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
A68977	The prodigals teares. With a heavenly new yeeres gift sent to the soule; contayning many most zealous and comfortable prayers, with deuout meditations: both worthie the acceptance of all Christians, and their expence of time to peruse. By H. G. preacher of the most sacred Word of God	Brathwaite, Richard, 1588?-1673.; Goodcole, Henry, 1568-1641.	1620 (1620)	STC 3580; ESTC S114442	53,955	283

know it not deceiued by Ismael and see it not slaued by the flesh yet curbe her not taught better things by the Spirit of God yet beleeue them not Pitty it is that creatures of so promising a feature should for the hardnes of their hearts heare like stones and goe like snaile It is written of the Hart that when hee lifteth vp his eares hee is quicke of hearing and heareth euery noise but when hee laieth downe his eares he is deafe and heareth nothing the worldlings eares bee euer downe for the hearing euer goeth with the heart and that is neuer fixed by a worldling on the tidings of the Spirit or affections of the new man but on a deare summer a scarce haruest or such like publike ill whereby he may chance to reape a priuat good The ambitious and vainglorious mans eares bee neither downe nor vp but about him he looketh for obseruance with his eyes and listens for fame with his eares The dissolute young man hee hath his eares engaged to the report of Beautie not one of these will heare Wisedome cry she neuer so lowde in the open streetes These know not that a diuine Tongue and an holy Eare make sweete Musicke but a deafe eare maketh a dombe tongue Alas What concord with Belial when the Tongue should be conuersant in thankesgiuing the Eare in attentiue listening the faculties of the Soule in vniformitie of operation the Tongue for thankesgiuing is employed in cursing the Eare for attentiue hearing is giuen to peruerting the faculties of the Soule for vniformity of operation are strangely distracted by a preposterous confusion Here may the Prophets of Almighty God pipe long before any of these daunce for why the couetous man trembleth at their doctrine they talke too much of Diues and yet they like the history well so long as this Diues was clad in Purple and fared deliciously euery day But when it followeth his soule was carried to hell there to be tormented for euermore O there the end sounds not so well as the beginning The Ambitious man if he heare any thing which may bee applied to his owne vanitie heere an aspiring Absolon there a politicke Haman a vaine-glorious Herod and their miserable ends though they tremble with Foelix yet they will say with Foelix We will find some other time to heare thee Oras one of the Polemarchi answered Archias Letter wherein he was aduertised of the conspiracie intended against his Soueraignty RES SERIAS ad crastinum differamus The present time must be reserued for their priuate honour the serious and important state of their soule must be deferred The wantan if he heare words of instruction or discipline hee presently returneth to his Glasse not to his houre-glasse for then he should be put in minde of the expence of his time where seeing no riuells in his face no emblems of age but all like the freshest of Autumnes floures hee thinkes it pitty so good a face should be so soone mortified That it is hard for ambition auarice or sensuality to ascribe honor where honor belongs because they be partiall followers and giue them honour onely which they affect hartily it agreeth with Minius the Philosophers saying there is no honour or adoration which proceeds not from admiration O let vs then onely admire that we onely adore the Soueraigne of heauen and earth not any subiect within the circumference of earth for though it allay perchance our desires yet can it no way satisfie them We see in the natures of Elements they continue their owne course fire and aire aspiring earth and water declining each body tends to her proper centre If our essentiall part were composed of earth or any other grosse substance then no maruell if we tended to the place of our composition but being of a purer clearer and lighter nature let not the viler and baser part depriue the better of her Soueraigne end The worse should be in subiection to the better and not the better to the worse I haue found two meanes as speciall motiues to reduce the body to the subiection of the minde the first by force the second by awe By force when all depraued motions be expelled by a certain violence wrestling with the rebellious flesh and discomfiting it by the argument of reason and soueraignty of will By awe when she expresseth her selfe and the necessity of her command shaking onely the rod of her discipline at the seruile flesh to imply that she is Mistris and if easier meanes will not preuaile then rougher and seuerer chasticements must I reade how the Scythians in their third expedition into Asia hauing beene absent for the space of seauen yeeres from their wiues and children were entertained at their returne with a seruile warre for their wiues wearied with expecting their husbands imagining them to be rather discomfited then detained by warre married their seruants which were left at home to graze their cattell the Maisters at last returning home with victorie were denyed the entrance of their owne prouinces as if they had beene strangers by their owne seruants Long and doubtfull was the victory till the Scythians aduised to change the nature of the battell calling to memory how they fought not with enemies but with their vassailes and therefore not to be vanquished by lawe of Armes but the awe and authority of maisters so they resolued for weapons to carry whippes and other instruments of seruile feare where they no sooner assaulted the enemy then with the sight of their whippes they became so dismayed as they tooke themselues to flight so as that which saith the Historian they could not atchieue by the power of their swords they atchieued by the feare of their whips I would haue the spirit to deale so with the flesh to put her in minde she is but a seruant and must obey and now and then to shew the badge of her authoritie the symbole of her power and the extent of her might Miserable doe wee account that State to bee where indiscreet Gouernours manage the affaires of State and subiect to ruine must that Armie needes be which is guided by an effeminate Leader Alas then poore Soule wheresoeuer thou bee for many of this sort I know there be that transferreth the gouernment of thy State the helme of thy Shippe to so dissolute a Guide so secure a Pilote as the irregular passions of the flesh These like Ionah sleepe in the shippe and prouide not for a tempest these neuer fore-see ruine vntill it suddenly come vpon them euen in the imminencie of danger so securely be they rocked in the sleepe of Obliuion as they take it for a dreame That Sage of Greece thought no foole could bee better charactered then with Non putaram thinking least when greatest apparancie of danger demonstrated her selfe Foolish flesh that would gladly gouern yet knows not how would steere the Barke and precious Vessell of my Soule yet neyther expert in