Selected quad for the lemma: virtue_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
virtue_n	godliness_n	knowledge_n	temperance_n	6,959	5	12.3060	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A59955	The true Christian's faith and experience briefly declared, concerning God, Christ, the Spirit, the Holy Scriptures, the Gospel, and the doctrines thereof also, the titular Christian's faith and profession try'd, examin'd, and judg'd : written for the confirmation, and consolation of the one, and for the information in order to the restoration and salvation of the other : also, a few words to such who are newly turned in their minds to the light within, & are believers in it / by William Shewen.	Shewen, William, 1631?-1695.	1675 (1675)	Wing S3424; ESTC R24530	87,397	208

Enemy having drawn out his Mind to look after it he turns his Back upon the other then his Eye is blinded and his Ear stopped then he cannot see the Glory of God to surpass the Beauty and Glory of all things visible and in visible nor delight in the hearing of his Voice and obeying it but his stoln Water is sweet and the Forbidden Fruit is pleasant to Man in this Blind Deaf and Dead Estate wherein he walks in the Broad Way and falls into every Temptation Bait and Snare of the Enemy that old Serpent who having drawn him thus far takes him captive at his Pleasure ☞ Thus entered Sin in the Beginning and thus it encreaseth and thus the Enemy ●revaileth Now no man in this Estate can open that Eye which was blinded through Transgression nor unstop that Ear nor save and deliver himself out of the Hand of his Enemy which holds him in sore Captivity Therefore herein is the Universal Love of God manifest that he hath laid Help upon one that 's Mighty that 's able to save to the uttermost that he hath appointed and prepared a Seed that 's able to bruise the Serpent's Head and that he hath sown this Good and Powerful Seed in the Hearts of all men ☞ in the Bad Ground as well as in the Good and that he hath caused his Light to shine in the Hearts of all though in Darkness and his Rain to Fall upon all Just and Unjust and to call upon all men every where and to follow Ma●kind who is run from him by Transgression hid himself among the Trees and covered himself with the Fig-Tree Leaves and to meet with him in the Cool of the Day and to Reason with him Reprove Correct and Chastise him in order to do him Good if he will hearken to his Voice and turn at his † Correction is Gracious to him that forsakes the Way and he that hateth Reproof shall dye Prov. 15.10 Reproof and be gathered by his Arm which is stretched out to save him which if he doth he shall not miss of Salvation But if he stops his Ear hardens his Heart and continues in Rebellion and refuseth to be reconciled his Destruction is of himself and God will be just when he judgeth XI The True Christian 's Faith and Experience concerning the Doctrine of Election and Reprobation ELection and Reprobation stands in the two Seeds called The Seed of the Woman and The Seed of the Serpent and all Mankind are Partakers of the one or of the other as either of these two Seeds grows up in them ☞ and as they grow up in the one or in the other or joyn to the one or to the other and are born of the one which is Incorruptible or of the other which is Corruptible And this Seed which is incorruptible and hath remained pure throughout all Generations is that in which all Nations are blessed Acts 3.25 as they come to be born of it ☞ And this is it unto which all the Promises of God are Yea Amen which was not made unto Seeds as of many as Paul saith speaking of the Seed of Abraham Gal. 3.16 29. but of one Seed which is Christ and they that are Christ's are Abraham 's Seed and Heirs by Promise And the Election or Choice of God stands in this Seed and all the Heavenly Blessings and Evangelical Promises come to be enjoyed and inherited by Mankind through Faith in this Seed through the Growing up of this Seed in them and through the knowing this Seed to remain in them and become the greatest of all Seeds stopping the Growth of the Seed of the Serpent bruising his Head and causing his whole Body to languish and dye And through the knowing this Seed become so Powerful in them as to possess the Gates of its Enemies ☞ with this Seed and with all that are born of it God's Election stands sure and his Covenant is kept with it forever whom he loves here he loves to the End and all that love this Seed he will be their God and they shall be his People and those are the Elect which can never be deceived nor the Gates of Hell prevail against