Selected quad for the lemma: life_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
life_n	law_n	rule_n	simile_n	807	4	16.4459	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
B11989	Vade mecum. = Goe vvith mee deare pietie, and rare charitie. VVhose flame is stirred vp, to dispell the cold out of the minde. By Otho Casmanne, preacher at Stoade. Translated out of Latine, by H.T. minister. The contents appeare in the page following.; Vade mecum. English	Casmann, Otto, d. 1607.; Tripp, Henry, d. 1612.	1606 (1606)	STC 4769; ESTC S107899	102,540	274

gods grace conuerted after thou didst turne mee I repented The grace of God saieth Prosper is aboue all iustifications or instructions perswading by exhortations warning by examples terrefieng by dangers inticing by miracles guiding by vnderstanding inspiring by counsel illuminating the hart it selfe and induing it with affections of faith Now the grace of God in turning man from sinne vseth two meanes Two means of Auersion from sinne First the knowledge of sinne Next the Consternation of the minde Thou maist come to the knowledge of thy sinne by the Lawe of God For by the Lawe is the knowledge of Sinne For the Lawe is the rule of righteousnesse shewing what is iust and what is vniust 1 The knowledge of sin Rom. 3. Whatsoeuer therefore is either in vs or is done by vs which is not agreeable to the rule of Gods Lawe that same is sinne By this rule try both thy Internal and Externall actions and thereby iudge of thy life And that thou be not deceiued in the vse of this rule Obserue these two things Whatsoeuer is contrary to the Law of God and our neigbour is forbiden by 1 Two Rules whereby to know sinne the Law of God and is repugnant to the rule of iustice And contrariwise whatsoeuer agréeth with the Law of God and our neighbour is cōmanded by the Law of God and consonant to the rule of iustice Although by expresse wordes it seeme to be neither commanded nor forbidden The Lawe is spirituall requiring a pure perfect spirituall and perpetuall obedience whereby thou maist vnderstand that al men are guilty before Gods tribunall as transgressors of his holye Lawe Thus then thou wilt acknowledge thy selfe a Sinner 2 Then learne to know how Sinne is conceaued and fashioned in the hart and How Sinne is cōceaued afterward brought forth in worke 1 Foure manner of waies sinne is conceaued and framed in the hart by Suggestion In the hart foure waies delectation consent and defence The Suggestion is wrought by the aduersary delectation by the flesh consent by the will bould defence by pride whiles the fault which ought to terrifie the minde doth lift it vp but the more it swelleth the more it supplanteth it 2 Foure manner of waies also is sinne performed in worke First we are ashamed In worke foure waies to sinne openly After a while we can let our faults be knowne without blushing Héerevpon sinne groweth to a custome and at the last it is confirmed eyther by a false hope of mercy or by a desperate feare of misery Finally learne to know the haynousnesse of sinne for sinne is an iniury offred The hainosnes of sinne by the sinner to God A contempt of his high Maiestie while we despise his will preferring the loue of our selues and the creaturs Sinne is a most heauy burden depressing a man in the basest manner and casting him headlong except he repent from one wickednesse to another Submitting him to the Tiranye of the diuell and last of all throwing him down to Damnation This mischiefe was so vnrecouerable by any humane wisedome vertue and Aremedie strength that it was necessary that the Sonne of God should become man to be Crucified and die that we might be deliuered from it 2 After the knowledge of sinne followeth Cōsternation or compunction Two fould Psal 88. a consternation or casting down of the minde sorrowing for the sinnes committed and trembling at the wrath of God and punishments due for sinne heareof thou shalt say with Dauid Thy wraths are gone ouer mee and thy terrours haue troubled me And againe Mine iniquities are risen aboue my head and are like a Psal 38. sore burthen to heauy for mee to beare This consternation or sorrow or sense of Gods wrath wil be stirred vp the more How it is stirred vp in thee Yf thou thinke on the Lawe giuen to our first parents in Paradice In what day so euer thou shalt eat of this tree Gen. 2. thou shalt die he death If thou call to mind that Thundering of God in mount Sinai Cursed is he that abideth not in all things which are written in the Lawe to doe it If thou looke to the hand writing of thy Conscience