Selected quad for the lemma: heaven_n
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A11261
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An hundred heauenly thoughts And resolutions, tending to draw the minde from euill to good. Written by W. S. preacher of Gods worde in S. Iohns of Mathermarket in Norwich.
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Stinnet, William.
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1616
(1616)
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STC 21527; ESTC S112134
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22,139
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174
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to them wee then take liberty to loose the raines to our senses delights and our reason now seruile to passion accepts no satisfaction without inioying But O how oft haue I beene taught that poysoned drinke may be in a golden cup. When I see then a woman of beauty I le watch if I can spy any vertue If I descry none I le not care a straw for her company 89 A Blessed man he is that hath such qualities as he is beloued in all good companies whose society draws to godlines but cursed are those whose foule courses cary men to wickednes To which not onely nature bends them but the base bringing vp they receiue at their Parents hands confirmes them But if hee that sets a a traueller out of his way commits villany so these drawing out of the way of heauen shall smart for such iniquity 90 THe children of God me thinkes are full of beauty I finde in them most louely sweetnesse Lambes they bee and therefore gentle Doues they bee and therefore simple The wicked mee thinkes are full of deformity I finde in them most loathsome bitternesse Dogges they bee and therefore currish Swine they bee and therefore swinish Oh then I will much and greatly delight in the blessed Saints and detest the cursed doers For the Lamb and the Doue are two pretty Creatures but the Dogge and the Hogge are sullen beasts 91 THe dainty varieties of pleasing delights that be among the wicked draw mens minds with easie consent to vanitie sometimes short and suddaine delights sometimes long and pleasant deuises are offered but all be higher points staires to sin oh that man knew the great growing of the stinking weed of sin virtue growes not without exquisite labour sin alone willingly vertue springs after a long season sinne quickly in a short space gets vp yea sin though but a sparke sets all on fire presently I purpose then that mine eies shal be watchfull and my heart resolute that not the least weed of sin shall grow in me for I see of a little kernell growes a great tree of a little spawne a great fish 92 THe outward duties of Gods seruice I see haue long holily beene obserued by many but the inward and hearty duties I feare mee of a few Call vpon our formalists to practise some noble deeds of vertue heereto you shall find them smally enclyned But did they serue GOD aright their minds so well trained and long exercised in vertue would giue some rare demonstration of it As for me I euer wil conceiue To goe to Church for fashion is an abuse of Religion and to pray without deuotion is breath to no purpose 93 SVch heaps of sorrows accompany this life as require a vertuous resolutiō of mind to passe them ouer sometimes heauines of heart assailes vs strange stories scarre vs dangerous sicknesse afflicts vs and wee cannot be quiet but long to be in our delightfull country and heauenly dwelling Hence this hath bene my resolute thought He that will hould out the yeare must bide the winter and summer and he that will goe to Heauen must indure the miseries of this world 94 IF wee could behold an armed man of an extreame and vnresistable force whose violence a thousand thousand could not withstand it would breed in vs some maruailous contemplations but greater extreamer force and violence wee know in sin yet we are no whit amazed at it Angells in heauen men on earth are weake to conquer sin But thankes be to Christ that hath gotten victory But since sins force is so violen◠I le rufully eye him but not come nigh him A sword hath a sharp point and a Cannon a great force but let them alone and they will doe no harme 95 SVch is the foule basenesse of Man as the very beasts out stripe him yea and in many things doe teach him Some hypocrites there be artificially smoothing vp and smothering sinne which haue not art enough to learne to auoid it although the dumb creatures instruct them Haue I not seene a dog reioyce at the sight of his Master when his vnchast Mistris will frowne at his comming home Oh fact full of wretchednesse fuller of disgrace and fullest of guiltinesse Oh Lord keepe mee that my affections be not drunken with such beastly sinnes and that