Selected quad for the lemma: soul_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
soul_n	appear_v	good_a	zion_n	35	3	8.6150	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A23696	The art of patience and balm of Gilead under all afflictions an appendix to The art of contentment / by the author of The whole duty of man.	Allestree, Richard, 1619-1681.; Pakington, Dorothy Coventry, Lady, d. 1679.; Sterne, Richard, 1596?-1683.	1694 (1694)	Wing A1096; ESTC R20086	106,621	176

a Spiritual Necessity For he had before in the same Heavenly Anthem professed O God thou knowest my Foolishness and my Guiltiness is not hid from thee Psal. 69.5 It was an old Observation of Wise Solomon There is that maketh himself Rich and hath nothing there is that maketh himself Poor yet hath great Riches Prov. 13.7 In this latter Rank are many Pious Souls and thine I hope for one who certainly had never been so Rich in Grace if they had been conceited of greater Store Even in this Sense many a Saint may say with St. Paul When I am weak then I am strong since the Complaint of Weakness argues Strength And on the contrary an Opinion of sufficient Grace is an Evident Conviction of meer Emptiness 3. BUT suppose thy self so poor as thou pretendest it is not so much what we have as how we improve it How many have we known that have grown Rich out of a little and others out of a great Stock have run to Beggary Had that Servant in the Gospel with One Talent imploy'd it to the Gain of a Second he had been proportionably as well rewarded as he that with Five gain'd Ten. In our Temporal Estate we are warned by the Wisest Man to Take heed of making haste to be Rich Prov. 28.20 And the Apostle tells us That he that would be Rich falls into many Temptations 1 Tim. 6.9 Surely there is no small danger also in affecting to be too suddenly Rich in the Endowments of the Soul This cannot but be accompanied with the Temptation of an unthankful distrust For he that believes makes not haste and we cannot be sufficiently thankful for what we have whil'st we do over eagerly reach after what we have not 4. TELL me thou Querulous Soul dost thou not acknowledge what thou receivest to be God ●s Gift And wilt thou not allow the Benefactor of Heav'n to Dispense his Favours as he pleaseth If he think fit to fill thy Vessel with drops of Grace art thou discontented because he pours not out his Spirit in full Vials If thou enjoys any it is his bounty and more than thou canst repay him Take what thou hast as an Earnest of more and wait thankfully upon his Bounty for the rest Is it not convenient in a free Gift to attend the leisure of the Donor What sturdy Beggars are we not to stay at the Door till we be served and grudge at our Alms when it comes Look upon Abraham thou shalt find him fourscore and six Years Childless and after he had got Ishmael he waited fourteen Years for the Promised Seed and when he had enjoy'd him not longer than he expected him he must Sacrifice him to the Giver Thus must our Faith be exercised for Time and Measure of Mercy 5. THY Graces are weak yet discomfort not thy self How many frail Bodies have we known which with careful Tendance have been Healthier than those of grosser Constitutions Neither is it otherwise in the Soul Soundness of heart is Health Increas'd Degrees of Grace make up the Strength of that Spiritual Part If thou have this Health tenderly observed thou may'st be happy in thy Maker although more happy in a Comfortable Sense of a stronger Fruition We have to do with a God that minds not Quantity as Truth of Repentance He knows we have nothing but what he gives us and enables us to improve And where he sees our Wills and Endeavours not wanting he is ready to accept and crown his own Gifts in us He will not break the Bruised Reed nor quench the Smoaking Flax Matth. 12.20 6. THOU art weak in Grace Be not dismay'd there are all Ages all Statures in Christ. Shall the Child repine that he is not grown a Man Shall the Dwarf quarrel that he is not a Giant Were there a Standard of Graces less than is required and would not be accepted thou hadst reason to be troubled But it is so far from that as that our Saviour hath encharged Suffer little Children to come unto me and forbid them not for of such is the Kingdom of Heaven Mat. 19.14 In some Legal Oblations it pleased God to regard Time and Age The Lamb for the Passover and for the Peace-Offering Lev. 3.7 The Bullock for the Sin-Offering of Israel Lev. 4.14 have their Date assign'd And in diverse Cases he hath called for Two Turtle Doves or two Young Pigeons Lev. 1.14 Lev. 5.7 11. Lev. 12.8 Lev. 15.14 Young Turtles and Old Doves according to our Jewish Doctors were unlawful to be offered But in Spiritual Sacrifices he that is Eternal regards not Time nor Statures For the Eleventh Hour carried the Peny as well as the First And let the weak say I am strong Joel 3.10 7. IT perplexes thee thou hast made so slow a Progress in Graces Thy desire is Heav'n-ward and thou checkest thy self for want to Celerity It is an happy Ambition that wings thee to Blessedness Quicken thy self with Gracious Incitations but observe we must not go a full Career For that Passage admits not of haste How many have we known by much forwardness have been rejected in their Journey whether by mistaking their Way or misplacing their Steps But I am glad it is the desire of thy Soul to Run the way of God's Commandments Psal 119.32 and do encourage thy Zeal in pursuing that Holy Race ever praying thou may'st so run as that thou may'st obtain 1 Cor. 9.24 But withal I tell thee that Blessed is the Man that doth but walk in the Law of the Lord Psal. 119.1 Whil'st thou passest on though but a Foot-pace thou art every step nearer to Glory And if thou gain'st ground thou art secure Blessed is the Man whose Strength is in Thee O God in whose heart are thy Ways who passing through the Vale of Misery goes on from Strength to Strength till he appear before Thee his God in Zion Psal. 84.5 6 7. 8. THY Grace is diminutive but thou labourest for more This is a good Beginning of Heavenly Treasure For he is in a way to Riches that desires to thrive and never any Holy Soul lost her Longing If thy Wishes be hearty thou hast thy desire or shalt be assur'd of it If any Man lack Wisdom let him ask it of God who giveth to all Men liberally and upbraideth no Man and it shall be given him Jam. 1.5 Were this Condition offer'd for Temporal Riches who would be Poor And if we embrace it not in Spirituals we distrust the Promises or neglect Mercies In Temporal things how many have so eagerly Chased the World that they have over-run it and whil'st they greedily swallowed Gain have been choak'd But in better Blessings earnestness of Desire and fervour of Prosecution was always answered with a Gracious Impetration 9. THOU art poor in Spirit but in an humble Dejection long'st for more Know that an humble Poverty is better than a proud Fulness Wert thou Poor and Proud there were no hope of thy Proficiency Thy false