Selected quad for the lemma: virtue_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
virtue_n	diligence_n	godliness_n	temperance_n	1,616	5	11.3615	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A13017	The heauenly conuersation and the naturall mans condition In two treatises. By Iohn Stoughton, Doctor in Divinitie, sometimes fellow of Emanuel Colledge in Cambridge; and late preacher of Gods word in Alderman-bury London	Stoughton, John, d. 1639.; Burgess, Anthony, d. 1664.	1640 (1640)	STC 23308; ESTC S113792	78,277	283

he seemed to be little moved yes said he there is none of you that cares more than I doe for my countrey pointing with his finger up to heaven as though heaven were his countrey and so it is a Christians indeed for if the proposition of the Philosopher be true that is our country where wee have the best fare and entertainement then his conclusion is infallible therefore heaven is my countrey without which I cannot live well for there is a plenty of all good things Let then the Philosopher comfort himselfe that he was not banished though out of his countrey and that he was not confined to any place like a Snaile to her shell because he was a free denizan and a Citizen of the world the Christian is not ashamed to confesse the whole worlds libertie to be but a banishment to him who is but a Pilgrim in a strange Land here because he is a free Denizan and Citizen of Heaven Nay more he stayes in the world as in some more free and noble Prison where you must pardon him if he cannot be in love with his fetters though perhaps of gold Hee is in the body as a child in the wombe in a walking Sepulcher his delivery from thence shall be his Nativity from whence he meanes to begin the account of the tearme of his Life To live with God is the onely life to raigne with Christ the onely libertie according to that of Simeon Now lettest thy servant depart so that the body is as the Bridewell and Prison of our life as Basil interprets it this is that hee sighes and breaths after Woe is me that I am constrained to dwell in Meshech I desire to be dissolved and be with Christ Come Lord Jesus come quickly How long Lord for ever Christ was borne in an Inne to teach him to make the world but a throwfare where if hee take his rest yet he must not set up his rest Secondly Conatu in Endeavour without which affection is like Rahel beautifull but barren neither doth a woman without a man neither doth the Affection of hope produce any thing serviceable without Endeavour Pythagor as was wont to say that he had another errand to the Olympick games then the most that frequented them some came for pleasure and to pot it in a knot of good fellowes which were like to meet there some for gaine and to vent their commodities at a good rate in such a faire of people some for Glory and hope to be crowned conquerours and win the Garland for valour and activitie in those sports and exercises but he professed that hee came onely as a looker on pleasure and gaine and glory are the Trinitie which the world adores and the behaviour of the most is such as though they came into the world upon no other errand but to scramble for some of these They smile perhaps when they see children so fond and busie and eager about their toyes making Houses and Pies of dirt kissing their babies of clouts blowing bubles into the ayre out of a shell and running after them and when they reade that Domitian the Emperour persecuted the poore Christians abroad in his Empire and persecuted the poore flies at home in his Palace they would take respit perhaps to decide the controversie whether that act had more crueltie or this idlenesse more folly but let them looke to it whether they be not carius ineptis haunted with a more tragicall and costly folly who being placed by God in this August Palace of the world where the Heaven is the sieling the Earth the floore can finde no better employment The carriage of a Christian I am sure hath passed this sentence upon them already which is such as though he repined that he was forced to be so much as a looker on at these Apish Anticks which in a scornefull silence he checkes with the severitie of his frowne and confutes with the majestie of his countenance in which you may reade his minde written in Hieroglyphicall letters that he thinkes with Anaxagoras that he was borne to contemplate heaven observe which way he may get thither and therefore he followes the suite for these earthly things something coldly negligently as one that cares not much which end goes forward or rather generously and nobly tanquam Candidatus Caesaris as a Favorite of Caesare as they were wont to say at Rome and if he speed enjoyes his conquests moderatly using them as the dogs drinke at Nilus or as Gidions Souldiers lap and away lest if hee should let loose the reines he might be guiltie in the use of his lawfull libertie as a man they say may commit adultery with his owne wife in a word useth them as though he used them not tanquam aeternitatis Candidatus as Tertullian speakes as one that is a favorite of eternitie But for heavenly things good Lord what alacritie shewes he what diligence what resolution They report of Mahomet an ordinary Turke that this was the first step of his advancement to the Empire his Master Solyman the great let fall a letter out of a window which while the rest to approve their diligence to their Lord ran about for Ladders he without any more deliberation or circuit leapt out of the window and returned presently This is the nature of Love and Zeale to overlook all danger to forget themselves to please God and these are they that came to preferment to be favorites in the Court of Heaven when they that are so wise to looke before they leape may look long enough before they rise and a foole he is that lookes for any other ladder to climbe to Honour besides his Masters favour What diligent The Ancients were wont to paint fortune taking Cities in a net for one Timotheus an Athenian Captaine whom they drew sleeping by but our Timothy knowes the new Ierusalem the Citie above cannot be taken otherwise and therefore plants a streight siege about it with an army of vertues plies the battery with the ordinance of prayer casts up mounts against it giving all diligence that he may adde to faith vertue and to vertue knowledge and to knowledge temperance and to temperance patience and to patience godlinesse and to godlinesse brotherly kindnesse and to brotherly kindnesse mountaine upon mountaine as the Gyants did that at last he may scale heaven What resolution the famous Artificer Phidias advised the Athenians to make the statue of Minerva the Tutelary goddesse of the Citie of Marble rather then Ivory alleadging two reasons First because Marble was more durable and this passed with allowance Secondly because Ivory was more chargeable at the mention whereof with infinite indignation they commanded him silence base wretches that study to beate downe the price of heaven and will not deale except they may have it under foot the ancients were wont to call an Holocaust prodigam hostiam the prodigall Sacrifice but a Christian