Selected quad for the lemma: virtue_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
virtue_n	jesu_n	persevere_v	service_n	843	5	11.9903	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A13678	The following of Christ translated out of Latin into Englishe, newlie corrected and amended. VVherento also is added the golden epistle of Sainct Bernarde. And nowe lastelie the rules of a Christian lyfe, made by Iohn Picus the elder earle of Mirandula.; Imitatio Christi. English.	Cyprian, Saint, d. 304. [Swete and devoute sermon of mortalitie of man]. aut; Whitford, Richard, fl. 1495-1555?; Elyot, Thomas, Sir, 1490?-1546.; Bernard, of Clairvaux, Saint, 1090 or 91-1153. Epistola de perfectione vitae. English. aut; Pico della Mirandola, Giovanni, 1463-1494. Regulae duodecim portim excitantes portim dirigentes hominem in pugna spirituali. English.; Thomas, à Kempis, 1380-1471, attributed name.	1585 (1585)	STC 23968; ESTC S103013	152,704	352

with other like vertues gracious giftes of God VVherefore they profited dayly in spirit obteyned great grace of God They be lefte as an exāple to al religious persons and more ought their examples to stirre them to deuotiō and to profite more and more in vertue and grace then the great multitude of dissolute ydle persons shoulde anye thing drawe them abacke O what feruour was in religious persons at the beginning of their religion what deuotion in prayers what zeale to vertue what loue to ghostlye discipline and what reuerence and meeke obedience fiourished in thē vnder the rule of their superiour Truely their deedes yet beare witnes that they were holy and perfect so mightily subdued the world and thruste it vnder foote Nowe a dayes he is accōpted vertuous that is no offender and that may with patience keepe some litle sparcle of that vertue and feruor that he had firste But alas for sorowe it is through our owne slouth and negligence and through losing of time that we be so soone fallen from our first feruour into such a ghostly weaknes and dulnes of spirite that in maner it is to tedious to vs for to liue But woulde to God that the desire to profite in vertue slepte not so vtterly in thee that so ofte haste seene the holy examples of blessed Saintes Of the exercises of a good religious person The 19. Chapter THe lyfe of a good religious man should shine in all vertue and be inward as it appereth outwarde and that much more inwarde for almightie God beholdeth the heart VVhom we should alwaye honour and reuerence as if we were euer in his bodilye presence and appere afore him as Angels clene and pure shining in all vertue we ought euery daye to renewe our purpose in God and to stirre our heart do feruor and deuotiō as though it were the firste daye of our conuersion dayly we shall pray and say thus Helpe me my Lorde Iesu that I may perseuer in good purpose and in thy holy seruice vnto my death that I may nowe this present daye perfectly beginne for it is nothinge that I haue done in time past After our purpose and after our intent shalbe our reward And though our intent be neuer so good yet it is necessarie that we put therto a good will and a great diligence For if he that often times purposeth to doe well and to profite in vertue yet fayleth in his doing what shall he doe then who seldome or neuer taketh such purpose Let vs intend to doe the best we can and yet our good purpose may happē to be hindred and letted in diuers maners And our speciall hinderaunce is this that we so lihgtly leaue of our good exercises that we haue vsed to doe before time for it is seldome seene that a good purpose wilfully broken may be recouered agayne without great spirituall hinderance The purpose of righteous men dependeth in the grace of God more then in thēselues or in their owne wisedome for man purposeth but God disposeth ne the waye that man shall walke in this worlde is not in himselfe but in the grace of God If a good custome be sometime left of for helpe of our neighbour it may soone be recouered but if it be left of through slouth or through our owne negligence it will greatlie hinder vs and hardly will it be recouered agayne Thus it appereth that though we incorage our selues all that we can to doe well yet it is good that we alwaye take such good purpose especiallie against such thinges as hinder vs moste VVe must also make diligent searche both within vs without vs that we leaue nothing inordinate vnterformed in vs as nigh as our frailtie may suffer And if thou can not for frayltie of thy selfe doe thus continual●ie yet at the least that thou doe it once on the day euening or morning In the morning