Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	holy_a	love_n	son_n	6,996	5	5.4915	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A26623	The paradise of the soul: or, A little treatise of vertues. Made by Albert the Great, Bishop of Ratisbon, who died in the year 1280. Translated out of Latin into English, by N.N.; Paradisus animae. English.	Albertus, Magnus, Saint, 1193?-1280.; N. N.	1682 (1682)	Wing A875H; ESTC R6662	67,532	252

the testimony of the Apostles by the Pledge of the Holy Ghost in Baptism which is a Pledg of our Inheritance by an Earnest that is a fore-taste of the Sweetness of God in Devotion by an Hostage who is Christ the only begotten Son of God To this double Joy the Apostle exhorts us saying Phil. 4. Rejoyce ye in our Lord alwaies to wit for the Divine Union Again I say Rejoyce to wit for the Certitude of Eternal Beatitude He has ground and matter of true Joy who is by inward inspiration assured of the remission of all his Sins by which he grievously offended God and every Creature and lost all the Grace he had received and deserved never to have any more bestowed on him This assurance had S. Mary Magdalen to whom our Lord said Luke 7. Her many sins are forgiven her because she loved much And S. Francis of whom it is said that it was revealed to him that even the last farthing of his Sins was remitted him Another Argument and Matter of Joy is an Assurance of Mind that one is the Son of God and Heir of the Kingdom of Heaven This Assurance the Holy Ghost gives as the Apostle saies Rom. 8. For the Spirit it self bears witness to our Spirit that we are the Sons of God But if Sons also Heirs Heirs indeed of God but co-Heirs with Christ This Assurance the Apostle had when he said in the same Chap. I am sure that neither Death nor Life nor any Creature shall be able to separate us from the Love of God An Argument of false Joy is to be delighted in transitory things whether they be temporal Riches or carnal Friendships or some corporal Commodity or temporal Joy This Joy is the Trap of Sadness For when these things pass away Joy passes and Sadness follows And unless such Sadness depart out of the Heart true Joy shall never enter into it because they cannot be together no more than Fire and Water which mutually expell one another There is also somtimes a natural Joy when a man thinks or speaks or hears another speak or reads of the Perfection of God there is also a natural Joy in the desire of the Kingdom of Heaven For all naturally desire Beatitude This Joy in like manner is Vain and it is hard to discern when it is a free gift of Grace and from God and when natural Happy were he who could say with Esaias Chap. 61. Rejoycing I will Rejoyce in the Lord to wit my Creator and my Soul shall Joy in my God to wit my Redeemer Because he has clothed me with the Garment of Salvation c. CHAP. XXIV Of Sadness TRUE Sadness is a grief of Heart for all the Injuries which the patient God has causelesly endured from his Creatures from the beginning of the World and which he shall endure until the end of it as well from Spiritual as from Worldly men This Grief ought to draw innumerable tears of Blood from the Eyes of all that love God Another part of true Sadness is that a man is oftentimes overcome in Temptations without making any resistance For when he sees or hears any thing in Birds or Beasts which belongs to Impurity instantly the mind is defiled with impure Thoughts or Delights or Affections And when the Soul by any of the five Senses perceives any thing which may move it to Vain-glory Envy Anger Rancor Detraction Avarice Levity Carnal Friendship or any Sin whatsoever forthwith without fighting it falls into some of the fore-mentioned faults doubtful whether ever it shall rise again out of such a Sin or no. And if by the help of God it do rise again it is uncertain if it ever recover the Grace which it had and so great Grace as it had before For man can fall of himself but he cannot of himself rise again Because they are Flesh a Spirit going away and not returning Psal 77. Another part of true Sadness is that manifold Graces flowing out of the Fountain of the Divine goodness come to nothing because they do not return to the Principal from whence they flowed with a manifold increase according to the Design of God This all Creatures can never sufficiently bewail We ought to be induced to true Sadness by the most holy Example of our Lord Jesus whose Soul was Sad from the very beginning of his Life to his very Death Who also acknowledged the Sad to be happy saying Mat. 5. Blessed are they that mourn for they shall be comforted Because Joys cannot be found but by Sadness as a certain Gloss sayes upon the Canonical Epistle of St. James The profit also which proceeds from Sadness ought to induce us hereunto For true Sadness is more profitable than true Joy according to that Eccles 7. It is better to go to the house of mourning than to the house of feasting For oftentimes one is humbled by Sadness but is lifted up by Joy And which is more lamentable sometimes a Spiritual man after Joy and Devotion of Mind becomes more free that day and less vigilant over his Actions than he would have been if he should have had no Joy Another profit of Sadness is Whereas Prayers and other Good Works anoint and cherish God Tears which are an effect of Sadness compell or prick him according to S. Bernard An Argument of true Sadness is when the Mind is not depressed by Grief but elevated Nor would it be freed from Sadness but still desires more But Sadness by which the mind is deprest and from which it desires instantly to be freed is not Good Such is the Sadness of which it is written Pro. 17. Sadness of Heart dryes up the bones to wit of Virtues and S. James Chap. 1. The Anger of man which proceeds from Sadness does not Work the Justice of God He has an Argument of true Sadness who restrains his Senses from whatsoever delicacies He does not See nor Hear nor Taste nor Smell nor Touch any thing by which his grief may be mitigated He flyes also all Places and all Companies by whose Conversation the grief of his Heart may be diminished For he is certain the most Secure way is to end his Life in true Sadness according to that Eccles. 