Selected quad for the lemma: land_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
land_n	city_n	great_a	lord_n	2,295	5	3.5103	3	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A68977	The prodigals teares. With a heavenly new yeeres gift sent to the soule; contayning many most zealous and comfortable prayers, with deuout meditations: both worthie the acceptance of all Christians, and their expence of time to peruse. By H. G. preacher of the most sacred Word of God	Brathwaite, Richard, 1588?-1673.; Goodcole, Henry, 1568-1641.	1620 (1620)	STC 3580; ESTC S114442	53,955	283

spent in this vale of teares that the remnant of my time may redeeme the vanitie of my youth lamenting to haue committed that in the prime of my yeeres which makes mee grieue in the winter of mine age Yet in the very extent of my griefe there is one thing that comforteth me I know Lord. The Prodigals harmony to the afflicted children of God THou neuer forsookst the man that resposed his confidence in thee but when the faithfull Soule is plunged in greatest afflictions contrary to all humane expectation thou forthwith deliuerest him Thou neuer shewedst thy selfe more mercifull to Daniel then in the Lyons denne nor to Dauid then when persecuted and pursued by Saul nor to Susanna then when she was falsely accused by the Elders nor to thy chosen people the Bethulians then in the defeat of Holofernes Army Gods mercy is neuer better expressed then by the character of mans misery where euents aboue expectance make Gods people most blessed where they were supposed to be most wretched Hence is it Lord that I admire thy mercies I haue wandered and thou diddest guide mee yea thou reducedst mee to thine owne sheepefold when I had lost my selfe in the desarts of sinne I was sicke and sicke to death for I laboured of the lethargie of sinne and thou camest to the caue of my Sepulchre the place where I had beene long sleeping in the graue of sinne and awaked my soule bidding her follow thee Shee shall follow thee like the goate vpon the mountaines she shall not stay in the brakes of vanitie for thou hast reuiued my soule from death and hast renewed her like the Eagles feathers It is said that the Eagles feathers consume all feathers that lie with them So shall the diuine motions of my soule fixed vpon the brasen Serpent a type of Christ curing all infirmities dispell the vnstable and wauering representments of earths vanity no comfort shall seeme perfect no delight pleasant no meditation Concordant to the eare of my soule but the meditation of my Christ crucified that in imitation of his humility I may not onely submit my selfe to the Crosse but make it both bread and drinke to doe my Fathers will so in the very comfort of my spirit I may truly say my yoake is easie and my burden light For well doe I know Lord though thy seruants be tempted they cannot be tainted though assaulted neuer surprized and though the Cittie of God be alwayes besieged yet neuer ruined Christians and persecutions close together like Christ and his Crosse The Israelites before they came to their Land of Promise their temporall Canaan endured many difficulties and shall I that am in my iourney to a spirituall Canaan suffer impatiently any affliction any difficulty or anxiety whatsoeuer No Lord I know the more I suffer in this life the greater shall be my victory for impediments attending a Conquest maketh the Conquest more glorious A Cittie lightly assaulted may long hold out but that Citty is to be commended that inuironed on euery side hemmed in with troupes of Assailants inclosed with violent opponents yet maugre the fury of warre or hostile incursions fortifies her selfe with courage instead of wals and assures her selfe either of victory or a glorious end The Prodigals admonition to resolution and constancie in the Battell and seruice of the Lord Iesus Christ REsolution must be a Christians best cognisance he should not be amazed at any opposition but in the sincerity of his owne cause the integritie of his profession remaine constant without wauering resolued without dismaying and patient in enduring any occurrence that can any way befall him Such was the resolution of those three children who rather then they would fall downe before false gods willingly submitted themselues to the extreamest torments which either tyranny could inflict or flesh and blood endure Such was the resolution and magnanimity of all the Apostles who went to death willingly to propagate Gods glory Yea euen in all those persecutions mentioned in the Ecclesiasticall Historie We shall manifestly see portraied the patience of Martires continually suffering and the cruelty of Tyrants with all inhumanity