Selected quad for the lemma: master_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
master_n	father_n	king_n	servant_n	3,226	4	6.7708	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A02532	Contemplations vpon the historicall part of the Old Testament. The eighth and last volume. In two bookes. By I.H. deane of Worcester; Contemplations upon the principall passages of the Holy Storie. Vol. 8	Hall, Joseph, 1574-1656.	1626 (1626)	STC 12659; ESTC S103673	131,130	578

translated to Ierusalem Iewes had turned Gentiles Oh happy indeauors of deuout and holy Ezra that hath at once restored Iudah to God and to it selfe NEHEMIAH building the walls of Ierusalem THirteen years were now passed since Ezraes going vp to Ierusalem whē Nehemiah the religious Courtier of Artaxerxes inquires of the estate of his Country and brethren of Iudaea Hee might well finde that holy scribe had not beene idle The commission of Artaxerxes had beene improued by him to the vtmost Disorders were reformed but the walls lay wast The Temple was built but the Citie was ruinous and if some streets were repaired yet they stood vngarded open to the mercy of an enemie to the infestation of ill neighbourhood Great bodies must haue slow motions As Ierusalem so the Church of God whose type it was must bee finisht by leasure Nehemiah sate warme in the Court at Shushan fauored by the great King Artaxerxes nothing could be wanting to him whether for pleasure or state what needed hee to trouble his head with thoughts for Ierusalem what if those remote wals lay on heaps whiles himselfe dwelt faire what if his far-distant countrymen be despised whiles himselfe is honoured by the great Monarch of the world It is not so easie for gracious dispositions to turne off the publike calamities of Gods Church neither can they doe other then leese their priuate felicities in the common distresses of the vniuersall body If I forget thee O Ierusalem let my right hand forget her cunning If I doe not remember thee let my tongue cleaue to the roofe of my mouth Many Iewes went vp from Babylon and Shushan to Ierusalem few euer returned voluntarily from their natiue home to the region of their captiuity Some occasion drew Hanani with certaine others of Iudah to this voyage Of them doth Nehemiah carefully inquire the present condition of Ierusalem It was no newes that the people were afflicted and reproached the walls broken downe the gates burnt with fire Euer since the furious vastation of Nebuzaradan that City knew no better termes seldome when doth the spirituall Ierusalem fare otherwise in respect of outward estate Externall glory and magnificence is an vnsure note of the Church Well had Nehemiah hoped that the gracious edict and beneficēce of Darius and the successiue patronage of his Lord Artaxerxes had by the continuance of twenty yeares fauour aduanced the strength and glory of Ierusalem but now finding the holy City to lie still in the dust of her confusion neglected of God despised of men hee sits downe and weepes and mournes and fasts and prayes to the God of heauen How many saw those ruines and were little affected he heares of them a far off and is thus passionate How many were vpon this sight affected with a fruitlesse sorrow his mourning is ioyned with the indeuors of redresse In vaine is that griefe which hath no other end then it selfe Nehemiah is resolued to kneele to the King his master for the repaire of his Ierusalem he dares not attempt the suit till hee haue begun with God This good Courtier knew well that the hearts of these earthly Kings are in the ouer-ruling hand of the King of heauen to incline whither hee pleaseth Our prayers are the only true meanes to make way for our successe If in all our occasions we doe not begin with the first mouer the course is preposterous and commonly speeds thereafter Who dares censure the piety of Courtiers when he finds Nehemiah standing before Artaxerxes Euen the Persian Pallace is not vncapable of a Saint No man that waits on the Altar at Ierusalem can compare for zeale with him that waits on the cup of a Pagan Monarch The mercies of God are vnlimited to places to callings Thus armed with deuotions doth Nehemiah put himselfe into the presence of his master Artaxerxes His face was ouerclouded with a deepe sadnesse neither was hee willing to cleare it The King easily notes the disparity of the countenance of the bearer the wine that he beares and in a gracious familiarity askes the reason of such vnwonted change How well it becomes the great to stoope vnto a curteous affability and to exchange words of respect euen with their humble vassalls Nehemiah had not been so long in the Court but hee knew that Princes like no other then cheerefull attendants neither was hee wont to bring any other face into that presence then smooth and smiling Greatnesse vses to bee full of suspition and where it sees a deiection and sowernesse of the browes is ready to apprehend some sullē thoughts of discontētment or at the least construes it for a disrespect to that soueraignty whose beames should bee of power to disperse all our inward mists Euen good manners forbid a man to presse into the presence of a Prince except hee can either lay by these vnpleasing passions or hide them So had Nehemiah hitherto done Now he purposely suffers his sorrow to looke through his eies that it may worke both inquiry and compassion from his master neither doth hee faile of his hopes in either Why is thy countenance sad seeing thou art not sicke How sensible doe we thinke the father of mercies is of all our pensiue thoughts when an heathen master is so tender of a seruāts griefe How ready should our tongues bee to lay open our cares to the God of all comfort when we see Nehemiah so quicke in the expressions of his sorrow to an vncertaine eare Let the King liue for euer Why should not my countenance bee sad when the City the place of my father sepulphres lyeth wast and the gates thereof are burnt with fire Not without an humble preface doth Nehemiah lay forth his grieuance Complaints haue euer an vnpleasing harshnesse in them which must bee taken off by some disscreet insinuation Although it could not but sound well in the generous eare of Artaxerxes that his seruant was so carefull for the honour of his Countrey As nature hath made vs all members of a community and hath giuen vs common interests so it is most pleasing to vs to see these publike cares diuide vs from our owne The King easily decryes a secret supplication wrapt vp in this moanefull answer which the modest suiter was afraid to disclose and therefore he helps that bashfull motion into the light For what dost thou make request It is the praise of bounty to draw on the iust petitions of fearefull suppliants Nehemiah dares not open his mouth of the King till his heart hath opened it selfe by a sudden eiaculation to his God No businesse can bee so hasty but our prayer may preuent it the wings whereof are so nimble that it can fly vp to heauen and solicit God and bring downe an answer before euer our words need to come forth of our lips In vaine shall we hope that any designe of ours can prosper if wee haue not first sent this messenger on our errād After this silent and