Selected quad for the lemma: world_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
world_n	rejoice_v	use_v	weep_v	1,848	5	9.5776	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A31080	Practical discourses upon the consideration of our latter end, and the danger and mischief of delaying repentance by Isaac Barrow ...	Barrow, Isaac, 1630-1677.	1694 (1694)	Wing B951; ESTC R17257	64,090	182

the heart to wisdom implying the application of our hearts to wisdom to be consequent upon the skill and practice bestowed by God of thus computing our days As for wisdom that may denote either sapience a habit of knowing what is true or prudence a disposition of chusing what is good we may here understand both especially the latter for as Tully saith of Philosophy Omnis summa Philosophioe ad beate vivendum refertur The summ or whole of Philosophy refers to living happily so all Divine Wisdom doth respect good practice The word also comprehends all the consequences and adjuncts of such wisdom for so commonly such words are wont by way of metonymie to denote together with the things primarily signified all that naturally flow from or that usually are conjoined with them in brief to cease from more explaining that which is in it self conspicuous enough I so understand the Text as if the Prophet had thus expressed himself Since O Lord all things are in thy hand and Sovereign disposal since it appears that Man's life is so short and frail so vexatious and miserable so exposed to the just effects of thy displeasure we humbly beseech thee so to instruct us by thy Wisdom so to dispose us by thy grace that we may effectually know that we may seriously consider the brevity and uncertainty of our lives durance whence we may be induced to understand regard and chuse those things which good reason dictates best for us which according to true Wisdom it most concerns us to know and perform From which sense of the words we might infer many usefull documents and draw matter of much wholsome discourse but passing over all the rest I shall onely insist upon that one point which I before intimated viz. that the serious consideration of the shortness and frailty of our life is a proper instrument conducible to the bringing our hearts to Wisdom to the making us to discern attend unto embrace and prosecute such things as are truly best for us that it is available to the prudent conduct and management of our life the truth of which proposition is grounded upon the divine Prophet his opinion he apprehended such a knowledge or consideration to be a profitable means of inducing his heart to Wisdom wherefore he prays God to grant it him in order to that end supposing that effect would proceed from this cause And that it is so in way of reasonable influence I shall endeavour to shew by some following reasons 1. The serious consideration of our lifes frailty and shortness will confer to our right valuation or esteem of things and consequently to our well-placing and our duly moderating our cares affections and endeavours about them For as we value things so are we used to affect them to spend our thoughts upon them to be earnest in pursuance or avoiding of them There be two sorts of things we converse about good and bad the former according to the degree of their appearance so to us that is according to our estimation of them we naturally love delight in desire and pursue the other likewise in proportion to our opinion concerning them we do more or less loath and shun Our Actions therefore being all thus directed and grounded to esteem things aright both in kind and degree 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to assign every thing its due price as Epictetus speaks quanti quidque sit judicare to judge what each thing is worth as Seneca is in order the first in degree a main part of wisdom and as so is frequently by wise men commended Now among qualities that commend or vilifie things unto us duration and certainty have a chief place they often alone suffice to render things valuable or contemptible Why is Gold more precious than Glass or Crystal why prefer we a Ruby before a Rose or a Gilly-flower 't is not because those are more serviceable more beautifull more gratefull to our senses than these it is plainly otherwise but because these are brittle and fading those solid and permanent these we cannot hope to retain the use or pleasure of long those we may promise our selves to enjoy so long as we please whence on the other side is it that we little fear or shun any thing how painfull how offensive so-ever being assured of its soon passing over the biting of a flea or the prick in letting bloud The reason is evident and that in general nothing can on either hand be considerable either to value or disesteem which is of a short continuance Upon this ground therefore let us tax the things concerning us whether good or bad relating to this life or to our future state and first the good things relating to this life thence we shall be disposed to judge truly concerning them what their just price is how much of affection care and endeavour they deserve to have expended on them In general and in the lump concerning them all St. Paul tells us that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the shape or fashion all that is apparent or sensible in this present world doth flit and soon give us the go-by We gaze a-while upon these things as in transitu or intra conspectum as they pass by us and keep a-while in sight but they are presently gone from us or we from them They are but like objects represented in a Glass which having viewed a-while we must shortly turn our backs or shut our eyes upon them then all vanishes and disappears unto us Whence he well infers an indifferency of affection toward them a slackness in the enjoyment of them to be required of us a using this world as if we used it not a buying as if we were not to possess a weeping as if we wept not and a rejoycing as if we rejoyced not a kind of negligence and unconcernedness about these things The world saith St. John passeth away and the desire thereof what-ever seemeth most lovely and desirable in the World is very flitting how-ever our desire and our enjoyment thereof must suddenly cease Imagine a man therefore possessed of all worldly goods arm'd with power flourishing in credit flowing with plenty swimming in all delight such as were sometime Priamus Polycrates Croesus Pompey yet since he is withall supposed a man and mortal subject both to fortune and death none of those things can he reasonably conside or much satisfy himself in they may be violently divorced from him by fortune they must naturally be loosed from him by death the closest union here cannot last longer than till death us depart wherefore no man upon such accompt can truly call or if he consider well heartily esteem himself happy a man cannot hence as the most able judge and trusty voucher of the commodities doth pronounce receive profit or content from any labour he taketh upon these transitory things under the sun Why then let me inquire do we so cumber our heads with care so rack