thou shalt take a good purpose for that daye folowinge and at night thou shalte discusse diligentlie how thou hast behaued thee the daye before in worde in deede and in thought for in them we doe ofte offend God aud our neighbour Arme thee as Christes true knyght with meeknes and charitie against all the malice of the enemie Refraine glotonie and thou shalt the more lightlie refrayne all carnall desires Let not the ghostly enemy finde thee all ylde but that thou be readinge writing prayinge deuoutlie thinkinge or some other good labour doinge for the comminaltie Bodily exercises are to be done discretelie for that that is profitable to one is sometime hurtfull to another and also spirituall labours done of denotion are more sure done in priuitie then in open place And thou must beware that thou be not more readie to priuate deuotiōs then to them that thou arte bounde to by duetie of thy religion But whē thy duetie is fulfilled thē adde thereto after as thy deuotion gyueth All may not vse one maner of exercise but one in one maner another in another maner as they shall feele to be most profitable to thē Also as the time requireth so diuers exercises are to be vsed for one maner of exercise is necessary on the holy daye another on the feriall daye one in time of temptation another in time of Peace and cōsolation one when we haue sweetenes in deuotion another when deuotion withdraweth Also against principall feastes we ought to be more diligēt in good workes and deuoutlie to call for helpe to the blessed Saintes that then be worshipped in the Churche of God then in other times and to dispose our selues in like maner as if we shoulde then be taken out of this world and be brought into the euerlastinge feast in heauen And fith that blisse is yet differred from vs for a time we may well thinke that we be not yet readye nor worthye to come therto And therefore we ought to prepare our selues to be more readie another time For as S. Luke saith Blessed is that seruaunt whom our Lorde when he shall come at the hour of death shall finde readie for he shall take him and lifte him vp high aboue all earthlie thinges into the euerlastinge ioye and blisse in the kingdome of heauen Amen Of the loue of onelines and silence The .20 Chapter SEeke for a cōuenient time to searche thine owne cōscience and thinke ofte on the benefites of god Leaue of all curious thinges and reade such matters as shal stirre thee to compunctiō of heart for thy sinnes rather then to reade onelie for occupyinge of the time If thou wilt withdrawe thy selfe from superfluous wordes and from vnprofitable runninges about and from the hearinge of rumours and vayne tales thou shalt finde time eonuenient to be occupied in holy meditations The moste holie men and women that euer were fled the company of worldlie liuing men with all their power chose to serue god in secrete of their heart And one holye mā sayde As ofte as I haue beene amōge

worldlie cōpanie I haue departed with lesse feruour of spirite then I came and that we know well when we talke long for it is not so harde to keepe allwaye silence as it is not to exceede in wordes when we speake much It is also more light to be alwaye solitarti at home then to go forth into the world and not offēd Therefore he that intendeth to come to an inwarde setting of his heart in God and to haue the grace of deuotion must with our Sauiour Christe withdrawe him from the people No man maye surelie appeace amōge the people but he that woulde gladlie be solitarie if he might nor no man is sure in prelacie but he that would gladlie be a subiect no none maye surelie commaunde but he that hath learned gladlie to obey and none ioyeth trulie but he whose heart witnesseth that he hath a cleane conscience ne none speaketh surelie but he that would gladlie keepe silence if he might And alwaye the suretie of good men and blessed men hath beene in meekenes dreade of God And though such blessed men shined in all vertue yet they were not therfore lifte vp into pride but were therfore the more diligent in the seruice of God and the more meeke in all their doeings And on the contrarywise the suretie of euill men riseth of pride and of presumption and in the ende it deceaueth them Therefore thinke thy selfe neuer sure in this life whether thou be religions or seculer for ofte times they that haue beene holden in the sight of the people moste perfecte haue beene suffered to fall more greeuouslye for their presumption Also it is muche more profitable to many persons that they haue sometimes temptations least happlye they thinke them selues ouermuch safe