Selected quad for the lemma: nature_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
nature_n	behold_v	closet_n	twin_n	140	3	16.3240	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A05191	A golden trumpet, to rowse vp a drowsie magistrate: or, A patterne for a governors practise drawne from Christs comming to, beholding of, and weeping ouer Hierusalem. As it was founded at Pauls Crosse the 1. of Aprill, 1624. By Iohn Lawrence preacher of the word of God in the citie of London.	Lawrence, John, preacher of the word of God in London.	1624 (1624)	STC 15325; ESTC S104883	75,729	126

Chariot The first is made in the forme of a Chariot wherein we haue Christ riding to Hierusalem 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as he drew neere 2. Watch-tower The second is made in the forme of a Watch-tower wherein we haue Christ viewing Hierusalem 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he beheld the Citie 3. Solitary Closet The third is made in the forme of a Solitarie closet hung round with mourning wherein we haue Christ lamenting for Hierusalem 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and he wept ouer it Or to Natures twins Further they may bee compared to Natures twinnes Twinnes being borne together Natures twins because they produce each other his weeping is produced by his beholding his beholding is produced by his comming For had he not drawne neere he neither could haue beheld nor wept as man but drawing neere he doth both For his comming begets a beholding and his beholding their miserable fashion inforceth abundant teares of compassion to distill from his heauenly eies therefore as Pilate said in another case Iohn 19.5 Ecce homo behold the man so I in this place vse the same words Ecce homo behold the man A man nay more then a man For for an Obiect at this time behold the true naturall deare and eternall Sonne of God Iesus Christ himselfe in the nature of man and behold him in his three-fold Tabernacle First behold him in his Appropinquation Secondly behold him in his deepe Contemplation Thirdly behold him in his great Compassion which three may inforce attention with your eares Meditation in your hearts It hath beene an ancient saying or the saying of the Ancients that there are three things which will moue attention to wit the Author if he be famous the matter if it be of consequence the manner if it bee compendious all which three doe meet and concurre in this my Text. For the first the Author of these words is more famous than all men being as he is indeed the very Sonne of God secondly for the matter it is of great yea exceeding great consequence for it sets out to vs the feruent loue the Lord beares to miserable men thirdly for the manner it is very compendious for in ten words the fountaine of Mercy is described in mourning for the losse of preseruation and the gulfe of misery is vnfolded by way of Implication Therefore as Iesus said to the Iewes concerning Iohn Math. 11.7 What went yee out into the wildernesse to see A reed shaken with the wind As if he had said Surely you would neuer haue taken such paines or aduentured your selues into such a desart but in hope to haue seene some strange sight great wonder or rare matter So I say to you What came you hither to see or rather to heare why haue you left your owne houses to present your selues in this publique place of meeting but onely in hope to heare some rare thing new matter or strange newes Then lend me your attention if any thing be worthy your hearing then this is for here you haue Christ Iesus the Sonne of God making his last iourney to Hierusalem his first progresse and his first progresse his last Visitation not substituting others but performing it himselfe whilest he was able in his owne person and the entrance into this his Visitation is with great sorrow For when hee drew neere he beheld the Citie and wept Now let vs proceed according as our Text is branched out vnto vs in our diuision and in the handling thereof let mee intreat you not to runne before me in your quicke conceits nor to wrong your selues in your earnest expectations for if you looke for strange things from these words or contentable matter from this Text you may bee deceiued as Iacob was who whilest he dreamt of beautifull Rachel Gal. 1.10 found nothing but a bleare eied Leah If I study to please man I am not the seruant of Christ Censure mee not for what I say yet if you doe I weigh it not for as I desire not to bee applauded by men I lesse deeme to be iudged of men yet to purge the minde from secret censures and the heart from misconceiuing thoughts let mee request you to goe faire and easily along with me till we arriue at our hoped hauen I meane the end of our discourse at this time then if any thing bee so happy as to fill the soule with comfort ascribe the honor to God who hath inabled me If any thing bee so vnhappy as to distaste the spirituall pardon mee and thinke my time of preparation but small to prouide my selfe fitting with such short warning for so iudicious an Auditory Thus then as God shall assist me time and strength permit