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
A28821	A mirrour of Christianity and a miracle of charity, or, A true and exact narrative of the life and death of the most virtuous Lady Alice, Dutchess Duddeley published after the sermon in the Church of St. Giles in the Fields / by R.B., D.D., rector of the said church, on Sunday the 14th of March, MDCLXIX.	R. B. (Robert Boreman), d. 1675.	1669 (1669)	Wing B3758; ESTC R11208	27,802	56

Eph. 1.8 According to the riches of his Grace wherein he hath abounded towards us in all Wisdom and Prudence So Prov. 8.12 I Wisdom dwell with Prudence Here too they are mated they cannot be severed The property of Wisdom is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to propound to it self a right or good end as it is the Office of Prudence which derives it's name from Providence 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to advise of and devise proper and fit means suitable to that end To be happy hereafter in Heaven and to live honourably with repute here on Earth should be our main end Faith in Christ attended with good works is the way to attain the former Justice and Honesty to man is the means to acquire the other This virtue this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 was most eminent in our Renowned Dutchess she made it her whole business her 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to get a place in Heaven where she now sits and raigns and by well-doing to leave a good name behind her being dead that the transplendent light of her beneficence shining amongst men and they beholding her good works might glorifie her Father which is in Heaven Matt. 5.16 Her Prudence likewise was seen in this that she had a great command over her Tongue and Passions she knew that as Th. de Kempis says well lib. 1. c. 20. It was an easier thing to be silent then not to offend in speech or multitude of words she therefore seldom spake but to the benefit of the Hearer Grieve she did at the miscarriages of men whereby God was dishonoured and for publike calamities when the Church was afflicted but this sorrow was allayed with Religion it never exceeded Thus also her Anger was tempered with Meekness so that if at any time her blood boiled up in her tender heart out of a dislike of any thing that did offend her it never ran over the brim of Reason or bounds of Moderation Her ears were ever open to the complaints of the poor but shut against all calumny and Detraction Her Eyes ever open too looking up to Heaven as the eyes of Servants look unto the hands of their masters Psal 123.2 but shut against Objects dress'd up with vanity through these casements they could not enter into her capacious Soul the receptacle onely of chaste thoughts decked with Purity of good Intentions Her mouth had a watch set upon it which then opened when she was to give rules of Instruction and Orders for direction to her well-ordered Religious Family or when she fell into discourse of Religion and of the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the things above heavenly things which she ever used to do whensoever I was admitted into her blessed Private Society In a word which is another high degree of Prudence and that which the Philosopher terms 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Perspicacitas she could quickly and warily discern the dispositions capacities manners humours affections and aims of those with whom she did converse and accordingly did suit her carriage to every mans temper without flattery which was far from and beneath her She was a magazen of experience the fruit or benefit of Old Age and the proxime cause of Prudence Her vast Memory which was strong and vigorous to admiration was the Storehouse and Treasury of Observations and Knowledge of Occurrences for many scores of years so that I often have said what I truly found by her rare discourses that she was a Living Chronicle bound up with the thread of a long-spund Age the which being cut asunder by the hand of Death we are thereby deprived of a great Jewel and comfortable benefit In divers accidents and things relating to our Parish I oft appeal'd to her stupendious Memory as an ancient Record and as that was admirable so what the Son of Sirach says of Judas Maccabeus Eccl. 93.7 Her memorial is and shall be blessed for ever Who in the fourth and fifth place was admired and highly honoured for her Humility and Patience The former of these is a Vertue which is the Cognisance of a Saint and the true Badge of a Christian it is the first Lesson which is to be Learn'd in the School of Christ who is Magister humilitatis so styled oft by S. Aug. Learn of me for I am meek and lowly c. Matt. 11.29 The Doctrinal saying of this great Master of Humilty It is grounded upon an high apprehension of the Majesty and Greatness of Almighty God together with a low estimation a man hath of himself in regard of his many weaknesses and sinful Infirmities These being ever proposed to the eye of Her Conscience and looking upon all the good things She had her Gifts and Graces as God's Donatives who can and will if we be proud of them to a