Selected quad for the lemma: soul_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
soul_n	blood_n	life_n	lord_n	4,921	5	3.7317	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A89759	A pathway unto England's perfect settlement; and its centre and foundation of rest and peace, discovered by Capt. Robert Norwood. In this discourse you have cleared and proved, I. What government in its true and proper nature is; and the common errour thereof rectified. ... VI. That the laws, ordinances, &c. of our forefathers, are the onely rulers and governours of the English nation; ... VII. That neither parliaments, or any other, have any right, power, or authority to change, alter, suppress, or suspend the same; ... And in the conclusion, the nature of contracts, and the governments thereupon, made manifest and cleared.	Norwood, Robert, Captain.	1653 (1653)	Wing N1383; Thomason E702_16; ESTC R203007	38,577	71

and their very souls bless and pray for us Verily if this thing be but done all is done and then will peace and joy health strength life and salvation break forth mightily upon us and the glory of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords will rest upon us walk continually with us and before us and no fear shall or can come nigh us the Heavens would then give down their rain and the earth which begins to be burnt up give forth its fatness Verily I am not in jest in this matter it is a business of the highest concernment to the Nation that can be and as the Lord God who made Heaven and earth lives before whom and in whose presence I now stand I do more earnestly beg this thing of every one whom it doth concern then I would or could do for my own life and the lives of all the particular neerest and dearest relations I have in the world And I beseech you think not that I am in some foolish pang or passion or that these expressions arise from a melancholy discontented minde and spirit no they are the words of soberness and words that proceed from the very heart and soul where verily these things lye deeply rooted I am my self upon all accounts whatsoever and I know what I speak in that which I have spoken Oh that I could but see some begin to move this way Surely they would be met and seconded by many I hope by all Verily there is no way to save and secure your selves and estates but this To ask mercy and pardon of the Lord and your brethren to make satisfaction and restitution wherein you have done amiss and it is good honourable and commendable in the sight of God and man and surely Englishmen are not I am sure were not in times past hard of reconciliation Verily I hope we shall all be found men of such nobleness of minde men of such honour men of so great and magnanimous spirits that we shall reckon and account it much besides and below our selves to be overcome with or by any injuries wrongs or affronts as we call them whatsoever but I trust we shall be found men of such and so great minds and spirits that we can easily and readily swallow up and drown them all in our own breasts and bosoms there to be buried so as never to rise any more Why Oh why may we not say to the greatest and worst of our enemies Live Oh come and let us again like brethren live and live together even we and our forefathers we in them they in us both all altogether in the Laws Ordinances Customs and Constitutions they have ordained appointed and commanded to us and all generations after us for ever for which so much blood of our forefathers hath been shed so many and so great hazards and adventures by them run so much witnessed to and contested for by many noble worthy true Englishmen and for which such and so great a hazard and adventure hath now again been run such may I not say as it were a Sea of blood shed and exceeding vast treasure spent for the defence or securing thereof and our selves therein This was the end this is the end and I trust none will be deceived of it but that all of all parties or interests whatsoever or howsoever now may I not say unhappily distinguished shall really and truly finde have it and know it so Wherefore I beg and beg again again and again that we may all now as one man joyn together for ever so to secure those the Laws Ordinances Customs and Constitutions of our forefathers and our selves and posteritie for ever hereafter in them that both our selves and ours may live in peace rest and happiness for ever after and no man or men whatsoever may once so much as dare to offer or attempt the least interruption alteration breach or violation thereof for he who touches them touches our lives wrapped up in them Verily it is greatly the honour nobility and excellency of a man to pass by offences and injuries Have we not broken one anothers heads and arms in breaking the Ordinances of our forefathers even broke one another almost quite in pieces Why let us piece and reconcile again like Englishmen for ever hereafter and away with those low base beggerly vile unworthy mercenary or mechanick-spirited men as we call them who are so far from this honour excellency and dignity of men or Englishmen that they have unworthily injured wronged oppressed cheated stoln robbed to satisfic their vain empty fond foolish appetites lusts pleasures We may not call these Englishmen untill they repent and return those who have been so far from saving and keeping whole preserving and protecting the Faith of the English