Selected quad for the lemma: water_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
water_n	nature_n	young_a	youth_n	15	3	7.3735	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A89235	Miscellanea spiritualia: or, Devout essaies: composed by the Honourable Walter Montagu Esq.; Miscellanea spiritualia. Part 1.	Montagu, Walter, 1603?-1677.; Marshall, William, fl. 1617-1650, engraver.	1648 (1648)	Wing M2473; Thomason E519_1; ESTC R202893	256,654	397

tender of this highest Prerogative which is to impose virtue by their practice of it this Spirituall levy made upon the mindes of the people facilitates the raising upon them all other tributes Therefore Princes should be as religious in their lives as they are politickly just in their coines they must take heed of crying up any base species to an over-value since their stamp and impression makes all their morall coyne so currant in their Court by reason the images of their humor are as it were privy seales for the receit of those images wherewith their followers are most affected and because it is no crime to counterfeit this kinde of the Princes signature but rather a warrant for their pretensions likely the whole Court is a stamp of the Kings humour and affection This influence of Princes upon the dispositions of their Courts needs not the deposition of examples since it hath the Authority of a knowne principle therefore I shall only offer one precedent in the case in which the example and extravagancy is so singular as the very foulnesse of the Testimony must make the proofe the fairer and the more irrefragable There was a Grecian Emperour called Constantinus surnamed Copronimus which Surname he gave himselfe before he could speake when he was first brought into the Church by fouling it as much as his nature could then extend unto and afterward his life was a truer performance of that unclean promise he made himselfe then of those bonds of Christianity and purity he entered into by his sureties for this first was the least uncleannesse wherewith he polluted the Church in the rest of his life This Emperour who seemed to have a soule meerely vegetative by the inclinations of it for it grew thrived only upon dung had such a fancy to the smell of horse-dung as he besmeared himselfe with it and all his Court in complacency to that fancy qualified themselves for his company with the same per●umes and so offered him continually this odor which was fi●incense for such a deity and this naturall immundicity was but a figure of that spirituall impurity of him and his Court for in this Princes humour this was the least brutish of all his other bestialities so that his Court was rather a parke of the locusts and scorpions of the Revelation then a Congregation of reasonable creatures This is an unhappy trophee of the power of example in Princes erected to evidence that conclusion The sacred History is so pregnant in these examples how the prevarication of the Prince hath alwayes beene the perversion of the people as I shall not need to instance any therefore I may properly apply to Princes this advise which was given by a holy Father of the Church to Priests Since they speak as Oracles let them live as Deities for the lying spirit is often more credited in their mouthes then in those of the Prophets And this same prescript is likewise very requisue for all persons neere in office trust or familiarity with Princes since there is a naturall influence from such conversations even upward upon their superiours according to what some Physitians hold in point of a circulation of the blood to wit that which is in the feet to have a reflux back into the heart This motion may be truly affirmed in the course of the spirituall blood in the civill body of society for the affections and habits of the inferiour parts of the company flow often upward upon the superiour as well as they runne downward by their influence on the lower stations wherefore this morall circulation of virtue and vice in humanity makes the infection of any parts of the company familiar with Princes very dangerous for their contagion we see this in Roboams young Councellors who were not only the mediate instruments of rendring the Kingdome but also in some relation were the erectors of Jeroboams calves §. III. The importance of their Company for the education of Princes and a rule proposed for Counsellors and companious to both ruling and young Princes UPon this information let the Familiars and Counsellors of Princes understand they have a very precise charge of integrity upon them in their morall conversation as well as in their politicke comportments for indeed their vocations in many respects are rather sacred functions then simply civil conditions in regard they are imployed in the ministeries of the most speciall images of God on earth in which respect the scandall of their lives is not only prophanesse but a kinde of s●c●iledge as it endangers the violating of the most sacred part of a Princes Character which is the divinenesse of his life and Government The life of King Joas is an unhappy precedent in this case who while he had