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
A57152	The rich mans charge delivered in a sermon at the Spittle vpon Monday in Easter week, 12 April 1658, before the lord major, &c., by Edw. Reynolds.	Reynolds, Edward, 1599-1676.	1658 (1658)	Wing R1274; ESTC R32284	30,936	58

of Christianity To remember them that are in Bonds as bound with them and them which suffer adversity as being our selves in the body Heb. 13. 3. Thirdly To do it sociably modestly humanely to be not onely bountiful but to adorn both our wealth and our good works with suavity of conversation with meekness placideness and facility of manners with an amiable and communicative deportment towards all men For a Mans very charity may be so morose and austere that tender stomacks may nauseate it as Physick that is wholesome but bitter Give me leave to press this duty upon you which the Apostle doth by so many and emphatical expressions with such considerations as these 1. From the example of God himself who requireth us to imitate him in works of mercy Luke 6. 36. His mercy is in the Heavens Psal. 36. 5. The Earth is full of his goodness Psal. 35. 5. His bounty is over all his works Psal. 145. 9. He punisheth unwillingly Lam. 3. 33. He watcheth to be gracious Isai. 38. 18. He chose mercy and grace as the choisest things to make his name known unto his people by Exod. 34. 6 7. He giveth his Son his Spirit his Love his Grace his Glory Himself unto us and yet his mercy is free he is not by any Law bound thereunto He sheweth mercy to whom he will shew mercy Rom. 9. 18. Whereas we are but his Stewards and have riches as the Sun hath light to disperse to others We have the custody but the comfort belongeth unto others it is called another mans and not our own Luke 16. 12. If a Man were master of the light of the Sun we should esteem him extreamly barbarous and inhumane if he should let it shine onely into his own house Our Money our Bread our Cloathing is as necessary for our poor Brother as the light of the Sun and therefore the inhumanity as great to withhold the one as it would be to monopolize the other Secondly From the example of Christ He was his Fathers Almoner Mercy was his Office It belonged unto him as the Son of David to shew mercy Matth. 9. 27. Mercy was his practise He went about doing good Acts 10. 38. All his miracles were in works of mercy feeding healing raising comforting and though he be now in glory yet he reckoneth the bounty shewed to his members as done to himself Matth. 25. 35 40. A Sacrifice was offered to God though eaten by the Priest and the people and our Alms are called Sacrifices Heb. 13. 16. Phil. 4. 18. The poor onely are benefited but God is honored by them And there is a connexion between his mercy and ours we forfeit his when werestrain our own Math. 5. 7. Jam. 2. 13. And the Argument is strong from his to ours his was to enemies ours to Brethren his to debtors ours to fellow-servants His free-grace to me mine just debt to my Brother Rom. 13. 8. His for ever to me mine but for a moment to my Brother his in Talents to me mine but in Pence to my Brother his in Blood to me mine but in Bread to my Brother his mercy inricheth me mine leaves my Brother poor still If then I live by the mercy which I do enjoy and must be saved by the mercy which I do expect shall so much mercy shine on me and none reflect from me upon my poor Brother shall all the Waters of life run from Christ unto me as those of Jordan into a Dead Sea to be lost and buried there Wherefore doth the Sun shine and the Rain fall on the Earth but that it may be fruitful The mercies of God should be as Dew and hear as manure and culture to the Souls of Men that being thereby inriched they may empty themselves and draw out themselves into the Bowels of others Christ is the Fountain Rich men the conduit and Poor men the Vessels which are there and thence supplied Thirdly From respect to our selves 1. Community of nature we also are in the flesh We thay want mercy from others as others do now from us Who would have thought that David should have stood in need of the Bread of a Churl Good offices between men and men are not duties onely but trade and merchandise I shew them to him now and another time he may shew them to me it is the Apostles argument 2 Cor. 8. 14. 2. A special honor when God makes us instruments of doing good for it is a more blessed thing to give then to receive Acts 20. 35. Mercy is the seed of honor Psal. 112. 9. Prov. 21. 21. Fourthly From respect to our Neighbor to whom we ow this debt of love For there is a debt of Charity as well as a debt of Justice A debt whereby I ow him that which is truly his and a debt whereby I ow him something of that which is mine own And this I do both unto Gods Image in him for every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten 1 John 5. 1. and unto mine own Image for his flesh is as mine own flesh Nehe. 5. 5. He that made me in the Womb made him faith Job Cap. 31. 15. And when I hide my self from him I hide from mine own flesh Isai. 58. 7. Homo sum humanum à me nihil alienum puto Fifthly For the credit of our Reformed Religion that the mouths of adversaries may be stopped who falsly charge us with preaching and you with professing a naked empty fruitless Faith We preach St. Pauls Faith a Faith which works by love remembring your work of Faith We preach St. Peters Faith a Faith which hath vertue and knowledge and temperance and patience and godliness and brotherly kindness and charity added unto it And we tell you with him That if these things be lacking you are blinde and your knowledge is worth nothing so long as it is barren and unfruitful We preach St. James his Faith a Faith which hath works which may be shewed which visiteth the Fatherless and Widows in their afflictions Abrahams Faith that hath a bosome for poor Lazarus Rahabs Faith which had an Harbor for endangered Strangers We preach St. Judes Faith a most holy Faith a Faith delivered to the Saints such a Faith as he who indeed hath it is not a Cloud without Water nor a Tree without Fruit We preach St. Johns Faith to believe on the Name of Christ and to love one another and to shew this love by opening our Bowels of Compassion to our needy Brother and loving him not in Word onely but in Deed and Truth We tell you if you trust in the Lord you must do good If you believe either the truth or the terrors or the promises of God you must not withhold the poor from their desire nor cause the eye of the Widow to fail This is the Faith we preach this the Charge we give We tell you without this your Faith is Hypocrital your Religion