Selected quad for the lemma: water_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
water_n	fish_n	great_a	sea_n	3,519	5	6.8793	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A69644	The life of faith in times of trial and affliction cleared up and explained from Hebrews X:XXXVIII ... / by Ioh. Brown ...	Brown, John, 1610?-1679.	1679 (1679)	Wing B5034; ESTC R7844	214,019	528

incense not a few who would be accounted Masters in Israel who have been busie while he was busied about the work of the Lord in backbiting defaming reproaching him that because he withstood them all to the face wherein they were are justly to be blamed But I must lay my reckoning and have done it with that and many such things Onely by way of Apologie I must tell such that it is not my work to engage with them at present on this head they may exspect to hear of that afterward yet next till more come I doe not crave their libertie or pardon to say that it shall be amongst the posteritie as it is already with the more serious in this generation a stain which shall never be vviped off the memorie of the reproachers vvhen his memorie shall be blessed and his cognizance in the succeeding generations of the Church shall be that in the day vvhen he fell a sleep the Church of Scotland was deprived of the most incomparably able and the most absolutly burning and shining light belonging to that Church Secondly it may be an appreciating and endearing consideration unto thee that this Treatise is not only the work of such a worthy vvorkman such a Walker with God such a Wrestler with him such a Witnesse for his Master and such a beloved Disciple But it is his last Work this he wrote at the close of a long walk with God For in his walk with him and after him having by experience found there neither would nor could be courage nor constancy nor comfort in that course except faith were acting vigourously upon its blessed object that Fountain of all fulnesse both for furniture frame both for the light of direction consolation and for a measure of life in order to action according to the emergent difficulties dangers that are the inseparable attendants of the duties of the present day He was taught by the things which he suffered frō all hands to make a blessed beneficial vertue of this necessitie so he held on in his way being thus upheld and supported without turning aside to the right hand or the left and without being diverted or deterred from following the Lord fully The things that he suffered of late especially at the hands of Brethren their shame but his garland and glory put him to studie and learn the obedience of faith wherein he was helped and taught to make such progresse and proficiency as he enjoyed a sweet serenitie calme in the midst of all these boisterous blasts which out of all airths blew in his face but most bitterly out of that airth whence the storme could or should least of all have been exspected so that he did not onely possesse his soul in patience as moved by none of these things which befell him from foes or friends but he was quieted quickened and comforted in his conflictings yea he got meat out of the eater out of weaknesse he was made strong enabled to doe exploits as knowing his God And finding the sweetnesse of this life otherwise of many sorrowes and experiencing how much he was enabled for all things through Christ strengthening him he was moved and constrained from the aboundant furniture the sweet facilitie yea the begun felicitie he found in this life and course to point forth this way of pleasantnesse and this path of peace to such as are put to walke in the midst of trouble that so they may finde by following this course the same Light arising to them in Darknesse and the same life strength courage and comfort springing up and communicat unto them whereby they may be enabled to goe foreward through all difficulties all dangers yea and all deaths Hereby thou who in the sight of difficulties and the sense of thy impotency art made to say What is my strength that I should hope Art taught to anwer by another question Since he is strong why should I despond or doubt For all things are possible to him that believes all difficulties are superable to faith for faith is the engaging of an Omnipotent God for an impotent Creature whereby the believer is more than a conquerour And because that stronger is he who is in the believer than he that is in the World therefore being by him that dwells in him strengthened with all might according to his glorious power unto all patience and long suffering with joyfulnesse conquer he must and this is the victorie whereby he overcomes the World even his faith for faith's valour is when overpowered to cast it self and its burden upon God who performeth all things for the believer and so how weake so ever in the conflict yet by faith he carries away the conquerours Crovvn in the issue and is set dovvn at last to sing Thanks be to God who hath given me the victory I say then these are the last vvords of a great Student in this blessed and mysterious art and of a noble proficient in this happie studie for he speaks vvhat he knovves he speakes vvhat he hath found and tasted instructing thee hovv thou mayest with him hold on in thy vvay and vvax stronger and stronger yea hovv thou mayst surmount all difficulties othervvise insuperable as carried uppon eagles vvings and run vvith the greatest burden upon thy back and not be vveary and vvalk vvith the greatest load upon thy loins and not be faint Naturalists you knovv and Mariners tell us of the flieing fish vvhich vvhen pursued in the vvater by the Shark flies up into the air as a foul and so escapes the danger But it can flee no longer in the air than its fins continue vvet and vvhen these become dry it falls down again into the sea A lively embleme of a lively Christian vvho vvhen in hazard to be svvallovved up of trouble and devoured by the teeth of sharks mounts up above them upon eagles vvings and so escaps them But that vvhich vvaters these vvings vvhereby faith flies and that vvhich gives it this vigour is fresh influence of the Spirit The supplie of the Spirit of Christ quicken's and strengthen's faith and then failing and feeble faith renews its strength as the eagle renews her age It s this which gives weake and withered faith a fresh vigourous and youthful greennesse and puts the beleever in case both to say in God have I put my trust I will not fear what flesh can doe unto me and also I am able for all things through Christ vvho strenghtens me or puts povver in me Now the Authors scope and aim is to tell thee and teach thee how thou mayest be expert in this noble flight above trouble O happy dexteritie in a time of trouble upon earth to know how to make use of faith's wings in flieing heaven height and to be instructed in the exercise of that blessed art how to make use of thy faith whereby thou pleases God in thy ordinarie walk for performing these high heroick acts in

