Selected quad for the lemma: friend_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
friend_n	cross_n	fly_v	tribulation_n	140	4	16.3799	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A06436	Of prayer, and meditation Wherein are conteined fovvertien deuoute meditations for the seuen daies of the weeke, bothe for the morninges, and eueninges. And in them is treyted of the consideration of the principall holie mysteries of our faithe. Written firste in the Spanishe tongue by the famous religious father. F. Lewis de Granada, prouinciall of the holie order of preachers in the prouince of Portugall.; Libro de la oración y meditación. English	Luis, de Granada, 1504-1588.; Hopkins, Richard, d. 1594?	1582 (1582)	STC 16907; ESTC S100761	342,485	696

defence of a iust and godlie cause and not for herese or other vniust causes Eccles 27. Tribulation as S. Paule saith is the occasion and matter of patience And patience is the proufe and triall of true vertue And this proufe geueth vs a hope of glorie For this cause therefore a man ought alwayes to suspecte all vertue and holines which he perceaueth in him selfe vntill it be tryed and prooued with the testimonie of tribulation For as the Wise man saith The vessels of claye are tried in the furnace but the hartes of the iust in the furnace of tribulation Almightie God in all the workes of nature hath not made anie one thinge that shoulde be idle or in vaine muche lesse woulde he that in the workes of grace his giftes shoulde be idle and in vaine And therefore he deuideth to euerie one of his electe the burthen and charge which he must beare accordinge to the forces and talente of the grace he hath receaued So that here in this short transitorie life it is not to be esteemed for the greater loue and frendship if almightie God doe geue vs greater pleasure and ease but rather if he geue vs greater tribulation and aduersitie Thow shalt geue vs ô Lorde Psalm 79. He that is greatest and most singular in the loue and fauour of God is comonlie most afflicted with tribulatiōs in this life Exod. 24. saieth the Prophet to drinke teares by measure And the measure is this that he that is most ād greatest in thy grace and fauour is commōly most afflicted and troubled in this transitorie life When Moyses made that peace and accorde betwene almightie God and his people the holie scripture sayth that he sprinckeled all the people with an Isope dipped in bloude and this beinge done the rest of the bloude that remained he sprinckeled vpon the aulter Wherefore let all those that determine to be the friendes of almightie God vnderstande hereby that theire loue Note how our loue and frendeship with almightie God must be celebrated and dedicated with bloude and friendship with him must be celebrated and dedicated with bloude and not onelie with the bloude of Christ but euen also with the proper bloude of euerie one to wit with patience and sufferinge of troubles and aduersities Our Sauiour Christ at that last supper which he made with his disciples dranke first him selfe of the Cuppe but after he had drōcke him selfe thereof he gaue the remnant vnto his ghestes which he had inuited and cōmaunded them to deuide the same emonge them and that euerie one of them shoulde also drinke his drawght of that cuppe So that it apperteineth to all persons to haue theire parte of this cuppe All Christians must drinke theire parte of Christes cuppe and as mēbers of Christ conforme thē selues with Christ theire head in sufferinge and it is also requisite that they all as members of Christ doe conforme them selues with our sauiour Christ in sufferinge Howbeit herein standeth the difference that as concerninge the common sorte of people and those that are Imperfecte it is sufficient if they be sprinckled with bloude but those deuout godlie persons that are more nearly approched and ioyned vnto almightie God and be such as are worthie to be called his aulters these must not onelie be sprinckeled with bloude but they must also be dyed A notable comfort for all Catholickes that be persecuted by heretickes There were neuer anie persons more tossed with aduersities and tribulatiōs in this worlde thā our sauiour Christ and his blessed mother and bathed in bloude forsomuche as to the stronge are reserued the strongest battells and so consequentlie a greater rewarde and a greater crowne in the kingdome of heauen Our sauiour Christ and his blessed mother were the two persons that of all others in this worlde were most entierly beloued of almightie God Now these two as they farre passed and excelled all creatures in vertue so did they likewise in sufferinge And vndowtedlie there were neuer in the worlde two better persons nor more tossed and turmoyled with aduersities afflictions and tribulations than these two were Be of good comfort therefore all ye Catholickes that are in tribulation assuringe your selues that the more troubles afflictions emprisonmentes and crosses you susteine the more like you are vnto our Sauiour Christ and his holie mother Be of good cōfort all ye Catholikes that are troubled For you are not therefore the more forsaken of almightie God but rather if you haue patience in your troubles you are certainlie the more in his grace and fauour and more singulerlie