Selected quad for the lemma: kingdom_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
kingdom_n	great_a	head_n	king_n	3,696	5	3.5984	3	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A28640	A gvide to heaven, or, Morall instrvctions compiled partly out of the maximes of Holy Fathers and partly out of the sentences of antient philosophers / written in Latin by John de Bona ; translated into English by Iames Price.; Manductio ad coelum. English. l675	Bona, Giovanni, 1609-1674.; Price, James, 17th cent.	1675 (1675)	Wing B3550; ESTC R26447	94,815	245

is contrary to our inclinations is good for our spirit Things which afflict us teach us wisedome Death banishment poverty confusion labour sicknes and the like which are not in thy power are neither bad in themselves nor doe they belong unto thee Wherefore it is not necessary thou shouldest fly or hate them but only change the opinion thou hadst of them Socrates wittily termed all these things Masks or vizards for as children are frightned with vizards although there is nothing dreadfull in them but the outward shape soe it happens with thee who art often afraid of things not as they are but as they seem What is death A bugbear Consider how sweet it hath bine esteemed not only by Saints and holy men but also by Socrates and many others of the wiser Heathens What then is there terrible in death Opinion T is the fear of death that is dreadfull and not death itself Thou wilt find the same in other things which thou art wont to abominate and fear Correct thy opinion of things and thou wilt find that nothing is to be feared nothing to be abominated but Sin CHAP. XV. Of Ioy and Sadnes How a vertuous man is to rejoyce He that foresees all things is never sad Severall Remedies against Sorrow and sadnes 1. REjoyce after such a manner as not to loose modesty in thy joy and let not thy mind be so transported with joy but that if need be thou maist easily change thy mirth into mourning Our B. Saviour who could best judge of things doth not call those blessed who laugh but those who weep For it is much unbecoming a Christian that pretends to eternal felicity amidst soe many dangers of body and Soul to laugh and rejoyce after the manner of fools when he is in greatest perill All wordly pleasure passeth away that which we call joy is often times the beginning of Sadnes True joy is never found but in a good conscience and the practise of vertue as justice fortitude temperance c. That thou maist never want true joy rejoyce in what is thy own and within thyself All other joyes are vain and cannot give thee true content and he hath not alwaies cause to rejoyce that is outwardly merry True joy is ever mixt with gravity proceedeth from a good conscience honest designs good works contempt of pleasures and a quiet innocent life According to the rules of vertue thou must accustome thyself first to much sorrow before thou canst have true joy 2. Sadnes is caused by a certain horrour or apprehension of some present evill joyned with a certain perturbation and disquiet of mind We are often tormented not soe much with the things themselves as with the opinion of them Doe not concern thyself soe much with the nature and quality of things for example the services of others thy lands thy money thy employments but rather consider what opinion thou hast of them If thou art fallen into disgrace if thou art robbed of thy money if thou art beaten or the like these are things which are not in thy power but it is in thy power to have a good opinion of them to bear them patiently and receive them from the hand of God as means to work thy Salvation Thou wilt never be sad if recalling thy mind from the thoughts of thy present afflictions thou turnest thyself to consider the joyes of heaven No evill or misfortune can happen to a vertuous man not because he is insensible to the blows of fortune but because he overcometh all He looks upon every adversity as an occasion to exercise his patience as an instrument of Gods grace as the way leading unto eternall glory A good man may be thought or termed miserable by others but he can never be soe in his own thoughts 3. Look upon all things which may happen as if they really were to befall thee By this means thou wilt diminish the force of all miseries which never come unexpected unto those who are prepared to receive them Afflictions seem intolerable only unto those who expect nothing but prosperity What if fortune should deprive thee of half thy estate what if thou shouldst loose all what if thy house should fall thy corn be burnt thy friends forsake thee what if thou art in danger of loosing thy credit and by some false accusation art deposed from thy office or dignity Sicknes captivity ruine fire nothing of all these things come suddenly and unexpected to a wise man He premeditates all future misery and what to others seems lesse only by long patience to him is lessened by long meditation That which happens to one man may happen to any man What riches are there which may not change into hunger and poverty what dignities which may not fall into misery and disgrace what kingdome which must not at last come to a period Have we not seen in this our age a Kings head struck of by the hand of a hang-man and that by the command of his own rebell subjects There is no such great distance as we imagine betwixt riches and poverty betwixt a Princes court and a shephards cottage betwixt a Throne and an Axe Know then that all conditions are variable and all that thou seest happen to another the same may befall thee He will easily bear a crosse fortune that alwaies expects it 4. Vertue doth not flourish when our life passeth in all prosperity T is then we see how great is is when patience sheweth what it can suffer We are made a spectacle unto God Angels and men saith the Apostle Behold a spectacle worthy of God himself to wit when a vertuous man in the midst of Adversity triumpheth over himself and the affliction too A skilfull Pilot cannot shew his art in a calm sea and favourable wind He that is never tempted knows nothing Ah! how unhappy a man am I will some one say that am forced to suffer these misfortunes But I tell thee thou art happy because thou hast an occasion to try thy vertue Such a thing might have hapned to any one else but every one else perhaps could bear such afflictions without complaining Doe not therefore fall under the weight of Adversity but stand up firmly against it and endeavor to bear all patiently that is laid upon thee If thou canst but break the first shock thou wilt find nothing hard in it but opinion Naturall sufferances are equally hard unto all sort of men but as for poverty ignominy contumelies and such like things which are commonly esteemed Evills many bear them all with great patience seem in a manner insensible in them wherefore if we are grieved sad and impatient in them this doth not proceed from the nature of the things but from the bad opinion we have conceived of them Why wilt thou deceive thyself with a false persuasion It is in thy own power to make all calamity easy by bearing it patiently No sorrow can be great unles opinion adde something unto

