Selected quad for the lemma: glory_n
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A12649
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A short rule of good life To direct the deuout Christian in a regular and orderly course.
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Southwell, Robert, Saint, 1561?-1595.
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1622
(1622)
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STC 22970; ESTC S106293
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53,144
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246
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gathered of this that all other matters are inâ—reaâ—ed with men or some other creatures but this busines of our soule is with God him selfe who by how much he â—s nobler and worthier than any of his creatures so much more is the weight of this matter that can not be dealt with any without him and so much more diligence ought there to be imployed therein especially in this time wherein God is still ready to farther our endeuours in this behalfe where as when time is expired condemne he may for our negligence or reward vs for our carefulnes but not helpe vs any more to alter the estate of our soule be it neuer so badde or miserable Fourthly we may gather how material and important this matter is by the life of Christ and his Saintes who withdrawing theÌ„ selues from all other worldly affaires thought it worke enough to attend to this businesse of their soule and whosoeuer are now solemnized and honoured in Gods Church they are honored only in this that they haue with a glorious Conclusion happily and constantly accomplished this busines to Gods glory and their owne saluation And who so considers the intollerable torments of Martyres the extreame austerity sharpe life and penance of Confessours the painefull agonies and conflicts of Virgins the rough stormes and troubles of all Gods Saintes and doth remember withall that they vndertook them for no other respect but onely for the better bringing this businesse of their soule to an end it wil soone apeare how weighty a thinge and how pretious the saluation of the soule is which they did think not too deere bought with all the miseries sorrowes and paines that this worlde coulde afford Let vs also consider that what soeuer moued theÌ„ to such care and earnestnes in this behalfe hath no lesse place doubtlesse in vs than in theÌ„ seeing that our soule is as deere bought as much worth created to as great glory as theirs the danger of our saluation rather more than any way lesse than theirs God hath as much right in vs as in them and we as many titles of bond and duetie to serue him as they Finally we are assaulted by the same ennemies enuironned with the like hazzardes and subiect to as many yea more occasions of sinne and allurements to damnation than they Who therefore seeâ—h not that we ar in euery respect to account the care of our soules as important and necessary to vs as euer it hath beene to any Wherefore let not the wise man glorie in his wisedome nor the strong man in his might nor the rich man in his riches saith God by his Prophet Hiere 9. But let him that glorieth glorie in this that he knoweth me for I am the only Lord that worketh mercy iudgement and iustice vpon the earth these thinges please me saith our Lord as who woulde say it is folie and vanitie to glory and reioyce in any other thinge then in the knowledge and seruice of God and procuring mercie and milde iudgement for our soule How wee ought to arme our mindes against temptations that happen when we seek earnestly to serue God The second consideration FIrst seing this businesse of our soule is of so great moment hee that earnestly goeth about the same must offer him selfe vp vnto God and bee most ready to endure constantly all the daungers cumbers and difficulties that shall happen and resolue neuer by Gods grace to be dismayed and beaten backe from his purpose by any trouble or encounter what soeuer knowing that glorious and honourable enterprises can neuer be atchiued without many contradictions Wherefore let him perswade him selfe that when he hath setled his minde seriously to follow this businesse hell it selfe and all the ennemies of God and mans soule will conspire against him the flesh to allure him to the dilightes of the senses to recall him to the vomite of his abandoned pleasures the world to intise him with pomps and vanities with ministring occasions of sinne and prouoking by euill examples yea if that will not serue by terrifying him with persecutions extortions obloquies slaunders and torments and with all kind of disgrace Finally