7. The Heart of the Wise is where there is Sadness The Heart of Fools where there is Joy He has an Argument of false Sadness who considering not the most wise ordination of God is tormented for the loss of temporal Goods or for the affliction or Death of Friends or for the infirmity of his own Body or for his own Correction Such a Sadness confers no Grace but tears the mind in pieces according to that Pro. 25. As a Moth in a garment and a worm in wood so the Sadness of a man hurts his Heart and Chap. 15. By the Sadness of the Heart the Spirit is dejected CHAP. XXV Of Gratitude TRUE and Perfect Gratitude is to magnifie the Exellency of the gifts of God in the Soul with

there is not a moderation of the Tongue there will never be Perfection according to that James 3. If any one offend not in his Words he is a perfect man And no other saies the Gloss Where there is a custody of the Tongue there is Happiness according to that Eccles 14. Blessed is the man who has not faln by a word out of his Mouth And Pro. 21. He who keeps his mouth and his Tongue keeps his Soul from straits He has an argument of true Silence who when he may freely and lawfully and without offence speak and whose words would be received with great desire and yet can by no means or very rarely be induced to speak remembring that of S. Gregory If the holy Prophet Ezekiel was sent to speak and yet sat silent and weeping seven days we ought to consider how great a fault it is for him not to be silent whom no necessity compels to speak And that Evangelical word Mat. 12. But I say unto you that every idle word that men shall speak they shall give an account thereof in the day of Judgment An Argument of false Silence or Loquacity is to speak malapertly and clamorously that he may seem to be some body amongst others Or in an importune time whereas seasonable Speech is the best Against this is that Eccles 20. A wise man will hold his peace until a fit time but the wanton and imprudent will not observe time Or to speak when no body attends or cares to hear Against that is Eccles 32. Where there is no hearing do not poure forth Speech Or when one answers before he hears or be asked Against this Pro. 18. He who answers before he hears shows himself to be a Fool and worthy of confusion Or when he answers for another not being asked Against that is Eccles 32. Young man scarce speak in thy own Cause if thou shalt be asked twice let thy answer have a head An Argument of false Silence is not to be silent out of Virtue but lest he should be confounded before the hearers Or that he may be praised for his Silence Or when he is ashamed to speak knowing not how to speak understandingly or profitably Or that his folly may be covered by his Silence according to that A Fool if he hold his peace shall be acounted a wise man CHAP. XXXII Of Solitude TRUE Solitude is to abstract the Mind from the Solicitude and inordinate employ of exteriour Actions from all delight of Creatures and unanimuosly to direct as much as we can all our Affections Wills and Intentions unto God that we might be made one Spirit with him to this the Prophet Esaias exhorts us Chap. 2. saying Enter into the Rock and hide thy self in the digged earth Enter into the Rock that is into the Divinity of Christ hide thy self in the digged Earth that is in the Wounds of Christ he who is in this Rock is alone he who is out of this Rock is in a Crowd of People In this Solitude of Mind so great Grace and illumination of Mind is received that the Receiver is offensive to others to behold As Moses remaining alone with God in the Mountain forty days and forty Nights was so illuminated that the Light broke forth into his Face and from the shining of his Countenance proceeded as it were Rayes of the Sun which the Children of Israel were not able to behold until he covered his Face with a Veil Exod. 34. The most holy Example of our Lord Jesus Christ ought to move us to the love of Solitude who though he could not by the Conversation of any be hindred from his Spiritual Employ yet notwithstanding he often retired from Company for the love of Solitude and sometimes when he could not go farther off he withdrew himself a Stones cast from his dearest Apostles that he might attend to Prayer as St. Luke writes ch 22. Hereby insinuating unto us that even holy men amidst the Multitude cannot familiarly converse with God or do get little or no efficacious Grace amongst Men. Hence it is that Zacheus could not see our Lord Jesus in the Crowd but afterwards he saw him and heard his Voice when alone he climbed up into a Tree Luke 19. The profit also of Solitude ought to induce us unto it concerning which our Lord says of his Spouse Hosea 2. I will lead her into the Wilderness and speak to her Heart O how happy is he who even once once hears our Lord speaking within him The speaking of the Lord in the Heart is to give Assurance of Mind concerning heard Graces It ought to move us to the same that holy Eremites of old ran into Desarts Mountains Dens and Caves of the Earth that they might continually attend to God and sometimes