glory that excelleth For if that which shall be done away is glorious much more that which shall remain is glorious And we may close up this with the words of Saint Iames a little altered Let the brother of low birth rejoice in that he is exalted and let him of Noble birth rejoice in that he is made low and taught to seek a new Nobility in a way common to all by vertue and piety for as the flower of the grass he shall pass away and nothing but his vertue and piety shall remain and make him truly Noble and happy to all Eternity 6. And in the last place if men of Noble birth be vertuous also and pious What should be their joy and what their Crown of rejoicing but this that they have crowned their Nobility with Vertue and Piety It was the speech of dying Otho to his Nephew That he should never forget that his Uncle was Emperour nor yet let his mind run too much upon it And so we think great Personages should never wholly forget nor too much mind their Noble birth but mind this rather which will be their onely comfort that they lead a religious and godly life Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom neither let the mighty man glory in his might Let not the rich man glory in his riches Neither may we add let not the Noble man glory in his Nobility But let him that glories glory in this that he understands and knows the Lord. Though a Noble Ancestry be a great honour with men yet it is onely Piety that procures them honour with God Since thou was pretious in my sight thou hast been hoouurable Though Gold be better then other metals yet it passes not for currant coin in the kingdom till the Kings image and superscription be instampt upon it and though Noble persons be better by descent then others yet they cannot pass for honourable in the Church the Kingdom of God till righteousness and holiness the image and superscription of God be graven on them Theodosius therefore rejoiced more that he was a member of the Church of God then that he reigned on earth as Emperour amongst men And howsoever it be all one in some kind for a Prince to assume a small Title to that of Kingl as it is for him to wear a garland of roses and flowers on his Crown of gold yet Lewis the ninth of France counted it his greatest honour to be called Lewis of Poissi because there he was baptized and received as a member into Christs visible Church To be born of Noble Parents is as it were matter of fortune and chance but to be Vertuous and Pious matter of divine Grace and special Providence The number of Noble men every where in comparison is not great The number of those that are morally vertuous though more then can be engraven as one scoffingly said all good Princes might on a Ring is lesse but the number of those who by true Piety seek for Glory and Immortality is lesse yet by far And the greater their paucity the more eminent and singular is their glory and as surpassing their felicity As their birth is noble so their life being holy their end must needs be happy Their names by reason of Holiness are written in heaven as an assurance of their happiness Whereas otherwise notwithstanding their Noble birth they should be written as the Prophet speaks in the earth and all their glory at their death should be buryed with themselves in the dust What one Noble man that lived an Atheist said he would have engraven on his Tomb when he was dead the same may all of them say at their death which rest only in their Noble birth This is the door that opens to the regions below this is the inlet to the Infernal pit Whereas they which add to their Nobility Vertue and to Vertue Piety may say of Death as Iacob did of Bethel This is the gate of Heaven and with the Apostle By this an entrance shall be administred unto us into the Kingdom of Christ. And whereas the former as Princes and Rulers of the earth draw multitudes after them to sin and prophaness The latter as Princes have

they may trust in matter of manners the children of God more Are the one humble the other as being born of God more The Lord is high above all Nations and his glory above the heavens and yet humbleth himself to behold the things that are in heaven and earth So they are high in Gods and in all good mens eyes and yet low in their own and raise themselves higher by their lowly carriage I am dust and ashes faith Abraham Less then the least of all thy mercies saith Iacob I am more brutish then any man and have not the understanding of aman saith Agur. I am not worthy to unty Christs shoes saith Iohn the Baptist. That he should come under my rook saith the Centurion I am less then the least of all Saints The chief of sinners saith Saint Paul 4. Are the one courteous the other as the true children of God more The Lord is kind to all He appears not in a rough wind or terrible earthquake or burning fire but in a still and soft voice He speaks good words comfortable words he speaks friendly words he speaks to the heart of the Church So his children are full of kindness full of courtesie Their Religion doth not make them rude and rustick but as it teacheth them to maintain good works so also to keep up good manners They hate indeed hypocrisie but they love