Selected quad for the lemma: virtue_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
virtue_n	darkness_n	light_n	shine_v	1,307	5	9.6147	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A23406	The audi filia, or a rich cabinet full of spirituall ievvells. Composed by the Reuerend Father, Doctour Auila, translated out of Spanish into English; Audi filia. English	John, of Avila, Saint, 1499?-1569.; Matthew, Tobie, Sir, 1577-1655.	1620 (1620)	STC 983; ESTC S100239	370,876	626

not performe that which it aduised but that which their owne peruerse will suggested And because the Truth of God is a most excellent thing he bestoweth it as a great fauour to the end that a man practising it with affection may honour it and obtaine vertue by it and so be saued and if he consider not ●eerof and do entertaine it in such a fashion as that he neither practiseth those things which it teacheth nor doth lodge it in so faire a place as it deserueth he doth thereby great dishonour to God that gaue it and to the Truth it selfe which was giuen by him And if it had a tongue wherewith to speake it would with a loud voyee demaund iustice against such a man For as much as it being so precious a Iewell and which is able so much to enrich men it is detayned without hearing what it sayth and without doing what it requireth and it is quartered out in the stincking company of sinne wher with the will of such a man aboundes And so in such sort as it is able it doth like the bloud of Abell cry out demanding vengeance Because although such an one depriueth not Truth of life because true fayth is compatible with a life that is wicked yet doth he depriue it of that efficacy which it would haue in working if insteed of hindring he did assist it towardes the performance of those thinges which it teacheth These cryes are heard by God for it is he that sayth The seruant who knoweth the will of his maister and doth it not shall be beaten with many stripes Amongst which the very greatest which he giueth in this world is to permit as we haue ●ayd before that in punishment of his sinnés he fall into errour of beliefe And so were those others punished by being suffered to fall into such blind Idolatry as that they came to worship for God euen birdes and serpents and other beasts And because they robbed God of that honour which was due to him as God and gaue it to such as it belonged not to God redoubled vpon them the punishment of this sinne of Idolatry by suffering them to fall into such other filthy sinnes as breed horrour to thinke of them and shame to name them And although such as are afflicted with this punishment of infidelity without doubt wil fall into other sinnes yet is that fall of theirs into those later sinnes as free as that whereby they fel into the former through their owne will Which yet how many soeuer they be either of one kind or of the other the mercy of God is not shut vp against them if they dispose themselues to retyre into the bowells of his pitty The power of God is manifested in the first of these his wisedome in the second and his goodnes and mercy in the third Now by the (g) The iust iudgments of God both against Iewes Gentilles same reason whereby the soueraigne Iudge did punish the proud Gentills he did also punish the vngratefull Iewes that vpon great cause Because he gaue more knowlege to them then to the Gentills wherof they serued themselues so il as that with infidelity they denyed the very true life it s●lfe which is Christ Iesus and they crucified him by the hands of the Gentills And because they had a mind to extinguish that soueraigne light without which there is no light nor Truth they remayned in obscure darknes and they will remayne in eternall perdition vnles they be conuerted to the seruice of our Lord whome they denyed But now let vs see what the motiue was which drew them on to so great a misery as to vnbelieue that light which stood there before their eyes S. Iohn (h) Ioan. 3. makes the answere thus Men loued darknesse more then light because their works were euill euery one that worketh euill abhorreth the light So that because our Lord his doctrine did addresse them to all vertue truth they loued falsehood and lyes they could not endure to heare or see him nor did they wish that there had by many light of doctrine in the world which might be able to discouer that counterfait sanctity which they professed Or that there should be any example of perfect life in comparison whereof their owne might be condemned for wicked And from this root of a will which was so depraued did grow that bitter fruit of denying and murthering that heauenly Phisitian who came to cure them And they found themselues to be such as the Prophet (i) Psal ●8 vers 24. Dauid had painted out long before when he sayd thus of them Let their eyes be obscured that they may not see and let their back go euer bending downeward for their eyes haue remayned without the light of fayth