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	nature_n	spirit_n	1,729	5	5.0066	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A19433	The interiour occupation of the soule Treating of the important businesse of our saluation with God, and his saints, by way of prayer. Composed in French for the exercise of that court, by the R. Father, Pater Cotton of the Societie of Iesus, and translated into English by C.A. for the benefit of all our nation. Whereunto is prefixed a preface by the translator, in defence of the prayers of this booke, to the saints in heauen.; Interioure occupation d'une âme devote. English	Coton, Pierre, 1564-1626.; Anderton, Christopher, attributed name.; Apsley, Charles, attributed name.; C. A., fl. 1619.	1618 (1618)	STC 5860; ESTC S108849	75,781	318

didst bring to the world the most happy newes that euer was or shall be by the loue of him who sent thee to the honour of him who was by thee Named and Announced and for the regard to her to whome thou broughtest the'mbassage obtaine for me the grace that I may be obedient to the Father pleasing to the Sonne and singularly deuoted to the Mother 2. O if I so willingly conceiued and so readily consented to the voyce of my God as did the blessed Virgin to thine I should march apace to perfection I beseech thee by the ioy that the spirit felt when the Diuine word effected thy word putting on the ragges of our mortalitie that thou wilt be pleased to obtaine for mee this fauour of God that I neuer resist his inspirations that I be attentiue to his voyce that for lacke of execution I make not sad the holy Ghost Obtaine I say for me this grace thou speciall embassador of the Diuinitie 3. Embassadour of God Legate of Paradice Nuncies of the coelestiall Empire if any thing bee cause of our ruines for repayring of which the Son of God espoused himselfe to a nature inferiour to thine it was frailtie and ignorance This appertaineth to the soule that to the body From both th' one and th' other thou art free being a spirit and full of knowledge I dare then adiure thee by that which thou art to remedy that which I am and to obtaine of him who did according to thy word more for me then thou shalt euer be able to doe that I may know from henceforth his holy will in all thinges and that in the execution I may be strong and puissant Thy most holy Name signifieth diuine force and valour obtaine for me this force against our common aduersaties and against the most daungerous enemie that I knowe which is the loue of my selfe 4. I salute thee and thanke thee with all my hart messenger of happy newes and I be●eech thee to encrease my obligacion by encreasing the seruice which by me thou maist render then when thou shalt obtaine for me the grace not to be as thou art but together with thee a fit Instrument and Organe to set forth the glory of God Title 9. To the Angell Guerdian 1. GOuernour of my life guide of my pilgrimage Torchbearer of my vnderstanding maister of my soule what thankesgiuing shall I render vnto thee for the infinite obli●ations ●a poore sinner haue vnto thee whome thou hast serued and assisted though vnworthy and vngratefull from the instant of my birth preseruing mee from so many euils of sinne as I might haue incurred from so many dangers as my body hath passed and had fallen into haddest thou not fauoured mee If I should thanke thee as often as I breath I could not satisfie my obligation neither will I nor can I doe it but in him by whom and for whose loue thou hast beene so faithfull to mee Aske then thy recompence of him for so many benefits and permit not that I dye vngratefull towards thee least I dye miserable in the fight of God 2. Vnfatigable friend the infamous odour of my sinnes might haue caused thee to haue withdrawne thy selfe from me as stinke chaseth away Doues and smoke Bees And yet notwithstanding thou hast had patience to stay neere to this dunghill with charitie greater then tongue can vtter and with longanimitie altogether Angelicall Thankes be giuen vnto thee by all the courts of Heauen and by all those creatures which haue interest in my saluation all whom thou hast together with mee obliged vnto thee If euer I come as by thy mediation I hope I shall to the hauen of beatitude I will render vnto thee O my louing and beloued Patro● the principall and arrerages of so many so speciall and so particular obligations in the presence of him whom thou incessantly lookest in the face How often had I fallen into riuers into flames into dungeons into the hands of my visible and inuisible enemies How often had Sathan styfled mee whilest I was drinking eating sleeping walking especially at those times when he perceiued