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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	father_n	flesh_n	son_n	7,126	5	5.5139	4	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A10877	A short and sure way to heauen, and present happines Taught in a treatise of our conformity with the will of God. Written by the Reuerend Father Alfonsus Rodriguez of the Society of Iesus, in his worke intituled, The exercise of perfection and Christian vertue. Translated out of Spanish.; Ejercicio de perfección y virtudes cristianas. Part 1. Treatise 8. English	Rodríguez, Alfonso, 1526-1616.; I. C., fl. 1630.	1630 (1630)	STC 21144; ESTC S102292	144,041	352

Sauiour Christ personally appeare vnto vs and say behold my sonne see this is that which I desire of you I would haue you to suffer this paine or sicknes at this time for my sake it is my pleasure to make vse of you in this or the other office it is most certaine I say that we should vndertake it most willingly euen our whole liues long were it a thing of the greatest difficulty in the world and esteem our selues highly honoured and happy men that God would vouchsaffe to serue himselfe with vs and we should gather only from his commaunding it that it were the best and conuenientest thing of all others for our saluatiō without doubting in the least kind therof Fourthly we ought to reduce this exercise to practise both in our prayers and other exercises by deluing and sinking deepe into this rich mine of so fatherly and particular a prouidence as God hath of vs to the end that we may the better know how to make due vse of such an inexhaustable treasure as we shall goe declaring in the following Chapters THE X. CHAPTER Of Gods fatherly and particular prouidence of vs and of the filiall confidence which we ought to haue in him AMong other the great riches and and treasures which we enioy who are in the Catholike Church one of the greatest is Gods fatherly and particular prouidence of vs it being most certaine that there is nothing can arriue vnto vs which hath not first passed and been recorded by the hand of God And so the Prophet says Psal 5.13 Domine vt scuto bonae voluntatis tuae coronasti nos thou hast enuironed and defended vs ô Lord with that good will of thine as with a sheeld of defence we are round incompassed with this good will of God in such manner as nothing can come vnto vs which passeth not first by it and therfore there is nothing which we are to feare for he willet nothing passe but that which may be for our greater good Psal 20. 5 Quoniam abscondit me in tabernaculo suo in die malorum protexit me in abscondito tabernaculi sui The Prophet Dauid affirmes that God hides and preserues vs euen in the most secret of his Tabernacle and shelters vn vnder his wings and says yet more Psal 30.21 abscondes eos in abscondi●o faciei tuae our Lord doth hide vs in the most hidden part of all his face which are the eyes in whose apples he hath lodged vs and so an other version hath in oculis faciei tuae God hath made vs the very apples of his eyes to verify that which is said in an other place Ps 16.8 Zach. 2.8 Custodi me vt pupillam oculi qui tetigerit vos tangit pupillam oculi mei We are warrented vnder his defence and protection as the apples of his eyes and they are the words of God whosoeuer touches you shall touch me in the sight of mine owne eyes Can thereby imagined a thing more rich more pretious or more worthy of all esteeme then this O that we could but maturely apprehend and penetrat this verity how defenc't and fortified should we find our selues how assured how cōforted should we be in all our labours and necessities If here in this world one haue but a Father riche and mighty and one of the deerest fauourits of a King what cōfidēce what assurance hath he in the successe of all his businesses knowing that the fauour authority and protection of his Father will not be wanting to him how much more reason haue we to be confident and assured whilst we consider that we haue him for our Father in whose hand is all the dominion of heauen and earth and that nothing can arriue vnto vs which passeth not first by his paternall hands if a sonne can repose himself vpon the confidence and assurance of his Fathers fauour how much more confidence ought we to haue in him who is more our Father then all other Fathers besides and in comparison with whom there is none deserues the tender name of Father for there are no bowells of loue which may be compared with the loue o● God to vs which surpasses by infinite degrees all the loues which euer earthly Fathers were sensible of we may well assure our selues that whatsoeuer such 〈◊〉 Father sends vs is for our greater vtility good seeing that loue which he beares vs in his only sonne permits him to do● nothing els then to procure the good of him for whose loue onely he deliuered ouer his sonne vnto the torments of the crosse Ad Rō 8.32 Qui etiam proprio filio suo non