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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
book_n	life_n	see_v	write_v	5,407	5	5.3704	4	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A88797	The penitent lady: or Reflections on the mercy of God. Written by the fam'd Madam La Valliere, since her retirement from the French king's court to a nunnery. Translated from the French by L.A. M.A.; Reflexions sur la misericorde de Dieu. English. 1685	La Vallière, Françoise-Louise de La Baume Le Blanc, duchesse de, 1644-1710.	1685 (1685)	Wing L623H; ESTC R179362	31,041	152

her Duty to resist whatsoever is contrary to the Commands of Jesus Christ 57 REFLECT XVI That she should associate her self with those persons who truly fear God and that she ought not to entangle her self again in those things which the World calls State Riches Fortune and Grandeur 63 REFLECT XVII That Charity to wards our Neighbour obliges us carefully to avoid not only every Action which may be injurious to his Life Goods and Reputation but also detracting Speeches and foolish jesting 69 REFLECT XVIII That she ought to desire of God the Gift of Prayer which is the only means the Soul can make use of to confirm its wavering Resolutions 74 REFLECT XIX What the Nature of Prayer is and how faithful a Penitent Soul ought to be to its Resolutions of constantly performing this Holy Exercise 78 REFLECT XX. That the Misery to which Sin has reduc'd us ought to be the Subject of our Prayers and that 't is good to begin them with the Considerations of the stupendious Mystery of our Saviour's Passion 84 REFLECT XXI That we ought not to be weary of Praying because we do not find present Comfort but that we should be faithful to our Resolutions and have recourse to this Holy Exercise when we are wrack'd by the greatest pains and distress'd by the severest Afflictions 87 REFLECT XXII The in dispensable Necessity of Prayer without which 't is impossible to have any serious thoughts of our Salvation 93 REFLECT XXIII She desires of God the Gift of Prayer that she may make Death Eternity and God's Judgments the Subject of it which are the proper means to season our Souls with the Fear of God 99 REFLECT XXIV That she will every Day offer up unto God the Sacrifice of Thanksgiving for opening her Eyes and converting her unto himself That she will Write down these Resolutions which she made at the time of her Conversion to the end that she may be always mindful of these Obligations she has laid upon her self and by which she must be Judg'd at the Last Day 105 AN Advertisement IT was the saying of a Father of the Church That 't is more easie to find out a Man that has preserv'd his Innocency from his Baptism than a sincere and hearty Penitent Because few are Converted as they ought to be Nevertheless God out of his infinite Goodness and Compassion does from time to time turn the Hearts of some Prodigious Sinners demonstrating to the World that he is truly a God of Mercy and that there is no Man who has been never so desperately Wicked but he will receive him if he returns with a heart truly sensible of his Offences He does not desire the Death of a Sinner for he came to lay down his Life for such but only that they would be Converted and live Now if the whole Church stood amaz'd at the Conversion of a Prince whose Devotion was not surpass'd by the austerest Votaries of the times he liv'd in We have no less reason to admire this of a Lady whom the Mercy of God singled out from a debauch'd Age the affluence of all sinful Pleasures to be a Miracle of Penitence For it will be easie to judge by these Pious Reflections which are now made Publick and were Composed after her Retirement from the World and Recovery from a dangerous fit of Sickness that her Soul was deeply affected with a Divine Love and that by how much the more earnest she was in the persuit of sinful Pleasures and forgetful of her Eternal Welfare by so much the more she is at present inspired with the Love of God and desires Life it self for no other purpose than to get an Interest in her Saviours Merits and to blot out the Infamy of her former Life by a sincere Repentance Her Name is concealed out of respect to her Modesty and Humility which would never have permitted these Papers to have been Printed had they not been convey'd away by a vertuous Lady who esteem'd it a great piece of Injustice to with-hold so profitable an Help from those poor Souls who are desirous to Reform their Lives and bid Adieu to their Vicious Conversations For tho' several Books have been writ on this Subject yet she look'd upon this as the best Model'd