Selected quad for the lemma: love_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
love_n	death_n	great_a	son_n	3,271	5	4.9791	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A17510	The vvidovves ioy. Or Christ his comfortable saluation to a comfortlesse widow being obseruations no lesse profitable then comfortable for the losse of our deceased friends. By W.C.	Cragge, William, 1595 or 6-1636.	1622 (1622)	STC 4323; ESTC S114181	18,275	52

wee vsed them not So to resolue of them as if to morrow we were to take our leaues of them As crosses and afflictions are not of the nature of those diseases which men shall haue but once and therefore wee are so to take our leaue of them to day as to morrow to expect their returne so on the other side those comforts which men enioy in this world are not perpetuall residensaries but euen like man himselfe of short continuance their dayes are but a span Psalm ●9 6. long they are alwayes in transitu suddenly vanished and gone and therefore we must resolue no otherwise on their company then of passengers and trauailers heere to day and to morrow no more seene Yea but this was not all it was not only the fruit of her body that was thus vntimely cut off but it was her onely sonne the holy ghost emphatically ad des that shee was a widdow and this was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 her onely begotten sonne shee neuer had any other Solum hunc in doloribus nouerat solum suis lactauerat vberibus neither had she any hope of more for her husband was dead and this onely son left vnto her as a pledge and remembrance of her husbands loue the sight of whose louely face she vsed as Saul did Dauids musicke to driue away the vexing spirit of sorrow and griefe yea more she was not onely hereby destitute of comfort but altogether hopelesse of posterity for this her sonne was bacculus senectutis stirps generis ramusculus successionis and now the inheritance was left for ●●●●ng on to inherit Was not heere cause of griefe I might say almost of despaire T' is true yet happily God did deale thus with her euen because it was her onely sonne thereby to punish some sinne in the mother it may be she had taken too much delight in this her sonne and therefore God caused her to sustaine much sorrow for him dead whom happily liuing she did too much affect her motherly care was turned into an ouer-prized indulgence now God makes that her greatest crosse wherin she expected greatest comfort because shee made that her pride which should haue beene her care The most louely flowers of hearts-delighting ioy eftsoones proue the vntimely and vnexpected seedes of bitter sorrow and God willing to weane our childish affections from that ouer-weening opinion we haue of earthly delights many times so brings to passe that in the fruition of what things our ioy hath abounded in the losse of the same our sorrow should much more abound But let not mee heere lay open a pit of despaire for any afflicted soule nor adde sinne to her sorrow the holy Ghost layes none to her charge then why should I but rather say with our Sauiour Neither did this yong man sinne nor this widow but that the workes of God might be manifest Iohn 9. 3. in them as hereafter wee shall heare Only let this teach vs Christian wisdome so to temper our affections in a godly mediocrity and so dispose order our loue and delight in earthly things that it neuer carry vs beyond Religion beyond our selues so shall we make the yoke of Gods afflictions easie vnto vs so shall wee with a great deale of patience part with our greatest and most endeared delights Well admit this was inflicted on her as a punishment for her sinne why was not shee strooken with death her selfe that as liuing she could not expect many crosses so being dead might neuer feele more sorrow No doubt her loue was as great to this her only sonne liuing and her sorrow for him dead as euer was Dauids to Absolon when hee cryed Oh my sonne Absolon 2 Sam. 18. 33. my sonne my sonne Absolon would God I had ayed for thee Had it been in her owne election shee would haue redeemed her sons life with the losse of her owne But God deales many times with his children as wife Tutors vnto Princes children strike them whom they most affect and though hee doeth not correct them in his wrath and furie yet he chooseth so to smite the smart may longest remaine By this time I thinke you haue heard of a miserable Her a distressed widdow and you may wel ioyne with her and she with Eliah It is enough O Lord take my soule For 2 Kng. 19. 4. it is not to bee doubted but while her sonne lay sicke on his death bed the mother sate dayly on or by the bed with sad fighes with feruent and deuout prayers soliciting God that now it was high time to put to his helping hand and to bee mindful in the performance of those most gracious promises that he had made vnto widdowes that now it was seasonable to make good that doctrine which the day before he had deliuered in words Blessed are they that mourne for they shall be comforted but yet she is not heard her sonne dies By whose death shee was plunged into such a depth of griefe and almost swallowed vp in a gulfe of despaire that now shee could no longer conteine but needes must breake foorth into open weeping manifestly shewing thereby that either the promises of God were vaine and of none effect or that shee was cast off and forsaken of God and so his promises did in no wise appertaine vnto her for these two widdowhood and want of issue were accounted among the Israelites to be two great curses Yet more her misery was so great that it moued all the Citie to commiseration for they went out with her vnto the graue and now there was no hope of any effect of Gods promises touching comfort to this mournefull widdow VVhence we may learne that God doth suffer his children many times to be so much crushed vnder the yoke of affliction and outward crosses in this world that not onely to the eye of men they seeme to be forsaken but euen in themselues they feele no comfort find no hope Thus was Dauid many times so heauily burdened that hee seemed vnto himselfe as though hee were forsaken Hath the Lord forgotten to be mercifull hath he shut vp his mercies in displeasure for euermore So our blessed Sauiour himselfe when hee was in the flesh felt the hand of his Father so heauy vpon him that it made him in the bitternesse and anguish of his soule to cry out My God my God why hast thou forfaken me This is the doing of the Lord and it may seeme maruailous in our eyes vntill we consider the reasons which may be reduced to these three heads First because extremities are the best tryals of a Christians faith ordinary crosses as they are common so is it more facile to beare them To hope well when we see no danger or to beleeue Gods promises when we see them either alreadie performed or at least a probable and likely meanes to effect them it is easie any man can doe it but to hope when we see no hope of safetie and to beleeue