and dearlie beloued of him Be of good comfort againe and againe I saie Psalm 50. There is no signe more certayne of the loue and fauor of God than to haue patience in tribulatiō all ye Catholickes that are afflicted and troubled For there is no sacrifice more acceptable vnto almightie God than a troubled and afflicted harte neither is there anie signe more certaine of his loue and friendshippe then patience in tribulation Let no man therefore sclaunder tribulation for that were to sclaunder our sauiour Christe and his blessed mother yea it were to bringe a sclaunder vpon almightie God him selfe who alwaies sendeth tribulations and afflictions to his friendes What thinge is tribulation but onely a crosse And therefore what other thinge is it to defame tribulation To flie frō tribulatiō is to flie from the crosse but to defame the crosse Againe what is it els to flie from tribulation but to flie from the crosse Now if we worshippe the dead Crosse which is the figure of the Crosse why flie we than from the liuelie crosse which is to suffer by the crosse of tribulation This is to Imitate and followe the Iewes of whom our sauiour sayth Luc. 11. that when they had persecuted the Prophettes they made for them afterwardes verie great and sumptuouse sepulchers honoringe them after they were dead and persecutinge them whilest they were aliue And euen so it siemeth that those wicked Christians doe likewise in a sorte imitate them which on the one side doe worshippe the dead Crosse and on the other side doe denye and spit at the liuelie Crosse Which is the sufferinge by the crosse of tribulation And let no man be discomforted and saie that he suffereth for his synnes or without synne for howsoeuer thou suffer all is finallye in effect to suffer vpon the crosse For if thou suffer for thy synnes and doe hartelie repent them thou sufferest vpon the crosse of the good theiffe But if thou suffer without sinne and without deserte thou oughtest to take the more comfort thereof because this is to suffer euen vpon our Sauiours owne Crosse SONDAIE MORNINGE THIS daie after thou hast made the signe of the Crosse and prepared thy selfe hereunto thou hast to meditate vpon the misterie of the holie Resurrection in which thou maist consider these fower principall pointes to witt of the descendinge of our

haue treated heretofore in the meditation for Satturdaie at nighte And then for these and other infinite benefites as well publike as secrete we must geue him as manie hūble and hartie thankes as we can and calle vpō all creatures both of heauen and earthe to helpe vs herein And with this spirite we maie sometimes saie that Canticle Dan. 3. Psal 102. Benedicite omnia opera Domini Domino or els the Psalme Benedic anima mea Domino omnia quae intra me sunt c. OF PETITION CAP. IX NOW it remaineth that we doe treate of the last parte of all which is petition which containeth in it two partes in the one parte we make petition vnto almightie God for our neighboures and in th' other for our selues The first parte maie be continued with thankes geuinge desiringe that all creatures maie serue and praise our Lorde who is so worthie to be praised and serued for that he is so mercifull and bountifull vnto all his creatures we must praye for the conuersion of all nations and people vnto God For all the Gouernours of the Catholike Church And with this affection and desire of the glorie of almightie God let him praie first and principally for all the vniuersall worlde that all nations and people maie knowe and serue so mightie a Lorde Then for all the Catholike Churche and for all the gouernours in the same As for example we must praye for the Pope and for all the Cardinals Archebishops Bishops and for all other inferiour Prelates Pastors and Curates that they maie be carefull of their duetie in directinge all the faithfull in the knowledge and seruice of their Creator For all the members of the Catholike Churche Likewise let him praie for all the members of the Catholike Churche For the iust persons that it maie please almightie God to continewe them in their vertuouse lyfe For sinners that it maie please him to perdon them And for the sowles departed our of this worlde For the sowles departed and remayninge in the greiuous paynes of Purgatorie that it maie please him to deliuer them out of the greiuous paines of Purgatory and bringe them to the rest of lyfe euerlastinge Let him praie also for his parentes and for his godfathers and godmothers and for his ghostlie father and for all his kinsfolke freindes and benefactours and for all that be in tribulation and captiuitie and for all prisoners and sicke persons vnto whom he maie without anie distraction or intermission of his praier doe the workes of mercie in recommendinge them vnto almightie God who created them and referringe the necessities of all men into those handes which were stretched vpon the crosse for all men what thinges we must demaunde for our selues After this he maie desire such thinges for him selfe as he perceiueth him selfe to stande in neide of accordinge to the particuler necessities and miseries that he feeleth in his sowle and espetiallie when he desireth helpe ād remedie of almightie God against such vices and passions as doe most