Linguistic DNA - Concept Modelling Demonstrator

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
virtue_n	act_n	grace_n	habit_n	906	5	9.7429	5	false

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

vnto all vertue seeing that vertues are not acquired but by the actes of them This is the naturall meanes to attaine the habits of things and by this way God Almighty intends to bestow vertue one vs whose pleasure it is to produce the workes of grace in a manner conformable vnto those of nature Exercise your selfe then in this resignation and conformity with the will of God and so you shall be continually in the occasion of exercising all other vertues which is the only meanes to attaine vnto them Now you shall haue the occasion of exercising humility now obedience at other times Pouerty Patience and so likewise all other vertues And in the meane time the more you exercise yourselfe in this resignation and conformity with the will of God the more you shall goe increasing and perfecting your selfe therin as also the greater shall your profit and perfection in all other vertues be Ecc. 2.3 Coniunge te Dâ—o sustine vt â—rescat in nouissimo vita â—ua says the Wise man vnite yourselfe to God conforme your selfe in all vnto his holy will an other version hath conglutinare Deo be as it were glued vnto him and made one with him and so you will exceedingly increase and profit in vertue For this reason the Masters of spirituall life doe counsaile vs Trac c. 6 14. 15. and it is a most good and profitabla aduicâ— to single out some one eminent Master vertue in which may be comprized all the rest and to bestow our selues particularly to prayer and the whole scope of our examen and other exercises in the pursuit of it and that because attâ—ding only vnto it we may more easely attaine vnto it and hauing attained it we may be Masters of all the rest Now one of the principall things vpon which we are to cast our eyes for this effect is this resignation and intire conformity with the will of God and in this both our prayer and examen will be profitably bestowed although it were for diuers yeares yea our whole life long seeing that in attaining vnto this we should together attaine vnto all other vertues On those words of the Apostle S. Paul Domine quid me vis facere Act. 9.6 Ber. ser 1 de coÌ„uersione S. Pauli Lord what would you haue me to do S. Bernard says O verbum breue sed plenuÌ„ sed efficax sed dignum omni acceptione O word short but full comprehending all excepting nothing Lord what is your pleasure that I should do O short word but wonderous pithy but exprest to the life but efficacious and worthy of all praise If you desire therfore a short instruction and an abridgment of the art of acquiring perfection behold it here say alwaies with the Apostle Psal 36.8 psal 107.1 Lord what would you haue me do and with the Prophet my hart is prepared for to do all whatsoeuer you shall require of me haue this alwaies in your mouth hart and your progresse in perfection will be answerable to the profit which you make in this There is yet an other good and profit in this exercise from whence we may furnish our selues with an excellent remedy against a certaine sort of tentation which familiarly vses to offer it selfe vnto vs The diuell doth labour somtimes to disquiet vs with certaine tentations and conditionall thoughts by way of interrogation demaunding of vs what if one should say this or this vnto you how would you answere him and in such and such an circumstance how would you behaue your selfe if such a thing should happen what would you do the enemy crafty as he is will present things vnto vs in such a manner that on which side soeuer we turne vs we shall remaine perplext and not dare to venture out imagining that on either side we shall fall into the snares and seeing it is all one vnto the enemy whether those things by which he doth deceaue vs be true or only apparant and counterfait so as he may but play his prize and wrest from vs some ill consent or other he hath his end and takes no further care To such tentations they say commonly that there is no necessity to answere I or no yea they affirme that it is better to giue no answere at all especially for those persons who are scrupulous since it is that which the diuell seekes to hold party with them and bring them to defend and proue for he is not to seeeke in his replies and how brauely resolued so euer they enter the skirmish with him they are not like to come of without a brokeÌ„ head But there occurs to me an excellent and profitable answere to put of these teÌ„tations with all which I esteeme to be a farre better remedy then the not answering them and it is that which wee are going to declare to wit to euery one of these demaunds deuoutly shutting of our eyes to answere if that be the will of God it is also mine if God desire to haue it so I desire it likewise that which pleaseth God in it shal also please me I referre my selfe in euery thing vnto his will I will as farre as I may performe my duty in it God I hope will giue me his grace that I may not offend him in it but do all according to his holy will Behold here a generall answere to giue satisfaction vnto all such demaunds and in its generality it imploys no difficulty but is rather the more easy and familiar For if it be the will of God it is best and most conuenient for me I may with all assurance cast my selfe in vttering that which hath been said into the armes of God Almighties will and hereby the diuell wil be frustrated of his purposes and depart ashamed and we shall become ioyfull and couragious with the victory And as in tentations against our faith they counsaile especially those who are scrupulous to answere nothing in particular but in generall to say I beleeue and hold all which our holy Mother the Church beleeues and holds so also in this tentation whereof we speake the best remedy is to giue no answere in particular but to haue recourse vnto the will of God which is both good and perfect in a most high degree THE VIII CHAPTER Wherin is confirmed by some examples how gratefull vnto God this exercise is of the conformity of our wills with his and of the great perfection which is conteined in it CAesarius relates how there was a Monke in a certaine Monastery CÄ™sarius lib. 10. vnto whom God had communicated a singular grace of working Miracles dialog cap. 6. in so much as he cured diseased persons euen with the only touch of his garments or of the girdle with which he girded himself his Abbot considering this attentiuely on the one side and on the other obseruing in this Religious no particular notes of any saÌ„ctity called him vnto him one day in priuat and earnestly