Joh 〈…〉 a in his eye was himselfe a singular patern of piety to the people and eminent for the reparation of the Temple but after the change of such a companion when the Princes of Juda came and adored the King he being moved by their insinuations concurr'd with them quickly in leaving the Temple he had so much merit in and followed them into the groves to secke out and set up new Idols This was the sad effect of infectious familiars therefore such as are neer in office or privacy to the persons of young Princes have a most strict obligation to be virtuous and exemplary in their lives and conversations for humane Nature like Jacobs sheepe in the a●dor and ●eat of youth is very apt to conceive with some tincture of the colours it sees in those waters whereof it drinks in that season the conversations of our familiars are the waters where with our imaginative faculty is nourished and so Princes had need to have them kept very cleere and serene for according to the colours they looke upon in them their conceptions likely prove whereby the issues of their mindes become sported and staind according to such images as are represented to their imaginations in the pregnancy of their youth In this regard they who have choice of those to whom they will commit such trusts as the company and familiarity of young Princes should no● be lesse●●act then when their Pictures are to be taken for which alwayes such who are the best reputed are preferr'd for indeed their familiars doe this intellectuall office to their mindes though this spirituall worke is done by acuite contrary manner to that of the images of their persons for the familiar companions of Princes may be said to worke upon the image of their mindes by sitting to them that is by exposing their owne figure to the young fancy they draw the other to that resemblance such is the active virtue of example upon the tender age of education Surely those then who are trusted with this office of being a familiar object to young Princes which is a nobler place then they can conceive by any name it hath at Court should set their dispositions in a

delight the owners of it shewing what a reall blessing beauty hath by being made by God one of the best opticke glasses for the helpe of mans spirituall eye by report from his corporeall in the speculation of divinity for by this inference of the Wise-man he may argue If we are delighted with these materiall beauties we may judge how much more beautifull and lovely is the Lord and Creator of them adding that by the greatnesse of the beauty of the creatures the heathens were inexcusable that they did not find the truth of one Creator We may remarke a speciall providence of God in the order of nature providing against the pervertiblenesse of this great blessing of beauty for the most vehement cupidity of our nature ariseth not before the use of reason the abuse of beauty and the use of reason are both of an age whereby we have a defence coupled with the time of temptation and our reason when it is seriously consulted for our safety hath the voyce of the holy cryer in the desart and directeth us to a stronger then her selfe which was before her though it appeared after her this is Grace which we may call in to our succour in all the violencies of our nature so as with these pre-cautions I propose beauty to be truly honoured in that highest degree of nobility which God hath been pleased to rank it among his materiall creatures preserving religiously the Prerogative Rights of the Soveraign of our hearts who demandeth not the putting out of the right eye as the Ammonites did for a mark of slavery but proposed it onely as a medicine in case of scandall when the liberty of the whole body is indangered by it whereby we see devotion doth not infringe any of the rights of humanity in the valuation of materiall blessings for in not admitting vain passion it doth rather defend then diminish the liberties of humane nature which are truly inslaved by the tyrannies of passion Now in answer to that question concerning friendship with women I professe to intend so little the discrediting of reall friendship with them as I approve it for an excellent preservative against the contagiousnesse of passion for as passion hath been well said to be friendship runne mad so friendship may be properly styled sober passion since it hath all the spirit and cordiality of the wine of love without the offensive fumes and vapors of it and so doth the office of exhilarating the heart without intoxicating the braine Insomuch as we finde that our friendship with the proprietor of what we are tempted to covet doth often even by the single virtue of morality suppresse those unruly appetites Therefore when the power of Christianity is joyned to re-inforce it we may expect it should much the easilier correct frailty of nature It hath been well said of friendship that it is the soule of humane society and if our friendship hold this Analogy with the soul to be equally intire in every part of the body it is very safe with women if the love be no more in the face then in the feet as long as it is like a