Selected quad for the lemma: virtue_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
virtue_n	charity_n	faith_n	temperance_n	1,943	5	10.7125	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A93799	A holy life here, the only way to eternal life hereafter. Or, A discourse grounded on these words, The weapons of our warfare, &c. 2. Cor. 10. 4. Wherein among other things set down in a following index this truth is especially asserted; namely, that a holy life, or the habitual observing of the laws of Christ, is indispensably necessary to salvation. Whereunto is added an Appendix, laying open the common neglect of the said laws among Christians, and vindicating such necessity of observing them from those general exceptions that are wont to be made against it. By R.S. B.D.	Stanwix, Richard, 1608-1656.	1652 (1652)	Wing S5252; Thomason E1276_1; ESTC R210586	123,869	304

beauty which is made up of the proportionable mixture of spirituall graces and is requisite to make us truly amiable to God and sure as hee who considers the nature of our life how unfaithfull and uncertain it is being such as may be terminated every moment and is often suddainly and when we least think of it can think no time too soon to set about and begin this work so hee who considers the greatness and multiplicity of the work in it self or ' its importance in the infinite consequence of it the eternall salvation or perdition of our souls depending on the performance or neglect thereof will think no warinesse or diligence and consequently no time too much which it is possible for him to exhibit towards the managing and accomplishing of it Now if any shall notwithstanding all that hath hitherto been said on this subject as some I conceive will bee ready to object that this pressing of works obedience as necessary to salvation tends 1 to confound the Gospel and the Law 2 to detract from and diminish the privilege of faith and 3 to require of men such a perfection as is not possible or very hardly attainable by any man in this life I shall in answer reply these things thereunto 1. That there is and so ought carefully to be maintained a great difference betwixt the Law and the Gospel but the difference is not in this that the Law requires works and obedience as necessary in this case and the Gospel requires none for this to any one that reads the Gospel and especially our Saviours Sermon on the mount will appear to be false but that the Law thus opposed to the Gospel requires perfect works and obedience undiminished with any antecedent sins and unstained with any present defects in the doers of the said works that is such works as being performed would give a man cause of glorying and make that the reward should be reckoned to him not of grace Rom. 4.4 but of debt but the Gospel requires onely or rather allows as sufficient in this case such works as in those respects are imperfect that is such as for the most part have many and great sins going before and proportionable failings accompanying the doing of them and so can give a man no title but onely through Gods mercy in Christ to the glorious reward of eternall life held forth and sealed by him in his blood to the doers of such works that is to all truly penitent persons And from this difference betwixt the works required in the law and the Gospel there is another ariseth and that is this that those works of the law if performed would constitute the performers of them equally righteous they being all in this case to be supposed to have lived without sin and to have constantly and perfectly obeyed all the commandements of God but these of the Gospel admit an inequality in this respect and that not onely in regard of time some beginning sooner and some later to practise them but also of degrees some by reason of some naturall infirmities or the want of outward helps not attaining that exactness or expressing that fruitfulnesse and abounding in the doing of them which others doe and yet so long as they have put off all the habits of sin and perform proportionally to their strength and assistance the works of righteousness required of them in the Gospel which notwithstanding their former hinderances they may they shall be as surely hereafter rewarded as those who have outdone them herein by performing the said things in a higher measure 2 I say touching faith as the Apostle touching the law by a little altering and inverting his words we do not abrogate but establish faith by requiring works and obedience to Christs lawes in that manner as wee have done There is indeed a way of urging works with which faith is inconsistant and that is to require them to bee absolute and every way commensurate to the law of God without admitting or having need of repentance in which sense the Apostle disputes against them or rather the possibility of being justified by them in the five first chapters of the Epistle to the Romans and to such works faith is opposed yet not as one contrary to another but as that which is imperfect to that which is perfect Faith therefore I say being taken in that sense wherein it hath those privileges of Justification and so of salvatiou astribed to it does truely include works obedience that is such as we have hitherto pressed as necesssary in it for the clearer manifesting of which I desire it may be observed that this word faith like as many other words and phrases in scripture is of various acception being sometimes used in a stricter sometimes in a larger sence 1. Strictly and properly taken it signifies nothing else but a firme assent given to the doctrine of Christ and that which flowes from such assent namely an answerable confidence and reliance on God and Christ and it is so taken when other things pertinent to the obtaining of salvation are added to it which things so added the more they are the more is the word faith restrained in 't is signification 2. Largely and more improperly taken it may either have some one or other thing added to it or else be placed singly by it self and yet have salvation or that which is equivalent in sence ascribed to it which notion of it is simply the largest as for example when the Apostle sayes there remains faith hope and charity he takes faith strictly so as not to compriz in it the other two vertues but when he sayes 1. Cor. 13. that in Christ Jesus nothing avails but faith working by love Gal. 5.6 he takes it a little more largely so as to contain hope in it and that not without cause for he that cordially believes Christ promising heavenly and eternall glory to them that obey him cannot but most earnestly desire the same glory and thereupon hope for it and trust in Christ but when hee sayes and proves out of the prophet Heb. 2.5 Rom 1.17 Act. 16.31 that the just shall live by faith and assures the Jaylour of salvation by his believing onely on the Lord Jesus Christ hee takes faith in ' its largest extent comprizing both the former vertues in it and what ever exercises of it or them the Gospel which is the doctrine of faith commends to or requires of us So that that faith wee say which through Gods mercy hath the privilege of justifying and saving us annexed to it comprizes besides that which is properly and strictly signified by it that obedience or piety of life which excludes all customes and habits of sin and all grievous and voluntary acts of it though otherwise as wee have before said this piety be not in all equall the truth of which namely of this large comprehension of the notion of faith when it is thus dignified may appear from these

