Selected quad for the lemma: virtue_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
virtue_n	body_n	soul_n	unite_v	970	5	9.6533	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A49447	Meditations upon retirement from the world Occasioned by a discourse with a gentleman, who begun to see the vanity of worldly enjoyments, whereof he had had a very great share, and thought it necessary by despising of them, to secure the interest of his soul, while there was any time left.	Ludolf, Heinrich Wilhelm, 1655-1710.	1691 (1691)	Wing L3464; ESTC R216641	10,010	11

MEDITATIONS UPON RETIREMENT FROM THE WORLD Occasioned By a Discourse with a Gentleman Who begun to see the vanity of Worldly enjoyments whereof he had had a very great share and thought it necessary by despising of them to secure the interest of his Soul while there was any time left Blessed are they that forsake the World for Heaven but more blessed are they that find Heaven before they go out of the World There is no more difference between Heaven and the Kingdom of God than there is between Hell and the Kingdom of Darkness Heaven consists in Vertue Truth and Light Hell consists in Vice Lies and Darkness Our Saviour leads us the way to Heaven and the Devil directs people to Hell The Reader may consider which of these two he had best to follow SOLI DEO GLORIA LONDON Printed Anno Dom. MDCXCI TO HIS ROYAL-HIGHNESS Prince GEORGE OF DENMARK THE nearer you are to Crown and Scepter the more regard you ought to have to Him whose Vicegerents Kings and Princes are By your indifferency about Worldly Affairs Providence hath disposed you to despise the World and to give your Heart to God who hath unimaginable happiness and contentment ready for those that with an intire Resignation comply with his Will If the following Meditations have such an effect upon your Mind as to strengthen your Love to the Ruler of all Hearts He will never let you want those Affections of the People which mark and support a Princes greatness and I shall certainly see my Wishes and Hopes of the growth and continuance of your Prosperity fulfilled When you see these present Broils of Europe make way for great changes in Church and State remember this Dedication and believe that God will rescue those that fear love and trust him and that you are One of the few great Ones not to be touched by the general Calamity which the unusual Earth-Quakes and other Signs of Gods Anger do forebode Then I shall not scruple to make my self known to you READER ALL those render no small service to God and their Countrey that endeavour to help true Christianity to get uppermost For we would soon have a better Church and State if People were thoroughly perswaded that real Prosperity upon Earth depended upon our Care for Heaven This single Notion well fixed in the generality of minds would quench many a desire by Factions to disturb the Peace and quiet of the Nation or to hinder its welfare by cheating the Publick both of its Treasure and of those Services which People less wedded to luxury and private interest might render How far the following Meditations may tend this way the Christian Reader will judge who will I hope allow of my Apology for the Stile when I tell him it is not my Native Language I hope these Meditations will not have the misfortune to fall into the hands of any that either think God a slave to the course and Laws of Nature or that fancy their Wisdome above Gods Endowments For such People will conclude me as great an Euthasiast as they are either Beasts or Foolish-Wisemen It is my comfort that I have Witnesses of my Behaviour in the greatest adversity when I had the fate of the Moneyless to be disowned almost by every body and some thought they discharged the duty of Friendship in desiring the Prayers of the Congregation that my health and understanding might be restored to me People that do not know of this will hardly own me a fit Preacher of the obligation of an intire Resignation to Gods will if they should see me by a wonderfull Providence raised to make some Figure in the World But as God alone knows how much I have been humbled so it is in his only Breast how for I shall be exalted May First Heinrich Wilhelm Lud●lf The first of July thou shalt have a Commentary MEDITATION I. THe World is an imperious Mistress who makes those most uneasie that are fondest of her Which hath induced several to prefer Retirement before Greatness and Splendor in the World after they have found the emptyness of all those things which men commonly make their Idols Providence having contrived it so wisely that whosoever hath a wrong aim in point of happiness is sooner or latter made sensible of his having missed the mark All the mischief cometh from misplacing our affections and from not bestowing a true value upon the things we are in pursuit after If we remembred the Seek first the Kingdom of Heaven we would soon find fullfilled the All things shall be added unto you Since a hearty concern for a future Life would make us look with so much contempt upon the trifles of this World that we would hardly ever disquiet our selves with the desire of any thing that is not added to us already But such a Resignation to Providence requireth perhaps more Religion than is commonly met with in men However we all pretend to reason and those that are not totally deprived of the right use of reason will own that they have an immortal Soul and that consequently the securing Eternity to the Soul is not only the most important business but that without the hopes of it our mind will not be free from grudgings very injurious to its quiet and contentment which influences the health of our Body very much So that reason should tell every man he must look after Heaven if he will enjoy happiness upon Earth which cannot subsist without health in the Body and tranquility in the Mind Gods goodness as well as wisdom having ordered it so that the interest of Body Mind and Soul is so closely united together that a concern for the Soul brings us to the observing of our Saviours Rules and practising of those vertues whereby the vigour of our Body and the contentment of our Minds is promoted and on the other hand managing the Body according to the Precepts of Temperance and Sobriety strengthens our Understanding and inables it to descry in Nature and Providence those glorious Beams of Wisdome and Goodness which cannot chose but inflame our desires of obtaining the favour of that infinite perfect Being Which desire if it be sincere and earnest is half way towards our Souls home This consideration alone should be enough to keep any rational man from bestowing any more value upon the Goods and Pleasures of this World than is consistent with a due care of the next Which if they did they would not be weary of Earth before they are fitted for Heaven and even Earthly pleasures of Body as well as of mind would be more real more lasting and more easily attained They would not be at a loss where to find retirement and quiet For in my opinion it is not changing of City or Court for the Country wherein a quiet Retirement consists because in the greatest Solitude and most concealed Recess our mind may be hurried about with restless passions and desires on the other hand neither the