Nation according to their power that they have as much as in them lay extreamly and most perfidioufly violated the same in all cases and upon all accounts whatsoever Which think you is the more noble honourable gallant excellent man he that thus injures wrongs and oppresses another man or he who bears swallows up buries and overcomes such oppressions wrongs and injuries Arise thou man Oh thou man of glory of excellency and of beauty thou Oh thou man of power of dignity and of strength and come and stand forth in the midst of us to save us and deliver us for we are nigh unto perishing He even he who cannot be moved with or by any thing or all things from his glory his dignity his excellency strength and stedfastness Come Oh come we who have been oppressed injured and wronged we will freely forgive it and forget it it shall no more be thought of by us but we will bury it for ever we will not so much reproach our selves and our Maker we will not so debase our selves nor defile our houses habitations and temples as to keep or harbour in them the low base vile contemptible unworthy dealings of other men towrds us and by us No we will surely retain our honour our glory our excellency and dignity unspotted unstained and undefiled we will so far as we are able forgive it also for our fathers friends and relations onely we beg pray and beseech for your own sakes that you will not let any thing lye upon your own score and accounts which is in your own power to remedy and help for you are of ourselves we are a body a Commonwealth and it is the Common-weal or Common-good that we defire and seek of which we hope you will continue members and can any member of the body be in danger and we not sensible Lord how can it be hence it is we so love and pity you Oh why should a farther breach be made amongst us He who hath the Wedge of Gold or the Babylonish Garment let it be done away if you have that which you cannot say with a perfect and upright heart in the fight of the Sun is justly duely truly honestly faithfully

persons at some particular times and seasons for which judgement hangs somewhere whenas in truth they should be kept and maintained perfectly upright ever and always the same alike to all neither looking backward nor forward this way or that way but one pure simple act in it self ever and always or in all times and altogether unchangably the same otherwise can none whomsoever possibly be safe and secure in them or by them And if any suffer loss detriment and dammage that is not properly in and by the Law for that is good that is light life safety and protection but herein we suffer in forsaking leaving or departing therefrom and so going forth and betaking our selves unto and falling into the evil the darkness and the death manifested and declared therein or thereby are ruined and destroyed therewith I hope hitherto our seeking and inquiry hath not been fruitless or in vain but we have at least found and discovered thus much what the very true real and proper ground basis and foundation is on which we may firmly stand with both feet or the center in which we may all safely and securely meet and from thence the way in which we may securely walk and again make our returns wherefore let us again say with good old Iacob Hitherto hath the Lord holpen us And having made discovery of our ground basis and foundation again which hath long lyen hid obscure and buryed and where and what our center is we will surely and stedfastly there stand And will no more either by Kings Priests or Prophets nor by God himself be either courted perswaded disputed or commanded from it or out of it any more For it is our Fathers And not the unlimited passions lusts and affections of any whatsoever good or bad that we are left or bequeathed unto nor yet the uncertain or unknown Cabinets of any man or mens breasts whatsoever no nor of God himself for they are his and his onely secret things are but revealed things as we have it before they and they onely belong unto us and to our children and our childrens children for ever after us I shall onely say this farther that were I enemy to any man or men in England or in the whole world and would design or endeavour plot or contrive their ruine and overthrow I would desire and strongly endeavour he should break his limit and would by all the means I could tempt stir up and entice him thereunto and endeavour with as much industry as I could to blow up that coal which lies in every man though in some and at some times more hid and obscure and to lay all those taking materials unto it which might excite stir up and increase that desire of unlimitedness more and more and this was the devil or Satans way with Adam in the beginning But verily I love that most excellent and glorious piece MAN because I in some measure know what he is as before I have shown you My love is to all mankinde And I would from my soul with the loss of my own that they might be all saved but Oh that we might be saved altogether such a day I hope and believe is at hand I love this Nation and have it in my heart continually the Lord is my witness I lye not and therefore would that it even it it is but a little one Oh yet that it might be saved from the great consumption and destruction that God is bringing upon the whole earth I will yet bow and bow and bow my soul again again and again unto the Lord for this thing yea although