Selected quad for the lemma: world_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
world_n	gain_v	lose_v	profit_v	2,452	5	9.3078	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A00954	The revvard of the faithfull. The labour of the faithfull. The grounds of our faith	Fletcher, Giles, 1588?-1623.	1623 (1623)	STC 11062; ESTC S117621	79,563	446

disparagement to his Gentilitie to till the Earth nor Iacob that was his heire to follow Sheepe though perhaps my Lord Esau goe a hunting euery day an ende Yet I thinke not Isaac was a Plowman but I thinke he followed his seruants that were so and in such labour there is no man but shall finde as much wisedome as delight and health Besides if a man would labour vpon the ground one would suppose being rich the ground should be his owne not anothers what would one of our small heires say should I now turne Farmour I thanke God I haue beene brought vp after another fashion and haue ground enough of mine owne to liue vpon by other mens labours Well I make no question but Isaac was as well brought vp as such idle out of calling Gentlemen and yet he plowes and sowes not only another mans ground but the ground of straungers where hee could exspect nothing but hard dealing which indeed hee found The last circumstance is of the time which was a time of Famine wherein all men are most discouraged to sowe both because of their present want of that seede they cast into the ground which might serue themselues and because they feare the yeare to come may proue as barren as that which was past Yet for all this Isaac though rich neither thinkes it too meane a calling for him to till the ground neither is discouraged from labouring though he spent his sweat vpon the ground of strangers and sowed in a most vnseasonable time and what might the reason of this be First Isaac was a religious person and lookt assuredly for Gods blessing which he found and therefore sowed From whence we gather this instruction T is good husbandrie to bee a religious man and one of the children of Abraham that is a faithfull man Secondly Isaac knew that hee who meant to reape the fruit of Gods blessing must sowe the seede of his owne labour in some lawfull and honest course and therefore he sowed whence arises this Obseruation That as euery man must vse the meanes that would be profited by Gods blessings so that Husbandry hath beene an auncient and honourable meanes of life Thirdly Isaac had Gods promise to blesse him in the third verse of this Chapter euen in this vnlikely place and therefore sowed among strangers and from hence we may borrow this direction A Childe of God makes Gods will the rule of all his actions though it seeme neuer so repugnant to his reason And to conclude Isaac had learnt by experience that God was not ruled by nature but was the Ouer-ruler of it and therefore though Famine should haue eaten vp all the Land besides yet he was sure God could preserue him and blesse his seede when the the fields of other men languisht with desolation and waste and therefore hee sowed then in the time of Famine from whence we we will learne this last instruction God alwaies glorifies himselfe in preseruing his Children by taking aduantage of the most vnlikely time that may bee to preserue them in Let vs now begin with the first IIII. It is good husbandrie to be a Religious man and one of the Children of Abraham FOr though the wicked Mowles of the Common-wealth that are alwaies rooting in the earth after profit suppose they should lose much if they were troubled in their bargaines with the scrupulous vice of Religion as they thinke it yet by their leaues Godlinesse is great gaine as the Apostle tels vs and is instated in a double portion by Gods owne promise both of the things of this life and of the life to come Hee giueth meat to them that feare him and is euer mindfull of his promise sings Dauid Psal 111. 5. His are no Court-promises prodigally made and purposely forgotten but so carefull is God after an especiall manner to be out of debt to those that rely vpon his word that in the times of dearth and famine when all other are lankt and shrunke vp with the leannesse of the Earth yet then as it is in the fifth of Iob the 20. and 22. God shall redeeme thee from death so as thou shalt laugh at destruction and famine What though a man begin with little as Iacob did Yet if thou seeke to God betimes and make thy supplication to the Almightie though thy beginning be small yet thy latter ende shall greatly increase as one of Iobs false friends truly prophecied at randome of Gods purpose toward Iobs estate No matter therefore how wicked men are opinioned of Godlinesse who accompt it a very vnprofitable and most vnthriftie vertue the truth is it is farre otherwise For Godlinesse is not only a gaine without losse but a great gaine without the least losse but wicked gaines are all like Samsons Foxes they haue fire brands in their tailes that consume all their Masters good husbandrie For they gaine a little part of the world and lose that in the ende which is more worth then the whole world and such gaines will profit little For as our Sauiour saies What will it profit a man if hee gaine the whole world and lose his owne soule So that indeed a wicked man gaines only for other but gets losse for himselfe for whilest he loses himselfe his heires enter vpon all his gaines and such are but silly gaines God knowes and I would they knew so to but the gettings of a Religious man brings no such after-claps of griefe and sorrow with them as Salomon tels vs in 10. of the Prou. 22. The blessing of the Lord it maketh rich and hee addeth no sorrow with it but how hurtfull and full of irremediable sorrow the goods are of vnrighteous Mammon Saint Paul most excellently describes in the 1. Epistle to Tim. the 6. 9. But they that will be rich saith the Apostle fall into temptation and a snare and into many foolish and hurtfull lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition A man would haue thought Temptations and Snares and Folly and hurtfull Lusts and Destructions and Perdition had beene miserie and sorrow enough for a Couetous heart a heart that will be rich Quasi nolente Deo to be drowned in But as Salomon saies God addes no sorrowes to the riches he giues so Saint Paul addes more to those the world giues For the lone of money saies the same Apostle in the same place is the root of all euill which while some coueted after they haue erred from the Faith and pierced themselues thorow and thorow with many sorrows All these mischiefes happen not to rich men but to men that will bee rich not to men that haue money but to men that loue money and set their heart vpon it If riches increase set not thy heart vpon it saies Dauid A man may haue riches but riches must not haue the man as Aristippus said of Lais the Harlot 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 otherwise they should not be Gods blessing which they are Deut. 28. they would not be rewards