Selected quad for the lemma: evil_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
evil_n	bitter_a	good_a	light_n	2,289	5	8.2364	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A25385	Holy devotions, with directions to pray also a brief exposition upon [brace] the Lords prayer, the creed, the Ten commandments, the 7 penitential psalms, the 7 psalms of thanksgiving : together with a letanie / by the Right Reverend Father in God Lancelot Andrews ...; Institutiones piae, or, Directions to pray	Andrewes, Lancelot, 1555-1626.	1663 (1663)	Wing A3129A; ESTC R40284	169,352	493

Christi I conceive that there is nothing perpetual in this confused and disordered life but think that all things are transitory and pass away And whosoever duly considereth this falls upon his face knowing how far he is distant from the Majesty of GOD and will bend his knees to GOD the Father in the name of Iesus Christ and crave to be dissolved 2. It is Miserable Besides the brevity many miseries accompany it No year day nor hour but hath his misery One sues thee for thine estate another layeth wait for thy life a third wrongeth thy good name Evil Children vex thee if thou have any If thou hast none thou art grieved for the want Thy Wife unchast and unquiet disquiets thee Thy friends death discomforts thee One loseth an eye another an arm One is slain by a fall from his horse Another perisheth by water or fire So that the miseries over-ballance the joyes Then I would know what felicity is in it Saint Augustine describes them at large Plena sunt omnia laqueis plena periculis incitant cupiditates insidiantur illecebrae blandiunt lucra damna deterrent amarae sunt obloquentium linguae nec semper veraecia sunt ora laudantium c. All things are full of snares full of dangers concupiscence tickleth allurements lye in wait gain flattereth loss terrifieth slanderous tongues of some are bitter and the praises of others are not alwayes true or pleasing to us c. 3. It is sinful All the actions of it and of all that live in it being so In it you may see the Innocents afflicted the Guilty acquit the good despised the evil preferred The Lord himself looked down from Heaven upon the children of men and found them all abominable none to do good No truth mercy nor knowledge of GOD in the Land but swearing lying killing and whoring If the Devil be Prince of the world what goodness can be expected in his Dominions 4. Lastly It is Deceitful It seems to be that it is not promiseth that it gives not Out of the pleasures thereof arise many sorrows Children bestowed bring cares Honour enjoyed brings emulation Wealth encreased brings fear Offices possessed bring envy Unlawful pleasures used bring diseases If the World flatter thee it is but to deceive thee If it exalt thee it is but to cast thee down headlong If it make thee merry it is but in short time after to afflict thee the more Extrema gaudia luctus occupaet Si spes nobis in vita non esset relicta quam de vita futura concipimus non multum hic mundus ab inferno distaret If we had not here some hope left to us which we conceive of the felicity of the life to come there were little difference between this World aud Hell it self Therefore to end this first point love it not for he which loves it hath not the love of God in him But settle your affections on high on God alone in whose service consists true happiness No Creature can be fully at rest till it attain to the end for which it was created but is restless till then Now God is the object of Mans happiness and the end of his felicity Nothing can satisfie Mans heart but God nor can it be at rest though it possess the whole world till it return to him The nearer to him the quieter No Man hath perfect blessedness in this World Vanitas vanitatum omnia vanitas said Solomon who had his hearts desire as much as any Usque quo filii hominum How long will ye have pleasure in vanity in the things of this life follow lies in the false appearance of them The World is a Hypocrite covers his defects It is a Harlot that bears her Lover out of doors when their money is spent I will conclude with Saint Augustine Mare terras omnia percurre scrutare universa ubique misereris nisi ad Deum refugeris Travel over Sea and Land and search all places yet shalt thou be miserable and wretched every where except thou have recourse to God And in Gods service all good is to be found If thou desire profit Eye hath not seen c. what God hath prepared for them that love him If length of dayes Length of dayes is in his right hand If pleasures Pleasures for evermore If honour The Iust shall be had in everlasting remembrance Them that honour me I will honour Blessed therefore are they which are undefiled in the way and walk in the Law of God Blessed are they which keep his testimonies and seek after him with their whole heart II. The second part of Gods service in general is To avoid that which he forbiddeth that is Sin The difinition whereof and how it cometh you shall have out of St. Gregory All sin is committed gradatim by three degrees 1. By Suggestion of the Devil 2. By Delight of the Flesh. 