attained vnto this purity and simplicity but are yet of proud and hauty minds but a childish thing or an idle action and they would demaund of him how he could indure to be so imployed by obedience and euen I my selfe saith this Saint did question him and desire to know what motions he felt within his heart whilst he was performing this and the blessed man answered him I am as content and glad when I haue executed this as if I had done the most high and important thing as they could haue commaunded me and S. Hierom sayes that this answere did so liuely touch him that from that time forwards he began to lead the life of a Religious Monke This is to be a Religious man indeed and to lead an answerable life vnto their state not to regard what the exterior action is but to make the will of God our pleasure delight which we performe in doing of that acte and such as they are those who profit and go sensibly forwards in vertue and perfection so as euen to make it their liues sustenaÌ„ce to do the will of God wherewith they are nourished as with the very fatnes of the corne Et â—dipe frumenti satiat te But some one perhaps will say for my part I see well enough that it is a thing of great perfection to doe the will of God in euery thing and that in euery office in which they do imploy me I may performe his holy will but neuerthelesse I would willingly be applied set to more important things and be executing the will of God in such functions as those and this is to be wanting euen in the first principall seing that really it is nothing els then to desire that God should do your will and not to indeauour to accomplish â—is I am not to prescribe any law to God neither to seeke to bring him to consent vnto that which seemes best to me and is most to my desire but I ought to follow that which God Almighty shall ordaine and thinke the best and accommodate my selfe to that which he desires concerning me S. Augustin saith excellent well Optimus minister tuus est qui non magis intuetur hoc Ã te audire quod ipse voluerit sed potius hoc velle quod Ã te audurit he is thy best seruant Ã´ Lord who doth not looke to haue thee commaund him that which he desires but who rather desires that which thou shalt commaund and the holy Abbot Nylus said Non ores vt fiant quae fieri velis sed potius or a sicut orare didicâ—sti vt fâ—at voluntas Dei in me do not pray that that should be done which thou desirest but rather desire as our B. Lord hath instructed thee to pray that the will of God be alwaâ—es performed in thee Which point is worthy to be considered as one very profitable and vniuersally seruing for all chaunces and contrary accidents which may happen to vs. We ought noâ— to determine and choose in what and how we will indure and suffer but God alone it belongs not vnto vs to make choyce of those tentations with which we are to be proued or to say Oh if it were any other tentation then this I would not care but this is such an one as I can no waies indure If that paine which we haue were that which we did desire it would be no paine vnto vs If you desire indeed to be pleasing vnto Almighty God beg of him to conduct you by that way which he best knowes and pleaseth and not by that which you yourselfe desire and when our Lord doth send you that which you haue most auersion from and should be most sorry to vndergo then if you conforme your selfe vnto his will you imitate most neere our Sauiour Christ who said vnto his heauenly Father not my will but thine be done and this is to haue an intire conformity with the will of God to make him an absolute oblation of our selues that he may doe with vs whatsoeuer he shall please when and in such manner as he shall please without any exception contradiction selfe iudgment or reseâ—â—ing any thing Blosius recouÌ„ts hâ—w the holy Virgin S. Gertrude did once out of her compassion pray for a certaine person who as shee heard did with great impatience complaine that God had sent her certaine afflictions which were lesse conuenient for the good of her soule vnto whom our Sauiour answered tell that party for whom thou prayest that seing there is none can obteine the Kingdome of heauen without suffering at least some crosses and afflictions that shee had best choose and declare what afflictions shee should thinke most profitable for her and when God should send her those receaue them patiently by which words of our Lord and the manner with which they were deliuered S. Gertrud vnderstood that it was a most daungerous kind of impatience for one to desire proudly and peruersly to make choyce themselues of that which they would suffer saying forsooth that those afflictions which are sent them by God Almighty are lesse fitting for the good of their soules and more then they can sustaine seing euery one is to assure himselfe that whatsoeuer God doth send him or permits to happen to him is most conuenient for him and for such he is to welcome it both with patience and conformity with the will of God And as you are not to make choice of those tentations and afflictions which you are to vndergoe but to receaue all which shall be sent you as proceeding from the holy hand of God vnderstanding them to be the most conuenient for you so likewise are you to be as farre froÌ„ making your owne election of those offices and functions which you are to be employed in but are to receaue all which obedience shall appoint as coÌ„ming from the hand of God and perswade your selfe that it is the only thing which of all others is most expedient for you There is added moreouer vnto this a very spirituall point which teacheth vs to be so resigned vnto the will of God and to liue in such confidence and assurance of his paternall goodnes as not so much as to desire to know in what manner God shall please to dispose of vs Iust as there are some Noblemen in the world who trust their stewards so farre as not to know themselues what their owne reuenues are or what they haue in the house which is a signe of their great confidence in them and so the Patriarch Ioseph affirmeth that his Master did with him ecce Dominus meus omnibus mihi traditis ignorat quid habeat in domo sua behould my Master hauing deliuered ouer all into my hands doth not know himselfe what he hath in his owne house in like manner also that Religious man declares his confidence in God to be great indeed when he desires not so much as to know how God shall be pleased for to dispose of

