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
A64352	Concerning holy resolution a sermon preach'd before the King at Kensington, Decemb. 30, 1694 / by His Grace Thomas Lord Archbishop of Canterbury Elect.	Tenison, Thomas, 1636-1715.	1695 (1695)	Wing T690; ESTC T31087	8,931	18

notwithstanding not seem to break them either to themselves or to the World they would not directly cut the Knot in sunder but chuse to untie it by putting a new sense upon the words by using some subtle Distinction by having recourse to Equivocation mental Reservation or some other evasion suggested by the Sophistry of a deceitful Heart not being able to endure the sting of a downright Reflection Where the Conscience remains pure and undefiled Holy Men are still with more true strength assisted in their Duty by their Religious Purposes For first such have a mighty veneration for the great God and fear to trifle with so sacred a Majesty by taking up his Name in vain by a frequent change of yea into nay by vowing and resolving and then disannulling Insomuch that the weaker sort of sincere Christians do dread to break a Vow even because it is a Vow though hastily made and with inadvertance chusing rather to be Martyrs to their own indiscretion than to depart from that Promise which they made in the heat of their zeal the Name of him before whom they tremble the ever lasting God Faithful and Just the same to day yesterday and for ever Secondly Religion is the highest Principle by which Men can act there is therefore in holy Resolution the greatest strength The Religious have for their scope the best and highest Ends and Interests the glory of God who is the chief Good the benefit of all reasonable Creatures the present and everlasting happiness of their Persons and true Religion is a certain way to these blessed Ends. 1 Tim. 6 9. Now if they that will be rich in this World decline no Labours run all manner of Hazards are not discourag'd by Rocks and Shelves by Waves and Tempests or Pirates in effect as dangerous as they whilst they aim only at things temporal which perish in the using shall not those have greater courage and firmer resolution who propose to themselves the obtaining Treasures which fade not away and may fully depend upon the promises of God in well-doing and on the grace of his blessed Spirit for the enabling them to do well if they are not wanting to the power already given them Obj. But I expect that it should be objected That all this sort of reasoning if it be admitted to be specious is notwithstanding false For as they may continue to speak the purposes of Mankind are vain and uncertain They vanish as the Morning dew upon the glittering of a new Temptation Is it not daily observ'd that divers who are in danger of death and dread to go forth into a vast Eternity after having led immorral Lives do weep and pray and make many Protestations of becoming new Men if God shall be pleased to spare and restore them And when God has restored them the World has been convinc'd that all their tears and prayers and promises were the effects of fear and they have return'd at once to their Health and to their Vices To this it may be answer'd Answer First That if Men will not be altogether Christians by the help of holy purposes they will be much less such without them If there is not force enough perfectly to amend the Lives of Men yet however they are some check and restraint to them And he who says a Cord is strong does not pretend to say that it is impossible to be broken Secondly Those Men who are so false to their Vows and so unstable in their ways are to be thought not to have built their purposes upon a right Foundation Perhaps the Foundation wanted Breadth It may be they resolv'd against many Sins but not against that which did most easily beset them and was most agreeable to Flesh and Blood And this one evil Spirit left in possession may have brought back all the rest Perhaps the Foundation wanted Firmness they might take up their Resolutions in the heat of their Affection which is suddenly kindled and suddenly dies away But for such as have hated every Evil way and upon the most mature deliberation dedicated themselves Souls and Bodies to Christ without any reserve it is not likely that they should be so unsteddy and so much given to change for the worse Among the Primitive Christians there were Armies of Martyrs who were faithful to the Death Pliny Plin. lib. 10. Ep. 97. Pervicamcerie inflexibilem obstinationem debere puniri non dubitars reproach'd them as obstinate but their perseverance arose from the strength of their Faith the Heartiness of their Love their sincere Resoluton to keep their Baptismal Vow in despight of the World the Flesh and the Devil and that which made all these effectual the extraordinary Grace of God Now if there be any Strength in natural Resolution and more in that which is moral and Religious and more still there must be when one is added to the other certainly 'tis our Wisdom to bind our with this double Cord for we have need of all the Assistance we can possibly get and that is a second Consideration We come into the World with sensual Inclinations Our natural Passions are apt to move with intemperate Violence Our Lusts and Appetites till Reason and Grace subdue them are strong and impetuous Our Mind is generally speaking over-grown very early with the prejudices and indiscretions of youth we are first accustomed to Folly and Vanity before we are acquainted with Christian Piety and Solid Vertue and to many ill Customs we are united as the Soul is to the Body with a very intimate Union though we know not how Our Senses and Fancy treasure up many idle extravagant and deceitful Images This World being present hath great influence upon our Sense and Imagination whilst Faith is the Evidence of things not seen All places abound with evil Men who live without God in the World and who by hurtful Persuasions and bad examples entice the unwary into a wicked confederacy with themselves and there are Legions of spiritual Enemies who envy God the Glory and Man the Happiness of a sober righteous and godly life Wherefore in so many and so great perils amidst which the frailty of our Nature is apt to supplant our Faith it behoves us to use all manner of good means and therefore that amongst others that of holy Resolution that by God's Blessing upon such Instruments we may be supported in all Dangers and carried safe through all Temptations To the speedy use therefore of a holy purpose I proceed in the Third Place to exhort you beseeching you as Barnabas did those of Antiock that with full purpose of Heart you would cleave unto the Lord Acts 11. 15. the Lord Jesus Christ It is true as to the general end of Man which is his Personal Happiness there is no need of any vehement Perswasive to it no great need of deliberation and Resolution of Mind Nature it self hath fix'd and determin'd this point that it is as necessary to be happy as it is to