Selected quad for the lemma: prayer_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
prayer_n	forgive_v	lord_n	trespass_n	3,485	5	11.3824	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A22701	Saint Augustine his enchiridion to Laurence, or, The chiefe and principall heads of all Christian religion a most profitable booke to all those which desire to haue a most compendious briefe of Augustines doctrine, out of Augustine himselfe, when he was old, being repurged, by the old manuscript, of many faults and vnusuall wordes, wherewith it formerly flowed.	Augustine, Saint, Bishop of Hippo.	1607 (1607)	STC 921.5; ESTC S1512	82,205	310

temptation then Christ then had hee not him for his foundation in as much as hee preferred them before Christ the foundation being the first thing that is to bee layed in any building For fier whereof Paul the Apostle spake in that place ought to be taken for such a thing as thorow which both these parties which are to bee tried must passe that is to say as well as he which buildeth gold siluer pretious stones vpō this foundation as hee which buildeth wood grasse and stubble vpon the same For after hee had deliuered this doctrine he addeth thereunto this saying The fier shall trie euerie mans worke of what sort it is If any mans worke that hee hath built vpon abide hee shall receiue wages If any mans worke burne hee shall lose but hee shall bee safe himselfe nouerthelesse yet as it were by the fier The fier therefore shall trie not one but both their works For fier is the touchstone of tribulation whereof in another place it is plainely sayd That the fornace tryeth the potters vessell and tribulation tryeth the righteous This fier while wee are in the flesh hath this effect which the Apostle spake of saying If it happē vnto two which be faithfull the one whereof hath his minde fixed vppon celestiall things thinking how to please God that is to say building vpon Christ his foundation golde siluer and pretious stones and the other hath his thoughts vpon worldly things studying how to please his wife that is to say building vppon the same foundation wodde grasse stubble The first mans labour burneth not because hee set not his fancie vpon those things the losse wherof might grieue him But the other mans labour burneth because the losse of those things is greeuous which are possessed with pleasure and delectation Howbeit in either of these two cases forasmuch as the partie thus tried had rather lose worldly delectation then Christ and doth not forsake Christ vppon any feare to lose those transitorie things albeit it grieue him to part with them hee saueth himselfe no doubt therein and yet as it were by fier Because the griefe of the losse of things which he loued doth burne him but it doth not ouerthrowe or consume him being fortified with a foundation that is permanent and euerlasting CHAP. 69. That all this disputation of purgatorie fier is doubtfull and the fier it selfe auaileable to fewe THat such a thing may bee after this life is not incredible the matter being questionable whether it be so indeed as also that it may bee found out or concealed how diuers of the faithfull bee so much the later or sooner saued by a certaine purgatorie fier by how much the more or lesse they loue these transitorie goods beeing notwithstandinge not of that sorte of whome it is written that they shall not inherit the kingdome of God vnlesse their sinnes be forgiuen as competent petitioners I say competent meaning that they should not be barren in almes deedes Wherevnto the Scripture doth attribute so much honor as the Lord affirmeth that he will impute the fruitfulnesse therof onely to those which stand on his right hand vpbraiding them with barrennesse of such fruite which stand on his left hand When he shall say vnto the first sort Come ye blessed of my father and receiue the Kingdome of God and to the second sort Goe yee into euerlasting fier Animaduersions vpon the 69. Chap. That such a thing may be after this life is not incredible the matter being questionable whether it be so indeed c. BIshop Iewell in his apologie alleageth this place and diuers others out of Saint Augustine shewing that sometime hee saieth there is such a certain place sometime denieth not but there may be such a one sometime he doubteth sometime againe he vtterly denyeth there is any at all thinketh that men are therein deceiued by a certaine naturall good will they beare their friends departed Out of which variable assertions hee gathereth verie concludently that Saint Augustine tooke this matter of Purgatorie fier neither for an Article of the Christian faith for thereof it had not beene lawfull for him to doubt nor