3. By Consent of the Spirit 1. For when the malicious Spirit suggesteth sin in the mind of Man no delight in it follow sin is no way acted 2. But when the flesh beginneth to delight in it the sin is begun to be in the birth 3. Then if a Man descend to consent upon deliberation then it is plain that sin is committed So that in the suggestion is the seed in the delight is the nourishment and in the consent is the full accomplishment Now as vertue and goodness is for divers respects to be followed So sin is to be avoided for many reasons Because God hateth sin and sinners The Psalmist calleth sinners Gods enemies The ungodly and his ungodliness are both hated alike of God Your iniquities have separated you from God His hate may appear by the continuance of it He visiteth the wickedness of the Fathers upon the Children in the third and fourth generation Seeing thou hast forgotten the Law of thy God I will also forget thy children 2. By with-holding good things from them I will hide my face from them I will take away the hedge of my Vineyard I will not feed you I will be to Ephraim as a Moth. 3. By the severe punishment of Offenders from time to time Who gave Iacob for a spoyl and Israel to the Robbers Did not the Lord because we have sinned against him For sin God drove our first Parents out of Paradise The Angels from Heaven Sodom and Gomorrah was consumed by fire The whole World by Deluge God drowned Pharaoh and the Egyptians Destroyed Korah Dathan and Abiram The two Sons of Aaron and of Heli. Ananias and Saphira Ierusalem his own City and o● 600000. which went out of Egypt only two came into the Land of promise Because God heareth not the prayers of the wicked When they stretch out their hands he will hide his eyes from them and though they make many prayers he

From the power of the Dog From the Lyons mouth and the horns of the Unicorns Out of the mire that we sink not From the deep and let not the pit shut her mouth upon us And deliver us not only from him but from his malice also From whatsoever poyson he hath breathed on the Creatures From the enmity of the World Take us not from the world but deliver us from the evil of it From whatsoever is evil in our flesh Deliver us from our selves as we are evil Deliver us also as from the evil of sin so from the evil of punishment From the evils and miseries of this life Especially of the life to come O Lord we are oppressed undertake for us Lord carest thou not that we perish We are brought into bondage by sin Captives to Satan and lyable to thy wrath We are not able to match with our enemies by our own strength Assist us thou and deliver us Deliver us by thy Son and we shall be free He overcame the Devil and the World He overcame them in himself Let him overcome them also in us He overcame the Devil in himself by breaking his head dis-arming him and diminishing his power Let him overcome him in us by giving us the Armour of the Spirit and increasing our strength and grace Deliver us from the evil of sin that it have no dominion over us à parte ante Deliver us from the evil of sin when it hath prevailed over us à parte post And that presently and speedily if that it seem good to thee But if not so soon as we desire yet let thy deliverance come certainly Lest the pit shut her mouth upon us Deliver us from evil especially from that evil that carries with it a shew of good When the Enemy pretends to condemn that which is evil and to approve that which is good From the Devil at Noon-day From Satan transforming himself into an Angel of light From pleasing Errors From sins declining and bending to the right hand savouring of politique wisdom Deliver us O Lords From rebellious hearts From polluted lips Throats like open Sepulchers Tongues talking vanity From evil and lustful eyes From uncircumcised ears Deaf like the Adder From hands slow to good From feet swift to evil From a forehead of brass and a neck of Iron From these and all other evils Deliver us O Lord. Lord be thou our help for vain is the help of man Deliver us so that we may be freed not only freed but free So free from sin that we may be servants to righteousness and so long servants to righteousness that at length we may be adopted into Children heirs and co-heirs with Christ. Thine is the Kingdom The Kingdom is the Lords saith David Two thing are considerable in this Conclusion 1. The Confirmation of our Faith we believe that we are heard of GOD who is able and willing to give what we desire 2. The End whereto we ought to refer whatsoever we desire in our prayers The Praise and Glory of GOD. Thou art a King and wilt hear thy Subjects Thou hast right and