Selected quad for the lemma: heaven_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
heaven_n	earth_n	great_a	let_v	6,859	5	4.2631	3	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A89642	The rule of penance of the seraphicall father S. Francis approued and confirmed by Leo the X. for religious persons of the 3. order of S. Francis : together with a declaration of each point of the Rule, profitable not only to the religous of this order, but also to all religious women / by Br. Angelus Francis, friar minour.	Third Order Regular of St. Francis.; Angelus Francis.	1644 (1644)	Wing M939B; ESTC R200641	90,610	395

Spouse Station of warriers House of Sanctitie Mistris of Religion particular Mirrour of holy Obedience 3. Let them consider the vtilitie of a Religious state wherin one is tryed and excercised in vertue reprehended for negligence drawne by word and example to more perfect things Here they are constrained to deplore their imperfections here they are awakened by the fervour of others instructed by others humilitie moued by the obedience of one and by the patience of another Here they are confounded to be more slow than others The correction of the one is the admonition of the other The dāger of one serueth so a looking glasse to the other and for to say nothing of the influence of the more abundant grace of the greater assurance and tranquillitie at the houre of death of the commoditie that they haue to be vacant to God c. it is also a signe of the divine Predestinatiō For Iesus Christ hath promised that euery one who hath left Father Mother Brothers or Sisters c. for him shall receiue an hundred fold and shall possesse life euerlasting Wherfore remembring these things and participating of so great good let them persever in the observance of the Rule and religious conversation and God will giue them a crowne of life 4. Let them consider that how great soeuer the dignitie and vtilitie of a Religious state is yet they cannot come to the height of this dignitie but by labour if therfore the place of dignitie delight them let them first excercise themselues in the way of labour by this path one cometh to maiestie wherfore let them know that since they haue bene disposed to enrolle themselues in Religion they are ranged into the societie of Iesus Christ into the number of his Apostles and so ought to consider his words He that will follow me let him renounce himselfe and take vp his crosse c. therfore let them prepare their soules to fight for sithence they haue called the diuell and hel to the duel he will come with all his forces and malice as another Aman against Mardocheus for to vanquish surmount them in the meane time let them be assured that the God of all consolation will assist them and will not permit that they be tempted aboue their force but will giue aide in tentation to the end that they may sustaine it 5. As they haue firmely resolued to perseruer in Religion so let them valiantly follow him that is their head Lord follow him through fire water Learne of him because he is meeke and humble of heart Mat. 11. let them crucifie their flesh all vice and concupiscence mortifie deny ouercome themselues offering their wills to God by perfect obedience let them serue God in feare and reuerence with great care and fervour of heart and neuer cease to adhere and please the almightie and incomprehensible God contemning all base vnworthy comforts and consolations certes if their comportment be such they shall haue here a Paradise on earth in adhering most sweetly in tranquillitie of spirit to a soveraigne and infinit good and soone after the celestiall Paradise where they shall see in the kingdome of heauen the good things of our Lord which the eie hath not seene nor care hath heard neither hath it ascended into the heart of man what God hath most largely prepared for the true Religious who accomplish his counsells 6. Let them consider the great good which those enjoy who formerly in this life haue cōtemned the world with all its delights riches and honours and behold what glorie excellency praise and inestimable honour they haue gotten in a little time by paines lo now they are counted amongst the children of God their lot is amongst the Saints they are now eternally assured of their vnspeakable beatitude and of the most sweet possession of the most high Deitie and now for euer are by so much the more happy by how much during this short life they haue bene found to haue served God more sincerely diligently and amourously 7. They may set before their eies the example of the Saincts by often reading and seriously pondering their actions to the end that in as much as they may they imitate them aboue all let them set before their eies the example of our holy Father S. Francis that as they haue made Profession to be his children so they may be true heires of his vertues and for the commoditie of those who perhaps cannot haue time to read his life I haue thought good to set downe here in a briefe manner the principall things of his life that in making vse of this briefe extraction they may set it alwayes before their eics and so regulate their actions conformably A briefe extraction of some perfections of S. Francis which may serue as a patterne for all his children THe first Perfection of S. Francis was that with all endeavour and with all his forces he did labour to deplore his sinnes and did willingly confesse them that without delay and afterward in as much as he could did take heede-not to fall againe The 2. was that he did put all creatures aboue himselfe and himselfe vnder all And this was his reason because as he said he had offended that great Lord who had made all creatures and who hath so much honoured vs that for our loue he hath taken humane flesh which assumed did participate of all creatures For this he was obedient with a good heart and good will to all not only to greater or equall or lesser but also to all creatures in as much as was lawfull for him The 3. Perfection was the loue of God wherby he had rooted out of his heart all worldly and humane creatures neither did he find any foundation root or rest but in him who made his heart For this he was wont to cast his heart vnto Christ who had made it and so excercised his heart in him that without any labour when he would he could fix his mind on him and from thence was alwayes attentiue to God in all places and in all times The 4. Perfection was that he was of such patience that he did endeavour to loue him more that did doe or speake euill vnto him and with all his heart and with a good will would more willingly serue him without all bitternesse of minde because as God out of his liberalitie did giue all good things to him so he did belieue that God did permit all euill things to happen vnto him to manifest therby his sinnes vnto him that so he himselfe might acknowledge and take notice of them and that God did punish them in this present life and therfore he did much loue him that did doe or speake ill of him because by his mediation as by his messenger God did giue vnto him so great good to purifie him from his sinnes The 5. was that he loued all good men and did compassionate all euill and did honour all reputing

