Selected quad for the lemma: master_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
master_n	good_a	servant_n	show_v	2,833	4	5.4631	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A18304	Precepts, or, Directions for the well ordering and carriage of a mans life, through the whole course thereof: left by William, Lord Burghly, to his sonne, at his death, who was sometimes Lord Treasurer of this kingdome. Also some other precepts and advertisements added, which sometimes was the iewell and delight of the right Honourable Lord and father to his country Francis, Earl of Bedford, deceased. In two bookes; Certaine precepts	Burghley, William Cecil, Baron, 1520-1598.; Augustine, Saint, Bishop of Hippo, attributed name.; Cyprian, Saint, Bishop of Carthage, attributed name.	1636 (1636)	STC 4899; ESTC S118517	27,423	208

and he that seekes for meanes to passe it unprofitably spurres a forward Horse without reason to the overthrow of his Rider for whosoever wasteth many years and purchaseth little knowledge may be said to have had a long time but a short life And whatsoever thou doest doe it wisely and forecast the end For who thinkes before he doe thrives before he thinke 17 Use such affability and convenient complement as common Civilitie and usuall curtesie requireth without making thy selfe too deare to thy Friend or thy Friend too cheap to thee 18 Be stedfast in thy promise and constant in a good resolution and if at any time thou hast ingaged thy Word perform it being lawfull though to thy losse So shall thy Promise be as forcible as anothers Bond thy Word as another Oath For it is the Man that gives credit to his Oath more than the Oath to the Man 19 Aske confidently that thou requirest For he that asketh doubtingly teacheth the way to be denyed 20 Make not Law thy practise to injurie or instrument to uphold thy spleene against any man without due occasion lest in the end it prove to thee no greater refuge than did the Thicket of brambles to the flocke of Sheepe that driven from the plaine by Tempest ranne thither for shelter an● there lost their Fleeces 21 Though I thinke no day amisse to undertake any good enterprise or businesse in hand yet have I observed some and no meane Clerks very Cautionarie to forbeare these three Mundayes in the yeare which I leave to thine owne consideration either to use or refuse viz. 1 The first Munday in April which day Caine was born and his brother Abel slaine 2 The second Munday in August which day Sodome and Gomorrah were destroyed 3 Last Munday in December which day Iudas was born that betrayed our Saviour Christ An Addition of some fourefold short remembrances which every man may experience daily in his Life Time VSe foure things so much as you can So shall you please both God and Man Praying Reading and Hearing and in good works labouring Vse foure things as little as you can So shall you please both God and man Eating Drinking Sleeping and to spend much time in trifling There be foure causes for the which a Man is borne into the world and the first is chiefest of all To serve God and his Countrey his Parents his Friends There be foure vertues which we must strive to attain That is to be Iust and Constant Wise and Temperate There be foure vices which a man must earnestly shun and avoid Sloathfulnesse and carelesnesse vaine curiosity and nicenesse There be foure things in this world earnestly desired and never obtained Mirth without mourning Health without Sicknesse Travell without wearisomnesse and all goodnesse without evill There be foure things to be greatly desired and earnestly followed In Behaviour sobernesse in Promise steadfastnesse in Conversation meekenesse and in Love contentednesse There be foure things most needfull and the same most harmefull Wit and Words Drinke and Company There be foure things much worth and little weighed Time and Health Truth and Quiet There be three things Saint Austine was sorry he lived not to see First Rome in her flourishing Estate Secondly to see Christ in the Flesh Thirdly to heare Saint Paul preach Plato gave thankes to Nature for foure things and what were they 1 That he was a Man and not a Beast 2 That he was a Man and not a Woman 3 That he was a Grecian and not a Barbarian 4 That he lived during the Time of Socrates There be foure things of the most most desired and unto many most dangerous Authority and ease Women and delights There be foure things greatly sought dangerously gotten fearefully enjoyed and justly repented Unlawfull Lust and Lucre immoderate Wealth and Revenge There are foure kinde of people according to David that are most indebted unto God for their lives 1 Those that have escaped from a Dearth 2 Prisoners their Bonds 3 Those which are preserved from a mortall Sicknesse 4 Sea-faring Men that are neither among the living nor the dead There be foure thoughts by the which a man may best reclaime his carelesse and dissolute life 1 By thinking that if one must give account of every idle Word what exaction shall be required for his idle deeds 2 That if those shall be condemned who have done no good what shall become of those who have done nothing but evill 3 That if those