Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	ghost_n	holy_a	part_n	5,261	5	4.5208	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A08952	A rule of good life: written by the mellifluous doctor S. Bernard (monke and abbot of the holie order of S. Benet) especiallie for virgins, and other religious woemen; and may profitably be read likewise by all others, that aspire to Christian perfection. Faithfully translated into English by the R. Father Antonie Batt, monke of the holie order afore-said, of the Congregation of England; Modus bene vivendi. English	Bernard, of Clairvaux, Saint, 1090 or 91-1153.; Batt, Antonie.	1633 (1633)	STC 1923; ESTC S113802	137,346	537

merit to be comforted in that heauenly countrie as our Sauiour himselfe hath said * Blessed are they that mourne for they shall be comforted Mat. 5. CHAP. XI Of sadnes or heauines of heart OVr lord saith in the Gospel * Amen amen I say vnto you that you shall weepe and lament but the world shall reioyce and you shall be sorrowfull but your sorrow shall be turned into ioy Io. 16. Salomon also saieth * A glad heart cheereth the face in pensiuenes of m●nd the spirit is cast downe Prou. 15. * A ioyfull mind maketh a flowrishing age a sorrowfull spirit drieth vp the bones Prou. 17. Sonne in good deedes g●ue not blame and in euerie guift giue not the sadnes of an euill word Prou. 18. * The heauines of the heart is all plague Eccli 25. * Ioyfulnes of heart is the life of man Eccl. 30. * A peruerse heart will giue sorrow and a cunning man wil resist it Eccli 36. * For by heauines death hastneth and it couereth the strength and sorrow of the heart boweth the neck Eccli 38. Moreouer S. Athanasius saieth A sorrowfull man is alwayes imagining mischeife and hatred and doth contristate the holy Ghost giuen him by God The Apostle likewise telleth vs the same saying * Contristate not the holy Spirit of God in which you are signed vnto the day of redemption Ephes 4. Haue a care therefore most deare sister not to contristate the holy Spirit that dwelleth in you least peraduenture he forsake you Take away all aminositie and doubt both which do contristate the holy Spirit Take away sorrowfulnes which is the sister of animositie and doubtfulnes Certainly worldly sadnes of all bad spirits is the worst and doth most hurt to Gods seruants Worldly sadnes doth hurt and consume and ouerthrow Gods seruants For the holy Ghost cannot endure worldly sadnes Therefore deare sister inure your selfe to spiritual gladnes wlich is pleasing to God All spiritual mirth is alwayes good and thinketh good and contemneth the vaine sorrow of the world If spiritual mirth were not good the Prophet would not haue said * Be ioyfull in our Lord and reioyce ye iust and glorie all ye of right heart Psal 31. And againe * The iust man shall reioyce in our Lord and hope in him and all the right of heart shall be praised Psal 63. A Question O most deare brother if sadnes be naught and doth hurt Gods seruants why doth Salomon say * The heart of wisemen where sadnes is and the heart of fooles where mirth Eccle. 7. The Answere Venerable sister this which Salomon saieth * The heart of wisemen where sadnes is and the heart of fooles where mirt● is not to be vnderstoode but of spiritual sadnes and secular mirth As if he had said more plainely The heart of wisemen is where there is spiritual sadnes and the heart of fooles where there is secular mirth They that are sorrowfull according to God are wise contrarily those that are sorrowfull according to the world are fooles Wherevpon our Lord saieth in the Gospell * Reioyce in this that your names are written in heauen Luc. 10. And the Apostle S. Paul * As sorrowfull but alwayes reioycing 2. Cor. 6. And againe * Reioyce in our Lord alwayes againe I say reioyce Phillip 4 spiritual sadnes therefore is good Howbeit sadnes which procedeth from the desire of temporall thing● is amisse Of spiritual sadnes it is written * Blessed are they that mourne for they shall be comforted Mat. 5. But of secular sadnes Salomon saieth * Sorow hath killed many and there is no profit in it Eccli 30. Againe of spiritual ioy it is said * Let the heart of them reioyce that seeke our Lord. Psal 104. And againe of worldly mirth it is said * Woe be to you that now do laugh because you shall mourne and weepe Luc. 6. Most deare sister heare likewise what S. Paul saieth * The sorrow that is according to God worketh penance vnto saluation that is stable but the sorrow of the world worketh death 2. Cor. 7. The prayer of a man that is alwayes sad doth no good neither can it ascend vnto God Where sadnes doth oppose it selfe to the holy Ghost as an obstacle