I may not be gouerned by them 96 VVIth vnspeakeable griefe I haue thought on the abominable wrongs offred by cruell men to GODS poore Saints that should haue greatest kindnesse Poore hearts by lofty spirits are broken with vnkindnesse and affliction Yet comfort comes from aboue which cheeres their vitall spirrits But oh how these throughly wound their consciences and will God suffer these wrongs Oh no but he will shake the seat of these secure Tyrants Me thinkes they are worse then souldiers stabd at heart For hee that is wounded at hart hath made an end of his daies but hee that hath a wound in his soule knowes not when to end his sorrow 97 SVch as were neerely acquainted with sinne and haue discarded it know the poysonful disposition of it it spreads it selfe as dead poyson in a cup and like a plague infects the soundest persons vertue is not so spreading not so speedie in conueying I maruaile not then why so many be bad and so few good It is because truth hath much a doe to be beleeued but a lie runnes farre before it be stayed 98 O Full often hath my breast swollen with eager desire of heauen for when I beheld the earth mine eyes being my diligent intelligencers carryes me to much comfortablenesse In this world weepings and mournings changings and turnings vanity and folly euery where abounds and he that is in highest estate euen as a poore wretch with languishing steps runs fast to his graue But in heauen are all incomparable excellencies and vneffable dignities Oh sweet and noble place to bee in I le be more glad then Children be of sweet meat to go to such a country and to dwell in this neuer enough praised City The vigor of mens wit that can shew it selfe in any subiect must here be blunted they cannot speake enough of this euer-noble City if they compare it with the country they shewe therein most rude simplicity if with the Court Alasse a Rich Court is a goodly sight but he that lookes vp to Heauen will not care for the world 99 WHo so when they see good can loue it and affect it I count such persons my principal friends whose acquaintance I would not superficially entertaine for sure there is no ioy in our life if we inioy not such companions with such I learne holy helpes to heauen and happy resolutions with such I am instructed to conquer passions but he that flies from good and scoffes at God I count him already with the Diuell And though hee walke in the world yet he hath a hell in his conscience This shal be then mine earnest intreaty vnto God that such good and worthy friends which bee this worlds comfort may not bee drawne away from me by my bad desert 100 MEn haue in vse a two-fould Glasse One most for the proud Man the other for the Wise The proud man whiles hee lookes in his Glasse waxes the prouder The humble whiles on his he waxes the wiser O Lord grant while the proud Mans Looking-Glasse makes him the prouder my Houre-Glasse may make me wise to remember my ende FINIS
AN HVNDRED Heauenly Thoughts AND RESOLVTIONS tending to draw the minde from EVILL to GOOD Written by W. S. PREACHER of GODS Worde in S. Iohns of Mathermarket in Norwich PSAL. 1.2 Blessed is the man that Meditates in Gods Lawe day and night PRO. 14 22. Doe they not erre that deuise Euill but mercy and truth shall be to them that deuise good Printed at London by G. Eld and are to be sould by C. W. 1616. To the Right Worshipfull and my most respected friend Mrs Anne Corbet wife to tha vertuous and godly Gentleman Mr. THOMAS CORBET of Sprowston a very wise godly and heauenly Gentlewoman W.S. wisheth all prosperity RIGâ—T WORSHIPFVLL I Am so tyed vnto you by your many fauours as I professe I know not how to carry my selfe in thanksgiuing to you I haue heere some few thoughts or Meditations which may doe some good I dedicate them to your Worship in way of thankes for your fauours If you aske me for what vse they be of I answere they are for this vse to strengthen vs against the Deuill to draw our minds from foule sinnes to alienate our minde from this present world which is euill to teach vs to order our liues well and to lead vs foreward to the Kingdome of Heauen These thinges whiles many others let their thoughts run a thousand waies amisse I haue minded and if they shall be read with the minde they were written and taken on the right hand They shall I trust not want their due effect and good acceptance I know they bee not excellent and yet I know they be not worst Your Worthines indeed whom I haue oft admired deserues farre better yet I pray you accept these and God I trust in time will inable mee to giue a further testimonie of my loue So the Lord of glory keep you and all yours From my Study in S. Iohns of Mathermarket in Norwich this 26. of Iuly 1616. Your Worships in the best bond that may be W. S. To