trouble and moleste him and to graunt him such vertues as be most needefull for him This kinde of petition emonge other commodities hath this withall that it reneweth dailie in the sowle good purposes and desires of vertues and moueth it to be the more earnest in doinge that thinge which he hath so often times and so hartelie desired and it maketh him to be the more ashamed of him selfe when he doth it not by callinge to minde with how great desire and instancie he hath desired our Lorde to graunte him grace to doe it And of this minde is S. Chrisostome S. Chrisostome where he saiethe thus Such as praie earnestlie in verie deede will not suffer their harte to committe anie thinge that is vnseemlie for such an exercise but haue euer their eie vpon almightie God with whom a litle before they talked and were conuersant And so by that cogitation they put a waie from them all the suggestions of the diuell when they thinke and consider what a haynous matter it were that he who had a litle before talked with almightie God and desired of him chastitie and holines with all other vertues shoulde immediatly runne to his enemies syde and open the gate of his sowle to receiue in filthie and dishonest delightes and suffer the diuell to place him selfe in that harte where a litle before the holie Ghost made his abode But it is verie much to be lamented that there be some persons that thinke to excuse them selues by sayinge that they knowe not what thinge to desire of almighie God Suerly this is no sufficiente excuse For what beast is so insensible but that he knoweth some maner of waie how to signifie the neide he standeth in What sicke man is there that can not saie here it greiueth me Consider therefore ô man thy selfe Consider I saie with what vices and passions thou art most troubled and molested If with couetousnes if with anger if with detraction if with vaine glorie if with stubbornnes of thine owne will if with losenes of tonge if with lightnes of harte if with the loue of honour estimation and delightes if with inconstancie in such good purposes as thou intendest if with selfe loue or anie other the like passions and pestilences of the minde and discouer all these woundes plainly one by one vnto that heauenly phisition that he maie heale and cure them with the oyntment of his grace we must praye to obteyne vertues After that thou hast demaunded remedie against thy vices desire him then to graunt thee all such vertues as be most behouefull for thy saluation And because this is a principall parte of this exercise of prayer wherein often tymes is spente all the tyme thereof with verie great taste and profite I thinke it good to note here vnto the deuoute reader those principall vertues which be as it were the pillers of the spirituall lyfe that thou mayst alwaies longe and sighe for them and alwaies desire them verie instātlie of our Lorde in thy praier Of the most necessary vertues that are to be demaunded in Petition § I. FIRST thou must desire of our Lorde these fowre vertues which be as it were the foundation of all the spirituall lyfe the which vertues we must alwaies haue before our eies because they be alwaies necessarie in all the steppes of our lyfe These vertues be a comelie composition of the inwarde and outwarde man discretion and attention in all such thinges as we shall either doe or saie that euerie thinge maie be directed accordinge to the iudgemēt and order of reason and withall to brydle our tonge and to take a dewe accompte of it and to vse rigour and austerite in the gouernment of our person Now emonge these vertues we haue put the comelie composition of the inwarde and outwarde man in the first place because it is the beginninge that disposeth vnto all the others The composition of

geuen them vnto vs It is euident that by the meane of his holie incarnation and passion whereby he made him selfe partaker of all our debtes and miseries and so by takinge vpon him all our miseries he made vs partakers of all his benefites This takinge vpon him all our miseries is vndoutedlie a farre greater thinge than to make vs partakers of al his benefites For certainlie it is a more wonderfull thinge in God to suffer miseries than to bestowe benefites because as there is nothinge more propre and conuenient to his infinite goodnes than to bestowe benefites so is there nothinge more straunge and further of from that infinite felicitie than to suffer miseries Whereby it appeareth that we are much more bounde vnto him for the paines and tormentes whiche he hath suffered for vs than for the great benefites which he hath geuen vnto vs I meane hereby that we are much more bounde vnto him for the maner whereby he hath remedied our miseries than for the verie remedie it selfe But how passinge great was the loue wherewith our Sauiour bestowed all this vpon vs This is without all comparison farre greater with what a passinge great loue our Sauiour suffered for vs. than all the rest For certainlie the desire which our Sauiour had to suffer paines for vs was farre greater than the verie paines which he suffered and much more paines woulde he haue suffered if it had bene needfull for vs. Three howres he continued sufferinge paines and tormentes vpon the crosse for our sinnes But what is this