Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	word_n	work_v	writer_n	50	3	8.7626	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A17125	Instructions for the vse of the beades conteining many matters of meditacion or mentall prayer, vvith diuerse good aduises of ghostly counsayle. VVere vnto is added a figure or forme of the beades portrued in a table. Compiled by Iohn Bucke for the benefit of vnlearned. And dedicated to the honorable good lady, Anne Lady Hungarforde, sister to the duchesse of Ferria.	Bucke, John.	1589 (1589)	STC 4000; ESTC S112699	27,910	90

Abbot hoping by good example to vvinne the theefe appointed one of his monkes a deuout man to attend vpon the theefe and to geue vvhat so euer he demaunded vvith this admonicion to eat and drink euer in his company and vvhat deinty meat so euer vvas set before the theefe yet he him selfe should eat none of it but content him selfe onlie vvith bread and vvater The monke vvell performed vvhat vvas commaunded In continuance of time the theefe obserued vvell the diet of the Monke and being somevvhat amased there vvith all asked the monke vvhat great offence he had committed that caused such straitnes of diet vvhether he had committed any morder incest or great crime No sayd the Monke I am not culpable of any haynouse fact But this austeritie I vse to the ende that the king of all kynges may be more mercifull to me at the latter day vvhen euerie mans dedes shall appear This ansvver strooke the theefe vvith suche remorse and repentance as he came to the Abbot and vvith great thankes so humbled him selfe as he vvas admitted vnto that societie and became so penitent and after so religious as in holynes and perfection of lyfe he excelled all the couent Thus may vve see vvhat good fruit vertuous examples may bring forthe The third signe is patience in aduersitie For as the greefe of siknes is estemed more or lesse by the mouynng or rest of the sicke mans pulse so is our perfection and imperfection tried by toleracion of aduersitie And as an empty vessel if you beat vpon it vvill yeeld an Eccho or holovv sounde but if it be full no noyse at all is heard from vvith in the vessel So is a patient man tried from a vnpatient man by aduersitie The one if he be touched vvith affliction exclameth against God and man but thother is quyet taketh all in good part vvhat so euer hapneth The fouerth signe is the sense of tast for so long as a sikman eateth his meat vvith a good tast it is lyke he vvill recouer his healthe euen so if a man haue a delectacion to hear speake or thinke of the passion of our Sauiour of the blessed lyfe of our lady and of holy Martyrs and Confessors or to be fedd vvith any spirituall foode these thinges doe argue sound health of the soule and a good state of spirituall grace in any suche persone for there can be no more accorde betvvene spirituall and vvorldlie pleasures than betvvene fyre and vvater Therfore it is impossible sayth Seynt Ambrose in this lyfe to liue delited vvith all vvorldlie pleasures and to enioye the pleasures prepared for the soule The fift signe is our tongue for it is a good signe of a mendement in a sickeman vvhen his tongue faultereth not in his mouth and he ottereth his speech easilie and playnlie Euen so it is a right good signe of a spirituall grace vvhen a man deliteth in godly talke and conference of godly matters vvithout detracting or bakbiting his neighbor euer interpreting the deedes and vvoordes of other men in the best sense For often the tongue vvalketh after the affection And of abundance of the hart the mouth vseth to speake The sixt signe is a disposicion to doe good vvoorkes and to be in exercise of pietie for a sik man vvhen he beginneth to recouer desireth to sturre and exercise his bodye so he that hath a right feeling of the spirit of God is nener Idle but euer occupied in good vvoorkes Other occupacion vvhat so euer it be is an Idlenes and not an occupaciō nor exercise Therfore all good vvriters exhort men to be euer occupied in some vertuouse exercise The seuenth signe is naturall heat a speciall argument of lyfe in a syk bodye So is the spirituall heat of loue of God and our neighbour a sure signe of perfection in a Christian For as saynt Augustin sayeth loue is the lyfe of the soule In so mucheas he vvhiche loueth not is dead Of certein good documentes touching euell thougtes TOuching euell thoughtes vve haue to consider for our better instructiō diuerse speciall matters First the cause vvhereof they arise Secondlie the reason vve are so prone and inelined to them Therdlie the hurt that vve receuie by them Fouertlie hovv vve may arme our selues against them Fiftlye by vvhat