Selected quad for the lemma: nature_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
nature_n	air_n	earth_n	element_n	2,483	5	9.5484	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A06448	Granados spirituall and heauenlie exercises Deuided into seauen pithie and briefe meditations, for euery day in the vveeke one. Written in Spanish, by the learned and reuerend diuine, F. Lewes of Granado. Since translated into the Latine, Italian French, and the Germaine tongue. And now englished by Francis Meres, Maister of Artes of both Vniuersities, and student in Diuinitie.; Meditaciones para todos los días de la semana. English	Luis, de Granada, 1504-1588.; Meres, Francis, 1565-1647.	1598 (1598)	STC 16920; ESTC S107751	68,524	280

of the corruption of the flesh in the pollution of pleasure in the heat of lust and that vvhich is vvorst of all in the corruption of sinne Ponder also with thy selfe with what meat thou wast nourished being conceaued in thy mothers wombe surely with none other then with impure menstruous and hurtfull blood which stayeth in women from the time of theyr conceauing that by it theyr yong ones may be nourished in their wombes Remember that GOD hath created thee of the slime of the earth which is the basest element Hee created the starres and planets of fire birds of the ayre and fishes of water but men and other creatures of the slime of the earth Therfore compare thy selfe with the fishes and beasts bred of the water and thou shalt find thy self of a more abiect nature vilder condition then they are If thou beholdest the fowles and creatures that liue in the ayre neyther art thou to be compared vnto them if thou considerest the nature of the Planets starres and other things made of fire thou art much more ignoble Thou canst neyther be compared to celestiall things nor be preferred before terrestriall but if thou comparest thy selfe to brute creatures in these alone thou shalt find some semblance and likelihood with thy selfe as the Wiseman testifieth who sayth That the condition of the children of men and the condition of beasts are euen as one condition vnto them As the one dyeth so dyeth the other for they haue all one breath and there is no excellency of man aboue the beast For man hath not as touching his body any more then a beast hath seeing both of them are framed and created of earth and both of them in like maner are resolued into earth Remember that whē thou wast borne thou wast brought foorth into thys miserable world howling and weeping as it were foreseeing and therfore bewayling the labours dangers dolors which in this worlde are to be sustained and that which is vvorst of all deploring death it selfe Wherefore if perhaps thou beest borne in a noble and honorable place neither remembrest how vile a beginning and howe abiect an originall thou haddest if the beautie of thy countenaunce and comlinesse of thy proportion if the lineaments of thy body if the fauor of the people if the heate of youth aboundance of riches take away the knowledge of thy selfe frō thee yet neuerthelesse if thou desirest to knovve what man is heare vvhat that most glorious Father S. Augustine sayth the star and light of the doctors of the church hear I say what he saith Wretched man saith he what am I but a vessell ful of dung and corruption a stinking and detestable worm poore naked subiect to many necessities who knowes not whence I came nor whether I shall goe Miserable and mortall am I whose dayes vanish fade as a shadow whose life increaseth and decreaseth as the Moone and as a leafe vpon a tree nowe florishing and to morrow withering I am earth misery the child of wrath and a vessell of indignation reprobation I was borne in the corruption of sinne I lyue in miserie and labour and shall ende my dayes in griefe and anguish And Saint Bernard sayth Flesh wyth which thou hast so great societie is none other thing but froth fome made fleshe inuested in a fraile ornament but the time shall come vvhen it shall bee a miserable and putrified carkasse and the foode of vvormes For bee it neuer so gaily garnished and tricked vp it is alwayes flesh If thou diligently considerest vvhat goeth foorth by thy mouth and nostrils and the other passages of thy bodie thou neuer beheldest so vile a dunghill Consider ô man sayth hee vvhat thou wert before thy byrth vvhat thou art from thy byrth till thy death and what thou shalt be after this lyfe of thine is ended Certainelie thou vvast that thou vvert not after that thou haddst thy beeing of vile matter thou wast inwrapped in a most vile filme and nourished in thy mothers vvombe with menstrous blood Thy coate was a skin so attired and adorned camst thou vnto vs. And hath beauty fauour riches and youth So sotted thy sences deuoyd of truth That mindlesse thou art how base was thy birth And that all men are dust ashes and earth Man is none other thing but an vncleane sperme a sacke of dunge and foode for wormes After a man a worme after a worme stinch faetour So from a man to no man is turned this creature Hetherto S. Bernard with whom agreeth Innocentius O indignity saith he vildnes of mans condition Consider the plants trees they bring forth leaues flowers fruites pleasant to the tast delightful for smel but wretched man bringeth forth pestilent noysom sauours as the tree is such also is the fruite for an euill tree cannot bring foorth good fruit But wilt thou more manifestly know what man is after hee is borne heare most patient Iob Man saith he that is borne of a woman is of short continuance and full of trouble Hee shooteth foorth as a flower and is cut downe hee vanisheth also as a shadow continueth not Why do we seek for the testimonies of men let vs aske God himselfe he wil tel vs Remēber man that thou art dust to dust shalt thou returne This knowledge had holy Iob whē he said vnto God Remember I pray thee ô that thou hast made me as the clay and wilt bring me into dust againe O man of clay why art thou proude ô dust why growest thou insolent ô ashes for what woldest thou be commended vvhose conception is sinfull vvhose natiuitie is painefull whose life is labour and death necessitie Why dooest thou nourish thy body so delicately Why dooest thou adorne that vvith so precious garments which after a while shall in the sepulchre be eaten of vvormes VVhy dooest thou not rather beautifie thy soule vvith good workes which shal be carryed into heauen by the handes of good Angels VVhy dooest thou neglect thy soule and so extraordinarilye cocker thy flesh Behold confusion and prepostrous order the soule which ought to rule serueth the flesh and the fleshe ruleth which should obey Why sufferest thou the Ladie to bee the handmaid the hādmaid to vsurpe authoritie ouer the Lady Doost thou not know that thy flesh is a domestical homebred enemie vnto thy soule which vnder colour of friendship is more cruell then the most tirannous enemie When thou cherishest delicately nourishest it thou breedest and bringest vp thine own enemie when thou deckest beautifiest it thou armest thine enemy against thee whē thou arraiest it in precious garments and outlandish skins of wilde beastes thou robbest thy soule of all beautifull and heauenly ornaments Thirdly ô sinner cōsider what thou shalt be whē thou ceasest to liue Certainely thou shalt be none other but a miserable and corrupted carkasse an habitation foode for wormes