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	good_a	temperance_n	1,131	5	11.1758	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A28640	A gvide to heaven, or, Morall instrvctions compiled partly out of the maximes of Holy Fathers and partly out of the sentences of antient philosophers / written in Latin by John de Bona ; translated into English by Iames Price.; Manductio ad coelum. English. l675	Bona, Giovanni, 1609-1674.; Price, James, 17th cent.	1675 (1675)	Wing B3550; ESTC R26447	94,815	245

bid adieu to all wordly things and can live within himself as in a strong castle well guarded against all enemies To such a man the world seems a prison and solitude a paradise 4. T is no great matter to have quitted the company of men unles thou art attentive to thyself and to the practise of vertue There can be no good where vertue is wanting no quiet no happines unles it proceed from vertue There are three things which correspond with one another in the whole universe Amongst all things above all things God amongst sensible things light and amongst the affections of the mind Vertue God is the light and vertue of all things light is the Vertue of the world and the image of God Vertue is the light of the mind through which we are named become the children of God Thou must approach it with a clean hart and purifyed mind if thou desirest to arrive to the height of perfection For vertue is the perfection of man restoreth innocency is full of all spirituall sweetnes It supplyeth the defect of nature which of itself is not capable of supernaturall felicity It consisteth in a facility to doe good by means of which we live as we ought are enlightned in our understanding resist sin and merit eternall life In pursuance of this thou must first learn the nature and acts of those vertues thou pretendest unto because no man loves what he doth not understand Then when thou hast once begun endeavor not to intermit or cease from the practise of it although occasion should be wanting we must imitate souldiers who in the midst of Peace are still exercising themselves and by fighting with one another only in jest prepare themselves for reall combats Imagine thou were accused of the greatest crimes fancy thyself calumniated or that all thy riches were suddenly taken away from thee and by this mean thou maist exercise thy patience as much as if such things were really soe Thou wilt not be dismayed when the thing happens if thou canst thus exercise thyself before it comes He that hath bine often wounded in the war fights with a good courage when the battle comes 5. The habits of Vertue are not got but by long exercise To know if thou hast learnt any vertue take these marks To wit if thou findest that the vices which are opposite to the vertue thou desirest to practise are quite extinguished in thee or at least very much suppressed If thou hast overcome the motions of evill affections and brought them to obey reason If thou findest not only facility but also an inward delight in the practise of vertue If thou canst contemn the murmurs reproaches of tepid spirits and use a full liberty of will in the exercise of those vertues which displease such imperfect Christians If thou beginnest to detest and abhor those evill practises unto which formerly thou hadst a strong inclination If thou art afraid even in sleep to consent to or take delight in any dishonest action or to approve any unjust proceeding If thou striuest to imitate what thou praisest and admirest in others and abstainest from those things which thou reprehendest in them If thou esteemest no fault little but art carefull to avoid all sort of imperfections however soe little If when thou seest hearest that those who are no better than thyself abound in riches and are raised to great honours thou canst look upon them without envy or emulation If thou hast no difficulty to acknowledge thy faults desiring that all men would reprehend correct thee If content with the testimony of thy own conscience thou hidest and concealest thy good works For vertue is a reward to itself and desires no other recompense for doing well but the satisfaction of having done it Finally if thou applyest thyself without cease to the practise of vertue for true vertue never droop● but is alwaies in action CHAP. XXI Of the three Theologicall Vertues Faith is to be shewn by the exercise of good works Our hope must be in God alone Motives of divine Love The love of our neighbors is shewed by helping them and doing them good An Exhortation to Almsgiving 1. FAith is the ground of all other vertues and foundation of the life of a Christian without which it is impossible to please God This was the wis●dome by which the whole world was subdued we must stick close to it laying aside all curiosity or searching into the misteries of it Beleeue then and doe good works withall because Faith without good works is but a dead faith In thy speech profession thou endeavorest to passe for a faithfull Believer take heed thy life and manners doe not speak thee an Infidell Thou beleevest the Gospell why then dost thou not