Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	answer_v	year_n	youth_n	18	3	8.1469	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A65238	The gentlemans monitor, or, A sober inspection into the vertues, vices, and ordinary means of the rise and decay of men and families with the authors apology and application to the nobles and gentry of England seasonable for these times / by Edw. Waterhous[e] ...	Waterhouse, Edward, 1619-1670.	1665 (1665)	Wing W1047; ESTC R34735	255,011	508

then had for such not frugality but covetousness would be like The acquirents of Sacriledge a curse to its saver which God punisheth in his penal blast and in the vain and praiseless dispersion of a prodigal heir whose Fork will cast abroad all the Come to mee 's of his Rake and send the Fruits of the short measure the deceitfull ballance Diseamus membris nostris inniti cultum victumque non ad nova exempla componere sed ut majorum suadent mores Senec. lib. de Tranquil animi and of the evil covetise of the Achans and Iudasses of the world into the Lethe and dead sea of wast and inappearance Whereas Frugality as it consists in a convenient supply and management of things in a mediocrity equally distant from excess So it keeps us in a composure of mind not cast down with our condition present or raised by what may in our future state be more publique and notorious Thus Livius Drusus may be thought as a wel-poysed Roman to live who would have his house pervious that his actions in it might be seen conform to the rule of a serious and wel-directed man whose Furniture Dyet Clothes Equipage were all such as his Fortune would bear his degree answer and his reputation not be impeached by And according to this who ever enjoyes himself will finde himself the better Christian the wiser Man and the providenter Parent I confess to the great spirits and little experience of Youth this is an unwelcome prescript a degenerous abatement they count every thing of contraction though it be a Pandora to afrer plenty but yet it is that which years and full sight into the world disciplines men in and the further degree they take in this Liberal Science of life the more capable are they to be good subjects good Fathers good Masters good Common-wealths-men For Vice is expensive and wasting Vertue onely is thrifty and chargless and if men do but once taste the sweetnesse of wel-tempered thrift they will finde it befriend them with all the coveniences of life and that without diminution of credit or fortune for wisdom being the understanding of arts in order to the understanding of men by and beyond them Frugality which is the wisdom of living without excess in any Inordinacy must be a notable means to Emineny as it veinges upon self-mastery and practical wisdom I am no Orator for narrow minds or penurious living I thank God I have both a spirit above the one have ever had the mercy to be exempt from the necessity of the other a Free spirit and a Free port suit well and nothing beneath it becomes Noble men and Gentlemen where God gives them fortuns to their degree credit and wisdom to do what is honest seemly and prudent but that which I defend in Patronage to the fortune and generosity of a Family is wisdom of practice to live within bounds that is to live vertuously Without voluntary poverty Non potest sticdium salutare fieri sine ●rugalitate cum srugalitas paupertas voluntaria est Inter exerpta● libris Senec●● and the care of bounding a mans self no Vertue saies Seneca can be secured For if men gratifie themselves to the utmost of their extravagant fancy the progeny of that lubricity will be eradication of Fame first then of friends and suddenly after of fortune For no man can be truly worthy who contemns health reputation counsel preservation to satiate the rude importunity of a delicate pallate a wanton eye an extravagant brain a credulous humour and a costly levity all which as so many eager hounds gnaw upon the surprised carcase of an over-driven prodigal whose transition of the modest bounds of vertue renders him a prey to the extorting Usurer the cunning Broker the harpy Cook the cozening Taylor the deluding Steward the fawning Tenant the crafty Divel till at last he become Lord and Master of nothing but a prison and be denied pitty when in himself he is helpless Whereas Frugality so directs to live in all the severalties of conversation as to conform present enjoyments to future equality and to prosperity not only personal but Gentilical and to break in upon no advantage in hand that leaves its dregs doleful to succession which from the wound and mortification of it first droop then wither and at last fall off from their roo● and branch The inconsideration of which 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or wise foresight in the practicall use of it is one of the main and to us known reasons of the unprovision that in many the great Families of England makes Daughters and younger Sons unhappy because Noblemen and Gentlemen swollen big with the flattery of a great Fortune ● free hous-keeping a Noble retinue ful● and chargeable recreations and often with notable sucking vices are so beleagured and overpowred with multitude of expences that they breeding their children in proportion to and in love of these their treacherous diversions leave the● when they die little but idleness tenuity of fortune Ignorance Immorality by reason of which they come to shame sorrow unprofitableness to their family and the Nation which were it timelily considered and their expences moderated in such excrecencies as their prudences may abate without impeachment of honour and wast of interest in their Countries there might be such supply given to their childrens marriage or other dispose as would render them independent on their elder brother and able to live like their fathers children So true is that of expence which Xenophon sayes of Warre small Forces well managed do great feats when bodies more vage miscarry The knack of which some great men having and holding expatiate their Families much and make their children in their transplantation considerable Optimus pecuniae modus est qui nec in paupertatem cadit nec procul à paupertate discedit placebit autem haec nobis mensura si prius parsimonia placuerit sinequa nec ullae opes sufficiunt nec ulla non satis patent Senec. lib. de Tranq c. 9. nor have I ever in my experience seen so great estates raised by what has been gotten as by what has been saved For Parsimony sayes Seneca is that which makes a little enough and enough plenty nor can he want content in whatever he has that makes what ever he has the bound of his desire and expence For whosoever doth not this casts all he has and himself into the bottomless sea the desires of man being vaster then are to be satisfied by the accressions of life He is the only wise man who lives at home and des●res moderate and attainable things and them had uses in measure as is worthy their possession and useful for others to do good to whom they are bestowed Which lesson though it be difficult for men of high spirits to learn Quicquid cupiditati contigit penitus hauritur conditur nec interest quantum in id quod inexplebile est congeras unus

