Selected quad for the lemma: mercy_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
mercy_n	miserable_a	offence_n	sinner_n	4,012	5	10.4369	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A52343	Of adoration in spirit and truth written in IV. bookes by Iohn Eusebius Nieremberg native of Madrid. S.I. And translated into English by R. S S.I. In which is disclosed the pith & marrow of a spiritual life, of Christs imitation & mystical theology; extracted out of the HH. FF. & greatest masters of spirit Diadochus, Dorotheus, Clymachus, Rusbrochius Suso, Thaulerus, a Kempis, Gerson: & not a little both pious & effectual is superadded.; De adoratione in spiritu et veritate. English.	Nieremberg, Juan Eusebio, 1595-1658.; Strange, Richard, 1611-1682.	1673 (1673)	Wing N1150A; ESTC R224195	255,001	517

to her in the person of his beloved Disciple saying behold thy Son He did it to wit when he was at the very point of death as if he had only desird life that he might be dutiful to his Mother but being not expedient that he should avoid it he left a deputy of his filial care and obedience in Saint John and of observance in the rest of the faithful that by this meanes he might both redeem us by dying and also be grateful to her by leaving so many to supply for him in exhibiting respect as if he confessd himself not to have fully accomplishd his desire in that behalf There at the foot of the cross Mary took us for her children there she brought us forth not of her womb but her hart which is a more pretious member and its filiation more efficacious For each child of the womb is not alwaies beloved but the child of ones hart cannot but be so Ther did she bear us together with Christ amidst throwes and pangs which she felt not in her carnal labour or child bed She took us very opportunely for her children at such a time when her bowels were wholly replenished with an affectionate compassion towards her Son that she might transfer it upon us and by it ennoble her mercy as if IESVS had recommended to his Mother what he said to the woemen Weep not over me but over your children And therfore hanging on the cross ful of anguish and torment remitting as it were to others all compassion due to him he said to his weeping Mother Mother behold thy Son behold each faithful Christian my Disciple is thy child do not so much compassionate and weep over me as over these thy children poor wretches and miserable sinners whom I recommend to thy motherly tuition Christ knew that the misery of sin was a greater object of mercy then any corporal pain whatsoever for his soul did more feelingly resent our offences then his body did its own torments Therfore he would have his Mother transfer her compassion and mercy to the defects faultines and miseries of our soul that she might chiefly assist us in them And because Christ by his sufferings deservd well of the divine justice for his superabundant satisfaction therfore was he worthy of that attribute of being judge of all men according to the prediction of David give o God thy judgment to the king thy justice to the kings Son the Mother of Christ by compassionating and commiserating him deservd well the attribute conferrd upon her of compassion commiseration that we also may say thou hast given o God thy mercy to the queen and thy pious affection to the kings Mother therfore no grace nor mercy is derivd to us but by Mary From henceforward o most pious Mother I take thee for mine will have this to be the first pledge of thy piety that thou imitate thy first begotten Son who as he not only gave thee to Iohn but Iohn also to thee so thou give me to God since thou also gave God to us Therfore since our misery finds no redress but in Gods mercy and the disposal of it is Mary's power to whom her Son denies nothing and she ful of commiseration why are we so slow and backeward in the discharge of our duty and devotion towards her we must for 4. reasons be very officious in the service of the Virgin Mother The first is the necessity and advantage of her intercession for without her intercourse and sollicitation no guifts discend from heaven grace depends far more upon Mary then the showers of heaven did on Elias The second is the will of Christ whose desire is that we honour his Mother and in honoring her we do him a piece of grateful service For he turnes over to her all the debts we owe him and she is our creditrice who must see them cancelld If what we do to the poor be so acceptable to him that he takes it as done to himself and makes them his substitutes in this behalf how much more gratefully will he take what is done to his Mother whose debter he acknowledgeth himself to whome all are endebted The third cause is the excellency of the most H. Virgin to whose worship though neither the tie of necessity nor the explicite will of her son IESVS did move us nevertheles the sole title of her rare prerogatives and perfections ought to endeare us extremely to her She is the glory of all pure creatures and especially of mankind the next in dignity to God himself to whom he granted this priviledg which he alone by reason of the infinitude of his nature enjoies to be together a Mother and a Virgin and Mother of God God is both a father and a Virgin Mary is also a Mother a Virgin And like as Christ according to his divinity was most chastly begotten in the splendours of Saints by a Virgin father without a Mother so according to his humanity he was most chastly begotten in the splendours of sanctity refulgent above all Saincts of a Virgin Mother without a father O double miracle both that a Virgin brings forth and that she brings