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	love_n	temperance_n	1,648	5	11.0080	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A01725	Foure sermons vpon seuerall partes of scripture, preached by George Gyffard, preacher of the worde, at Maudlin in Essex	Gifford, George, d. 1620.	1598 (1598)	STC 11859; ESTC S117695	68,936	149

of the holy spirite for when the Apostle saith the spirite himselfe witnesseth with our spirit that we be the sonnes of God doth he witnesse that we are and doth he not witnesse that we shall be so euen to the end Can a man to day bee the childe of God and to morrow not Moreouer there is no godly man which saith he is sure he shall not sinne for all men sinne dayly But the regenerate doe know that through the grace of God they shall not so sinne as to fall quite away from Christ or to haue the life of GOD whereof they are made partakers in the newe birth vtterly extinguished in them Touching this pointe S. Iohn in Chapter 3. of his Epistle verse 9. saith Whosoeuer is borne of God sinneth 〈◊〉 for his seede remaineth in him and he can not s●●● because he is borne of God What can all the Papistes in the world say vnto this S. Iohn saith not that some of those which are borne of God doe stand to the end but he saith Whosoeuer is borne of God sinneth not Then is it certaine that he which doth know hee is borne of God and le● by his spirite doth also know that hee shall not fall vnto destruction And for this hee rendreth a reason namely that the seede of God remaineth in him The regenerating grace is neuer lost if the seede of God remaine still in him that is borne of God yea euen when hee doth by infirmitie as Dauid did fall into some grieuous sinnes Also he saith that such a one can not sinne this seemeth an heard saying Is there any man beyond whose power it is for to sinne Is it so heard a matter for a man to doe wickedly if he will endeuour Wee must not take it that he which is borne of God will euer endeuour for to commit sinne No the grace of God doth still so guide him that he doth endeuour to please God and though by ignorance and frailtie hee doe after goe awrie and transgresse yet can he not fall from God hee can not vtterly loose his new birth The reason which S. Iohn rendreth is because he is borne of God God is immortall the seed of God by which his children are regenerate is immor●●● as it is written 1. Pet. 1. The life of God begin in them is immortall how then can it be extinguished or how can he that is borne of God fall away vnto perdition Let all men then knowe that where there is the witnes of the spirite of the water and the bloud there is the certainty of saluation according as S. Iohn sayth These thinges haue I written vnto you that beleeue in the name of the sonne of God that ye may know that ye haue eternall life and that yee may beleeue in the name of the sonne of God There are yet another sort of men I cannot tell what I should tearme them that are confuted by this place they hold that a man for the triall of his faith whether it be liuely or a dead faith is not to looke vppon the fruites thereof It is enough say they that a man doe beleeue in Iesus Christ what shoulde hee or what can hee examine further Faith is Faith Beleeue and thou shalt bee saued These men doe quite abolish and that most wickedly and profanely the testimony of the three witnesses in earth They bring in Epicurisme and all carnall liberty Let not the wise harken vnto them but looke for the testimony of the spirite of the water of the bloud within them if they will be assured that their faith is the true faith that they shal come to life eternall And nowe let vs come to the last poynt which is that the faithfull are by degrees to increase this certainty of their saluatiō To make an entrance into this matter it is good for vs to consider that the spirituall birth is compared and likened to the naturall birth for as in the naturall birth there is first brought forth a little weake babe which hath life and doth in tyme by degrees euen by little little grow vp vnto mans estate so in the spirituall birth such as be borne againe in Christ they be first as little babes they haue indeede the life of GOD in them but they be maruelous weake Reade touching this what S. Peter writeth in his first Epistle in the beginning of the second Chap. how he doth will these new borne babes to couet the sincere milk of the word that they may grow thereby And likewise what S. Paul saith to the Cor. 1. Epist Chap. 4. Then as in the naturall thinges as a man groweth vp in yeeres so he groweth to a riper knowledge and vnderstanding in matters of this worlde so they that grow vp in Christ come to more and more assurance that they be led by the Sprite of God and that they shall be saued Most true it is also a● no man can deny that in the naturall things men do grow vp from babes to mans estate by food and sustenance they grow also in knowledge vnderstanding by practise meanes The same is to be saide of the babes in Christ they cannot growe vp without the Spirituall food they cannot come to more assured knowledge of their saluatiō but by the means which God hath ordained and that is it which S. Iohn here leadeth vnto when he saith These thinges haue I written vnto you c. that ye may know that ye haue eternall life Well then seeing wee must grow vp vnto this happy assurance by meanes let vs in some fewe particulars consider howe first seeing the word of GOD is the sincere milke by which we are to be nourished and to grow vp it is our part as the same Apostle willeth to couet the same 1. Pet. 2.2 Wee doe all know this that when a childe is borne if it be aliue and in health howe much it doth couet the mothers breast and how sweete the milke is vnto it in like manner when a man is borne of God in the new and heauenly birth he hath a vehement desire and longing after Gods word it is maruellous sweete and delectable vnto him And questionles all such as care not nor labor not to know the heauēly oracles are void of the spiritual life they be like vnto those children which are borne dead which care not for the mothers breast We must labour therefore by reading and by hearing the word preached by meditation earnest prayer to come to the true vnderstanding and right vse of the sacred word of God Marke further what S. Peter then teacheth how men shall attaine to assurance of saluation He willeth to giue all diligence to minister in our faith vertue in vertue knowledge in knowledge temperance in tēperance patience in patience godlines in godlines brotherly kindnes in brotherly kindnes loue for if these things be in you and abound they shall make you that yee neyther shall be idle nor