testifieng of thine owne hart both the sinne and sentence of damnation pronounced by God If thou view the signes of gods wrath whether thretned or executed as plague famine sword c. or such as prognosticate punishment iminent or neare hand Heereof riseth feare and and sorrow Feare is thrée fould as Bernard saith Two effects of the Law Feare to be depriued of the grace of God Feare to be excluded from the vision or 1 Feare three fould sight of God and feare to to be tormented in hell This feare doth Bernard stirre vp in his owne hart in this wise Way well How it is stitred vp Bern in Cant 16 Oh my soule what a fearefull and horrible thing it is to haue contemned thy maker to haue offended the Lorde of Maiestie Maiestie is to be feared Lord-ship is to be feared especially such a Maiestie such a Lordship Hee euen he is to be feared who after he An enumeration of terrible things al to be feared of impenitent sinners hath killed hath power to cast downe headlong in to Hell I tremble at hell I tremble at the Iudges countenance which maye make euen the Angels heauenly powers to tremble I tremble at the wrath of his power at the thought of the violent ruine of the World at the flaming of the Elements at the mighty tempests at the voice of the Arch-angell and the sharpe worde I tremble at the teeth of the Infernall beast at the belly of Hell at the roaring beasts prepared for a pray I am affraid of the gnawing worme the scorching fier the smoke the vapour the sulphur the Spirit of stormes the outward darknes Who will giue water to my head and a fountaine of teares to mine eyes that I may preuent by teares weeping wailing gnashing of teeth and hard manacles and fetters and weight of Cheynes pressing downe binding burning and neuer consuming Wo is me O my mother why diddest thou beare me a sonne of sorrow bitternes indignation and eternall weeping 1 Sorrow two fould 2 Sorrow of compunction which ariseth out of the consideration of the heinousnes of sinne is two fould 1 The first sorrow is for the punishmēts Sorrow of punishmēts deserued it is called worldly sorrow or a sorrow to death The efficient cause of this sorrow is 2. Cor 7 Eficient cause euen the holy ghost who in this case is called the Spirit of Bondage to feare who testifieth vnto vs our seruile and miserable estate while we are straungers Rom. ●pirit of bondage from Christ and therefore doth strike a feare and horror into vs. Now the Instrument where●● the holy ghost doth worke this sorrow in our Instrument hearts is the preaching of the Lawe the some

faith that we may be rooted and grounded in loue Saying Thy will be done O father as in heauen by thy Angles so in earth by vs. Laying therefore aside all malice Exhortation 1. Pet. 2. and al guile and dissimulation and enuy and all backbiting As new borne babes reasonable and without deceit desire ye the milk of the word that ye may grow thereby to saluation if ye may tast how gracious the Lord is And striue to enter in at the straite gate Exercising thy 2. Tim. 4. selfe vnto godlinesse which is profitable to all things with great zeale and endeuour taking vpon thee the yoke of Christ Goe on in the way which thou hast entred for the kingdome of heauen suffereth violence and the violent catch it Say vnto Sathan that would drawe thée backe Goe behind me Sathan for thou art an offence vnto me The way of the righteous procéedeth Prou 4. as a shining light and groweth to a perfect day Be not therfore wanting to the Heb. 12. Psal 119. Not to profite grace of God but runne the way of Gods commandements If to profit be to runne saith Bernard then thou ceasest to profit when thou ceasest to runne and when thou ceasest to runne then thou beginnest to faint Hereof wee may plainly gather not to profit is nothing else but to fall away The spirit must euer either profit or fall backe And Augustine How much soeuer we liue here how much soeuer we profite here let no man say It sufficeth me I am righteous He that saith I stay in the way cannot tell how to come to the end of the way And the same August Goe forward my brethren examine your selues alway without fraud or flattery dislike alwaies what thou art if thou wilt attaine to what thou art not for where thou pleasest thy selfe there thou wilt stay Obserue diligently thy going forward Foure things to be noted in profiting In profiting perswade thy selfe assuredly that thou art daily beginning 2. Be not discouraged if thou perceiue that thou hast not yet profited so much as thou couldest wish 3. Let the purpose of thy race in profiting be God too