Selected quad for the lemma: virtue_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
virtue_n	faith_n	godliness_n	temperance_n	4,219	5	11.6041	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A19487	The anatomie of a Christian man VVherein is plainelie shewed out of the VVord of God, what manner of man a true Christian is in all his conuersation, both inward, and outward. ... By M. William Covvper, minister of Gods Word.	Cowper, William, 1568-1619.	1611 (1611)	STC 5912; ESTC S108976	153,437	332

age it is stronger meate and when he shall be perfected it shall be to him as hid Manna Let vs not therefore thinke at the first to attaine to those sweet and secret consolations which are locked vp and lie hid in the word three dayes did the people waite vpon Christ before hee fed them with miraculous bread and many dayes must wee waite vpon Christ before that he feede vs with his misticall Manna But alas wee are no lesse foolish then they who knowing the place wherein a treasure is hid giues ouer the seeking thereof because the first day they did not finde it except with hearing and reading wee ioyne diligent meditation prayer and practise of Gods word we cannot attaine to the comforts contained in it Salomon sayth that the people will curse him who withdrawes the corne but more iustly deserue they to be cursed who by a more sacraligeous tyrannie withdraw the bread of life from the people of God As the enuious Philistims closed the fountaines of water which Isaac had digged for his familie so the hatefull Papists stop from Gods people the wholesome fountaines of liuely Waters which God in his Word hath opened for their refreshment They pretend that the Scripture is obscure But is it so obscure in some places that it is not plaine in others Or is it reason that because strong meat is hurtfull to Infants therefore no milke shall be giuen them Gregory the great compareth the Scripture vnto water which in some place is so shallow that a Lamb may goe through in other parts so deepe that an Elephant may swimme in it And to the same purpose he saith againe that some part of the Scripture is like vnto bread which must first be cut and broken before that conueniently wee can eate it such is the Scripture which without help we cannot vnderstand Other parts of it againe are like vnto drinke that is more easily receiued As the word is the seede of our new birth so is it the food whereupon wee are nourished when wee are borne that we may grow vp by it to euerlasting life Euery creature by instinct of Nature seekes nourishment and increase of life where it got the beginning the beasts of the field such as the tender silly Lambes so soone as they are procreated doe turne them toward the breast of their mother seeking the encrease of life there where they got the beginning The fowles of the ayre so soone as they are hatched and brought out of the shell gather themselues vnder the wings of their Damme seeking nourishment to their life there where they got the beginning The Plants of the earth so soone as receiuing sap from their mother they begin to spring vpward so soone doe they shoot their rootes downewards into her bosome seeking continuance of life there where they got the beginning And the same is also to be seene in the fishes of the sea Like as this by the instinct of Nature holds true in the Creature so is it also by instinct of Grace true in the Christian for so soone as he is borne of the immortall seed of Gods word he turneth himselfe toward the same word seeking the increase and perfection of his life there where hee got the beginning For it is most certaine that to whom soeuer the Word becomes a seed of regeneration to them also it becomes a spirituall food after which they hunger and thirst that they may be nourished thereby to eternall life As for them therefore who delight not in the Word of God esteeming it a wearinesse to them to heare it let them excuse it as they will the true cause is that the Word was neuer vnto them the seed of their regeneration they are yet in the state of Nature and most fearefull is the recompence of their error for as they delight not in Gods Word so hath God declared that he hath no pleasure nor delight in them The Censure And by these rules it is euident that all haue not the Christians disposition who now vsurpe the Christian name CHAPTER IIII. Of his New Growth The Lords Command FOllow truth in loue and in all things grow vp in him who is the head Christ Iesus by whom all the body being coupled and knit together by euery ioynt for the furniture therof according to the effectual ●…ower which is in the measure of euery part receiueth increase of the body vnto the edefying of it selfe in loue Ephes. 4. 15. 16. Cleanse yee therefore also your selues from all ●…ilthnesse of the slesh and Spirit and grow vp vnto ●…ull holinesse in the feare of God 2 Cor. 7. 1. The Christians Prayer for Grace to obey this Command O Lord who perfectest euery worke which thou beginnest bring forward I beseech thee in me this worke of my regeneration Stablish O God that which thou hast wrought in me that I may grow daily in grace till ●… be perfected Alas Lord my corruption hath in such sort choaked the seede of thy word that it is scarce sprung vp to the blade which after so long planting and watering should haue brought out long ere now the ripe fruit of godlinesse where in regard of the time I ought to haue beene a teacher of others I am yet alas but a babe inexpert in the word of righteousnes Lord s●…ue me from that curse of the wicked that I should waxe worse and worse let me not end in the sl●…sh when I haue begun in the spirit Punish not my former sinnes with a barren heart that I should be like that accursed earth which beares nothing but thornes and briars these are th●… fruits of the slesh which grieues thy spirit but as a liuely member of Christs body quickned by his spirit I may encrease with the encreasings of God and be daily filled with the fruites of righteousn●…sse which are to the praise and glory of thy name through Iesus Christ. The Christians Practise of this Command THE light of the righteous shines more and more vnto the perfect day Pro. 4. 18. and hee goes from strength to strength till hee appeare before God in Sion Psal. 84. 7. When I was a childe I spake as a childe I vnderstood as a childe and thought as a childe 1. Cor. 13. 11. But as I grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord Iesus 2. Pet. 3. 18. I put childish things from mee 1. Cor. 13. And now I giue all diligence to ioyne vertue with faith and with vertue knowledge and with knowledge temperance and with temperance patience and with patience godlinesse and with godlinesse brotherly kindnesse and with brotherly kindnesse loue 2. Pet. 1. 5. Thus being knit to the head by ioynts and bands I encrease with the encreasings of God Coloss. 2. 19. fruitfull in all good works and encreasing in the knowledge of God Coloss. 1. 10. till at