me and your Christian patience suffer me I doe begin and first of his Appropinquation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And as he drew neere In the first part or Tabernacle Christs Appropinquation where 1. Absentia 2. Praesentia 3. Diligentia This first Tabernacle hath three roomes or the first body that proceeds from our root hath three branches Absentia Praesentia Diligentia Absence is implied presence is desired diligence described First his Appropinquation implies his absence for how can it be said he drew neere the Citie vnlesse he were first absent from the Citie but he was at this time absent from the Citie therefore it is said he drew neere vnto the Citie from which implication wee note That the greatest gloriousest 1. Doctrine and famousest place in the world may be destitute of the presence of Christ All this was Hierusalem yet Christ is absent from it First it was great in regard of the largenesse of the situation and popularitie of people secondly it was glorious in regard of the sumptuous buildings and great riches thirdly it was famous in regard of the ancient monuments and many victories which the Lord blessed them withall aboue any other Nation yet was not Christ present with them I need not instance for example ancient Rome beautifull Paris famous Constantinople with the residue of the great Cities in the world because I will iudge of none yet this I am sure of how that the greatest places may be destitute of Christs presence for the presence of Christ is not tied to any place for the greatnesse of it but for the goodnesse of it he cannot partake with Iniquitie neither shall the euill doer enioy his presence For as light and darknesse life and death fire and water cannot agree together no more can the presence of Christ with a wicked generation Obiect God is omni-present in all places at all times with all persons therefore no place nor person can be destitute of the presence of Christ Resp It is true the Lord filleth heauen and earth and the Propheticall Dauid doth acknowledge as much Ier. 1.23 24. Psal 139.7 how that a man can flie into no place where the Lord is not present But for the cleering of the point we must

did but glance his eie vpon Zaccheus Luke 19.6 and it brought him downe hastily causing him to receiue Christ ioyfully Iohn 7.48 49. In telling Nathaniel how he saw him vnder the Fig tree made him confesse hee was the Sonne of God In but once looking backe vpon Peter Luke 22.60 61. hee was driuen hastily from sinne to weepe bitterly for sinne Many more examples might be produced but this is sufficient for certainly the eies of Christ were full of vertue Sunne-like able to haue thawed the greatest frost of sinne in the soule the fire consumes the fewell the heat doth melt the wax the Sunne doth thaw the ice yet the eies of Christ doth neither consume their sinne melt their hearts nor thaw their frozen soules The Load-stone by her attractiue vertue drawes vp the solid Iron so would those eies of Christ these peoples affection had not their hearts beene more obdurat then Iron They cease to be Iron yet are they no Gold but now are conuerted into the nature of an Adamant When I call to minde how pittifully how mournefully how sorrowfully how carefully and how lamentably he looked vpon this place and people it is like Dauids stone wounding not onely my head but my heart yea it is like Longinus speare ready to pierce my soule with sorrow and griefe Neuer did the father so tenderly behold his childe nor the mother so compassionatly looke vpon the tender infant in her armes as our Sauiour Christ did at this time vpon Hierusalem For such was his affection towards this Nation that his contemplating their miserable fashion wrung forth abundant teares of compassion from his heauenly eies But no more of this lest griefe and sorrow should hinder our passage to the second branch The second roome of the second Tabernacle is the obiect Citie The second roome in this Tabernacle or Branch of this body or bole is Christs Obiect which in our Text is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Citie a faire obiect by name but foule by nature for though it was a City yet a most sinfull Citie as remained vnder the heauens neither are we so to vnderstand our Text as that he beheld nothing but the Citie For doubtlesse the Suburbs out-parts and skirts thereof were seene by him as well as the Citie nay the villages and priuate houses neere adioyning to Hierusalem were not hid from his all-seeing eies If we consider him as God then he seeth all things for the Propheticall Dauid doth thus acknowledge saying Thou knowest my downe sitting Psal 139.2 3. 4 v. and mine vprising thou vnderstandest my thoughts a farre off thou compassest my path and art acquainted with all my waies there is not a word in my tongue but loe O Lord thou knowest it altogether Sibylla in her Oracles could thus say Sibyl Or. