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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
water_n	earth_n	heaven_n	see_v	4,288	5	3.8847	3	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A56309	The weavers shuttle displayed and the swiftness thereof unfolded, or, The words of a dying man to a dying people, in the midst of a dying nation wherein is held forth I. That the time is short, the way is narrow, the prize is great, the runners are many, the obtainers few, II. That repentance and turning to God is not in one call or command, wherefore wait upon the means appointed by God to work it, and that diligently and constantly this work deferred will be still greater, the time to do it wil[l] be shorter, the strength to do it by wil[l] be less, III. If we endeavour to the uttermost to improve the present opportunity and ability that the Almighty gives us, we shall, for ought I know, live with more comfort here and die in full assurance hereafter, for the greatest evil threatned or feared, may through wisdom be timely prevented / by Robert Purnel.	Purnell, Robert, d. 1666.	1652 (1652)	Wing P4244; ESTC R32258	54,417	168

things considerable 1. His Holiness towards God in his Uprightness toward the World 2. His Sobriety toward himself 3. His Patience in bearing the mutability and change of his state 1. Of the first his Holiness towards God in his Uprightness toward the World He was the eye of the blinde and the feet of the lame he fed the hungry he cloathed the naked he harboured strangers Iob. 31. 17 19. and Iob 31. 32. and Iob 31. 16 17 21. 2. In sobriety toward himself his heart was not infected with lust Iob 31. 7. Nor suffered he his feet to walk in deceit Iob 31. 5. Nor made he gold his hope Iob 31. 24. 3. Here also have you his Patience in bearing the mutability and change of his state viz. 1. He lost his children and then his wealth then his body became leprous his friends also upbraided him his wife forsook him his own servants despised him Iob 19. 15 16. Iob was in affliction and he expected pitty from his friends but all his friends proved like a River that in Summer was dry and in Winter frozen Iob 6. 15. Next here is the vanishing frailty of mans age viz. 1. He compares it to the vanishing and consuming of a cloud Iob. 7. 9. 2. He compares it to the swiftness of a Post Iob 9. 25. 3. He compares it to the sailing of a Ship Iob 9. 26. 4. He compares it to a flower that springs in the morning and withereth before night Iob 14. 2. 5. He compares it to a shadow Iob 8. 9 12 6. And lastly He setteth forth the shortness thereof by its being swifter then a Weavers Shuttle saying My days are swifter then a Weavers Shuttle and here I will fix What the Weavers Shuttle is most men do know What the swiftness thereof is a few do know But the swiftness of mans days being swifter then the Weavers Shuttle there be but few yea very few do know or consider Now the Weavers Shuttle is an Instrument of a very swift and sudden motion which passeth the Lomb or Web with such speed that it is grown a Proverb What is swifter then a Weavers Shuttle Now as the Shuttle flies to and again forward and backward untill the Cloth is fully wove which for the most part is done in a few days so nights and days passeth this Shuttle of our life forward and backward to and fro again The night casts it to the day and the day to the night and the night to the day and so from one to the other forward and backward to and again and between these two time quickly wears off the thred of our life the Cloth comes to be filled or cut off and just so is our life Isa 38. 12. I have cut off like a Weaver Our days flie away swift and our time is short that man is not master of one day and yet how slow are we to take notice of the swiftness of time It is a wonder that such a plain familiar Doctrine as this should be handled so often and that the Holy Ghost should as it were endeavour by so many similitudes and comparisons to hold it forth to us and fetch in all things that are more then ordinarily transitory in nature to teach us the mutability of our condition yet how few believe it When the Weavers Shuttle is once out of his hand it is gone presently so our time flies away swiftly and passeth away irrecoverably A Weavers Shuttle flyes swift but our days are swifter then a Weavers Shuttle Psal 78. 39. Oh remember that my life is but wind saith David this is a Proverbial speech like that before of the Weavers Shuttle Now the life of man is like the wind in two things 1. The wind passeth away speedily so doth mans life 2. The wind when it is past returns no more so man passeth away and shall not return again they whose heads are highest must lie down in a bed of earth and rest their heads on a pillow of dust Most sleep in the dust while they live but all must sleep in the dust when they die Earthly men have earthly minds and they cannot rest but in Earth for it is their Center only take notice that he who hath laid up his heart in Heaven can comfortably think of laying down his head in the dust We no sooner come into the World but we are going out again and as soon as we begin to live we begin to die as soon as we begin to breathe our breath is departing Yea all the Prophets and Apostles that have written any thing for our learning have more or less written of the mutability and uncertainty of of our life As to instance Gen. 18. 