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	grace_n	temperance_n	1,517	5	11.5641	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A30814	A glimpse of God, or, A treatise proving that there is a God discovering the grounds of atheism, with arguments of divers sorts against atheists : shewing also, the unity of the Godhead, and the trinity of the persons ... / by ... Mr. Thomas Byrdall ...	Byrdall, Thomas, 1607 or 8-1662?	1665 (1665)	Wing B6404; ESTC R14883	155,901	472

is the thing he so much requireth the service that is onely well-pleasing crowned with perfect reward and without this kind of perfection all glorious duties are no other in God's account than the cursed works of darkness The Exhortation is to a double Duty 1. To be perfect as God is perfect We may be we must be perfect as God is perfect We cannot be equally perfect as God we must strive after a perfection of resemblance although we cannot possibly attain to a perfection of equality created nature being uncapable thereof Now here I will shew how we may be perfect as God is perfect and then shew what it is to serve God with a perfect heart Now first That we may be perfect as God is perfect 1. Let us lahour to get all grace to exist in us As God's perfection is the fulness of all excellencies required to the nature of God so is a Christians perfection an having of all grace requisite to a childe of God as perfection of parts is requisire to make a man perfect Were there a defect but of one excellency in God he were imperfect were there but one member in a body defective it were an imperfect body so the want of one grace makes an imperfect Saint therefore the Apostle Peter exhorteth to add to faith vertue and to vertue knowledge and to knowledge temperance and to temperance patience and to patience godlines and to godliness brotherlykindnes and to brotherly kindness charity 2 Pet. 2. 5 6. And St. Paul exhorteth us to be filled with the Spirit wherein there is no excess Ephes 5. 18. It is impossible for a man to be too holy too gracious Covetous men add ground to ground house to house field to field when they resolve to be rich thus Saints should add one vertue to another if they will be perfect as God is perfect 2. We must grow in these acquired graces the more we grow in them the more we come near God in perfection the more holy we grow the nearer we come to him that is perfectly holy as a growing childe comes near the stature and perfection of a man He is not in any wise perfect that grows not more perfect A dead childe grows not painted trees grow not and so will never come to perfection Thy holiness is but a dead holiness thy faith but a dead or painted faith if it grow not Gods perfections are eminent in him we must strive to be eminent as he is this was St. Paul's endeavour The perfection of Saints in this life is to be sensible of imperfections and to desi●e more perfection Take it my brethren for a sure rule that the work of grace was never begun in that heart where God doth not by dgrees perfect the work for he is perfect in all his works perfect in the work of Sanctification of his elect as in the Creation of them 3. We should extend the work of grace in us as far as possibly we can Let patience have its perfect work that ye may be perfect and entire wanting nothing Jam. 1. 4. Let patience have its perfect work in all afflictions and to all men There are two Graces wherein we should resemble God in our perfections First The one is in love to our enemies the sun of our love must shine upon them so doth God's perfect love and in so doing ye shall be like your heavenly Father Secondly In mercifulnes in the works of mercy to the distressed yea even to enemies themselves Luk. 6. 38. And in so doing ye shall be like your heavenly Father So that from those places we may see what it is to be petfect as God is perfect A merciful man whose mercy runs round the circumference is perfect as God is perfect a loving man that can pray for bless pardon even his enemies is perfect as God is perfect SECT 2. NOw I come briefly to the next branch of the Exhortation Is God perfect then serve him with a perfect heart God speaks to us as David to Solomon And now Solomon my Son serve God with a perfect heart and with a willing mind 1 Chron. 28. 6. Thus God speaks to every one of us Thou my son the son of my grace the son of my love of my mercy serve thou me with a perfect heart Now what it is to serve God with a perfect heart these three things will shew 1. To serve God with thy whole heart with all thy mind will and affections The whole soul must be taken up with God in his service lift up thy heart to God as well as thine eyes bow thy heart as well as thy knees do all thy duties with thy whole heart a divided a distracted heart is an imperfect heart 2. To set up pure aims and ends in thy heart in all services done to God A sincere heart is a perfect heart to serve God with such an heart is to serve him with a perfect heart Then do we serve God sincerely when we seek to advance God in all that we do we seek that God may be glorified and so in all acts of obedience Jehu's heart was not perfect because he did not seek God in doing the will of God A man may serve himself in doing God's will 3. To have in thy heart a full respect to all Gods commandments when it is in thy heart to do all God's Commandments with all thy heart to be wanting in no duty in no act of obedience this is to be perfect Such a man as this is a man after God's own heart Some give this reason why David is said to be a a man after God's own heart viz. because he was so zealous for God Others because he was so full of praises But this is the Holy Ghosts reason Acts 13. 22. David is called a man God's after own heart because he fulfilled all Gods will to do all which God commandeth We say the eye is perfectly drawn in a picture when it equally looks upon all in the same room So that is a perfect heart which equally looks to all Commandments of God Now to stir you up to serve God with a perfect heart consider these Motives Motive 1. Where perfection of heart is there the weakect performances are accepted the Widows Luk. 21. 2 3. two mites were better accepted then the great largesses of the rich the infirmities of the Saints in their faithful services because done with a perfect heart Job had bitter temptations and murmrings and many impatient fits yet all were forgotten for what saith the holy Ghost have ye not heard of the patience of Job Jam. 5. 11. 2. God will surely protect such they are his jewels the Lord highly prizeth them and would have all the world take notice of such men God even boasteth of such men Job 1. 1. the Lord saith of Joh that he was a man that was perfect and upright he speaks it in the commendation of his perfectness Vse 6. Is God perfect the very