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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
book_n	place_n	see_v	write_v	2,527	5	4.9978	4	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A03296	An instruction how to pray and meditate well Distinguished into thirtie six chapters. Composed at the request of certaine louers of pietie, desirous to aduance themselues in perfection. By the Reuerend Father, Ignatius Balsamo Priest of the Societie of Iesus. And translated out of French into English, by Iohn Heigham.	Balsamo, Ignazio, 1543-1618.; Heigham, John, fl. 1639.; Everard, Thomas, 1560-1633.	1622 (1622)	STC 1341; ESTC S112122	46,203	342

wee set hand to any other worke or studie For in the first place as our Sauiour saith in S. Matthew cap. 6. Wee must first before al things seeke the kingdom of God And after the Morning the most proper time is the Euening before supper 5. Furthermore a fit time to pray and Meditate is when the Spouse calleth the soule interiourlie preuenteth her with his heauenlie grace in such sort that shee findeth her selfe wholy disposed to pray and Contemplate As also when the soule longeth and desireth to make her prayers as the bodie which hath an appetite to eate Moreouer on Holie daies we must attende a longer time to Prayer and Contemplation and to doe no other thinge on those dayes if it be possible because for this they were ordained and instituted And by how much the solemnitie the misterie which is celebrated is greater by so so much more the more ought wee to giue our selues to this holie exercise The Place There must likewise be a proper place the best is the most secrete and remote from noise as God him-selfe hath taught vs both in the new Testament and in the Olde I will lead him saith the Prophet Ose cap. 2. into the desert there will I speake to his hart And our Sauiour in the Gospell of Saynt Matth. cap. 6. When thou shalt pray enter into thy Chamber and hauing shut the doore pray to thy Father in secret And albeit this may be vnderstood spiritualy as much to saye enter within thy selfe and shut the gate against all other affaires and cogitations yet there is no doubt but it is to be vnderstood also according to the letter Wherfore wee must shut the gate that none disturbe vs and with all the windowes because the place which is obscure is the more proper and most doth aide the exercises of the spirit Also the Church or Chappel prouided ther be no noyse is a place verie proper to Pray Contēplate especialy if the B. Sacramēt of the Altar be there But if euery one ought to haue in his owne house a deuout Oratorie there to withdraw himselfe and to make his deuotions Contrition and bodelie Chastisement Pennance doth maruelloufly helpe to praye well as well the interior which is to haue Contrition Compunction and sorrowe for sinnes as the exterior which is to mortifie the flesh by Fastinges Disciplines Haire-cloth and other austerities to render it subiect vnto the spirit by how much the more any one shall loue these two sortes of pennance so much the better will he make his Prayers meditations And contrariwise who is no great friend therof it impossible that he praye wel or that he aduance him selfe in spiritual exercises For Prayer and Mortification be inseparable companiōs Euerie one therefore ought to informe his Ghostlie father what hee doth in this case to do nothing without his aduise and approbation Abstinence Amongst exteriour Pennances Abstinence Fasting do helpe thee most to pray and Meditate well because Abstinence doeth easilie eleuate the spirite vnto Almightie God as Holie Church singeth in time of Lent contrarywise the bodie being filled with meate doth render the spirit vnapt to his functions Wherefore who so desireth to vnite him-selfe with God by Prayer Contemplation it behoueth that he be very sober in his eating dringing that he haue great regard to the quantitie quality maner of eating repressing mortifying his sensualitie as much as hee may being wholy perswaded as trueit is that the sensual man can neuer Pray nor Meditate wel because the flesh the spirit are things contrary And this sobriety is especiallie requisite in the Euening to the end to be the better disposed to attēde to deuotion in the Morning Silence and keeping of the senses No lesse requisite and necessarie is the careful keeping of the Tongue and of the other Senses as the Seeing and the Hearing Because curiositie to see and to heare causeth distraction and hindereth deuotion and to talke much a great deale more as contrarie taciturnitie and not to care to see and to heare dooth greatlie helpe to conserue the same wherefore who so desireth to profite in this holie exercise ought to be verie vigilant to keepe these gates or passages carefully shut to wit the mouth the eyes and the eares and to liue as much as he may as one dūbe blinde and deafe Solitude Recollection and Iaculatorie Prayer For the selfe-same reason Solitude Recollection of a mans selfe are singular helpes to Pray and Meditate Wel that is to say to be retired and to loue his chāber and not to conuerse with men no more then necessitie doeth require Also alwayes to cōtayne him within himselfe recollected in the presence of Almighty God euē admidst exterior occupatiōs vsing oftē Iaculatory Praiers which is a thing exceeding profitable For in so doing whē the time of Prayer approcheth a man is wholie disposed foorth with entreth findeth what he desireth But contrarie the man that is distracted when the time of Prayer arriueth he findeth in himselfe great paine hauing his spirit filled with diuers fancies of which hee cannot ridde himselfe Multitude of affaires For the same cause also one of the thinges which do most hinder Prayer Meditation is to haue ouermanie affaires and occupations what soeuer they be in which the time passeth and distraction entreth and our vnderstanding becometh drye and tastlesse towardes spirituall thinges Wherein oft-times the enemie beguyleth and perniciouslie deceaueth sundry zealous seruants of Almightie God making them to addict themselues ouermuch to such affayres and to forget themselues or at the least to post-pose their owne saluation or aduancement in spi●it vnder the pretext of the honour of God good of soules charity obedience and the like and see not the poore whom they oppresse doing cōtrarie here in to the will of God and peruerting both the order of Charitie and of nature by the which we are bound to loue our selues much more thē others Wherfore it is necessarie that euery on beware of this deuilish deceit that he do not ouer-burden himselfe to the ende he may attēde to Prayer Meditation Interior peace As the Bridell and Mortification of the exteririour senses is altogether necessarie to Praye and Meditate well as hath bene said so likewise ar the mortificatiō of his inward passions contergarding himselfe from all vnquietnesse trouble and vexation and from all disordinate affection towardes any creature what soeuer keeping him-selfe allwayes in true peace and trāquility of spirit without loosing the same for any euent or worldly accident For it written Psal 75. Factus est in pacelocus eius God doth lodge in the place of peace and into troubled waters one cannot see clearely Spirituall Lecture and Health of the body Spirituall Lecture doeth greatlie helpe Prayer and Meditation wherefore it be hooueth to haue spiritual bookes and sometimes to serue a mans selfe of them according to the