he have said that he will destroy it I will yet with Iacob wrestle who knows but that I may prevail Yet let me speak the truth as the truth is and I know what I speak there is but a little but a very very little matter between us and death at this time wherefore let I beseech you the words of him who loves you and would gladly dye for you be seriously considered Ala● what is this Government or that Government this Governour or that Governour unto me for I can say and say truly Nor care I and less fear I any Governour or Government whatsoever that may or can come into the world I have now set you I hope upon your certain and just ground basis and foundation brought you to your proper and true center where I will leave you yet am there still with you though at present must take leave of you But again I see occasion for somewhat more That then which is farther to be done in this matter I commit and leave to those to whom it doth more properly belong as the cleering and bearing the foundation taking away and casting aside the rubbish dirt and filth I will not say built but rather thrown or cast upon it the opening and cleering the chanels pipes and conveyances and so removing that which lets and stops the waters from running their right and true course in their right and true Chanels as of old time the taking down those walls and hedges made and built upon and against our anciently-known and common high-ways the removing and taking away those new Land-marks boundless bounds and limitless limits unknown unto our forefathers and so evening and levelling the way to our center and foundation and so to that great day of good things that great day of glory peace and rest which I trust the Lord will do by you even by your hands and that not onely in this Land but in many Lands Nations and Kingdoms I speak herein unto the English Army chiefly whose most proper work this will perhaps be found to be and let not your hearts faint herein nor your hands grow weary in reference to the greatness of the work that lies before you nor of any thing by any spoken against you neither be you lifted up I pray you in or by any thing above your selves or brethren by ought that is but either seemingly or else indeed and in truth with you let not the vain and empty words of vain and empty men have any power with you or upon you You know what you have done and how the Lord hath been with you and blessed you in your work onely I beg pray and beseech you do your own work and your own wo●k onely and do it uprightly and therein undoubtedly as the Lord lives you will be blessed you will prosper and be happy Neither I pray you let your pursuits herein be too swift or hasty but as the old English proverb is Look before you leap and another old English proverb that hasty men never want woe Old things are good things lest you be put to retreat again which will be some blemish or dishonour to us but endeavour as much as may be to see your way and work before you both what is to be done and how it is to be done the way ●ecures the end it s Solomons words as I take

somewhat comforted for I may not by any means let go my hold in that I hope also that as the enmity hath greatly appeared and made manifest it self so the reconciliation love and peace will manifest it self exceeding abundantly much more and therein I shall have the more abundant recompence for all the grief travail and labour my soul hath sustained by reason of these things through the greatness of the joy and gladness which shall be multiplyed upon me thereby For God is just still Hitherto hath the Lord brought us blessed be the God of Jacob and we have not much farther to travail I hope at this time Concerning Government which is by Contract a little diligence will easily finde out and discover what the very true nature property and quality thereof is In or upon what Center basis ground and foundation it truely stands there being very little or no difference between this and that we have already made enquiry after therefore I have little else or more to say then I have said already But briefly and as plainly as I can it is thus A Contract if I mistake not is the mutual consent and agreement of two or more wherein they mutually so far and so much give up their very true proper and real selves each unto other and so become so much and so far one in with and to each other in and by that Contract as the very true real and certain doing and performing so far as they are able of the thing or things each unto other and each with and for other call for and require as in and by the said Contract is mutually agreed ordained and appointed by them The which Contract now is the onely and alone ground and foundation on which they both stand the Center in which they have both met tyed and bound their very true real and proper selves each with other and each unto other in or unto which should both their eys stand always fixed lest the one or the other should forget neglect forsake and depart from it and so from each other their very true proper and real selves bound up in and tyed fast by that Contract This their Contract now is become made appointed ordained and constituted mutually by them both the onely and alone Rule or Ruler Guide and Goververnour of unto or over them both so that neither the one nor the other may ought or can exercise any act do any thing unto each other or require and exact any