work_id,theme,provenance,created_at,text,reviewed_on,id,comments,metaphor,dictionary,updated_at,context
7753,"",ECCO-TCP,2013-11-10 05:59:32 UTC,"Ye see how God accounts of those that are of his Acquaintance, that met together and spake of God, and that thought upon his Name; he reckons them amongst his Jewels, his peculiar Treasure: Such Honour have all those that are acquainted with God. Ye see then the Excellency of Man above all the rest of the other Creatures. Now if Man fail in this which is his highest Excellency, he will become the vilest of Creatures. Every thing if it fail in its chiefest End and Purpose, and highest Excellency, becomes base and of no account: If Salt lose its Savour (saith our Saviour) it is good for nothing. If Man have lost his Acquaintance with God, he is henceforth good for nothing. The Mind of Man is his Eye, by which he is to behold God; now if this Eye be blind, if the Light be Darkness, how great is that Darkness! The Jews, in Ezek. 15.1. are likened to a Vine, which, if it be barren, is good for no use: shall Wood be taken thereof for any Work? It is fit for nothing but to burn. So it is in Man, his great Use and Excellency is his Acquaintance with God; now if he fails in this, he is good for nothing.
(p. 27)",,23153,"","""The Mind of Man is his Eye, by which he is to behold God; now if this Eye be blind, if the Light be Darkness, how great is that Darkness!""","",2013-11-10 05:59:32 UTC,""
7753,"",ECCO-TCP,2013-11-10 06:00:32 UTC,"Man is a base, vile, worthless thing without Acquaintance with God. None are less esteemed among Men than they that want Wisdom to converse among Men. None are less esteemed before God, than they that know him not, that have not Acquaintance with him, to converse with him. Ye see wherein the Excellency and Worth of Man consisteth, and that if there be a Deformity, where ought to be our chiefest Beauty, the whole is accounted as a deformed Piece. It concerns us then to look that we keep our Glory unspotted, our Excellency in its due Value; that we do not degrade our selves below what God hath placed us in. If we are not acquainted with God, our Souls serve us to little purpose: It is a causing the Prince, the Soul, to go on Foot, and to serve the Body, which should be as a Servant; it is to let the Candle of the Lord burn out in waste.
(p. 28)",,23154,"","""If we are not acquainted with God, our Souls serve us to little purpose: It is a causing the Prince, the Soul, to go on Foot, and to serve the Body, which should be as a Servant; it is to let the Candle of the Lord burn out in waste.""","",2013-11-10 06:00:32 UTC,""
7753,"",ECCO-TCP,2013-11-10 06:01:32 UTC,"Alas Man, it is thy Soul, thy precious Soul that lies at Stake; that Spirit within thee, which is more worth than a World; it is that which is in hazard, and here is a Friend that offers thee to make that Soul of thine happy for ever. Thy Soul hath abundance of Enemies: Some would debase it, others would rob thee of it, others would clap up a hasty Match between that Noble Creature and a Servant, the World, I mean: And there are very few that have any true Kindness for it, and thou knowest not the Worth of that Jewel, thy Soul; but here, here's a Friend, if thou wilt but leave it with him, he will take care of it, it shall not be marted away for nothing. Here's one will do that for its Security, Honour and Happiness, that all the World besides can't do. If therefore thou hast any Love for thy poor Soul, if thou settest any Price upon that precious Thing within thee; in a word, if thou wouldst have thy Soul do well in another World, O strike in here, close with these Tenders, listen to the Counsel of him who offers you the best Advice in the World. He, he it is that now offers thee that thou canst never value enough; he it is that will feed, clothe, and portion that Soul of thine, and after that marry thee to his only Son, by which Match you will be made for ever. O did Men and Women but know what a Soul is, did they imagine what a dreadful Miscarriage of a Soul is, did they but in any measure understand the things of their Peace, could they but conceive what God could and would do for their Souls, I need to spend but little time in perswading them to commit their Souls to him, to be acquainted with him, who will be sure to take special care of their Souls, that they may do well, whatever is neglected. O could you but see, did you but know what a sad taking they are in, that go into the other World with a poor naked Soul, and know no body in the World there, and have never a Friend that doth take any notice of them, you would then think I spoke what I do with reason enough, and that my Words were too short, and my Expostulations too faint in a Matter of such Concernment. O Sinners, I tell you, nay, God tells you Soul-matters are the greatest Matters in the World.