and their will hath been all imployed vpon thinges of the earth CHAP. XLVIII Wherein the former discourse is more particulerly prosecuted and it is declared what dispositions are requisite for the beginning to read and vnderstand the diuine Scriptures the holy Doctours BVT now if God did take into so zealous care the honour of that knowledge which he gaue the Gentills that which he also gaue the Iewes how much will he haue zeale of that which he giueth Christians since incomparably this is more then that which eyther of the other did enioy And (a) God inflicteth grieuous punishments vpon such as liue not according to the true fayth which they haue receaued since men do serue themselues very ill of the knowledge of this so excellent Fayth it is not to be meruayled at if sometymes God strike such persons by suffering them with a great chastisement to fall vpon heresies as he suffered those of former tymes Can it be sayd perhaps that we see not that accomplished with our owne eyes which S. Paul did prophesy of the latter tymes saying That God would send the operation of errour to certayne men that they might belieue a lye and this lye is against Fayth For no man can be ignorant of the miserable and great efficacy wherewith so much people hath cordially imbraced the Lutheran heresy so that we see plainely how God (b) Do not willfully mistake the Scripture or this authour but marke well that which instantly followeth hath sent this efficacy of errour for the belieuing of a lye as S. Paul sayth Not that God doth send these things by inciting men to belieue a lye or to worke any wickednesse For he is not the tempter of the wicked as S. Iames the Apostle (c) Iac. 1. sayth But he is sayd to send the operation of errour whē by his iust iudgment he (d) Note suffereth the vnderstanding of men to be deceaued by false discourses or by false miracles which either some man or the peruerse Diuell may worke and withall they find in themselues such force towards the belieuing of that lye as to thinke themselues mooued to the beliefe of it

and other Vertues which are not so incompatible with their sexe And although we now giue but these for an example or pasterne of the rest yet thou seest the innumerable store of men and women who in euery particuler state haue serued our Lord with a perfect life in the Christian Church Some of which hauing beene sublimed in this world and abounding in al kind of riches and humane prosperity and then at the present possessing much and expecting to inherite great states and kingdomes haue despised all this and to please God the more haue chosen the life of the Crosse in pouerty and affliction and in obedience both to God and men And all this with so great testimony of vertue both in the interiour and exteriour as strooke them to admiration who conuersed with them People there hath been in our Church which as S. Paul sayth hath shined in the world like lampes of heauen and being compared to the rest of the world they are found to excell them beyond comparison which the most obstinate person cannot deny if he will but consider the life of a S. Paul and of the other Apostles and Apostolicall men who haue beene in the Church And since there hath beene so great goodnes in this Christian people as by their workes we find to be euident what scruple can we haue to affirme that either there is no knowledge of God on earth or els that these men had it as persons who were more beloued of God and did serue themselues better of his knowledge and employ themselues more vpon pleasing him that gaue it In no sort can it be sayd that the world is without some such knowledge of God as is necessary for saluation For this were to say that the chief creatures which God made vnder heauen and for whose sake he created all thinges should all be lost for want of meanes which God might giue them to be saued But (c) God is infinitely good God is no such thing as that he will thut the gate of saluation against vs nor can it stand so with the bowells of his mercy and goodnes as that he can be without friends to whome euen heere he may do great fauours and much more in heauen This proofe of our Fayth being taken from the life of Christians was much esteemed and recommended by the holy Apostles in the beginning of the Catholike Church Amongst whome S. Peter (d) 1. T●● 3. sayth I et women be subiect to their husbands that so if there be any who beleecue not the word of God euen without that word they may be gayned by the good conuersation of their wiues behold●ng their holy manner of life in the feare of God Wher by (e) The hero●call vertue of ●ēs hue● doth proue the truth of their Religion the force of vertuous life doth well appeare since it was able to conuert infidells which by the preaching of the Apostles though that had beene vsed with great efficacy and euen with working of miracles could not be gained S. Paul sayth That being to goe from one place to another he had