contempt of others take them from us She therefore ever payed to God the Tribute of thankfulness for them bowing Her Soul to God by an humble submission to His Will and to the just commands of her Superiours being likewise assured of this that if she had more riches others might have more Grace and if she exceeded them in one or more gifts they might excel in others Hence did spring and arise Her meekness and Humility a Grace which renders a man amiable in the sight of God who dwels as the Prophet Isaiah speaks chap. 57.11 in an humble heart it being the Chief Mansion or Manour-House of the holy Ghost 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrys There is nothing more acceptable and pleasing to God than for a man to degrade himself in his humble thoughts and to rank himself among the lowest even then when he is in a place of Dignity or Eminence Such a one is God's delight his special Favorite So was the good Dutch●ss who reflecting in her Religious thoughts upon her frail composition as being what Abraham stiled himself Gen. 18. and what the greatest are but Dust in regard of her beginning and Ashes in respect of her end and knowing that as the forenamed de Kempis says of man in General that she was 〈…〉 Culpable in many things prone by nature to evil and unable of her self to stand and persist in that which is good This knowledge of her self beat down Pride and set up a throne for Humility in her heart which displayed it self by her delighting to be concealed by her private retirement yet shining in goodness though unseen like those stars called Sporades in the Galaxie or milk-way in the firmament It likewise discover'd it self First By taking no content or delight in the praise of men when it was offered Secondly By her contentation in every estate and condition every mutation or change of fortune conceiving that what good she enjoyed was more and what evil she sustain'd was less than she deserved This Grace of Humility in Her was the parent of Pa●ience a cheerful bearing of affliction without murmuring or repining at God's dispensations or providence 〈…〉 He that thinks or believes he

is now awake in Heaven wearing the Crown of Perseverance and singing with the triumphant Chorus of Angels and Saints glorified a joyful Song to the Lamb Christ Jesus sitting upon a golden glorious Throne who will at the great day raise up her body from it's long sleep by virtue of that Spirit which rais'd him from the dead Rom. 8.11 and dwelt by a full measure of Grace in the Soul of our deceased Saint who being dead yet speaketh as the Apostle attests of righteous Abel Heb. 11.4 and methinks bespeaks as now on Earth her survivers from Heaven in the words of St. Paul Let your conversation be as mine was in Heaven where I raign now in the Embraces and Glories of my Saviour and Be ye followers of me as I was of the Lord Jesus in Faith and Love in Humility Meekness Piety and Patience and suppose too that she bespeaks you all in the words of Gideon to his Souldiers and of Abimeleck to his Judg. 7.17 chap. 9.48 Look on me and do likewise what ye have seen me do and shall hear I have done even so do ye according to your abilities and several capacities ☞ Clothe the backs of the poor and feed the hungry bellies adorn God's Houses and contribute to the Rebuilding of decaied and by war and fire wasted Churches endow poor Vicaradges with Annual Accessions or Augmentations of large Salaries relieve poor Widows in Hospitals by yearly Pensions give good and competent Summes for the redemption of Christian Captives now chain'd up to slavery in the hands or under the power of Infidels and for placing out of poor Children or Orphans yearly to be Apprentices Honour your Ministers who are set over you in the Lord especially those who labour in the Word 1 Tim. 5.17 i. e. take great pains to dispense the lively Oracles of it and administer frequently the holy Sacraments for the edifying and saving of your Souls give what is due unto them and take nothing by fraud or violence from them and if they want an house to dwell in provide one for them All that has been said the Illustrious Dutchess did and gave to God the Glory of it who afforded Her by his blessing that good and plentiful seed which she liberally sowed and scatter'd in the fields of the poor and hath sprung in a rich and large crop of blessings which she now enjoys with God in the Coelestial Paradise Pauperum fundus est foecundissimus The poor man's field affords the largest Crop And though all cannot keep an even pace or go along with her in her Bounty and Magnificence yet follow her though at a distance by conforming your lives and actions to her Charity and goodness Thus if you do as her good deeds in a manner exhort you and declare the Sincerity or Truth of your Faith by your goods works Imitating Christ the King of Saints and this deceased Dutchess a Queen among her Sex for her rare exemplary Virtues and Graces you shall be for ever blessed as She is and Crown'd with Everlasting Glory and Happiness Trin-uni Deo Laus honor Gloria c. A Memorable and Exact CATALOGUE OF ALL THE RENOWNED DUTCHESS Her Good or Most