Selected quad for the lemma: water_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
water_n	grace_n	life_n	spirit_n	3,894	5	5.4750	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A01550	The spirituall vvatch, or Christs generall watch-word A meditation on Mark. 13. 37. By Thomas Gataker B. of D. and pastor of Rotherhith.	Gataker, Thomas, 1574-1654.	1622 (1622)	STC 11677; ESTC S102924	129,834	148

being no better then sleepe and their very life while they so liue no better then death yea worse then naturall sleepe because against nature for a man to sleepe waking worse then corporall death for a man to be as dead ere he die to be his owne Bearer to winde himselfe quicke and to bury himselfe yet breathing § 70. Idlenesse therefore it is both euill of it selfe and it exposeth men to further euils Satan where he findeth the house vacant that he had before quit hee doth easily make a reentry againe He doth as the Crab that desirous to prey on the Oister but finding the fish enclosed and her selfe excluded with two such shels as all her power is not able to pierce watcheth the time when she lieth bathing her selfe in the sunne and gaping to take in some pleasant refreshing while the windes are calme and the waters still then shee slily and suddenly casteth in some sandy grit that keepeth her two shels from closing againe and by that meanes commeth she to get in her cleyes one after another and so to prey vpon the fish In like manner doth Satan where he desireth to seize vpon the soule but seeth some likelihood of resistance he watcheth mens idle times and when he findeth the heart vacant the minde free from present imployment then is heé busie to iniect first idle and sandy thoughts by which he maketh way for worse matters and after wicked and noisome motions by which he commeth many times to take full seisen of the soule and to worke its vtter ruine In regard whereof it is no vnnecessary counsell that one of the Auncients giueth that We be alwaies about some good businesse or other that the Tempter whensoeuer hee come finde vs not vnoccupied § 71. Yea for this cause is it that God hath ordained that euery man should haue some certaine course of life wherein to bee ordinarily imployed Let euery man saith the Apostle in that calling wherein he was called therein with God or in Gods name as we vse to say abide There is a twofold calling by the Apostle there mentioned The calling wherein a man was called and the calling whereunto a man was called when he was conuerted and became a Christian at first there is the generall calling of a Christian that whereunto hee was called there is the particular calling or special course of life wherein a man liued before as it may fall out he was called thereunto A man must not imagine therefore when hee is called to bee a christian that he must presently cast off all worldly imployments giue ouer the workes of his former vocation apply himselfe wholly as some Heretikes sometime supposed misled by some places of Scripture misexpounded to praier and contemplation and meere matter of deuotion but he must retaine the one calling still as well as the other follow the one still as well as the other make conscience as wel of executing the duties of the one as of frequenting the exercises of the other not thinke that vnder colour of following of Sermons frequenting of godly exercises he may lawfully neglect those necessary duties that by virtue of his speciall calling he standeth in conscience bound vnto In a word each Christian man that is able must as the Apostle willeth earne and eat his owne bread worke with his owne hands and follow his owne affaires that is such businesse as to his particular place and speciall calling appertaineth else he is branded by the same Apostle for an inordinate walker that is a disorderly liuer a Denier of the faith not in word but in deed and one little better if not worse then some Heathen and Infidels that haue euen by natures dim light condemned idlenesse in any § 72. But here is great Caution to be vsed and due regard to be had lest while we shun a rocke we fall into a whirle-poole lest while we seeke to eschew idlenesse on the one hand wee be swallowed vp with worldlinesse on the other lest while wee labour to keepe our left eye waking by the diligent following of our worldly affaires wee suffer our right eye to close and fall fast asleepe by neglect of religious exercises either publike or priuate The Angell that talked with me came againe saith the Prophet and awaked me as one that is raised out of his sleepe It fared with the Prophet when hee was attending on Gods Angell as with a drowsie person who though he be awaked set to worke yet he is ready to sleepe at it and to be euer and anon slumbring if he be not now and then iogged and stirred vp And in like manner it is with our drowsie spirits and will be continually if they be not frequently rowsed and raised vp by the constant vse of religious exercises In regard whereof Paul willeth Timothy to quicken by stirring vp the grace of God that is in him as men doe embers that lie raked vp in the ashes § 73. Now this is done by meanes either publike or priuate First by frequenting the publike ministery of the word at due times Quench not the spirit saith the Apostle despise not Prophesie as if the neglect or contempt and it is the contempt of it that is the maine ground of neglect of the one were a principall meane of extinguishing and quite quenching the other And vndoubtedly so is it For either fire or light is put out not by pouring on of water onely or some contrary matter but besides that either by withdrawing from it and denying that vnto it that should feede it for if the fewell faile the fire will of it selfe out or by neglecting to blow it and to stirre it vp by times as wee oft see it fall out that it goeth out of it selfe also where yet there is wood and coale enough to haue longer continued had some such industry beene vsed And euen so is spirituall grace oft impaired and decaieth not by the practise of sinne and wickednesse only as by water poured on it but by neglect of the word the meanes that should foster and feed it and that by raising and rowsing vp our dull and dead spirits should put spirituall life and alacritie as it were vnto vs. And no maruell then if as Salomon saith Where vision faileth there the people perish if the grace of God goe out where these meanes are neglected if they fall fast againe into this deepe and deadly sleepe though they were sometime awaked out of it that are not carefull to keepe within the sound of Gods Trumpet and to frequent the house of God where it may be heard that as at first it did awake them so should keepe them still awake § 74. Neither are those free therefore from danger of discontinuing this their watchfulnesse that out of a vaine presumption of their