Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	body_n	inward_a	outward_a	1,389	5	6.9281	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A31208	The Christian pilgrime in his spirituall conflict and spirituall conqvest; Combattimento spirituale. English	Scupoli, Lorenzo, 1530-1610.; Castañiza, Juan de, d. 1598.; T. V. (Thomas Vincent), 1604-1681.; A. C. (Arthur Crowther), 1588-1666.	1652 (1652)	Wing S2166A; Wing C1218; Wing C1219; Wing C1220; ESTC R19031	259,792	828

learne to beare it patiently for his love and so maist draw nearer and be more perfectly united unto him 4. And after thou hast thus concluded with thy selfe that it is his divine will and pleasure thou shouldest suffer it patiently then reflect thy thoughts back upon thy selfe and begin to chide thy soule and tell it Ah why strivest thou to cast off this crosse which neither this nor Who sends it or permits it that enemy but thy most loving Lord and heavenly Father hath laid upon thy shoulders Then turne to the Crosse or calamity which presseth thee salute it praise it embrace it and receive it with all possible joy and alacrity 5. And although the rising passions And be constant though almost conquered be so unruly and violent that they suffer not thy mind to elevate it selfe to God but leave thee wounded and almost vanquished yet persevere in thy well made resolution and proceed on as if thou wert not worsted in the skirmish 6. But amongst all the remedies But the best remedy against suddaine motions is to cut off their causes against these sudden and unexpected motions this seems most effectuall To take away timely the cause from whence they proceed As If thou feelest thy mind much troubled when thou canst not obtain such a thing which thou affectest presently away with that love to it exclude that thing from thy mind But if thy trouble and vexation ariseth not from the thing but from the person who hinders helps or procures it and this party is so highly displeasing to thy humour that the least thing as comming from him is troublesome to thee then the speediest and best remedy is to conquer thine owne inclination and compell thy will to yeeld him true love and affection EXPLICATION FOr besides that he is a Creature framed as thou art by the All-powerfull hand of God and redeemed by the same precious ransome of thy dear Saviours blood he furthermore presents thee with a happy occasion if thou canst love it and lay hold thereon to make thy selfe even like God who is good and gracious to all CHAP. XI Of the fight against our flesh and fleshly concupiscence IN this warre with thy flesh ô my 1. In this war thou must change thy weapon And therefore Before the temptation assailes thee call it not But avoid all occasions of procuring it Which are five 1. Conversation dearly beloved thou must change thy weapon and fight in a new posture contrary to the former And therefore thou art to take particular notice of three times to wit the time going before the temptation accompanying it and following it 2. Before thou feelest the temptations of this kinde fight not with them but diligently fly the occasions and cut off all causes which procure them As First all conversation though never so little dangerous EXPLICATION BEcause this enemy is not to be affronted but avoided by all possible meanes and we are to dread the incounter of any person whatsoever whose presence may put us in the least danger nor are we to trust our not feeling presently the stings of the temptation for this This enemy assailes us sometimes by stealth accursed vice makes its approaches most commonly by stealth and under hand and hurts us by so much the more grievously by how much it pretends truce and amity whereby we neither distrust its treachery nor stand upon our guards to defend our selves vigorously So that there is oftentimes more cause of fear when the haunt familiarity is continued under the pretext of lawfulnesse as of And under the pretext of lawfulnesse c. kindred of obligation of complyance or even of vertue in the party beloved for then the poysonous pleasure of our sensuality intermixeth it selfe with this affection which But sensuality may mix it self with thy affection and ruine thy soule is in its owne nature good and holy and insensibly distilling into the heart and penetrating by little and little into the very marrow of the soule at last darkens and obscures the Reason till it be brought to sleight all dangers and so by degrees fall either into open ruine or at least into such troublesome temptations which are afterwards very hard to be conquered Secondly All pleasant aspects Text. 2 Aspects upon any such persons or things all shew of familiarity all loving Salutaon all pressing of their hands with thine or the like levities But if thou hast some affaire which must necessarily be transacted with such a one dispatch it with all speed and gravity Thirdly Take heed of idlenesse 3. Idlenesse and take a particular and perpetuall care never to act or think any thing unbeseeming thy state and vocation Fourthly Be punctuall in obeying 4 Disobedience thy Superiour never contradict him in any thing but be ever ready to execute his command Fifthly Judge 5. Vain-Complacency not rashly of thy neighbour