shall not be held guiltlesse that have not given their owne goods where shall they appeare that have wrongfully taken others 4 That if Ignorance without zeale shall not be pardoned where shall knowledge with neglect be condemned There be five thoughts which should ever be in the minde of every good Christian First to thinke of pleasure to despise it Secondly of Death to expect it Thirdly of judgement to escape it Fourthly of Hell to prevent it Fiftly of Heaven to desire it There be foure things very easie to doe oft but very hard to doe well To desire to command to counsell and to judge There be foure things better to give than to take Pardon Physicke Allowance and Rewards There be soure as great evils in the world unpunished as those that are punished First Untemperatenesse secondly Unshamefastnesse thirdly Unfaithfulnes fourthly Unthankfulnesse There be foure things we cannot but set by and yet can hardly be sure of Health Wealth anothers love and our owne life There be foure things the poor man hath equall with the Prince Health Sleep Thought and lasting life There be foure things we may be grieved with but should not grudge at The Ordinance of God the Will of a Prince the sentence of a Iudge the finding of our faults There be foure things which cannot well be demanded with reason and therefore may be denied with honesty A Masters message a Lovers affection a Friends Counsell our owne thoughts There be foure things good to use but nought to need Law Physicke our friends purse and our owne patience There be foure servants of the heart that shew the disposition of their Master The Eye the Tongue the Foot and the Hand There be foure things best matched but not oftnest married Gratiousnesse with Greatnesse Discretion with Learning Beautie with Chastity Wit with Vertue There be foure sorts of people that feare is never long from The Ambitious the Vicious the Covetous and the Iealous There be foure things the more you take the more you leave Light of a Candle Instruction of the Learned Wit of the Wise and Love of a Friend There be foure things fit for all those that desire a quiet life Busily to finde no faults Contentiously to lay no Wagers Disdainfully to make no comparisons Wickedly to maintaine no opinions There bee foure mothers bring forth foure very bad daughters Truth Hatred Prosperity Pride Security Perill Familiarity Contempt There be foure Ioyes to be desired and the last is above all Secure

without shamefastnesse 6 A Master or Ruler without vertue 7 A Christian man full of contention 8 A poore man proud 9 A wicked and an unjust King 10 A negligent Bishop 11 A people without discipline 12 A people without law A Glasse wherein those blemishes and abuses may be perfectly seene which are the destruction and overthrow of every Christian Common-wealth The first abuse Chap. 1. A wise man without works AMong those severall maimes and blemishes in any estate whatsoever the first that presenteth it selfe is a wise man or a Preacher without good workes that is to say such a one as doth not worke according to his teaching and to the wisedome which he delivereth with his owne tongue For the hearers doe despise the good and wholesome doctrine if they perceive that the works of the Preacher do differ from his teaching And the authority of the Preacher shall never be good except by example of good life he fasten it in the heart of the hearer especially when the Preacher himselfe is fallen into the love of sin and will not apply the wholsome salves of other Preachers to his owne wounds The Lord therfore willing to instruct his Disciples both in doctrine and good works taught them how they should take heed thereunto saying If the salt be unsavory wherein shall it be made savory that is to say if the Preacher be out of the way and doe not as he ought to doe what Preacher shall bring him in againe And if the light that is within thee is become darkenesse how great then shall the darkenesse be it selfe If the eye have lost the use and office of sight what man can require that same service of the hand or foot or any other member of the body Therefore let Preachers take heed that they incur not a sharper vengeance if they be the greater occasion to many that they doe perish For Salomon himselfe while he did transgresse and worke contrary to his great wisedome was the cause that by his salt onely the kingdome of all the people of Israell was divided Wherefore those persons to whom many things are committed have the greater los●e if they bestow not that well which they have received of their head and Governour and therefore he that hath the greater charge shall make the greater answer and reckoning For the servant which knoweth the will of his Master and doth it not shall suffer sharp scourges and bitter punishments The second abuse Chap. 2. An old man without devotion and godly feare THe second stain and shamefull abuse is an old man that hath no holinesse in him but when the members and parts of his body be old and feeble the lims of his minde that is to say of the inward man are nothing the stronger It is decent and comely that old men should give themselves to more perfect holinesse