Selected quad for the lemma: sin_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
sin_n	great_a	mortal_a	venial_a	3,197	5	11.4523	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A00765	A treatise of prayer, and of the fruits and manner of prayer. By the most Reuerend Father in God Iohn Fisher Bishop of Rochestre, Preist and most eminent Cardinall of the most holy Catholike Church, of the title of S. Vitalis. Translated into English by R.A.B.; Tractatus de orando Deum. English	Fisher, John, Saint, 1469-1535.; Roe, Alban, 1583-1642, attributed name.; Anderton, Robert, attributed name.; Batt, Antonie.; R. A.	1640 (1640)	STC 10890; ESTC S115046	39,954	190

all of them together and yet it will not be From hence proceedes that theire is never an end of desiring these things and for the obteining of these things all good order is broken and a generall confusion of all things brought into the world Yet nothing of all these can satiate our desires which are of so large an extent and capacitie that they cannot be satisfide but with the cheifest good which is God himselfe The contemplation therefore and fruition of this good is aboue all things to be desired this onely satisfieth this banisheth all longing But this cannot be obteined but by good life nor good life without prayer where by it appeares that whosoever desires to in ioy this happinesse must cheifely aboue all things be intent to this holy exercise of prayer Thus much for the second reason The third reason why God in to be prayed vnto CHAP. II. IN this third place it will not a litle stirre vs vp that Christ Iesus himselfe hath warned vs with his owne mouth to be sedulous in prayer we ought alwayse to pray For who knowes better how to instruct vs in those things that belong to our eternal saluation then the sonne of Almightie God in whome God the father placed the treasures of his wisedome and knowledge and who for that purpose discended into this world to show vs the right way to our heavenly countrie Or who will endeavour with more efficacy to teach vs the way then hee who for the loue of vs hath vndergonne the most troublesome most ignominious and most painfull and contemptible death of the Crosse Neyther hath he onely admonished vs of the necessitie of praying continuallie but he hath likewise promised that we shall obteine any thing we desire of him in prayer saying Aske and yee shall receiue seeke and yee shal find knocke and is shall be opened vnto yee This Iesus Christ the sonne of God who is truth it selfe hath promissed with his owne mouth Let vs therefore flie vnto the throne of his clemency and lett vs there continuallie pray for the grace of good life and perseuerāce in good workes nothing doubting but he wil more willingly and liberallie grant our requests then we know to begg or demād them at his hands Therefore seing he hath taught vs the necessitie of prayer and that we ought alwayse to pray it cannot be doubtfull to any but that aboue all things it is dayly and houerly to be practissed And especiallie of vs Christians who wander in the miseries of this world exiled from the face of our heavenly father it is so necessarie for vs to obey this wholesome councell of Christ that if any one shall determinately resolue with himselfe not to pray he sinneth mortally And which is more whosoeuer shall maliciously neglect to pray having time and opportunitie and cheifely when he seeth himselfe in danger to fall into sinne such negligence may like wise be mortall although the negligence of its owne nature be but a venial sinne greater or lesser according to the greatnesse of the negligence But if wee shall more diligently discusse the words of our Saviour the necessitie of prayer will yet more manifestly appeare The saluation certeinly of euery Christian depends of God whome we must dayly implore for obtaining of the same and because this saluation of ours is in continual danger and that euery one is bound to procure it with all the care and diligence he can hence is it that euery moment we are bound to pray to God for it alwaise to lift vp our eyes to heauen alwayse to lift vp our hearts to God seing it is not to be obteined by any other meanes then from him and by him Neyther must we onely pray for our owne salvation but also for the saluation of our neighbours For as euery one is bound to succour and releiue him when he seeth him in corporall and temporal necessitye soe is he much more bound when heseeth him in any spirituall danger of his soul to releiue him And at this present time we haue most neede to pray seing the times be such and so dangerous as they now be sinners being so multiplied vpon the earth and sinne it selfe so dayly encreased as we see it is Now adayes sinne is applauded and commended as Iustice and good workes reputed sinnes Now to sim is to doe welle and contrary wise to doe well to sinne Woe be vnto vs that are borne in these miserable times In which with teares I speake whosoeuer indureth with the zeale and feare of God beholdeth the manners and conversation of the people he will presently be moved to