fire of reuenge in regard whereof euery man hath cause to pray Turne thy face away from our sinnes With the third hee lookes on all his workes and by it hee ordereth all things in weight and measure With the fourth he lookes on the fatherlesse and widdowes and all his poore and needie Saints for seeing them hee hath compassion on them and they like the Sunne in the Firmament giues both life and light to all sublunary bodies by this is euery afflicted soule abundantly reioyced and inuited with boldnesse to come vnto the Throne of grace and cry Abba Father And for this may euery sinner safely pray Lord shew vs the light of thy countenance Graciously looke vpon our afflictions Pitifully behold the sorrowes of our hearts And with this eye did hee looke on this widdow for seeing her he had compassion on her Heere is the second antecedent cause of this womans comfort and may be called causa subalternata as Logicians terme it because it is both an effect and a cause an effect in respect it proceeded from Christ his seeing her and a cause in that it produced and effected her comfort First let vs consider it an effect Christ did not see her in misery and passe by her without any regard but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 puts on the bowels of compassion and is touched with the sence of her sorrow when he saw he had compassion on her The Priest may see the wounded man and passe by on the one side the Leuite may come neere the place goe and looke on him and passe by on the other side but the good Samaritane Christ Iesus when he sees him he hath compassion on him The vse hereof is for exhortation with those words of the Apostle Let the same minde bee in you that was euen in Christ Iesus If wee are Christians let vs imitate our Master Christ Iesus Hee saw her but what manner of sight was this There is a good sight and a bad sight The good sight is threefold First of discretion or discerning Second of contemplation The third of commiseration the last is the best especially when it hath the misery of Gods Saints for i'ts obiect and the brighter our eyes are thus to see the neerer wee come to God the Father who is the God of mercy and to God the Sonne our Lord and Master who neuer sees his seruants in misery but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hath compassion on them and to God the holy Ghost who is the comforter But men now a dayes are quicke sighted but slow to haue compassion They see as Cham to deride as Michal to mocke as Iobs friends to espie out their sinnes to aggrauate their infirmities to adde to their sorrow to trample vnder their feete the comfortlesse and deiected soule in stead of powring wine and oyle into their wounds like Christ like his tormentours giue gall and vineger to drinke Is this Christianisme t 's contrary to the practise of Christ Is it Religion no for pure Religion before God the Father is to visit the fatherlesse and widdowes in their aduersity Surely then we may conclude that more beare the name then haue nature from Christ more professe then practise Religion otherwise how can vvee behold the misery of Gods Church and children vvithout compassionate and relenting hearts How can we see the afflictions of Ioseph and yet drinke wine in bowles and sing to the sound of the viall How can wee see those Foxes which destroy the vineyard and not be moued with compassion to pray vnto our Spouse to take them How can wee see that man of perdition Sampson-like send Foxes with firebrands in their tayles into the Lords corne and not be moued with compassion to pray vnto the Lord of the haruest How can we see in our neighbouring countreyes abroad the beauty of Sion to bee defaced and her walles beaten downe almost euen with the ground and not be moued with compassion nor haue any pity on the dust thereof Let vs beware lest the like happen vnto vs and there bee none to pity nor to haue compassion on vs. How can we at home see so many poore needy naked sicke and comfortlesse Christians lie in misery and want and we passe by like so many Priests and Leuites vvithout any remorse any compassion Blessed are the mercifull for they shall obtaine mercy mercy and compassion it is one badge of a true Christian heere on earth by this shall men know that you are my disciples if yee loue one another It is the only Brand-mark that I read of by which Christ at the last day shal know the sheep from the goats Come yee blessed of my Father for I was hungrie and yee fed mee naked and yee clothed mee in prison and yee visited mee He had compassion on her Now consider it as it was a cause of her comfort or as the ground whereinto the seed of her comfort was cast and tooke root Christ was not sent vnto to come to rayse her dead sonne and being come was not intreated or sued vnto but voluntarily and out of his owne accord for hee was moued with compassion t' was his mercy and compassion that was the cause of her comfort To teach vs first that what blessing or comfort soeuer either spirituall or temporall we enioy Gods mercy is the cause of it It must bee his mercy alone that must feoffe vs in all blessings and comforts whatsoeuer and except this mercy of God in Christ feoffe vs in blessings and comforts as our sins do in crosses curses wee perish Secondly that God of himselfe is so ready to haue mercy that before we call be will answere and whiles wee speake he will heare he loues not onely to exceed our sinnes but our very desires in mercy Thirdly we may see the gradation of Christ his loue to his saints descending vpō them by a ladder frō heauen by three steppes or rounds 1 in heart 2 in word 3 in deed in heart for he hath compassion in word with a noli flere weepe not in deed for hee restored her dead sonne to life but first it beginnes at the heart Philosophers teach vs that life naturall first begins at the heart so grace the life spirituall is first feated in the soule the heart is first mooued to compassion then the toung to pitie for ex abundantia cordis out of the aboundance of the heart the tongue speaketh and hee that hath not a compassionate heart cannot haue a pitifull tongue but from the teeth outward and not to speake comfortably or shew comfort by word or deed or both is an euident signe of a hard heart and from hardnesse of heart good Lord deliuer vs. You haue heard the causes of her comfort Christ his seeing her Christs compassion on her now heare the effect of both he saith vnto her VVeepe not Hee saw her here the comfort was but in the seed Hee had compassion there the seed was cast into the