and devotion than other men whom the flourishing time of this world hath not as yet forsaken The example may be gathered in wood that even as the Tree is accounted naught and evill which after it hath blossomed bringeth forth no good fruit so among men he is a wicked and evill person who when the flower of his youth is past doth not in the old time of his body bring forth ripe workes of good fruits For what thing can be more ridiculous than a mans minde not to endeavour to attaine strength and perfection when all the parts of his body by age are come to defection and end When his eyes waxe dimme his eares hard of hearing his head bald his cheeks withered through lacke of bloud when he beginneth to want his teeth to have his breath strong and earthly his breast stuffed with phlegme evermore troubled with the cough and finally when his legges doe faile under him as he goeth by age and swelling with diseases the inward man that feeleth no age being also pained with the selfe same diseases And all these sicknesses and infirmities rehearsed are signes and tokens before that the house of this body shall shortly decay What have we to doe then while the end of this life draweth so fast on but that such as are old should desire to covet nothing else than how they might soonest obtaine the felicity of the life to come For to young men the end of their life is alway at hand and uncertaine but unto old men it is more ripe and naturall as also agreeable to their age Wherefore a man must take heed of two things which never doe waxe old in his flesh and doe draw the whole man unto sinne that is to say the heart and the tongue For the hart is alway imagining of new thoughts and the tongue is evermore swift in speaking whatsoever the heart doth imagine or thinke Let old men therfore beware that these young members doe not bring the whole harmony of their bodies out of tune causing the other parts of the body which doe shew gravity to be laughed to scorne For every man ought to take heed what becōmeth the age which he beareth that he may doe those things which shall cause that neither his life age nor behaviour may be touched with despising The third abuse Chap. 3. A young man without obedience HEre must we intreat on the third eye-sore namely if a young man be found without obedience whereby the world is brought out of good order For how doth he thinke to be reverenced when he commeth to age that in his youth will shew no obedience or reverence to them which are old And therefore it is a common saying among old men that he can never play the Master well who hath not one way or other declared himselfe serviceable and obedient to some other before For the which cause our Lord Iesus Christ in the time of his being upon the earth in his flesh till the lawfull time and age of a teacher that hee should teach did serve and minister obediently to his Parents Likewise then as gravity sadnesse and perfect godly manners are looked for and beheld in old men so to young men belongeth of right humble service subjection and obedience Wherefore in those precepts and commandements of the Law which appertaine to the love of our neighbour the first is the honour of Father and Mother being commanded unto us that although the carnall father be not alive or is unworthy yet you must to some other which is alive shew obedience and give honour till such time thou commest to an age worthy to be honoured thy selfe For this word Father is taken foure manner of waies in the Scripture that is to say by nature by the nation or people for counsell and for age Of the naturall father Iacob speaketh to Laban saying If the feare of my father Isaack had not beene here thou wouldest have taken all that I have Of the father of the people it is said when the Lord spake to Moses out of the bush I am the God of thy Fathers the God of

not to covet other mens goods and to flie all uncleannesse not to eate and drinke but in time not to be a gigler and a provoker of other men to laughter no speaker and teller of false and vaine tales to be soberly apparrelled all things being set in comely order according to godlinesse in all parts of the body as well in the haire on the head as in the rayment Not to company with the ungodly neither to looke proudly or disdainfully upon any man nor yet wantonly to cast up the eyes to the evill provocation of other not to goe nicely and tripping in the streete having a pace like as it were a game or a play to be seene and to tempt other therewith To be also inferiour unto no man in good workes to be occasion to no man of reproch or shame to blaspheme or slander no man to hate none that is good nor to scorne such as are old not to meddle with those things which thou knowest not nor to contend or strive with thy better and finally not to blab abroad all things that thou knowest These things do make a man loved of his neighbour and acceptable in the sight of God The shamefastnesse and chastity of the soule is to do those things which thou dost more for the sight of God than to be seene of men to stay the desire of evill thoughts to esteeme every man better than thy selfe not to infect thy judgement with