and noblest Quality they can adorn themselves with and render themselves conspicuous by And that because it is the Copy of Gods Original a Draught from Perfection it self God as I may so say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Nazianz. Orat. 11. p. 179. in the likeness of man Now as true Nobility is likeness to the King in such Proportions as he is pleased to dispense Honour which is fontally and prerogatively his so is Piety and Religion such a partaking of God and such an effigiation of all his gracious Proportions on the Table of the Heart thence on the figure of the Life as Mortality is capable to take of Immortality and Imperfection of Perfection And though it serves to the excellent purposes of this World in civilizing and associating men and Governments into a comeliness and use of order and correspondence which without this knot and bond would be unaccomplishable and indurable yet are there higher and nobler ends of it which concern the better part and state of man to which this bodily and worldly is but ducent and preparatory And by reason of this Piety becomes not onely a Pearl of great Price to purchase which the Heavenly Merchant that regulates his affairs by Gods advice sells all he has and is a gainer by the bargain to if he can obtain it but a Grace of great activity and contribution to Gods Glory nothing man is capable of being more holily prodigal and unwearyedly advantageous to Gods Prevalence then is Piety For as it is invited to by great and precious Promises Such as are Gods gift of a new heart Ezech 11. 19. Is. 51. 5. 19. Ps. 25. 14. Matth. 25. 34. and of his comforting with his free Spirit of knowing his Secrets of having his Direction and Defence of seeing his face with joy of enjoying his Glory All which are those Magnalia Dei transcending our conception as far as they do weigh down and overpoise the merit of our work there being no congruity between this work of ours and that wages of his so ought it to be diligent in pressing us towards and carrying us to great undertakings of zeal self-denyal humility gratitude courage and constancy for God For shall the Fame of Men and the love of Justice work a Pagan Tamberlain to conflict with Hundreds of Thousands Men and as many Dangers and keep him in the heigth of Victories so sober and satisfied that he can being Lord of Constantinople Turkish History p. 222. and the riches and splendour of it not onely restrain himself from Sacking but from seeing it accounting it an inconsiderable Present to tempt him to be faithless Shall a Heathen have that great and divine mind to commiserate the oppressed and humble the oppressing Bajazet and that done to have his end Shall these Fruits come from Trees in the Worlds Wilderness and Gods Paradise not yield the like neither so fair to the eye nor so ple●sant to the taste God forbid 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Arri●anus Epict. lib. 1. c. 9. since the Moralist tells us that To be holy is to be of Gods cognation ●well-beloved Cousin and Counsellor of his Secrets For wherever true and unfeigned Piety is it discovers it self in all the fruits of Righteousness and Holyness in adoration of Gods Goodness in admiration of his Power in resignation to his Pleasure in assimilation to his Perfection in acceptation of his Denyals as well as in expectation of his Reward True Piety fruitfull which gradations advance it beyond moral Virtue that has often no Goade but vain Glory no Centre save that of Fame which is but a few steps from this World with which often it leaves men or it rests Leidger for them a few years or ages when the glory of Piety thus tapering up to God shall from his blessing flow into eternity and be had in everlasting Remembrance as that which is true Nobility and makes the Haver more excellent then his Neighbour in nature that is impious And therefore as the wise King Solomon places this Fear of God Piety in the front of all noble accomplishments Prov. 1. 7. calling it The beginning of Wisdom and commends it to Youth as the best Preliminary to after-document and improvement Remember now thy Creator now in the dayes of thy youth so doth he bring up the rear and conclude the Honour of Life and Action with Fearing God and keeping his Commandements which is the whole duty of man Eccles. And therefore though great Spirits and young Years are loth to stoop to Devotion Religion being as the Chrysostome-Father of our Church Famous Bishop Hall Decad. 1. p. 254. Epist. to Mr. Newton now with God once wrote it grown too severe a Mistress for youth and high courages to attend and very rare is that Nobility of bloud that doth not challenge liberty that ends not in looseness yet is Religion and Piety the best Rivet to fasten Greatness and the best Luminary to display it Whereupon though the full Figure of Piety be wishable to be drawn on Nobles and Gentlemen by whose influences on its behalf it may prevail and proselyte Men and Nations yet even the Vmbra and beginnings of it in any degree are hopefull and encourageable in them for such are the Diversions and Temptations that Greatness is objected to and so directly doth it lye in the pelt of the Surges and in the teeth and tendence of the blasts of carnal and sensual Reason and of the Pleasures and Accommodations of Sense that it is hard to find any man especially any Great-men strictly good precisely just exactly modest solidly humble and wisely provident and rare is that Family of which it may be said Aluit nutriments auxit Patrimoniis ornavit moribus quod edidit Familiae Iuvenes tot reddidit Curiae Consulares C●ssiod Var. lib. 3. Ep. 6. as Theodorie wrote of the Decian Family that It sent forth not more Sparks well bred well couraged and well fortuned then men fitted for Senators Grave Learned Religious I say such being the Snares of Greatness though Religion and Piety in sincerity and truth be mainly to be driven home upon them yet the obstacles thereunto being so many and so urgent even the superficiary parts of it are welcome to God and the World as Earnests of more real subsequent Fruits and as anticipations of Scandal That they keep religious Exercises in their Families Note this in order to practice That they observe the Rest and Rites of the Lords Day That they forbid and forbear open Immoralities That they be true to their Marriages Royal in their Words and Honours Merciful to their Servants Souls by releasing them from subserviency to evil That they concern themselves in the virtuous Education of their Children That they be Countenancers of men and things excellent of good report and prais●worthy These I say are rare advances in them towards the highest expectable from them And be they themselves never