for any tradition of the Apostles Let no man therefore bee led by this place to beleeue any such fabulous doctrine TOVCHING ALMES DEEDES CHAP. 70. Wee may not take a libertie to sin presuming of almes deedes TRuely wee must take heede least any man do thinke that those enormious crimes the doers whereof shall not inherite the kingdome of heauen may bee dayly committed and dayly redeemed with almes deedes For our life is to be amended and God to be made propitious vnto vs for our sinnes past in regard of almes deedes and not as it were hired therunto wherby wee may purchase a libertie to sinne without punishment For God hath not giuen to anie man the raines to sin although in this worlde hee pardoneth sinnes alreadie done through his owne mercie in case there bee a neglect of conuenient satisfaction CHAP. 71. That light or small sinnes obtaine pardon at Gods hands by saying of the Lords prayer ●●ds also that it is an almes deede if any man forgiue his brothers offence THe dayly prayer of the faithfull maketh satisfaction for dayly and small sinnes without which this life is not ledde Wherfore it properly belongeth to them to say Our father which art in heauen which are regenerated to such a father by water and the holy Ghost This prayer doth whollye procure remission of small and daylye sinnes and it blotteth out all those trespasses which the life of the faithfull wickedly spent but reformed by repentance doth forsake in case as it is truely said forgiue vs our sins because there is no want of sins in vs to be forgiuen so on the other side it be as truely and vnfainedly said as we forgiue them which trespasse against vs that is to say that that bee fulfilled which is desired Because it is almes to forgiue a man that asketh pardon Animaduersions vpon the 71. Chap. The dayly prayer of the faithful maketh satisfaction for dayly and small sinnes c. THis Chapter seemeth a little to leane vnto the doctrine of Ueniall sins But Danaeus commenting vpon this very place doth discusse and clear that doubt saying that by a figuratiue kinde of speaking that thing is attributed here to the effect of prayer which belongeth onely to the passion of Christ whose blood is the expiation and cause of remission both of light and heauy sinnes For praier is the waie and meanes directed by Christ himselfe to obteine our petitions of God saying in the seauenth of Mathew Ask and it shall be giuen you Which attribute of prayer is much like vnto the Merchant who if hee haue made a prosperous voyage or aduenture vseth to saie that he hath been enriched by that his voyage or aduenture Finally Danaeus doth cite a comparatiue speech of auntient Fathers who affirmed that great sinnes were to bee done away by

penance and small offences by iteration or daily saying of the Lords Praier lest any man should take a liberty to sinne hearing that enormious sinnes might be redeemed by penance or on the other side should bee terrified and driuen to despair if he were inioyned penance for euery small fault and insirmitie Prayer therefore maketh way to the remission of both these degrees of sinnes by the blood of Christ alone howsoeuer the discipline of the Church teacheth vs to knowe how to obtaine forgiuenesse in either kinde Let not therefore this Chapter preiudice Saint Augustine in that point of doctrine nor peruert any other therein CHAP. 72. There bee many kindes of almes howbeit that best whereby we pardon our brother whē he hath offended vs. BY this it appeareth that that saying vttered by the Lord Giue almes and all things shall bee cleane vnto you reacheth to all good actions done out or mercie and compassion that is profitable For not onelie hee which giueth meate vnto the hungrie drinke vnto the thirstie apparell vnto the naked harbour vnto the harbourlesse a place of refuge to the persecuted to the sicke or prisoner visitation helpe to the weak conduct to the blinde comfort to the mourner physicke to the sicke direct●ō to him that is out of the way counsaile to him that doubteth and to euery one in want that which he needeth But also hee which forgiueth him who hath offended him giueth almes yea and hee who by stripes amendeth him ouer whom hee hath authoritie or reformeth him by any discipline and yet notwithstanding forgiueth him with all his heart the trespasse of him whereby he was either damaged or offended or els praieth that it may be forgiue him He doth not onely perform an almes deed in y ● he pardoneth and prayeth withall but also in that he correcteth or inflicteth some punishmēt that reformeth because therein he doth a deede of mercy For there bee many good offices done vnto men against their wills where their good is sought and their