Selected quad for the lemma: mind_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
mind_n	day_n	lord_n	sabbath_n	2,158	5	9.8855	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A52808	The crown and glory of a Christian consisting in a sound conversion and well ordered conversation.	Ness, Christopher, 1621-1705.	1676 (1676)	Wing N450; ESTC R26867	31,261	167

and to pray continually 1 Thes 5. 17 to wit keeping your heart in a continual praying frame your leaky vessel as aforesaid requires you to ply continually this pump of prayer Direct 4. Depend upon God for a blessing upon your daily labours Abrahams servant pray'd for success in his Enterprize Gen. 24. 12. And Moses prays Lord prosper the work of our hands Psal 90. ult 'T is true God may give success without it but never so sweet as with it Except the Lord build the house c. Psal 127.1 'T is not your diligence alone but Gods blessing that enriches Prov. 10.4 22. You may not ascribe to your own power Deut. 8. 17 nor sacrifice to your own Net Hab. 1. 16 as that proud Prince did Ezek. 29. 2. Alas all your policy and power without prayer is but Arena sine calce sand without lime mans diligence must be subordinate to Gods blessing then your labour shall not be in vain in the Lord. God will bless your basket and store Deut. 28 5. though you gather little you shall have no lack the blessing of God will make it up an homer that is sufficient for you Exod. 16. 18 and your little shall be better than the riches of many wicked Psal 37. 16. The second natural action is Rest or Recreation 1. You may look upon Rest and Recreation as lawful upon a twofold account 1. Rest from labour and refreshing the body and mind are necessary because mans nature is like the bow which being always bent is easily broken therefore did the Lord appoint the Night to succeed the Day and the Sabbath to succeed the Week as fit seasons for man to rest from his labours in now that which is necessary is also lawful for God never necessitates a man to sin against him and if Rest be lawful then is some Recreation which is call'd so as it is a second creation in due time and place there must be Otium as well as Negotium The second account is your Christian liberty which Christ hath purchas'd for you extends it self not only to use the Creatures of God for necessity but also for meet and convenient delight you may delight your self in Gods great goodness Neh. 9. 25. You may be righteous over-much in denying your self such a free use of the Creature yea and condemning it too which you are allowed to have by the purchase and promise of Christ Thus Isaac who was the most loving Husband in holy Writ for 't is said of him and of none else that he loved his Wife Gen. 24.67 sported with Rebeccah his wife Gen. 26. 8. And the Jew was commanded to cheer up the heart of his Wife the first year Deut. 24. 5. And Solomon bids the Husband be always ravished with her beauty Prov. 5. 18 19. Thus Ezekiels Wife was call'd the desire of his eyes Ezek. 24. 16. Assuredly men ought to take singular Complacency in their Wives company and yet without all uncomely uxoriousness None questions Parents dandling their Children upon their knees as old Joseph did his Grand-children Gen. 50. 23. Isa 66.12 2. But then you must take these following Directions for managing your heart aright in your Rest or Recreations 1 Direct You must take heed of wasting too much precious time therein Indeed we do not so much want time as waste time a vain expence of that time which either your general calling requires in holy duties or your particular calling calls upon you for in necessary employments is not only unlawful but abominable You are commanded to redeem time Ephes 5. 16 but never to pass-time the loss of time is such a precious thing that God commands satisfaction for it Exod. 21. 19. It will be but a poor reckoning at your Lords returning in your accompt for expence of your talent of time Item spent so many days or hours in Recreation Oh what would the damned in Hell give for but one of those hours which we have wilfully wasted Time is like the Urchion or Hedghog that must not be handled by the head but by the heels in its going from you take time while time serves 2 Dir. The second Direction is be sure you be moderate in your Recreation 't is compared to honey it must be taken upon the tip of the finger only and not whole handfuls of it for fear of surfeiting Omne nimium vertitur in vitium alas man 's weak heart is soon over-charged Luk. 21. 34 and soon grows frothy foolish if not sensual and sinful in it you must know that the holy end of Recreation is to fit you the more for the duties of your general and particular calling in case of weariness of body or tiredness of mind but if it indispose you to either or both your heart doth deceive you such as spend their lives in sports and their livelihood too will prove but bad accomptants when they bring in the broken accomptants of their stewardship to their Lord and Master at the last day 3 Direct The third Direction is chuse your Recreations that are of best report and of least offence Phil. 4.8 1 Cor. 8. 13. You may not make any of Gods Judgments or Punishments for sin either in man or beast the matter or object of your sport and recreation as the folly of the natural fool the antipathy of beasts whereby they tear and destroy one another which are fruits of the fall and of mans rebellion against God so should be rather matter of mourning than of rejoycing Neither may you chuse for your sport whatsoever moves troublesome passions as fear anger c. nor those wherein is a lot which is a religious act and an ordinance of God which ought not to be sported with 4 Dir. The fourth Direction is having pitch'd upon such Recreations as are harmless and sinless yet may you not stain them with bad companions such as you cannot consort with but you must either countenance sin or contract sin such as you must contract either guilt or grief as before All tares must be bundled together such as spend their time together in sports on earth may howl in hell together to all eternity 5 Dir. The fifth Direction Notwithstanding all yet must you account it safer not to trust your heart with any Recreation at all any further than is plainly necessary get therefore up your heart to live without them and take up your whole delight in God Psal 37. 4. Then if at any time you be constrained to use them you will be as if you used them not 1 Cor. 7. 29 and as not having yet still having 2 Cor. 6. 10 that is your heart will not be engaged to any thing but to God and your affections will keep uppermost for Jesus Christ the truth is were but our affections more mortified and spiritual duties more natural to us we might better live without those than the Philosophers as they said could dine and sup without musick therefore as Joshuah houghed the