Selected quad for the lemma: nature_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
nature_n	cold_a	hot_a	moist_a	5,424	5	10.2024	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A61120	Kaina kai palaia Things new and old, or, A store-house of similies, sentences, allegories, apophthegms, adagies, apologues, divine, morall, politicall, &c. : with their severall applications / collected and observed from the writings and sayings of the learned in all ages to this present by John Spencer ...	Spencer, John, d. 1680.; Fuller, Thomas, (1608-1661)	1658 (1658)	Wing S4960; ESTC R16985	1,028,106	735

modii but lux mundi that light of the World in whom there is not so much as the least shadow of darknesse Small buddings of Grace in the Soul an argument of greater growth VVHen we behold Prime-Roses and Violets fairly to flourish we conclude the dead of the Winter is past though as yet no Roses or Iuly-flowers do appear which long after lye hid in their leaves or lurk in their roots but in due time will discover themselves Thus if some small buddings of Grace do but appear in the Soul it is an argument of far greater growth if some signs be but above-ground in sight others are under-ground in the heart and though the former started first the other will follow in order It being plain that such a Man is passed from death unto life by this hopeful and happy spring of some signs in the heart Magistrates Rulers c. the great comfort of good ones THe People of Rome were very jocund when they had made Galba their Emperour but he had not been long in till they began to change their note For they found by woful experience that they had met with a carelesse and cruel Gover●our A sad thing when it is either with Magistrates or Ministers as Pope Urban writ to a Prelate in his time very scoffingly Monacho fervido Abbatic calido Episcopo verò tepido et Archiepiscopo ●rigido still the higher in means the worse in manners But there is then good hope when Men in power and authority can say Non nobis sed populo that they aym at the publique good And happy is that People that place that Common-wealth whose Rulers think no time too long no pains too great nor no patience too much whereby they may glorifie God and seek the publique good in the appointed places of their dignity Godly Company the benefit thereof IT is observable of many houses in the City of London that they have so weak walls and are of so slender and slight building that were they set alone in the Fields probably they would not stand one hour which now ranged into streets receive support in themselves and mutually return it to others Such is the danger of solitarinesse and the great benefit of association with good and godly Company Such as want skill or boldnesse to begin or set a Psalm may competently follow tune in consort with others and such are the blessed fruits of good Society that a Man may not onely be reserved from much mischief but also be strengthened and confirmed in many godly Exercises which he could not perform of himself alone The excellency of Sonday or Lords day above other dayes WHat the Fire is amongst the Elements the Eagle among the Fowls the Whale among the Fishes the Lyon amongst the beasts Gold among the other mettals and Wheat amongst other grain the same is the Lords day above other dayes of the week differing as much from the rest as doth that wax to which a Kings great seal is put from ordinary wax Or that silver upon which the King's Arms and Image are stamped from Silver unrefined or in bullion It is a day the most holy Festival in relation to the Initiation of the World and Mans Regeneration the Queen and Princesse of dayes a Royall day a day that shines amongst other dayes as doth the Dominical letter clad in scarlet among the other letters in the Calender or as the Sun imparts light to all the other Stars so doth this day bearing the name of Sonday afford both light and life to all other dayes of the week Men to be as well industrious in their Callings as zealous in their devotions THe Inhabitants of the Bishoprick of Durham pleaded a Priviledg That King Edward the first had no power although on necessary occasion to presse them to go out of their Country because forsooth they termed themselves Haly-work-folk onely to be used in defending the holy shrine of S. Cuthbert Thus it is that many in the World are much mistaken thinking that if they be but once entred into the trade of Godlinesse they may cancell all Indentures of service and have a full dispensation to be idle in their Callings whereas the best way to make the service of God comfortable within their own Souls is to take pains without in their lawful Vocations there being ever some secret good accrewing to such who are diligent therein Variety of gifts in the Ordinance of Preaching IT is a received Aphorism amongst Physitians that the Constitutions of all Mens bodies are of a mixt nature hot dry cold and moyst and yet the Wisdom of God hath so diversly tempered these that