Selected quad for the lemma: virtue_n

Word A Word B Word C Word D Occurrence Frequency Band MI MI Band Prominent
virtue_n death_n know_v resurrection_n 1,580 5 9.6777 5 true
View all documents for the selected quad

Text snippets containing the quad

ID Title Author Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) STC Words Pages
A58850 The method and means to a true spiritual life consisting of three parts, agreeable to the auncient [sic] way / by the late Reverend Matthew Scrivener ... ; cleared from modern abuses, and render'd more easie and practicall. Scrivener, Matthew. 1688 (1688) Wing S2118; ESTC R32133 179,257 416

There is 1 snippet containing the selected quad. | View lemmatised text

the emptie and perishing vanities and fouling even in this life their Fingers in catching these worldly pleasures 8. And why should I adde the consequences of such evill infatuations and choice as is made here by such whom the God of this world hath blinded Doth not even Nature teach us that there is a reward of Good and Evill And doe not our senses or common observation teach us that that reward is not precisely or constantly dispenced in this life but very often all things as it is in Ecclesiastes befall all men alike him that sacrifices and him that sacrifices not which the Divine Wisdome hath so ordered that men might erect their mindes and direct their hearts to the state after Death and stead fastly believe and accurate remuneration both of good and evill and that sevenfold to what men suffer or enjoy of all the labour or pleasure taken in this life in pursuit of Good and Evill This our Christian Creeds would have us perfectly setled in This the Holy Scripture often inculcates unto true Believers And the Wise man saith Ecclesiasticus 7. 36. Whatsoever thou takest in hand remember thy latter end and thou shalt never doe amisse Know thy selfe and present frailties infirmities and vain inclinations exposing thee to sin and errours Remember the great end thou wert placed for in this world Remember the inevitable stroke of Death destroying this Body and the inevitable Resurrection restoring it again to never-dying joy or miserie Know and believe these things soundly and effectually and thy selfe thorowly by a spirituall Philosophie making thee wise to vertue and godlinesse here and to salvation hereafter To the attaining this Divine Knowledge of a mans selfe some of the wiser and soberer Philosophers and much more ancient and holy Fathers of the Church doe often exhort others and exercise themselves at the conclusion of the Day revolving in their mindes what they had done and what they had not the day passed and all this discerning themselves and judging their actions impartially they might adjust the accounts between God and their own souls and as the Tradesman desirous to thrive often turns over his Day book as he calls it and his Debt-book the better to understand whether he thrives or runs behind-hand in the world so every prudent and thrifty soule frequently reflects on its selfe and actions what he hath laid out and what he hath taken in to its advantage or prejudice If the good Emperour bewailed his hard hap when he upon reflexion upon what had passed one day said My Friends we have lost a day how much more reason of lamentation may inconsiderate and dissolute Christians ruminating upon ill-spent time say My Friends we have lost Eternitie we have lost our Souls or at least forfeited them so far as may not be regained without true and timely repentance and renovation neither of which can be obtained without discerning our selves nor that without search made into our selves nor this without reflexions made upon our selves nor this without Illumination nor Illumination of this nature without devout imploration of the Father of Lights from whom cometh every good and perfect gift SECT VIII Of Revelations or Illuminations extraordinarie by Spirits and the discerning of them with the use of such Revelations 1. BUT hitherto have we treated of such Light and Knowledge which God in the ordinary course of his Covenant with Man generally vouchsafes unto him Now we proceed briefly to consider the Extraordinary way of Illuminations and as Saint Paul speaks 2 Corin. 12. 1. come to Visions and Revelations in the Lord. For that such there have been and such there may be who ever believes the Holy Scriptures must not deny and whoever will allow any credit to Ecclesiasticall Histories and Traditions cannot denie I know God hath given us a sufficient Rule revealed in his Word and so sufficient that we ought not importunately to seek for such extraordinarie manifestations of himselfe yet hath he not so far tyed his own hands as he hath our luxuriant appetites after knowledge which transported our first Parents and darkened and degraded them but having distributed to every man according to the measure of his Faith he of his undeserved and unexpected liberality casts into our dimension the overplus of immediate Illuminations The gift of Prophesie before Christ and the frequent grant of Visions to the beloved and honoured Patriarchs before the Law of Moses manifestly prove this beyond doubt or exception Of which reasons are endeavoured to be render'd by the subtile and learned not belonging to this place But as for Prophets and Seers after the Law given they were not only the Life and vigour of the Law so delivered which otherwise might and too often did lie languishing and neglected but so many speciall intimations of the minde of God to his people which became a Law likewise to their Posterities And we upon whom the ends of the world are come as the Scripture speakes 1 Corinth 10. are entred into their labours and Lights of Revelations and that with the advantage and accessions of more cleer and plentifull Revelations than the world before had been acquainted with And with this Bodie of Divinity or Divine Revelations we may safely and ought thankfully and modestly to acquiesce not despising Prophecyings as the Apostle advises consonant to that known Rule given us And that these materiall Revelations as I may so call them are not so full and manifest as to make all Illuminations superfluous and fruitlesse even the precisest admirers of Scriptures will grant themselves laying speciall claim to accessorie Revelations or Inspirations And an eminent instance to this purpose is given in the two Disciples travailing to Emaus Luke 24. who understood the Scriptures we may suppose as well as others generally and to help them therein had acted before their eyes what was before prophesied of Christ and yet could they not understand nor believe the Scriptures untill Christ expounded unto them all the Prophesies from Moses and downward concerning himselfe And upon the same occasion of the other Disciple not believing Christ ver 45. is said to open their understanding that they might understand the Scriptures which gift of God as hath been touched before will never cease to be usefull to the same ends For the office and gift of the Spirit shall never cease untill the Saints and Servants of God come to contemplation of God face to face and Christ hath deliver'd up the Kingdome to the Father 2. A great instance whereof though perhaps a little digressive we have in one of the most fundamentall Articles of our Faith questioned by that wretch Socinus and his followers directed only by their private naturall wits Upon the words of St. Johns Gospell Chap 1. v. 1. In the beginning was the word and the word was with God and the word was God we believe that God became Man and the second Person in the Trinitie Incarnate And some naturall Philosophers as the