intollerable amongst men employeth all his wit and industry to purchase the applause of the world He still thinks himself worthy of some greater honour and takes much complacence in this thought He rashly undertaketh more then he can doe intrudes himself into much busines boasteth of himself with much impudence and contemneth all other men He cunningly feigns himself humble that soe he may be les suspected of ambition When he misseth of his aym or fals from his hopes he complaineth without end raiseth quarrels hatred amongst his neighbours He is fierce and churlish to his Inferiours but no man is a greater flatterer of his Superiours or more slavishly obsequious to those who are above him If he is endued with any good qualities he doth not refer the cheif glory of them to the true Author which is God but to himself He much affecteth to be seen and taken notice of in all things and giveth his jugdment of high matters which are above his capacity with as much boldnes as if he knew them by his own experience He inquireth with much Curiosity into other mens actions judgeth of them with much rashnes condemns them with much Severity exaggerates their faults diminisheth their praise In his speech and gate he alwaies discovers a certain Pride and contempt of others He hates to be corrected refuseth all Counsell and never hearkneth to advice He thinks he hath those Vertues which he hath not and those which he hath he imagines them to be much greater then they are He is very angry and cares not to commit any sin if he sees that he is not preferred before others or is any way neglected His hart is in a continuall perplexity because he sees that those honours which he aspires unto depend on other mens disposing Pride is the source of all sin 2. If thou art wise weigh in the balance of consideration all that this world can afford thee against the least part of eternall felicity and compare unto it whole Kingdomes Empires and the whole world the least share of this eternall blisse will weigh down all the whole world with all its pompe and riches and all will seem but as a leaf that is carried away with a blast of wind Raise up thy mind then to think of Eternity render thyself worthy of heaven for which thou art created Shake of all those proud thoughts of thy own excellency and labour for vertue which is the only thing that can make thee truly great If a King or an Emperour had adopted thee for his son how proud wouldest thou be of the honour But now considering thou art the adopted son of God and redeemed with the blood of Christ why dost thou forget thy own Origine why dost thou meddle with earthly and abject things which are altogether unworrhy of thy noble birth God calleth thee to the kingdome of Heaven to an eternal possession an everlasting inheritance Take good courage then in considering this promise of thy heavenly masters boast as much as thou wilt of being descended from so noble a Father compose thy life and manners according to the pattern of his divine perfections This is the way that leads to true glory 3. What are Scepters what are Crowns Painted fetters a glittering misery which if men understood aright they would not fight make war for their Thrones there would be more kingdomes then Kings to govern them A great fortune is a great slavery Those men whom the common people esteems happy doe not think soe of themselves For their felicity is a troublesome felicity in regard it renders them burdensome to the people Then they begin to praise a quiet solitude and a low fortune which who enjoyes enjoyes his liberty Then they begin to hate those dignities which before they had soe much admired Then they begin with fear and astonishment to exclaim like Philosophers against the vanity of the world Then they begin to fear death and the dreadfull Judgment of God before which when they are brought to appear all their diginities all their honours purchased with so much labour sweat and blood will avail them just nothing Live therefore after such a manner that thou maist appear securely before this Tribunall He that now humbles himself in this life shall be exalted in the next 4. Thou art very unwise if thou thinkest to live in quiet and security when thou hast obtained some great dignity That which thou canst not find in a low state will not be found in a higher condition The higher thou art the more will thy crimes appear He cannot be hid that stands in a high place If thou hast enjoyed any tranquillity in thy former life all is now lost Henceforth thou wilt be able to doe nothing without being noted and thou canst not dispose of one day according to thy own private will The fall is alwaies great from high places T is in vain for thee to seek rest in a state wherein all men find danger and labour and some find a miserable end The tables of Princes and great men are not secure Poison is often drunk in pretious cups How many Kings have tainted their Thrones with their own blood T is slippery standing in a high station where all things are in continuall danger of a precipice T is more secure walking upon plain ground He that is admited and applauded by many is also enuyed by as many others How many snares how many treacheries wait upon great men how all things are unsafe all things to be suspected about them They cannot trust their own servants their own friends their our children their own Relations But he that lives in a low condition is secure from all attempts no conspiracies enter into his house He that lives in obscurity lives securely He feareth no man because no man fears him 5. If thou didst see a horse or a dog pretend a Superiority or preeminence amongst other horses or dogs of the same kind couldest thou forbear laughing at it And yet thou better deservest to be laughed at if thou thinkest thyself greater then others because thou hast more wealth and power then they have Why art thou proud dust and ashes No man should boast or be proud of things which are not his own What good or perfection hast thou of thy own if thou hast received all things from the hand of God nothing is thine but thy sins If then thou hast received all things render thanks and glory unto him who hath bestowed them on thee Shall we prefer one horse before another because he hath more hay and oats before him because he hath a gilt bridle a rich saddle embroidered trappings No sure but he that runs best is the best horse Soe a man unles he be a fool will not seek to derive his glory from things that are without him not properly his own But thou wilt say perhaps I am a better man I am more noble them some others If thou sayest this