and Pen'd with the most Divine and Moving Expressions that ever she saw God grant that they who Read these Lines may be Inspired with the same Thoughts this Devout Soul was That those 〈◊〉 have been guilty of th● same Sins may imitate her Repentance and Husband that Time which the Mercy of God has prolonged to them in considering what will conduce to the advantage of their Immortal Souls REFLECTIONS ON THE Mercy of GOD In Form of Prayers REFLECTION I. Vpon our Obligations to Consecrate that Life to Gods Glory which we hold from his Mercy and the Care you ought to take lest we should be Insnar'd into sin WHat shall I render unto my God for giving me Life and Health for Reprieving me from the Gates of Hell and preserving my Soul and in short for all those Favours which he has vouchsafed to me his poor Servant Shall it suffice O my God to acknowledge thy Benefits will it be any recompence to employ the remainder of that time in thy service which hitherto has been spent in affronting thy Majesty or will the divorcing those unlawful Pleasures to which I have been formerly wedded satisfie thy Justice and blot out my Transgressions In short will it be sufficient to secure me from Eternal Misery that henceforward I will aspire after nothing but Eternal Happiness the fruition of thy self and those ravishing Pleasures which are at thy right-hand for evermore Grant that thy Rays may enlighten my Reason and that thy Grace may penetrate my Soul help me out of that deplorable estate into which I am fallen and inspire me with Faith to pray unto thee and good God suffer me not to fall into such a Lethargy as may render me unmindful of my Souls health or sleep the sleep of Eternal Death Oh let me never forget that dreadful hour when thou cald'st me to an account for my sins when I beheld Death ready to seize upon my soul and carry it into everlasting torments and let thy infinite compassion be deeply engraven upon my memory which in the midst of Judgment did remember Mercy and rescue me from thy fiery indignation Oh that the Joy which fills my Soul for the return of my Health may not Justle out thy Grace and Reconcile me to the World that those vain Ideas of Sensua● Pleasure may be quite ras'd ou● of my fancy and neverre-assum● the place of those solid Truths which by thy Mercy are writte● there REFLECT II. She Prays unto God to strengthen her Resolutions and to enable her to approach unto him with a pure heart REstore unto me O my God the health of my Soul and enable me to desire of thee above all things that Holy Joy which the

Madame La Valliere The Penitent Lady OR REFLECTIONS ON THE MERCY OF GOD. Written by the Fam'd Madam La Valliere Since Her Retirement from the French King's Court to a Nunnery TRANSLATED From the French by L. A. M. A. The Second Edition A broken and a contrite Heart O God thou wilt not despise Psal 51.17 London Printed for Dorman Newman at the Kings-Arms in the Poultrey 1685. The Preface 'T IS a common Saying confirm'd by Experience That Example is far more prevalent than Precept and the Reason is because the one seems to be the transcript of our Mind whereas 't is evident that the other is too often biass'd by Interest and an over-weaning conceit of our own Sufficiency For Pride and Vain-glory may incline that Man to recommend Mortification and Repentance and extol even the Stoicism of Cato who privately hugs and caresses his darling Lust and leads a Life more luxurious than Sardanapalus but he who in the vigour of his Youth and the full career of Pleasure sets bounds to his inordinate Appetites who retires from the World and its Vanities before they leave him he plainly demonstrates that there is some more sublime Happiness he persues after some more perfect Good which attracts his Affections And therefore one great end of our Saviours coming into the World was to be a Pattern of Holy Living and Dying to convince us that notwithstanding the Infirmities of our Nature the most stubborn Lusts may be subdu'd the most alluring Temptations may be resisted and Gospel-obedience may be perform'd if we call in his Grace to the assistance of our honest endeavours God requires nothing of us but what is highly just and reasonable what he gives us power to perform and in all Ages of the World he sets before our eyes the Examples of some Heroick Souls who bravely conquer those Armado's of Temptations we are apt to fancy invincible and prefer the ignominy of the Cross before the most luscious gratifications of sence In the first rank of these I may place this Penitent Lady the Authoress of these devout Reflections which I hope will find the better