Selected quad for the lemma: virtue_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
virtue_n	darkness_n	light_n	shine_v	1,307	5	9.6147	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A28192	The divine and spiritual ambassadour described in a sermon preached at the visitation at Alisbury, Com. Bucks. Octob. 14, 1662 by J.B. B.D.	J. B. (John Bird), b. 1584 or 5.	1663 (1663)	Wing B2952; ESTC R14806	31,553	42

to shine out of darkness hath shined in our hearts to give the light of the knowledg of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ yet our Apostle would have us mindful how we carry this treasure in earthen vessels that the excellency of the power maybe of God 2 Cor. 4 5 6 7 and not of us Now absit verbo invidia by the space of above 53. years wherein I bless his holy name for making use of my poor talent in this function I have observed that such vessels hardly clash one against another Jerem. 13.11 Gal 5.15 but when the weaker is dasht in pieces the stronger sometimes receive such a flaw which can seldome be sodered up again As then all good Ambassadors leave all private envy jarrs and animosities to promote the publick good so before ye go to your next home and so long as ye are going to your long home be carefull to follow the frequent and friendly counsell of the Holy Ghost See that yee fall not out by the way Gen. 45.24 Ephes 4 3. Rom. 16.17 but bee diligent to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace and mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have received and avoid them 40. Whether they be such as delight to run their descant upon the Corinthian division saying I am of Paul 1 Cor. 1.12 and I of Apollo and I of Cephas and I of Christ Now that Christs Church with us is like a weak Patient newly revived from an epidemicall and dangerous epilepsy to be more fairly and gently nurs'd up again let not that tearing voyce of the harlot be in request with any among you nec mihi nec tibi sed dividatur lest you suffer again 1 Reg. 3.36 as you have done of late with too many forced thanksgivings if a man bring you into bondage if a man devoure you 2 Cor. 11.20 if a man take of you if a man exalt himself if a man smiteth you on the face ubi insidiosissime nocet cui gratiae aguntur pro injuriis Sen. de ben lib. 5 c. 20. 1 Cor. 4.6 but as this Apostle writeth that he transferred these things in a figure to himself and Apollo for your sakes that ye might learn in us not to think of men above that which is written that no one of you be puffed up for one against another so suffer me with the same Apostle to adde this further to every one of you Rom. 12.3 that none of you think of himself more highly then he ought to think 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 according as God hath dealt to every man not the fulness but the measure of Faith 41. Neither be ruled by those that take offence at the manner of some mens expressions because all do not deliver their message after one and the same kind of method who can say that all have the same gifts and graces of the Spirit when our Apostle saith 1 Cor. 7.7 1 Cor. 12.11 that every man hath his proper gift of God one after this manner and another after that according to the manifestation of the Spirit dividing his gifts to every man several as he will And his Brother call's upon us as every one hath received not all gifts but the gift 1 Pet. 4.10 so to minister the same one to another as good stewards 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 S●hel in Hieren adversus Jov. lib 1. Apolog. Orat. 1. where I am sure that the mention of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 imports not onely the toleration of the necessity but also the commendation of the excellency of various and several gifts Whence Nazianzen divinely inferreth that above all students we in the ministery have need of the art of Arts and science of sciences that we may be able to treate and prevail with man who is the animal above all maximè varium multiplex And St. Austin thereupon resolves it to be more both material and majesticall for the message it self to be handled by divers men diversly Where because his expression is both elegant and pertinent and time wi●l not suffer repetition I shall only refer you to his own words in the twelfth of his confessions cap. 26. And therefore I say again with this Apostle Are all Apostles are all Prophets 1. Cor. 11.29 ●1 are all Teachers do all speak with tongues do all interpret But cov●t earnestly the best gifts and yet shew I unto you a more excellnt way 42 That is in fine that ye much more take heed of those who going further seek an open schisme and separation in regard of certain harmless ri●es and ceremonies of order and decency In rebut de quibus nihil ce●ti statuit scriptura divina ●●s populi Dei vel instituta majo●um pro lege tenenda sunt August epist 36. of ornament and indifferency in the Church According to the excellent rule of the forenamed Father who knows not that Ambassadors in going to several Princes with the same errand are alwayes advised for outward ceremonies to comply with the received customs and constitutions of the Nat●ons to whom they are sent As in common Courtship Ambassadors go to most Christian Princes and converse with them keeping their hea●s covered They are led to the Grand Signior by the arms between two Bashaws with their faces looking toward the ground But if they come before the rough and rugged Russian they must stand bare unlesse they will have their Hats nailed to their heads So in Gods service the Ambassadors of some Reformed Churches speake to their people with their heads covered which custom notwithstanding if any should seek to presse upon us without the Authority of the Church I doubt you would all judge it fitter to have his hat nail'd to the block And why may not we have the same liberty in other ceremonies also Hieron ad vers Jovin lib. 1. which the Ancients conceive conveniently recommended both by Josephs coat of many colours the token of his fathers greater love Genes 37.3 and by the Kings Daughter who is all glorious within and yet her cloathing is said to be of wrought gold Circumamicta varietatibus Psal 45.13.14 Insomuch that our Apostle requires no lesse in joyning both these together as the sovereign salve for all sores in this kinde that all things be done 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But if any desire to be contentious we have no such custom neither the Churches of God 1 Cor. 14.40 43. The sum then of all is this when you enter into this calling the holy prophet tels you that the Lord looks for such Cadu●tators especially among you who should make up the hedge and stand in the gap before the Lord for the Land Ezech. 22.30 Do not then O do not you prove the foremost to make the breach wider under which the Land hath been too sorely shaken already by seeking to

