Selected quad for the lemma: master_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
master_n	servant_n	serve_v	service_n	5,550	5	7.2254	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A19611	The terrestriall paradise, or, Happinesse on earth. Written by Robert Crofts	R. C. (Robert Crofts)	1639 (1639)	STC 6044; ESTC S109076	37,271	114

exhorted in Gods sacred Word to forsake hate and overcome the World and wee may also truly answer That surely it is not ment therin by forsaking and hating the World that wee should goe live in a Monastery forsweare Marriage Vow wilfull Poverty refuse lawfull meats moderate and expedient Recreations and the like But rather in the same sense as wee are exhorted to forsake hate father mother wife children c. That is for Christs sake and the Gospels rather then forsake him and goodnesse By forsaking hating and overcomming the World is meant the dangers abuses and evils therof certainly not the good things therin in a superstitious manner These as hath bin said may be enjoyed notwithstanding their vanities and dangers in their good use freely and cheerefully To contemne overcome and be above the World is indeed a brave proposition and many there be who glory to discourse therof Though perchance they scarce know what it is much lesse practice it The world is often dangerous and wanton in a corner in solitarines in idlenes and in those places and actions where some men make profession of flying from it and trampling it underfoot which is meant of Hypocrites who have so much degenerated from their beginning That there remayneth almost nothing but the habit And that also serveth to puffe them up to make them proud and impudent which is quite contrary to their Institutions But to contemne the use the service the commodity and therin the enjoyance and pleasures of the World what accusation is it against Nature that invites us against Reason that wils us therunto yea against the Author that made them to these ends What ingratitude is it to refuse that which God lovingly offers To sequester our selves from the company of the World and from the enjoying of earthly things because of their dangers proceeds as a Reverend Divine saith from a weak base and distrustfull minde as if we would so force goodnesse upon our selves That therfore onely wee would be good because we cannot be ill but for a man to know the highest of worldly contentments To live in the throng of the World and yet to be above it to use it enjoy it contemne it as he pleases to compell it to his service without infection well becomes the noble courage of a Christian No man indeed can serve two masters we cannot serve God and Mammon Let us then make the World our slave onely God our master It is true indeed then to be servants to the World It is better to goe out of it but to use it as a Master compelling it to our service in all good ways without abuses as it is more difficult then to sequester our selves from it so is it also more victorious and shall be an occasion of greater triumphs and brighter Crowns in Heaven The abstract of the sixt SECTION ALthough 't is certain that terrestriall treasures Honour and greatnesse also earthly pleasures Do greatly tempt us unto covetousnesse Ambition all intemperate vitiousnesse Yet in good use therof we freely may The greatest pleasures therof still enjoy When our affections unto ill incline We ought with reason and with grace divine Such ill desires to conquer and to quell It is more prayse and glory to do well In midst of great tem●tations then to be Otherwise good for meer necessity And as the danger 's greater we shall be The more rewarded for such victory Wheras to sequester our selves for fear Into a Monastery or forbear Things lawfull as expe●ient recreation Which may and ought with moderate delectation Be us'd because of dangers doth proceed Out of a weak distrustfull minde indeed But for a man to know the highest joy The world affords and yet without annoy To live therin and as a Master use The same in all respects without abuse And can even as he list the world compell Vnto his service and even then do well In midst of great temptations surely he In heaven with brightest glory crown'd shall be The seventh Section Wee may enjoy earthly Felicities notwithstanding their impements c. SVch men as object against the free and cheerfull enjoyance of earthly Felicities do truly tell us That the enjoyance and use of earthly happinesse doth often hinder us in the attainment and also enjoyment of supernaturall and heavenly things But we may also truly answer are to know That it is indeed onely the abuses of these Pleasures and Felicities that hinder us therin otherwise in their good vse They may serve as spectacles to seeth by the more cleerly into heaven and may further us in all good heavenly ways They may stirre us up to thankfulnesse and to all duties of pietie encrease our love to God and joy in him They may be notable encouragements to do more worthily and to go on more cheerfully in the ways of God and in such good use they may be sweet and pleasant additions to our hope of heaven And by viewing and enjoying these wee may look higher to their Fountain contemplating the excellency sweetnesse and beauty of the Creator who is infinitely more excelling and so in some measure espie and enjoy the Felicities of heaven also while we are on earth but of this more at large in the next Section And therfore in their good use wee may enjoy them freely and cheerefully But such as would mayntaine the contrary do further object to this purpose more particularly The most materiall Objections I shall endevour to collect briefly and so to answere them They truly tell us First that Abstinence and forbearance of pleasures doth best fit and prepare the minde for the well performance of all divine Exercises and Contemplations Secondly that many ill men possesse and enjoy these e rthly Felicities and many good men want them which shews say they the same are hinderances in goodnesse Thirdly that our Saviour saith It is hard for a rich man to enter into heaven And Saint Paul Not many mighty not many noble are called and that the mourners the meek and dejected spirits are rather pronounced blessed in Gods Word then voluptuous men All which I shall endevour to answer briefly Concerning the first That fasting and forbearance of pleasures fits and prepares the minde for divine Exercises It is most true and it is very requisite and good that we fast pray repent be abstemious and exercise our selves in all Christian duties so far as we may conveniently without superstition as wee are exhorted therunto And God forbid that I should be guilty of speaking against due and convenient fasting abstinence and therin retirednesse from pleasures of the World to divine Contemplations which at due and convenient times is certainly most pleasing to God And very beneficiall both to body and minde disburthening the same of many grosse humours vapours and spirits and so taking away sloth dulnes many distempers making our minds as farre as is possible in this World like Angels most free quick and sprightly in