concerning this vice yea though his sinne be manifest and cannot admit of any excusation doe thou condole with him but neither disdaine nor despise him And turning his imperfection to thy owne profit humble and contemne thy selfe debase thy selfe even to the dust and trembling with awfull feare beg heartily the divine assistance that thou be not likewise tempted lest thou likewise fall For if thou art ready to judge and sleight others God will punish thee to thy cost and permit thee to fall into the same vice that so thou maist learne truly to know and humble thy selfe and suppresse thy owne pride and presumption For if thou art proud and fallest not thy Salvation is much to be doubted of Lastly mark seriously and beware of vaine-complacence in thy selfe upon the feeling of any sensible grace or spirituall comfort or inward delight in devotion perswade not thy selfe that thou art therefore more perfect or that thou shalt henceforth have no enemies to fight withall but remaine still carefull and ever fearefull 3. In the time accompanying thy In the time of temptation mark the cause of it whether externall and fly from it temptations weigh whether they proceed from an externall or internall cause by externall causes are commonly understood conversation speeches reading or whatsoever may provoke to this vice against which the onely present and perfect remedy is to omit all such exercises and fly from these occasions For there is no fighting with these temptations as is aforesaid but the best security is to fly far from them lest they infect thy soule with their contagion By inward causes are meant Or internall either the body which is over full of sap and strength Or the mind which is infested with filthy thoughts comming either from our owne evill customes and neglect of our senses or else from the enemies suggestion 4. The first of these inward causes And prevent it by fit chastisements of the body which is from the body's fulnesse must be prevented with fastings hairecloths watchings and the

like chastisements and austerities as Reason dictates or Obedience directs The other inward causes comming And by hearty prayer from filthy fancies are best remedied by holy prayer pious meditation diligent labour and continuall employment in affaires convenient for thy state EXPLICATION THy Prayer may be made in this or the like manner When thou first apprehendest the approach of the enemy comming to assault thee with such fancies recurre sodainly to the sacred Crucifix saying O my Jesu my sweet Jesu succour me with speed that I be not subdued and embracing the Crosse with thy Saviour upon it kisse and cherish againe and againe his holy feet and speak with heart and affection O blessed wounds ô chast and comfortable wounds ô sacred and sugred wounds wound this wretched and unworthy heart of mine with thy pure and perfect love and free it from these present and pressing motions of impurity c. But I would not advise thee to Text. Yet not according as some books prescribe choose such points of meditation which many spirituall bookes prescribe for remedy of these temptations which are to consider First the fowlnesse of carnall vices their insatiablenesse Then the great shame and danger which must of necessity accompany them and lastly the losse of fame and consumption of goods temporall discontents and eternall damnation For though these are good mediations yet they are not conducing to the conquering of these temptations For since that Flight in the judgement of all is the Soveraigne remedy against this disease therefore every such thing is Which may give new occasions to impurity to be avoided which gives any occasion to impure cogitations But in these forementioned meditations howsoever the understanding tires i● selfe in detesting these sins of carnality yet at the same time it fastens such fancies in the memory that there are just grounds to feare the falling into delight thereof 5. Wherefore let the matter of But by meditating on Christs death and passion thy meditations for this purpose be rather taken from the passion and death of our Saviour Jesus And if evill temptations of that nature doe also in these pious meditations intrude themselves against thy Will to trouble thee and notwithstanding thy vigilancy yet still drive on their plots and invent new devices against thee which may perhaps befall thee as well as others yet be not out of heart nor leave off thy well-begun meditations nor stay to dispute with these flying thoughts but proceed constantly in what thou art about leaving and laughing at the other fancies as if they nothing concerned thee And this is the onely and best way to conquer im●ure cogitations though never so ●mportunate and troublesome EXPLICATION ANd thou maist conclude thy meditation with this or some such colloquie O my soveraigne Creator and sweet Redeemer disingage me from mine enemies for thy bitter passions sake c. And be sure not to permit thy fancy to returne or reflect on the vice since the onely memory thereof is accompanied with very much danger 6. And take heed of holding any Text. Dispute not with carnall temptations argument with them whether thou hast yeelded thy consent or not for this is a covert deceit of the Devill