meanes vve may auoyd them As to the first it is vvel knovvn that euell thoughtes had their first origin and beginning of our professed enem ye the deuill vvho first seduced our common mother Eue by his suggestion to conceiue a vviked thought and there vpon to eate the aple vvhiche moued delite and lyking then folovved the consent of Adam and consequentlie the displeasure and indignacion of allmighty God Touching the second poynt among many there are three speciall causes of Certein godlie lessons and obseruacions touching the hart of man GOD requyreth the hart of man and to haue the possession of yt And three reasons may begeuen to moue hym therunto One is for that the hart is as it vvere the harbarovv of the Allmightie and the proper bedchamber or cabinet of the king Again the hart is the principall seate and first member that receyueth lyfe And by naturall consequence the hart being full of bloudde is apter to conceiue an impression of hym that shedde is bloude for vs vpon the crosse God desireth a purified hart And thre thinges there are vvhiche purifie the hart The first is a carefull examinacion daily of our ovvn vvoordes deades and thoughtes vvith a speciall desire to geue good example to others The second is daily pennance vvith due confession cōtrition and satisfaction for our offenses against God and our neigbour The third is continuall crauing and begging of God by deuout prayer to be preserued by his Grace from all occasions and matters that may offend God for as the prophet Dauid sayeth If our lorde haue not buylded the house in vain haue they labored whiche buylded it A pure and clean hart is knovvne by three signes or markes The first is the quicke and pregnant knouleige of our ovvne defectes For as a small spot is sone espied in a verie vvhite linnen clothe so a pure hart quickelie perceiueth a small fault in it selfe The second is quietnes of conscience in all troubles and aduersities For a pure good vvine in a cleane glasse changeth not his colour and clearnes be it neuer so muche troubled euen so a pure hart and cleane conscience is vvell setled and resteth euer in one estate vvhat aduersitie so euer hapneth The third mark is encrease of couraige in time of affliction euen as a pure fresh vvine sprinkleth and leapeth vvhen it is vvith any force poured in to a Cuppe And our hart is preserued in puritie and cleannesse by a true fear of God by a carefull gouernement of our externall senses and by continuall exercise of the vvoorkes of charitie Fouer good lessons for preseruing our hope and confidence in God NOvv to make an end vve must

vvil vvoorke great effectes in suche as vse this An other sort of meditating of the passion of our Sauiour by way of reioyesinge AS vve vse most commonlie to contemplate the passion of our redemer vvith compassion to break our hartes vvith contricion and true repentance so may vve to the same effect thinke there of vvith great Ioye and comfort And that for thre respectes to vvitt for the redempcion of mankynde for the reparacion of the dekaye of Angels and for the aduauncement of the honour of God VVho by the death passion and resurrection of his sonne our Sauiour hath not only set vs free from the bondage of Sathan but hath also vnited angels and mankynde in that heauenlie societie And thus to his passing great honor and glorie hath geuen a most expresse demonstracion of his infinite mercie clemencie and loue tovvardes vs. A matter of great loye consolacion and comfort to vs. For eache man accompteth it a great cause of Ioye to be in great fauour of his temporall prince Muche more glad and Ioyfull may vve be that the king of heauen and cōmaunder of the vvorlde doeth so tenderlie loue vs as he did vonchesafe to offer vp him selfe in sacrifice to his father for vs and vvith his precious bloudde to redeme vs. Thus vve may thinke meditate and consider of his most bitter passion vvith great comfort and ioye For if vve deeplie and duelie vveighe the matter our hartes shall melt vvith feruor of desire to reuerence serue and loue him vvhiche so dearlie haith bought vs. Yea vve shal be so caried avvay vvith sincere affection tovvardes him as vve shall cleare forget our olde man and rest onlie so resolued in Christ crucified as vve shall delite in nothing but in him and in doeing that vvhich is his vvil and pleasure to be doen vvhere vpon many good effectes vvil folovve It vvill breed in vs a speciall lothesomenes hatred and disdaine against all filthie vvoorkes vvoordes and thoughtes It vvill chase avvay the coldenes of spirit the tedious slothefulnes of mynde and inflame our deuocion and setle in vs a perfect resolucion of minde and vvill to serue God