pepercit s●d pro nobis omnibus tradidit illum quomodo non etiam cum illo omnia nobis donauit says the Apostle S. Paul he who hath not spared his only sonne but hath deliuered him ouer vnto death for all of vs how can it be but he hath giuen vs with him all other things he hath giuen vs the most he could and will he deny vs any little thing Now if all men ought to haue such confidence in God Almighty h●w much more Religious men whom he hath receaued particularly for his owne and giuen them both the spirit and hart of sonnes indeed inuiting them to abandon forsake the Fathers of their flesh and blood and to make choice of him for their only true Father with what hart what fatherly tēdernes shall God loue such as these what care what prouidence shall he haue of them Psal 26.10 Quoniam pater meus mater mea dereliquerunt me Dominus autem assumpsit me a happy choice you haue made of such a deare Father in place of those parents whom you haue departed with you may now with more reason and greater confidence say Psal 22.1 Dominus regit me nihil mihi deerit God hath taken vpon him the charge of me the care of me and all that belongs to me and I shall want for nothing Psal 39.18 Ego autem mendicus sum pauper Dominus solicitus est mei I am t' is true a begger needy and poore but God is solicitous and carefull for me who would not be comforted with this nay who would not euen melt away in the loue of such a God Oh who are you ô Lord who haue taken vpon you the charge of me and haue so intense a care of me as if in heauen and earth you had no other creature to gouerne but me alone Oh that we could but delue and make passage deepe inough into this so viscerall so paternal loue prouidence and protection which God Almighty hath of vs From hence is begotten in the faithfull seruants of Almighty God a most familiar and filiall confidence in him which is so excessiue in some that there is no child in t●e world who confids so much at all assays in the protection of his Father as they in God seeing they know right well that

A SHORT AND SVRE WAY TO HEAVEN and present Happines TAVGHT IN A TREATISE OF OVR CONFORMITY WITH THE WILL OF GOD. Written by the Reuerend Father ALFONSVS RODRIGVEZ of the Society of Iesus in his worke intituled The exercise of perfection and Christian vertue Translated out of Spanish Ira in indignatione eius vita in voluntate eius Psal 29.6 Wrath in his indignation and life in his will Permissu Superiorum 1630. TO THE REVEREND AND RELIGIOVS MOTHER ANNA OF THE ASCENTION PRIORESSE OF THE ENGLISH Teresians in Antwerpe REuerend Religious Mother Many excellēt Treatises haue seene light by the happy pēne of F. Alfonso Roderigues that great Master of spirit But this alone may worthily seeme to carry the nature of a Centure wherein all the lines of perfection drawne through his other workes come iointly to meete The highest ayme of vertue both in time and eternity is to set an exact conformity betweene our soule and God the best wayes of spirit such as leade to this toppe What store of excellent precepts solid helpes and most effectuall meanes our Author hath heere collected to so noble an end diligent perusal wil discouer To which purpose as I chanced vpon the worke apparelled in English so my singular affection and respect to your selfe yours would not permit me to stād long in deliberatiō whether I should first addresse it after it had receiued life from the print For to whom can a treatise of diuine conformity be more due euen in rigour of claime challēge then to a family of that illustrious Order the Foūdresse wherof reflected vpō the world admirable light of exāple in this kinde hauing bene trained in spirit as herselfe testifieth vnder the conduct of three most eminent men of the Authors Profession as of B. Father Borgia Duke of Gandia and third Generall of the Society Beatified by the holy Church Father Baltazar Aluarez whō by diuine reuelation she vnderstood to haue bene the greatest Saint then liuing in this world and Father Francis Ribera whose rare vertue was accōpanied with equal learning And who more worthy of the first view then a Superiour of the same family by whose discreet and pious gouernment the whole cōpany maintaines in flower vigour the primitiue spirit of their Foundresse especially in this high point of true Conformity Accept therfore Reuerend Mother of this little presēt rather as a pledge of cōgratulation then a spurre of new incitemēt with my best wishes that your house may euer prosper grow vp florish as it doth to the glory of our Lord the honour of your Foūdresse the Cōfort of your soules and the good of our whole Nation Your R. euer humble seruant in Christ I●sus I. C. A TREATISE OF OVR CONFORMITY VVITH THE will of God Ian. 2● THE I. CHAPTER In which there are laid two princicipall foundations NOn sicut ego volo sed sicut ut Matt. 26.39 not as I will but as thou wilt O Lord. The Holy Fathers assigne two reasons why the sonne of God