punishing Rasis is renowned for his resolution in the Machabees pulling out his owne bowells to intimate his contempt of life which is taxed by Saint Augustine saying That this fact was done Magne non Bene But alas Lord where is that Christian fortitude we are now shaken with euery wind of contrarily working passion euery shadow euery feare euery perturbation doth now dismay vs. Wee feare death because we haue deserued Death after death wee reade of the constancie of the Apostles Martyrs and Confessors and reading admire them but are loath to imitate them We say they are good Records excellent Annalls and worthie memorie yet those memorials be quickly extinguished those Annalls soone raced out of our memorie Manie suffer in minde if they loose their goods or if defamed they will endeuour to repurchase heir good name with the expence of their bloud These be imputations so impropriate to thēselues as they cannot heare them Alas if man would consider the deprauednes of his own nature what aspersions how scandalous soeuer what reproches how contumelious soeuer or what inuectiōs how bitter soeuer cā giue him a Title due in regard of his naturall vilenesse Heyres of sinne slaues of sinne and champions of sinne what can such heyres haue but an inheritance of shame What can such slaues haue but the hire of shame And what can such champions glorie of but that they are boulsterers of shame But if wee will fight the Lords battell for heyres of sinne wee shall become heyres of righteousnesse For slaues of sinne seruants in Christes Familie and for Champions of sinne Armourers in the Lords Army Were not this a Battell worth fighting when our Earthly Tents should be trāslated to heauenly mansions our tabernacles of clay to sanctuaries of eternitie where we putting on the whole cōpleat armour of resolued Christians may say with the Apostle Wee haue fought a good fight and thanks be to the Lord that hath giuen vs victorie through our Lord Iesus Christ Iesus Christ a most happy name indeede where I neuer heare the name of Iesus but I heare the name of Saluation nor of Christ but I heare in it the name of Vnction Who would not fight vnder this name to purchase to himselfe an eternall name of glory not on earth for that is vaine and temporary but in heauen for that endureth perpetually Ranke mee O Christ amongst thy squadrons Set me in the forefront of the battell and let mee fight with that resolution as no fury of Antichrist though neuer so violent may daunt me but as one prepared against the extreamest of perills not to loose ground nor play recreant to my faith which I haue alwayes professed but to stand vnto it manfully till I haue gotten the victory Cato tearmed it Nobile lethum to die in the defence of ones

reuiued the state of himselfe depends on anothers word hee is not his owne for why hee is slaued to his owne indigested passions But my disease hath bin much otherwise I was sicke and knewe it not had Vlceres running and felt them not For I was obdurate and became as one that heard not Custome in sinne tooke away from mee all sence of sinne Oft hearde I the Lord inuiting and his holy spirit inducing me to returne with the Shunamite But beholde I cryed with the Sluggard Yet a little and then a little presuming on mercie and deferring my returne There was no portion of sacred Scripture mentioning mercie but I had it no sentence of Iustice but I would turne from it making the arme of his mercie longer then the arme of his justice I delayd from this day till tomorow and I found my selfe more vnapt too morrow then today For I was bound to the yoke of seruile affections and turned my minde from correction pampering my selfe with Sure God will bee mercifull Am not I his Image And will hee see his owne similitude defaced Did he not creatc mee and framed hee mee to destroy me Though I haue worthily incensed my Creator I can be no lesse then his creature Tush tush God hath forgotten it Let vs eate and drinke and be merry Miserable foode that famisheth the eater vncomfortable drinke that poysons the taster and harsh melodie that confounds the hearer The prodigals Resolution NOw Father will I change my diet it shall be meate and drinke to mee to doe thy will The melody which I make shall be in my heart vnto the Lord and if I daunce it shall be as Dauid did before the Arke and if I sing in this strang land in this place of my pilgrimage it shall be the Lords Song Thus will I conuert my selfe vnto the Lord and regaine my inheritance with many teares I will weepe and weepe bitterly iudicium enim est quod ille teneat qui pro amissione tui amare flebit Is it a light thing for thee O my Soule to be bereft of that soueraigne Good which