Charitable Deeds AS to abound in Good Works is an Argument of a Lively Faith in Christ and a true mark of Christianty so to disperse the same upon a self-seeking Interest out of a design to gain praise and get glory by it is an infallible note or sign of Hypocrisie This Pharisaical vice never lodged in the Soul of our deceased Dutchess so Renown'd for her stupendous Charity the fire whereof burnt hot in her Religious brest but was cover'd over with the Ashes of Humilty She whilst living loved not to hear her just praises sounded in her Ear for well-doing but contented her self with God's approbation whilst she did all for His Glory that the poor releived by her bounty might have an occasion to say Blessed be the Lord for his merciful goodness that hath open'd the heart and hand of his servant to help and succour us in our want She was such a stranger to Pride which never enter's into a gracious Soul and so far from Ostentaion in her life that I am perswaded had any come to her before her death and mention'd the design of publishing the ensuing Catalogue after it she would not have consented to that motion but rather forbad it However now that her Grace is out of the reach of Flattery and cannot be suspected for the guilt of Vain-glory I shall blow the Trumpet of her praise by presenting to the World a list of her good deeds that those who peruse it may thereby be induced to follow her steps to conform their lives to the exemplary pattern of her bountiful goodness to abstain from superfluities in Apparel and Diet which murther Charity that what they spare or gain by abandoning all excess in needless expenses they may contribute the same to the relief and comfort of Christ's poor Members his necessitous pious Servants This was the practice of our Illustrious Dutchess and for this God has Crown'd her as he will all those that imitate her with everlasting glory and happiness A just Account of her good deeds in her life and little before her death taken out of our Churche's Register and specified in her last VVill and Testament 1. HER Charity began at the House of God which was first in her thoughts as it is usually the last or not at all in other's When the former Church here of S. Giles which was decay'd by Age lay as it were in Rubbish there being a Void space at the upper end of the Chancel which was stored with Lumber as the Boards of Coffins and Dead-mens Bones She being offended at that unhandsome prospect erected a decent Skreen to divide the said Chancel from the forenamed place and to hide it from the beholders eyes which could not but be troubled at it 2. When the foresaid Church was fallen It began to be built in the year 1623 and was finished with the wall about it A●… 1631. with the fall whereof that Skreen was demolished God moved the hearts of the Parishioners to erect a new Church in the Room or place of the former which was in a few years effected and finished many hundreds of good Christians in other Parishes contributing to so good and glorious a work she most liberally as she had a magnificent large soul gave to the advance and finishing of it together with the Wall that encompasseth it many 100 l. of which her magnificent bounty the then grateful Parishioners erected a Monument which is placed over the great gate or the Northside of the Church The words engraven in a large square Stone are these QVOD FOELIX BONVMQVE SIT POSTERIS HOC TEMPLVM LOCO VETERIS EX ANNOSA VETVSTATE COLLAPSI MOLE ET SPLENDORE AVCTVM MVLTO PAROECORVM CHARITAS INSTAVRAVIT IN QVIBVS PIENTISSIMAE HEROINAE D. ALICIAE DUDDELEY

of Sir Thomas Leigh of Stoneley in Warwick-shire Knight and Baronet so Her Mother was Katharina a most Virtuous Lady Daughter to Sir John Spencer of Worme Leighton Knight and great Grandfather to the Right Honourable now Earl of Sunderland c. The foresaid Sir Thomas had by His Lady Katharina Issue John Leigh Knight who was the Father of the Lord Leigh Baron of Stoneley now living in the County of Warwick Philip. 3.20 Our Conversation is in heaven from whence also we look for the Saviour the Lord Jesus Christ THERE is in Love so strange a piece of of Magick as to transform a man into the object of it and to translate the Soul into a place far remote from the body of the affectionate Lover S. Paul whose Soul was fired with a burning flame of Seraphick love was of this Divine and Holy Temper after his vision when he was rap'd up into the third Heaven where he heard and saw 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 words and things which were inexpressible and doubtless beheld the glorious face of our Lord Christ Jesus the beauty of Heaven and the mirrour of Angels ever after he was yet with submission to God's will whether for life or death weary of the world which he look'd upon as a Shop of vanities a Sink of uncleanness and a Dungeon of miseries and by an holy transmigration of Spirit converst daily hourly with his God in Heaven and knowing that the only way or means to arrive at that place of Bliss that Mansion of pure delights and sublimate Joys is to follow Christ to imitate H m whose life is the most perfect Idea of all virtues