Linguistic DNA - Concept Modelling Demonstrator

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
book_n	form_n	prayer_n	use_v	4,815	5	5.9954	4	true

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A79974	Christian rvles proposed to a vertuous soule aspiring to holy perfection, vvhereby shee may regulate both her time, and actions for the obtaining of her happy end. / By her faithfull frend. VV.C.	W. C. (William Clifford), d. 1670.	1659 (1659)	Wing C4710; ESTC R171392	155,609	555

approoued vertuous exercises And thirdly that we employ out faithfull diligence to auoide such faults as may probably contribute vnto those distrastractions and dissipation of our minde But you will say how can my prayers be gratefull to God I hauing my hart and soule encombred with so many euill thoughts and peruerse inclinations I answer that it is one thing to feele the temptation and an other to consent thereunto giue no consent to it and you are so free from any offence thereby as contrariwise it serues you as a good occasion to encrease your merit in the sight of God and it also confirmes you much more in true vertue and will finally be sure of a most happy reward I will conclude with this aduertisement for the better auoiding these vsual impediments of the happy effect of prayer The first is want of reconcilement by charity with our neighbour which made the sacrifice of spitefull Caine to be reiected by God as hath beene already obserued Secondly hardnesse of hart to to the poore is also a sinne which much hindreth vs to obtaine the effect of our Prayer for how can we hope to haue God bountifull to our selues when we deny to the poore what they aske of vs for his sake He that stoppeth his eare at the cry of the poore himselfe also shall cry shall not be heard Prou. 21. Giue and there shall be giuen to you for with the same measure that you mete it shall be measured to you againe Luke 5.6 3. The vnfittingnesse of what we aske is oftentimes a hinderance to the obtaining it So Saint Peter asked what was hurtfull when enamored with the glory of CHRISTS Transfiguration he desired to stay in that manner with him for euer but God sheweth his loue as much in denying our prayers when they are hurtefull as in granting them when they are profitable to vs and therefore we ought to bee as well content and tankefull to God for the one as for the other neuer to repine at the not obtayning of our prayers for if we haue not our desire we haue that which is better for vs if wee conforme our wills vnto the will of God And whosoeuet well obserue Gods manifest and blessed prouidence in denying him some things which hee hath begged by prayer will vndoubtedly perceiue yea and be forced also to confesse in his hart that Gods coÌ„descendence to his petitioÌ„ would haue been much to his harme but God of his goodnesse not giuingway to our ignoraÌ„ce for our hurt grants not that which we then did imagine to be for our good but that which he certainly knowes to be best for vs. These now are briefly the chiefest obstacles which hinder the desired effect of our prayer to wit the guilt of our grieuous sinne hardnesse of hart towards our enemies and the poore want of reuerent attention deuotion in our prayers and the vnfittingnesse of what we desire which would be to our greater harme should we obtaine the same Which obstacles may best be preuented by purifying our intention in the beginning of Prayer and by examining our vsuall comportement in that holy Exercise what time we allow for it with what feruour reuerence and attention we performe the same Alas the least time which we spend in it seemes tedious and very long whereas we thinke the rest but short which is coÌ„sumed in wordly and trifling vanities Which being well considered wee ought not to maruaile at our grosse stupidity and little gust in what concernes our spirituall and heauenly felicity we being so very negligeÌ„t to craue Gods needfull grace for that effect which he only grants to such as humbly and feruently begg it at his hands By all these premisses wee may now sufficiently vnderstand the nature of holy Prayer as also the fruicts the necessity and the force thereof what preparation and necessary conditions are required to make it efficacious to obtaine what we aske what we must doe when assaulted with inuoluntary and importunate distractions and finally what are the obstacles which make our payer inefficacious for obtayning what we desire wherin though I haue been loÌ„ger then the breuity of a meere practical Rule might require yet for that the right knowledge of a thing which is very precious doth stirr vp a great desire to obtaine the same therefore I hope my labour will neither be lost nor yet prooue vngratefull in laying open thus amply both the nature and happy fruit of holy Prayer whereby a vertuous soule will be moued to be much more serious and assiduous in the deuout practise thereof It now only remaines that I recommend to you some sett forme and order for your vsuall and daily prayer which neuertheless you may change to which you may adde according to your owne deuotion the aduise of your spiritual or Gostly Father with whome both vertue discretion requires that you should freely communicate all your sett practises of piety and thereby you will the better vnderstand Gods diuine pleasure and keepe your zeale deuotioÌ„ much more securely within the bounds of discretion and true vertue by renouncing your owne satisfaction in humble submission vnto him whom you haue chosen spiritually to assist and direct you and by him to vnderstand the will of God A Methode or sett forme for our principall deuotions and daily prayers Now concerning this order or sett forme for our daily prayer it might bee sufficient to remit you to the manuel and other good bookes of deuotion out of which your owne discretion is best able to make a choice as I doubt not but you haue already done most suteable to your present condition for the which your obligatioÌ„in particular is very great to God for his affording you so gracious a fauour of much good leasure and oportunity to conuerse soe familiarly with him both by reading and prayer whereof they are depriued who are of a meaner condition and therefore as well in due gratitude as also the better to correspoÌ„d with so happy a condition you may make vse of these or of some other deuotions as God shall best inspire you or as some good spirituall director may aduise you by his better counsaile After your first morning oblation to God and rectifying of your intention for al your actions of the day I must in the next place recommend to you one little halfe houre of mentall prayer And as for the methode to be practised therein I remit you to the great Bishop of Geneua Francis de Sales of most happy memory in his first and second part of his Introduction to a deuout life where you shall see a short plaine and easie methode for making of mental prayer Your meditation ended heare Mass if you can in honour and adorarion of IESVS-CHRIST there truly present in that holy Sacrifice whereby the price of our Redemption is applyed in expiation of our sinne which doth farr surpasse in paymeÌ„t of that debt all other satisfaction

