Selected quad for the lemma: book_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
book_n	holy_a	read_v	scripture_n	8,342	5	5.9261	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A68815	The imitation or following of Christ, and the contemning of worldly vanities wherevnto, as springing out of the same roote, we haue adioyned another pretie treatise, entituled, The perpetuall reioyce of the godly, euen in this lyfe.; Imitatio Christi. English. 1568.	Thomas, à Kempis, 1380-1471.; Castellion, Sébastien, 1515-1563.; Hake, Edward, fl. 1560-1604.	1568 (1568)	STC 23971; ESTC S118357	145,208	331

is great in déede which hath great charitie He is great in déedé which beyng small in hys owne iudgement doth accompt all Type of honour as a thing of nothing Hée is wyse in déede which reckneth all earthly thinges but for Mucke and Ordure that hée maye winne Christ vnto himselfe and hée is well learned in déede that doth Gods will and forsaketh his owne Of witte in our doings The fourth Chapter WEe muste not beléeue euerye thing that is spoken or put into our heades but the matter must warilye and at leysure be pondered howe it agréeth wyth the will of god Euill oftentimes alacke for pittie is sooner both credited spoken touching another man that good is so great is our infirmitie But such as be perfite doe not beléeue mans saying bicause they know mans weakenesse to be both prone vnto naughtynesse and oftentimes to offende and fall in his wordes It is a point of great wisedome neyther to be headlong hastie in those things that thou doest nor yet to bée so stiffe that thou wylt neuer giue ouer that which thou hast once coueted in thine heart It is a point of the like wisedome neither to credite euery mans words nor yet by by to vtter communicate vnto other those things which thou hast heard or credited Counsell with the wise and godly person and rather endeuor to bée instructed of him that is better than thy selfe to follow thine owne deuyses A good life maketh one wise to Godwarde and skilfull of many things The more humble and obedient euery man doth she we himselfe to God both the wiser and the more quiet is the same person in all things Of the reading of holy Scripture The fift Chapter TRuth must be sought for in the holye Scripture and not eloquence and they ought to bée reade with the same spirite as they are vttered forth vnto vs and in them profite rather than the subtiltie of reasoning shoulde be ensued neyther is it lesse méete for vs willingly to read godly and homely bookes than such as are difficult and profounde neyther let the authoritie of the writer mooue thée to cōsider whether he haue béene of small or great learning but let the loue of pure truth draw thée to reading and againe consider not what person it is that speaketh it but what thing it is that is spokē Men doe perishe but Gods truth abideth for euer and God speaketh vnto vs after diuers sortes without hauing any respect at all vnto persons Our owne curiositie doth oftentimes hinder vs whilest that wée couet to perceyue and discusse those thinges which shoulde be let alone in all respects If thou desire to haue fruite and commoditie by them reade thou them humbly simply faithfullye neuer couet after the name of knowledge Loue to be questioning wyth godly men and attentiuely heare their sayinges and be not offended at the nipping woordes of thyne Elders for they are not causelesse spoken Of the vnruely affections of the minde The .vi. Chapter WHensoeuer a man doth couet any thing inordinatelye by and by hée is made vnquiet in his mind The prowde or couetous man is neuer at reast wythin himselfe but he which is poore and humble of minde the same leadeth hys lyfe in perfite peace But he which hath not yet mortified the affections of his mind that person is both easily tempted and also is ouercommed with trifling and vile things One weake of mind and that as yet is halfe carnal and prone vnto sensualitie is scarcelie able to pull hymselfe wholy away from earthly desires and therefore while he doth withdrawe himselfe full often hée doth the same wyth sorrowfulnesse and if one doe withstande hym hée is soone mooued or angry But if he haue ensued that thing which he hath desired he is foorthwith pricked with the conscience of sinne bycause he hath obeyed his desire which doth no whit make to the peace which hée sought for Therefore true peace of minde is founde not in obeying but in resisting the desires and affections and that peace is not in the heart of the carnall man nor in one addicted to externall thinges but in a man that is feruent and spirituall Of fleeing vaine hope and pride The .vij. Chapter IT is