Euangel distributs his gifts and tallents respectiuely to the ability of euery one and therfore one man is not to desire the part or tallent of an other man but all are to indeauour to performe that part well which is a appointed them and imploy to best aduantage that tallent which they haue receaued and keepe a cleere account and so they shall come to please God Almighty the best and be rewarded with greater recompence THE XVI CHAPTER Of the conformity which we are to haue with the will of God in time of sicknes SIcknesse is as well a guift of God as health and sent vs by him for our tryall correction and amendment as also for diuers other commodities and profits which are proceeding from it as the knowledge of our infirmity the discouery of our presumption our riddance of the loue of worldly things and of the concupiscences of sensuality the deading and diminishing in vs the forces of the flesh our Capitall enemy and giuing vs to vnderstand that the place where we liue is not our owne country but like an Inne which we haue taken vp in manner of passengers and wretched bannish't men and diuers other commodities besides for this reason the wiseman hath said infirmitas grauis sobriam facit animam grieuous infirmity makes an vnderstanding soule and therfore we are to conforme our selues as well vnto the will of God in sicknesse as in health and receaue it when soeuer God shall please to send it vs as proceeding from his holy hand One of those ancient Fathers said vnto his Disciple who was sicke my soÌ„ne be not grieued at your infirmity but on the contrary render hearty thanks to God Almighty for it for if you be iron this is a fire for to take of your ruste if you be gould this is a fire to try you to render thanks to God when we are sicke is an acte of great vertue and worthily beseeming a true Religious soule Surius relats in the life of S. Clare how that for eight and twenty yeares together shee was afflicted with grieuous infirmities in all which time her patience was so inuincible as she was neuer heard to vtter any complaint or vse any murmuring speeches in those her violent fitts but shee continued alwaâ—es thanking and praising God and in her last sicknesse wâ—en shee was so tormented as for seauenteen daies together she could not eate one bit Fryer Reginald her Ghostly Father comforting her and exhorting her to patience in so long and dolorous a martyrdome as shee suffered in so much sicknesse and infirmity shee answered neuer since I haue been acquainted with the grace of my Lord Iesus Christ through the intercession of S. Francis his humble seruant hath any sicknesse seemed hard vnto me any paine grieuous or any penance sore and troublesome In this kind also is the life of Saint Liduuine admirable and of great example as also giuing great courage and comfort vnto those who are sicke who for eight and thirty yeares together was oppressed with most grieuous and extraordinary diseases and paines and for thirty yeares could neuer rise from that poore couch on which she lay or susteine her selfe on her feet in all which time our Sauiour visited her with high and singular fauours But for as much as diuers particular reasons do vse to present themselues vnder the colour and shew of greater good vnto the hinderance of this indifferency and conformity