and be thereby lift vp into pride or run to seeking of outward consolation then that they be alwayes without temptations O how pure a conscience should he haue that would despise all transitorie ioye neuer would meddle with worldlie busines And what peace inward quietnes should he haue that would cut away frō him all busines of minde and onelye to thinke on heauenlye thinges No man is worthy to haue ghostlye cōfortes vnlesse he haue fie● beene well exercised in holy cōpunctiō And if thou wilt haue cōpunctiō goe into a secret place put frō thee all the clamorous noyse of the worlde for the prophete Dauid saith Let the sorowe for thy sinnes be done in thy secrete chāber ī thy ●elle thou shalt finde great grace which thou maiest lightlye lose without Thy Celle wel cōtinued shal waxe sweete pleasaunt to thee shall be to thee hereafter a right deere frende if it be but euill kept it shall growe verie tedious yrkesome to thee But if in the beginning thou be ofte therein and keepe it well in good prayers holy meditations it shall be after to thee a speciall frende and one of thy moste speciall comfortes in silence and quietnes of hearte A deuout soule profiteth much and learneth the hidde sentēces of Scripture and findeth there also manye sweete teares in deuotion wherewith euery night she washeth her mightilie from all filth of sinne that she may be so much the more familiar with God as she is disseuered from the clamorous noyse of wordly busines Therefore they that for the loue of vertue withdrawe them from their acquaintāce and frō their worldlie frendes our Lord with his aungels shall drawe nigh to them and shall abide with them It is better that a man be solitarie and well take heede of him selfe then that he doe miracles in the world forgettinge himselfe It is also a laudable thinge in a religious person seldome to goe forth seldome to see other seldome to be seene of other VVhy wilt thou see that the which it is not lawefull for thee to haue The worlde passeth awaye with all his concupiscence and deceuable pleasures Thy sensuall appetite moueth thee to go abrode but when the time is past what bearest thou home againe but remorse of conscience and vnquietnes of hart It is ofte seene that after a mery goinge forth foloweth a heauy returninge and that a glad euentide causeth a heauie morning and so all fleshly ioy entreth pleasantlie but in the ende it biteth slayeth VVhat maiest thou see without thy Celle that thou maiest not see within Lo heauen earth and all the elementes whereof all earthly thinges be made and what maiest thou elsewhere see vnder the sunne that may long endure And if thou might see all earthly thinges and also haue all bodilie pleasures presēt at once before thee what were it but a vaine sight Lyfte vp thine eyes therfore to God in heauē and praye hartily that thou maiest haue forgeuenes of thine offences Leaue vayne thinges to them that wilde vaine take thou heede onelye to those thinges that our Lorde commaundeth thee Shet fast the doore of thy soule that is to saye thy ymagination and keepe it warilye from beholding of any bodilie thing as muche as thou maiest and then lift vp thy mind to thy Lorde Iesu and open thy heart faithfullie to him and abide with him in thy Celle for thou shalt not finde so much peace without If thou haddest not gone forth so muche as thou haste done nor haddest geuen hearinge to vaine tales thou shouldest haue beene in muche more inward peace thē thou art but forasmuch as it delighteth thee to heare newe thinges it behoueth thee therefore to suffer sometime both trouble of heart and vnquietnes of minde Of compunction of the heart The .21 Chapter IF thou wilt any thinge profite to the health of thy soule keepe thee alwaye in the dreade of God and neuer desire to be fullie at libertie but keepe thee alwaye vnder some wholsome discipline Neuer geue thy selfe to vndiscrete mirth for no maner of thinge as nigh as thou mayest Haue perfect compunction and sorowe for thy sinnes and thou shalt finde therby great inwarde deuotiō Compunction openeth to the syght of the soule manye good thinges which lightnes of heart vaine mirth soone driueth awaye It is meruaile that any man can be merye in this life if he consider well howe farre he is exiled out of his coūtrey and how great perill his soule daylie standeth in but through lightnes of heart and negligēce of our defaultes we feele not nor we will not feele the sorowe of our owne soule but often times we laugh when we ought rather to weepe and mourne for there is no perfect libertie nor true ioye but in the dreade of God and in a good conscience That person is right happie that hath grace to auoyde from him all thinges that letteth him from beholdinge of his owne sinnes and that can turne him selfe to God by inward compunction and he is happie also that auoideth from him all thinges that may offend or greeue his conscience Fight stronglie therefore against all sinnes and dreade not ouermuch although thou he

