Selected quad for the lemma: saint_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
saint_n	bless_a	mercy_n	sinner_n	1,766	5	10.2326	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A00412	The contempte of the vvorld, and the vanitie thereof, written by the reuerent F. Diego de Stella, of the order of S. Fr. deuided into three bookes, and of late translated out of Italian into Englishe, vvith conuenient tables in the end of the booke; Vanidad del mundo. English	Estella, Diego de, 1524-1578.; Cotton, George.	1584 (1584)	STC 10541; ESTC S101688	253,878	566

Apostle Brethren if any of you shall be taken in any offence you that be spirituall instruct you him amongest you by the spirite of meekenes considering that any of you may also be tempted Consider thy selfe sayeth S. Paule for if thou woldest consider thy selfe and haue respecte vnto thy owne faultes thou woldest neuer be proude nor reprehend thy neyghbour with any greate indignation And when thou hast cause to chasten any that is vnder thee looke that thou doest it with pietie VVhen thou offendest woldest thou that God sholde straighte wayes send thee downe into hell And if thou wilt that God shall deale mercifullie with thee then must thou deale mercifullie also with thy neighbours And he that will chastise other mens offences with rigor and seueritie shall neuer deserue to haue his owne offences pardoned at gods hand And if a man be neuer so bade yet oughtest thou not cleane to cast hym of because thou knowest not what the end of that man may be for he that is bad 〈◊〉 day may to morow amend and be better VVho wold haue thought that the theefe that spent all his lyfe tyme in robbinge and stealing sholde haue made so good an end as that he sholde haue bene brought by our Sauiour hym selfe into perpetuall glorie If any man had slayne hym one yeare before he had bereued hym of that happye ende of his Howe many greate sinners haue there bene in the worlde that haue bene afterward blessed Saintes No man ought to be vtterlie cast away thoughe he be neuer so greate a sinner for because he may be a Sainte at the last The hand of God is not shortened thou must not gyue any boūdes or limits vnto his graces nor measure his mercies Those happelie that thou seest nowe to haue committed greate crimes God may choose to make his predestinates elects of VVhat shall become of men in tyme to come that canst not thou knowe that which thou knowest is that thou arte thy selfe a sinner and that thou arte worthie to be despised of all men and to be condemned to hell If thy neighbour doe offend take thou heede sayth the Apostle for wee be all members one of another It is conformable to the lawe of nature and to all common reason that one member shold helpe and succour another Despise not thyne owne flesh suffer with patience thy brothers offences and neuer be thou scandalized or offended thereat but contynue in thy good exercyses of prayer and contemplation whatsoeuer or how much soeuer thou seest amisse in other men For the sorowe and the passion that thou doest often receyue by these occasions doth coole thy soule and taketh away the feruēcie of thy spirite and much harme doth the greefe that groweth of these exterior thinges vnto the seruante of God Excepte thou doest discharge thy mynde of these vayne cares and keepe it from wandringe abrode thou shalt not much profit But enter within thy selfe and haue alwayes in thy memory that thou arte a sinner and stand in feare and suspicion of thy selfe for thou knowest not whether thou arte acceptable vnto God or no neyther if thou wert how long thou shalte contynue in the good course that thou hast begonne AS SOONE AS ANY VVICked thoughtes doe approche vnto thy mynde they must straight vvayes be driuen avvay and extynguished for thoughe they be neuer so small at the first yet if they doe contynue they vvill grovve greater and vvax stronger vvhereby they vvill be able to dravve thee into distruction CHAP. 25. VVOE be vnto you tha● thinke vpon thinges vnprofitable sayth God Thy thoughts must not be idle nor occupied aboute any euill thinge for euen of th● verie thoughtes shalt thou be asked a reckeninge in the latter day If men shold bu● beholde the vanitie of thy cogitations i● what credite doest thou thinke that they wolde haue thee And yet thou knowe●● that at the day of iudgemente the secrete● of all hartes shal be laied open It will be a wonderfull confusion an● shame vnto thee when all thy secre● thoughtes shall be made manifest vnto th● whole worlde whereof thou arte no● ashamed to let thy cheefest and moste secrete frendes to know any thing If thou doest let euill thoughts harbour any while within thee thou canst not escape but that thou shalte thereby fall into the daunger of death Of thoughtes first come wordes and after of wordes folow deedes Such corne as thou puttest into the mill such meale shalt thou haue thence agayne thyne imagination goeth alwayes aboute lyke the wheele of a mill and if thou doest put into it good thoughtes it will yelde thee meale agayne of good workes but if thou doest put into it euill thoughtes conformable vnto them shall