the Reader Leaue thou the worst and take the best I le thanke thee then and wish thee blest AN HVNDRED Heauenly Thoughts and Resolutions tending to drawe the mind from Euill to Good 1. A WORTHY thing it is to haue a worthy name for it is the principall ornament wee haue and the fairest flower in our Garden I had rather haue a face disfigured a house ruinous a garment tattered and to be in any base condition then to loose my reputation Me thinkes it is like a well arayed ground or a pleasant place more then in any other delighted in Therefore I vow I will so rule my liberties and so temper my vaine affection as rude simplicity shall haue no place to disgrace me Let Crowes then keepe their blacknesse and bee contented to feede on Carrion I will Swan-like keepe my whitenes and delight my selfe in the guilded streames of goodnesse It is true my weakenes is not fit for any great worthines yet such as I resolue to vphold my selfe from wickednesse a small fire is easily maintained but once extinct is not easily kindled 2 IF I see a man of a comly carriage and noble and wise behauiour manifesting a most vertuous mind in all his actions I will long and holily obserue him as desirous to get some tast-pleasing fruite of so fayre a tree But if on the contrary I see him of an ill fauoured disposition I will either round him in the eare with a wholsome admonition or else my countenance shall deliuer to him in some proportion that I mislike his wretched conuersation 3 IT is a peuish imperfection ouer bitterly to glaunce at others reputation and with prologues or without prologues to let fly at them such words as may cast a great mist ouer their glory And yet this I haue often marked that some liberall tongues there be can as easily trauill ouer Mountaines as Mole-hills and exercise the freedome of their Language as well in a Lordly as a lowly subiect Hence many worthy guests bidden to mens banquets are ouer-pressed with these ouer-flowing stories and to them cheerefulnes becomes tediousnes and good entertaynment is tourned to discourtesie But alasse this either argues pride thinking to build vp their owne worthines by others worthlessenes or else barrennes of Braine that can stumble on no better subiect or else store of passion with which they are violently transported O Lord teach me to gather fruits of Wisedome out of these occasions and when I heare others to speake bitter I may exercise my selfe to speake better that who so markes my words proceeding from me may know my tongue a quicke messenger of grace and perceiue that store of Heauenly Thoughts haue Lordship in me 4 IT is an ordinary thinge among the Vulger to nourish vp themselues with ouer-much hope though they be conquered with pestilent passions so that they be full of rash enmitie plentifull in impatient sorrowes aboundant in idle workes swelling in haughtines of heart and deepely bemired in the base trade of ordinary worldlinges Yet they thinke that of God they may be greatly fauoured But as a child whose wit farre ouergoes his age is quickly interrupted by death So these ouer-streching hopes quickely meete with an vnhappy repulse The Spider buildes and is safe vntill the trimmers beesome come then sodenly she is displaced dishoused dispatcht Lo such is the vncertaine hope of the popular sort who neuer suspect themselues til they be past themselues But I will build my hopes on better staies and will not be so base as to make vncertainty the base or piller of my safety 5 VErtues skin is so full of braue beauty that it scornes to lodge with foule impiety it yeelds no acquaintance to sin but vnfriendly no entertainment but vnkindly but vices like thornes can hugge togither and loue so deerely that if you handle them to make a separatioÌ„ they wil scarce spare your blood Would a man thinke that fast loose could loue lie and lincke togither they be so contrary and yet behold this is to be found some fast for outward thinges loose for inward worldlings and yet wyldings some noted and stedfast misers yet loose and vnstedfast mistresses But as for mee I will so bee fast as the poore shall vntie mee And I will not bee so loose as the world shall shame me 6 SOme vessells may last long but yet at length will leake And we know vessells of glasse though wel tempered yet cannot long indure Lo thus I haue deemed of wordly friends If somwhat firme yet not euer for being but brittle glasse they quickly breake Then this shall be my renewed skill to wrap vp my matters in secrecie since to hould out or rather to hould in man is of so small ability 7 I see that many golden houres are spent in wasting games and manie dainty dayes in greedy getting gaines but though it happen that some games be gainesome and gaines to others gamesome Yet will I not encounter with such