obey it Thou beleevest there is a life everlasting why then dost thou prefer a short time in this world before Eternity which shall have no end What doth it avail thee to beleeve Truth and goodnes if thou art false thyself and workest iniquity It is impossible that he who beleeveth well can live ill for no man can be said to beleeve well but he that practiseth what he beleeves 2. Since it is certain that all things are disposed and governed by the providence of God so as not so much as a bird falls out of the ayr nor a leaf from any Tree without his will and knowledge thou oughtest to commit thyself wholly to his protection and to have a strong confidence in his help not doubting but that he will alwaies be ready to help thee in all occasion Know that all human Counsells are deceitfull and uncertain therefore thou oughtest to permit thyself to be wholly guided and governed by God without the least trouble or anxiety And though some unexpected misfortune should happen which may seem to confound spoyl all thy actions and designs whither it be sicknes calumnies false accusations or some other greater afflictions doe not loose courage for all this but confiding in his divine assistance commit thyself wholly to his will for God hath decreed perhaps from all Eternity to make these chances afflictions a means for working thy Salvation He that hath a strong hope of the future joyes and riches of paradise doth not feel the present miseries of this life As much as thou hopest believest so much thou maist be said to possesse 3. Charity which is the Queen and soul of all other Vertues regardeth God and our neighbour As for God we are bound to love him above things with all our hart with all our Soul and with all our strength we must love him purely for himself and for the love of his goodnes That thou art that thou livest that thou hast motion and sense that thou understandest all this is the grace and gift of God It is he that hath redeemed thee from the slavery of the Devill it is he that hath endowed thy Soul with innumerable prerogatives it

is contrary to our inclinations is good for our spirit Things which afflict us teach us wisedome Death banishment poverty confusion labour sicknes and the like which are not in thy power are neither bad in themselves nor doe they belong unto thee Wherefore it is not necessary thou shouldest fly or hate them but only change the opinion thou hadst of them Socrates wittily termed all these things Masks or vizards for as children are frightned with vizards although there is nothing dreadfull in them but the outward shape soe it happens with thee who art often afraid of things not as they are but as they seem What is death A bugbear Consider how sweet it hath bine esteemed not only by Saints and holy men but also by Socrates and many others of the wiser Heathens What then is there terrible in death Opinion T is the fear of death that is dreadfull and not death itself Thou wilt find the same in other things which thou art wont to abominate and fear Correct thy opinion of things and thou wilt find that nothing is to be feared nothing to be abominated but Sin CHAP. XV. Of Ioy and Sadnes How a vertuous man is to rejoyce He that foresees all things is never sad Severall Remedies against Sorrow and sadnes 1. REjoyce after such a manner as not to loose modesty in thy joy and let not thy mind be so transported with joy but that if need be thou maist easily change thy mirth into mourning Our B. Saviour who could best judge of things doth not call those blessed who laugh but those who weep For it is much unbecoming a Christian that pretends to eternal felicity amidst soe many dangers of body and Soul to laugh and rejoyce after the manner of fools when he is in greatest perill All wordly pleasure passeth away that which we call joy is often times the beginning of Sadnes True joy is never found but in a good conscience and the practise of vertue as justice fortitude temperance c. That thou maist never want true joy rejoyce in what is thy own and within thyself All other joyes are vain and cannot give thee true content and he hath not alwaies cause to rejoyce that is outwardly merry True joy is ever mixt with gravity proceedeth from a good conscience honest designs good works contempt of pleasures and a quiet innocent life According to the rules of vertue thou must accustome thyself first to much sorrow before thou canst have true joy 2. Sadnes is caused by a certain horrour or apprehension of some present evill joyned with a certain perturbation and disquiet of mind We are often tormented not soe much with the things themselves as with the opinion of them Doe not concern thyself soe much with the nature and quality of things for example the services of others thy lands thy money thy employments but rather consider what opinion thou hast of them If thou art fallen into disgrace if thou art robbed of thy money if thou art beaten or the like these are things which are not in thy power but it is in thy power to have a good opinion of them to bear them patiently and receive them from the hand of God as means