no need that they to whome he had preached should giue him letters of fauour to countenance him with those others to whome he was about to preach And he sayth to the (f) 1. C●● 1. Corinthians You are my letter which is knowne and read by all And this he sayth because the vertuous manner of life that they held by meanes of his preaching labours were a sufficient letter to declare who S. Paul was and how proficable his presence was and he sayth That all men did know and read this letter because any nation how barbarous soeuer it be howsoeuer it vnderstand not the language of wordes yet (g) Good life in others is a language which the most ignorant men aliue can vnderstand doth it vnderstand the language of good example and of the vertue which it seeth to be put in practise and thence it is that men grow to esteeme much the man who hath such disciples It is also for this that the same Apostle sayth in another place That seruantes who are Christians should serue their Lords and maisters with so good a will that they might in all thinges do honour to the doctrine of Christ our Sauiour The meaning is that their life was to be such as to testify that the Christian faith and doctrine should be held thereby to be true And how much this point importeth our Lord who knoweth all thinges did teach vs well when praying to his eternall Father and interceding with him for Christians he sayd these words I aske of thee that all they may be one thing as thou O Father art in me and I in thee that all they may be one and the same thing in vs that so the world may belieue that thou hast sent me Certainly (h) Note and liue accordingly this is a great verity which heere the supreme truth hath told vs That if we Christiās were perfect keepers of the Law which we haue the principall commaundment whereof is that of charity we should cause such an admiration in men of the world that see vs we being equall vnto them vnder the law of nature and much superiour to them in vertue that they would render themselues to vs as the weak do to the strong and as the low to the high they would belieue that God dwelleth in vs by seing vs made able to do those things to which their power doth not arriue and they would giue glory to God who is the maister of such seruantes And then would it be fulfilled that we should be the letter of Iesus Christ from which all might take their lessons and that we did set forth and commend his doctrine and that we were a good odour to him since we speake well of him by occasion of the life we lead But (i) Yea euen the wickedest diuell in hell must in his hart acknowledge it to be true thou O Lord doest know that although there haue byn in thy Church very many so alwayes there are some whose life doth shine like a great light which euen the Infidells if they would might be drawen to looke vpon for the discouery of Truth and so to saue themselues yet (k) A wofull thing it is to be a wicked Christian their damnatiō will be worse then that of In●idells so doest thou also know O Lord how many there are in thy Church which conteineth Christians both good and bad who not only are no meanes to make infidells know and honour thee but rather to alienate themselues from thee and to blind their soules more and more and so insteed of the honour which they should giue thee vpon the hearing the name of a Christian they doe more pestilently blaspheme thee It seemeth to their deceaued iudgement that he cannot be true God or Lord who hath seruantes that liue so ill But thou O Lord hast

arriue to man Hereby God gained more honour then by hauing created heauen and earth and all that is therein And therefore this worke is for the eminency and excellency of it called the work of God as our Lord sayd This is my foode to do the will of my Father in my finishing his worke which is the redemption of men Not but that God hath wrought other workes but because the In●ernation and redemption which follow hereupon is the greatest worke of them all and that which he prizeth most as the thing whereby he receiueth most honour For (h) The same excellent discourse continued although to haue scourged Egypt for the loue of his people and to haue drawne it out from thence to haue conducted it through the desert did giue honour to God as Isaias saith yet already thou canst not chuse but see which is the more high and heroicall act of loue for God to whip his enemies for the loue of his people or to suffer himselfe to be scourged in his owne flesh for the loue both of his domestiques and of strangers and both of his friends and of his enemies One thing it is for God to carry his children through the desert like an eagle that would teach his yong ones how to fly taking them vp vpon his shoulders when they are weary that so they might vnweary themselues whylest yet God groweth not weary thereby and another thing it is to ouerloade his owne shoulders with a heauy Crosse which did euen flea them of their skin