thing from each other either this or that either more or less then that Contract and Agreement rules orders governs guides and directs both or each other unto It may not be expected that I should speak to all the various kinds of Contracts particularly what hath been already said with that which follows will be 〈◊〉 sufficient guide to all who desire under any rela●●●●… compact covenant or agreement whatsoever to walk uprightly with God and man nor that I should answer the several nice questions ambiguous queries and may I not say foolish scruples raised and made by the critical heads or rather rambling and licentious spirits of most faithless and unstable men Compacts Covenants and Oaths in all times and ages of men and of men of all kindes qualities and conditions in all parts of the world as is cleer and evident by their several histories have been generally held very sacred and I think it is no weak Argument testimony and proof thereof That which all men universally in all ages have agreed and consented in that may safely especially in a thing of this nature be taken for a sound and undeniable truth and we have ever found a very great enmity detestation and abhorrency constantly arising and appearing in all mankind against Covenant breakers insomuch that they bare any thing even murder it self better then that Doubtless they are very sacred things and the breach of them a very great wickedness and abomination both in the sight of God and man you have the case of the Gibeonites a very clear president which alone if duly weighed and considered with upright minds would I may I think presume answer all the questions doubts and disputes that have been are or can be made in the case The Gibeonites come and address themselves to Ioshua and the Israelites to make a league or peace with them under the pretence of being a people of a far Country and they dealt very craftily as the Text saith for they put on old garments and clouted shoos to dissemble the matter Our garments say they were new but behold they be rent our bread and wine were new but lo it is now mouldy and naught Ioshua puts it to them again and again It may be saith he you are Hivites a people whom the Lord hath commanded us to root out and destroy No say they still again and again we are of a far Country whereupon they had their lives given them by Contract The matter within three days being discovered the Congregation murmur against the Princes for it and would have slain them No say the Princes we have sworn unto them therefore you may not do it Ioshua and the Princes might have said amongst themselves Let the people do what they will we will take no notice of it they ought to have been slain but they deceived us and the people murmur against us and are sorely discontent Or they might have said to the Gibeonites You have lyed to us in all that you have said and done you told us you were a people of a far Country and so deceived us you are not the men we took you to be nor that your selves said you were you have dealt falsly with us in this matter pretending to be one thing when you were in truth another we made no league with you for you are Hivites a people whom we are commanded by our God to destroy and we may not must not dare not let you live lest we our selves dye you are but a few we are many better a few who are our enemies should die then the whole Congregation of Israel it was the people of a far Country that we made a League and Covenant with and in that capacity you stood before us and in that capacity and upon that account onely and alone we made a League with you you are a company of treacherous false deceitful fellows and therefore deserve a sorer death then others No the Oath is given the League and Contract made and must be kept performed yea and the breach thereof made by those who were many generations after was punished upon the children of those Fathers by whom the Covenant and League was made many generations before And verily Contracts and Covenants extend farther and reach higher then most men think I do desire earnestly it may be considered by us we are fallen into the times spoken of wherein Covenant-breakers should abound and verily most men now adays leap over their several Contracts and

after levelled to made even and one with it is no other then the Lord himself who is God blessed for ever Shall we then fear or be afraid to be made one in and with the Lord and one in and with another in him What a perfect full and compleat union and hamony of in and with the whole Creation what a glory what a strength what a beaty and excellency will this be what a joyful shout will this make Let us not therefore look upon God as an hard and evil master as one that would hurt us and destroy us for verily he never did nor doth nor that I may speak with reverence possibly can hurt us for it is altogether contrary to his being our hurt our evil our destruction is onely and alone in of and from our selves Our salvation only and alone in of and from him Jam. 1. 