it were put in thy election thou shouldest rather chose aduersitie then prosperitie for then by the pacient sufferinge thereof thou shouldest be more like to Christe and the more confirmed to all his saintes Our merite and our perfectiō of life standeth not in consolations and sweetnes but rather in sufferinge of great greeuous aduersities and tribulations For if there had bene any nearer or better waye for the health of mans soule then to suffer our Lorde Iesu would haue shewed it by wordes or by examples But for there was not therefore he openlie exhorted his disciples that folowed him and all other that desired to folowe him to forsake their owne will and to take the Crosse of penance and folowe him saying thus VVho so will come after me forsake he his owne will take he the Croue and folowe he me Therefore all thinges searched and redde be this the finall conclusion that by many tribulations it behoueth vs to enter into the kingdome of heauen To the which bring vs our Lorde Iesus Amen Here beginneth the third Booke Of the invvarde speakinge of Christ to a faythfull soule The firste Chapter I Shall take heede saith a deuout soule and I shall heare what my Lorde Iesu shall speake in me Blessed is that man whiche heareth Iesu speaking in his soule and that taketh of his mouth some worde of comforte and blessed be the eares that heare the secret rowninges of Iesu and heede not the deceytfull rowninges of this world And blessed be the good playne eares that heede not the outwarde speache but rather take heede what God speaketh and teacheth inwardlye in the soule Blessed be the eyes also that be shutte from sight of outwarde vanities that take hede to the inwarde mouinges of God Blessed be they also that get them vertues and prepare them by good bodily and ghostly workes to receyue dayly more and more the secrete inspirations and inward teachinges of God Also blessed be they that set them selues wholly to serue God and for his seruice set apart all lettinges of the world O thou my soule take heede to that is sayde before and shet the dores of thy sensualities that are thy fyue wittes that thou mayest heare inwardlye what our Lord Iesu speketh in thy soule Thus saith thy beloued I am thy health I am thy peace I am thy lyfe keepe thee with me and thou shalt finde peace in me Forsake the loue of transitorie thinges and seeke thinges that be euerlasting VVhat be all temporall thinges but deceauable and what may any creature helpe thee if thy Lord Iesu forsake thee Therefore all creatures and all worldlye thinges forsaken lefte 〈◊〉 that in thee is to make thee pleasaunt in his syght that after this lyfe thou mayst come to the life euerlasting in the kingdome of heauen Amē Hovve allmightie God speaketh invvardlye to mans soule vvithout sounde of vvordes The .2 Chapter SPeke Lord for I thy seruāt am readie to heare thee I am thy seruant geue me wisedome vnderstanding to knowe thy commaundements Bowe my heart to folowe the wordes of thy holy teachings that they may distil into my soule as dewe into the grasse The children of Israel sayde to Moyses Speake thou to vs and we shall heare thee but let not our Lorde speake to vs least haply we dye for dreade Not so Lord not so I beseeche thee but rather I aske meekelye with Samuel the prophete that thou vouchsafe to speake to me thy selfe and I shall gladlye heare thee Let not Moyses nor any other of the prophets speake to me but rather thou Lorde who art the inward inspirour and geuen of light to all prophets for thou alone without them mayest fully informe and instruct me They without thee maye litle profite me They speake thy wordes but they geue not the spirite to vnderstand the wordes They speake fayre but if thou be still they kindle not the heart They shewe faire letters but thou declarest the sentence They bring forth great high misteries but thou openest therof the true vnderstanding they declare thy commaundements but thou helpest to performe them They shew the way but thou geuest comfort to walke therein They doe all outwardly but thou illuminest and infourmest the heart within They water onely outwardly but it is thou that geuest the inwarde growing They crye all in wordes but thou geuest to the hearers