Selected quad for the lemma: lord_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
lord_n	work_n	world_n	worse_a	39	3	7.8710	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A00686	A briefe conference betwixt mans frailtie and faith wherein is declared the true vse, and comfort of those blessings pronounced by Christ in the fifth of Matthew, that euery Christian man and woman ought to make and take hold of in their seuerall tentations and conflicts: laide downe in this plaine order of dialogue, to helpe, if it please God, the conceit and feeling of the simplest. By Geruase Babington.	Babington, Gervase, 1550-1610.	1584 (1584)	STC 1082; ESTC S108359	56,099	166

windowes of heauen and powre his mercies out vpon your La. the Lorde confirme you in all good workes giue you a true sight of this vaine world make your heart shake at his iudgementes melt with a fruitefull feeling of grace assured to holie life and the Lord to profite make you thinke you euer heare that voice ARISE YOV DEADE AND COME VNTO IVDGEMENT and yet in faith to saie with cheerefull heart COME LORDE IESVS COME QVICKLIE So be it London this first of December 1583. Your Honors most humble bounden to death Geruase Babington A Conference betwixt mans Frailtie and Faith Frailtie O Wicked worlde and wretched state I stand in O heauy hart sorowing soule how should I comfort you I haue it not I see it not I feele it not what any way might ioie mee and howe then can I giue it you The contrary I see in fullest weight and measure and wo is me ten thousand times that euer I sawe this light yea let the day euen perish wherin I was borne and the night when it was saide there is a manchilde conceiued Let that daie be darknesse let not God regard it from aboue neither let the light shine vppon it But let darkenesse and the shadow of death staine it let the cloud remaine vpon it and let them make it fearefull as a bitter day let darkenesse possesse that night let it not be ioined vnto the dayes of the yeare nor let it come into the accounts of the moneths Yea desolate be that night and let no ioy be in it Let the stars of that twilight be dimme through darkenesse of it let it looke for light but haue none neither let it see y e dawning of the daie because it shut not vp the doores of my mothers wombe nor hid sorrowe from my eies Why died I not in the birth or why died I not when I came out of the wombe Why did the knees preuent me and why did I sucke the brests For so shoulde I nowe haue lien and beene quiet I should haue slept then and beene at rest Or why againe was I not hid as an vntimely birth either as infants which haue not seene the light Woe is me I liue woe is mee I doe not die and wo I feare much more when ended is my course Faith Why Frailtie what in the name of God meaneth this fearful impatiencie or what case can there be in the life of man and woman so vncomfortable as that in regard thereof they should thus cris out Open your selfe and conceale not your griefe for the verie speaking of it shall giue some measure of ease Frailtie Alas I knowe not almost howe to doe it For my conceites doe so oppresse me and euer as I thinke of one miserie still the remembraunce of an other thrusteth it selfe so into my minde and at last the heape appeares so huge as all amazed I faint vnder the beholding of them and my cogitations are so distracted as it is not possible for me to make an orderly rehearsall of my woe Yet since I haue met with you I wil performe it as I can committing my selfe to that mercie that hath no measure and to your selfe as an instrument to applie his comfortes to me begging it euen with teares tenne thousand times at your handes I consider then that I am created heere in this worlde a reasonable creature consisting of bodie and soule both subiect to dreadfull and endlesse woe if I finde not mercie with the Lorde which I confesse vnto you I comfortablie cannot assure my self of as yet bicause the hand of God me thinke more heauily presseth me diuers waies than I imagin it would do if he loued me Faith And wherein I praie you doe you thinke you are pressed ouer heauily Pouertie the first temptation Frailtie ALas in manie things and yet God laie not my pleading with him to my charge To begin with some thing I must needes confesse vnto you that my lowe estate in the world is a maruellous temptation to me manie a time For God knowes I am poore and euen verie poore notwithstanding all my paines carke and care which is not a little My charge also is great for such an one as I am and their want as good reason bindeth is my continuall woe Yet if this were all me thinke I could wrastle with it and by Gods helpe get the victorie but these companions of pouertie are they that sting me so sore to wit disdaine and contempt both of me and mine of my doinges sayinges or any thing that proceedeth from me and that reiection which is made of me out of all meetings and companies those whisperinges that I heare reproches that I carrie euen at their handes that I little thought