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Almightie and inuisible God hee onely seeth all things yea 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God hath an all-seeing eie Also the Mysticall and Enigmaticall letter whereby the Egyptians would haue God to be vnderstood was an eye and the reason is rendred by * Hieroglyph●lil 33. P●erius because saith hee the great God of heauen is mundi oculus the eie of the world Saint Augustine is of the same opinion who saith That God is totus oculus wholly an eie and his reason is quia omnia videt because hee seeth all things yet more especially at this time Hierusalem for he beheld the Citie thereby noting to vs that hee was more desirous to view the Citie then the Countrey and euer more forward to pry into these places then any other besides When he had a controuersie with Sodome he did not so narrowly view Zoar or search the little Villages neere adioyning as he did those foure great Cities therefore said Gen. 18.21 Because the cry of Sodome and Gomorrah is great I will goe downe and see whether they haue done altogether according to the cry that is come vnto me Whether they not leauing out the skirts nor any parts of the plaine but they more especially Also in the daies of Iona Iona. 1.2 3.2 Gods eie was more fixed on Niniue then vpon any part of the Countrey besides that he might view and behold that place being great and populous more circumspectly then any other from whose example you that are Magistrates of this Honourable Citie are to learne That though your eies be fixed vpon many obiects Doctr. The eie especially to be fixed vpon Cities yet more especially you are to set them vpon the Citie The Citie I say is to bee your principall obiect and that for many reasons I will onely mention foure First in Cities there is most good to be done 1. In Cities most good may be done because there is most people it is best angling where there is most Fish best gathering where there is most fruit the greatest garison requires the vigilantest Captaines the greatest Citie the watchfulest Magistrates where there is most treasure there is most watching and warding and where there is most people there should be the most beholding 2 Cities the head of lands Secondly Cities are the head of Lands and all other places are but as members to them Now nature as well as Physicke teacheth this that if the head be polluted the body cannot be sound if the head be ill all the members fare the worse and whatsoeuer the head affects the body doth not hate therefore he that desires a sound and healthy bodie must looke well to his head that cold pierce it not blowes wound it not wine disturbe it not heats perish it not diseases wrong it not and cares trouble it not So you that desire a good Common-wealth looke well to the Citie that Vice infect it not Sectaries trouble it not Atheisme drowne it not Schisme rent i● not Popery powder it not nor Traitors betray it not I say againe looke well to the Citie for as the Dragon with her taile drew the third part of the stars from heauen A● 12.4 and cast them vpon the earth so will a Citie the third part if not more of a Common-wealth to delight in what she loues I say againe looke well to the Citie for as the poisoning of the Fountaine is the spoile of all the streames so the wickednesse of the Cittie is the bane of a whole Kingdome If the mother bee well tutored the daughters will sucke their instruction from her breasts Win the Lady or Princesse and her handmaids will soone be brought to obedience Looke well to the Citie that she remaine sound in religion then the Countrey will soone bee brought to any goodnesse Thirdly Cities are full of windings turnings 3. Cities full of secret sinnes and secret corners in which filth and corruption may lye so long festring till it hath bred a contagious Leprosie that like to the Gangren will endanger the spreading ouer the whole body therefore Cities ought most

narrowly to bee lookt vnto Achans theft may lie in one corner I●sh 7. 2 King 9 22. D●n 5. 2. Sam. 15. Iesabels whoredome may keepe in another corner Belshazers drunkennesse may lodge in another corner Absolons conspiracies may keepe in another corner These with a thousand more wickednesses like so many dunghils may be harboured within and about the walls of this Citie yet you ignorant of all vnlesse you search more narrowly then we feare you doe concerning all Fouthly Cities are in greatest dangers 4. Cities are in greatest danger for as the Fowler aimes at the head when hee intends to kill the Bird so our Aduersaries aime at our Cities when they intend to conquer our Countries and that either by secret powdering or cloaked flattering intending neuer more mischiefe then when they pretend most friendship Awake therefore O you Magistrates and wipe your eies O you Ministers of the Lord that you may behold cleerely the wonderfull deformitie and abuse of our Citie Israels second King and first best King hid not his eies from the violence and strife in the Citie Psal 55.9 but confessed to the Lord how he saw it all wheresoeuer it was committed and will you maske your faces that you may see none Prou. 20.8 Salomon tells vs that a wise King sitteth vpon the Throne and chaseth euery one that is euill yea euen with his eies Iob who was a Magistrate and a great