unwearie calling upon God by prayer and in other exercises relating immediatly to the things of the kingdome of heaven Math. 6.33 the place where God inhabits as in seeking first that place and the things belonging thereunto so as not to be truly sollicitous for any other things here below and in setting our minds and affections on these things Col. 3.1.2 which thing what it imports wee may easily know by that care and longing and intention of mind that the setting of mens affections on other things is ordinarily accompanied with and lastly in exhorting 1 Thess 5.11 Jude 20. and edifying one another by frequent mutuall and deliberate conferences on such matters all which are required either as parts to make up or as testimonies to express the foresaid godliness or devotion required in us Now where shall we find amongst the numerous multitudes of professours any considerable numbers exemplifying such godliness in their practice do not most mens words and actions though wee cannot otherwise see into their minds and closets sufficiently tell us that their minds are not set upon heaven or the things above and consequently that they are strangers to such incessant communion with God as our Saviour and the Apostle requires we should have with him by prayer how little are matters of Religion especially for the practick parts of it made the subject of mens discourse how few are there that doe commonly and deliberatly talk of the things of the kingdome of heaven is not such talk in respect of the temper of most companies as unseasonable as snow in Summer yea is it not ordinarily reputed melancholy ●alk and therefore seldome willingly entred ●nto but at melancholy times as of sickness or of some present or imminent judgment when the comforts of the world begin to hide themselves or threaten quite to forsake us 2. Touching righteousness which is that part of Religion which in the exercises of it respects men we are to conceive it to consist not only in the doing of those things which by the laws of men are accounted righteous but also in those higher strains of perfection which by the divine laws of Christ are made righteous or rather necessary for us to observe as namely to omit others which we shall have occasion under the next head to touch upon requiting the evill wishes and words and deeds of others towards us Mat. 5.44 with a quite contrary carriage that is praying for and blessing and doing good to them this being that divine revenge which the Gospell only allows us Rom. 12.19.20.21 calling it a heaping of coals of fire upon their heads and commending it as the most effectuall way for overcomming their evill in this kind Now where shall we find any patterns almost representing such righteousness in their practice who sees not and is not also ready to cry out of that palpable cozening and deceit and over-reaching that the most in all trades and professions ordinarily make use of whereby the common dictates of justice approved of and authorized with Heathen Nations are directly violated and therefore for those higher doctrines of loving and blessing and doing good to and praying for enemies what likelihood can there be of any answerable performance of them yea it is plain that these doctrines being literally understood as they ought to be and in their true extent they are as Utopian Chymaeraes such as have no existence in a manner save in the Scriptures and mens imaginations the practice of Christians whether considered in greater or lesser societie being quite contrary thereunto nor only so but which is yet much worse that forementioned deportment of our selves towards our enemies so plainly required of us by Christ is in the account of many who profess themselves Christians held as a mean and dishonourable thing though the person requiring it whom we call our Lord and who was truly the most noble person that was ever on earth hath not only gone before us in the practice thereof himself but also practised it to this end to leave us an example 1 Pet. 2.22 and that we might follow his steps 3. Concerning the last head sobriety which is that part of Religion which directly respects our selves we are to conceive it as here it is to be taken to consist for the generall in such a moderating of our desires and regulating of our carriage as may fit us for performing the offices of both the former that is 1. In this that we love not the world nor the things of it all which things St. John comprizeth under these three heads 1 John 2.15.16 namely the lust of the flesh the lust of the eyes and the pride of life by the first whereof is meant an excessive thirsting after sensuall and carnall pleasures by the second a covetous desire of riches which are often sought and so possessed by many for no other use in effect but for the eye or fancy as it were to feed upon and by the third ambition or desire of vain glory manifesting it self in such effects as these boasting of ones self despising or slighting others affectation of making a pompous shew in apparell or other outward things the contraries to all which are those three vertues which moderate all these excesses namely temperance contentedness and humility being as branches of the foresaid Sobriety and hereby St. John implicitly prescribed us in these two words love not and that not only as things most righteous in themselves and to preserve in us a regular temper of mind free from such disturbances as the contrary excesses are ordinarily accompanied with but also as things requisite to dispose us towards the performing of those acts of piety and righteousness which we owe towards God and men it being not possible that where the former law and earthly affections take place these should ever be truly performed 2. As another part of the former sobriety it is required that our outward carriage be answerably tempered with wisdom and gravity Phil. 4.8 that whatsoever things are honest or rather as the Greek imports venerable we should think upon those and doe them and therefore that our speech be alwaies with grace Col. 4.6 seasond with salt namely of wisdom Eph. 4.29 that it may be good for the use of edifying and such as may Minister grace to the hearers And where now shall we find any visible copies almost that is any living examples holding forth such sobriety in their practice may it not be said of one sort of Christians that they are lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God when as all their time in a manner save what their worldly entanglements and occasions require of them is taken up in eating and drinking dicing and carding or some such ways of voluptuousness as if they had been placed here in the world as the Leviathan in the Sea only to take their pas● time therein and may it not be said of another sort that the God of this world hath blinded