Selected quad for the lemma: conscience_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
conscience_n	darkness_n	light_n	shine_v	1,422	5	9.5903	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A13699	The imitation of Christ divided into four books / written in Latin by Thomas à Kempis ; and the translations of it corrected & amended by W.P.; Imitatio Christi. English. 1639.	Thomas, à Kempis, 1380-1471.; Page, William, 1590-1663.	1639 (1639)	STC 23993; ESTC S1152	141,497	457

thee as bountifull pious and good from whom we have received al that is good 6 Although one hath receaved more another lesse all notwithstanding are thine and without thee even the least cannot be had 7 He that hath receaved greater cannot glory of his owne desert nor extoll himselfe above others nor insult over the lesser 8 For he is greater and better that ascribeth least unto himselfe and is more humble and devout in rendring thanks 9 And he that esteemeth himself basest of all men and judgeth himselfe most unworthy is fittest to receave greater blessings 10 And he that hath receaved fewer ought not to be sorry nor beare it impatiently nor envy them that are enriched with greater store 11 But attend rather unto thee chiefly praise thy goodnesse for that thou bestowest thy gifts so bountifully so freely and so willingly without respect of persons 12 All things proceed from thee and therefore in all things thou art to be praised thou knowest what is fit to be given to every one 13 And why this man hath lesse and he more it is not ours but thine to determine who dost weigh in just measure the good behaviour of every one 14 Wherefore my Lord God I esteeme it as a great benefit not to have much whereby outwardly and before men I might seeme worthy of praise glory 15 So that he who considereth his own poverty and basenesse ought not therefore to conceave griefe or sorrow or to be therefore troubled but rather to take great comfort and to be glad 16 For that thou O God hast chosen the poore and humble and the despised of this world for thy selfe and for thy familiar and domesticall friends 17 Witnesses are thy Apostles themselves whom thou hast appointed Princes over all the earth 18 And yet they lived without complaint in the world so humble and simple o the eyes of men without all malice and deceipt 19 That they reioyced to receive contumelies for thy name and what the world abhorreth they imbraced with great affection 20 Nothing therefore ought so to reioyce him that loveth thee and acknowledgeth thy benefits as the accomplishment of thy will in himselfe the pleasure of thy eternall appointment 21 Wherewith he ought to be so contented and comforted that he would as willingly be the least as any would wish to be the greatest and as peaceable and content in the last as in the first place 22 And as willingly to be despised and contemned and to be of no esteem or accompt as to be preferred in honour before all others 23 And to comfort him more and please him better then all the benefits which he hath receaved or can desire CHAP. XXIII Of four things that bring much peace SOnne now I will teach thee the way of peace and true liberty 2 Doe Lord I beseech thee at thou saiest for I shall be very glad to heare it 3 Endeavour my Sonne to doe rather the will of another then thine own Ever choose rather to have lesse then more 4 Alwaies seeke the lowest place and to be inferior to every one 5 Wish alwaies and pray that the will of God may be wholly fulfilled in thee behold such a man entreth into the limits of peace and most quiet rest 6 Lord this thy short speech containeth much perfection it is litle in words but full in sense and aboundant in fruit 7 For if it could exactly be kept by me then should I not so easily be troubled For as often as I feele my selfe unquiet and afflicted I finde that I have strayed from this doctrine 8 But thou that canst doe all things and ever lovest the good and profit of my soule increase in me thy grace more and more that I may fulfill thy words and perfect mine owne health A prayer against evill thoughts MY Lord God be not farre from me my God have regard to help me for sundry thoughts have risen up against me and great feares afflicting my soule 2 How shall I passe through them without hurt How shall I break through them without danger 3 I saith he will goe before thee and will humble the glorious of the earth 4 I will open the doores of the prison and reveale unto thee the hidden secrets 5 Doe Lord as thou saiest and let all evill thoughts fly from before thy face 6 This is