(pp. 152-3)",,23155,"","""And there are very few that have any true Kindness for it, and thou knowest not the Worth of that Jewel, thy Soul; but here, here's a Friend, if thou wilt but leave it with him, he will take care of it, it shall not be marted away for nothing.""",Coinage,2013-11-10 06:01:32 UTC,""
7753,"",Searching in ECCO-TCP,2013-11-10 06:02:48 UTC,"Alas Man, it is thy Soul, thy precious Soul that lies at Stake; that Spirit within thee, which is more worth than a World; it is that which is in hazard, and here is a Friend that offers thee to make that Soul of thine happy for ever. Thy Soul hath abundance of Enemies: Some would debase it, others would rob thee of it, others would clap up a hasty Match between that Noble Creature and a Servant, the World, I mean: And there are very few that have any true Kindness for it, and thou knowest not the Worth of that Jewel, thy Soul; but here, here's a Friend, if thou wilt but leave it with him, he will take care of it, it shall not be marted away for nothing. Here's one will do that for its Security, Honour and Happiness, that all the World besides can't do. If therefore thou hast any Love for thy poor Soul, if thou settest any Price upon that precious Thing within thee; in a word, if thou wouldst have thy Soul do well in another World, O strike in here, close with these Tenders, listen to the Counsel of him who offers you the best Advice in the World. He, he it is that now offers thee that thou canst never value enough; he it is that will feed, clothe, and portion that Soul of thine, and after that marry thee to his only Son, by which Match you will be made for ever. O did Men and Women but know what a Soul is, did they imagine what a dreadful Miscarriage of a Soul is, did they but in any measure understand the things of their Peace, could they but conceive what God could and would do for their Souls, I need to spend but little time in perswading them to commit their Souls to him, to be acquainted with him, who will be sure to take special care of their Souls, that they may do well, whatever is neglected. O could you but see, did you but know what a sad taking they are in, that go into the other World with a poor naked Soul, and know no body in the World there, and have never a Friend that doth take any notice of them, you would then think I spoke what I do with reason enough, and that my Words were too short, and my Expostulations too faint in a Matter of such Concernment. O Sinners, I tell you, nay, God tells you Soul-matters are the greatest Matters in the World.
(pp. 152-3)",,23156,"","""If therefore thou hast any Love for thy poor Soul, if thou settest any Price upon that precious Thing within thee; in a word, if thou wouldst have thy Soul do well in another World, O strike in here, close with these Tenders, listen to the Counsel of him who offers you the best Advice in the World.""",Coinage,2013-11-10 06:02:48 UTC,""
7753,"",ECCO-TCP,2013-11-10 06:03:33 UTC,"Tell one of God's Acquaintance, of Poverty, he values it not, so long as he knows he hath a brave Estate that can't be confiscated, Riches that none can take from him, a Treasure that Thieves can't break through to, and steal. As for all worldly things, he knows that before a few Years are over he must part with them however; he is of that Man's Mind, who having a considerable Sum of Money, and precious Jewels hid in his Saddle, and a little odd Money in his Pocket, was set upon by Thieves; who readily went to his Pocket, and took what was there, and look'd no further: Now the Man scaping clear with his main Treasure, is so joyful, that he takes no Notice of what was stole from him. Thus a Child of God, if he loose his Estate, his Liberty, and all his outward Injoyments, he counts all these but inconsiderable, as long as his Soul is safe, his great Treasure is out of their Reach. Tell him of Torments, Racks, Flames, or what the Policy of Hell can invent, he is not ignorant of this, that the more he suffers for Christ's Sake, the greater Cause he hath to rejoice, to be exceeding glad, for great shall be his Reward in Heaven; and while they add to his Sufferings they add to his Glory: and tho' against their Will while they would injure him, they do him the greatest Kindness; this light Affection works for him a far more exceeding and eternal Weight of Glory.
(pp. 212-3)",,23157,"","""Thus a Child of God, if he loose his Estate, his Liberty, and all his outward Injoyments, he counts all these but inconsiderable, as long as his Soul is safe, his great Treasure is out of their Reach.""","",2013-11-10 06:03:33 UTC,""
7753,"",ECCO-TCP,2013-11-10 06:04:44 UTC,"But if you see nothing at all of the Treachery and Baseness that is in your Heart, search, and search again, it's your ignorance and Blindness, and not the Goodness of your State, that makes you to know nothing by your self. What, are you better than David? he was so jealous of his own Heart, that he dar'd not to trust to his own Examination of it, but he desires the great Heart-searcher to help him in this Work. Are you more excellent than Paul after his Conversion? had he more Reason to complain of himself than you have? O be at leisure to look within, and get David's Candle and Lanthorn to go into those dark Corners of your Soul with it, and it may be you may see that within which may make your Heart to ake, and your Joints to quiver, and your Spirits to faint within you. Paul was sometimes as confident as you, he took no Notice of the Enmity that was within against God, though he was as full of it as an Asp is of Poison; yet before he came acquainted with God the Case was altered with him; he was of another mind when that Light shined about him, and he cried out, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? he now thinks it is hard kicking against the Pricks, dangerous opposing of God, and persecuting of Christ in any of his Members; and he desires nothing in the World so much as to be reconciled to God, and to have him for his Friend, whom before he fought against as an Enemy.
(pp. 294-5)",,23158,"","""O be at leisure to look within, and get David's Candle and Lanthorn to go into those dark Corners of your Soul with it, and it may be you may see that within which may make your Heart to ake, and your Joints to quiver, and your Spirits to faint within you.""",Rooms,2013-11-10 06:04:44 UTC,""