the deuill a professed enemy of all those that take care of their soules will seek to entrappe him with a thousande traines passions and subtile temptations leauing nothing that hee thinketh may remooue a man from these endeuours tending to his saluation Secondly the case standing thus let that saying of Scripture come to our mind My sonne comming to the â—â—ruice of God stand in iustice and feare and prepare thy souâ—e vnto temptation Wherefore he that entereth into the way of life must remember that he is not come to a play pastime or pleasure but to a continuall rough battell and fight against most vnplacable and spightfull enemies and let him resolue him self neuer in this worlde to look for quiet and peace no not so much as for any truce for a time but arme him self for a perpetual combate and rather think of a multitude of happie victories which by Gods grace he may obtaine then of any repose or quietnesse from the rage assaultes of his ennemies Let him see and peruse the paterne of his capitains course who froÌ„ his birth to his death was in a restlesse battell persecuted in his swadling clowtes by Herod annoied the rest of his infancy by banishment waÌ„dring and neede In the flower of his age slaundered hated pursued whipped crucified and most barbarously misused In the same sort were all his Apostles and all his principall souldiers handled for whom he loueth he chastiseth and prooueth like golde in the fornace And therefore no man must think it a new thing to be tempted and troubled when hee once runneth a vertuous course contrarie to the liking of his enemies For the disciple is not aboue his master nor the seruant aboue his Lorde who as we see had the same intreaty Thirdly lest we should be agast and discouraged at the expectation and feare of so many discomfortes and the incessant malice of so spitefull ennemies let vs remember the wordes of Elizeus that more stand with vs then against vs. Against the corruption of nature we haue grace Against the diuel wee haue God who will neuer suffer vs to be tempted aboue our force Against the power of hell we haue the prayers of Saintes Against the miseries of the body the spiritual comfort of the minde which God allotteth in such measure as our necessitie requireth and if there were nothing else this were enough to make troubles welcome in this case for that therby we purchase an inestimable glory for a short and passing combate the comfort wherof nether eie hath seen nor eare heard nor heart conceiued And on the other side by the same wee auoid other intolerable and externall torments of Hel the least wherof passeth all those that can be suffered in this worlde And therfore is our chaunge most happy that by the paine of a short life
his life shall be saued Wâ—erfore the same cause that mooued me to beginne ought also to mooue me to continue that the merit and crowne of my good resolution be not cut off by any want of perseuerance Let not the cries of mine enemies moue me let me with S. Paul say the world is crucified to me and I to the world and with Dauid it is good for me to cleaue vnto God Finally let me imitat the exaÌ„ple of Christ that perseuered oÌ„ the cross vnto death for my sake though ofteÌ„ called vpon to come downe Fiftly I must consider that in what state soeuer of grace or merit of damnation I begin the next life I must shall vndoubtedly perseuere in it according to the word of Salomon whersoeuer the tree faleth there shall it be towards south or north that is towards heauen or hell for both the paine of this continueth for euer and the ioy of the other after it is once begunne for it may bee deferred for a time by the paines of purgatory is also euerlasting If therefore I will perseuer in heauen let me perseuer in the way that leadeth vnto it and neuer forsake the painefulnes of it till the iourneis end The passions of this life are not condigne or compatable to the fuâ—uâ—e glory and it is extreame folly for auoiding a short and transitory paine to hazard the losse of euerlasting ioy and put my selfe in perill of peâ—petuall bondage in farre more extreame and endlâ—s torment The sinners perseuer still in wickednes and seruice of the Diuâ—ll The wordlinges perseuer in pursuing vanities following the world yea and that with most seruile toile and base drudgery and not without many bodily and ghostly harmes how much more ought a true seruant of God perseuer in his seruice and not seeme by forsaking him in the way to condemne him for a worse master then the world or the Diuel whom many thousandes serue to the end to their owne damnation Let me remember that the first Angell for want of perseuerance became a Diuell Adam for want