Selected quad for the lemma: virtue_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
virtue_n	add_v	faith_n	temperance_n	2,660	5	11.1051	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A30128	Christian behaviour, or, The fruits of true Christianity shewing the ground from whence they flow in their godlike order in the duty of relations, as husbands, wives, parents, children, masters, servants &c. : with a word of direction to all backsliders / by John Bunyan.	Bunyan, John, 1628-1688.	1663 (1663)	Wing B5492; ESTC R14817	52,342	160

it is both quick●ed and bringeth forth fruit * Rom. 3. ●1 22 23 24 25. 1 Cor. 1. 30. 2 Cor. 5. ●1 * John 1. 16. Now then seeing Good Works do flow ●om Faith and seeing Faith is nourished 〈◊〉 an affirming of the Doctrine of the ●ospel c. take here these few Consi●rations from the Doctrine of the Gos●●l for the support of thy Faith that ●ou mayest be indeed fruitful and rich 〈◊〉 Good Works First The whole Bible was given for 〈◊〉 very end that thou shouldst both believe this Doctrine and live in th● comfort and sweetness of it For wha● soever things was written afore-time w●● written for our learning that we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope Rom. 15. 4. John 20. 31. Secondly That therefore every Promise in the Bible is thine to strengthen quicken and incourage thy heart in believing Thirdly Consider that there is nothing that thou dost can so please God as believing The Lord takes pleasure in tho● that fear him in them that hope in his me●cy Psal. 147. 11. They please him because they imbrac● his Righteousness c. Fourthly Consider that all the with drawings of God from thee are not f●● the weakening but for the tryal of th● faith and also that what-ever he su●fereth Satan or thy own heart to do 〈◊〉 is not to weaken Faith Job 23. 8 9 ● 1 Pet. 1. 7. Fifthly Consider that believing● that which will keep in thy view 〈◊〉 things of Heaven and Glory and that ●t which the Devil wil be discouraged sin weakned and thy heart quickned and sweetned Heb. 11. 27. Jam. 4. 7. 1 Pet. 5. 9. Ephes. 6. 16. Rom. 15. 13. Lastly By believing the Love of God is kept with warmth upon the heart and that this will provoke thee continually to bless God for Christ for Grace for Faith Hope and for all these things either in God or thee that doth accompany Salvation 2 Cor. 2. 14. Psal. 103. 1 2 3 4. The Doctrine of the forgiveness of sins received by Faith will make notable work in the heart of a sinner to bring forth Good Works But secondly For as much as there is body of Death and Sin in every one that hath the Grace of God in this world and because this body of death will be even opposing that which is good as the ●postle saith Rom. 7. 21. therefore take these few particulars further for the suppo●sing that which will hinder a fruitful life ● Keep a continual wa●th over the wretchedness of thy own heart not to be discouraged at the sight of thy vileness but to prevent its wickedness for that will labour either to hinder thee from doing Good Works or else will hinder thee in the doing thereof for evil is present with thee for both these pu●poses take heed then that thou do not ●●sten to that at any time but deny though with much strugling the workings of 〈◊〉 to the contrary 2. Let this be continually before thy heart that God's eye is upon thee and seeth every secret turning of thy heart either to or from him All things are ●●ked and bare before the eyes of Him w●● whom we have to do Heb. 4. 13. 3. If thou deny to do that good whic● thou oughtest with what thy God 〈◊〉 given thee then consider that though● 〈◊〉 love thy soul yet he can chastise 〈◊〉 thy●inward man with such troubles 〈◊〉 thy life shall be restless and comfort●● 2dly And can also so blow upon thy 〈◊〉 ward man that all thou gettest sh●● put in a Bag with holes Psal. 89. 31 ●● 33. Hag. 1. 6. And set the case he should license but one Theef among thy Substance or one spark of Fire among thy Barns how quickly might that be spent ill and against thy will which thou shouldst have spent to God's glory and with thy will and I tell thee further that if thou want a heart to do good when thou hast about thee thou mayest want comfort in such things thy self from others when thine is taken from thee See Judg. 1. 6 7. 