forth God! and indeed what should a Virgin bring forth but God grace and nature are two sisters the same artificer gave them both a being and therfore their proceeding in their different functions is much a like Even as God after he had created all things made an abridgment of them all in Adam and Eve and all the degrees of life and nature are more eminently in man then in the natures themselves heavens plants and living creatures insomuch that one man is more valuable then the whole world besides and is as it were a little world by himself and all things do him homage and were made for his use so in like manner because Gods workmanship is no les exactly curious in matters of grace he also compendiated in the second Adam and Eve the whole extent of grace that ever hath or shall be imparted to men and Angels And Mary alone containes all kind of blessings and supernatural guifts and degrees of grace in a more singular manner then all the Hierarchies of B. Spirits and quires of Saints in such sort that she alone doth equalize all their sanctity and perfection Not piety only but reason also attesteth this assertion and now it is manifest enough by the revelation made to that B. Man and martir of Christ F. Martin Gutierez whom S. Teresa beheld in heaven adornd with the ensignes of martirdome he dying in prison under the heretiques wearied out with their fetters and il usage The Virgin her self gave many thanks to this her servant for defending her sanctity in these eminent tearmes The very Seraphins themselves and all the other ranks both of Angels and Saints doe homage to her and reverence her as queen of all no otherwise then the brute beasts in paradise to Adam while he stood as yet in the

integrity of his nature Man was created in a degree much superiour to other creatures Mary was exalted above the Cherubins glorifid more then all these glorious intelligences surmounting them as far as Adam did the common creatures She alone seems to be twice as great with God and much deeper in his favour then the whole world besides towards which though the Son of God shewd a wonderful dignation in descending from heaven for its redemption yet it could not receive the H. Ghost unles heaven first receivd him again but the Virgin Mother at the self same time entertaind both him and the H. Ghost in his superventions Therfore the prayers of Mary are effectual with Christ for two respects both for observance due to a Mother and for the consummatenes of her merits and sanctity for she is heard both for respect and reverence oweing to him and worth and dignity due to her self for the reverence of her maternity for the worth of her vertue and sanctity and we also are heard for her sake whose intercession is not only proficuous but also necessary Therfore let us fly to Mary in all our distresses as the child doth to his Mother who is beaten by a stranger she knowes how to support and uphold the tottering world with her prayers nor think that thou laiest a heavy burden upon her The fourth cause may be an assinity and kind of alliance contracted with the most B. Virgin not only spiritualy and after a mystical manner but even real and according to the body and nature For no body is nigher in kindred to another then the sacred Virgin is to thee He that receives Christs body in the Eucharist becomes by a real kind of union one flesh with him insomuch that there is no other union among men straiter then this not even betwixt man and wife wherfore thou must also esteem thy self akin to the Mother of Christ and perswade thy self that thou sharest in the same flesh with her There interceeds also a greater physical and real conjunction betwixt God and thee then there is betwixt thee and thy father how great then will that be which thou contractest with the Mother of God what created and real union can be imagind greater then that which passeth betwixt the divine word and his most sacred Humanity derived from the very bowels of the most H. Virgin and what link of consanguinity can be straiter then that betwixt Christ and his B. Mother Therfore the affinity and tie which we have even according to nature with her exceeds all affinity among men And if men upon this score of alliance by blood and kindred do mutually help one another and have recourse to them for reliefe in distress why shall not we have recourse to her with whome we are linkt in the straitest bonds What shall I say of the neernes and as it were spiritual kindred which we have contracted with her he by whom thou receivedst the grace of baptisme or stood for God father to thee in that Sacrament becomes thy kinsman and thou art bound to honour him as thy parent how much stricter a propinquity and filiation contract we with the Virgin by whose meanes we have so often receivd grace who hath so frequently brought us forth to God and into the light and truth of a spiritual life I acknowledg thee o Mother of God Mother of grace and mercy for my Mother and beseech thee that thou wilt not forget that sweet name in which thou thy self takest so much complacence Thou art stild Mother of grace and mercy and what ennobled thee with this title but our misery because we stand in such need of thy grace and commise-ration wherfore since I am the most miserable of all I challenge a greater right over thy maternal bowels then all Thy dignity accrues from my indignity thy sanctity from my sinfulnes and therfore I claime the first place in thy mercy because I am the first and greatest and unworthiest of sinners The sins of men made thee the Mother of God and my sins alone were sufficient to make thee the Mother of mercy