Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	ability_n	able_a	wise_a	24	3	4.9848	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A12203	The spirituall-mans aime guiding a Christian in his affections and actions, through the sundry passages of this life, so that Gods glory, and his owne salvation may be the maine end of all / by the faithfull and reverend divine, R. Sibbes ... ; published by T.G. and P.N.	Sibbes, Richard, 1577-1635.	1637 (1637)	STC 22513; ESTC S1655	25,951	96

and Nobilitie is in some sort Nobilitie and so Possessions are in some sort Possessions But all this is but a Pageant as it were as a man that acts in a Pageant or in a Play hee is in some sort a King or a Beggar for the time But wee value him not as hee is then but as hee is when he is off the Stage And while wee live here wee act the part some of a Rich-man some of a Nobleman some of a Beggar or poore man all is but an acting of a part And there is a lesse proportion betweene the acting of a part in this life than there is betweene our life and eternitie All is but the acting of a part VVee are not rich in the grave more than others The King is as poore in the Grave as the base Peasant his Riches follow him not The worme and the grave know no difference when wee goe to that house there is no difference all acting and all differences end in the Grave And therefore considering that this world is but an Apparition but the acting of a part why should wee thinke our selves the better for any thing here Doth hee that acts the part of a Nobleman upon the Stage think himselfe better than another that acts the part of a Poore man No. Hee knowes hee shall goe off in short time and then hee shall bee as hee was before why are wee not thus wise in better things It is not hee that acts the greatest part but hee that acts well he that acts the part of a poore man may bee better than hee that acts the part of a rich man it is not the greatnesse of the part but the well acting of it all is but an Apparition If a meane man honour God in his condition and bee faithfull in a meane estate hee is a thousand times better then a great man that makes his greatnesse an instrument of iniustice as if all the world were to serve his turne and to make men Idolize him such a man is a wretched man and will bee when hee is turned off the Stage It is no matter how long hee hath lived or how great a part hee hath Acted but how well VVee value not men as they are when they are acting but as they are after If they were bad before they are bad after and they are praised after if they doe it well So it is no matter what a man acts if hee doe it well hee is for ever happie If hee doe it ill hee is forever miserable all here is but a Pageant If you talke of realtie it is in the things of Religion If you talke of true Nobilitie it is to bee the Childe of God If you talke of true Riches they are those that wee carrie to our death-bed those that wee carrie to Heaven those that comfort the soule those that inrich the soule with Grace and Comfort and Peace that is true Riches If you talke of true Beautie it is to have the Image of God stamped upon our soules to bee like Christ to be new Creatures If wee talke of true Strength it is to stand against Temptations to be able to serve God and to goe through the world without polluting our soules to beare Crosses as wee should that is the true realtie The things of this life are all but Apparitions and Pageants The greatest man in the world will say so when he lyes a dying as that great Emperour said I have runne through all things and now nothing doth mee good The realtie was gone that hee thought of and now there was nothing but a shew and Apparition when the realtie was gone nothing doth mee good Come to a man that is gasping out his life and aske him what doth honours doe you good What doth riches doe you good what doth possessions doe you good Solomon a wise man wise by the Spirit of God wise by experience because hee was a King wise by a speciall gift of God and the spirit of God and experience together with the spirit of God and a gift of Wisedome hee had all to inable him to give a true sentence hee that had runne through the varietie of all good things what doth hee pronounce but Vanity of Vanities he cannot expresse himselfe Vanity of vanities sayth Wise Holy experienced Solomon he that had all abilities that no man was able to say it so well as hee yet hee saith Vanitie of Vanities and that which is worse Vexation of Spirit if a man have not especiall grace to mannage them a right And therefore I beseech you Brethren doe but represent the things of this life even under the notion here they are but Apparitions they are but Pageants If wee be to buy any thing in this world wee pull off the trappings wee pull off the Masque or else wee may bee couzened in the thing So if we would iudge of the things of this world as they are What is within Riches is there not a great deale of care What is within government What is within the things of this life There is a goodly shew and Apparition what is within Pull of the Masque and then you shal see the things of this World The more you pierce into them and the more you know them the worse you will like them Like a picture that seemes goodly stuffe afar-off but neere-hand it seems baser so if you come neer these things there is emptinesse and not onely so but Vexation But in the things of heaven the nearer you are the more you will love them the more you will admire them the more a man knowes God the more hee may know him the more a man knowes Christ and loves Christ the more hee may there is a height and bredth and depth there all dimensions in the love of God in Christ and in the ioyes of heaven they are beyond comprehension The things that wee have in Christ they are larger than the soule wee cannot comprehend them There is nothing here but wee may compasse it it is inferiour to our knowledge and affections our affections and our knowledge are larger than any thin here the things of a better life are beyond all Shall wee stand upon apparitions that the more wee know them the more wee shall undervalew them And the fashion of this world passeth away It is a fashion it is but a fashion and then it passeth away Indeed they doe passe away experience sheweth that they passe even like a river As we see the Thames or any river the water passeth away it goes and goes along but it never comes so the things of this world they passe away but they never come againe they vanish away and wee passe away with them too Even as men in a ship whether they eat or drinke or sleepe or walke the ship goeth and they goe in it So it is in this world whether wee eate or drinke or sleepe wee passe away to death Every day takes a