unto Him as one of His Enemies His Troups come together and raise up their way against me and encamp round about my Tabernacle He hath put my Brethren far from me and mine acquaintaince are verily estranged from me My Kinsfolk have failed and my familiar friends have forgotten me They that dwell in mine house and mine maidens account me for a stranger I am an alien in their sight I called my servant and he gave me no answere I intreated him with my mouth My breath is strange to my wife though I intreated for the Childrens sake of mine own body Yea young Children despised m●… I arose and they spoke against me All my inward friends abhorred me and they whom I loved are turned against me My bone cleaveth to my skin and to my flesh and I am escaped with the skin of my teeth Paul 2 Cor. 6 4 5 8 9 10. giveth us a catalogue of calamities of various kindes that he and others did meet with such as Afflictions Necessities Distresses Stripes Imprisonments Tumults Labours Watchings Fastings Dishonour Evil reports accounted Deceivers Vnknown Dying Chastned Sorrowful Po●…r and having nothing And againe he giveth us an account of what befell himself 2 Cor. 11. vers 23 24 25 26 27. In stripes above measure in prisons more frequent in deaths oft of the jewes five times received I fourty stripes save one Thrice was I beaten with rods once was I stonned Thrice I suffered shipwrack a night and a da●… have I been in the depth in jurneying often in perrils of waters in perils of robbers in perils by mine own countrey-men in perrils by the Heathen in perils in the city in perils in the wilderness in perils in the sea in perils among false Brethren in weariness in painfulness in watchings often in hunger and thirst in fastings often in cold and nakedness c. Who can say that his condition runneth parallel with this And if not have they any cause to complaine and cry out never man was so hardly dealt with as they are See also what hardships those did undergo of whom we read Hebr. 11. vers 36 37 38. They had trial of cruel mockings and scourgings yea moreover of bonds and Imprisonments they were sawne asunder were tempted were slaine with the sword they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins being destitute afflicted tormented c. Can they say that they are more hardly dealt with than these were If not is not their complaint very groundless 5. Some possibly will account their case singular in that afflictions attend them as the shadow doth the body where ever they be and whithersoever they go Crosses Troubles and Temptations are their constant Companions But do they verily think that none before them hath had as good cause to speak thus as they Sure the Catalogue of calamities that Paul reckoneth up as we heard lately saith he had such a lot before them He met with trouble both by sea and land in cities in wildernesses by his own countrey-men by strangers and by false Brethren in some places was he scourged in some places beaten with rods in some places stoned in some places imprisoned c. so that a short view of his life will put this beyond question And himself said Act. 20. 23. that in every citie bonds and afflictions did abide him 6. Some may possibly think that their sufferings are so much the sadder that they reach not their goods but their good name and credite and that without all coloure of ground Yet for as heavy as this appeareth to be it is no new or uncouth thing It is true it may prove sad to some who are tender of their name and credite and would glory thereof but how sad so ever it be to them they must not say that their case as to this is singular Wo to you said Christ to his Disciples and followers Luk. 6. vers 26 When all men speak well of you for so did their Fathers unto the false Prophets And againe Mat. 5. vers 11 22. Blessed are ye when men shall revile you And shall say all manner of evil against you falsly for my sake Rejoice and be exceeding glade for great is your reward in heaven for so persecuted they the Prophets which were before you So that this was the common lot of the Prophets was to be the lot of the Apostles accordingly Paul tels us 1 Cor. 4. vers 9 11 12 13. That they were made a spectacle unto the world and to Angels and to men and he addeth Even unto this present houre we both hunger and thirst and are naked and are buffeted and have no certaine dwelling place and labour working with our own hands being reviled we blesse being persecuted we suffer it being defamed we entreat we are made as the filth of the world and the off-scouring of all things to this day Was not here a suffering of an high degree both in body and in name So 2 Cor. 6. vers 8. As deceivers and yet true So were they accounted the chiefe of Traitors such as turned the world upside down Act. 17. vers 6. He was accounted the man that taught all men every where against the People and the Law and the Temple Act. 21. vers 28. Elijah was called the Troubler of Israel 1 King 18. vers 17. We heard above how Christ himself suffered in His Name So that this must be no rare or uncouth thing 7. It may be an heavy affliction to some possibly to be persecuted by their own Countrey-men Neighbours and Relations But was not Christ so was not Paul so exercised 2 Cor. 11. vers 26. Were not the Thessalonians so afflicted 1 Thes. 2 vers 14 Knew not David this in experience Psal 55. vers 12 13. And Iob also when not only his Friends and domestick Servants neighbours carried so unfriendly and untenderly with him but even his own wife that lay in his bosome had no other consolatory counsel to give him but to take his leave or last good night as we say of God and so be destroyed out of hand for thus the sentence may be interpreted which in the Original is blesse God and die as we use to blesse or wish well to them of whom we are taking our leave and so this benedicere is as it were valedicere Her saying blesse was as much as if she had said Bid Him fare well 8. Some may think their crosse heavy upon this consideration that they have to do with men who know no Justice and walk not either by Law or Equity but do what they please But neither is this any strange thing for not to speak of our Lord Jesus Christ who was thus dealt with what Law or Justice did Iohn Baptist meet with when upon the desire of a light dancing Damsel his head was cut off in prison without so much as a forme of process What Law or equity acted the confused rabble that rofe up against Paul at Ephesus Act. 19