in comparison of that which the greatnes of his charitie coulde haue vouchsaffed to doe for vs Verelie if it had bene neidfull for vs that he shoulde there haue suffered paynes and tormentes vntill the daie of iudgemente the loue was so passinge great which he bare vnto vs that he woulde vndoubtedlie haue done it So that albeit he suffered much for vs yet was the loue which he bare vnto vs farre greater than the paines which he suffered for vs. And therefore if we be greatlie boūde vnto him for the great paines which he suffered for vs much more are we bounde vnto him for that which he desired to suffer for vs. This consideration is very profitable to prouoke vs to geue most humble thankes vnto him who hath bestowed so great benefites vpon vs and withall to loue him who hath loued vs much more than by his benefites he hath shewed vnto vs. Other infinite thinges there be to be saide concerninge this matter but now they shall remaine for an other place and somewhat I haue specified alreadie in the meditation of the benefites of almightie God Of the wonderfull great goodnes of almightie God which appeareth verie euidentlie in the holie Passion of our Sauiour Christe § IIII. FOVRTHLIE we oughte to consider the passinge great goodnes and mercie of almightie God which shinethe more euidētlie and brightlie in the holie passion of our Sauiour than in any other of his workes Wherefore thou hast deepelie to consider therein foure thinges which are to be considered in all the whole historie of the holie passion and in euerie parte thereof The first is who suffereth Fower principall thinges to be considered in the passion of our Sauiour The seconde is what paynes he suffereth The therde is for whom he suffereth The fourthe is for what cause he suffereth Now if thou wilt staye thy selfe awhile in euerie one of these poyntes and consider first the highnes and excellencie of him that suffereth which is almightie God and in such wise staie in this consideration that thou art astonied at this so highe and so wonderfull a thinge and afterwardes cōmest to descende from thence vnto the consideration of the basenes and vylnes of the most greiuous paines and reprochefull iniuries which he was contente to suffer and that not for Angels or Archangels but euen for men which are most vile and abhominable creatures and in their workes like vnto the deuils thē selues if as I saye in each one of these pointes thou make as it were a statiō and doe compare th' one poynte with th' other vndoutedly thou shalt be greatlie amased and astonied to consider how much so great and excellent a maiestie woulde abase him selfe to redeeme so vile and so base a creature and then maist thou crie out with the Prophete and saie Abac. 3. O Lorde I haue hearde thy wordes and was afraide I haue considered thy workes and was astonied But if after all this thou doe consider the cause of his so great abasinge and commest to vnderstād that it was not for anie maner of cōmoditie towardes himselfe nor yet prouoked by anie deserte of ours but was onelie moued thereunto with the bowels of his tender mercie and loue towardes vs Luc. 1.78 by the which he vouchsafed to visite vs from on highe this point beinge well and dewlie considered will lyfte vp thy minde into such a great admiration and loue of him that thou wilt be astonied as Moyses was in the Mounte Exod. 3. when he sawe the figure of this misterie and begāne to proclaime with a lowde voyce the vnspekeable great mercie of almightie God which was there reuealed vnto him This was that great languishinge and faintnes of spirite which the spowse felte in the Canticles when she saiede Staie me vp with flowres Cant. 2.5 and comforte me with apples for I langwise with loue Vpon which wordes S. Bernarde saiethe The amorous sowle seeth here kinge Salomon with the crowne which his mother crouned him withall She seeth the onely sonne of almightie God carienge a crosse vpon his shoulders She seeth the Lorde of maiestie whipped and spetted vpon She seeth the author of lyfe and of glorie thrust throughe with nailes pearsed with a speare and many despitefull reproches and contemptes done vnto him And finallie she seeth him bestowe his most holie lyfe for his freindes She seeth all this and in seinge it she is pearsed throughe with a knife of loue and therefore she saiethe staie me vp with flowre and comforte me with apples for I langwishe with loue Of the excellente vertues that doe shyne verie brightlie in the holie passion of our Sauiour Christe § V. THE fifte point that we haue to consider in the holie passion of our Sauiour is the great nomber of vertues that doe shyne verie clearlie in it the which consideration serueth to encourage vs to endeuour our selues to imitate some parte of that which is there represented vnto vs. This is one of the highest maners of meditatinge that is vpon the holie Passion For it is manifest The perfection of a Christian lyfe consisteth in imitatinge the vertues of Christ 1. Pet. 2.21 that all the perfection of a Christian lyfe cōsisteth in the imitation and followinge of the vertues of our Sauiour Christe Whereunto the Apostle S. Peter exhorteth vs sayeinge Christe suffered for vs leauinge vnto you an example that you shoulde followe his foote-steppes