of the same was thrust out of paradise and Iudas of an Apostle became a prey of hell Finally there be many thousands in hell fire burning that began very good courses and for a time went forward in the same and yet in the end for want of perseuerance were damned for euer What good a soule looseth by mortall sinne 1. The grace of the holy Ghost 2. The friendship and familiaritie with God 3. Al moral vertues infused and of Gods spirit 4. The inheritance of the kingdome of heauen 5. The portion of Gods children and patronage of his fatherly prouideÌ„ce which he hath ouer the iust 6. The peace quietnes of a good and cleare conscience 7. Many comfortes and visitations of the holy Ghost 8. The fruite and merit of our former life during the state of sinne 9. The merit and satisfaction of our present actions albeit in the mean time they dispose to Gods grace and satisfie the precepts of God and the Church 10. A great portion of the communion of Saintes and of the participation of the good workes and praiers of the whole Church And finally of the fruit and part of the merite of Christs passion What misery the soul gaineth by mortall sinne 1. Condemnation to eternall paine 2. To be quite cancelled out of the booke of life 3. To become of the child of God the thrall of the Diuell 4. To be chaunged from the Temple of the holie ghost into a denne of theeueâ—â— a nest of vipers a sincke of corruption How a soule is prepared to iustification by degrees Faith setteth before our eyes God as a iuste Iudge Angry with the bad Mercâ—full to the repeÌ„taÌ„t Of this faith by the gift of Gods spirit aâ—iseth a feare by coÌ„sideration of Gods iustice of our owne sinnes This feare is comforted by hope grounded in Gods mercy and the merites of Christ. Of this hope aâ—iseth loue and charitie vnto Christ. For louing vs without desert Redâ—ming vs with so many torments Of this loue followes sorrowe for offending Christ of whom we haue bin so mercifully Created Redeemed Sanctified Called to his faith Of this sorrow ariseth a firme purpose to auoyde all sin which God aboue all thinges detesteth The diuil aboue al thinges desireth Aboue all thinges hurteth the soule Of deuotion to Saints and how our conuersation may be in heauen as Saint Paul saith it should FIrst after a special deuotion towardes our B. Lady whom aboue all pure creatures we ought continually to affect and reuerence we must procure to haue a kind of reuerent familiarity with our good Angel whoÌ„ we ought to make reckning of as a most vndiuided and peculiar friend who is vnto vs as a nurse vnto a childe a shepheard vnto a wandering lambe a guide of our waieâ— a gardian of our persons a counsellor in doubts a comforter in troubles a patron in our needes and an assured friend in all our afflictions We must therefore loue him as our friend honour him as our superiour thanke him for his censureâ— finally vse him as one to whom we may boldly both impart our comfortes and vtter our desolations When wee sleepe he waâ— cheâ—h ouer vs when we wake he attendâ—th on vs wheresoeuer we be he gardeth vs whithersoeuer we goe he assâ—â—teth vs and whatsoeuer we doe he hath still an eye to succour vs. We must therfore often coÌ„mend our selues and our busines vnto him often aske his aduise with our inward eare often harken what he saieth within vs. We must account him as an ordinary and assured friend euâ—rmore readie at our call to affoord his present helpe and to beare vs company in all necessities Because our nature is delighted and holpe with varity we may euery day in the weeke vse the patronage of diuers Saints according to the order of our Letanies On Sunday the blessed Trinitie our Lady and the nine quires of Angells especially the three Archangells there named Michael Gabriel and Raphael On monday S. Iohn Baptist with all the Patriarches and Prophets On Tuesday S. Peter with the rest of the Apostles Euangelistes and Disciples of Christ and all the holy Innocents On Wednesday S. Steuen with all the holy Martirs On Thursday S. Siluester with aâ—l the holy Bishops Confessors and Doctors On Friday S. Benedict with all the holie Priestes Leuites Monks Eremites Religious men On Saturday S. Mary Magdalen with all the holy Virgins and Widowes Wee must euery day in the morning so soone as we awake commend our body soule affaires to God and our patrâ—nes of that day In euery principal action wee must commend our selues to some one of them desiring their helpes and asistaÌ„ce Wee must ofâ—en in the day thinke what guestes wee haue bidden that day into our soule and seeke to make it a sitte receipt for so honorable a company We must seeke to imitate that vertue which in these Saints