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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
order_n	day_n	house_n	lord_n	3,712	5	3.9612	3	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A02031	A familiar exposition or commentarie on Ecclesiastes VVherein the worlds vanity, and the true felicitie are plainely deciphered. By Thomas Granger, preacher of the Word at Butterwike in East-holland, Lincolne.	Granger, Thomas, b. 1578.	1621 (1621)	STC 12178; ESTC S103385	263,009	371

gift is of God from whom euery good seede of grace proceedeth the other are but artificiall imitatiue and coyned yet this seede of God groweth not but by planting watering as all other seeds doe and that is the vse of the meanes The meanes therefore of the growth and increase of this grace Solomon here setteth downe illustrating the same by a comparison of the contrary vanities and they are foure in the foure next verses The first meanes of mortification are the outward prouocations thereunto to wit such places and companies whereby that good seede of grace that lyeth in the heart may be preserued and increased For euery seede must haue his proper place and outward foture of warmth and moisture to concoct it to perfection which Saint Paul calleth Rigation 1 Cor. 3. 6. It is better to goe to the house of mourning to visit the sorrowfull and sad in heart to goe to the graue of the dead to frequent the companies of mourners to weepe with them then to goe to the house of feasting where there is singing dancing merriment vanity and prouocations to vanity most commonly For that is the end of all men A confirmation of this rule or reason of the comparison by the antithesis or contrarietie of the adiuncts The adiuncts of the banqueting house are not expressed but vnderstood by anantapod●sts The former are death and mourning for there is the end of all men Let a man feed pride and beautifie his body as he will yea as most doe now a dayes make an Idoll of it yet shall it be a dead carkeis buried in the earth as other dead carrion is and more vile then other Bonum optimum corruptum fit pessimum The more composition the more corruption as in riches increased there is more vanity So that if it must needs be an idoll yet shall it be but a carrion idoll and such are all they that adore it in feasts and pompous meetings as did the Pharisees Againe let a man put away all remembrance of death out of his heart to source himselfe in the flesh to boyle in pleasure seeking out companions and prouocations of lust which are planters and waterers also in their weedy kinde yet shall it be turned in the end to lamentation and mourning vnlesse that curse be laid on a mans death that none shall mourne for him but rather eate him vp as the dogges did Iezabel one worrying another for his goods and lands and the wicked poore roaring like greedy Lions for his flesh that care not who dye nor how many so that their bellies be filled And the lining will lay it to heart A reason or proofe of the consecution of the former argument which was this If in the house of mourning there be the end of all men then it is better to goe thither then to the house of feasting But the antecedent is true Therefore the consequent also The reason of the consequence is the liuing shall lay it to heart These words shew the effect of death and mourning which are termed the end of all men namely a serious meditation of the state and condition of man All men are apt to forget themselues to be but men specially in their feastings and iolity iouil●y and ribaldry but this end of all men and them being exposed to the senses eyes and eares doth occasion them to remember whence they came what they are whether they are to goe So then this serious meditation or remembrance is the effect of the impulsiue cause For by the dead corpes and mourning a man is occasioned to remember himselfe The inward impulsiue or precedent is the gracious disposition of the heart to take such good occasions or suffer himselfe to be moued therewith for the wicked heart is stony brawny without remorse full of infidelity therefore hee maketh this contrarily an occasion of more epicurish and sensuall liuing yea at this time seruing his belly and his lusts as hee that cutteth purses euen before the bench And the eye of the foole is mindlesse wandring in the corners of the earth The outward impulsiue I say is the occasion to wit the dead corpes and mourning the house of mourning and the graue of the dead What is a man by this occasion moued to lay to his heart I. His owne death for euen so must he die and be mourned for of his wife children kinsfolkes c. cast into the graue and be putrified in the earth II. The vanity of all worldly things whereof a man is now quite bestript as lands goods buildings cloathing treasures skinne body and all are cleane sliuen off from the soule as barke from a tree and as a shell from the fish and the soule is gone naked as the body came in naked either to be glorified in heauen for the good deeds that it did in the flesh with worldly things or to be confounded and tormented in hell for the euill III. Of the account or reckoning that it must make before the iust Iudge of the talent that God gaue it to employ with diligence to his best aduantage IIII. Of repentance and continuall preparation to death by auoiding euill whereby his Lord is indammaged and by doing good setting euery thing in order euery day and disposing all things to the best for the profit of his Lord that when he commeth hee may receiue his owne with aduantage These and such things doth he lay to his heart that hath an heart when hee goeth to the house of mourning and commeth to the graue of the dead The sequell or argument of vanity gathered by the comparison is this Prop If it be better to goe to the house of mourning then to the house of feasting then are all merry meetings iuncatings playes games sports pastimes c. vaine and vnprofitable and no quietnesse of heart to be found in them Assump But the antecedent is thus therefore the consequent Verse 3. Sorrow is better then laughter for by the sadnesse of the countenance the heart is made better A Second meanes of mortification is sorrow or anger which is a godly indignation or griefe for our sinnes committed and duties omitted This sorrow goeth before repentance and worketh repentance It is that which Saint Paul commendeth in the Corinthians occasioned by his reprehensory letter 2 Cor. 7. 10. 11. where it is set downe by seauen effects in them 1 Carefullnesse or diligence in reforming their errours and in conforming themselues againe to that purity which was wrought in them when at first he preached the Gospell to them in the euidence of the spirit from which they were declined through the Philosophicall ianglings of the false Apostles 2 Clearing of themselues or defence 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which was a deprecatory excuse of their errours which kinde of defence intimateth an ingenuous confession together with some alleadgement for themselues to insinuate that they had done amisse rather of infirmitie then wittingly and willingly and so were ready to