owne liking not regarded because they are found to bee their own enemies And they in verie deed become rather their friendes whom they take to be their enemies Through which errour they render euil for good wheras a Christian ought not to render euill for euill There be therfore many kinds of almes the performance whereof helpeth vs in the remission of our owne sinnes CHAP. 73. That euerie Christian ought to be such a proficient as that he can frame himselfe to loue his very enemies BVt there is nothing of greater excellencie than that charitie whereby wee forgiue from out hart that trespasse which any other man hath done vnto vs. For it is not so great a matter to bee kinde or liberall towardes him who hath done thee no harme But it is a more notable thing and effect of an heroicall disposition to loue thine enemie also and for thine owne part alwayes to wish well and to do wel when thou maist to him which wisheth euill vnto thee and would harme thee if hee could giuing eare vnto Christes saying Loue your enemies bee good vnto them which hate you and pray for them which persecute you But because these things be onely in the power of the perfect sonnes of God to performe to the attainement of which perfection euerie faithful person ought to extend his vttermost indeuour and by praying vnto God striuing with himself perswasion to bring his minde to that affection yet because this so great a vertue is not intertained by so great a multitude as wee may beleeue are heard in that part of the Lords prayer where it is saide Forgiue vs our trespasses as wee also forgiue our debters without all doubt the words of this promise bee fulfilled if a man which is not as yet of that perfection as he can vpon the sodain loue his enemy yet when hee is intreated by one that hath trespassed against him to forgiue him doth vnfainedly and from his heart forgiue him being led by the same reason that hee would in like manner bee forgiuen himselfe being a petitioner to God when hee prayeth and sayth Euē as we forgiue our debters That is to say So forgiue vs our debts when wee our selues do aske remission thereof as wee forgiue our debters when they desire the same CHAP. 74. They which forgiue not other men the trespasses done vnto them do not obtaine pardon at Gods hand in the like case NOw againe he that prayeth that man to forgiue him whom hee hath offended being inwardly stirred vp to that motion vpon a remorse of the offence or wrong he hath done him such a person is not now to bee accounted for an enemy so as it should bee as harde a matter to loue him in this case as it was whē he was a professed enemie And whosoeuer doth not vnfainedly forgiue another man which seeketh peace the iniurie he hath done him being penitēt for the same let him not think by any meanes to find remission of his owne sinnes at Gods hands because truth cannot lie For how can it be vnknowne vnto any that heareth or readeth the Gospell who it is that pronounceth this saying I am the truth who after that he had taught vs a forme of prayer doth exceedingly cōmend that sentence in the same prayer saying For if you doe forgiue men their trespasses your heauenly father will also forgiue you your offenses Hee that is not awaked with so great a thunderclap is not asleepe but rather dead and yet is it able to raise vp the dead CHAP. 75. That almes doth neither profite infidels nor those which obstinately continue in sinfull life TRuely they which liue most wickedly will not amend such a life and so bad conditions and in the midst of their highest offences and execrable sinnes cease not to multiply their almes deedes they do vainely flatter themselues presuming of that which the lord speaketh saying Giue almes behould all things shall be made cleane vnto you For they do not vnderstand how far this saying is to bee extended But to the end they may vnderstand it let thē harken to whom it was spoken For it is written in the Gospell that a pharisie desired Christ as hee was speaking that hee would dine with him and Christ being within his house set him down to dinner Now the Pharisie began to say within himselfe wherfore did hee not wash before dinner And the Lord said vnto him Yee Pharisies doe make cleane the outside of the Cuppe and dish but that which is within you is full of rapine and iniquitie Yee fooles did not hee which made the outside make the inside also Howbeit of your superfluitie giue almes all things shall be made cleane vnto you Are we so to vnderstand this saying as that all things were cleane vnto the Pharisies because they gaue almes as these sinnefull persons before spoken of thinke they are to do albeit the Pharisies beleeued not in the Gospell nor