mee to be out of the grace of God if thou O my guide and singuler benefactor hadst not broken his strength and dissipated his designes 3. So many times thou hast saued my life as thou hast preserued me from deadly sinne so many times thou hast rendered vnto me my life as thou hast raysed me out of deadly sinne A life a thousand times more precious then that of the body and consequently a benefit as much greater as aeternitie exceedeth time grace nature the glorious state of the Saintes the miserable condition of the damned Thankes therefore be vnto thee as many times as there are moments in time o● imaginable minutes in aeternitie 4. What shall I say of thy going from God to vs and returning from vs to God exciting the one appeasing the other carrying vp our prayers and bringing downe his presents what of so many inspirations secret motions benigne influences so many interiour and exteriour endes so many Angelicall inuentions deuises stratagems of Charitie as thou hast vsed to retire mee from vice and the inclinations of a corrupt nature to draw me to the loue of him whom loue made to dye for me There is no meanes how in this vally of teares and in the midst of this Aegyptian darknesse I may know the thousand part of these oblgations and how shall I then bee able to acknowledge them Finish then O sage Pilot this my perilous Nauigation end this chiefe work which hitherto hath put thee to so great paine For if thou shalt haue fully accomplished this I shall haue meanes to recompence that which is past to repaire that which is lost and to make euen my debts Looke well then into it as is thy custome O my guide it concernes thee exceeding much seeing thereupon depends the glory of God and the saluation of a soule cōmitted to thy charge 5. And if it be possible that thou shouldst not be interessed in my saluation I am content that thou neglect both th' one and th' other Hee which was made man for mee that liued heere for me that dyed for me that hath giuen me his body for meat and his bloud for drinke hee that hath honoured mee with the title of sonne and brother hee that calleth and nameth himselfe my spouse hee who bowing downe the Heauens of his greatnesse vouchsafed to serue mee hee that would dye againe if it were needfull and for me endure againe all that hee hath suffered hee I say perswades yea nothing else Do then that which thou shalt iudge to be according to his will Sweet friend and charitable tutor I will put no other rule no no other then thou thy selfe dost put which is the very great glory of him to whom wee all appertaine by condition obligation and election to whome be all praise honour and glory world without end Title 10. To the Angels 1.

it imported them to bee carefull of themselues how much more after their victorious Crownes and Tryumphs Moyses being but one obtayned pardon of God for sixe hundred thousand Armed men And shall hee bee of lesse force beeing now with Christ in Heauen Paul the Apostle saith That 270. soules in the Ship with him were giuen vnto him And after his resolution when hee began to bee with Christ must he shut vp his mouth and not be able to speake so much as one halfe worde for those who through the world haue beleeued his Gospell Shall Vigillantius this liuing Dog bee better then hee that dead Lyon For to this purpose I might wel vse the words of the Preacher If I beleeued Saint Paul to bee dead in spirit the Saints are not said to be dead but to wit according to the body sleeping or reposing Thus Saint Hierome Secondly therefore to proceed The willingnesse and abilitie of the Saints in Heauen to heare and assist vs is proued out of those Scriptures which teach vs that the Saints in heauen and the Saints on earth are all Brethren of the same family and Domesticals of God hauing all receiued the adoption Ephes 19. Gal 4 Ephe 4 Gal. 4. Heb. 1 23. of the Sonnes of God and beeing all fellow members of the same Body and Cittizens of the same Citty which is the heauenly Hierusalem our Mother the Church of the first borne including the societie of many thousand Angells Which being supposed wee may argue in this manner In euery Mysticall body or societie the principall and more perfite members haue power and abilitie more or lesse to helpe and assist the rest that are more imperfit according to their particuler necessities For this is the end of all Communitie and therefore so true that no citty or kingdome or ciuill Body can stand without it But the Saints in Heauen are the principall partes of this Mysticall body Therefore it must needes follow that they haue some kinde of meanes to heare and to helpe vs in perticuler when wee call vpon them For otherwise they