discard me not from thy protection since all the Religious of our Society are shelterd under thy mantle as thy most devoted child F. Martin Gutierez beheld once in a wonderful vision For who can lay a better claime to mercy then he that is most miserable remember that I alone by my innumerable offences can only maintain this title of honour in which next to that of a Virgin Mother thou art wonto glory above all others I that am most miserable confide o Mother in thy mercy for heaven and earth wil sooner perish then thy mercy and grace wil frustrate those that truly and seriously implore ●y assistance and bestow themselves in thy service Admit me among them that with joyfulnes and teares I may employ my self in honouring thee but because my tepidity keeps me cold and dul as one that am wholy of an earthly complexion I envy thy clients a little of their fervour and wish as did that most devout Father Iohn Trexus to sweep thy chappells with my mouth and water them with my teares And to accomplish this in deed that good zealous Father and devout child of the Virgin made on foot a pilgrimage of some miles The V. Chapter That we must imitate Christ and of the sorrow and suffering of his most B. Hart. HOw can that man relish any thing of gust who thinks upon IESVS afflicted for the gust of men One drop o● his blood was more then sufficient for our redemption how happens it then that the effusion of the whole and such a world of sorrowes afflictions and disgraces are not an effectual incentive to imitation did the Son of God suffer such and so much in vain and to no purpose since the least prayer he made was a superabundant satisfaction for a thousand worlds and able to purchase grace for all mankind And yet so great an excess of torments sufficeth not to stir up me alone to his imitation for Christ sufferd for us leaving us an example The least swarvings of our wil cost God no les then the most exorbitant of our offences O if I did but seriously ponder my works o Lord how should I be siezd with fear Thy works are wonderful I wish my soul could throughly know them prodigious wonders which thou hast placd upon the earth wonderful testimonies of thy love and my ingratitude and hard hartednes I wish my hart would become like melted wax I set thee as a signet upon it that so I may rellish no gustful thing in this life but imitate thy griefes and afflictions I will place that sad hart of my IESVS which was in a perpetual crucifixion as a signet upon mine so shall I have it alwayes in my mind and my soul will wast within me What can be imagind more effectual to extinguish in us all gust of our own will then the memory of IESVS

of a mere covetousnes of labouring in a short time he would goe mad five houres or more are necessary each day for our corporal rest the repose of our soul is prayer very many because quitting their good purposes they betake themselves so late to it become giddy-braind and besides themselves Our prayer which is the food and repose of our soul must be quiet and free from disturbance for we take our bodily sustenance though corruptible and shortly to be together with our selves the food of wormes sitting and with quietnes The benefit of prayer is not stinted to that hour or time we are at it but hath influence upon the whole day A little leaven seasons the whole batch and a little prayer will season the whole day Prayer is not only beneficial for that respit of time wherin we pray because we spend it well and to our own advantage but much more in regard of the whole day that we loose it not wholly A long times profit depends upon a short moment if thou wilt make purchase of the ensuing day let thy rising in the morning be seconded at least with one houres prayers After a due and fervent prayer one is replenishd with holy illustrations which interlace themselves ever and anon amidst our succeeding employments After a great noise is past there remaines a ringing and buzzing in our eares and the daies actions become frequently the subject of our dreames so from the repose of prayer certain images of what past in it diffuse themselves through our daily affaires and holy inspirations do frequently recur he that looks stedfastly upon the sun what soever he beholds afterwards seems to carry a resemblance thereof Although one know compleatly what appertaines to his duty prayer conduceth much to ground him more solidly in it Truths themselves gotten by prudence experience learning and reading do penetrate more profoundly when in prayer they come from above corne fields prosper better when they are waterd from heaven then by the inlet of a brook or fountain the higher a stone fals the more impetuous is its motion and makes a deeper dint in the ground The same truth coming from heaven strikes the hart with a deeper impression and excites more vigorously to fervour and devotion They are our wicked propensions that mislead us from the paths of vertue and this obstacle is removed by the benefit of prayer which by devotion begets inclinations to good and is a kind of fuel which feeds the ardour of doing well preventing the fuel of sin But why do I insist so much upon the advantages of prayer its enough for me o divine truth that thou shewest thy self most affable in it most bountiful towards me there thou discoverst thy self there I embrace thee and repose as in thy armes in this tumult of affaires Thou shewest thy self in it o clear-shining truth to my endarkned spirit as in thy throne that it may harbour no guile nor deceit Our prayer must also be prolix while health and age permits that so we may supply for the time of sicknes when we