thy workes be also Of barley corne will neuer good meale come neyther of idle thoughtes will euer come good deedes He that tarieth longe in anye euill thoughte putteth him selfe into daunger of consenting vnto it The psalme sayeth Happie is he that taketh the litle children and throweth them agaynst the stone And before that thy thoughtes doe growe to any greatnes beate them against that rocke which S. Paule speaketh of The rocke sayeth he is Christ. And if they be agreeable vnto his lawe let them grow and increase but if they be not doe them away betyme according to his commaundement Kill thyne enemy when he is but yong and litle for if thou lettest him grow vntil he be greate he will goe neare to kill thee It is a wyse mans parte to stand in some feare of his enemy although he be yet but litle Thy thoughtes be lyke vnto the roote of a tree if it be greene it is good and will cause the tree to bring forth fruite but if it be drye and withered it will bring forth no fruite at all If the thought be good it ministreth good matter vnto the will to take holde of which being mayntayned and holpen forward with the intelligence doth bring forth good desires from which good workes doe proceede In euill thoughtes thou must not abyde for of this did God by the mouth of Ieremy the prophete complayne sayinge Howe longe will this people contynue in their euill thoughtes God doth not here finde faulte with them for that they had euill thoughtes but because they perseuered and continued in them VVhen the gentiles remained amongst the people of Israell God did cleane forsake his people wolde not once vouchsafe to speake vnto them and so shalt thou be also forsaken of him if thou wilte let euill thoughtes take vp their dwellinge with thee God is with thee when euill thoughtes be away from thee but when they come once in place he departeth quyte away from thy soule Thou must shut the dore of thy consent agaynst them that they may haue no restinge place with thee It was lawfull for the Iewes to let the gentiles passe through their countrey for thereof wolde no harme come

to kill hym as many doe which put their owne passions in pris●● for a whyle but they will not kill th●● forthwith It is not sufficient for the 〈◊〉 imprison thy passions in keepinge th●● from going out but thou must kill them as all concupiscence and worldlie desi●● may vtterlie die in thee Many be like the trees in wynt●● which seeme deade to the worlde in 〈◊〉 outward shew but when they be stur●● vp and moued a little then they shew th●● selues by their wordes and answeres 〈◊〉 be such as haue their passions still quick and liuelie in them But because that 〈◊〉 rootes within were left a liue they begin● to spring forth agayne assone as the temp●tation of sommer cometh vpon them Go● sayde vnto Saule because thou hast let hi● lyue that was worthie to die thy lyfe sha●● goe for his Thy soule shall die by mean●● of the lyfe which thou gauest vnto th● bodie Make reckenyng with thy selfe an● see who it is that liueth in thee If the fle●● doe lyue then is the spirite deade Th●● canst not gyue thy selfe to prayer and co●●templation without that thou be first mo●●tified before all other thinges thou mu●● gyue thy selfe vnto mortification God commaunded that all tho●● beastes sholde be stoned vnto death th●● drew neare vnto the hill where God hym selfe appeared and why deserueth not 〈◊〉 the same punnishement that hauinge hi● ●●astly passions still abiding in him will ●euerthelesse approch vnto the high hill 〈◊〉 contemplation VVhilest our sensuall ●●ssions reigne in vs then is little diffe●●nce betwixt vs and beastes Thou canst not come to the con●●mplatiue lyfe but that thou must first ●egynne with the actiue lyfe Iacob was ●●st called Iacob which is as much to say 〈◊〉 a subplanter or one that holdeth an●●her by the heele before that he was cal●●d Israell which signifieth one that seeth ●od For thou canst not see God by con●●mplation but if thou doest first plucke ●●●ce out of thee by the heeles and cast ●●●m cleane away by mortification of thy ●●lfe Mortification perteyneth to the lyfe ●●iue First was Lia gyuen vnto Iacob ●hich representeth the actyue lyfe after ●●at he had serued many yeares for Ra●●ell which signified the contemplatiue ●●fe and althoughe that Rachell be first 〈◊〉 Nobilitie and perfection yet is shee ●●●t in generation and knowledge Al●●ough that the contemplatiue lyfe be ●●tter then the actiue yet first thou must ●●ceyue and take hold of the actyue lyfe ●hou must first be maried vnto Lia before ●●ou comest vnto Rachell Mortefie first ●●y sensualitie and excercyse thy selfe in ●orkes of humilitie Learne to conquere ●●y selfe and to be abstinent and patient ●●d to beare all iniuries and so shalt thou come vnto contemplation Daniell and his companions were great absteiners and fasters and very chast● withall and by that meanes were the● made capable of Gods deuyne reuelatiō● Many will flie without winges but the● profit little because they are not mort●●fied Thou shalt neuer come to the heigh● of contemplation yf thyne affection 〈◊〉 not free from all thinges that are vnde● heauen and so