there prayer is not acceptable because it is weake and cannot ascend to God Wherefore louing sister cast aside sadnes cease to be melancholy expell sadnes and sorow from you Be not addicted to too much sadnes perseuere not in pensiuenes neither let your heart be the harbour or habitation of heauines Sadnes is one of the seuen deady simes and therefore to be eschewed by all Gods seruants Wherevpon S. Isidorus saieth If thou liue well and vertuously thou wilt neuer be sad or melancholy A good life is alwayes full of ioy Werefore honest sister expell from you all sorrow and discontent because like as the mothe eateth the garment and like as the worme gnaweth the wood so heauines hurteth the heart Cleanse your heart therefore from all carnal and secular sadnes and your prayer will be pleasing to God Therefore venerable sister lament through the remembrāce of your sinnes and reioyce in the loue of your bridegroome Christ Iesus Lamēt through the remembrance of your former offenses and reioyce through the hope of celestial happines Be sorowfull for your former faults and negligences which you haue done and reioyce at the promise of the kingdome of heauen Grieue for your former sinnes and offenses and be glad through the ioy of the eternal recompence To which he vouchsafe to bring you for whome you haue prepared a pleasant habitation in your virginal bodie Amen Of the loue of God CHAPT XII OVr Lord Iesu● Christ saieth in the Gospell * If any man loue me he will keepe my word and my father will loue him and we will come to him and will make abode with him Likewise the Apostle S. Iohn saieth * Let vs therefore loue God because God first hath loued vs. 1. Io. 14. He that loueth God will craue pardon for his sinnes and containe himselfe from them Most deare sister loue God and call vpon hin for saluation because loue is life and hatred is death God will not onely haue himselfe loued with wordes but with a pure heart and good workes He loueth not God that contemneth Gods commaundements The mind of a man that loueth God is not in earth but in heauen because it alwaye● desireth heauenly things I admonish you most deare sister that you loue God aboue all things because he hath loued you aboue all things We ought to loue God more then our parents Why Because God hath made vs and our patē●s with his owne handes that is by his owne power and puissance as it is written * He made vs and not we our selues Psa 99. Christ hath g●uen vs more then our parē●s and for this cause we ought to loue Christ more then our parents It is a foolishnes to loue any thing more then God because he that loueth any creature

5. S. Iames likewise doth auouch * That the continual prayer of a iust man auaileth much Iam. 5. Venerable sister * Before prayer prepare your soule and be not as a man that tempteth God Eccli 18. In prayer prepare your selfe and lay open the hidden secrets of your heart that you may obtaine greater grace from God Then you pray truly as is fitting when you thinke of no other thing The iudge doth so much the sooner listen to the petition of a sinner if he see him amend his bad behauiour Prayer ought to proceed rather from the heart then from the lippes It is better to pray with the silence of the heart then with meere wordes without the intention of the mind That prayer proceedeth from a pure affection which is said in his due time without distraction For that mind is farre from God which in prayer is busied in thoughte of the world There a●e two things in prayer which hinder a mā from obtaining that which he doth desire to wit if as yet he be addicted to sinne or doth not heartely pardon him that doth offend him Our mind is celestial and doth then rightly contemplate God in prayer when it is hindered with no earthly care or errour When any man prayeth he enuiteth the holy Ghost to come vnto him who being come all the temptations of the diuells which are wont to trouble mens mindes do speedily depart ād giue place as not being able to endure his presence He that is wronged let him not desist to pray for those that doe him wrong otherwise he sinneth according to our Lords sentence that prayeth not for his enemies Like as no medicine doeth good to any hurt aslong as the weapon remaineth in it so his prayer doeth him no profit that hath hatred in his heart He stretcheth forth his hands to God not without offence who when he prayeth dorh vauntingly make manifest his good workes like the Pharisee mentioned in the Gospel Luc. 18. who boastingly prayed in the temple and praysed himselfe more then God the giuer of whatsoeuer is good and laudable Deare sister pray incessātly with teares Pray continually