authority to bear rule and free command over thy creatures the works of thy hands By thee Kings rule and unto thee must they surrender their Crowns All Potentates are but subordinate to thee thy Vicegerents For though God was pleased to stile Nebuchadnezzar King of Kings as having many petty Kings under him yet is he himself and he only the King of Kings For he ruleth over all as well Kings as others The Kingdoms of the world are become the Kingdoms of the Lord. Thou art the great King as thou speakest thy self Thou removest and sertest up Kings And thy Kingdom is not temporary or of short continuance as other Kingdoms are but it is an everlasting Kingdom Thy Throne endureth for ever The Lord is King for ever aud ever Thou art the King eternal Thou hast power and strength to manage this Kingdom Thou art mightier than our adversaries Who is able to resist thy power This power of thine hath been felt in all ages Who can do like thee or what God is like thee Thou rulest by thy power for ever And this power is proper only to thee Thou hast spoken it and David hath heard it more than once that power belongeth to God And that no small power neither Great is our Lord and of great power Saint Paul calls it the exceeding greatness of his power His mighty power Moses in his Song calls it glorious power So Saint Paul Therefore thou and thou only canst give us what we ask Great is the glory of the Lord. Glory and honour is in his presence He hath set his glory above the Earth and Heavens also He is rich in glory He is the only King of glory And therefore thou expectest of us that we should give glory to thee And O Lord our intent is to glorifie thee We ask these things as meaning and intending to use them to thy glory and say with the Angels and Quire of Heaven Glory be to God in the highest And with all the Creatures in Heaven and Earth and under the Earth and such as are in the Sea Blessing honour and glory and power be to him that sitteth on the Throne And this Kingdom Power and Glory endureth not for a season only but for ever there shall be no end of it Thy Kingdom is everlasting saith David Thy Power everlastiug say and pray the Angels Thy glory is ever also Let us therefore say with those Heavenly people Allelujah Salvation and Glory and Honour and Power unto the Lord our God Behold O Father we have according to thy Sons directions and form presumed to crave those things which we want We have made our necessities known to thee We stedfastly believe that thou art able to supply our wants We desire of thee that thou wouldst grant us those things which we have craved of thee We look up to thee we sigh and groan and pray thee to confirm our votes and wishes with thy Seal Amen So be it Grant us our Petitions for his sake that sent us to thee and that is a true and faithful witness and in whom all thy Promises are Yea and Amen Honour him in us who deserve of our selves without him no good but much evil at thy hands And say to our Petitions Amen So be it O Almighty LORD and our Heavenly Father whose fatherly power and goodness is seen in the Creation Preservation and Governing of all things and upon whom as a Father we wait and depend for all that is good who art in all places by thy presence but especially in Heaven by thy Excellency

many infirmities and even the just Man falleth seven times a day and that Mans life by reason of sin is exposed to many dangers troubles and afflictions it therefore behoveth us much and concerneth us near to seek out some remedy as well to strengthen our selves from the assaults of our several enemies that as much as flesh and blood will permit we fall not as to raise us again when we are cast down and dejected either by the sight of our sins or the crosses and afflictions of this life And in this distress what course shall we think upon to relieve us or what means shall we find to aid and succour us Certainly none other better than that which GOD himself of his goodness hath prescribed and commended unto us and by his word hath commanded us to have recourse unto whensoever we shall be thus afflicted namely Prayer Call upon me saith he in the day of trouble Come unto me saith Christ all ye that labour and are heavy laden Seek ye the Lord saith the Prophet and call upon him Is any afflicted saith he by the Apostle let him pray Be instant in Prayer Continue in Prayer And the better to stir us to this duty God hath added to this Precept a Promise also that we shall not lose our labours or pray to him in vain for No sooner shall we ask but he will give No sooner call but he will answer and deliver Nay more for if God perceive but our inclination to pray to him he will prevent us and before the petition is gone out of our mouths Before we call he will answer and while we are speaking he will hear We may with confidence build upon it that either he will give what we ask