vnderstanding of the wordes that be hard Let not Moyses therfore speake to me but thou my Lorde Iesu who art the euerlasting truth least happely I dye and be made as a man without fruit warmed outwardly and not inflamed inwardly and so to haue the harder iudgement for that I haue hearde thy word not done it knowen it and not loued it beleeued it and not fulfilled it Speake therefore to me thy selfe for I thy seruaunt am readye to heare thee Thou hast the wordes of eternall life speake them to me to the full comfort of my soule and geue me amendement of all my life past to thy ioy honor and glory euerlastingly Amen That the vvordes of God are to be hearde vvith great meekenes and that there be but fevve that ponder them as they ought to doe The .3 Chapter MY sonne sayth our Lord heare my wordes and folow them for they be moste sweet farre passing the wisedome cunning of all philosophets and wise men of the worlde My words be spirituall and ghostly and can not be fully comprehended by mans wit neither are they to be turned or applyed to the vayne pleasure of the hearer but are to be heard in silēce with great meeknes and reuerence and with great inward affection of the heart and also in great rest and quietnes of body and soule O blessed is he lord whom thou infourmest teachest so that thou mayest be meelie and mercifull Lorde vnto him in the euil day that is to say in the day of the most dreadful iudgement that he be not then left desolate comfortlesse in the land of dānation Then sayth our Lord againe I haue taught prophetes from the beginning and yet cealse I not to speake to euery creature but many be deafe will not heare many heare the worlde more gladly then me and more lightly folowe the appetite of the fleshe thē the pleasure of God The worlde promiseth temporall thinges of small value yet is he serued with great affectiō but God promiseth high thinges and thinges eternall and the hearts of the people be slowe dul Oh who serueth obeyeth God in all thinges with so great desire as he doth the worlde and as worldly princes be serued obeyed I trow none for why for a litle prebend great iourneyes be taken but for the life euerlas●ing the people wyll scarsely lift their feete once from the grounde A thing that is of small price many times is busily sought and for a penie is sometime great strife and for the promise of a litle worldlye profite men eschewe not to

your deedes in charitie tēptations resiste stronglie breake his heade shortlie weepe bitterlie haue compassion tenderlie doe good workes busilie loue perseuerantlie loue hartelie loue faythfullie loue God alonelie and all other for hym charitablie loue in aduersitie loue in prosperitie thinke alway of loue for loue is none other but God him selfe Thus to loue bringeth the louer to loue without ende Amen THE RVLES OF A CHRISTIAN lyfe made by Iohn Picus the elder Erle of Mirandula FIrst if to man or woman the waye of vertue doth seeme harde or painefull bycause we must nedes fight against the fleshe diue●l and the worlde let him or hir call to remembraunce that whatsoeuer life they will chose accordinge to the world many aduersities incommodities muche heauines and labour are to be suffred Moreouer let them haue in remembraunce that in wealth and worldlye possessions is muche and longe contencion laborious also and therwith vnfruitfull wherein trauaile is the conclusion or ende of labour and finallye paine euerlasting if those thinges be not well ordered and charitablie disposed Remembre also that it is very folishenes to thinke to come vnto heauen by any other meane than by the sayed battaile consideringe that our heade and maister Christe did not ascende vnto heanen but by his passion And the seruaunt ought not to be in better estate or condicion than his mayster or soueraine Furthermore consider that this battayle ought not to be grudged at but to be desired and wished for all though thereof no price or rewarde myght ensue or happen but onelie that thereby we might be comfourmed or ioyned to Christ out God maister VVherefore as often as in resistinge any tȳptacion thou doest withstande any of thy sences or wittes thinke vnto what part of Christes passiō thou mayest applie thy selfe or make thy selfe like As resistinge glotonie whiles thou doest punishe thy tast or appetite remembre that Christe receyued in his drinke aysell mixte with the gall of a beaste a drinke most vnsauerie and lothsome VVhan thou withdrawest thy hand from vnlawfull takinge or keepinge of any thinge which liketh thine appetite remembre Christes handes as they were faste nayled vnto the tree of the