therefore called an impetratory sacrifice Finally we must offer it vp vnto God thereby to conserue and refresh in our minde the memory of the death Passion of IESVS-CHRIST which it doth most liuely represent Luke 22. And for that end expresly the Apostle commands vs to doe it 1. Cor. 11. it being by the vertue only and blessed meritts of the death and Passion of IESVS-CHRIST which are here most liuely represented vnto vs that we can hope to obtayne of the Eternall Father either present grace or future happinesse nor is there anie other name vnder Heauen giuen to men where in we can be saued Act. 4. And how auaileable this holy sacrifice is vnto all such as shall deuoutly frequent the same heare only what the diuine and most deuout Tho. de Kempis saith in his Imitation of CHRIST There is no oblation more worthy saith he no satisfaction greater for the washing away of sinne then to offer vp our selues to God purely with the oblation of the body and blood of IESVS-CHRIST in the Masse and holy Communion chap 7. lib. 4. Now as for the substance and verie Essence of the Masse it was instituted by IESVS-CHRIST at his last supper when by consecrating bread and wyne he conuerted them into his owne true body and blood leauing only the outward formes of these elements which he giuing to his disciples he commanded them to doe what he had done in commemoration of him Luke 22.19 And therefore although the ceremonies and seuerall prayers be added by the Church yet this oblation of our Lords supper or the Masse is a representatiue of that his vnbloody sacrifice and is a propitiatory sacrifice for our sinne in that our louing Redeemer IESVS-CHRIST is there truly offered vpon the Altar by the Priest vnto his Eternall Father And hereby are applyed to our soules the price and souueraigne merits of his most pretious blood which was shed vpon the Crosse in expiation of our sinnes And further this Holy sacrifice truly represents to vs the Passion of IESVS-CHRIST by force of his owne Institution Doe this for a coÌ„memoration of me Luke 22. All which premisses first supposed for the better vnderstanding of the verity contayned in the diuine mysteries of this blessed Sacrifice I wil now proceed to the aforesaide holy Exercise and shew how we may assist with most profitt Piety at these maiesticall and most diuine Mysteries A needfull aduertisement for makeing right vse of this holy practise of hearing Masse IT is here to be obserued that whilst we assist at this holy sacrifice we ought not to spend our tyme in reading the declarations of the Mysteries as here we finde them sert downe for by perusall and well pondering them at other tymes their practise must be made perfectly knowne and so familiar to vs as that we may accompanie the Priest with some feruent eiaculatory aspirations corresponding to those holy Mysteries successiuely as he goes on in order with them to the end and as God best shall inspire Or else we may vse the same petitions as here we finde them set downe to the same effect reading them verie deliberatly and endeauoring thereby to raise our hart to some short and pious affections and feruent ejaculations for this is the best and most fruitfull way without comparison to assist at this diuine sacrifice and farr surpasseth the vse of all bookes or beades during the tyme thereof A good reflection to be vsed as you goe to the Church or chappel to assist at this holy sacrifice IT being now