to work thy Salvation Thou wilt never be sad if recalling thy mind from the thoughts of thy present afflictions thou turnest thyself to consider the joyes of heaven No evill or misfortune can happen to a vertuous man not because he is insensible to the blows of fortune but because he overcometh all He looks upon every adversity as an occasion to exercise his patience as an instrument of Gods grace as the way leading unto eternall glory A good man may be thought or termed miserable by others but he can never be soe in his own thoughts 3. Look upon all things which may happen as if they really were to befall thee By this means thou wilt diminish the force of all miseries which never come unexpected unto those who are prepared to receive them Afflictions seem intolerable only unto those who expect nothing but prosperity What if fortune should deprive thee of half thy estate what if thou shouldst loose all what if thy house should fall thy corn be burnt thy friends forsake thee what if thou art in danger of loosing thy credit and by some false accusation art deposed from thy office or dignity Sicknes captivity ruine fire nothing of all these things come suddenly and unexpected to a wise man He premeditates all future misery and what to others seems lesse only by long patience to him is lessened by long meditation That which happens to one man may happen to any man What riches are there which may not change into hunger and poverty what dignities which may not fall into misery and disgrace what kingdome which must not at last come to a period Have we not seen in this our age a Kings head struck of by the hand of a hang-man and that by the command of his own rebell subjects There is no such great distance as we imagine betwixt riches and poverty betwixt a Princes court and a shephards cottage betwixt a Throne and an Axe Know then that all conditions are variable and all that thou seest happen to another the same may befall thee He will easily bear a crosse fortune that alwaies expects it 4. Vertue doth not flourish when our life passeth in all prosperity T is then we see how great is is when patience sheweth what it can suffer We are made a spectacle unto God Angels and men saith the Apostle Behold a spectacle worthy of God himself to wit when a vertuous man in the midst of Adversity triumpheth over himself and the affliction too A skilfull Pilot cannot shew his art in a calm sea and favourable wind He that is never tempted knows nothing Ah! how unhappy a man am I will some one say that am forced to suffer these misfortunes But I tell thee thou art happy because thou hast an occasion to try thy vertue Such a thing might have hapned to any one else but every one else perhaps could bear such afflictions without complaining Doe not therefore fall under the weight of Adversity but stand up firmly against it and endeavor to bear all patiently that is laid upon thee If thou canst but break the first shock thou wilt find nothing hard in it but opinion Naturall sufferances are equally hard unto all sort of men but as for poverty ignominy contumelies and such like things which are commonly esteemed Evills many bear them all with great patience seem in a manner insensible in them wherefore if we are grieved sad and impatient in them this doth not proceed from the nature of the things but from the bad opinion we have conceived of them Why wilt thou deceive thyself with a false persuasion It is in thy own power to make all calamity easy by bearing it patiently No sorrow can be great unles opinion adde something unto

thyself by seeking to profit others In fine thou oughtest to consider whither thy nature be proper for such employments and endeavor still to apply it to those things which thou hast a naturall inclination to T is but lost labour to strive against nature 3. A wise and prudent man undertaketh nothing as long as his thoughts are any way troubled for a troubled mind that is deluded with the fancies of some inordinate passion cannot discern Truth and honesty from their Contraries Precipitation also is very much contrary to prudence and leadeth many into great and inextricable troubles Wherefore a prudent man doth nothing rashly but submitteth his own judgment to the counsell of a friend Mens thoughts are full of fear their forecasts very uncertain the event of things alwaies dubious experiences deceitfull Where many advise there is most certainty It concerneth also a prudent man to consider things in themselves and to look upon them devested of all painting and disguise which are wont to deceive the unwary Lay aside the consideration of money fame dignity Search the matter in itself ask what it is and not what it is called T is a great folly to permit ourselves to be deceived with figures and shadows Then look upon the whole busines and behold all that can happen as out of a high watch-Tower that thou maist not be forced to say in the end like a foolish man I did not think this would happen To this purpose thou hast need of long consultation mature judgment and a strict examination least that some bad circumstance should