4. Consider that a life full of Good Works is the only way on thy part to answer the Mercy of God extended to thee God hath had mercy on thee and hath saved thee from all thy distresses God hath not stuck to give thee his Son his Spirit and the Kingdom of Heaven saith Paul I beseech you therefore by the Mercies of God that you present your bodies a living Sacrifice to God holy acceptable which is your reasonable service Rom. 12. 1. See Mat. 18. 32 33. 5. Consider that this is the way to convince all men that the Power of God's things hath taken hold of thy heart I speak to them that hold the head and say what thou wilt if thy faith be not accompanied with a holy Life thou shalt be judged a withered branch a wording professor salt without savour and as lifeless as a sounding Brass and a tinckling Cymbal Joh. 15. Mat. 5. 13. 1 Cor. 13. 1 2. For say they shew us your faith by your works for we cannot see your hearts Jam. 2. 18. But I say on the contrary if thou walk as becomes thee who art saved by Grace then thou wilt witness in every mans Conscience that thou art a good Tree now thou leavest guilt on the heart of the wicked 1 Sam. 24. 16 17. now thou takest off occasion from them that desire occasion and now thou art clear from the blood of all men 2 Cor. 11. 12. Acts 20. 26 31 32 33 34. This is the Man also that provoketh others to Good Works The ear that heareth such a man shall bless him and the eye that seeth him shall bear witness to him Surely saith David he shall never 〈◊〉 moved The Righteous shall be had in eve● lasting remembrance Heb. 10. 24. Job 29. 11. Psal. 112. 6. 6. Again the heart that is fullest of Good Works hath in it least room for Satans temptations and this is the meaning of Peter where he saith Be sober be vigilant that is be busying thy self in Faith and Holiness for the Devil your adversary goeth about like a roaring Lyon seeking whom he may devour 1 Pet. 5. 8. He that walketh uprightly walketh safely and they that add to Faith Vertue to Vertue Knowledge to Knowledge Temperance to Temperance Brotherly-kindness and to ●hese Charity and that abounds therein he shall neither be barren nor unfruitful he shall never fall but so an entrance shall be ministred to him abundantly into the everlasting Kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ 2 Pet. 1. 5 6 7 8 9 10. Prov. 10. 9. 7. The Man who is fullest of Good Works he is fittest to live and fittest to die I am now at any time ready to be offered up saith fruitful Paul 2 Tim. 4. 6. Whereas he that is barren he is neither fit to live nor fit to dye to dye he himself is convinced he is not fit and to live

off ●rom what he was and constrained to ●end and yeeld to what before it neither would nor could 1 Cor. 2. 14. Rom. 8. ● And hence it is that Gospel-obedience is called the Obedience of Faith as well as obedience to the Faith Rom. 16. 26. For it must be by the Faith of Christ in my heart that I submit to the Word of Faith in the Bible otherwise ●ll is to no profit as saith the Apostle The Word preached did not profit them it not being mixed with Faith in them that heard it Heb. 4. 2. For Faith alone can see the reality of what the Gospel saith and so I say argue over the heart to the imbracing of it 4. Faith is such a Grace as wil represent to the soul all things in their proper colours it doth not as doth unbelief and ignorance shew us all things out of order puting darkness for light and bitter for sweet but will set every thing in his proper place before our eyes God and Christ shall be with it the chiefest good the most lovely and amiable a Heavenly Life shall be of greater estee● and more desirable than all the tre●●sures of Egypt Righteousness Sanct●●fication will be the thing after which 〈◊〉 will most vehemently press because 〈◊〉 seeth not only Death and Damnation 〈◊〉 the fruits of sin but sin also in it sel● distinct from the punishment belongin● to it a detestible horrible and odiou● thing Heb. 11. 25 26 27. Phil. 3. 7 8 9 10 11 12. Rom. 12. 9. By Faith we see this World hath n● abiding in it for us nor no satisfactio● if it were otherwise Prov. 33. 5. Heb 11. 15 16. 13. 14. 1 Cor. 7. 29 30 31 And hence it is that the People of God have groaned to be gone from hence int● a state that is both sinless and temptationless And hence it is again that they have run through so many Tryals Afflictions and Adversities even because of that Love to holiness of life that Faith being in their hearts did prompt them to by shewing them the worth and durableness of that which was good and the irksomeness and evil of all things else ●Cor 5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8. Heb. 11. 