27. I which am but dust and ashes said Abraham have taken upon me c. 1 Chron. 29. 15. All our dayes are on the earth as a shadow there is no abiding 2 Sam. 14. 14. For we must needs die we are as water spilt upon the ground which cannot be gathered up again Job 16. 22. When a few years are come then I shall goe the way whence I shall not return Psal 102. 3. For my dayes are consumed like smoak Psal 70. 9. We spend our dayes like a tale that is told Job 7. 7. Oh remember that my life is but winde mine eye shall no more see good Prov. 27. 1. Boast not thy self of to morrow for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth Isa 4. 6 7. All flesh is grass and the goodliness thereof as the flower of the field the grass withereth and the flower thereof fadeth away Isa 64. 6. But we are all as an unclean thing and all our righteousness is as filthy rags and we all do fade as a leaf and our iniquities as a winde have taken us away Isa 51. 6. Lift up your eyes to the Heavens and look upon the earth beneath for the Heavens shall vanish away like smoak and the Earth shall wax old like a garment and they that dwell therein shall die but my salvation shall be for ever my righteousness shall not decay Hos 10. 7. Our life is cut off as the foam upon the water At the best we are but a Bubble and it is no wonder to see a Bubble break And so in the New Testament we have it frequently laid before us I shall instance in one or two places for all Jam. 4. 14. For what is your life It is even a vapour that appeareth for a little time and then vanisheth away 1 Pet. 1. 24. For all flesh is grass and all the glory of man as the flower of grass the grass withereth and the flower thereof falleth away Now all these Scriptures being well considered we may all break forth in the words of Iob My dayes are not only swift but swifter then a Weavers shuttle Now to avoid all curious and nice division of the words which for the most part doth darken the truth rather then discover it set up the

but few men saying with the Prophet Psal 90. 12. So teach us to number our dayes that we may apply our hearts to wisdom 7. But most men and women when they are cutting off their life like a Weaver fall a praying with Balaam Numb 23. 10. Lord let me die the death of the Righteous and let my latter end be like his Never considering that none can die the death of the righteous but only those that live the life of the righteous It is true we read of one as the Thief upon the Cross that no man might despair and we read but of one that no man may presume Surely Death sends many messengers to you and me to tell us that he is coming One while in comes the Ague after that the Feaver and before we can shake them off many times in comes the Head-ach and it may be the Tooth-ach raging and shaking the best beam in thy natural building Well after a while thou and I have it may be shaken them off and now it is pretty well with us again we begin to smile and to feather our nests and while with Martha we are troubled about many things Death sends another Pursuivant and he terrifies us with Crosses and Losses troubles within and without Well we have scarce got over these torments but in comes Sir Thomas Gout or Sir William Cramp or both and these unwelcome guests will sit at the table with us and lie in the bed with us and night and day lie trouble us when we think to sleep then they will be talking saying Our days are swifter then the Weavers shuttle Well if all these be shut out of doors through long patience great charges and thou begin to cheer up in comes another Pursuivant and turns thy nearest and dearest Friend into thy greatest Enemy and so this cross in thy nearest Relation from whom thou didst expect thy greatest assistance and help now proves thy greatest enemy So that put all thy Crosses Losses Sicknesses Persecutions c. that ever befell thee in one ballance and this Cross in thy nearest Relation in the other ballance and this latter will weigh down the former ten times over In a word I do know a man that lost his tender Father and after that he lost his Estate that his Father gave him then he was in a banished condition at least 26 moneths then he lost some of his Children not long after he lost his tender Mother and a little before he lost one of his dearest Brethren since that he lost his onely Son not long after he lost his dearest Sister and between each of these Losses for the most part he was visited with Sickness and often brought even to the gates of death Then a little after this some of his most intimate Friends with whom he had sweet converse about S●ul-work these turned Ranters besides these at least an hundred Crosses more came in the one upon the neck of the other And yet this man doth profess that all these put them together are but a Flea-biting to that one Cross in his nearest Relation and that but in her little member to wit the Tongue See Jam. 3. 5 6. Eccles 7. 