c. A two fold reason inforcing the admonition vpon the Reader The first is drawne from the vnprofitablenesse of many words and writings of men which are discordant and distractiue of mens mindes which falleth out whereas the infallibilitie or direction of the spirit is wanting which gift was promised to Solomon 1 Kings 3. 12. and he was assured thereof and therefore without vaine presumption may iustly retract the Reader from other warbling erroneous imperfect discourses and treatises of men wherewith doubtlesse hee was acquainted as in his Booke hee intimateth plainely enough to this diuine-inspired Treatise of his owne concerning the chiefe good So that all writings except those that are warrantable by and grounded on these speciall pen men of the Holy-Ghost are vnprofitable and to little purpose affoording no tranquillitie peace durable joy comfort to the heart and conscience For they can not impart that to others which they altogether want themselues For they being in darkenesse seeke onely for it where it cannot be found seeing that God hath subdewed man and all things to vanitie which can neuer be the mother or fountaine of felicitie And the earthly paradise is destroyed This text maketh litle for those that being so eagerly and seruently deuoted to their worldly and fleshly lusts thinke and say that so much preaching and writing is neceelesse For Solomon taxeth not the holy and great Labours of the Lords Ministers who keepe themselues within the compasse of his written word but he taxeth these slouthfull ones sleepie and spirituall drunken ones ignorants and fooles that euen weary the Messengers o● God with calling crying lifting vp their voyces li● e Trumpets earely an la●e and yet will they not be awaked they are heauy-hearted dull-eared pore-blind long about alittle and that little is quickely forgotten If the Preacher be but silent a while they are ready to daunce about the golden Calfe and beginne to thinke and talke of Egypt agayne They are like the stone of Sisiphus or heauy logges pulled vp the side of a stiepe hill which lush downe agayne when a man letteth his hold go Againe on the contrary side this taxeth those that are quick of hearing but heauy footed ripe in the top dead at the roote nimble chapt and slowe handed There is none end of their hearing new instruments new voyces new tunes new formes new stiles they are all for nouelties full of the itch full of curiositie but their heart goeth after their pride after their couetousnesse These extreames are at length coincident There is none end of speaking and writing to the sluggish and curious They are both a great burden to their teachers they will neuer be pleased Solomon therefore in these words willeth them to be doers and diligent practisers the one sort to humble themselues the other to rouze themselues to obedience that they may haue experience and feeling in themselues of the grace and wisedome of God manus est causa sapientiae and then shall they comfort not weary to death their teachers as many doe But those greedy eares proude and couetous that are so zealous to heare and yet their teachers but figge-frailes and themselues sucking spiders casting them out when they haue suckt them as they doe their oyster shells are but gadding carnalls and bloud-suckers When they would be ridde of their teacher then will they put him out of breath and when he cannot preach twice a day hee may sit vnder the Iuniper tree with Elias to be fedde with Rauens I speake not this to set dogges on barking to whom all things are alike but the God of order hateth confusion which take vp all occasions of euill speaking but rather to stoppe their mouthes by putting a difference betweene the truely religious and truely deuoted and gadding talkers whose backs and eyes are full of pride and adultery But our All-alikes are not for differences but confusion But when they haue once made a confusion of good and euill sowre and sweete light and darknesse then in the flesh will they make differences they cannot abide confusion euery one striueth for superiority and preheminence euery one preferreth him selfe before other and glorieth in his riches in his learning in his knowledge in his skill in his friends in his strength and men acknowledge such differences but of light and darknesse carnall and spirituall precious and vile they will admit no difference all must be alike and the more carnall the more acceptable The ciuill and orderly vicious the best garnisher of vice in vertues robes and colours is the most wise and most commended And much study is a wearinesse to the flesh Hee speakes not this of the paines of the holy writer nor of the reader that ought to exercise himselfe day and night in the Scriptures and that with delight but of those erraticall extreame persons of whom I spake before both writers and readers Dauid exercised himselfe continually in the Law Psal 1. 2. but he got wisedome by doing it Psal 119. 98. 99. 100. And Plato saith Manus est causa sapientiae When a man hath disquieted and tormented himselfe long about predestination c. yet shall the ioyfull and cheerfull practise of Christianitie sustain him and faith in Gods mercy towards him shall be his onely comfort in life and death For all our felicity is in Gods acceptation and he putteth none away that constantly seeke him with their whole heart that is sincerely not guilefully Psal 32. 2. Neither doth he forsake any that do not first forsake him The vnderstanding of this may we see in Iudas the guilefull disciple and the eleuen true disciples Know thy maisters mind heare what he saith to thee and apply thy selfe to do his wil without seaching into his secrets and thou shalt neuer lose his fauour nor be turned out of his seruice For he is not so easily displeased but beareth with innumerable imperfections and infirmities in his children whom he measurably chasteneth and deliuereth not ouer to death He is most wise most good most mercifull if thou doest not account his mercy greater then thy sinnes thou doest limit him who is infinite To know thy sinnes to acknowledge and confesse them and to despaire of righteousnesse and saluation in thy selfe and by thy selfe is that which he requireth for then thou wilt flie to him trust in him rely on him and be euer thankfull to him Surely when thou art none of thine owne then art thou his Much reading and studying is indeed a wearinesse but it is a delightfull thing to do the commandements Experimentall knowledge is full delightfull and comfortable A litle that one eateth is better then all that a man can heare of reade of study of dreame of Greedy speculatists and hearers are but dreamers they are neuer satisfied but soone weary of well doing but God will be heard of vs seene of vs and serued of vs as if he were a King in bodily presence This is the fulnesse of sound faith feare and