Selected quad for the lemma: virtue_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
virtue_n	draw_v	iron_n	loadstone_n	1,525	5	13.0457	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A79993	The sect every where spoken against or, the reproached doctrine of Ely. As it was held forth in several sermons in the year, MDCLI. By Christopher Cob, lay-man, minister of an united people in Ely. Collected and analized for a private use, by Hampden Reeve, Master of Arts, one of that Society, and a constant hearer. Now published by the assent of the whole Society (as a short character, at present, of them and their way, till an opportunity of a farther and fuller discovery) for satisfaction in general.	Cob, Christopher.; Reeve, Hampden.	1651 (1651)	Wing C4769; Thomason E1251_1; ESTC R209173	234,596	386

sure we are beyond them and honester then They There is something that judges and gets above them do what they can and however they envy hate and oppose and will not stoop under it yet such a glory there is in the Truth such a lustre and shining as will manifest it self and therefore the promise is The Righteous shal shine as the Sun in the firmament 4. The fourth great and precious Promise is to be Partakers of Vertue Now Vertue is either taken for a quick and lively fresh power in any thing as when we say such an herb is full of vertue to smell on or such meat is full of vertue to taste on or else Vertue is some secret hidden power which can neither be smelt nor tasted but yet is perceived As in the Loadstone there is a hidden vertue to draw Iron c. So there is a lively Vertuous Power in the Word of Life it will take some effect or other and not return in vain for either it meets with its own kind in us and that relishes and tastes and finds a sweetness in it as David says Thy Word is sweeter unto me then the honey and the honey-comb It is a sweet smelling savour to that a savour of life unto life but if it meet with the enemy that evil principle in us that curses and rages and rends and teers the child at the sight of Jesus it is a savour of death unto death to That Who ever they are that neither taste a sweetness in Truth nor smell a savour of rest from it yet there is a secret vertue that will cut them to the heart Nabal's heart dyes and faints in him do what he can It strikes a secret blow and gets in between the joynts of the armour There is a living vertue in it and like a potion of Physick it will work one way or other either make better or worse And thus the first thing is opened to you What are these great and precious Promises And before I come to the next thing to open what it is to partake of the Divine Nature I would have this I have said well looked over by you For who of you is yet fit to be marryed to Christ He will not take another mans wife whilest we have a husband living any created thing in whose bosom we lie and take delight and pleasure so long we are not a wife for Christ and if our hearts be pulled off by force only and the way hedged up that we cannot find our Lovers this is not that which pleaseth him neither He will not marry a divorced woman but only a chaste Virgin a Heart that stands loose and clean from all corruptible things such a heart only is a fit Spouse for Christ to be Partaker of this divine Nature But 1. It concerns some of you to enquire what ●it is you seek Life or Death None of you I know will say Death you would all have Life But what then mean the bleatings the cryings and huntings after perishing Things where Death is in the pot Why are you living in the creatures in your own wills and counsels Why are you not at a strait to cry out to be saved if Life be the Thing you seek There are many Seekers in the World the Greeks seek after wisdom and the Jews they seek a sign some seek ease and quiet and rest from their torment some seek wisdom and knowledg and parts to be great and honoured but Death is in all this See then what would you have Is Life the thing you seek for or have you it already If you are partakers of Life indeed then the rest will follow Godliness will then come in a God-like mind to be just single merciful h ly like to the Pattern and then Glory will follow your good works will shine before men and then a vertue will go forth which may be savored and relished in all your words and actions But now do these things appear in us what is it we seek what would we have is Life the Thing would we have Christ to dwell in us No we would not all come so near we would have Christ a great way off at the right hand of God to save us at the last gasp when we come to dye but not live the life of the Righteous But be not deceived it is in vain to come hither if we seek not Life But then 2. Suppose a stress be upon you that indeed you would reach out to the Tree of Life because you are smit to the ground and cannot escape the hand but it will bring you to Death do what you can But now enquire upon what grounds wouldst thou have Life upon what account why dost thou hope or expect it is it promised to thee is the word gone forth from Christ that He will raise thee up at the last day what ground have you to hope more then all the world though you may seek it yet that will not do it neither Esau sought the blessing with tears And Christ saith Many shall seek to enter and shall not be able And Paul saith That Israel obtained not what they sought after but the Election obtained it There is a People which shall surely be Partakers of Life to whom the Promise is made but no other The Promise is sure to all the Seed therefore see how standest thou in all thy seeking and hoping for Life Hadst thou ever a Promise of Life given thee either to thy self witnessed to thy own Soul or given to any of his People for thee that Thou shalt Live c. For a vain thing it is to go and take Promises up out of the Scripture and make them our own Promises made to Abraham and David and the rest what are these to thee unless God make them over and give them to thee as He did to them And then 3. Enquire what would you have Life for would you have it to please your selves to live to your wills to be at ease and be freed from troubles Alas this is not a right seeking of it As Jehu answered the Kings messenger concerning Peace What hast thou to do with Peace So what hast thou to do with Life it belongs not to thee unless there be that end in it to live for anothers service and not thy own Therefore it is of great concernment to know what we are about I wonder sometimes on what uncertain bottoms you stand you know not whither you go nor what you would have in all your hearings but like the picture of a rampant Lyon on the wall come seven years hence and that is still in the same place So I have known some of you these many years to be Seekers and Professors and Talkers but you are still where you were seven years ago as carnal sensual as blind ignorant in the ways of God as much glued to the world and seeking your selves not removed a step nearer God then you were c.