13. c. Let no man say when he is tempted I am tempted of God for God cannot be tempted with evil neither tempteth he any man but every man is tempted when he is drawn away by his own concupiscence and is enticed Then when lust hath conceived it bringeth forth sin and sin when it is finished bringeth forth death Erre not my dear brethren Every good giving and every perfect gift is from above and cometh down from the Father of lights with whom is no variableness neither shadow of turning I will therefore upon this account neither fear God nor man but I will in all things and at all times greatly fear my self knowing most assuredly that except I hurt my self nothing else possibly can hurt me I will therefore always in all things love him who is my salvation even the Father of lights from whom comes onely every good and perfect gift Let us then with all readiness and chearfulness of minde and heart meet the Lord in this way of his exceeding great kindness and uttermost extent of his love to us I do admire that I say not adore but verily I honour and reverence the wisdom prudence providence justness and up●-rightness that is the high perfection in righteousness in our forefathers in this particular as is to be plainly found seen known and read in the Laws Ordinances Customs and Constitutions of this Nation which know not neither may they know any distinction or difference of persons for they are all one there in the Center and right and justice is commanded and required to be done to all to all equally and alike as is known unto all however otherwise as they lye in the circumference in reference to the body known and distinguished as being such or such a member bearing such and such an Office or place in and unto the body or Commonwealth yet there as is said before they must return and account as to the whole so to every particular member thereof grieved wronged or offended I should be sorry to see any people in the world in whom so manifold and great transgressions sins and iniquities of their own and forefathers should be treasured up and centered together in one as to be put to such straits and extremities for their deliverance as to enter into such a Contract with any man as Nahash the Ammonite required of the men of Iabesh Gilead that he might put out their right eys but he lost his end and the people were delivered another way and by another hand I deny not but that such a thing may possibly be for God is just yet he is merciful also I will therefore hope of a more plain and even path unto Ierusalem and more visible for that peoples deliverance but more may appear hereafter Verily there is one thing lies extream hard and heavy upon me in reference to this Nation and sticks very much with me and that is the breath of Agreements Covenants and Contracts Verily it grieves me at the very soul and pains me at the heart I know not where to lay it in particular but verily there is no less then the price of blood lies somewhere none are ignorant of the unheard of breaches of the Publick Faith of the Nation which verily should have been deerer to us then our lives brought to nothing made base and contemptible the Contracts made with several the souldiery of the Nation who upon those Contracts went continually in jeopardy of their lives lost their limbs and lives many of them left their families desolate and forsaken and many of them who have escaped with their lives have after all been ready to famish for bread and their families also The several Covenants Contracts and Articles made with and given to those who engaged against the Parliament extream vilely and basely violated Verily these things lye heavy and hard yet have I seen these things made a merriment and laughter even by some of those whom it did most neerly and properly concern to see made good and performed Can it be said truly There wanted power and ability to perform Verily I wish it could be so said in truth but I fear it will be found otherwise Oh what Oh what shall we do in this case O that my blood could satisfie in this thing Let us remember what David did when the water for which he longed was brought unto him He pours it upon the ground saying It is the blood of the men who went in jeopardy of their lives and therefore would not drink of it Surely to eat the sweat of another mans brows would be very unpleasant harsh sowre and hard to him who is of an upright heart and mind and very unrighteous and unjust also except inability necessitate thereunto but to eat and drink not onely the sweat but the blood of others also verily it is a most great and grievous wickedness an horrible unrighteousness and impiety I earnestly beg pray and beseech that a very diligent due and exact in quisition or enquiry be made concerning this matter and Oh that it might be done stilly and quietly yet effectually and throughly that it might be done with meekness and gentleness of spirit in much wisdom and moderaton yet faithfully and uprightly May not this quarrel and controversie this great strife and contest I will hope it may yet be taken up if it be done in time Verily I hope wrath may be asswaged the great and grievous cries yea and just ones too both of the dead and living may be appeased satisfaction given and an atonement made in this case Oh that it may not onely be done as to the matter but that it may be justly done as to the way and manner also that we do not injustice to one to satisfie another Perhaps less much less then their Contracts were and in justice they might require will appease quiet satisfic and content and thereby those now whose blood whose lives whose sorrows whose troubles miseries and calamities cry and call mightily and that every day for wrath judgement and destruction will return unto us strengthen our hands and hearts