scarce in the World are two Men to be found in every point of like temper The face of a Man is not above a span over yet let ten thousand Men be together and their countenances shall all differ So in the Church as to the variety of gifts in the matter of Preaching let divers Men take one and the same Text yet scarce two of a hundred though all soundly and to the Point are to be found that have in all things the like gift either for matter or utterance some having five talents some but two some but one some have a more excellent gift of Conference some of Prayer some of Exhortation some in opening of a Text some in application c. every one though not all alike some one way or other profitable unto Gods people to help onward the building up of the body of the Lord Iesus in the edification of those that are committed to their charge To be more strict in the holy observation of the Sabbath then heretofore and why so SOme Popish People make a superstitious Almanack of the Sonday by the fairnesse or foulnesse thereof guessing of the weather all the week after according to that old Monkish rime If it rains on Sonday before Messe It will rain all week more or lesse However it may be boldly affirmed That from our well or ill spending of the Lord day a probable conjecture may be made how the following week will be employed yea it is to be conceived that we are bound as matters now stand in England to a stricter observation of the Lords day then ever before That a time was due to Gods service no Christian in this Nation ever did deny That the same was weekly dispersed into the Lords day Holy-dayes Wednesdays Fridays and Saturdays some have earnestly maintained seeing therefore all the last are generally neglected the former must be more strictly observed It being otherwise impious that our devotion having a narrower channel should also carry a narrower stream along with it Gods gracious return of his Peoples Prayers in the time of their distresse IT is said of Martin Luther that perceiving the cause of the Gospel to be brought into a great strait he flyes unto God layes hold on him by Faith and

but let Patience have its perfect work in them so that when they are as it were overwhelmed in a deluge of distress finding no way to get out they would tarry Gods time and though deliverance come not at an instant yea though it be irksome at the present in due time they shall certainly receive comfort Pride a main Engine of the Devill AS when a City or a Castle is besieged amongst other stratagems and devices Men use to undermine the Foundation and blow it up with Gunpowder that being as they think the surest way to gain it So the Devill laying battery to the Fort of Mans Soul undermines it and puts the Gunpowder of Pride into it knowing that as he himself was blown up so will that pretious Fortresse be easily scaled if that powder once take fire in it And as those that fish with nets in standing Rivers where they pitch down their net do blunder and trouble the water that the Fish may not see the net and then with poles beat and dash the streams above to drive the Fish into the net So Satan setting the net of disobedience muds and troubles the heart of Man by Pride and so beats him down the stream of his own affections till he have caught him in his deadly Net of destruction Nature cannot work out Peace of Conscience THere are a sort of foolish Country people that think Nature will work out all distemperatures and they need no Physick Some of them are confuted by their graves others of more strength and healthier Constitutions possibly recover their former vigour but their diseases make a truce onely not a peace with their bodies the latent cause remains and watcheth its advantage of the next heat or cold the body takes or the next intemperate season that comes And thus many deal with their Souls never regarding when their Spirits are troubled to heal up the wound with the balm of Gelead but go on in their Worldly natural way and at last their troubled Spirits are quiet again so they get their Peace of course but all this while the hidden cause of their trouble watcheth the next advantage their Souls fester within and on a sodain they are ready to despair and to lay Violent hands on themselves Men to set an high Valew upon their Souls WHen Praxiteles a cunning Painter had promised unto Phryne one of the choicest pieces in his shop she not knowing which was the best began to think upon some plot whereby to make him to discover his Judgment which of them was the piece indeed suborned one of his Servants to tell his Master being then in the Market selling his Pictures that his house was on fire and a great part of it burnt down to the ground Praxiteles hearing this presently demanded of his Servant If the Satyre and Cupid were safe whereby Phryne standing by discovered which was the best Picture in the Shop And shall a silly painter set so high an esteem upon a poor base Picture the ●●ubber'd work of his own hands And shall not we much