a point of lightnesse to put hope in men other creatures bée not thou ashamed to bée a slaue to others for the loue of Iesus Christ and to seeme poore in this life Stay not vpon thine owne selfe but put thy hope in god Endeuour to thy power and God shal helpe thy good will and meaning put no confidence either in thyne owne knowledge or in the pollicie of any mortall man but rather in the fauor of God who both helpeth the humble also thrusteth down the prowde Glory not either in thy riches if thou haue them nor yet in thy friendes if they be mightie but glorie in God which both ministreth all things and desireth to gyue hymselfe aboue all things Aduaunce not thy selfe as touching either the mightinesse or beautie of thy body which being taken with some smal or light disease is by and by defaced Do not thou stand in thine owne conceite for thy towardnesse and wit least thou offend God whose gyft it is whatsoeuer goodnesse thou hast of nature Iudge not thy selfe better than other least perhappes thou be counted woorse wyth God who knoweth what is in man Be not prowde with well dooing For Gods iudgementes are farre other than the iudgementes of men whome that thyng doth many tymes dysplease which doth like men well ynough If there be any good thyng in thée thinke that there be better things in another man to the intent that thou mayest kéepe styll humblenesse of minde It doth no hurt at all though a man make himselfe inferiour to all men but it is hurtefull if a man doe preferre himselfe but before one man An humble man enioyeth contynuall peace but the minde of the hawtie person is tossed oftentimes with anger and ambition Of taking heede of ouermuch familiaritie The .viij. Chapter DIsclose not thy minde to euery man but communicate thy businesse wyth the person that is wise and Godlye Bée seldome times conuersaunt with youth and those that be not of the housholde of faith Flatter not the rich nor yet be desirous to liue with great men but rather associate thy selfe to modest and simple to godly and well manered persons and deale in thinges that are profitable Be familiar with no women but commende or praise all godly women vniuersally Wish to be familiar to God onely and his Aungels Eschue the familiarity of certaine men Charitie must bée hadde towarde all men but it is not expedient to bée famyliar with all men Sometime it chaunceth that one being vnknowne hath a verye good name and afterwards when that same partie is once knowne and present he groweth out of estimation and becommeth more obscure againe Wée thinke to our selues something that we shall

the more earnestly and sayth thus I haue made mine inuocation vnto thee O Lorde I haue made supplication vnto the Lorde At the last he hath the rewarde of his supplication and testifieth that he was hearde saying The Lord hath hearde me and taken pittie vpon me But wherin I pray you Thou sayth he hast turned my sorow into mirth ridding me from my sackecloth hast clad me with ioy Nowe if these things haue happened to men of so great holynesse we abiectes néedye persons must not dispaire although sometime we be in colde and sometime wée bée in colde and sometime in heate forasmuch as the spirite commeth and goeth according to his will and pleasure And for that cause Iob sayth Thou settest so much store by him that thou hast a regarde ouer him and daily doest care for him and makest proofe or tryall of him euery houre Therefore in what thyng else ought I to haue hope or whervnto else ought I to trust but onely to that mightie mercie of God and heauenlye grace For though I haue good men and godly brethren and faithful friends or bookes of holy scripture and trim communicatiō or swéete songs and balades with me yet doe al these things litle profite They like me but a little if being forsaken of Gods spirit I be left vnto mine owne néede or nakednesse At that time there is no better remedy than pacience and deniall of thy selfe according to the will of god Surely I neuer chaūced to talke with anye Godly person from whome the spirite of God hath not sometime béene withdrawen or which hath not felte a decrease of his heate Neither hath there euer béene any holy man so déepely rauished lightned in soule but that the same hath some time at the least béene tempted eyther fyrst or last For he is not worthy the high contemplacion of God who for Gods cause hath not béene exercised wyth some miserye For the temptacion going before is woont to be a token of the comfort that commeth after For heauenlye comfort is promised vnto them which haue béene tryed wyth temptacyons He that shall ouercome saith Christ to hym will I graunt to feede vppon