Selected quad for the lemma: water_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
water_n	earth_n	element_n	fire_n	14,899	5	7.2424	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A26784	The danger of prosperity discovered in several sermons upon Prov. I. 27 / by William Bates ...	Bates, William, 1625-1699.	1685 (1685)	Wing B1103; ESTC R15611	66,480	256

works powerfully in the Children of Disobedience They are as it were possess'd and acted by his strong Incitations They are said to be taken captive by him at his Will 'T is an allusion to the catching of Beasts when by the address and craft of the Hunters they are drawn or urg'd into the toil prepared for them Now Prosperity furnishes him with the Materials whereof he weaves the most fatal Snares for his strength and art to destroy principally lie in specious Representations and fallacious Promises of happiness in the enjoyment of worldly things This will appear by considering 1. That pleasant Temptations are most apt to seduce the Souls of Men to ruin As in sowing the Earth when there is a congruity between the Soil and the Seed 't is nourish'd and springs up to a plentiful Harvest So when Temptations are suitable to the heart they are entertain'd with complacency and are productive of actual Sins Every Man is tempted cum effectu by Satan when he is drawn away by his own Lust and enticed the sensual Appetite is drawn forth by things grateful to it Then when Lust hath conceived it bringeth forth Sin and Sin when 't is finish'd bringeth forth Death When the Appetite has obtain'd the consent of the Will the compleat act of Sin follows and Sin habitually indulg'd ends in Death Some Temptations of Satan are of such a black Complexion and so terrible to humane Nature that the Soul resists them till by violence and restless importunity 't is overcome But by the Attractives of Pleasure he easily prevails As in cutting of ' Timber if on strikes cross the Grain there is strong resistance but if the blow follows the Vein of the Wood it easily cleaves asunder The Temptations of Riches Honour and Pleasures are so delightful that the Devil commands or perswades Men to a compliance with them Besides his malice in pleasant Temptations is less discernible and consequently Men do not by Circumspection and Prayer for Divine Grace preserve themselves from the mischief of them If we are fiercely assaulted by unnatural Temptations that cause extraordinary Agonies of Spirit we seek for supernatural Assistance and fortify our selves with holy Resolutions against the open Enemy But by the pleasures of Sin he insinuates into Mens Hearts and feeds the deadly Disease so gratefully that they discover not their danger till past recovery Therefore he destroys more by his Serpentine Suggestions by winning Charms than by fiery Rage Indeed he is never more a Devil than when he deceives and we are divinely warn'd of his Guile Devices and Wiles that we may not be surpris'd and ruin'd by our invisible Adversary 2. Plentiful Prosperity affords variety of Temptations which he makes use of to prevent the satiety and dislike that the same repeated Temptations would cause Since Man was divided from God the true Center of the Soul he breaks into a thousand irregular Desires and in the Apostle's phrase serves divers Lusts and Pleasures and the Vanities of the World do rather cloy than satisfy that which brings transporting Joy at first by continuance becomes nauseous and insipid Now the Tempter with the abundance of Prosperity so orders his temptations as to take off the weariness of one pleasure by another and keeps his Slaves in the Magical Circle of Variety As a rich Epicure provides a Universe of Luxury commands the four Elements to make a show the Earth the Air the Water of their Treasures and the Fire of its Art to dress them thereby to excite the languishing Appetite to give a relish to Intemperance and satisfy the greedy Eye as well as the blind Belly Thus Satan the Architect of Pleasure brings out of his Storehouse several kinds of delightful Temptations to reinflame the Carnal Appetite when sated without variety desire often fails the Man and Pleasure fails the Desire Voluptuaries are dissolv'd in the changing streams of Pleasure 3. Idleness that is often the concomitant of Prosperity gives him a tempting opportunity and makes Men more receptive of his temptations The Sin and Destruction of Sodom was from hence This was the Iniquity of Sodom Pride fulness of Bread and Idleness was in her and her Daughters The idle Person prevents the Devil beckens the Tempter to do his Office When the House is empty the Mind not exercis'd with better Employments and the Heart is loose and unguarded the Tempter is invited to take Possession Idleness is directly opposite to Life as well as Felicity To live is to be in action Inanimate things are only bound with a dead rest And amongst inanimate Bodies as they ascend in Perfection they are more Active The Heavens that excel in scituation and qualities all things that are without Life are in continual motion And Man's Felicity consists in the most perfect Actions of the most perfect Life in the Vision and Enjoyment of the Blessed God Now Man naturally being avers from a state contrary to Life and Felicity if he is not employed in business becoming the reasonable immortal Soul rather than languish in idleness is active in making provision for the Flesh to fulfil the Lusts thereof Time is tedious and that it may pass away pleasantly Men seek for Diversions that are usually either sinful in their own Nature or connext with Sins A lawful Employment is a double security against Temptations Partly Divine as it entitles us to God's Providence over us for whilst we are obeying his Command we are encouraged by his Promise that he will keep us in all our ways either prevent Temptations or afford us assistance to vanquish them And partly Natural for whilst we are diligently exercis'd in a lawful Calling the Mind is not at leisure to attend the Temptation and the Senses do not so easily admit those Objects that betray the Soul And 't is observable that God who is merciful in his Chastisements orders that fallen Man should obtain the Fruits of the Earth to support his Life by the sweat of his Brows that his uncessant Labour might preserve him from Idleness which to corrupt Nature is the seminary of so many vile Lusts. 4. As the Temptations of Prosperity make Men an easy Prey to Satan so they keep them in the most perfect and miserable bondage under his Power When he has taken hold of their Affections he leads them captive at his Will They are freely drawn by the pleasing force of his Temptations they are voluntary Slaves and in love with their Captivity 'T was the cruel and crafty advice offer'd to the Athenians to keep the subdued Inhabitants of Egina from rebelling to cut off their Thumbs that they might be uncapable to manage a Spear and by War obtain a victorious rescue from their Tyranny but be fit to pull the Oar in the Gallies 'T is an Emblem of Satan's dealing with his Slaves for by the pleasures of Sin their Hearts are weak disabled from vigorous and holy Resolutions to resist his