saw not a Man for forty Years He has an Argument of true Solitude who with pain is in the Company of Men and takes all occasions to withdraw himself from them Behold I have fled a great way off and have remained in Solitude Psal 54. As it was a Pain to S. Mary Magdalen to see Men after she could no longer see her Lord Jesus yea it was painful to her even to see Angels whence when the Angels went about to comfort her concerning the Departure of our Lord out of his Sepulcher she says I seek the Creator and therefore it is grievous to me to see the Creature And therefore she fled into the Desart for the love of our Lord Jesus thirty years wanting all corporal Meat and Drink whom the Angels elevated into the Air at her set hours of Prayer in which Prayer she received the Nutriment of Soul and Body He has an Argument of false Solitude who though he be alone with God corporally yet his Soul is occupied in variety of Businesses in diverse parts of the World These two things Silence and Solitude do efficaciously elevate to Contemplation Whence that of the Lamentations chap. 3. He shall sit alone and be silent because he has elevated himself above himself CHAP. XXXIII Of Contemplation TRUE and perfect Contemplation is a Collection of all the Affections and Forces of the Soul to know with delight and admiration of Mind something of the Divine Nature to wit of the Divine Power Wisdom Goodness Charity Excellency Liberality c. or to know the secret Judgments of God or his most holy Will or some Perfection which tends unto him This Contemplation had the Holy Patriarchs Prophets and Apostles for God revealed his Secrets by his holy Spirit to the Patriarchs and Prophets To Noah he revealed the Flood Gen. 7. To Abraham the Destruction of the Sodomites Gen. 18. To Jeremy the Transmigration and Captivity of the Jews To Joseph the Famine in Aegypt Gen. 47. To Daniel the Tree of Nebuchodonozor Dan. 4. The like of other Patriarchs and Prophets to whom God revealed his Secrets as diverse Visions to Ezekiel chap. 1. whence Amos ch 3. The Lord God will not do a Word unless

Satisfaction then our bountiful Lord accepts of any other amends Then for unjust things Fasting suffices If he cannot fast Prayer suffices and if for weakness he cannot pray God is satisfied with a good will Innocent gives an Argument of false Repentance It is a false Repentance when the Penitent leaves not an Office or Employment which he can by no means exercise without Sin or if he bear hatred in his Heart or if he do not satisfie every one whom he has offended or if he do not pardon him who has offended him or if he bear Arms against Justice It is also a false Repentance when one Sin is amended and no care taken of another CHAP. XLII Of Perseverance TRUE Perseverance is a frequent exercise of Good Works a continual study of Perfection a diligent conservation of Spiritual Graces and Vertues unto Death To this our Lord invites us in the Apocalypse 2. Be faithful unto Death and I will give thee a crown of Life This Job had when he said Job 27. Vntil I dye I will not depart from my innocency And Tobias who hid the Bodies of the dead in his house and buried them in the night although the King for this commanded him to be spoiled of his Goods and kill'd Tob. 1. The exceeding great profit of Perseverance ought to induce us thereunto For by this every good Work and every Vertue shall be crowned and our Salvation wholly depends on it according to that of our Lord Jesus Christ Matth. 10. He who shall persevere to the end shall be saved Without this no Vertue or good Work is remunerable Without this all Perfection comes to nothing For what did it profit the Apostle and Traytor Judas that our Lord chose him out of the World what did profit him his long familiarity with Jesus Christ what the holy Sermons which he often heard from him what the Examples Virtues and Miracles which he saw done by him what the Society of the Apostles what the Grace bestowed on him to preach and work Miracles For to him together with the other Apostles he said Math. 10. Go preach saying The Kingdom of Heaven is at hand Cure the sick raise the dead cure the leprous cast out Devils He has an Argument of true Perseverance who neither for the love of Life nor fear of Death nor for threats nor promises departs from Virtue As Susanna fearing not Death said Dan. 13. If I do this that is sin I must dye And Mattathias 1 Macchab. 2. Although all the Nations obey King Antiochus and every one depart from the service of the Law of his Fathers and consent to his commands I and my Sons and my brethren will obey the Law of our Fathers God be propitious un●● us He has an argument of false Perseverance who falsly presumes of his own Sanctity that he cannot fall Hence arises a freedom of Mind hence he has no Watch over himself and so it is impossible for any Man persevere in Sanctity Even the very Apostles if they were in the world and not a watch over 〈◊〉 selves they might fall 〈…〉 Example in David 〈…〉 Murder and Adulte●● 〈…〉 was negligent in 〈…〉 Eyes 2 Sam. 1 〈…〉 〈…〉 〈◊〉 shall one day have all these Virtues more perfectly than Humane Understanding can comprehend I confess to thee O Lord that he is happy at present and shall be more happy hereafter who has these Virtues in that perfection as they are here written although perhaps less may suffice to Salvation I beseech the also O Lord with all the desire of thy Son and Holy Spirit 〈…〉 Creatures that thou wouldest 〈…〉 Discretion betwixt the Virtues 〈…〉 of Nature and Sem●●●● 〈…〉 And whosoever shall 〈…〉 shall hear of it or 〈…〉 ●●mnipotent God 〈…〉 one true and 〈…〉 ●ertain he who 〈…〉 has 〈…〉 one 〈…〉 de●●● 〈…〉 〈…〉 be