who under this maske of good lyes waiting to insnare thee and bring thee into inconvenience Which at another time when thou enjoyest thy quiet and art free from these troublesome temptations will be easily perceived by thee and taught But discover them to thy Ghostly Father thee by thy ghostly Father To whom thou art faithfully to discover all and every such thoughts and not to be asham'd For humility is here mainly necessary if we mean to compleat the victory 7. As concerning holy Prayer And make no actuall and particular reflexions upon these temptations another remedy against this carnal● malady and all other spiritual diseases know that it must be made with often lifting up thy mind to God virtually intending to pray for victory over these thine enemyes without any actuall reflexion upon the temptations Beware therefore of descending to particulars in thy prayers or to shew as it were their malice and thy misery by reflecting upon speciall circumstances for this may endanger thee to fall into new delectation And this will suffice thee for thy defence in time of temptation 8. And after the carnall temptation After the temptation is past stand upon thy guard is past think not that thou art presently safe and secure from the like assault but stand upon thy guard and doe not so much as ever remember those objects which occasioned thy temptations though never so much disguised with the appearance of vertue or piety For all this is a secret perswasion of our corrupted nature and a craft of the Devill to insnare us and allure us to delight CHAP. XII How to fight against slacknesse and negligence THat thou mayst secure thy selfe ô dearly beloved from this pernicious vice employ thy whole diligence and indeavours to correspond readily with all holy inspirations Follow holy inspirations speedily and to decline all earthly comforts curiosities and superfluous affaires not directly belonging to thy state and calling EXPLICATION COncerning which prompt and speedy correspondency with Gods holy inspirations take this Rule Be sure not to deferre the To begin a good work speedily and in it's due time enterprise and beginning of that thing which thou art certainly satisfied thou oughtest to do in it's due and fit time For I assure thee this delay in the beginning of thy work will prove an unrecoverable losse in the progresse thereof because this first short lingring calls on a second which invites a third and that is attended by another and so thou wilt passe on to admit of more to Is of great consequence to overcome sloath which thy sense will consent more easily than to the first as having now tasted the bait and swallowed down the seeming pleasure of this protraction whence it follows that thou either entrest upon thy exercise when 't is too late or wholly omittest it because thou art totally disgusted therwith Thus by litle and litle and almost insensibly creeps in this evill habit of Negligence and in the end we content our selves with this conceit that we will doe it another time more carefully and diligently Take heed therefore of this most subtile enemy Negligence which not onely infects the Will by making it abhor action but also blinds the Vnderstanding that it apprehends not the vanity of these ill-grounded maximes to fancy the doing of our duty another time more devoutly and diligently which we may now performe and yet voluntarily leave it or negligently delay it Wherefore having couragiously And having couragiously set upon it carefully prosecute the same begun thy good work continue it carefully prosecute it diligently and end it devoutly yet not so hastily as to hurt or prejudice the perfection thereof or to imitate

And not only acknowledge thine owne basenesse but use thy selfe accordingly 7. And stick to this amidst all praise or applause of others 8. And let not the memory of thy good deeds puff thee up with vanity 9. For thou wilt find the best of them very imperfect 10. And that thou hast no colour to glory in them but to accuse thy want of duty 11. Learn therefore Humility which is the foundation of all vertues and without which thou art lesse than nothing 12. It being the onely way to find praise and please God 13. To whom thou art bound for permitting thee to be scorned as also to them that doe it 14. Be ever wary of the Devill and of thine owne inclination 15. Of Rash-Judgement which springs from Self-esteem and Pride 1. The Devill strives to keep open our senses upon our neighbours actions but we must be as diligent to shun as he is to lay his plots First by denying to give any sentence 2. Secondly by looking homewards upon our selves where we shall find some root of the same fault we blame in them 3. If the fault be manifest put a charitable construction upon it If monstrous have recourse to Gods secret judgements and tremble at the proceedings of his Providence 4. And know that all Charity proceeds from Gods good spirit and all Bitternesse from the Devill 5. Of the means to shield our selves against the attempts of our enemies at the time of Death The way to be then conquerours is to fall upon our enemies before hand 1. And to make timely preparation by studying now the answers of the foure challenges our enemies wil then sendus 2. The