all things our owne in Christ but makes vs all manner of waies to enioy Christ it being most certaine that by faith wee heare him and discerne his voice by faith we see him by faith wee smell him by faith we taste his sauing grace and by faith we so touch him that we draw vertue out of him In Nature that which is the obiect of one sense is not alway the obiect of another as for example a voice is heard by the eare but is not seene by the eie but in the Christian renewed by grace that which is the obiect of any one sense is also perceiued by all the rest And herein hath the Lord made his aboundant loue manifest vnto man for looke what manner of waies a man may enioy any thing that i●… good all those waies doth God communicate himselfe to man some good things we enioy by seeing and some by hearing and some by tasting but the Lord not content to communicate himselfe vnto vs by hearing doth also call vs to see him to smell him to taste him to touch him that so all manner of waies we may enioy him euerlasting praise therefore be vnto him Againe wee see that as in nature those things which are learned by Sense cannot be vnderstood of him who is destitute of Sense what auailes it to teach the harmonie of Musicke to him that is without eares or to discourse of the comfortable light of the Sunne to him that is without eies Can any eloquence so well expresse the sweetnesse of hony as it is felt by tasting Sensus enim omni sermone est efficacior But it is more impossible that they who are destitute of these new and spirituall Senses should vnderstand those things which concerne the spirituall life Pitifull then is the ignorance of Naturalists euen of them who seeme to the world to be most wise for surely as the bruit beast vnderstands nothing of the naturall life of man and knowes not how farre it excels that sensitiue life by which it liues and therfore desires not a better because it knowes no better so the naturall man knowes nothing of the excellencie of that spirituall life which the Christian hath begun to liue here and by which he shall liue for euer hereafter and therefore being delighted with his owne miserable life hath not so much as a desire of a better The Censure By these rules it is euident that all are not Christians indeed who now vsurpe the Christian name CHAPTER III. Of his New Foode The Lords Command I Am the bread of life hee that comes to me shall not hunger and he that beleeues in me shal not thirst Ioh. 6. 35. Labour not for the meate which perisheth but for that which endureth to eternall life which the Sonne of man shall giue you Ioh 6. 27. Wherefore doe ye lay out your siluer and not for bread and your labour without being satisfied Euery one that thirsts come ye to the waters and ye that haue no siluer come buy and eate come I say buy wine and milke without siluer and without money Hearken diligently vnto me and eate that which is good and let your soule delight in fatnesse Encline your eares and come to me heare and your soule shall liue and I will make an euerlasting couenant with you euen the sure mercies of Dauid Esa. 55. 1. 2. 3. The Christians Prayer for Grace to obey this Command O Lord thou who of thine aboundant mercie hast begotten me againe by the immortall seede of thy word in the bosome of Ierusalem thine owne spouse and my mother graunt that I may sucke and be satisfied with the breasts of her consolation that so thy louing kindnesse may come to me O Lord and thy saluation according to thy promise and mine heart may be comforted of thee my God in Christ vnto whom be praise and glorie for euer Another O Thou whom my soule loueth shew me where thou feedest Many say who will shew vs any good but O Lord lift vp the light of thy countenance vpon mee so shalt thou giue mee more ioy of heart then they haue when their wheat and their wine doe abound Bring me into thy wine-seller stay me with thy slagons and comfort mee with thine apples I know O Lord that he who drinks of the water which thou giuest him shall neuer thirst any more but it shall be in him a well of water springing vp to euerlasting life Lord giue me of that water that I may not thirst thou art that bread which came downe from heauen and giues life to the world Lord euermore giue me of this bread that I may be strengthened in the inward man Let thy tender mercies come downe vnto me that I may liue to thee my God for euer in Christ Iesus The Christians Practise of this command HOw sweet are thy commandements to my mouth yea more then hony vnto my mouth Psal. 119. 103. The Law of thy mouth is better to me then thousands of gold and siluer Psal. 119. 72. My delight shall be in thy commandements which I haue loued vers 47. In mine infancie as a new borne babe I desired the sincere milke of the word that I might grow thereby 1. Pet. 2. afterward comming to age I delight in stronger meat Heb. 5. 14. Hauing by custome my wits exercised to discerne both good and euill ibid. and I know that when I shall be a perfect man hauing attained to the measure of the age of the fulnesse of Christ Eph. 4. 13. the Lord will giue mee to eate of his hidden Manna Reuel 2. 17. he will satisfie mee with the fatnesse of his house and giue mee drinke out of the riuers of his pleasures Psal. 36. 8. THE OBSERVATIONS IN the Law of Moses euery creeping thing that creepeth vpon earth and goeth on the breast was an abhomination and it was not lawfull for Israel to eate thereof this was to signifie that no earthly thing can be a liuely food to nourish true Israelites to eternall life The proper food of a Christian is Iesus Christ offered and presented to vs in the Word and Sacraments receiued of vs by faith digested by prayer for which cause the Word is called our food by S. Peter like as prayer is called our food by Nazianzen quod corpori cibus hoc animae est oratio Looke what meat is to the body that same is prayer to the soule Israel was fed with Manna in the wildernesse and they loathed it it is not so with this bread the more we eate of it the more we desire it so farre is it from working in vs a loathing that it wakeneth in vs a new appetite the more we eate of it the more we desire to be further refreshed by it To the Christian in his infancie the word is milke in his