would haue done it and that scornefull pitying of me which often appeareth with such like For in deede if euer anie found it I finde it true that by wise Syrac was saide so long agoe There is euen as much peace betwixt the riche and the poore as betwixt Hyena and the dogge But looke howe the wilde Asse is the Lions pray so are the poore meate for the riche And looke howe the proude hate humilitie so doe the rich abhorre the poore If a rich man fall his friendes set him vp againe but when the poore falleth his friendes driue him away If a rich man offende he hath many helpers hee speaketh proude wordes and yet men iustifie him but if a poore man faile they rebuke him and though he speake wisely yet can hee haue no place When the riche man speaketh euerie man holdeth his tongue and looke what he sayeth they praise it to the clouds but if the poore man speake they say What felowe is this And if he doe amisse they will destroy him These these companions of my pouertie are the thinges that euen cut my heart a sunder and wil I nill I it breaketh euen vpon mee by force as it were to thinke that if the lord loue a man hee should neuer suffer him for want of worldly trash so despitefully to be intreated in this worlde and so generally This is but one thing that troubleth me besides which I haue manie moe but helpe me if you can ere I go anie further Faith Nay goe on vtter your gréefe fullie and then your minde wilbe the fitter to heare a great deale For otherwise you will be musing of the rest when I shall he speaking to you for your ease in this Frailtie An other verie daungerous torment then I must needes confesse is that continuall vncomfortablenesse which is still in me by reason of diuerse thinges as by a weightie and stinging sense of mine owne sinnes by sight of other mens loose course and grieuous dishonouring of God in euerie place giuing thēselues to flatterie dissembling and all manner of holowe dealing with God and man by meditation of the fierce wrath of God and most dreadfull iudgementes which assuredly hang ouer vs for these thinges

for he lift vp his eyes vppon his disciples saieth the text when he spake these thinges as knowing what store of stormes shoulde arise vnto them by reason of their calling And therefore let them take it in the name of God as it is offered to them and claspe it in their armes so harde to their heart as all the woes in the world may not loose their houlde from it For the trueth hath saide it and experience trieth it they shall loue and not be loued they shall labour and not be liked they shall serue at the altar but poorely liue of the altar Their pietie shall be hypocrisie their zeale choler their heat youth their praiers shall not profite their watchings wast their fastings doe no good but sinne shall still reigne iniquitie abounde the greater part remaine vnreformed and they for al their loue labour and true faithfulnesse be reiected and contemned in the ende Whereupon what woe doth growe to the soul that sauored anie truth of meaning loue to God or goodwill to men let them iudge that haue felt or whose wisedomes can weigh what the Lorde hath not giuen them triall of in themselues Surely such it is as is able to make the méekest Moses pleade with y e Lord and aske why he so vexeth his seruant with an vnthankeful charge and commandeth to carie in his bosome as a nurse the suckling child so peruerse a people as though he had conceiued thē or begotten them all himselfe Such as is able to make Ieremie cry in the twitching torment of his minde Wo is mee my mother that euer thou bare mee a contentious man a man that striueth with the whole earth I haue neither lent vpon vsurie nor men haue lent me vpon vsury and yet euery one doth curse me O Lord thou hast deceiued mee and I amdeceiued thou arte stronger than I and hast preuailed I am in derision daily euerie one mocketh mee For since I spake and cried out of wrong the word of the Lord was made a reproch vnto me and therefore I will make mention no more of thee nor speake anie more in thy name But here is a comforte to stay all impaciencie and to continue their course in seruing of the Lorde in their callings stil Blessed are they that mourne for the want of the feare of God in men for their sorrow shall haue ioie and they shall be comforted at the last And in the meane time Elie his spéech is méete for euerie one It is the Lorde let him doe what seemeth good vnto him And Beholde here am I be it vnto me as my God will Thus may the ministers apply this promise And for you Frailtie or anie one in your case I pray you also cōsider how it fitteth you For what can you saie nowe groning vnder this griefe of yours traueling heauie loaden with your sins what can you say I saie if you saie your worst but euen crie out vpon the fulnesse and foulenesse of your iniquitie vppon the ripenesse and rottennesse of your sinne saying your life is losse vnto you and there is no ioy vnder the sunne that you can conceiue of anie thing by reasō of your sinne For you haue béene an