first is against Faith and the remedy is to retreat from thine Understanding to thy Will 4. And to give no answer to thy enemies questions 5. But to fix thy thoughts upon Christ crucified 6. The second assault is of Despaire where thou art to observe this certaine rule c. And to have a perfect hope and humble confidence in God 7. And never to distrust his mercy and the merits of his Passion 8. The Third is of Vain-glory which is conquer'd by distrust of thy selfe and trust in God 9. The Fourth is by F●l●● Illusions against which have recourse to the confession of thine owne nothing and admit of no apparences though they seeme to come from heaven 10. After these generall temptations follow others in particular 11. Chap. XX. That we must never flatter our selves as having subdued our enemies But ofte● renew our exercises for perfection is very high and hard to be obtained 1. 2. Chap. XXI Of Holy Prayer The Fourth maine Weapon in this spirituall warfare 1. Which must have these properties First a Desire to serve God Secondly Perfect Faith Thirdly Conformity to Gods will because thine own will is subject to error but the divine will is infallibly right Fourthly A connexion with practice Fifthly Thanksgiving for received favours Sixthly A reflexion upon Gods goodnesse and promise and upon Christs Passion Seventhly Perseverance Prayer must also be strengthned with hope And though God seems to reject thy prayer yet persevere knocking and alwayes gratefully thanking him as well when he deny's as grants thy request Chap. XXII What Mentall Prayer is and what Contemplation Mentall Prayer includes alwaies either a virtuall petition of something 1. 2. 3. 4. Or an actuall asking of it by words expressed in the mind 5. 6. Chap. XXIII How to joyne Contemplation to this inward Prayer By taking some points of Christs death or passion 1. And applying his actions to the vertue thou demandest As for example to Patience 2. Marking how meekly he suffered and learning thereby to suffer patiently thy smaller adversities 3. And compelling thy will to take up thy Crosse quietly 4. Chap. XXIV Of another certaine manner of Prayer by way of praying and meditating together 1. Considering Christs merits and the content his heavenly Father took in his obedience 2. And presenting them both to God 3. Chap. XXV Of a way of praying by the Intercession of the B. Virgin 1. First fix thy mind upon th' eternall Father 2. Considering the content he had in him selfe concerning her from all eternity 3. And the wonders he wrought in her when she had a being 4. Secondly upon God the Sonne 5. Lastly upon the sacred Virgin 6. Chap. XXVI How to pray and meditate by meanes of the Holy Angels and heavenly Citizens First addresse thy selfe to the eternall Father 1. Next unto the glorious Angels and Saints themselves 2. Dividing them into quires according to the dayes of the week 4. But every day praying to the Blessed Virgin to thy particular Partron and to S. Joseph Chap. XXVII How to meditate upon Christs Passion and to enkindle holy affections 1. By reflexion upon his love and goodnesse 2. How to get constant hope 3. And a spirituall joy 4. As also affections of sorrow and compassion 5. And contrition for thy Sinnes 7. With a perfect hatred of them 8. And to admire Gods bounty by considering First Who sufers Secondly For whom Thirdly By whom Fourthly What Fifthly How Sixthly When and where 9. A further Declaration of the profit which may be drawne from the Meditation upon Christ's Passion and particularly of the imitation of His Vertues The first profit is a Confusion at the sight of our imperfections The second a desire and demand of pardon with a resolution of amendment The third a persecution of our passions The fourth an imitation of Christs Vertues Another way to Meditate on the Passion By considering First how Christs Soule carries it selfe towards the Heavenly Father Secondly how the Father to-towards Christs Soule Thirdly how the Soule towards it selfe and it's sacred body Fourthly how thy Saviour carries Himselfe towards thee Fifthly how thou shouldst cary thy selfe towards thy Saviour Christ Crucified is the best Booke to reade in and wherein to learne all vertues if thou makest fit application to thy particular practice Chap. XXVIII Of sensible Devotion and Spirituall Drynesse Devotion is best knowne by the effects it produceth 1. How to make profit of all spirituall sweetnesse in Devotion 2. Three causes of Spirituall Drynesse The Devill Our selves and God 3. Search out the true cause thereof 4. And keepe on thy accustomed practices of piety without seeking outward comforts 5. Nor pray to have comfort in thy Crosse 7. Because to suffer for God is the best Prayer and makes thee truly devout 8. And not the feeling of sensible Devotion 9. Wherein many are deceived 10. What thou art to do in time of distresse and dereliction 11. Chap. XXIX That the worthy frequenting of the most Blessed Sacrament is an efficacious meanes to conquer our Passions 1. Meditate the Day before thy Communion of thy Saviours desire c. to come to thee 2. Who affirmes that his delights are to be with us 3. And moove thy Soule to a reciprocall desire and affection towards him 5. Then provoke thy passions to battail