the most exact rule of Holy Living he therefore in his Epistle to the Ephes 5.1 Exhorts them and with them us in these words Be ye followers of God as dear Children again 1 Cor. 11.1 Be ye followers of me as I also am of Christ S. Paul who press'd this duty to the Ephesians and Corinthians did know full well the nature of man whom an Apish and Fond imitation turns into the nature of beasts so it may be said of some men as it is Psal 49. the last verse They being in honour i. e. endu'd with reason wherewith they are honour'd by God above other Creatures for want of a right use of it to a discreet ordering of their lives may be compared to the beasts that perish When men do follow the bad examples of others and walk in crooked and by-paths which tend to destruction they may be compared to the silly sheep who will follow their leaders even into deep waters and down steep Praecipicies Non quà eundum sed quà itur Senec. Not minding where they should but where the others go There have been and are those who did and do count a defect or deformity a piece of graceful honour if by it they may be like their Superior Thus a wry neck in Nero's court was the Mode and esteem'd a piece of Gallantry as the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to lisp in Julians and to limp in anothers because these defects were beheld in those Emperors But we Christians ought to be wise and prudent in our Imitations and by setting before our eyes the choicest patterns of goodness we should endeavour to heighten and advance our Souls to an evenness in Grace and virtue with the best Presidents amongst God's Saints To this end i. e. to raise their Souls to an high degree of Perfection S. Paul vers 17. of this Chap. exhorts the Philippians to propose him for a pattern to walk by Brethren be ye followers of me and mark them which walk so as ye have us for an example To which exhortation he subjoyns a reason in the words of my Text. For our conversation is in Heaven c. The first word Conversation is in the Original 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the which admitting of divers Interpretations has caused a Variety of Constructions amongst Expositors They who with Tertullian and S. Hierome translate the same by Municipium which is the State or Condition of those who dwelling out of a City in some remote place or Country have yet the Priviledges of the same they being enfranchised belonging to them upon this account or for this reason they take this to be the meaning of the Words That although we be strangers and sojourners here on Earth however we are Municipes Freemen or Free-denyzens of Heaven and have the priviledge to be call'd and own'd by God as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Fellow-citizens of the Saints Ephes 2.17 With whom we shall at the great day of the world's Assizes Raign for ever in Heaven and partake of their Happiness But the word being of a larger acception or signication for that by it is understood many times in the Greek Fathers as Chrysostome Basil and others vitae ratio institutum a trade or manner of living which is agreeable Likewise to the Syriack Translation we may with Beza read the words thus Nos ut coelorum cives nosmet gerimus we behave our selves as Citizens of Heaven And this Paraphrastical gloss suits with that of Grotius who says that this clause Our conversation c. must borrow light for it's sense or meaning from the preceding words v. 19. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 who mind earthly things to which is oppos'd that which follows in my Text 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But our Conversation is in Heaven c. The words thus explain'd In them and those that follow are wrapt up these two General parts First Here is the Apostles protestation of his holiness in these words Our conversation is in Heaven c. Secondly His and all good Christians joyful hope or expectation From whence we expect the Lord Jesus Christ First For the Protestor S. Paul and his Protestation I remember that S. Chrysostome making mention of him says that he had 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a large Soul a Soul as large as Heaven for that it was not shut up nor Imprison'd as the worldly mans is in his body nor chain'd in fetters of Earthly cares but dilated as ours should be in his love of Souls and spread in its ardent desires of Heaven or future happiness after which he panted as appears by his Cupio dissolvi Philip. 1.23 I desire to be dissolv'd and to be with Christ Thus his conversation or rather heart was in Heaven And this his Protestation in the Text of his Heavenly-mindedness did not proceed from Pride or a vain-glorious Ostentantion but only from an holy and earnest desire to draw our Souls upward by his Example to God that made them whilst we follow him in our practice by a Godly Imitation of his Virtues In the second Epistle to Tim. 3.10 The Apostle thus bespeaks him Thou hast fully known my doctrine manner of life purpose faith long-suffering charity patience to which we may add his Sobriety and Temperance of which we have a record 1 Cor. 9.27 As also his