soule thus spiritually distributed equally in the whole compound of body and mind it is not in danger of the partiality of passion which never maketh this equall communication of it selfe but lodgeth solely in the externall figure of the body and friendship thus regularly spirituall may find a sensible as well as a lawfull delight in the beauty and lovelynesse of the person for beauty hath somewhat that affecteth and taketh our nature which methinks is somewhat like to that we call the fire or the water in diamonds which are certain rayes of luster and brightnesse that seem the Spirit of the whole matter being equally issued from all parts of it and so there may be a kind of spirit and quicknesse of joy and delight that may shine upon us from the object of a beautifull person whom we may love so spiritually as to consider nothing in the person severed from the whole consistence and virtuous integrity of soul and body no more then we do the fire of a diamond apart from the whole substance Thus beauty may innocently raise the joy of friendship whiles sincere friendship doth suppresse the danger of beauty which is onely the kindling of passion wherefore if it be rightly examined passion which pretendeth to honour beauty more then friendship will be found but to vilifie and debase it for passion useth this diamond but as a flint to strike materiall sparkles of lust out of it whereas friendship lookes upon the fire of this diamond as delighted only with the luster of nature in the substance of it which reflects alwaies the splendor of the Creator unto a Pious ' and religious love But this high Spirituall point of friendship with women where we have no defence by consanguinity against the frailty of flesh and blood is not so accessable as we should presume easily to reach it many loves have stray'd that pretended to set out towards it therefore we cannot be too cautious in this promise to our selves of security in such difficulties for our spirit can make no such friendship with our flesh as to rely upon the fidelity thereof without his own continuall vigilancy wherefore S. Peters advise is very pertinent in these intelligences Converse in feare in this time of your sojourning for otherwise I may presage to you in the termes of the Prophet Evil shall come upon you and you shal not know from whence it riseth for friendship doth often when it is too much presumed upon rob upon the place it did first pretend to guard being easily tempted by the conveniency our senses finde in that trust And as those theeves are the hardliest discovered that can so handsomely change their apparencies upon the place as they need not flie upon it so friendship when it is debaushed into passion is very hardly detected For when it is questioned by Gods authorized examinants it resumeth the lookes and similitude of innocent friendship and so remaineth undiscovered not onely by the exterior inquest but very often it eludeth a slight interior search of our own conscience thereby proving the most dangerous theef in the familiarities with women For this reason I must charge this admission of friendship towards women with this clause of Saint Paul While you stand by saith presume not but feare for in this case we may warrantably invert the rule of Saint John and say that perfect love bringeth in feare wherefore I will conclude this case with Solomons sentence Blessed is the man who feareth alwayes he that hardneth his heart shall fall into mischiefe § VIII The Conclusion framed upon all the premised Discourse and our Love safely addressed NOw then upon these evidences we may fairely cast passion in this charge of Treason against the Soveraign of all our love and consequently all libertine discourse and familiarities with women

●eremy in Prison and in all the bitter tastes of these cups of Gods mingling as the Psalmist found before him My 〈◊〉 is g●ie 〈…〉 but I have said Truly this is my grief and I ●ust bear it The belief of Gods special design in all things 〈◊〉 befal us must answer all the perplexities of a Christian and we have not onely this order but this ability imparted to us from our suffering Head whose members working by 〈◊〉 vertue of his animation cannot say●less to God the Father then Not my will but thine O Lord be done This little intermixture of a Garden-plat or patern 〈◊〉 both with the flowers of Nature and the fruits of Grace may be no unpleasant walk or 〈◊〉 for the uncon●●ned 〈◊〉 tion of some solitary Prisoner to whom I dedicate 〈◊〉 piece of Entertainment which I hope may in some 〈◊〉 water and refresh his minde and help to keep it in this temper of the Prophet Her leaf green in this time of droug 〈…〉 and not ceasing to yield fruit §. VII Some speculations suggested to recreate our Spirits in sufferance and to invigorate our Faith IF I have made any extraordinary discovery of Springs passing so long through this Desert in my journey ou● of Egypt unto the Land of Promise I hold my self bound to set the best marks I can upon all such Refreshments that they may the easilier be resorted to by such as by any accident shall be engaged in this desolate Peregrination