greife and teares This very consideration ought iustly to moue vs that being humbled and truly sorrie for our sinnes we should by prayer lye continuallie knocking at the Gates of Gods mercy and clemency not onely for our owne safety but also for the recouery of our neighbours whome we see in so miserable and extreame danger of theire souls from whence they cannot arise but by continuall prayer and imploring of Gods diuine assistance The fourth and last reason why God ought to be prayed vnto CHAP. V. THe fourth and last reason may be gathered after this manner There is noe man clothed with this mortall flesh who hath not sometimes finned and highly offended the Maiestie of God nor that hath any warrant or securitie heereafter not to sinne And in this respect it is most necessary for vs by dayly prayer not onely to seeke that he would graciously pardon and forgiue our former sinnes But also that he would be pleased to prevent vs with his grace lest we fall againe into other sinnes through which we may incurre eternal punishment And first there is no man whose soul hath once been infected with sinne that certeinly knowes whether he be in the grace of God or noe vnlesse it be reuealed vnto him Wherefore Salomon sayth in his booke of Ecclesiastes There be iust and wise men and theire workes be in the hands of God and yet man knoweth not whether he be worthy of loue or hatred but all things are kept vncertaine vnto the last that is all things are left to the last examine where nothing shall be hidden not the least thought that hath entered into mans herat shal be concealed from the most strict iudge But although no man in this estate of life knowes certeinty whether he be in state of grace or noe yet by certeine coniectures he may vndoubtedly beleeue it and especiallie when he knowes not that his conscience is charged with any mortall sinne of which he hath not heere to fore repented or which he hath not discouered to his ghostly father or doth intend to discouer at his first opportunitie And if moreouer he finds himselfe inclined to doe and put in execution those things which belong to the honour of God if he be delighted to heare holy scriptures to be often present at diuine seruice and be resolute by Gods grace so much

as is in his power to absteine from all contagion of sinne This man doubtlesse may belecue that he is in the state of grace but as I sayd before no man can certeinly know this vnlesse he be speciallie illuminated from aboue And for this cause it is necessarie for all men to cōteine themselues within the limitts and bounds of feare and to be perseuerantly knocking at the gates of gods mercy To this feare doth the holy scripture perswade vs saying Be not without feare of the forgiuenesse of thy sinns And truly this feare will so much helpe and avayle vs that if the greife before taken for our sinns were not sufficient Almightie god now approuing of this feare and withall accepting of the prayer which this feare begetteth it wil satisfie Gods wroth and obteine mercy and pardon of all his sinnes before committed Moreouer if we grant there be any man that knowes he hath full remission of all his sinnes and that he be wholy reconciled to God and certeinly in his grace yet may such an one very well doubt whether he may not fall from this so happie an estate seing that there is no man so confirmed in grace but that he may fall from it wherefore S. Paul giues this councell to the Romans Thoustandest by fayth Ro. 11. be not Onerwise but feare as if he should say if thorough fayth any one be in state of grace let him not therefore presume of himselfe but let him rather feare seing he may so easily fall No man can be secure in this world as S. Paul likewise sayth to the Corinthians He that thinketh himselfe to stand 2. Cor. 10. lett him take heed he fals not Wherefore it is most necessarie for vs to lift vp our eyes and hands to heaven and with most humble heartie prayers to intreate of God to grant vs the grace of perseverance least we fal from this happie estate we are in by his grace For we reade of many whoe haue stood vp like pillers a long time in the Church of Christ and haue shined like as burning lamps of sanctitie yet because they haue not conteined themselues within the limitts of this humble feare they haue fallen headlong into the bottomelesse pitt of hell not onely to their owne ruine and infamie but the ruine of many others which here but that I feare to be tedious I could confirme by the authoritie of holy doctors and indubitable histories of the Church Now out of this we haue heere sayd it appeares to euery man that we ought alwayse to pray as well for the obteining pardon of our sinns as also to avoyde the imminent dangers we may so easily fall into And thus having treated of these foure reasons so much I hope as is sufficient I will now speake something of the fruit of prayer which I promised to doe in this second part THE SECOND PART OF THE THREE CHEIFE FRVITS of prayer CHAPT I. ALTHOVGH the a foresayd reasons may seeme more then sufficient to stirre vp mens minds vnto prayer