my hope and my only comfort to fly unto thee in all tribulation to trust in thee to call upon thee from my heart to expect patiently thy comfort A prayer for the enlightning of the minde ENlighten me good Iesu with the clearnesse of inward light and expell all darknesse from the habitation of my heart 2 Represse the many wandring thoughts and beat downe the fury of the temptations which violently assault me 3 Fight strongly for mee and vanquish the euill beasts that is the allureing concupiscences that peace may be made by thy vertue and aboundance of thy praise sound in thy holy Court which is a pure conscience 4 Command the windes and tempests say unto the sea be still and to the North-wind blow not and a great calme shall ensue 5 Send forth thy light and thy truth that they may shine upon the earth for I am an empty and unprofitable peece of earth untill thou imparlight unto me 6 Poure out thy grace from above wash my heart with heavenly dew give water of devotion to wash the face of the earth to bring forth good and perfect fruit 7 Lift up my minde overcharged with the weight of sinne draw up my whole desire to heavenly treasures 8 That having tasted the sweetnesse of celestiall happinesse it may loath to think of earthly vanities 9 Take me violently to thee and deliver me from all unstable comfort of creatures for no created thing can fully quiet and satisfy my desire 10 Ioyne me unto thee with an unseparable band of love for thou only fillest the mind of him that loves thee and without thee all things are vaine and frivolous CHAP. XXIIII Of flying curious inquiry of the life of others SOnne be not curious trouble not thy self with idle cares What is this or that to thee doe thou follow me 2 For what is it to thee whether that man be such or no or whether this man doe or speak this or that 3 Thou shalt not need to answer for others but shalt give accompt of thy selfe why therefore dost thou trouble thy selfe 4 Behold I know every one what he is and doe see all things that are under the sunne 5 And doe understand how it is with every one what he thinketh what he would and at what his intention aymeth 6 All things therefore are to be committed unto mee but doe thou keep thy selfe in good peace and suffer the unquiet to trouble himselfe as much as he will 7 Whatsoever he shall have done or said shall fall upon himselfe for he cannot deceave me 8 Desire not too great fame in this world nor to

weake deceiveth him and doth verily more shame him while he doth vainely praise him 33 For how much every one is in thy sight O Lord so much he is and no 〈◊〉 saith humble S. Francis CHAP. LI. That a man ought to imploy himselfe in workes of humilitie when force is wanting for higher exercises SOnne thou art not able alwaies to continue in the fervent desire of vertue nor to persist in the high pitch of heavenly contemplation 2 But thou must sometimes of necessity by reason of originall corruption descend to inferior things and beare the burthen of this corruptible life though unwillingly and with griefe 3 As long as thou cariest a mortall body thou shalt feele great trouble heavinesse of heart 4 Thou oughtest therefore in the flesh oftentimes to bewaile the burthen of the flesh for that thou canst not alwaies persevere in spirituall exercises and divine contemplation 5 It is then expedient for thee to flye to humble and exteriour workes and to refresh thy selfe with good and vertuous actions 6 To expect with a firme confidence my cōming heavenly visitation to beare patiently thy banishment and the drinesse of thy minde untill I visit thee againe and deliver thee from all anxiety 7 For I will make thee forget thy paines and enjoy inward quietnesse 8 I will lay open before thee the pleasant fields of holy Scripture ●ha● with an enlarged heart that maist begin to run the way of my commandements 9 And thou shalt say that the sufferings of this time are not worthy of the glory to come that shall be revealed in us CHAP. LII That a man ought to esteeme himselfe unworthy of comfort and to have deserved stripes LOrd I am not worthy of thy comfort no● of any spirituall visitation and therefore thou dealest justly with me when thou leavest me poore and desolate Though I could powre out even a sea of teares yet I were not worthy of thy comfort 2 For alas I deserve nothing but to be scourged and punished in that I have grievously and often offended thee and sinned in many things 3 All things therefore duly considered I am not worthy even of the least comfort 4 But thou mild and mercifull God who wilt