or that which shall be more profitable to us And as we have this Precept and Promise to provoke us to pray to him So have we the Example not only of all the Saints of God but of Christ Iesus himself who while he was conversant in the flesh upon earth though he were wholly without spot or blemish wholly innocent immaculate and needing nothing yet often and earnestly prayed for our imitation Among all the Evangelical Precepts or Counsels there is not any one duty upon which our Saviour more earnestly beateth or to which with more fervency he inviteth his Apostles or Disciples than this of Prayer The necessity whereof he enforceth among other places of Scriptures by the Parable of the unjust Iudge and the poor importunate Widow And indeed Mans nature ever since the fall of Adam being become earthly carnal and wretched it cannot keep Gods Law which is spiritual Ego carnal is sum saith the Apostle Again as long as we live in this vale of misery we being compassed with cares tentations and afflictions have no other means to free our selves from them than to beg at the gates of Gods mercy Ego mendicus sum pauper I am poor and needy saith the Psalmist either for grace favour and remission of sins or the mortification of our affections spiritual comfort or lastly for supply of temporal blessings Neither can any so well conceive the necessity of this duty as they who by the illumination of Gods Spirit see the miserable condition they are brought into by reason of sin And what would become of miserable Man if this help were wanting but being carnal be wholly transformed into flesh The contrary effect whereto Prayer worketh in us for it elevateth us from earthly to heavenly thoughts whereby the heat and affections of the flesh are cooled and quenched Prayer being as the refreshing of the lungs to the heat of the heart without which Man could not subsist But admit there were no necessity imposed on us to pray yet the dignity and honour we receive by Prayer should incite us to it For Prayer as a Father well saith Is a familiar conference with God By it we talk with him as it were face to face By other of his Graces as in the Word and Sacraments he vouchsafeth to speak to us by this we have access and speak to him for what we stand in need of And what greater dignity what greater priviledge can be afforded to poor sinful creature dust and ashes as we are than familiarly to talk with so great and powerful a God and to have daily so free and easie admittance to his presence to manifest our necessities to him and to crave his supply and succour Nay more to become his houshold servants the Church being called his House a favour which King David esteemed the fruition of one day more than a thousand elsewhere Then if we consider the profit which ariseth by the performance of this duty we shall be the easilier perswaded to undertake it For if nothing else quicken us yet matter of benefit doth usually work with us And assuredly the benefit which ariseth by it is and ever hath been great for by Prayer we do not only obtain of God all good things pertaining to the sustentation of this life as the necessaries thereof and the life to come as the gifts and graces of the holy Spirit but we also prevent and remove by it all the dangers and evils of both lives as the losses and perils incident to this life and the punishment due to our sins hereafter Prayer enlightneth purgeth and comforteth maketh tribulations seem light breeds servency begets confidence in Gods mercy and overcometh all tentations Take it away and take the Sun out of the world for without we wander in darkness With what Medicines did the Saints heal incurable diseases cast out Devils raise the dead to life tame wild beasts quench the force of fire nay change the course of the Elements powers of Heaven but by Prayer What should I say more By it we may do all things without it nothing If you please you may take a short view of the wonderful effects which have been wrought and the benefits which have been obtained and the punishments which have been averted in former times when recourse was had to God by Prayer By it The Iews overcame the Amalekites Samuel overcame the Philistines Iudith overcame Holofernes The Reubenites overcame the Agarens Asa overcame the Ethiopians Iehosaphat overcame the Ammonites Ezechias overcame Sennacerib Manasses was restored to His Kingdom By it Hanna became fruitful Elias obtaned sire from Heaven as also rain and fair weather By it The rebellious Iews escaped Punishment The Ninivites escaped Destruction Ezechias escaped Death The three Children escaped the fiery Fornace Daniel escaped the Lyons Ionas escaped the Whale The Disciples escaped Drowning Peter escaped Bonds Paul and Silas escaped Imprisonment By it David stayed the Pestilence The Lepers were clensed The Centurions servant was healed The blind received sight The