great charitie prudence and discretion are to be had therein charitie that it be not for humaine respects or ends but purely for God otherwise they shall find by experience it will come to nought and thereby disedifie those who see and heare it giuing occasion of iarres and quarrells with others which can neuer be auoided when they seeke any thing but Gods glory and honour Prudence and discretion least they should seeme to contradict the ●pirit that calles them to some other state more proper and conuement for them Si sic eum volo manere quid ad te If God will haue them to remaine so what is that to any other in stead of doing them good they may easily doe them harme and which is more the places whereto they come are seldome the better for hauing them they themselues also many times not being contented therewith which causes them to lead a languishing life God disposes his gifts as he pleases what is man that he should resist his worke he knowes best to dispose of each spirit and conformably to giue his holy vocation And because we haue fallen on this subiect it will not be amisse to speake a word or two concerning these vocations which I will briefly doe referring the more curious reader to such authors who haue more amply treated of this subiect THE 28. CHAPTER Briefly discoursing of vocations an● how one may assure himselfe of them THree things occurre to b● examined to wit whethe● it be expedient to enter into religion secondly whether it b● expedient for this or that particular person to enter into religion thirdly how one may kno● what religion is most conuenien● for him As for the first the angelical● Doctour 2. 2. q. 189. ar 10. declareth it to be certaine and as ● matter of faith that the entry into religion is very good and pious those who doubt hereof doe in as much as lies in their power derogate from Christs authoritie who gaue this counsell whose words and actions tended to nothing more than to persuade vs pouerty chastitie abnegation of the will such like things which religion requires Whence it acknowledgeth no other founder no other beginner but Christ whom his Apostles imitating haue communicated the selfe same manner of life to succeding ages So that it were great presumption or want of faith to make such a doubt whereas the holy scripture and whole torrent of the Fathers and Doctours of the Church doe so highly esteeme of such a state calling it the better part of this mortall life the greatest and easyest way to be saued an assembly of Angels and royall seat of Gods children In this garden planted by God we are freed from the weeds of many euils and replenished with all good flowers of vertues to enioy a continuall peace of spirit and a most perfect vnion of the will to God Here deuout soules receiue the diuine influences of celestiall delights a perpetuall banquet of spirituall consolations Who list to haue more of this subiect let him read Hieronymus Platus of the happynesse of a religious state and there he shall vnderstand that a Religious life is without all exception in it selfe most happy and perfect And consequently it were to impugne truth it selfe to deny this I make no doubt if the readers well consider his words and reasons they will cry out with the queene of Saba Blessed are thy men and blessed are thy seruants which stand before thee alwayes and heare thy wisdome blessed are all those that enioy so great good As for the second point it is most certaine that as there be diuerse mansions in heauen so there are diuerse wayes to goe to them and diuerse Spirits to goe by those diuerse wayes And all are not capable of all wayes whence our sauiour saith Mat. 19. Qui potest capere capiat he that can take let him take insinuating vnto vs that it is a hard thing to doe it and not for euery one to doe Wherfore he doth not command it but inuite vs vnto it by word and example for he knew that all could not doe this some being hindred by sicknesse others by other occasions as those that haue parents in extreame necessitie husband wife and such like generally those that by the law of God are obliged to the contrary But setting aside these impediments it is most certaine that a religious state is good for all and euery one our Sauiour speaking generally to all Si vis perfectus esse vade vende c. if thou wilt be perfect goe sell the things that thou hast and giue to the poore and thou shalt haue treasure in heauen and come follow me Which made S. Hierome to say Wilt thou be perfect and stand in the highest top of dignitie doe as the Apostles haue done sell those things thou hast and giue to the poore and follow our Sauiour and with naked vertue follow the naked Crosse What shall I multiply many words in a thing so cleare when it is manifest that what soeuer Christ hath preached is in it selfe pious and good euen to thee if thou hast no impediment and that God shall call thee In the third point great circumspection and care is to be had aswell in corresponding to Gods holy vocation as in making choise of what state is most conuenient yet generally speaking that is most conuenient and agreeable to any ones condition which God inspires for in this there can be no errour or deceit the difficultie only remaines to know when such a vocation is from God which requires a longer treatise than our present subiect will permit wherfore I briefly touch the principall The Angel of the schooles S. Thomas teacheth vs that vocations are two fold one exteriour which is by preaching good persuasion good example tribulation or affliction yet not so but that it is accompanyed with the interiour motions of the holy ghost for as S. Paule saith Cor. 3. Neither he that planteth is any thing nor he that watereth but he that giueth encrease God Who alone breatheth those inspirations of the supernaturall life in their soules The other is purely interiour by God him selfe who doth illuminate and inflame their minds but seuerally for to some he inspires this holy vocation by a powerfull operation of the will which violently possesses the soule making them to approch as S. Paule Saith Heb. 10. with a pure heart in fullnesse of faith no way doubting of Gods benefit herein such was the vocation of S. Paule and generally of all the Apostles To others God giues the same grace but after a more obscure manner the sound is heard but they know not well from whence it comes such was that of Samuell who did heare Gods call but did not vnderstand it So there be many whom God calles interiourly but they feeling it cannot tell what to doe in it Lastly there be some that haue vocations from God but God doth vse some visible meanes to bring them