cannot and must alwaies think we have prayd but little That most elevated man and great zealot of God F. Didacus Martinius made every day with great diligence and strict account 4. thousand acts of love to God and added a part another sum purposely to make recompense for the time of his last sicknes if perchance then he should not be able as he desird to attend to God he moreover spent every day ten houres with great recollection in conversing with him by fervent prayer That devout Father Michael Sosa when old age and intensenes of pain in his long and last sicknes interrupted his exercise of prayer exhorted his Brethren and complaind of himself saying make make amends o Brethren for all remissnes in the exercise of prayer while age and strength enables you providing thus against the future injuries of nature when ye would pray and neither age nor sicknes will permit it I am sorry now that I cannot pray when I would I am sorry I did not when I could So did he accuse himself whose mind was so absorpt in God that he would walk up and down like one in an extasy when he was about to wash his hands forgetting to turn the cock of the lavatory he often rubd them as if the water had fallen upon them afterwards wipt them with the towel as if they had bin washd Somtimes being transported in spirit he sufferd a rapture for 8. houres together and being come to himself he thought it no more then a little quarter O confusion and our benumdnes we that stand in far greater need of praying are quickly weary and think that short respit of time which we bestow upon God or rather purchase to our selves very long but when it is lost discoursing with men it seemes but short and if we persist as long in prayer as worldlings sit at a banquet we think we have done more then enough The III. Chapter How efficacious the grace and favours of Christ are I Wish any one knew and could utter what my mind aymes to conceive and as yet cannot O how much I labour to comprize in my hart and cannot sufficiently comprehend it Grant o eternal truth that I may clearly discover something that I have in Christ and the immense riches that are reservd for me in my IESVS We know not we know not o mortals what treasures we possess in Christ The brethren of Ioseph were afflicted with famine because they were ignorant that he raignd in Aegypt why are we afflicted our brother raignes in heaven Rejoyce all ye sinners and beggars ye that are in calamity and distress because that brother of yours that loves you more tenderly then does all the world besides who of all others sticks closest to you is highest in Gods favour is most wealthy is God and for your sakes hath bin afflicted I congratulate I congratulate with sinners because Christ in himself hath most fully satisfyed the divine justice frustrating all its hope of making a prey of you and this without any double dealing yea in all rigour of equity Christ is the comfort of divine mercy and the treasure of Gods clemency I congratulate with the needy I congratulate with the miserable I congratulate with the distressed because it is your most loving brother who hath the dividing of the divine treasures as he thinks good who gives charters of beatitude and grants of true joy God hath placd for master of his family not a forraigner not an Angel but your very own brother Christ is our most faithfull friend for when we as being naked and miserable were altogether unworthy to appeare before the king he that we might come into the presence of God our soveraign not only not unworthily but after a most honorable manner and so obtaine mercy at his hands he I say clad us with a most rich purple died in his own pretious blood

inspirations from heaven all these concurr in no body besides my self If any one perchance have committed fewer sins then I he hath received also fewer inspirations and had les obligation if any be found more calld upon favoured by God he find les and corresponded more faithfully but if perchance which I can scarse believe some one may be found who sind more heavily had a profounder knowledg of his duty I do not for all this deem him worse then me because such a one wil not know nor ressent such obligations as I do and although another had in very deed greater tyes though I think it cannot be yet acts of vertue are to be weighd by the conscience they proceed from and since I am perswaded that my obligations to serve him are greater then all others and yet serve him les I may wel be held the vilest and ungratefullest of all Although the sins of Anti-christ exceed mine in number yet his knowledg light and obligation wil not exceed mine for he shal not obtain pardon of his trespasses so often as I have done nor wil he be urged with such efficacious and present benefits and inspirations nor preserved from so many occasions of offending Although Lucifer had greater light communicated to him yet he was damned but for one only sin nor had he so many tyes upon him as I the Son of God became not man for his sake nor shed his pretious blood Iudas also had fewer obligations from Christ then press me for as then he had not felt the stings of death O humble and meek immensity of God how canst thou tolerate me for not being confounded and swallowd up in the gulph of my own basenes Let me not I beseech the prefer my self before any one since I find no ground to suspect any body worse then my self Acts which render one sinner greater then another are but of a limitted number how then am not I worse then any of them who can without any stint adde sin to sin and have poyson enough in me to infect the whol world for after so many benefits