the tyme to heare Masse represent to your selfe that yow are called to accompanie the blessed Virgin S. Io. Euangelist and holy Magdalen vnto mount Caluary there to assist at that dreadfull sacrifice this being the liuely and true memoriall of the death and Passion of our souueraigne Redeemer IESVS-CHRIST which togeather with the Priest you now are going to offer vpon the Altar vnto his Eternall Father for the whole Catholike Church and as well for your owne necessities as those of all others both liuing and dead for whom chiefly you are bound to pray It is also here right worthy to be obserued that in these-Mysteries of the Masse are truly represented as will plainly appeare to whosoeuer shall but obserue the declarations thereof the whole series order and story from Mans first creation and vnhappie fall togeather with the blessed meanes of his Redemption by our most mercifull Redeemer IESVS-CHRIST whose principall actions throughout his sacred life are here commemorated to vs from his birth to his glorious ascension and till that last dreadfull iudgment day wherein we all must haue our doome and finall sentence vnto Eternity A Reflexion to be vsed whilst the Priest is vesting himselfe and as he goes to the Altar WHilst the Priest puts on his ornaments we may consider how the Eternall sonne of God seemed in some sorte to haue bereaued himselfe of his diuine splendor Maiesty to cloath himselfe with the vile and abiect habit of our mortality Who when he was in the forme of God thought it no robberie himselfe to be equall to God but he abased himselfe taking the forme of a seruant made in the similitude of men and in shape found as man Philip. 2.7 Lett vs beseech him by the sacred meritts of this most humble mysterie of his Incarnation that he will vouchsafe to destroy in vs the old man together with all our vicious habits and create vs anew in him in true sanctity that according to the Apostles command we may put on our Lord IESVS-CHRIST Rom. 13.14 for as manie of you as are babtized in CHRIST haue put on CHRIST Gal. 3.27 The Priest ascending vp to the Altar with that great Crosse vpon the backe of the vestment may renew in vs a liuely memory of that heauie Crosse which our louing Redeemer IESVS-CHRIST did beare vpon his wearied shoulders to mount Caluarie there to pay that deare and painfull ransome for our sinne admire his mostinfinit loue and mercy The interiour and exteriour disposition required to assist fruitfully at this holy sacrifice THe Priest now vested and approaching to the Altar we ought in the first place to procure a right interiour disposition by stirring vp in our harts an actuall sorrow and contrition for all our sinnes renouncing all affection to them hereby purifying our soules from that blemish which might make our deuotion vnpleasing to God and rather a great irreuerence if with an impure hart and stayned soule by anie affected mortall sinne we should presume to offer vp together with the Priest that most pure victime and holy sacrifice We must also conceiue a most humble respect and great interiour reuerence by representing to our selues that souueraigne great nesse goodnesse and sanctity of God there present on the one side and our owne great vnworthinesse ingratitude and most enormous impiety on the other for our little reuerence or deuotion towards those diuine and sacred Mysteries wherein we are

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