Jdolater a blasphemous swearer a Sabaoth breaker a disobedient child to parentes and subiect to Prince a murtherer malicious and spitefull an adulterer wanton and light a thiefe deceitful and vniust a false witnesse an euill thinker and what not And therefore though for manie sinnes you could hope of mercie yet for so many you cannot but a heape togither beateth you down when many single ones could not do it This is the worst you can saie and this is ill ynough if God giue not faith Yet sée howe all this is nothing where this promise is marked For euē this sorrowe this mourning this discomfort and griefe that you haue conceiued by ruing of your life is a sure token that you are the Lordes and that he hath mercie for you if you will not stand in defiance of him but be of good hope he séeth you And my proofe is no worse than the Lords owne words Blessed are they that mourne for their sins and transgressions for their wants and weaknesse and for their loose course in the waies of so good a God for they shall be comforted Shall he say blessed and you say cursed shal he promise comfort and you say you are cast a way God forbid Remember what the spirit saith in the 1. Iohn 5. 10. Hee that beleeueth not God hath made him a lier And therefore conclude with your selfe and be chéered with it were there no more promises which yet are many besides of mercie vnto sinners yet were this sufficient to stay the weakenesse of anie if the Lorde be in them to giue them faith in it that the God of trueth hath pronounced happinesse to this wo and intailed surely a certaine comforte in time to descende vnto this sorrowe Manie moe I saie are the promises of God and manie moe are the places of comfort in this your case but my leasure serueth not now to make a treatise of a conference and when ynough is saide why shoulde you not be satisfied God hath spoken it the power of Hell cānot disprooue it you should beléeue it and I doe end with it happy are you or anie man or woman in the worlde if you féele your sinne and sorrowe for it so that you wil beléeue For you are not cast away but you shall be comforted you wéepe nowe but you shall laugh and you shall féele the performance of the wordes of Dauid Psalme 126. 5. They that sowe in teares shall reape in ioy and they that go weeping and carie pretious seed shall returne with ioy and bring their sheaues with thē Wheras y t same god saith with a thundring sound woe be to them that laugh nowe for they shall wéepe Woe be to them that in this life stretch themselues vppon beds of Juorie sing to the sound of the Uiole and drinke their wine in bowles of golde without sense and sorrowe for their sinnes for the daie wil come when this swéet shall want and what hath not earst béene felt shall smarte and sting and burne no lesse than the fire of hell and strongest venome of destruction that euer was or may be God therefore giue vs faith and what féeling of sinne it pleaseth him For this fleshly peace and securitie within vs is no token of loue and the contrarie wakening griefe and woe is nothing euer to dismay vs. Amen Strength against heat of affections the third temptation YOur third assault ariseth of the diuers iniuries sundry wrōgs that you sustain abroad without redresse or reuenge togither with the vndutifulnesse either knowne or imagined in your own houshold and family wherby you are driuen to greater impaciencie often than may stande with the liking of your God whom you serue and whereby indéede as you saie

doeth aske but what his abilitie is well to spare and giue Thinking belike which in trueth is often so indéede that either modestie or feare or some one regarde or other may make an honest nature not aske so much as in déede he standeth in néede of manie a time therefore good reason a faithfull friend should haue respect to such an one aboue his asking euer Was not this a swéete nature then and a notable vertue in this man Or can anie man reade this of him and not loue and like him for it Great therefore is the praise of mercie and tender kindnesse euer By mercie we resemble God and prooue our selues his children For our heauenlie father is mercifull By mercie we become instruments and as it were amners to the Lorde to deliuer his gratious benefites to our brethren and euen verie equitie requireth it at our handes that if we finde mercie our selues in all our néedes with God wee shoulde not denie it in their wantes vnto our brethren For so saith the Lorde to that euill seruaunt in the Gospell that he should haue forgiuen because he was forgiuen himselfe and shewed kindnesse to his fellowe since he had founde it with the Lorde himselfe Last of all that fearefull threate of mercie euer to be denied to vs if we denie it our selues to others should strengthen and staie vs in this vertue for euermore Therefore looke not I say againe vpon mens acceptance of our dooings but looke vpon the vertue it selfe howe it adorneth a man howe it commendeth a man and howe it maketh his fame to flie both farre and néere in euerie