pray to God night and day Let your prayer be without ceasing let your prayer be often Let it be your vsual weapon Let your mouth neuer cease from praying insist in prayer and neuer desist from the same Alwayes lament and mourne arise to prayer in the night season watch and pray often Passe ouer the night in prayer and supplication applie your selfe to nigh●ly watching Hauing shut your eies a little pray againe Frequent prayer doth repell the darts of the diuel frequent prayer doth make the weapons of the diuel to be little auaileable Prayer is the first help agains● the inuasions of temptations prayer doth subdue the assaults of our ghostly enemies it vanquisheth the diuells it ouercommeth the vncleane spirits By prayer the diuells are conquered the aduerse parties are put to flight Honest Virgin let your prayer be pure I admonish you most deare sister that you pray for goodmen that they may perseuere in goodnes I entreat you also to pray for bad men that they may be cōuerted from their wickednes Pray for your friēds pray likewise for your enemies Pray also for all the faithfull both liuing and dead Let your prayer be directed as incense in the sight of God Amen Of reading CHAPT L. BY prayer we are cleansed from our sinnes by reading we are taught how to behaue our selues in our actions Both of these are good at times conuenient But if we want time to practice both it is better to pray then to read for when we pray we talke with God when we read God talketh with vs. Most deare sister if you will at all times conuerse with God at all times either pray or read Reading of good bookes is verie profitable and expedient For by reading we learne what to doe of what to take heede whither to tend Wherevpon the Psalmist saith * Thy worde is a lampe to my feete and a light to my pathes Psal 118. By reading we grow to haue greater vnderstanding Reading doth instruct vs to prayer and action Reading doth enforme vs in the actiue and contemplatiue life Wherefore it is said in the Psalmes * Blessed is the man that shall meditate in the law of our Lord day and night Psal 1. Reading and prayer are the weapons by which the diuel is vanquished these are the instruments by which eternal happines is purchased By prayer and reading vices are destroyed and vertues are nowrished The handmaid of God ought alwayes to pray and read Wherevpon it is written in the Psalmes * Then I shall not be confounded when I shall looke throughly in all thy commaundements Psal 118. Wherefore deare sister in Christ giue yourselfe often to prayer perseuere in meditation of the holy scripture Let Gods law be your continual conuersation be perpetually perusing the same vse to read often let the reading of Gods diuine law be your daily meditation Reading deliuereth a man from errour and falshood and withdraweth him from the vanitie of the world By reading as I haue alreadie said your wit and vnderstāding will be encreased For reading teacheth you what to doe it discerneth what you ought to eschew it sheweth whither you are to tend You profit much by reading if you put that which you read in execution Venerable sister almightie God vouchsafe to open your heart in his law and in his precepts Amen Of working CHAPT LI. THe Prophet Ieremie saith * Let vs lift vp our hearts with our hands to our Lord into the heauens Lament 3. He that prayeth and worketh lifteth vp his heart to God with his handes But he that prayeth and worketh not lifteth vp his heart to God and not his hands Contrariwise he that worketh and prayeth not lifteth vp his handes to God and not his heart And therefore venerable sister it is necessarie that we eleuate our heart to God by prayer and stretch forth our hands vnto him by manual labour Why Least we be reprehended for neglecting the commaundements of God whiles we seeke to obtaine saluation by onely prayer or by onely working Wherevpon the Apo ●le S. Paul pronounceth this precept to wit * That if any one will not worke neither let him eate 1. Thes 3. The handmaid of Christ ought at all times either to p●ay read or wo●ke least perchance the spirit of fornication deceiue her mind being busied in nothing Carnal pleasure is subdued by labour Most deare sister deuide the day into three parts in the first pray in the second read in the third labour King Salomon by idlenes fell into many fornications and by the desire of fornication adored idolls Venerable si●ter these three things are verie necessarie for the obtaining of saluation to wit prayer reading and working By prayer we are purged by reading we are instructed by working we become blessed like as the holy Ghost saith in the Psalme * Because thou shalt