more value the Soul that is of an Immortall being the most pretio●● piece that ever God made the perfect pattern and Image of himself let Riches honours and all go if nothing but this escape the fire it is sufficient Peace of Conscience not wrought out by merry Company or drinking SOme there are that if they be in an ague or the like distemperature will drink hot waters or good store of Sack to prevent their cold ●it and out-burn Nature but alasse all the good that comes of it is onely that they fall into a burning Fever and perhaps consume their dust into ashes So there are such prophane wretches that if their Conscience alarums them if their Spirit troubles them or if crosses multiply upon them think there is no other way to wind out of the Devils fingers but by throwing themselves into his arms making themselves twice more the Children of the Devil then they were before they must needs to the Tavern or to the Alehouse seek out some boon Companions drink away their sorrow but had Zimri peace that slew his Master Damning a Soul cannot surely be the way to save it The vast difference betwixt Pride and Humility SPectacles that are of an antient sight if the young go about to use them they shew all things lesse then they are but unto old Men they present all things greater then they are Such is the difference betwixt Pride and Humility that Pride is like the old Mans spectacles and makes things bigger then indeed they are but Humility like the spectacles worn by young Men causeth every thing to seem lesse then it is A Proud man thinks no man better then himself an Humble man none worse The one lifteth up himself on high the other layeth his mouth in the dust Lament 3. 29. Much Learning to be found in a small compasse of expressions THe Learned Heraclite no lesse elegant then Aenigmatical amongst other his quaint speeches hath this saying of special remembrance and observation That the greedy Mettal mongers in their too too eager search for the Worlds wealth after long toil and trouble find parvum in magno a little pure substance in a great deal of unprofitable Earth But it fareth otherwise in the Inquisition and pursuit after Learning For there a well grounded Scholler shall find with a little abstractive speculation magnum in parvo much matter in few words every short golden sentence and particle thereof containing incredible store of most pure substance every short Aphorisme every Axiome every Maxime nay almost every contracted line comprehending matter sufficient to fill whole Volumes The true Nature of Humility RUffin●● the Companion of S. Francis having a Revelation that a Crown of glory was laid up for that holy Man told him one day that it would very much rejoyce him if he would let him understand What he thought of himself To whom S. Francis gave this answer I esteem my self the greatest Sinner of any in the World and that I serve God lesse then any other man How can that be said Ruffinus seeing some are Thieves some Murtherers some Adulterers and many most prophane and Wicked wretches such as are in the very gall of bitternesse such as never think of God or goodnesse and thou art not onely free from all these but withall a Man of much sanctity and holinesse But he replying said Out of doubt if God had been so mercifull to them as he hath been to me they would have shewed themselves more thankfull then I have been And besides if God had forsaken me I should have committed far greater Sins then they have done Here was a good Man though a Papist a rare pattern of Humility so far imita●le as being a Man arrived at a most excellent degree of self-denyal coming from an inward and high

and convenient for himself in wisdome choosing the form the Field the time the place and all for the advantage of his Army giving not the least foot of advance to his Enemy whereof he could possibly hinder him And thus it is that many though otherwise high-spirited enough do erre in a false opinion of their own valour and thereby lose both themselves and their honours so that whilest they affect to be called gallant Fighters do prove indeed to be but foolish Commanders and ill Captains not getting that Honour and Va●our which they so eagerly seek but the blame of temerity and rashnesse which they should mostly avoid Ministers to be active and vigorous in the reproof of Sin SUppose a Town to be all on fire Should we not count the Man ridiculous that should come and tell us a cold story saying Sirs let me tell you a thing there is a great Fire in the Town and I verily think it may burn all the Town and you should do well to go and quench it This Man tells us so indeed but should not we think him a Fool for telling us such a thing in such a cold and carelesse manner Nature it self teacheth another course in such a case Fire Fire help O help for the Lords sake water water in all haste Alas alas we are undone quickly quickly run for ladders run for buckets run for wet cloaths Ah you lazy Villain run apace for Iron hooks and the like