Selected quad for the lemma: virtue_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
virtue_n	apostle_n	faith_n	temperance_n	815	5	10.9534	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A13680	Of the imitation of Christ, three, both for wisedome, and godlines, most excellent bookes; made 170. yeeres since by one Thomas of Kempis, and for the worthines thereof oft since translated out of Latine into sundrie languages by diuers godlie and learned men: now newlie corrected, translated, and with most ample textes, and sentences of holie Scripture illustrated by Thomas Rogers; Imitatio Christi. English.	Rogers, Thomas, d. 1616.; Thomas, à Kempis, 1380-1471, attributed name.	1580 (1580)	STC 23973; ESTC S118358	156,757	336

imp is to the stock of a tree ought so to liue of his life as there may not appeere any deformitie in vs but that as he hath died so we must die also and as he is risen againe so we must rise againe likewise we must die I say vnto sin and rise againe vnto newnes of life for that is the death and the life which he speaketh of Which thing I haue said to the end that we which boast our selues to be Christes members should vnderstand that our vanting of that title is in vaine if we labor not to resemble him in al our whole life And in what things Not in raising the dead in giuing sight to the blinde in healing the sick or in fasting fortie daies for these are miracles which he wrought both by himselfe and by his Apostles for the confirming of his doctrine among men that they might receiue it as heauenly and comming from God and he wrought them once for al without any neede of hauing them done againe by vs but in folowing his virtues as his faith his obedience his patience his constancie his temperance his lowelines meekenes mildnes gentlenes perseuerance diligence earnestnes in praieng and thanksgiuing and many other things Al the which he did not to make a shew of them to vs but to traine vs to the same by his owne example not to impute them after such a sort vnto vs that we should be hild sor such as he himselfe is without being so in deede but to the intent that as he did them so we should do them too as he himselfe saith and as Peter saith to the end we should folow his footesteps And how shal we knowe that we be in him and are made partakers of his graces but by our endeuoring of our selues to keepe his commandements And soothlie the onelie meane to knowe and to be assured in our selues that we dwel in Christ Christ in vs is our keeping of his commandements as Saint Iohn teacheth adding further that our knoweing that he dwelleth in vs is by the Spirit which he hath giuen vs because that by that Spirit we endeuor to folowe him and to frame our selues to his wil whereby we yeelde proofe of the vnion that is betweene him and vs. For euen as the children of this world do witnes themselues to be al one with the world by folowing their worldlie lusts ambition couetousnes and pleasures which thing I saie also of the members of Satan so in like case the Christians shew themselues to be made one with Christ by his holy Spirit when they folow Christ step by step and make his life to serue them as a most perfect rule to leade their life by What remaineth then to be done in this ●ase Soothly that we on our part doe inforce our selues by eschewing al slothfulnes which being hurtful and noisome in al things is most hurtful and noisome in this behalfe forasmuch as it is of such importance that we cannot neglect it without wilful disappointing our selues of our saluation and soueraigne felicitie This waie is narrow and rough I confesse it is so as al Christians doe and so doth Christ himselfe say it also For in asmuch as thereby we must sorsake our selues to folowe Christ which is verie painful hard to the flesh which desrreth nothing but hir owne pleasures and commodities no doubt but we feele it to be very bitter and burthensome But what for that Yet must we take that waie without stepping aside one waie or other For that is the onelie way which after many labors and hard pinches leadeth in the end vnto life As for the other way it is very broade faire accompanied with great pleasures but the end thereof saith he leadeth vnto death Now it is much better to go by labor to rest by tribulation to ioie and by death vnto life than contrariwise to go by rest to labor by ioie to tribulation and by life to death for looke what things commeth last shal be euerlasting What thing then should hold vs back or hinder vs in this race If it be the world with al the goodes honors and pleasures thereof let vs vnderstande that al those things passe awaie like an arrow which is shot at a white the trace whereof is not perceiued any more when it is once past If it be the roughnes and vneasines of the waie let vs consider how there is nothing so vneafie nor so rough which becommeth not easie and smooth by continual vse If it be the infirmitie and weakenes of our nature let vs thinke vpon him which hath promised to stand by vs to helpe vs and to strengthen vs who being good wil helpe vs and being almightie wil also strengthen vs conditionalie that we praie to him continualie Aske saith he and it shal be giuen vnto you seeke and ye shal finde knocke at the doore and it shal be opened vnto you Prouided alwaies that we on our side doe straine our selues for he helpeth not them that are idle and doe nothing He giueth his Spirit but it is to such as feeling their owne feeblenes and being displeased with it doe earnestly desire and craue his Spirit To such as nothing aske nothing he doth giue It is euen he that worketh in vs howbeit not so long as we our selues sleepe not so long as we fold our armes acrosse and much lesse so long as we resist him The kingdome of GOD saith Iesus Christ suffereth violence and the violent plucke it to them And who be those violent Those which being inflamed with great desire and zeale to facion themselues like to their head do offer violence and force to themselues to the intent that their nature and flesh being restrained and brideled may not cast any impediment in the way of Gods Spirit which worketh in them which feeling themselues cold and lasie whether it be in praieng to God or in giuing him thankes for al things or in any work of godlines either towards God or towards their neighbors doe quicken and stir vp themselues without suffering themselues to go on and to be ouercome of their flesh which take paines to marke al their owne thoughts and affections and to restraine them frō passing their bounds from rouing astray setting a sure watch vpon their mind and folowing the counsel of the wise because that from the mind commeth the welspring of al euil which knowing how easie it is for them to slip aside at euery least occasion in the world doe set good gard vpon themselues continualie laboring to subdue aud ouercome themselues and finalie which by Christs Spirit do incessantly crucifie the flesh with the lusts thereof And of a truth we be of our owne nature so contrarie to God and so bent to the seeking of our owne selues and our affections are so heady and vehement and we be haled vnto euil with so great force