yet not with stāding there be many very slow and dull to this exercise because forsoth they doe not tast that inward sweetnesse which many devout souls doe oftentimes find in themselues They would willingly they say pray if they could in ioy that such inward comfort and content which others doe But withall they then doe not consider that prayer must goe before and swetnesse and delight will come after For as in the bodie by long motion and agitation of it heate comes and increaseth euen so by long vse and perseuerance in prayer begineth and increasseth that sweetnesse and comfort in the soul which is most pleasant and aboue all mesaure comfortable And although euery one tasteth not this sweetnesse in prayer yet there be other fruits which we reape by praying which be of three sorts The first is the meritt it selfe which God hath proposed to giue vnto vs for praying The second is the obteining of the thing we pray for The third is the tast of that wonderfull sweetnesse which we find in our selfes in the time of prayer Which three kind of fruits are so different in themselues that one may attaine vnto the first without the other two For one may by prayer meritt yet not obteine that which he prayeth for as saint Paul did whoe sayth that 2. Cor. 12. He prayed to God three times that the sting of the fleshe with which he was very much troubled might be taken from him Yet he did not obteine what he prayed for but for all this it is most certeine he did not loose the meritt of his prayer And the two first may be obteined without the third which questionlesse dayly happens vnto many who begging pardon of their sinns doe obteine it and besides this they are not frustrated of the meritt of prayer yet theyare not refreshed with that inward ioy and spirituall sweetnesse For the Publican which Christ speaketh of in the ghospel when he begged pardon of his sinns saying God haue mercy on me a sinner Mart. 18. obteined bothe the meritt of his prayer and the forgivenesse of his sinns for it followeth in the ghospell Ibid. He went away iustified into his owne bowse But we doe not reade that he receiued any spirituall sweetnesse or delight in his soul Whereby it is most apparant that these three fruits are so different that happen not all to euery one But that we may more eleerely fee the excellency of each of them we will treat of them in order apart and first of the meritt of prayer Of the first fruit of Prayer that is of the meritt CHAP. II. VVe haue before sayd that meritt is the first fruit of prayer which we will not haue vnderstood of any meritt but of that onely to which a reward in heaven doth correspond and is due which diuines call essentiall For it is certeine Vvicked man haue some meritt of their prayers that there is no man with how great sinns socuer he be charged that shal be deprived of all meritt of his prayer for he shall eyther be rewarded in this world with some temporall reward or at best his paines shal be somewhat mittigated in the next but in respect of such prayer he shall neuer obteine any the Ieast portion of heavenly glory for that is not obteined by any but those whose prayer springeth from the roote of charitie that is who are in the state of grace when they pray Whosoeuer therefore desireth not to be depriued of this meritt must first indeavour to haue charitie deepely planted and rooted in his heart and so not onely his prayer but all his workes shal be meritorious And the greater that the charitie is the more meritorius will the worke be whence I gather that they meritt most 〈◊〉 prayer is most meritorious who heartily pray for their enimies because that kind of prayer proceedes from the highest degree of charitie And therefore it is

requisite for euery one that will inioy the benefitt of his prayer that he indeavour by all meanes not to want charitie that is that be be in the state of grace In 105. Which saint Chrisostome vpon the ghospell of saint Iohn doth affirme to be a very easie thing euen for him whoe is laden with great sinns Onely lett him heartily repent him of his finns and resolue to leade a new life in Christ to get his grace Which saying is confirmed by the Prophet Ezechiell whoe from the mouth of God almightie promiseth Ezech. 33. that In what houre soeuer a sinner shal repent all his iniquities shal be forgotten I will not sayth he remember all his iniquities But sinns are not thought to be blotted out of the memorie of God by any other way then by the gift and infusion of grace and charitie By which meanes it comes to passe that a sinner whoe giues ouer sinning that is whoe is truly sorrowfull for his former life and is become obedient to Christ is esteemed to be in the state of grace and charitie And for so much as the leaving of our former sinns and changing our old life depēdeth partly of our owne free will which is free to euery man and life dependeth partly of the helpe of diuine grace which is wanting to no man that is not wanting to himselfe it is not very hard for a sinner in a short time to become a iust man so that he effectuallie desires it and haue a