rauished with the loue o● God that thou hast gotten the perfec● knowledge how to despise thy selfe f●● God The pure loue of God maketh 〈◊〉 spirite simple and so free from all worl●●lie thinges that it may without all pay●● and labor flie vp vnto God If thou wert dead to the worlde th● worlde wolde be deade to thee also as i● was vnto the Apostle Euen as the sea re●teyneth those men that be lyuing in it an● casteth away those out of it to the sh●● which are deade so doth the world hono● those that lyue to the worlde and doth those away from it that mortefie them selues for Christ. IT IS MEETE FOR VS TO mortefie and chasten our flesh by absteynyng from meate to the end that vvhen our sensuall appetites be tamed vvee may vvith more ease obey the spirite CHAP. 18. YOV shall die if you will liue accordinge to the flesh saith the Apostle Thou shalt neuer be able to serue the spirite except thou wilt be abstinent and penitent in thy ●yfe The shippe that carieth to greate a ●urthen sincketh therewithall into the ●ottome of the sea if thou doest charge 〈◊〉 bodie with to much meate thou wilt ●●owne thy soule in the sea of sinne The deuill by eating ouercame our ●●rst forefathers And the first temptation ●●at euer he gaue vnto Iob was whilest his ●●ildren were feastinge together Absti●ence and austeritie of lyfe be both ne●essarie for our mortification God prouided meate for all other ●yuinge creatures before he prouided any ●●or man to teach vs how little care wee ●●olde take in prouiding for our bellie Saint Paule knowinge hym selfe to be an elect vessell chastened his body and yet wee that haue no certentie thereof at all but doe onlie knowe our selues to be sinners lyue in pleasure and delighte Beware you ouerlade not your selues by ouer much eatinge and drinkinge sayth our Lorde Daniell to be the better prepared to receyue the heauenlie consolations fasted three whole weekes together and neither eate breade nor flesh nor dranke wyne whereby he was made worthie to see many visions and reuelations If thou wilt ouercome thyne enemy the beste way for thee is to take his weapons away the weapons that the deuill vseth against thee is thyne owne proper fleshe whosoeuer gyueth him selfe to the pleasure and delight of the body will fall soone into subiection of the deuill Daniell did firste destroye the idoll Bell and after the Dragon that was within the idoll Be thou an aduersarie vnto the idoll of the fleshe and labor against it by abstinence fasting and prayer and thou shalte carrie away the victorie from the deuill nothing doth feare the deuil more nor maketh him faster to flie away from thee then abstinence and austeritie of lyfe and nothing doth gyue him greater courage nor maketh him more bold to tempt thee then thine owne flattering and ouermuch fostering of thy body It is a very follie for thee to thinke that thou shalt lyue chaste if thou leadest thy lyfe in wantonnesse and delicasie take away the superfluitie of thy bodely sustenance which serueth in steede of woode to make the fire withall and thou shalte easely quench the fire of thy sensuall desires Loth who lyued chaste in Sodome and was thereby delyuered from the fire that consumed the Citie yet after because he kepte not well this vertue of temperance but fell to drinking of wyne out of measure he committed incest on the hill with his owne doughters A man shall not be ouercomen by temptations nor burnte in the fire of sensualitie if he will defende him selfe with the shielde of abstinence and although that he ascende vp to the hill of contemplation and be fledde from the world yet yf he be not abstinent he may falle fowlie as Loth did It is greate

from thee the vayne cares of this worlde The second thinge that apperteyneth vnto a good messenger is to be diligent in the cause he goeth aboute and to vse a good dexteritie in delyueringe of hi● message and soliciting the same and not to faynte in his sute vntill he haue brought that to passe that he cometh for And so must thy prayer be not slow but dilligent not warme but feruent and fierie And although thou be not heard at the very first yet thou must be importunate pers●●er still callinge as the holie disciples did that continuallie perseuered in prayer Make meanes vnto those that be in fauor with the greate kinge that they may speake vnto hym for thee and be thy daylie intercessors as they vsuallie doe that haue any sute vnto any temporall prince Call earnestlie on our blessed ladie the mother of God for to helpe thee and all the holie Saintes of heauen Our Sauiour teacheth vs howe we ought to behaue our selues towarde him in the parable of him that asketh three loaues of breade of his frende where he sayeth vnto him that if he wolde not gy●e him that which he asked of him because he was a frend yet at the leastewyse that he sholde gyue it him because of his importunitie Our Lorde wolde haue thee to be importunate and doth s●ay his hand from gyuing thee that which thou demaundest to make thee to perseuer in good and that thy merite may thereby be increased that so thou mayest be made worthy to receyue that which he meaneth to gyue thee which is