ruleth thee and conducteth thy feete in the wayes of Peace O no Sell all thou hast heere is a gemme of an incomparable valew loose this and thou makest shipwracke of thy Soule depriues thee of all hope the tempest is great nor can the Port be attained except the Anker be fixed Rise then poore disconsolate spirit and meete thy Sauiour that is walking vpon the Sea as vpon drie places meete him and entertain him for both Seas and winds obey him hee is the best Pilote though thy shippe sincke he will preserue thee For hee came not to wound but to heale to saue not to kill Hee it is that is protection to the fatherlesse a Castle of defence to the desolate For who euer trusted in him and was left succourlesse though my friends forsake mee yet the Lord taketh mee vp Hence it is that my soule reapeth comfort It is not the high-towring Cedar of this world that expresseth his minde by his looke his spirt by his gate shall depriue me of this prerogatiue he was ambitious heere hee will be as despicable there Humility is the best step and directest path to this honour she thinkes none worse then her selfe and in that shewes her owne eminency she neuer entertaines comparison confessing herselfe the miserablest of all creatures without comparison The prodigall desireth Humility to accompany him in his way to God SOueraignesse of Vertues let me haue thy company I shall more delight in thy aspect then the obiect of Beautie Thou hast perfection in thee and not knowing thy selfe thou knowest farre aboue thy selfe Blessed Attendant may thou liue in the Court free without a writ of Protection at Princes instalments may thou euer bee in their Election may thou be as thou shouldest be worne but not out worne by greatnes Thou art the best seruitour of Honour elated mindes can not possesse thee because their sphere is farre aboue thee I wish admiration of ages that thou might ride on thy foote-cloth but I doubt it thou wouldst change thy nature with thy honour it is dangerous sitting in a poysoned saddle Humility can ride without stirrops Thou it was presented thy selfe when I was not my selfe Ambition had puffed me vp Wantonnesse brought me on my knees Selfe-conceit made mee admire my selfe Emulation not in vertue for seldome appeares it in the vitious but in the corriualship possest me of a phrensie aloue-sicke fancy I was made a Cage of vncleane Birdes no impiety to which I was not slaued Humility I thanke thee thou readst a Lecture of Mortification vnto mee before I knew not what Mortality meaned Thou Anatomizedst to me my Constitution keepe me but company a little while longer and I will answere thy hopes But let mee rip vp mine owne errors a little further I know he deserues not Humilities conuoy that Apologizeth his sinnes Two causes I haue of inward sorrow one of outward The two inward haue relation to my selfe onely the outward to others generally The first in my selfe instanced the second to others traduced The inward motiue causes of sorrow of sinnes committed vertuous workes omitted Many come into my remembrance which I am ashamed to expresse yet because maladies concealed are most augmented I will augment my shame that the Lord may couer my sinne The Prodigals hearty suite vnto God to pardon the sinnes of his youth FOrgiue O Lord my secret sinnes and race out of thy memorie the exorbitances of my youth Spare the sprigge O Lord for it was tender soone wreasted from the primarie seedes of goodnes and drawne into the mazie labyrinth of all errours May not my crooked wayes be once made streight that the oblation that I offer might be accepted with Abel and I find fauour in thy sight Yes Lord these penitent teares I offer will be able to appease thy wrath It is recorded that Antipater on a time charging in a Letter which hee wrote to Alexander his mother Olympias with great crimes was answered againe by Alexander One mothers teare will race out many of these Letters Though the mother should forgether childe or the child the mother that bare him yet Lord wilt thou be mindfull of our teares and cancell that great Bill thou hast against vs if we returne vnfainedly to thee and in the sorrow of our heart make confession of all our sinnes Behold Lord I haue committed great folly and from the bortome of my heart confesse that I haue worthily deserued thy displeasure My commissions and omissions like two heauy poises weigh me downe Erect my hope O Lord for I haue none to flie vnto but thee Woe is me what excellent works of mercy haue I ommitted and what shall I answere O Lord when thou shalt aske me where is the naked thou clothed the afflicted which thou visited the succourlesse which thou releiued the hungar-starued which thou fed