26. Death doth often summon us to be in a continual readiness to lay down these crazie brittle dusty Bodies in their own Center the Earth And for my own part I must confess that the Weavers Shuttle hath been preaching to me almost these 25 years still telling me that my days flie away faster then my shuttle And now at last it having prevailed with me a little for my attention at least I had no sooner silenced my own thoughts but I heard a voice from Heaven saying All flesh is grass and all the glory of man as the flower of the field And when I lift up mine eyes to the Heavens as in Isa 51. 6. and look upon the Earth beneath the Heavens shall vanish away like smoak and the Earth shall wax old like a garment and they that dwell therein shall dye but my Salvation shall be for ever and my Righteousness shall never be abolished Men and women are like a bubble upon the water they would fain get above their element and swim a loft but they shall be cut off as the foam upon the water Mans life is like a Candle in a Paper-lanthorn full of crannies there comes on a sudden but a little puffe of wind and blows the Candle out Oh then let this little inch of Time be improved to the best advantage seeing Time is one of the most precious herbs in the garden of the World And yet by most men there is not one thing more slighted in the World surely if we did see time so pretious as it is we should take the counsell of the Holy Ghost and redeem the time because the days are ev●l Eph. 5. 16. And if in truth thou and I did redeem the time there would be no room or time for so many idle words there would be no room or time for so many idle thoughts and unprofitable musings our thoughts are the eldest and most noble off spring of our souls and so are too worthy to be cast away upon base objects did we indeed see time precious short and swifter then the Weavers Shuttle we should redeem a little from our ordinary sleep and a little from our worldly business and to make all our dealings in worldly business subservient to Religion and not to grasp so much of the world as to distract our head with cares or engage our heart in sin we should redeem a little time from our usual lawfull recreations and so from all things else that drink up our time and improve this redeemed time to the best advantage for the glory of God and thy own good and benefit of others Let me tell thee what I know upon found ground we shall finde all little enough I once read of a man that did trifle away his time as most of us do not seeing the worth of it untill he was about thirty years of age and then hearing a Sermon of the shortness of mans life being a little troubled makes his request to a Godly man whom he looked upon as a Prophet to tell him how long he should live that so before death came he might repent of his sins and make his Peace with God The Minister asked him how long he desired to live and he said he would fain live sixty years at least well the Minister told him that there were more did die before they came to fifty then there was that did live to fifty yet saith he thou shalt have thy request thou shalt live till sixty Well with that the man was very thankfull conceiving he had time enough to take the pleasures of the World and to repent hereafter The Minister asked him how old he was he answered thirty then says he take out thirty of sixty and there remains but thirty years that thou hast

earth 2. Because at the best we are but earth 3. Because we shall speedily return to the earth which is our proper Center Man is born to trouble as the sparks flie upward and all these troubles come in thick one after another like Iobs Intelligencers Iob 1. 13 14 15 16 17 18 19. And each of these summons the soul to come forth of that rotten house the body when thy tooth doth ake one of the best beams in thy house doth begin to crack and soon after some incurable disease or other fastens upon thy body and then the Spirit ascends upward and thy body downward even to the earth thy mother Job 17. 14. I have said to corruption thou art my father to the worm thou art my mother sister and brother So the earth returns to its earth the fire to its center the water to its water the air to its own place and so that which was dust at first becomes dust again Gen. 3. 19. For dust thou art and unto dust thou shalt return And that speedily for thy dayes be not only as swift but swifter then the Weavers shuttle Consider how many thousand soules had their being in this life many weeks yea many moneths yea many yeares since thou hadst thy being and they be already turned to the dust from whence they came and thou doest yet remain going up and down thy Mother the Earth Let this teach thee two things First Admire the pleasure of God and say What should be the cause that I remain upon the earth surely the Lord expecteth something to be done by me Oh let me do it speedily before I die and be no more seen Secondly consider That although thou art yet alive thy time is even at an end for thou must cut off like a Weaver and be no more seen Isa 38. 