would descend downe from heauen and become perfect man by vesting himselfe with our humanity the one was to redeeme vs with his pretious blood the other to shew vs by his example and teach vs by his doctrine the right way to heauen For as it would haue auailed vs nothing to haue knowne the way if we had been still detained in prison Ber. ser 2. in Circumcis Dom. so likewise saith S. Bernard it would haue little profited vs to haue been deliuered out of prison if we had not knowne the way and seeing God was inuisible it was necessary vnto the end we might see him and by seeing imitate him that he should become visible and cloath himselfe in our humanity as shepheards goe apparelled in the skins of sheep that their flocke may be allured to follow them by seeing in them their owne resemblance And so that holy Pope S. Leo sais Nisi enim esset verus Deus Leo Papa 1. ser 1. de Natiui Do. nō adferret remedium nisi esset verus homo non praeberet exemplum Vnles he had been true God he could not haue brought vs remedy and vnles he had been true man he could not haue afforded vs an exāple But he hath done both the one and the other most aboundantly out of that excesse of loue which he bare to man and therfore as our redemption hath been most amply great copiosa apud eum redemptio Psal 129 7. so also hath his doctrine been since he hath not deliuered it vnto vs alone in words but much more by the example of his works caepit Iesus facere docere saith the Euangelist S. Luke Act. 1. 〈◊〉 Iesus first begun with the practise and execution and that for the most part of his Blessed life and afterwards began to preach in the last three yeares or two yeares and a halfe before dyed Now among many other things which our Sauiour Christ hath taught vs one of the principall is an entire conformity with the will of God in all occurrences and occasions the which he teacheth vs not only in words when setting downe vnto vs a forme of prayer he tells vs that one of those things which we are to beseech and begge of our heauenly Father is Mat. 6.10 fiat voluntas tuasicut in coelo in terra thy will be done in earth as it is in heauen but he much more confirmes this doctrine by his blessed exāple seeing he professeth to haue descended from heauen vnto no other end descendi de coelo non vt faciam voluntat●● meam sed voluntatem eius qui misit me I haue descended from heauen not to do mine owne will but the will of him who sent me And on that sacred day when hauing instituted his holy supper and almost ended the worke of our redemption in that prayer of his in the Garden although his flesh and blood and sensitiue powers had a naturall horrour and auersion from death by which he witnessed that he was perfect man Mat. 26.39 saying Pater mi●si possibile est transeat à me calix iste Father if it be possible let this chalice passe from me notwithstanding his will was alwaies prompt desirous to drinke of that chalice which his Father sent him and therefore he presently adds neuerthelesse be it not as I will but as thou wilt ô Lord. But vnto the end that we may descend vnto the very depth to ground our selues very well in this conformely we must first lay two briefe but substantiall foundations vpon which as vpon two hinges our whole matter must be sustained The first is that all our profit in vertue and perfection consists in this conformity with the will of God which according as this shall be more full and perfect shall likewise be more excellent and great This foundation is easy to comprehend since it must be graunted that perfection essentially

Exultate iusti in Domino Delectare in Domino dabit tibi petitiones cordis tui Reioyce in our Lord and exult ô yea iust and glory all you of a right heart Yea righteous exult in our Lord. Re●oyce in him and in his infinit goodnes and he will graunt you the petitions of your owne heart or rather all which you shall desire and stand in necessity of For this is a prayer by which without setting your selfe to pray you pray and God heareth the desires of your heart to shew how much he is delighted with this prayer of yours And the Apostle S. Paul writing to the Philippians saieth Ad Phil. 4.4 reioyce alwaies in our Lord Gaudete in Domino semper and thinking it not sufficient to haue said it once he adds iterum dico gau●ete I say againe to you reioyce And this was the ioy which informed the sacred Virgins purest heart when in her Canticle shee said 〈◊〉 1. ●● Et exultauit spi●itus meus in Deo salutari meo and my soule hath exulted in God my saluation And with this ioy likewise was our B. Sauiour Christ replenished when as the sacred Euangell testifieth of him exultauit Spiritu Sansto he reioyced in the holy Ghost Luc. 10.21 And the roy all Prophet said that the ioy and contentment was so passing great which his soule receaued from the consideration of the great felicity glory of God and so becoming it was for euery one to reioyce in that infinit goodnes which is in him