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
A60009	The illustrious history of women, or, A compendium of the many virtues that adorn the fair sex represented not only in lively and pathetical discourses grounded upon reason, but in sundry rare examples of virtuous love, piety, prudence, modesty, chastity, patience, hnmility [sic], temperance, conduct, constancy, and firmness of mind ... : with the prophesies and predictions of the Sybils ... : the whole work enrich'd and intermix'd with curious poetry and delicate fancie sutable to so charming a subject.	J. S. (John Shirley), fl. 1680-1702.	1686 (1686)	Wing S3508; ESTC R26238	56,658	194

the Almighty to save the World from desolation her virtues are for the most part admirable and no less her judgment and the other Intelectual faculties of her Soul That as I have prov'd being nothing Inferiour to that in which Man centers his largest Pride and Boast imagining it as it truly is a Ray of Essence a Effluence of his Maker Woman from her Infancy with pretty Smiles delights the World and Chears the hearts of her admiring Parents and as she grows Virtue takes its place well pleas'd to dwell in such a Fabrick and brings as her Attendants Modesty Sobriety and a wining Behaviour No sooner is Woman possess'd by Man in the happy State of Conubial Love but she furuishes him with a shower of Blessings wrap'd in soft Delights and deck'd in Chastest Charms mild and plyant is her Temper and her Cariage towards him decent and comely her Behaviour her Love is beyond Expression and her Tenderness such that she values him on whom her heart is plac'd equal with all but her imortal happiness as for her Life she counts it a Trifle and had rather loose it than her Honour she esteems nothing on Earth too good for her Beloved and inforces all her Charms to please and render him the happy Father of hopeful Children she is indeed his Internus Sensus his second self equally shareing his Joys and Afflictions and is not like a Swallow that sings to the morning wake of his prosperity and when the Winter of his Adversity comes takes her way upon the Winds to seek a warmer Sun her Smiles are not to be bought with Silver nor her Love to be purchac'd with Gold but are freely and intirely plac'd upon her Beloved great is her diligence to please him and as great her care not to offend him when he rejoyces she rejoyces when he is griev'd she is sad simpathising with him in all things and is the secret Cabinet in which he dare repose his Secrets and find them there as safe as in his Soul a Repository she is of his abstrusest thoughts and is ever tender of his honour nothing she thinks too good for him nor nothing she can do too much in Health she takes care for his necessaries and is wonderfully tractable in forwarding his Affairs in Sickness she is more studious for his Health then her Intrest and puts up her Prayers and Vows to Heaven for his recovery Expressing in all her actions a careful Love and Tenderness and in her Words a venerable Esteem so that without so great a virtue as Woman Man must be miserable and forlorn as to his temporal Condition nor ought he to esteem so great a Blessing unworthy his largest Thoughts nor render the Almighty less Tribute of Praise and Thanks-giving for bestowing that last best favour on him which could only compleat his earthly Felicity In making Woman Nature has been Lavish and shew'd her curious Art in Forming a Creature soft and tempting to allay the rough temper of Man by moderation and mildness as the Fluid Aire prevents the Firey Region from Calcinating the Earth and renders that outragious Element serviceable to Man-kind Great was the cunning Nature used or rather the God of Nature not to refer so great a Work to second causes in framing the lovely structure of the Softer Sex in every part proporting what by sight or touch might yield delight forgetting nothing that was admirable in it self or might be pleasing to those whose curions thoughts could scan the best Perfections wonder not then why the Sex is so admir'd by all the sages of the World yet not so much as real Worth commands in true desert as has been often intimated in the foregoing Pages why then should Man decline so great a Blessing why should not he who is so proud of being Rational use his Rationalty to a right end and by temporal Love founded on Virtue strive to raise his Soul to that which is Eternal endless and not dated by degrees of time a Love unalterable as Fate sounded on a commixture of Blessings in conversation with Angels Arch-Angels Cherubims and Seraphims Thrones Dominations Prince-doms Virtues and Powers all the Starry Quire of Brightness and Batitude and higher yet for Love is God and God is Love by it the order of the Visible World is maintain'd and things not visible to mortal Eyes supported in their sacred order and concordence 't is that which makes all truly happy and without it is no happiness in this World nor the World to come Then let us prize a Gift that is so fair So good so just that she our love should share To a degree too great to be exprest Who of all Blessing Earth affords is best Who only Crowns all Earthly Flappiness And does Man-kind beyond his wishes bless A greater Blessing Heav'n never gave To Mortal Man but him that Man did save The Reasons why Mans Happiness is not compleat on Earth without the Charming Creature Woman AS for the necessity of the Beautious Sex it is evident not only for the sake of Generation but for that of Mutual Society Man without them being as a Solitary Traveller who Journeys through Wildernesses and Desarts where Rational Creatures seldome give his Eyes the plesure of beholding them though some may object that the Conversation of Man with Man is materialy sufficient I grant it is in general relating to indifferent affairs but where the Soul claims a closer Union than such Innocent diversions can alow that convers is of little moment Woman was taken from Man and therefore by a simpathy of Nature and a secret contraction of the better part she considers in being cruel to her temporal Original she is cruel to her self and in that cruellty offends her Maker unless a singular vow of Chastity interposes wherein her aime is to be a spotless Virgin that so she may follow the Lamb that has taken away Original Sin and given us leave and oppertunity to be Regenerate and Born again through Faith and Relyance on his meritorious Death and passion but to come nearer to the conclusion Eternal love ought to be our chief aim Life in our Saviours death we d●ly claim In his dear merits all our hopes must be Zone of our everlasting life is he A bright Meridian of Eternity But how came this great Mistery to pass Eternal Widom the Prime Author was The thing is deep and Mortal Minds are lost Heav'n nows alone what this dear Blessing cost Consider then and let us still adore Omnipotence which our weak nature bore Compassioning us he lay'd aside Known Glory dispising shame he dy'd ●●●'raign o're Death with Death he yet comply'd Having thus far discours'd I shall proceed to the Character of a Virtuous Woman in all her Capacities The GOLDEN CHARACTER Of a VIRTUOUS WOMAN In all her CAPACITIES IN this case three things are more immediately to be consider'd viz The Virgin State and those of Marriage and Widdow-hood and of these in their