created after his owne image and for whose vse also he made the world But how farre off are men from hauing this sure trust in the liuing God alas it is lamentable to speake They can see and they can feele riches but he is inuisible they can not see him yea but he hath giuen his word and his promise which is infallible It is vnpossible that God should lye or deceiue if they had the eyes of their minde but halfe as cleere as they haue their carnall eyes they might see this Some man will obiect that sundrie which haue trusted in the Lord haue bin very poore That is true the holie Scripture doth afford sundrie examples the Lord seeth it is best for them and men ought to rest in his will seeing he maketh pouertie a meane to bring them to glorie It will be said further such a trust in God or the pretense of such a trust may make men negligent and idle That is not so for true faith in God doth bring forth true obedience to his commandements and God doth forbid idlenes and negligence commanding men to vse all moderate care and diligence in their callings but that trusting in the liuing God draweth these vertues which follow in the text with it euen liberalitie and bountifulnes to the poore with facilitie of maners for that which is translated to communicate may be expounded of facilitie of maners for when men are puffed vp and be high minded because of the abundance of their riches in which they repose a vaine confidence their maners are rough and sterne they cannot liue in common societie they cannot as S. Paule in another place willeth make themselues equall to them of the lower sort but touching this vertue I meane to speake no more And while men trust in their riches making them the staffe and stay of their life and of their posteritie how is it possible that they should be liberall and rich in good works and readie to distribute will a man willinglie part with that which he doth repose his trust in and maketh it his god no pluck riches from a worldlie minded man and it is vnto him euen as if you should teare out his bowels for if he haue neuer so much yet he feareth he shall not haue inough to hold out If he distribute any thing to the poore it is by compulsion of the lawes or else that he is loath to be deemed too too miserable Doth not reason teach that the more is taken from the heape the lesse remaineth A great vessell with often drawing is emptied and made dry These be the thoughts of worldlie minded men which trust in riches but if they once forsake that their vaine confidence and fixe their hope in the liuing God hauing their eyes opened to behold how it is he that giueth all things abundantly to inioy then will they beleeue his word and promise that plenteous liberalitie ordered with godlie discretion shall not deminish but increase their very worldly substance What shall plentifull giuing increase riches to the giuer This may seeme a Paradox For what reason is it that dispersing and scatring abroad should increase a mans wealth He that doth shew mercie to the poore may as Saint Paule heere teacheth be rich in good workes but can he be the richer also in the world Can a man both keepe his goods and giue them away Yea that he may For do you not see how the husbandman doth in seede time disperse and scatter his seed yea euen burie it in the ground so that to mans reason but that we see it commeth otherwise to passe it would seeme to be cast away and vtterly lost and by the blessing of God he receiueth it againe ten fold yea often times a great deale more Yea but is the liberall distributing to the poore like the sowing of wheate or barley shall it also yeeld an increase if rich men were so perswaded they would fall to sowing apace Surely they might be so perswaded for the word of truth that can not lye doth tell them so Salomon in Ecclesiast chap. 11. saith thus Cast thy bread vpon the waters and after many dayes thou shalt finde it Giue a portion to seuen and also to eight seeing thou knowest not what euil shall come vpon the earth The scripture sometimes doth call seede bread because bread is made of it And Salomon willeth to cast this seed vpon the waters that is vpon groundes which are well watred and fertile Admonishing therby all rich men to be wise in imitating the husbandmen for as they make choise of good grounds to sow their corne to the end that in time they may receiue the greater increase so would he haue these to sow to disperse and s●●ter their riches by almes deeds vpon the po●re the widow and the fatherlesse especiallie th● godlie poore that be as S. Paule saith of the houshold of faith for these be the well wa●ed and fruiteful ground and after many dayes they shall finde it Such as do sow vpon this ground do sow vnto the Lord and by his singular blessing they shall receiue great increase The Prophet in Psal 112. setting forth the blessednes of the godlie man saith thus He hath dispersed abroad and giuen to the poore and his righteousnes remaineth for euer Now marke how S. Paule doth applie this saying of the Prophet 2. Cor. 5. for perswading them to be plenteous in liberalitie he vseth this comparison He that soweth sparinglie shall reape sparinglie and he that soweth bountifullie shall reape bountifullie All men do know that the Farmer which doth sow but a little seede must needes haue but a little haruest Euen so he sheweth that such as do sow but a little in almes-deedes and workes of charitie to the poore shall also haue a small haruest And then further to shew that the same haruest or reaping which he speaketh of is not only in the world to come or in the riches of good works but also in the blessing of God vpon their worldlie goods and to take away the doubt which men haue that if they giue liberally they may● come to pouertie themselues he addeth And God is able to make you plentifull in all grace that 〈◊〉 alwayes hauing all sufficiencie in all things 〈◊〉 ●b●●●nd in euery good worke as it is written 〈◊〉 h●th dispersed abroad and giuen to the poore his righteousnes remaineth for euer We see then ●●●w S. Paule expoundeth this clause his righ●●●●snes to be his beneuolence or boūtifulnes in giuing a lines shall remaine for euer As if he should say the more lie doth scatter and disperse abroade the more God doth make his riches to abound and giueth him all sufficiencie then to sinfull that which is written that his ●●bilitie to be liberall shall neuer faile And to conf●●de this yet further the holie Apostle vseth the similitude of the husbandman who by ●●●ing his seed doth receiue increase for thus ●e addeth in verse 10. Also