So it is in the matter of Preaching What weighty things doth the Word contain Truths that should make the very bowels of the Minister to yern and pour out his affections in the Pulpit to rouze up the Peoples thoughts and awaken them from the sleep of Sin and security wherein they have a long time snorted otherwise when they hear of matters of life and death eternal life salvation and damnation they sit like blocks on their feats as though it were no matter of concernment Not to be hasty in the matter of Revenge IT is reported of Iames the Fourth King of Scotland that being much offended with the Earl Crawford he vowed to pull down his house from the top to the bottom but the Earl by his timely submission took off the edge of the Kings anger against him Insomuch that the King that he might in some sort be as big as his word went up to the top of his house and without doing any more harm at all threw down a little stone which was closed to the Fabrick which is to this day kept as a Monument of the Kings favour to that Family And thus it were to be wished that Men in the height and heat of their passion would throw themselves down at the footstool of him to whom vengeance belongeth not to be hasty in matters of Revenge and upon every sleight occasion or the least punctilio of honour to be ready to sheath their swords in the bowels of one another thus to do is sawcily to seat themselves upon Gods throne and as much as in them lyeth to wrest the sword out of his hands But let all such know that the lesse any Man strives for himself the more God is his Champion and he that said I seek not my own glory addes but there is one that seeks it and judgeth God takes his part ever that fights not for himself More Converts made by Preaching then by Reading A Man may be converted by Reading as Luther said he was It is the confession of Luther that the reading of Iohn Hus's Works was the main cause of his Conversion And S. Augustin's tolle lege taking up of the book and reading that of the Apostle Not in chambering and wantonnesse was by Gods especial favour a means to draw him out of that puddle of Sin wherein he had a long time wallowed Thus there is a blessing for Readers And there may a Fish or two hang on the Net being let down on a heap but that 's a chance It is not the Net lapped up together that bringeth in the draught but hailed out at length and spread all abroad that closeth in the Fish So it is the spreading of the Word the stretching of it out upon every Soul present by the work of the Ministry that is the way to catch many so that the reason of such ill successe in many Ministers is not spreading the net not dilating upon the matter in hand whereby their Preaching seems to be little better then Reading Magistrates Rulers c. of all Men to be resolved in the cause of God and their Country JAmes the Third King of Scotland waving the wholesome advice of his Nobility betook himself to the Counsels of some few unworthy Men insomuch that all things were out of order so that the Nobility fell upon consultations for the good of their King and Country Archibald Earl of Angus contrives the way how the wicked Counsellors might be fe●ch'd off from the King all approve it onely the Lord Grey perceiving the forwardnesse of the People told them the Fable of the Rats and Mice who consulting in a publique meeting how they might be secured from the surprisal of their publique Enemy the Cat found out as they thought a very good way for their safety which was to hang a bell about every Cats neck that so they might have warning of their approach and shift for themselves But when it was put to the question Who should und●rtake to tye the bell about the Cats neck they were all at a stand not one durst undertake to do it The Earl of Angus sodainly smelt out his meaning and what application was to be made upon the matter and thereupon made answer I will bell the Catt and what your Lordships shall conclude fit to be done shall not want for Execution which fell out accordingly And thus it is that Resolution in the cause of God and the Country becomes all Men especially Christian men such as are in places of power and authority that when their Religion and liberties lye at the stake they would not stand shall I shall I but bell the Cat stare in the face of any opposition whatsoever and boldly seize upon the Enemies of their peace and safety The Ministers calling to be owned from God VVHen the Danites asked the Levite in Mount Ephraim Who brought him thither and what he made in that place he made no other answer but that Micah had hired him and dealt well with him c. he knew well enough that he put himself there sought for the place himself It was maintenance that brought him thither His own Conscience told him He was an Hireling he came not in by the door but at the Window he could not say that the Lord brought him thither And thus it is that no Man can be said to enter into the Ministery in a right way but by God he must have his letters of