12. Now if if it be so that our dayes are swifter then the Weavers shuttle and our life so short that the swiftest and shortest things we read of in Scripture are not swift short and frail enough to compare mans life unto I say if this be true then by way of Use there be many considerable things for us to know and doe Vse 1. First then the serious consideration of these foregoing things doth bespeak our care and diligence immediatly to setabout the doing of that which most men do wish they had done when they lie a dying saying Oh that I were to live again how circumspectly would I walk how careful vigilant and diligent would I be saith the dying soul Wherefore whatsoever thy hand findeth to do do it quickly with all thy might If ever you will give attendance to Reading Exhortation and Doctrine do it faithfully throughly and presently If ever you will be pittiful and charitable to the poor sow plentifully and presently If ever you will declare your self to be a true Disciple of Christ by manifesting your love to Saints and Siners do it presently If ever thou intendest to examine whether thou art in Christ and to give all diligence to make thy calling and election sure or to run the race that is set before thee or to strive to enter in at the strait gate set about it presently do not so much as eat or drink or sleep until thou hast begun the work for thou doest not know whether ever thou shalt live one year one month one day one hour one minute Time past cannot be recalled Time to come is uncertain Time present is only thine To day then if thou wilt heare his voice harden not thy heart before the silver-cord be loosed or the golden-bowl be broken or the pitcher be broken at the fountain or the wheel broken at the cistern Eccl. 12. 6. Work while it is day the night cometh in which thou canst not work Turn turn presently to the Lord with thy whole heart while it is called to day hearken to his voice lest thou art hardned through the deceitfulness of sin as in Heb. 3. 13. Lest it be said to thee and I as in Rev. 22. 11. He that is unjust let him be unjust still Oh Ierusalem Ierusalem saith Christ Luk. 13. 34. how often would I have gathered thy children together as a Hen doth gather her chickens under her wings and you would not Behold your house is left unto you desolate So again Prov. 1. 24 25 26. Because I have called and ye refused I have stretched out my hand and no man regarded but ye have set at naught all my counsel and would none of my reproof I also will laugh at your calamity and mock when your fear cometh when they shall call upon me I will not answer they shall seek me early but shall not finde me ver 30. They would none of my Counsell they would none of my reproof ver 31. Therefore shall they eat of their own doings and be filled with their own devices For the further confirmation of this see Heb. 12. 16 17. Nay further if thou lookest upon thy self as one elected by the Father Redeemed by the Son sanctified by the Spirit and so canst not fall finally from God yet if thou improve not the present inch of time thou wilt loose abundance of thy sweet consolation and bring thy self into great straits and it may be die in despair of mercy and so loose the manifestion apprehension and enjoyment of thy interest in God for many days at least Cant. 5. 1. 2. Christ he comes and calls saying Open to me my sister my love my dove my undefiled one well the Spouse answereth I have put off my coat how shall I put it on I have washed my feet how shall I defile them well Christ immediatly withdraws himself then the Spouse sought him but could not finde him she called him but he gave no Answer Well what follows she seeks him sorrowing but could not finde him ver 7. The watchmen that were about the City smote her and wounded her as in Cant. 5. 7 8 9 10 11 So also one of the Apostles Thomas by name would not embrace the present opportunity neither believe the report that he heard of the Resurrection of Christ Joh. 20. 25. well Thomas he lost the sight of Christ for many days Joh. 20. 26 27 28. If ever thou intendest then to believe in Christ and to relieve Christ in his Members do it presently for if thou stay till to morrow either thy house and all that thou hast may be burned or it may be thou mayst not have an opportunity to give or else thou wilt have but little mind to do it thou mayst not live till to morrow seeing thy days are swifter then a weavers Shuttle surely this relieving of poor Saints is acceptable with God although it be so neglected by men this duty would not be so slighted if these four things were well considered 1. First make their case thy case their necessity thy necessity Matth. 7. 12. Whatsoever that ye would that men should do to you do ye

died and rose again even so them also which sleep in Iesus will God bring with him The Holy Ghost in this place forbiddeth not Christian sorrow for the dead but Heathenish sorrow not moderate but excessive and immoderate either in respect of time or measure of our grief we may water our plants for our deceased Friends but not drown them 7. Let us consider the priviledges of Believers after death for death is unto them but a Porter opening a door into a dark entry or a servant of thy Fathers sent to put thy dear friend to bed for a little while till corruption shall have put on incorruption and mortality shall have put on immortality Death is but a sleep and the grave a bed and all things that be on the other side death are taken away by Iesus Christ Death openeth the great gate that leadeth to thy Fathers house that so thou mayest go home for we are but Sojourners Pilgrims and Strangers here in this World it is true unbelievers are at home whiles they live here they be called the inhabitants of the earth and dwellers upon the earth when they die they do not go home as thou doest it is true they go to their own place and to their own Father so that death to them is the King of Terrours but to thee and thy believing deceased Friend death should be looked upon as the Messenger of glad tidings which is come only to crack the clay walls which is our Prison that you may flie home and be at rest and when thou comest home to enjoy the presence of thy Father and Saviour Christ and to be filled with the Spirit and to be with all the holy Saints of Heaven thou wilt then rejoyce with joy unspeakable and full of glory 8. Let us consider that although I and thee be like to loose our own lives or else have lost some of our nearest and dearest friends yet let this comfort us this also shall work together for our good Rom. 8. 