received after such an excess of Gods love so many divine inspirations I am still extreme wicked what if he by his grace in me others had not curbed the unbridlednes of my malice I am daily by addition of new sins more and more disposed to deprave both my self and others more perniciously If one sin of Adam was able to infect his whole innocent posterity if one theft of Achan could render all Israel liable to divine vengeance such an infinite multitude as mine are what must they needs effect I see not o infirme spirit how thou canst chuse but be confounded considering thy own despicable meanenes together with the vast multitude of thy offences if thou confrontest these with Gods immensity with the excess of his benefits the incomprehensible work of Christs redemption with his ineffable love and loialty towards thee in comparison of which last all the stupendious things he hath done for thee are little regardable by which alone he was as it were forced to do what he did But all this is nothing and much short of truth whatsoever can be conceived concerning thy basenes and infamy yea esteem it nothing for thou wouldst still find thy self more and more contemptible if thou wert but throughly enlightned by God O most pretious truth if the case stand thus with me why do not I dispise my self disdaign my self abhorr my self so far as not to know what either to do or think of my self I wonder that I endeavour not to reverence God more profoundly I am amazed that I seek not my own contempt more fervently One sole crime renders him that commits it infamous even among sinful men who cannot penetrate the malice of sin nor conceive a worthy detestation of it How then must so many defaults of mine so many culpable neglects disgrace and deforme me before the sanctity of God his pure Angels and glorious Saints For although I may wel hope that many sins through the mercy of God are forgiven me what I was once of my self I am allwayes nor shal ever of my self be more If I had once of my self for what I might account my self contemptible why not allwaies for of my self I never have more rather shame must increase in me and how much the more I have received so much ought I to humble my self for my sins past Since I have learnd by experience the divine mercy shame ought I say to increase for having contemned so good a Lord and stil persisting in my ingratitude O most vile and wretched spirit why in so great ingratitude dost thou not deem thy self unworthy of all grace how darest thou be so bold as to beg any why if it were voluntarily given thee without thy demanding it dost thou not tremble so far as almost to doubt whether it were not better to want that guift of God then be exposed again to a hazard of abusing what thou hast so often contemned but hoping in thy mercy o Lord I wil be bold and forward yea importune to the whol court of heaven discovering to it my basenes and ulcers neither will I cease to cry to all and each Saint in particular till I be even troublesome to them s at least by my importunity since I have no better title of my self I wil obtain greater grace mercy of my IESVS that he desert not me for deserting it The XX. Chapter VVhat it is to stile ones self nothing and a great sinner THou wilt abuse others by tearming thy self nothing and a great sinner if thou really thinkest not so but thou wilt deceive thy self if thou thinkest so and proceedest not accordingly treating demeaning thy self as such What thinkest thou is it to be a nothing to be no more sollicitous over thy self that thou maist atchieve Gods greater glory then thou art over those things which are not touched at all nor moved for wholly relinquishing and evacuating themselves Wouldst thou fret at him that should beat the aire or chafe at another who being placed in those vacuities of the imaginary spaces should spend his tongue and fists in chiding striking that empty nothing So thou if thou esteemst thy self also nothing and hast evacuated thy self of thy self thou must not as much as may be resent any injuries otherwise by so doing thou wilt esteem thy self something It will be as ridiculous and childish for thee who tearmest thy self nothing to seek thy own repute and interest as if thou shouldst be extremely anxious how to wish honour prosperity enough to one that is not as yet created nor ever shal be Wherfore thou must be no otherwise affected towards thee and thine then if thou hadst not as yet a being But by truly and seriously holding thy self nothing thou dost wonderfully purify thy self and puttest thy soul in a fit disposition to receive without stop or let

were great for this respect that they were not the greatest nay although thou didst outrun a great many almost all if one alone outstripd thee the prize would be lost and all as good as nothing Now our merits are at a greater certainty and more fruitful now not the least of our works perisheth now all our services are recompensed according to the degree of their fervour Why then should we now be so pittifully sluggish with certain forfeyture of a secure reward what if thou wert ascertaind that none at all should be damned but all partake of salvation that ought not to give thee a pretence of being negligent but rather highten thy fervour towards a more ample enrichment of merits and increase of glory Go to the sufferings of this life are not condigne or commensurate to the future glory suffer not lazynes to reside in thee for it is the moth of merits and scab of vertues taking away all the grace of our actions rendring them so light of weight and distastful to God that his stomack wil not disgest them