and I need not fear to be tedious in this office no more then Physicians in their attendances upon Patients I will impart therefore another Receit I have found very efficacious which is mixed with the wine of Philosophy and the oyl of Divinity it hath both the quickness and vigor of Reason to work upon our Fancy and the unction of Faith also to supple and molifie the unpleasantness of our Nature in these constraints of Solitude This is then the prescript to make even the multiplicity of the evils and diseases of this life medicinal unto us by considering how many we are free from of those we might easily have altogether as for Example If we are in Prison and in health to remember we have a greater blessing then that we want and how much ●reer we are then diseased Princes close Prisoners within their Curtains If we chance to be sick and in Prison both at once we may consider That we have as much of this violent restraint taken off from us as is imposed upon us by this Natural one in which we are cōmitted by our own body since in this case all states are reduced to the same confinement being under the Arrest of Sickness and therefore our liberty may seem as it were recover 〈◊〉 by our infirmity since no body is in pain to want what they could make no use of if they possessed it The more then we have of this evil of sickness the lest we have of this other of imprisonment for the sicker we are the less capable we become of the use of liberty so that we may say Nature seem●th to have provided that the 〈…〉 of our bodily evils should cure the next worst of our corp 〈…〉 su 〈…〉 s since the wa●● of health 〈◊〉 prop 〈…〉 nately to remedy the privation of liberty And again if this violent separation from the world ●e but the policy of an adverse party to intercept all ou● contributions to the promoting of the cause which they impu 〈…〉 then we may reflect how much better our condition is then if we were under the indignation of some inh 〈…〉 tyrannies which use tor●●res as instruments which 〈…〉 curiosities play upon to draw those tunes out of th 〈…〉 their fancies or their fears have set and ●o such mis 〈…〉 we may remember our selves to be exposed thus we 〈◊〉 discourse over all the mischiefs of this life wh 〈…〉 we might have ben condemned and it is likely we shall finde upon this accompt the number of our exemptions in our present stare a just mitigation of our senten 〈…〉 this ingenious diligence of our reason we may finde 〈…〉 be●s enough of miseries that stand as I may say Neu 〈…〉 and levying them thus by our meditation we may bring th●● in to our succor to defeat those which are actually declared against us whereby we may be said to overthrow 〈…〉 the multitude of her own forces while by ou● 〈◊〉 ptions from so many of the worlds greater ●alamiti●s 〈…〉 facilitate the cariage of our owne portion and by the 〈…〉 of the Gospel we may properly make in this occa 〈…〉 those which are not against us to be with us This little hint will serve to lead our thoughts into 〈…〉 fields of meditation upon the numerous in 〈…〉 of 〈…〉 Age which surrounding by enemies the more it 〈…〉 the likelier it is to draw our eyes up to the mo 〈…〉 with the Psalmist from whence we may expect our 〈…〉 and looking faithfully up to those hills with the 〈…〉 we shall de●ery supernatural Auxiliaries whereof we may truly say ●o our fearfull se●ses as to our amazed servants 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for there are more with us then against us I have set most of my spiritual notions with the foilies of humane perswasions considering how much such conjunctions conduce to a be●tering the water of the jewels of Divinity into the eyes of our nature S. Paul used this art when he was content to speak after the maner of men for the infirmity of our flesh But now I will present you with an advise sincerely Divine without any plau●ible adjunction to illustrate it which is in this order of distributing the day I have proposed to assign some special part of every day the measure whereof I do not define to a serious meditation upon the immensity of eternity and the momentariness of this life we may consider the time of all ages like a little globe of smoke vanishing into the vast region of air for all time holds less proportion to eternity then the least vapor doth to the whole air into which 〈…〉 s vanished if then the duration of all time be so disproportioned to eternity when we sever our single part in this point of time how neer a Nothing must it appear to us and it may be the time of our suffering is but a small parcel even of our own life This computation must needs shew us the shortness of that time which our weak Nature thinks often long measuring it not as it is in flu● but as it seemeth staying in our ●aney and distant from some earthly de●ire whereunto we would be carried and so this our miscounting of the length of time ariseth always from this error that we do not reckon upon it as it is in motion towards eternity but rather regard it under the notion of a remora or retardment in that haste we have to satisfie some passion in pursuit whereof Time it self seemeth too slow