28. Wherefore let us not so fear death but hearken what death doth whisper in thy ears saying fear not me I came from the Father and have no Commission to hurt you although my countenance be grim my message is sweet and pleasing Christ your beloved husband hath taken my sting from me before he would let me come to you I am come without a sting to tell you that God and Christ loves you and hath sent me on purpose to invite you into their presence where is fulness of joy and pleasures at his right hand for evermore only you must put off your filthy garments that the earth may return to its earth the fire to its fire the water to its water the aire to its aire for these were the Elements thy body was made of and so thou must endure a little pain in putting off these cloaths they be somewhat little and strait but thou must with Paul put off this earthly Tabernacle for that must be dissolved before thou canst be with Christ in whose presence there is fulness of joy where all relations will be made up in God there is no complaining in the Streets of this new Ierusalem no want of Relations God will be a Father Christ will be a Husband Saints gloryfied our Brethren Sisters and associates so we shall want no Relation neither shall any Relation want Perfection There is but a breath between thee and this condition 9. Let us consider that the Scripture doth pronounce them blessed that die in the Lord Rev. 14. 13 For from henceforth they rest from their labours See Eccles 4. 2. Job 3. 17. The greatest evil death can bring unto us is but a more speedy way to happiness Lastly let us consider that our dear beloved brother David although he mourned fasted and prayed whilst his Child was sick yet as soon as it was dead he arose and began to comfort himself saying I shall go to it ere long for my dayes are swifter then the Weavers shuttle saith Job Then shall the dust return to its earth saith Solomon Eccles 12. 7. The dust that is the body to shew the original of it Gen. 2. 7. and the weakness of it Dust is the weakest part of the earth Psal 103. 14. the basest and vilest of it Job 4. 19. Phil. 3. 21. Job 30. 19. Our original from the dust our return unto the dust This should humble us in our own eyes and should warn us to improve all our ability and every opportunity to make our calling and election sure that there might be nothing wanting in us to secure a better life before this be ended and not to put off the endeavours towards it as most do unto old age which haply we may never attain unto and if we do it will bring it self work enough for us to do Death comes swift and uncertain Sin the longer lived in doth the more harden Repentance is not in our call or command when we please it is a work of the whole man and of the whole life this work deferred will be greater the time to do it in will be shorter the strength to do it by will be less bodily infirmities will disinable spiritual actions God will have less honour and service from us and we our selves shall have more sorrow and less comfort For my own part I can speak something by woful experience of the sad effect of not imbracing the present opportunity and ability that God hath given me I am assured that I have lost much of my comfort here for hearkening to the motions of my own spirit and slighting the motions and strivings of the Lords Spirit by which means I have deprived my self of manifestations and apprehensions of heavenly and spiritual things that the Lord begun to pour out upon me And now if I would give all the world I cannot recall one day that is past nor one of those blessed opportunities that I have lost Only I desire if the Lord will to redeem this little inch of time yet remaining like an idle servant that hath loitered all the forenoon begins to work twice as hard in the afternoon I have two Requests within me to make unto thee whosoever thou art that readest these lines If there be in thee any consolation in Christ if any comfort of love if any fellowship of the Spirit if any bowels and mercy then my first Request is I do beseech thee beg thee in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ if thou mindest his glory or thy own good that thou wouldst seek the Kingdom of Heaven in obedience to his command in the first place for in so doing the Lord will be glorified thy light shining before men that they seeing thy obedience to him may glorifie thy Father which is in heaven that so while the whole World with Martha are troubled about many things thou mayst with Mary choose the better part That so while some are giving all diligence to get