false doctrine to agree with them that are of the Catholique and universal faith to cleave onely to God to presume nothing of thy selfe but to commit all thy doings to the helpe of God to be alwaies humble in his sight to offer to our Lord Iesus Christ the chastity of thy inward minde never to make an end or to cease from good workes during thy life and with a strong heart to despise the present tribulations of thy minde of things worldly to love nothing but thy neighbour to set and lay up the treasure of all thy love in heaven and finally to be assured that for thy well doing thou shalt not lose the reward in heaven Shamefastnesse is a goodly ornament of noble persons It exalteth those which be humble making them noble It is the beauty of them that are feeble and weake the prosperity of them which be sicke the comfort of them that are in heavinesse the increase of all beauty the flowre of Religion the defence and buckler against sinne a multiplier of good deeds and to be short it is the onely paramour and darling of God the creator of all The sixt abuse Chap. 6. A Master or a Ruler without vertue IN this place followeth the sixt abuse namely a Lord or Master that is without vertue For it profiteth nothing to have power and authority or to rule if the Master have not in himselfe the direct and orderly sway of vertue But this vertue consisteth not so much in the externe and outward strength of the body which is very requisite and necessary for such as are worldly Rulers as it is to be exercised in the inward strength in good and vertuous manners For often times a man doth lose the might and power to rule through the negligence of the inward part as it appeared by Eli the Priest who while he punished not his children with the rigorous and strait rod of justice when they did sinne God as one that would be revenged for their wickednesse upon him sharpely punished him as one that consented to their naughtinesse Therefore it is necessary that Rulers have these three things in them that is to say terror to be feared good governance and love For except the Governour be feared and loved his ordinance and rule cannot stand Therfore through his goodnesse and honest familiar conditions let him procure to get the love of them which are under him and also by just and discreet punishment Not that he would or should appear to revenge his owne quarrell or injurie but that the transgression or breaking of the Law of God might be punished and so to be had in feare Wherefore while many persons doe depend and hang upon him he himselfe must altogether depend and hang upon God and cleave onely to him who hath set him in that rule who hath established him and made him to be a stronger man whereby to beare the burdens of many For except a beame be laid fast and sure upon a stronger thing which is able to beare it all that is laid upon it shall fall downe yea and it selfe also through the very bignesse and weight of it selfe shall fall to the ground with the burden thereof So a Prince or Ruler except he sticke fast to his maker both he himselfe and all that is with him doth quickly perish There be some who after they be set in authority doe become better men and doe cleave more neere to God than they did before and some are contrariwise thereby made the worse For Moses after he was made Governour of the people he had communication with God more familiarly than he had before But Saul the sonne of Cis after he was King through his pride and disobedience highly sinned and offended against God King Salomon after he sate in the seate of his Lord and father King David God increased and made him rich with the gift of wisedome to governe over innumerable people And contrariwise after that Ieroboam the servant of Salomon had usurped part of the kingdome of the house of David he turned tenne Tribes of the people of Israell which were in the part of Samaria from the true and right worship of God to the wicked and divellish worshiping of Idols By which examples it is apparant and manifest that some men when they doe come to dignity doe grow more perfect and better and some againe through pride of their advancement and rising up doe fall and waxe worse By both the which is to be understood that they which increase in goodnesse doe it by the vertue and godly disposition of the minde even by the onely help of God and the other that they doe fall by the weakenesse of the minde through the negligence and small regard they have to vertue which no man can have without the helpe of God The man that hath many things under him whereof he hath charge and hath not the strength and vertue of the minde is no way able to fulfill or performe what he should doe For many things do bring with them many troubles and vexations Therefore let every man that is a Ruler procure first with all industry of his minde that in all things he may be sure of the helpe of God For if in his doings he have the Lord and governour of all Lords and Governours to his helper no man can set light or despise his ordinance and rule because there is no power but of God He lifteth up the poore and needy out of the very dunghill and maketh him to sit with