loue God and honor God vvith all integritie and bring vs to the highe tovvre of perfect contemplacion Of six matters of meditacion to saue vs from relapse or falling again in to sinne after we be reconciled to God EMong many good thoughtes and consideracions that help to preuent sinne good men of experience in spirituall exercises haue noted six speciall meanes The first is often to meditate and thinke of death that there is nothing more certain than that vve must ones die that nothing is more vncertein than the hovvre of deathe Therfore saith holie Scripture Remembre thy ende and thou shalt not sinne for euer VVherby is ment that the memorie of deathe if it be often exercised vvil vvorke in man suche compunction as he shall not dye vvithout perfect repentance And so by a consequence obtein suche remission as his sinne shall not burden him for euer And Seint Augustin sayeth that nothing more vvithdravveth a man from sinne than often to remember that he must dye And Seynt Basil the great being asked vvhat is philosophie ansvvered that the definition of the principal philosophie is nothing else but a meditacion and continuall thinking of deathe An other remedie is to think often of Christ his passion as many good men haue founde by experience Therfore sayeth Seynt Augustin let man be ashamed to svvell vvith pride sithe Christ his creator and redemer vvas so humble as to suffer death for him The third helpe is the remembrance of sinnes comitted and by God forgeuen Therfore vvhen thou art tempted to sinne consider vvith thy selfe vvether thou hast bene culpable of that sinne before or no. If thou hast not bene so then impute it to the grace of God that thou vvast so preserued But if thou hast offended therein before and by the sacrament of pennance God hath forgeuen thee then thinke that he hath doen more for thee than if he had made the lorde of the vvhole vvorlde For Seynt Augustin sayeth that it is a matter of greater importance to Iustifye a sinner than to creat heauen and earth of nevv The fovverth preseruature is often to thynke and meditate of the last Iudgement or day of dome VVher vpon Seynt Ierom vvriteth thus vvhether I sleep or vvake or be other vvayes occupied that voice and crie euer soundeth in my eare Arise you that are dead and come to Iudgement And good reason he had to be carefull therein For as Seynt Barnard sayeth God at that day will call for acompt and reckeninge of euerie time and moment that vve haue spent in earthe The fift mean is to thinke and meditate of the paynes of hell vvhiche are so great and intollerable as one spetk of that fyre as a good man sayed Doeth more greue a sinner than the greuous panges of childebyrth can torment a vvoman if she should trauail a thousand yeres before her deliuerie Yea sayeth seynt Ambrose if all men borne from Adam vvere liuing and preachers and should striue to shovv their best eloquence to describe expressely but one of the least paynes of hell yet could they not doe yt The reason is for that it is infinite and excedeth the capacitie of mannes vvit to comprehend euen as on the contrarie parte faith can not conceiue hope can not reache vnto nor charitie comprehend vvhat and hovv many thinges God hath prepared for them that loue him The sixt remedie is to consider and meditate of the Ioyes of heauen VVhere for taking litle paynes in this lyfe vve are sure of suche felicitye as can not be expressed by tongue nor comprehended in the vnderstanding of man A certein paynim being of great authoritie vnder one of the persecutors of Christians obseruing hovv vvilling Christiā men vvere to endure all tormentes yea and death also for Christ his sake demaunded of a presoner expecting death vvhat great revvarde he looked for to recompence his patience It vvas ansvvered thus suche rewarde is looked for as no tonge can tell nor ear hath heard nor the hart of man can measure Then sayd the pagan if it be so I vvil be of your Religion So he became à Christian and aftervvard a martire If a paynim vvas so touched vvith only ones hearing of those Ioyes hovv ought vve to be moued that haue heard so many testimonies therof by so many denout martyres and confessors Of the miseries and Inconueniences that man doeth fall into by relapse and sinning again after reconciliacion to God VVhen a man hath rightlie professed Christ in the Catholique Churche and aftervvarde falleth again he is in vvorse state than euer he vvas and brought in to extreme miserie For first he hath lost the fruit of his former pennance and of all confession contricion and satisfaction for his sinnes past and forgeuen For as the prophet sayeth if the Iust man diuert from his Iustice all