God Therefore in the beginning of euery action first examine thy action diligently and afterward looke to the progresse end of it Then whatsoeuer humane praise might happen to thée by thy wel doing tread it vnder foot in respect of the glory of God 4. Looke to the patterne of all vertues euen Iesus Christ who is the sonne of righteousnesse the light of the world the way the Truth and the Life Through patience runne to the marke that is set Heb. 4. before thee looking to Iesus the captaine and finisher of thy faith In all things grow in him Eph. 4. First and aboue all things labour earnestly to subdue thy self and to flée vices then follow vertue and séeke after righteousnesse These things are to be obserued generally now of things specially wherin we ought to profit or goe forward First in denying vnrighteousnesse Two branches Secondly in attaining righteousnesse 1. Touching the abnegation or deniall of vnrighteousnesse Thou shalt denie vnrighteousnesse if thou deny thy selfe and mortifie the flesh Thou shalt deny thy selfe and mortifie the flesh if thou first foresée that thou sin not and after sinning that thou spéedily repent and beware not to commit the like sinne Now among sinnes Some are lighter and Two sorts of sinnes Some more greeuous Let vs make our beginning by shunning and declining the lighter sinnes Surely all sin offendeth the Maiestie of God and maketh the sinner guiltie of eternall death but it is euident that there All sinnes offend God Lighter sins to bee subdued are certaine degrées of sinnes and one sinne is more heynons than an other Hee therefore that will profit must make his beginning by subduing the lighter sinnes Though they séeme of small account yet I would wish thée not to make small account of them For remember 1. All sinne whether great or smal doth Manifold inconueniences wrap thée within punishment because it is a breach of Gods commmaundement 2. They defile the soule with their contagion They doe so deface our beautie saith Augustine That they seperate vs from the most chast embracings of our Spouse who is more beautiful than the children of men 3. As water quencheth flaming fire so doe they diminish the seruer of Charitie They weaken the faculties of the mind in the exercise of holy vertues as a loade laide on an horse maketh him goe the slower 4. They hinder our owne glory by hurting Gods glory and doe abate the blessing of our eternall glory 5. They dispose or prepare a man to greater sinnes and barre vp the way from receiuing newe graces They hinder the true deuotion of holy prayers to God and are an impediment to our progresse in a spirituall life 6. They spoile vs of many heauenly graces And as théeues who pilfer many A Similie small things by little and little are not of long time perceiued because the things are of small value yet in the end the theft is perceiued when the owner perceiueth that he wanteth many things So doe these pilfering sinnes by litle and little bereaue vs of many graces 7. They weaken the soule and make it apt to fall into all euill infirmities And though they séeme to be but small hurts yet are they not to be neglected but spéedily to be healed 8. They are as dust or as a cloud before the eyes which hinder the sight so that wee cannot chéerefully behold God nor purely loue him Hee therefore that despiseth small Ecclese 19 Eph. 4. things shal decay by little litle saith the Preacher Grieue ye not the holy spirit saith the Apostle And Saint Augustine Despise not small sinnes though thou Small sinnes to be despised Similes make light account of them yet be afraide at least when thou numbrest them And the same No sinne is so smal that by contempt becomes not great For the sea sands though they be very litle and so likewise the drops of water yet being multiplied growe to great flouds and doe much harme and the water that leaketh into the shippe will at the length sinke it The same There is no sinne so small that is not able to destroy a man if hee take pleasure in it And Hierom. Way not how little thy sinnes are but how great God is who is displeased with thee Therefore O man What is to be done to auoyde small sinnes 1. Search diligently and daily all the starting holes of thy conscience striue continually against euery sinne be it neuer so smal by new repētance exercise of faith we ought daily to cure our maladies not onely by acknowledging our sins but also by searching the root of thē 2. Call to remembrance otherwhiles that sinnes otherwise small in a man endued with great graces are recokned to be great For by how much