place And looke vppon the sure rewarde that is promised to it by the Lorde If you be mercifull you shall be blessed if you bee mercifull you shall haue mercie if you bee mercifull you shalbe renowned you shall assure your soule that you are the Lordes because you resemble his nature and if you be not both God and man shall curse you Therefore be mercifull This may incourage vs and this will incourage vs certainely Frailtie if the Lorde be not quite departed from vs. But as it is néedful that this vertue should be in vs so is it as néedefull that it be rightly in vs for otherwise we deceiue our selues and wee shall misse the rewarde in the ende And therefore as I haue indeuored to stirre you vp vnto it so it shall not be vnprofitable per aduenture altogether if I also direct you a little in it Some then haue thought this vertue to haue béene deliuered in the verse before which we haue heard of vnder the name of méekenesse but in déede they differ much For méekenesse then is shewed when we our selues are wronged and yet reuenge not but put it vp and leaue it to the Lorde And mercie when wee our selues being no way hurt yet are touched and mooued with other mens wantes and euen suffring with them because they suffer indeuour ourselues to our abilitie to relieue and helpe them So that this vertue of mercy as you sée standeth of two partes to wit of a tender féeling and compassion within vs and of an outwarde louing helpe with our abilitie whatsoeuer it is without vs. The miserie of man is of two sorts and therefore also this mercifull pitie and helpe of as many For either a man wanteth what is néedefull for his soule or what is conuenient for his bodie And both of these doth a mercifull christian tender and pitie and helpe as he can Of the former we haue a proofe in the example of our sauiour Christ whose bowels euen yerned and heart aked to sée the spirituall miserie and want of that great multitude that then he sawe being destitute of knowledge and altogether as wandering shéepe without a sheapheard Of the seconde we haue a proofe also in the Samaritan whose mercifull nature sheweth it selfe towarde bodily wantes and outward griefes of him that théeues had so ill handled And in both these you sée the partes I spake of namelie inwarde compassion and outwarde helpe Without which neuer can this vertue stande nor wee be liked either of God or man For if we pitie and yet helpe not that feareful spéech of Iohn lighteth on vs Howe dwelleth the loue of God in vs and we shall assuredly heare it in the day of iudgement When I was naked yee clothed me not when I was hungrie yee fedde me not and so foorth And if we helpe a man in his néede and yet doe it not vppon anie tender compassion towarde him but vppon a iolitie and pride in our selues and vppon an imagination of merite for the worke sake or such like it is loothsome againe all that euer we doe to the Lorde and we loose our rewarde If you doubt of this you may sée it prooued in the Pharisies whose almes abounded made a glorious shewe But because they let the weightier matters passe as iudgement and Mercie and fidelitie their outwarde déedes had neuer reward Therefore euen a thousande times marke it howe want of right disposition in the heart maketh outwarde dealing of giftes be it neuer so magnificall but pharisaicall and wicked against that blockish assertion of some that the déede doone must néedes be rewarded This tender féeling doth the Apostle both professe in himselfe and require in others In himselfe when hee asketh who is weake and he is not weake who is offended and hee burneth not In others when be saith wéepe with them that wéepe and rebuketh the Corinthians for that they séeing so great a fall of their brother were puffed vp and did not rather sorrowe So well thus you sée what manner of mercie must be in you if it be allowed of the Lorde Nowe howe this good vertue is begotten in vs let vs also consider and beside diuers others that might be named you shall sée the workers of it especially and aboue other meanes to bee experience and sight For the first wee sée it in the wisedome of the Lorde our God most plainely who therefore gaue his owne sonne a sense of our woes that experience might make him a more mercifull readie and carefull regarder of our sutes It behooueth him saith the Apostle in all thinges to be made like to his brethren that hee might be a merciful and faithfull high Priest And againe We haue not an high Priest that cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities but wee haue one that was in all things tempted in like sort yet without sin concluding thereupon presently Let vs therfore go boldlie to the throne of grace that wee may receiue mercie and grace to help in time of neede Why so Assuredlie because wee can neuer féele that want which he knoweth not and knowing experience worketh effectually a readie regarde and helpe Whereuppon by the way wee may grounde a great comfort against anie crosse if we marke it For thus may we thinke if mercifulnes make vs