the Tree of lyfe And Gods comforte is graunted that man may bée more strong to beare out aduersitie And temptacion doth follow least he shoulde be to prowde of that good commoditie The Deuill sléepeth not neyther is the fleshe yet mortified And therefore neuer cease to prepare thy selfe to battell For the vnquiet enimies are both vpon thy right hand thy left Of thankefulnesse for the benefits of god The .x. Chapter WHy doest thou séeke after quietnesse séeing thou art borne vnto labour Yéelde thy selfe rather vnto pacience than to comfort and to beare the Crosse than to ioye and gladnesse For what worldly man woulde not willingly liue alwayes in spirituall comfort if he might euermore haue and obtaine the same which comfort excelleth all the daynties of the worlde and pleasures of the fleshe For all worldelye delites are eyther dishonest or vaine but the spirituall are onely pleasaunt onely honest onely causer of vertues and inspired of God into pure mindes But these comfortes of GOD are such that no man can enioye them at his owne pleasure bicause temptacion doth no long time cease The false liberty of the soule and the ouermuch confidence of a mans own selfe doth much withstand the heauenly help or comfort God doth well which bestoweth the benefite of his comfort vpon man but man doth naught that doth not acknowledg the same wholy to come from God with thākesgiuing Herevpō it happeneth that Gods gifts can not flowe vnto vs bicause wée are vnthankefull to the giuer and doe not poure backe al things into the fountaine and spring againe He that is thankefull doth procure a new benefite and that is withdrawne from the hawtie vnthankefull which maye be bestowed vpon the modest thankefull I woulde not haue comfort that shoulde take from me the pricks of awe neither is that the cause of vnderstanding of things which hoysteth mée vp into pryde For whatsoeuer is high the same is not also holy neither is euery desire pure neither is the same healthfull whatsoeuer is swéet Neither is the same also acceptable vnto God whatsoeuer is déere vnto mē I receyue those benefites willinglye by the which I maye be made the more modest and fearefull and more readie to gyue ouer and forsake my self He that is taught and chastised wyth benefites receyued at Gods hande and the same afterwards be taken from him againe the same dareth not to attribute any goodnesse vnto himselfe but rather confesseth himselfe néedy and naked Giue vnto GOD that which is Gods and ascribe to thy selfe that which is thine owne that is to say giue thankes vnto God for his benefites and attribute sinne vnto thy selfe and for sinne thinke that punishmentes are due vnto thée Recken thy selfe alwaies in the lowest place and so shal the highest be giuen thée For there can be no highest without respect of the lowest Those account themselues for the least whome God reckeneth for chiefest bicause of their godlinesse and the more full of glory they be so much the more humblye they behaue themselues being full of truth and heauenlye glory not desirous of vaine glory It is not possible any way that they should waxe prowde which stande stayde vpon God and they which ascribe vnto GOD whatsoeuer goodnesse they haue attained the same do not couet after mutuall glory but desire that which is of God onely couet that God both in himselfe and in all other holy men may be praysed aboue all things and euermore dyrect their dooings to that ende Wherefore shewe thy selfe thankfull in small things and thou shalt bée woorthie to attaine to greater things Let euen the least and most base gifts be reckened of thée for verie great and notable For if the worthinesse of the giuer be considered no gift or quality ought to séeme smal or course For it is no small gift that is giuen of the high and mightie God insomuch that if he doe giue euen punishments and stripes the same ought to be welcome vnto vs bycause it maketh for our saluation whatsoeuer he suffereth to happen vnto vs He that desireth to kéepe stil the grace and fauor of God let the same shewe himselfe thankfull for the benefites giuen him and pacient when the same be taken from him and let him praye that they may come againe and let him be chary and modest that he forgo them not Of the small number of the louers of Christ his Crosse. The .xi. Chapter IEsus hath nowe many louers of his heauenly kingdom howbeit he hath few bearers of his Crosse he hath many desirous of comfort but fewe of calamitie He findeth a great sort partakers of hys table but fewe of his continencie All men will reioyce with Christ but fewe will suffer affliction with him Manye followe Iesus euen to the breaking of breade