If thou yealdst thy self to slouth sadnes wil not a little annoy thee being forced to sustain the heat and burden of the day without any comfort the sting of conscience bereaving thee of that but promptitude and alacrity wil make thee insensible of the incumbrances of this life and is highly pleasing and acceptable to God What master of a family loves not to see his servants pleasantly merry and going cheerfully about their work If man love to behold a pleasant countenance so doth God a cheerful mind Let not the sad look of thy negligence contristate Almighty God neither do thou superadd to the bitternes of this life the wormwood of sluggishnes a sluggard partakes neither of the joyes of God nor of this world A tepid religious man in most things is in a worse condition then a wordling This though he share not of spiritual comfort yet he doth of temporal the tepid for the most part is deprived of both He that is habituated in sin is not without hope of being coverted and acquiring sanctity but he that growes tepid after his conversion hath forfeyted part of that confidence there being greater hopes of a sinner then of him Great sinners very often become great Saints but it is a piece of a miracle if he that is tepid become such a one Experience teacheth us that it is more difficil for the lukewarme to become fervorous then for a sinner to become a Saint for a tepid man is far from resenting his condition as evil because he deems himself secure and that a mediocrity in vertue sufficeth to salvation he doth acquiesce in this he must notwithstanding be wary and dread his security for the danger is very eminent But which is no mean subject of terrour God cals makes enquiry after sinners Christ takes his refection with them but as for the frigid they turn his stomack and he loathingly vomits them out of his mouth Shal I say somthing no les frightful the tepid obstruct the current of Gods mercy and suspend the influences of his profuse liberality while he is bountiful towards the greatest sinners but towards the negligent he is as it were sparingly parcimonious not communicating to them what he oftentimes more willingly confers upon the other I wil add something yet more formidable which ought to make each bone of our body shiver and quake God who is stil giving to all erecting every where trophees of his bounty with the tepid he is on the taking hand depriving them of those talents which he had mercifully lent them before What more noxious then to debar him as much as in us lyes from being beneficent what worse then not to suffer him to be good impeding the activity of his goodnes and munificence Is not he accursed who is the occasion of such a curse how deservedly then is he accursed who doth the work of God negligently Many things which are evil are at least serviceable in some respect but slouthfulnes is so naughtily naughty that it is in no sort conducible What can be imagined worse then heynous sins yet these many times through the wonderful wisdome and goodnes of God who knowes how to extract good out of evil conduce to our conversion and sanctification we seeking him after such foul lapses with greater fervour and humility Slouthfulnes obstructs all this it is so hurtfully evil that it shewes it self in part less good and proficuous then the very malice it self of greater sins Slouthfulnes is the worm of time it eats and spoiles the choisest things we have yea it is an enemy to eternity lessening life eternal by lessening our merits and it also wasts our temporal by its mortiferous idlenes If thou demand whose life is shorter I wil undoubtedly reply that of the negligent though he protract it to a hundred years if thou ask whose is longer I wil answere that of the diligent though he live but for a short space death and slouthfulnes is equivalently the same thing What marchant would sit idle at home if by one dayes paines he could compendiate the return of a thousand years do not thou set light by time one day of fervour is more available then a million of remisnes and tepidity A short life ful of a vigorous ardency is equivalent nay prevalent to a long one if it be cold and phlegmatique If thou covet to live long live diligently But how shameful is the shame of sluggish idlenes how ridiculously infamous would he be who being picked out from among all the peers of the realm to fight a duel in his kings behalf having before boasted much of his valour should now in the very lists of combat where his soveraign and all his court stand spectatours not have the courage to draw his sword nor move his arme to make a thrust but bend all his forces to flight leaving his adversary an unbloody victory O sluggard thou maintainst Gods quarrel many Angels beholding and enuying thy happines who would take it for a great honor to suffer and combat for the glory of God as thou mayst this favour is done thee to be his champion thou art become a theater or spectacle to God the B. Virgin his Saints and Angels thou hast often promised to behave thy self valiantly why art thou now being come to the push so dastardly cowardish o infamy of nature do not defame the grace of God nor frustrate those supplies which are kept for a reserve why art thou so hartles in this work consider how fervently God desires that thou performe it with fervour The III. Chapter How incommodious a thing is sleepines VVHAT more seemly to season the first thoughts of the day then the ancient of dayes my God that so our mind in its first undertakings may be consecrated to him The thought and love of God must not be intermitted and how much less denied at a seasonable time Pay the