as euen the soules ioy out of its aboundance had influence into his body and set his flesh on fier with the same loue of God Psal 83.3 Cor meum caro mea exultauerum in Deum viuum my heart flesh haue exulted in the liuing God and in an other place Psal 34.9 Anima mea exultabit in Domino delectabitur super salutari tuo omnia ossa mea dicent Domine quis similis tibi my soule shall reioyce in God and be delighted with the Author of it saluation and all my bones shall say ô my Lord who is like to thee And because this loue is a thing so celestiall and diuine our Mother the Church directed by the Holy Ghost in the beginning of her Canonicall howers inuiteth vs by this Inuitatorium to loue out Lord in this manner to reioyce to triūph in his endles perfection and it is the beginning of the 94. Psalme Psal 94.1 2. Venite exultemus Domino iubilemus Deo salutarinostro praeoccupemus faciem ●ius in confessione in Psalmis iubilemus ei come all and reioyce in our Lord and sing canticles of iubilation to his eternall praise who is our saluation seing he is God and a mighty Lord and King aboue all Gods veing the sea is his and he made it and his hands haue founded the dry Land Quoniam Deus magnus Dominus Rex magnus super omn●s Deos c. Quoniam ipsius est mare ips●fecit illud aridam fundauerunt manus eius for this reason and the same end the holy Church concludeth all it Psalmes with this versicle Gloria Patri silio Spiritui Sancto Sicut erat in principio nunc semper in saecula saeculorum Amen this is that entrance into the ioy of our Lord which our Sauiour spoke of in the Ghospell Mat. 25.21 Intra in gaudium Domini tui where we are made partakers of the insinitioy of God by reioycing delighting our selues with him for his glory beauty and riches all infinit Now to the end that we may take pleasure in this exercise and endeauour to proceed alwaies therin with this cheerfulnes and ioy it will much helpe vs to consider how good God is how faire how glorious in all which he is so passing infinit that his only vision doth render those who do enioy it blessed in so much as should but the damned in hell once haue a glimps of him all their paine and torments would be turned to ioy Hell would be changed to a Paradyse Ioan. 17.3 H●e est autem vita aeterna vs cognoscunt te solum Deum verum saith our Sauiour Christ in the Euangell of Saint Iohn This is eternall life that they know thee the only true God this is that which maketh them blessed and that not only for a day or yeare but for eternity in such manner as neuer to be satiat with seing God but the delight therof shall be alwaies new vnto them according to that of the Apocalyps Apo. 14.3 Et cantabunt quasi canticum nouum they shall alwaies sing as if their song were new This seemeth to me suffici●tly to declare the infinit goodnes beauty and perfection of God but notwithstanding there is alwaies somewhat to adde yea infinitly more God is so faire 3. Th. 1. p. q. 26. ar 2. so glorious that euen in seing himselfe he is made happy so as the glory and felicity of God is to see loue himselfe Imagin therfore what reason we haue to be glad and to reioyce in a goodnes beauty and glory so infinitly great as to fill with delicious content the whole Citty of God rendring all the Citsens blessed who inhabit it euen God himselfe happy in knowing and louing of himselfe THE XXXIV CHAPTER How we may ye● farther extend this holy exercise WE may yet farther dilate and enlarge our selues vpon this subiect in descending to the consideration of the most facred humanity of Christ our Lord from the contemplation of his diuinity obseruing the great dignity and perfection therof and from thence receauing particular pleasure and delight in that the sacred humanity of Christ is so highly exalted and straitly vnited to his diuinity that it is enriched with all aboūdance of grace and glory that it is the instrumēt of the diuinity to exploit those highest mysteries of the sanctification and glorification of all the elect and impart those supernaturall gifts and graces which God distributeth and bestoweth on men And finally we are to reioyce receaue exceediog pleasure from euery particular of the perfection and glory of the most blessed soule and sacred body of our Redeemer Iesus Christ insisting therupon with a truly viscerall loue delectation In such manner as the Saints do contemplate him and the sacred virgin beheld him on the day of his glorious resurrection rising from death so bright and triumphantly in fine with such affection as the holy Patriarch Iacob did declare Gen. 4● 38 when as the scripture saieth hearing that his soone was yet liuing and Lord of all Egypt he was surprized with so excessiue ●oy that his decayed spirits being reuiued therby he said it is sufficient if my sonne Ioseph liueth I desire no more then only to go and see him and then I shall be content to dy And we may extend this exercise vnto the glory of the immaculate virgin and all the