any base or butcherly battel of Frogs and Mice against flesh and bloud but to that great and glorious battel of Michael and his Angels fighting against the dragon and his Angels Apoc. 12.7 Ephes 6.12 Qu●nt Curt● Isa 44.26 that ye may be able to wrestle against principalities against powers against rulers of the darkness of this world against spiritual wickednesse in high places Where our presence with you is not as that of the Carthaginian Ambassadors to the besieged Citizens of Tyre Tacitus annal lib. 2. Philip. 4.17 Magis solatium quàm auxilium but the Lord by us confirmeth the word of his servants and perfo●meth the counsel of his messengers 36. Non ad invidiam ista sed conciliandae misericordiae refere As S. Paul exhorted his Philippians to be bountifull not because he desired a gift but because he desired fruit that might abound to their account so we admonish you in this case to be dutiful that ye may avoid the punishments by all laws enacted against the disobedient Et enim nomen legati epusmodi esse debet Tull. in Verrem lib. 3. Val. Mac. lib. 6. c. 6. ut non modo inter s●ciorum jura sed etiam inter hostium arma incolume versetur Insomuch that the Romans delivered the●r owne fr●ee●s and neighbours who had but justled their enemies Ambassadors bound into their own hands to punish them And when other Nations refused to do them like justice all men have held the way more lawfull and open to right themselves As we see by the grievous tortures which for ●ur●●lling his Ambassadors David with the overthrow of their King and Countrey inflicted upon the Ammonites by putting them under 2 Sam. 12 3● sawes and under harrowes and axes of iron and making them pass through the tile-kilne nay when men were disabled God himself hath by other helps assisted them Witnesse the overthrow of Corinth Carthage Val Ma● l. 2. c 2. Thebes Tyre Tarentum especially in avenging the cause of his own Ambassadours upon the contempt of his own people Both in their first captivity of which we read in the end of their own Chronicles That the Lord God of their fathers sent to them by his messengers rising betimes and sending 2 Pa● 36.15 16. because he had compassion on his people and on his dwelling place But they mocked the messengers of God and despised his words and misused his Prophets untill the wrath of the Lord arose against his people till there was no remedy And also in their second captivity of which our Apostle writeth to the Thessalonians That they killed the Lord Jesus and their own Prophets and persecuted us saith he and they pleased not God and were contrary to all men forbidding to speak to the Gentiles 1 〈◊〉 2 15 16. that they might be saved to fill up their sins alway for the wrath came upon them to the utterm●st 37. There is no need there to object Idú● Cassianum Cui bono Tull. pro Milone To what good is all this alledged if you will needs have it in plain terms it is all to this end even to make good that voice in S. Cyprians vision for no vaine illusion but a divine and sure prediction Qui Christo non credit sacerdotem facienti postea credere incipiet sacerdotem vindicanti Cypr. l. 4. ep 9. These my brethren are the causes why you are called upon so often to take heed of these sins because there is nothing so sacred which may not sometimes meet with the sacrilegious Quando sacrilegia minuta puniuntur Sen. de trarqu lib. 2. cap. 3. Aul. Gel. lib 3. c. 9. magna in triumphis feruntur lest you should deceive your selves in seeking to escape by riding away in post haste upon the sequestred race of Sejanus horse with the plundered gold of Tolouse In which case the Lord hath threatned such fugitives that because they will flee upon horses Isa 30.16 therefore they shall flee and seeing the● will ride upon the swift therefore they that pursue them shall be swifter Even to overtake and arrest them with the Proverb of Sol●mon which imports a snare worse then that which strangles at the place of execution Even a snare to devour that which is consecrated Prov. 20.25 and after v●wes to make inquiry whether it hath been d●ne well or no. 38. Otherwise for our selves we doe not onely know that as they which wait on the Altar are partakers with the altar so the Lord hath ordained farre doubtless above all ordinances of men that they which preach the Gospel should live of the Gospel But we have also learned 1 Cor. 9.13 14 Phil. 4 11. in whatsoever state we are therewith to be content And yet as we read of the Statute of the Romans in honour of those that miscarried by any untoward calamity in the time of their ambassy abroad how they erected Statues and Monuments for them at home Tull. Phil. 9. to the credit and comfort of their friends and kindred whom they left behind so we doubt not but that God hath provided better things for us Though we labour in vain and spend our strength for nought among men yet surely our judgement is with the Lord Isa 49 4. and our work with our God And though the contempt of our calling be with too many swolne to that height that they make it their grand question whether we may with safe conscience take of men any reward for our pains yet as Ambassadors may Plut. de quaest Rom. 43. without question by consent of all Nations receive from the people to whom they are sent tokens of honour regard and support anciently called Lauteia for their costliness and daintiness but they expect their proper maintenance and wages chiefly from their own Masters so we believe the case stands with us And beside the present maintenance allowed in his Word liberal enough if rightly weighed in the balance of the Sanctuary the Lord himself will make it openly manifest in his deeds at length When every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labour Where they that are wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament 1 Co●n 3.9 Dan. 12.3 but they that turn many to righteousness shall shine in a higher degree of glory at the stars for ever and ever And therefore in this hope being supported by the word of truth by the power of God 2 Cor. 6.7 by the armour of righteousness on the right hand and on the left yet we continue and hold out to this day as those who still are now Ambassadors for Christ 39. Fourthly and finally reverend and beloved high and low old and young one with another give me leave now for conclusion to commend one vertue more profitable upon all occasions that nothing may be lost but all tied up fast in the bond of perfectness Col●ss 3.14 Though God who c●mmanded the light