great cōfidence in almightie God Who so then goeing about to pray renewes his fayth in Christ Iesus by a new act and detesteth the impuritie of his former life and resolueth heereafter to absteine from sinne and to doe according to the decrees and ordinances of the Church without all question such an one is in the state of grace and charitie and shal not be frustrated of this fruit of his prayer that is of such meritt to which a reward in the kingdome of heauen belongeth And thus much of the first fruit of prayer Of the second fruit Which is the obtaining of the thing We pray for CHAP. III. THe second fruit we sayd to be the obteining of the thing we aske in prayer This fruit whosoeuer will inioy it is not sufficient for him that he be in charitie also he must stand firmely vpon the foundation of profound humilitie ●evo prayer may be impetratory so that from the bottome of his hart he must thincke himselfe most vnworthie that God should bestow vpon him any grace or benefit or inspire him with any good at all And yet let him not cease still to thanke god for what he hath alreadie receiued attributing nothing to himselfe if any thing be well donne but referring all to God what he hath donne good and to himselfe all that is evill A similitude For so oft as we doe any thing well we are in the hands of God as the mallett is in the hande of the carpenter and as one shold say as the carpenter in working vseth the mallet as an instrument even so doth almightie God vse vs as his instruments so oft as we doe any thing well For whatsoeuer seemes to be well donne by vs it is not wee of our selues but God that worketh in vs. wherefore as the mallet cannot boast it selfe against the carpenter nor ascribe vnto it selfe that it hath framed this or that worke for the hammer or mallet doth nothing of it selfe Ro. ● but the carpenter that worketh with it as his instrument So likewise it is not lawfull for vs to say against God or to thinke that we of our selues or by our owne forces onely haue dōne these good workes but by the assistance of Gods grace by which he moues vs and by vs as by his instruments produceth good workes Wherefore we ought with all the humilitie we can to render thankes vnto God who hath vouchsafed graciously to vse vs as his instruments when if it had so pleased his goodnesse and benignitie he might haue vsed others and perhapps with so much more fruit by how much they should haue better cooperated with his grace then we haue donne And when one by this consideration hath humbled himselfe in the sight of his diuine Majestie yet must he further diligently examine whether that which he is about to pray for be against his souls health or not if it be he must not expect to obteine any such thing att the hands of God For God being of his owne nature most good most bountifull cannot grant vnto his petitiones that which he knowes to be pernitious and hurtfull vnto him And he knoweth long before we demand it whether it will damnifie or proffit vs. Hence it is that we doe not presently obteine that which we aske for be cause God seeth it will be a hinderance to our soule But there is yet a third thing required to the obteining of this fruit of prayer that is Vve obteine not for others as for our selues that it concernes our selues that we pray for For although we be bound to pray for our neighbours yet are we not alwayse heard praying for them especiallie for so much as apparteines to this fruit For perchance eyther they are not worthy to haue that granted vnto them that we pray for or perhapps it is not profitable for theire souls health And in case we doe not obteine the thing for which we pray yet shall not our prayer be in vaine and frustrate of all reward for he whoe prayeth for his neighbour and obteiyneth not for him yet he meriteth for himselfe My prayer saythe the prophet shall be turned into my owne bosome as if he had sayd my prayer when I praye for others Psalm 34. if it profiteth them not yet shall it not want its reward because I know it will be turned to my good the proffitt will redound to me it will be turned into my owne bosome with advantage If therefore the prayer of any one be grounded vpon this profound humilitie Three things requisit that o● prayer be imperator and for himselfe and demanding nothing preiuditiall to his souls health let him proceede in Gods name whosoeuer he be not doubting but that he shall obtein what he prayeth for not doubting I say be cause saint Iames promiseth saying let him aske in fayth nothing doubting and it shal be granted vnto him Iac. 1. And our lord also in the gospell sayth what socuer praying yee shall aske beleiue that yee shall receiue and it shall be donne vnto yee Marc. 11. And let this suffice concerning the second fruit of prayer and how we may atteine vnto it Of the third fruit of prayer which is spirituall sweetnesse CHAP. IIII. THe third fruit of prayer we haue sayd to be a certeine Spirituall sweetnesse with which our soule is marvelously affected and deligheted in praying Of this fruit whosoeuer desireth to tast and to be pertaker off it