courtesie and account as we may learn by their practice the omission of a salutation to be no small sin in civil conversation 5. Are the one liberal given to Hospitality the other as the true children of God more As the Lord hath manum extensam to help so he hath manum expansum to give Thou openest thine hand and satisfiest the desires of every living thing He giveth richly all things to enjoy So his children are free-hearted and open-handed True it is there be some Gentlemen as we said and some professors that have a thrifty frugal saving Religion but as the one are mock-Gentlemen so the other are mock-Professors There is not a child of God mentioned in Scripture as touched with covetousness God abhors it and they all abhor it and whereas other shut that they may keep out they have still opened and stood at their doores to take in whom they might relieve who thereby entertained Angels who came not so much to feed on their chear as to feast upon and reward their charity 6. Are the one mercifull The other as children like their Father more The Lord delights in mercy above all He delights in mercy and rejoyces over the sons of men to do them good but to the work of Justice he proceeds as to a strange work and to the act of judgement as a strange act His heart is turned within him and his repentings are kindled together And while there is any hope he spares and when there is no remedy yet he doth not stir up all his wrath nor execute the fierceness of his anger upon his people And as He is to them so are his children to others as willing to impart mercy to others as they are to receive it themselves as ready to pity as to be pitied to pardon as to be pardoned to forbear in expectation of amendment as they would be forborn and while there is hope of cure dressing and cherishing as their own members and when all hope is past as loth to have them cut off and as sensible of their smart as if they were a part of themselves 7. Doth the one stand well affected and seek to advance Learning and the nurseries thereof and the Religion which they profess and if they be Christians the Church of God and Ministers thereof The other as the true children of God more The Lord loves the gates of Sion more then all the habitations of Jacob and how he provided under the Law both for the safety and livelihood of those that ministred in his Courts is well enough known Touch not mine anointed and do my Prophets no harm and Who amongst you shuts a doore for nought or kindles a fire on mine Altar for nought And though he hath expressed no quotum for them under the Gospel as having given a sufficient precedent under the Law by his own example yet he hath spoken enough to that purpose and in all times made sufficient provision for them When they had least of all yet then we find they did not want at all When I sent you saith Christ to his disciples without purse and scrip and shoes lacked you any thing they replyed Noth●ng And he that commanded the ravens to feed Elias hath still kept such a commanding power over the hearts of men that though they be never so covetous never so ravenous over this worlds goods they have not quite eaten up all but afforded his Ministers a competent allowance It was long before prophesied and we have long since seen it fulfilled that Kings as nursing fathers and Queens as nursing mothers should make abundant provision for the Church of God Constantine begun aud all Christian Princes have followed him and the more Religious men have been whether publick or private persons the more liberal they have been in this kind and never any took away the means of the Church but persecutors and apostates and such as meant to destroy the Church it self As for those who bo●e the Sword among us of late and had it in their mindes to rob and spoil the Church which their predecessors laboured to enrich We may say of them to their reproach what the Poet speaks to the honour of Clytemnestra who preserved her husband when all the rest of her Sisters destroyed theirs That they had 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a single-conceited and a single-opinioned Sword by themselves The Sword of the Lord and the Sword of his Religious Vicegerents have hitherto been for the defence and maintenance of the Church and Ministers thereof 8. In all these things they excel But that which sets them cleerly above all is the dominion which they have over their passions through the work of Mortification and that divine temper which they have in respect of worldly things by their heavenly conversation The Nobles of the World though they do worthily and seem to fly high upon the wings of Vertue yet as it is said of Birds 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 They fly still with their passions about them Whithersoever they go some passion of Envy Lust Malice Anger or the like goes along with them which defiles every action And as Birds though they mount high yet turn their backs to heaven and look down-ward and have their eye still upon the earth so their minds are still upon the earth and earthly things in their very noblest and highest designes So that what is said in general of all men That