more then thou doest aske of him and although that God doeth knowe in all thinges our necessitie yet wolde he haue vs to sende our messenger of prayer vnto him because his will is that we shold be delyuered from our temptations by ●hat meanes It is necessarie for thee to praye not because thou sholdest make God to know ●hat which he knewe not before nor for ●hat he sholde chaunge his determination ●y thy prayer but onely that by thy pray●r thou sholdest vse those meanes by which God determined to gyue thee that ●hing which thou desirest of him Thy prayer presenteth vnto God thy ●ecessities it humbleth thyne harte it de●yuereth thee from euill it moueth God ●o shewe thee fauor and reconcyleth thy ●oule vnto him Prayer ouercometh and conquererh ●ll thinges It ouercometh men as it appea●eth by Dauid Iudith and Iudas Macha●eus who all ouercame their enemies by ●rayer It ouercame the fire when it bur●ed not the three children that were put ●nto the fierie fornace at Babilon It ouer●ame the water when Moyses by prayer ●ade the redde sea to open and deuyde ●●t ouercame tyme when Elias did there●y make it to rayne or to leaue rayning as it pleased him It ouercame the body when Moyses continued fortie dayes and fortie nights without eating or drincking onely susteyned by the helpe of prayer It ouercame death as is manifeste in Ezechias who beinge adiudged by God his sentence to dye did get by prayer dyuers yeares of lyfe It ouercame the cloudes in as much as Elias by prayer caried the cloudes from the sea vnto the lande It ouercometh the heauens as appeareth by Iosua that by prayer made the soonne and heauens to stande still and moue not and aboue all this prayer is of that force and of that effecte that it ouercame God him selfe Moyses prayed vnto God and he straight wayes made answere vnto him saying Let me alone that I may reuenge me on them God doth here confesse that he was holden backe by the prayer of Moyses since he willed him to let him be reuenged of his people Our Lorde sayeth All that you doe aske in prayer you shall obtayne Seeing then that prayer can so much preuayle in all troubles afflictions temptations and tribulations take it for thy sure shilde for without it sha●te thou neuer get perfect victorie EVERIE THINGE DOTH naturallie tend vnto his proper ende and the ende for vvhich man vvas created beinge God hym selfe he ought to despise all vvorldlie thinges that mighte dravv him from the right vvay vnto hym and onely applie hym to the exercise of such thinges as may further hym to that ende vvhich he seeketh after CHAP. 37. I AM both beginning and ende sayeth God The riuers doe all come forth of the sea and doe thether returne agayne and all thinges doe naturally craue their proper ende and ●●re by nature holpen towarde it And as ●od is our sea from which we came and ●he very center whereunto we tende our ●oules by nature must seeke vnto him and ●●bor to come vnto him as to the very end ●or which they were created Our soule can finde no resting place ●ere in this present lyfe for God him selfe ●ust be the rest thereof as the vttermost ●●nde of all that it seeketh after and the very cause of the creation thereof God hath made vs for the loue of him selfe and therefore our harte must needes be vnquyet vntill it may attayne and come vnto him All thinges hath God created for man and man hath he onely made for him selfe It is a thinge much to be marueyled at that all the creatures that God hath made doe those thinges that they are created for and onely man is a rebell vnto God and endeuoreth not to come vnto the ende that he is ordeyned for God created not thee for the earth but for heauen he made thee not to the ende that thou sholdest seeke after worldlye thinges as the finall ende of thy creation but that thou sholdest onely seeke after him The beastes of the fielde which 〈◊〉 hath ordeyned for the earth doe carrie their heades downe looking alwayes towarde the ground but man whom he hath created for heauen he hath made to go● strayght vpright that he may beholde heauen vnto the which he belongeth and towarde which he dayly sholde drawe Be not thou to much occupied in the way● thether neyther be thou disquieted in t●● iourney hence let not thy reason be confounded with to much busiyng thy self● aboute these corruptible worldly thinges but set thyne harte vpon the lande of t●● liuing the very proper country in dee●● where thou mayest enioye thinges 〈◊〉 ●●biect to any corruption make no accōpt 〈◊〉 these thinges visible but lift vp thyne ●●rt vnto things inuisible Labor earnestlie 〈◊〉 come vnto the ende that thou arte or●●yned for VVhie did God create thee ●●t onely because thou sholdest enioye ●●m Let it be therefore thine whole studie ●●d labor to attayne to hym as to thy most ●●ppie end The Prophet Dauid made his de●●unde who shall ascend vp into the hill ●our Lord Or who shall rest in his holie ●●ce He answered hym selfe agayne ●●ight wayes saying He that hath not re●●●ued his soule in vayne And that thinge ●●wayes receyued in vaine which is not ●●rcysed to the end that it is ordeyned 〈◊〉 thou sholdest in vayne buy a garment ●hou woldest