togeather with all the sinnes of the whole world which like the beame of a wyne-presse did straine him so far as to depriue him of life vpon the same Crosse and this to the end that men might be out of paine Who is he that will not discerne that this was a most excellent heroicall act of loue the like whereof was neuer seene which gaue more honour to God then all that was past That other was to him but a common thing and there was no need of so great loue for the doing of it But this later was a busines that would haue byn imbraced by few and hardly wil there be found a man vpon earth who would suffer himself to be publikely whipped or put to death for any good man or any frend And yet if such a man could be found there would still be no comparison to be made betweene that and the much that our Lord did loue and suffer for vs. For he hath no equal Nor is it to be greatly merua●led at if a Lion carry himselfe like a Lion but that a Lion should be content to suffer like a Lambe and that the only cause therof should be his loue this is a busines of a strang extent and worthy of eternall honour And since in former tymes they sayd Let (i) Exod. 15. vs sing vnto our Lord for he hath byn magnified in a glorious manner Let vs also say with a most profound gratitude Let vs sing vnto our Lord who hath byn magnifyed in a most humble manner For as much as formerly God did neither abase himselfe nor take paines in the ease which he gaue vs nor although he imparted riches did he impouerish himselfe but here he impouerished himselfe he did sweat yea he abased himselfe to death and death of the Crosse to raise his seruantes from sinne and to conduct them to heauen and he preuailed in his enterprize and that which Isaias (k) Isa 55. sayd was fulfilled that insteed of the little shrubbe there should grow the Firre-tree and insteed of the nettle there should grow the myrtle And that our Lord should be renowned by an eternall token which shall neuer be taken away For the honour which God did gayne in placing of of this signe which is the Crosse and to dy thereon and to make men good of bad shall last for euer and there shall none be able to ouerthrow it CHAP. XLI That not only the glory of our Lord doth shine in the humble thinges of God which our Faith teacheth but also our owne great profit our strength and vertue NOT (a) He stil prosecuteth the same excellēt discourse in an excellent manner only doth the honour of God shine after an excellent manner in the workes of his humanity and humility but from thence also doth result the great profit and glory of man whome nothing doth so much exalte as that God hath put himselfe into Brotherhood with him Nor is there any thing which doth so much strengthen his hart against the swooning afflictions which sinne causeth in it as to see that God died for the remedy thereof and that he gaue himselfe to man as his owne Nor is there any thing which can so mooue him to loue God as to see himselfe beloued by him euen to the death nor to make a man despise prosperity or suffer aduersity nor to humble himselfe to God and to his Neighbour nor indeed to any good thing be it great or smal as to see God abased humaned that he was pleased to passe through these thinges giuing vs commandements to performe examples to behold and strength to go through And since this way of remedying our humility and basenes turneth more to the glory of God and to the good of men it is a signe that this is a worke of God since in that which God worketh he pretendeth the manifestation of his owne glory and mans good And therefore he that either denyeth this worke or hindreth it is an enemy of God and of all mankind Since thereby he will depriue God of the greatest honour which by his workes can come to him and man of the greatest glory and benefit that can be imagined And since he declareth himself as an enemy both to God and man it is but reason that he be punished and that with eternall death in hell And the answere that he will be able to giue when God shall aske him this question Why (b) Read this with great attention didst thou not belieue those high things of me must be this Because O Lord they seemed so high to me that I did not thinke thou hadst been so high And being asked why he did not belieue those mysteryes of his humanity and humility since they were the testimonyes of his goodnes of his loue he must answere That he did not thinke the loue and goodnes of our Lord to haue beene so great that he could find in his hart to do and suffer so much for the loue of men So that he stumbleth both vpon the high and vpon the low And the roote of all is because he thinketh basely of God And that he tooke his height and his goodnes to be a limitted kind of thinge Which root and that which proceeds thereof shall iustly burne in the fire of hell as being iniurious to the most high God whom it doth diminish and confine with in a certaine narrow compasse How much better