not that thy works doe perish to shew the riches of thy goodnesse upon the vessels of mercy even beyond all mine own merit vouchsafest to comfor thy servant above humane measure 5 For thy heavenly consolations are not like humane communications and in comparison of thee we are miserable comforters 6 What have I done O Lord that thou shouldest bestow upon me any heavenly comfort 7 I remember I have done no good at all but have been alwaies prone to sinne and slothfull in my amendment 8 It is so true that I cannot deny ●it if I should say otherwise thou wouldest plead against me and there would be none to defend me 9 What have I deserved for my sinnes but hell and everlasting fire 10 I confesse in the truth of my heart that I am worthy of all sco●ne and contempt and it is unfit that I should be remembred amongst thy holy ones 11 And although I be unwilling to heare this yet notwithstanding for the love of truth I will lay open my sinnes against my selfe that I may the better obtaine mercy at thy hands 12 What shall I say being guilty and full of all confusion I have nothing to say but this I have sinned Lord I have sinned have mercy on me pardon and forgive me 13 Suffer me a litle that I may bewaile my griefe before I goe unto the land of darknesse and be covered with the shadow of death 14 What dost thou require of a guilty and miserable sinner ●ut that he be contrite and sorrowfull and doe humble himselfe for his sinnes 15 In true contrition and humblenesse of heart is bred a hope of forgivenesse a troubled conscience is reconciled againe grace lost is restored man is defended from future wrath God and the penitent soule meet together in a holy kisse 16 Humble contrition for ●innes is an acceptable sacrifice unto thee O Lord savouring much sweeter in thy nostrils then the perfume of franki●sence 17 This is also the pleasant oyntment which thou wouldest have powred upon thy sacred feet for thou never despisest a contrite and humble heart 18 There is a place of refuge from the angry face of the enemy there is amended and washed away whatsoever elsewhere was polluted and defiled CHAP. LIII That the grace of God is not given to those that savour of earthly things SOnne my grace is precious it suffereth not it selfe to be mingled wit● externall things nor earthly comforts Thou oughtest therefore to cast away all hinderances of grace if thou desire to receave the infusion thereof 2 Choose therefore a secret place to thy selfe love to live alone with thy selfe desire the conversation of none but rather powre out devout prayers unto God that thou maist keep thy minde compunct and thy conscience pure 3 Esteem the whole world as nothing preferre my service before all outward things for thou canst not altend unto me and be delighted also in transitory vanities 4 Thou oughtest to sequester thy selfe from thy acquaintance and friends and to keep thy mind deprived of all temporall comfort 5 So the blessed Apostle Peter required that the faithfull of Christ should keep themselves as strangers pilgrims in this world 6 O how great a confidence shall he have at the houre of death whom no affection to any earthly thing detained in the world 7 But the weak minde is not yet capable of so retired a heart neither doth the fleshly person understand the freedome of a re●ollected minde 8 Notwithstanding if he will be truly spirituall he ought to renounce as well those which are farre off as those which are neere unto him and to beware of no man more then of himselfe 9 If thou perfectly overcome thy selfe thou shalt with more ease subdue the rest It is a glorious victory to triumph over our selves 10 For he that keepeth himselfe subject in such sort that his sensuality be subdued to reason and reason in all things be obedient to me he is truly a conquerour of himselfe and Lord of the world 11 If thou desire to mount unto this height of perfection thou must begin manfully and set the axe to the root that thou maist pluck up and destroy thy hidden and inordinate inclination to thy selfe and unto all private and earthly good 12 Of this vice that man too inordinately loveth himselfe almost all dependeth whatsoever is wholy to be overcome which being once overcome and subdued there will presently ensue great peace and tranquillity 13 But for that few endeavour perfectly to dye unto themselves and do forsake themselves wholly therefore they remaine intangled in themselves and cannot be lifted up in spirit above themselves 14 But he that desireth to walke freely with mee it is necessary that he mortify all his