entertainment in our English Nations because Translated from the French for since we are so foolishly fond of the Apes and Peacocks the Modes and Vanities of that People I have no reason to fear that their Gold will be an unacceptable Present It may perhaps be expected that I should give an Account of the former Life of this devout Convert but since that is already done in another * The History of the Amours of the French-Court Book by a light amorus Pen I shall not intermix any part of it with so grave and serious a Subject besides the Publisher of these Papers in the Original seems modestly to decline it 'T will more nearly concern us curiously to pry into our hearts to examine what sins we have been guilty of to imitate her Repentance and seriously to Meditate on these Pious Reflections which like the Nails in the Hand of Jael may with the Assistance of the Holy Spirit fasten our Corruptions to the feet of Christ's Cross I foresee it will be objected that this Picture is copied from a Popish Original And truly 't was this Consideration which for some time diverted my Resolutions of making it publick but after I have several times carefully review'd it I cannot discover the least stroke or Lineament of so Monstrous a Parent but rather stand amaz'd that this precious Jewel should be found amongst the rubbish of the Rom●sh Church I am h●artily convinc'd that the Principles of that Perswasion tend to the encouragement of Vice and the promoting Debauchery and therefore am astonish'd at this Miracle of Gods Mercy which from so corrupt a Tree has produc'd such Good Fruit. For my part I am inclin'd to think that either her Mind was extraordinarily enlighten'd or else that by the very light of Nature she discover'd the pernicious Tenents of rhat Church And this may serve to instruct us that the influences of God's Holy Spirit are not confin'd to so narrow a Sphere as some mens uncharitableness would suggest but that in every Nation he that feareth God and worketh Righteousness shall be accepted of him Those who are of a contrary Opinion would do well to transmit to Posterity some more eminent Examples of Penitence and genuine Instances of fervent Devotion And in the mean while let me beseech them to look over these Papers to conform their Lives to the Practice of the Truths contain'd therein lest at the last Day they should see Publicans and Harlots enter into the Kingdom of Heaven whilst they themselves are shut out The Contents REFLECTION I. Vpon our Obligations to Consecrate that Life to Gods Glory which we hold from his Mercy and the Care you ought to take lest we should be Insnar'd into sin Fol. 1. REFLECT II. She Prays unto God to strengthen her Resolutions and to enable her to approach unto him with a pure heart 4 REFLECT III. Vpon those Vertues which are necessary for our approaching unto Christ from the Example of the Canaanite the Samaratan and Mary Magdalen 8 REFLECT IV. Concerning the Constancy and Stability of the Faith necessary to a Penitent Soul 12 REFLECT V. The Thoughts of a penitent Soul fearful of being deceiv'd by the Appearance of a False Conversion 16 REFLECT VI. Vpon the Opposition of a Worldly Life to the suffering Life of Jesus Christ 24 REFLECT VII What the Hope of a Penitent Soul ought to be 24 REFLECT VIII What Effect a true Repentance ought to have upon our Couversations and what kind of Guide she ought to enquire after for the conduct of her Soul 27 REFLECT IX She prays that out of his Mercy he would be pleas'd to direct her continually in the straight Way which leads unto him and not permit her ro flatter her self that she has repented when she is running on still in the broad way 31 REFLECT X. Motives of Trust in God and Distrust of our selves Jesus Christ alone can confirm our Faith and strengthen our Hope 34 REFLECT XI She Prays to God for a New Heart inflam'd with his Love 41 REFLECT XII If the Soul finds any thing in this World to settle its Affections upon How much the more earnestly ought it to fix them upon God after its Conversion 44 REFLECT XIII That a Penitent Soul should not examine what Sins are Damnable and what not but avoid all appearance of Evil every thing which may displease God lest indulging it self in lesser crimes it relapse at last into Habitual Debauchery 48 REFLECT XIV She prays unto God instantly that he would be pleas'd to knock off those Chains which unite her Affections to the Creature to grant her fresh Recruits of his Mercy and Grace to make the right use of them 54 REFLECT XV What kind of Life that Person ought to lead who is under a Necessity of Conversing much in the World that 't is