could neither make one Family nor one citty nor one Body with vs which is directly against the Scriptures here before alleadged Againe in euery Societie those members that are out of daunger and in prosperitie are bound in duty to succour those that are in any great danger or necessitie especially when it greatly concerneth the good of the whole Body But such are the Saints of heauen and such is the case between vs and them especially when we finde our selues assaulted with some grieuous affliction or vehement Temptation in perticuler Therefore according to their power when such occasions happen they are bound as may be said in duty to releeue vs. Hee saith St. Iohn that shall haue the Substance of this world and shall see his Brother haue neede and shall shut his Bowels from him how doth the Charitie of God abide in him Wherefore the Saints of God hauing the substance of the other world and possessing the Treasures of all Graces wee must either fowly condemne them for want of Charity or else wee must needs graunt that they open their Bowels to releeue the necessities of their distressed brethren And truely Almightie God seeing the want of this power in his Saints to help vs if it were so as the Protestants would haue it and the Saints againe seeing our miseries or if they doe not it is because they will not how may it be thought that either God himselfe can shut the Bowels of his Charitie from them when they aske the one or they from vs when we call vpon them to be releeued in the other Wherfore to conclude this second reason for the proofe of their Power to helpe vs consider gentle Reader whether it can stand either with the vnitie of this mysticall body that the Saints in Heauen should not haue it or with their Obligation not to demaund it or with their felicitie not to inioy it or with Gods goodnesse not to graunt it Thirdly and lastly then this willingnes and power of theirs is yet further proued by their speciall Patronage and protection of vs for the one doth euidently include the other and no man can imagine how they can be truely said to guide and defend vs who like the Idols of the Gentiles are neither able to heare vs nor to helpe vs. Wherefore their Pastorall care and protection ouer vs is shewed first by reason grounded vpon Scripture and secondly by the Scripture it selfe And the first reason thereof may be framed in this manner In euery well ordered Body or Common wealth the members which are the most potent prudent and perfit are appointed to gouerne and protect the rest But the Saints of heauen make one body with vs as hath bene proued by the expresse word of God Therefore as being the most sufficient Members thereof they must be Ordained by God to gouerne and direct vs. According whereu●to St. C●prian cōclud●●h most excellently of the holy Innocents That being made priuie to the secrets Cyprian of God with most familiar approaches they beseech his clemencie to blesse our labours And Lib de Stella Magis Innoc c. that beeing translated from the Cradle to Heauen they are made Senatours and Iudges of the supernall Cappitoll obta●ning pardon for many And although they assist Almightie God not onely in his Diuine mercyes but also in his punishments yet they serue themselues more of the mildnesse then of the furie of the Lambe whome they followe wheresoeuer hee goeth Thus St. Cyprian Whereunto may bee added another reason For hee that will contemplate a little shall easily finde that Almightie God seldome or neuer doth any thing by himselfe alone which may be brought to passe by meanes of those his Creatures that are apt to be made the instruments of his Diuine power Not that hee hath any neede of them but because it belongeth to his glory their perfection as much as may be to be serued of them Which is not onely seene in the visible preseruation of this world all thinges depending therein of more inferiour causes but also confessed in the inuisible mouers and Gouernours thereof his holy Angels Who are therefore in generall acknowledged by Saint Paul to be administring Spirits and are perticularly Heb. 2. 14 testified among other Num. 20 16. thinges to haue had the conduction of the Isralites out of Exod. 23 20. Aegypt and in the person of God to haue giuen the Law it Act. 7. 30 35. 53. selfe vnto them Wherefore the Saints of heauen being so much more fit to gouerne and protect vs then the Angels by how much they are nearer vnto vs both by Grace and Nature and through their owne experience of our fragilitie haue better learned to take compassion of our infirmitie It cannot stand with the sweetnesse of Gods prouldence to exclude them from the Patronage and protection of vs. For the which