Ruler in the Country where he liued was so vigilant in his place that the disordered young men durst not indure his sight but hid themselues from his presence Job 29.8 for he brake the iaw of the vnrighteous of what state or degree soeuer and pluck't the prey out of his teeth Iob. 29.17 As for vagabonds and vilde persons they were compelled to fly into the Wildernesse and into darke and desolate places they were chased forth from among men they shouted at them Prou. 30.3.5.6 as at a Theefe therefore they dwelt in clifts of riuers in holes of the earth and in rockes You my Lord and the rest of the Gouernors of of this honourable and famous Citie giue me leaue to tell you one thing and that the truth I know you haue heard it and am fully perswaded you know it yet I cannot chuse but once more divulge it namely how that the safetie and prosperitie both of Church and Common-wealth next vnder our good God and our gracious King Iames whose famous memory shall liue when he is dead lieth in your carefull vigilancy For as grasse cannot grow where feet often passe so sinne dares not flow where your eies often glance Commonly called the Batt But as the Night-bird flies without feare when once the Sunne declineth our Horizon so iniquitie will domineere in our Citie if your eies cease to looke abroad When Sampson was asleepe hee was betraied and if you slumber long our Cities will be wasted Holofernes in taking his rest when he should not smarted both he and his Army when they would not therefore take heede you giue not your eies to much sleepe nor your eie-lids to much slumber When you should be about the worke of the Lord I meane hewing downe those trees of sinnes with the sword of Iustice that it may be said of you as the Lord once said of the Church of Ephesus Ap. 2.2 I know how thou canst not beare with them which are euill But if you doe contrarily neglecting the place wherein the Lord hath set you it will not onely bee your owne blot the poison of your family the bane of your posteritie but also the vtter disgrace ruine and ouerthrow of our whole Land As I remember you command lights to be hung forth in darke nights that the feet of Passengers may be kept from stumbling and strangers to be guided in the way shall I say you doe well in so doing yes and very well else should I wrong your care But I could wish that the same Lanthornes might bee lights to guide your feet into the secret corners of our Citie more oftner then they doe I need not then shew you what there you should finde For I am perswaded you would say with the Queene of Sheba The one halfe of what I now see 1 King 10.7 was neuer told me by the Ministers of the Lord. For it is impossible that our tongues should vnfold so fully the enormities of this great Citie as your eies may discerne them If I should aske you that question which once the Lord did aske our daily Watch-man Custos quid de nocte Watch-man Esay 21.11 what seest thou by night So my Lord what see you in London by night it may be nothing why so because you are then at rest when you should bee at the greatest labour Doe you not see Adulterers Adulteresses together Doe you not see how they striue to make one another drunke that they may cheat couzen them of their patrimony Do you not see reuelling dauncing and banquetting till midnight Doe you not see carding dicing drinking and swearing all night Doe you not see how the Iesabellicall dames bake painting on their faces in the night that they may allure men vnto vanitie in the day with their deceiueable beauty Doe you not see Masse-priests as ordinary in the streets as Ministers Doe you not see the Theefe stealing the Murderer stabbing Couzners cheating the Prodigall wasting the profane spending and conspiracy following their businesse very closely What shall I say me thinkes if your eies were not too much blinded you might see those euery night in their cups and iollitie which scarce the Sunne sees in a moneth together nor they the in-side of a Church or good booke in a twelue-moneth together The Deuill sees all this laughes at it if you see it not to amend it God one day will see to punish it both in you and them In you for winking at it in them for committing of it But what auaileth it mee to speake of these things this Pulpit hath sounded with these exclamations many times in your eares but I feare all in vaine because I see so little reformation You are lulled so fast asleepe in the cradle of securitie that it is almost as easie for vs to raise Lazarus from the graue who hath beene dead foure daies as to open your eies to behold the sinnes of this Citie with a purpose to punish them me thinkes you haue eies Why doe you not vse them in the work of the Lord God and Nature hath made them round like a ball thereby intimating that you should looke euery way not onely before you but also of each side and lest any thing should be amisse behinde Nature hath giuen your necke motion so that the head may turne to fix the eie vpon any obiect as well behinde as before Also the eie stands not out but in the head for it doth not appeare so farre forth as the nose or lips