Crosse And resistinge of pride thinke on hym who beinge verie God almightie for thy sake receyued the fourme of a subiecte and humbled hym selfe vnto the moste vile and reprochefull death of the Crosse And whan thou arte tēpted with wrath Remembre that he whiche was God and of all men the most iust or righteous whan he behelde him selfe mocked spitte on scourged and punished with all dispites and rebukes and set on the Crosse amonge errant theues as if he hym selfe were a false harlot he not withstandinge shewed neuer token of indignation or that he were greeued but sufferinge all thinges with wonderfull pacience aunswered all men moste gentillie In this wise if thou peruse all thinges one after an other thou mayest finde that there is no passion or trouble that shall not make the in some parte conformable or lyke vnto Christe Also put not thy truste in mans helpe but in the onelie vertue of Christe Iesu which sayed Trust well for I haue vainquished the worlde And in an other place he sayth The prince of this worlde is caste out therof VVherfore lette vs trust by his onelie vertue to vainquishe the worlde and to subdue the diuell And therefore ought we to aske his helpe by our owne prayers and by the prayers of his blessed Sainctes Remembre also that as sone as thou hast vainquished one temptacion alwaye an other is to be loked for The diuell goeth alwaye about and seeketh for hym whom he would deuoure VVherefore we ought to serue diligentlie and be euer in feare and to saye with the prophete I will stande alwaye at my defence Take heede moreouer that not onely thou be not vainquished of the diuell that tēpteth the but also that thou vainquishe and ouercome him And that is not onelie whan thou doest no sinne but also whan of that thinge wherein he tempted thee thou takest occasiō for to doe good As if he offreth to the some good acte to be done to the intent that thereby thou mayest fall into vainglorie forthwith thou thinkynge it not to be thy deede or worke but the benefite or rewarde of God humble thou thy selfe and iudge the to be vnkinde vnto God in respecte of his manifolde benefites As often as thou doest fight fight as in hope to vainquishe and to haue at the last perpetuall peace For that paraduenture God of his abundant grace shall gyue vnto the and the diuell beinge confused of thy victorie shall retourne no more againe But yet whan thou haste vainquished beare thy selfe so as if thou shouldest fight againe shortelie Thus alwaye in bataile thou muste thinke on victorie after victorie thou must prepare the to bataile immediatlie againe Allthough thou feelest thy selfe well armed and readie yet flee not withstandinge all occasions to sinne For as the wise man saith VVho loueth perille shal therein perishe In all temptacions resist the beginninge and beate the Children of Babilon against the stone whiche stone is Christe and the children be euill thoughtes and imaginacions For in longe continuynce of sinne seldome worketh any medicine or remedie Remembre that although in the saied conflict of temptacion the bataile semeth to be verie daungerous yet consider how muche sweter it is to vainquishe temptacion than to folowe sinne whereto she inclineth the whereof the ende is repentaunce And herein many be foule deceiued whiche compare not the swetenes of victorie to the swetenes of sinne but onelye compareth bataile to pleasure Notwithstandinge a man or woman whiche hath a thousande times knowen what it is to gyue place to temptacion shoulde ones assaie what it is to vainquishe temptacion If thou be tempted thinke thou not therefore that God hath forsaken the or that he setteth but littell by the or that thou arte not in the sight of God good or perfecte but remēbre that after Saint Paule had seene God as he was in his diuinitie and suche secreate misteries as be not lawfull for any man to speake or reherce he for all that suffred temptacion of the flesh wherewith God suffred him to be tempted least be shoulde be assaulted with pride VVherein a man ought to consider that Saint Paule whiche was the pure vessell of election and rapt into the thirde heauen was notwithstādinge in perill to be proude of his vertues as he sayth of him selfe VVherfore aboue all temptacions man or woman ought to arme thē moste stronglie against the tēptacion of pride since pride is the rote of all mischiefe against the which the onelie remedie is to thinke alwaye that God humbled him selfe for vs vnto the Crosse And moreouer that death hath so humbled vs whether we will or no that our bodies shall be the meate of wormes lothsome and venimouse FINIS