it is requisite that we solue and answere them And first some one may say for my part it is all one to me whether I be sicke or well only that which troubles me is that I feare I am a burthen to those of the house a charge vnto the ReligioÌ„ vnto this I answere that this is nothing els then to coÌ„dâ—Ì„ne the Superior those of the house of waÌ„t of charity litle resignation to the will of God the Superiors are vnderstood to be arriued to that perfection to receaue all as coÌ„ming from the hand of God and to conforme theÌ„selues in all vnto his blessed will and so if God be pleased that you should be sicke that one should be imployed in nothing els then in teÌ„ding to the recouery and the care of you they are likewise well content as you beare that crosse which God hath sent you so do they likewise sustaine that which God would haue them beare with great conformity But you will reply I sufficiâ—Ì„tly see in this point the great charity of the Society and nothing troubles me but to thinke how much profit I could make in studying preaching hearing confessions how I cannot imploy my selfe in any of these by reason of my sicknesse Vnto which S. Augustin answeres excellent well saying that we know not whether it were better to do that which we pretend or no and therfore are to propose nothing vnto our selues aboue our capacity and if afterwards we can execute that which we designed we are not to reioyce because that which we intended desired is brought to passe but because in it the will of God is done and if that which we ordeined be not effected we are not therfore to be troubled and loose our peace of mind seing that aequius est vt nos eâ—us quam vt ille nostram sâ—quatur voluntatem it is more reasonable that we should followe Gods will then he ours And glorious S. Augustin coÌ„cluds with an admirable sentence Nemo melius ordinat quid agat nisi qui paratior est non agere quod diuina posestate prohibitur quam cupidior agere quod humana cogitatione meditatur there is no man doth better dispose of what he would do then he who is readier to do nothing that the diuine authority may forbid then desirous to do that which in his owne thoughts he intends We are then to determine and dispose of things with such indifferency as to be alwaies prepared to conforme our selues vnto the will of God if by any chance our pretensions might be crossed and so we should neuer be grieued or troubled if through sicknes or any other casualty we could not bring that to passe which we had purposed although the thing in it selfe were of neuer so great consequence for the good of soules Master Auila writing vnto a Priest visited with sicknesse saith wondrous well doe not consider so much what you could do if you were well as how pleasing you should be to God in being well content for to be sicke and if you seeke purely the will of God as I suppose you do what matter is it whether you be sicke or well seing that his will alone is all our good S. Chrisostom saith that holy Iob did merit more and did please God more in this Iob. 1.21 Sicut Domino placuit ita factum est sit nomen Domini benedictum it is so falne out as it hath pleased God be his name euer blest and in conforming himselfe in all his miseries

Selected quad for the lemma: virtue_n

Text snippets containing the quad