33 ●4 35 36 37 38 39. 5. Faith layeth hold of that which is ●ble to help the soul to bring forth Good Works It layeth hold of and ingageth ●e Strength of Christ and by that over-●ometh that which oppresseth I can do ●ll things through Christ that strengthen●th me Phil. 4. 13. In a word A Life of Holiness and Godliness in this world doth so insepa●ably follow a Principle of Faith that 〈◊〉 is both monstrous and ridiculous to ●uppose the contrary What shall not ●e that hath life have motion Gal. 2. ●0 He that hath by Faith received the ●pirit of Holiness shall not he be Ho●y Gal. 3. 2. And he that is called to Glory and Vertue Shall not he add to ●is Faith Vertue 2 Pet. 1. 4 5. We are ●y Faith made good Trees and shall not ●e bring forth good Fruit Luke 6. 43. They that believe are created in Christ ●esus unto Good ●orks and God hath ●efore the world was ordained that we ●hould walk in them and shall both our second Creation and God's fore-ordin●●tion be made frustrate Ephes. 1. 4. 〈◊〉 10. Besides the Children of Faith 〈◊〉 the Children of Light and of the 〈◊〉 1 Tim. 5. 5. Lights upon a Hill Ca●●dles on a Candle-stick and shall not the shine They are the Salt of the Earth shall not they be seasoning Mat. 5. 1● 14. The Believer is the alone Man 〈◊〉 whom God sheweth to the World th● Power of his Grace the operation of h● Peoples Faith c. The unbeliever● reade indeed of the Power of Grace 〈◊〉 the Faith Hope Love Joy Peace an● Sanctification of the Heart of the Chri●stian but they feel nothing of that sin killing operation that is in these things these are to them as a story out of Rom● or Spain Wherefore to shew them i● others what they find not in themselves God worketh Faith Hope Love c. i● a Generation that shall serve him an● by them they shall see what they canno● find in themselves and by this mean● they shall be convinced that though sin● ●nd the pleasures of this life be sweet to ●hem yet there is a People otherwise-●●inded even such a People that do in●eed see the Glory of that which others ●eade of and from that fight take plea●ure in those things which they are most ●●verse unto To this I say are Christi●ns called herein is God glorified Hereby are sinners convinced and by ●his is the World condemned 1 Thes. 4. ● 1 Pet. 2. 12. 3. 1. Heb. 11. 7. Object But if Faith doth so naturally ●ause Good Works what then is the rea●on that God's People find it so hard a mat●er to be Faithful in Good Works I answer First God's People are ●ruitful in Good Works according to the pro●ortion of their Faith if they be slender ●n Good Works it is because they are weak ●n Faith Little faith is like small can●les or a weak fire which though they shine and have heat yet but dim shining and but small heat when compared with bigger Candles greater Fire The reason why Sardis had some in it whose works were not perfect before God 〈◊〉 was because they did not hold fast b● Faith the Word that they had former 〈◊〉 heard and received Rev. 3. 1 2 3. Secondly There may be a great mistak● in our judging of our own fruitfulness● the soul that indeed is candid and righ● at heart is taught by Grace to judge 〈◊〉 self though fruitful yet barren upo● two accounts 1. When it compareth it life to the Mercy bestowed upon it Fo● when a Soul doth indeed consider th● greatness and riches of the Mercy be●stowed upon it then it must needs cr● out O wretched man that I am Rom 7. 24. for it seeth it self wonderfully t● fall short of a Conversation becomin● one who hath received so great a benefit 2. It may also judge it self barren becaus● it falleth so far short of that it woul● attain unto it cannot do the thing tha● it would Gal. 5. 17. 3. The heart o● a Christian is naturally very barren up●on which though the Seed of Gra● that is the fruitfullest of all Seeds b●●sowen yet the heart is naturally subjec● to bring forth weeds Mat. 15. 19. Now to have a good Crop from such ground doth argue the fruitfulness of the Seed wherefore I conclude upon these three things First That the Seed of Faith is a very fruitful Seed in that it will be fruitful in so barren a soil Secondly That Faith is not beholding to the heart but the heart to it for all its fruitfulness Thirdly That therefore the way to be a more fruitful Christian it is to be stronger in believing Now for the second thing to wit That every one that