spoyl the action least that prudence should degenerate into craft and in fine least that true and apparent good having so much similitude thou shouldst embrace vice for vertue Having thus at length resolved upon the election of what thou art to doe break of all delay and presently put in execution what thou hast resolved No delay is to be admitted where good Counsell is once taken which cannot be praised untill it is put in effect CHAP. XXIII Of Iustice and Religion What Penance is and in what it consisteth 1. JVstice being a supreme vertue and born for others not for itself transmitteth all that it hath unto her neighbors seeking nothing for itself but to be put in practise This is the vertue which keepeth men from mutuall injuries and keeps the whole world in peace It is this which makes a secret agreement of all things in nature and is the bond of all human society and nothing can be right without it The just man offendeth no body challengeth nothing which is not his own does good to all thinks and speaks well of all his neighbors gives every one his own never hinders the good of another If he is in Authority he commands what is just he deals openly and preferreth the good of those who are under him before his own private Interest he punisheth vice rewardeth vertue and so keeps all in good order If he is subject to others he is quiet and peaceable obeyes the law command of his superiors and being content with his own state he doth not ambitiously aspire to any dignity or office neither doth he intrude himself into affairs which doe not concern him He exerciseth Justice gratis because he knows there can be no greater reward of just actions then to have occasion to shew ourselves just 2. Religion which is the most excellent of all vertues which can be practised in this life regardeth God immediately in himself as he deserves to be worshiped and hounoured The first worship we owe him is to believe in him and to know him and next to adore his majesty and admire his goodnes It avayleth little to know God the Devills who hate him know him as well as men he exacteth our Love and worship which consist of things which are better known then practised Thou knowest he is that God who governeth the world hath care of all human kind moderateth all things thou confessest he is all power all goodnes all majesty and thou hopest to find eternall Beatitude in him as thy soveraign good and last end Why then dost thou not adore him as thou oughtest Why dost thou not give him supreme worship why dost thou prefer earthly things before him All thy Religion is vain unles thou shewest it by thy actions Dost thou desire to be truly religious walk in the presence of God and thou wilt be perfect He may be truly said to worship God who imitateth his Attributes True religion tyeth thee to God and God to thee Let thy religion be free from negligence error and sins T is a great folly to talk much of religion and faith to live like an Infidell A learned heathen-Philosopher in the primitive times speaking of such men scoffingly said Nothing is more glorious then your Christians when they speak and nothing more miserable when they come to action 3. Penance is vertue by which we make reparation of honour to Gods law which we had transgressed by this we are inclined to detest and expiate all our sins and to make resolution of never consenting to them again The pleasures of this life passe away in a moment but that which disquiets and torments the conscience still remaineth What doth it avail thee to hide the shamefulnes of thy past sins no man guilty of sin thinks himself absolved even in his own judgment Nature hath framed a Tribunal in every mans brest wherein every one is his own Accuser his own witnes and his own Judge Call thy mind and thy senses every day to render an account before this Tribunall Plead thy own cause against thyself and accuse thyself as much as thou canst Examine how thou hast spent the whole day recall to mind all thy words all thy actions and if possible all thy thoughts hiding nothing omitting nothing If thou acknowledgest thy sin God will pardon it if thou confessest it thou curest thy own Soul Doe not think thyself secure in that no body but thyself knows thy wickednes Dost thou think it better to be condemned in secret then to be absolved openly Wheresoever thou hidest thyself thy own conscience is still with thee and thou canst never fly from it Thou art in a miserable state if thou contemnest what it suggesteth to thee 4. Our life is divided into three sorts of Times present past and future The present is but a moment is gone before it comes the future is not yet come as for that which is past it is in thy power to recall it at least to mind and to examine it as often as thou wilt Doe not fear thy memory will fayl thee nor be not ashamed to look back on thy life past nor to reproach to thyself thy own errors The oftner thou dost this the sooner thou wilt mend Resolve to be revenged on thyself and never to commit those faults which now thou art sorry to have once committed Those who have escaped a shipwrack bid adieu