And the True Christian who is born of this Incorruptible Seed 2 Pet. 1. obeyes Peter's Exhortation Giving Diligence to make his Calling and Election sure adding to his Faith ☞ Virtue and to Virtue Knowledge and to Knowledge Temperance and to Temperance Patience and to Patience Godliness and to Godliness Brotherly-Kindness and to Brotherly Kindness Charity c. and as he doth these things he shall never fall but have an Enterance ministred abundantly into the Everlasting Kingdom of his Lord and Saviour Jesus-Christ And he layes aside all Malice and all Guile Oh! that Christendom would obey this and Hypocrisies and Envies and all Evil-Speakings and becomes as a New-born Babe desiring the Sincere Milk of the Word that he may grow more and more and encrease with the Encrease of God thereby until he grows up in the Promised Seed in which his Calling and Election stands unto the Vnity of the Faith and of the Knowledge of the Son of God unto a perfect Man unto the Measure of the Stature of the Fulness of Christ growing up in him in all things which is the Head ☞ even Christ This is the Mark of the High Calling of God in Christ Jesus and these are the Marks Tokens and Signs Fruits and Effects which attend and accompany all those that are born of this Incorruptible Seed in which their Election stands in through and by which their Calling and Election is made sure And the True Christian who is thus elected and born of this Seed hath not only the Witness in himself and the Spirit of God bearing witness and sealing to his Spirit ☞ that he is a Child of it but the Fruit of this Seed also shews it self forth and appears that men may see and behold it and glorifie his Father which is in Heaven Now the Reprobation stands in the Seed of the Serpent and all that are born of it are born of Flesh and Blood and of the Will of Man and not of the Will of God nor by Promise and in whomsoever this Seed grows up ☞ Enmity encreaseth in them against the Seed of the Woman against the promised Seed and all the Children of i● hence arose Cain's Envy Ishmael's Mocking and Esau's Rage and is continued in that Generation or Birth down to this Age This is that Birth that is born after the Flesh which alwayes did and doth to this Day persecute him that is born after the Spirit this is he that was grown a great Dragon in John's Day which persecuted the Woman that brought forth the Seed the Man Child and that went to make War with the Remnant of her Seed which kept the Commandments of God and have the Testimony of Jesus And he is the same at this

John saw in his Divine and Heavenly Revelation and thou abiding in the Light and walking in the Spirit wilt not only see but enjoy the same Read Rev. 21 22. and the Lord give thee Understanding more and more and encrease thy Joy in believing and strengthen thy Faith and Hope that they may be as a Trusty Shield of Defence and as an Anchor sure and stedfast to preserve thee from all Assaults and from splitting upon a Rock or Sands till thou arrivest at the Haven of Eternal Rest and lie down in the Valley where thy Bread yea thy Daily Bread fresh fresh from the Table of the Lord will be sure and thy Water fail not where none can make thee afraid where no Enemy can prevail where no Danger of making Shipwrack of Faith and a Good Conscience is where no Destroyer is where all Tears and the Cause of them are wiped away where Faith and Hope hath an End and where the Heavenly City is whose Gates stand alwayes open and yet no unclean thing can enter As thou perseverest in the Light and obeyest and followest him that hath called thee out of Egypt and translated thee from the gross Darkness thereof thou wilt thereby be led to inherit and possess these things for It is he that endureth to the End that shall be saved Now tender Friend As thou walkest in thy Way the Light within the Spirit and Grace of God within which teacheth not only to deny Ungodliness and Worldly Lusts but also to live Soberly Righteously and Godlily in this present World thou art safe But I do advise thee notwithstanding to take great heed and watch diligently against the Enemy of thy Happiness in all his Appearances and especially when he appears under the Form of Truth it self with the Words of it in his Mouth and with the very likeness of it for I have seen him there he has beguiled and betrayed many thereby in this Age even since we were a People and he effected it by drawing the Mind from being staid upon God waiting low in his Light to wonder after and desire something else which he made appear lovly to behold the attaining of which he perswaded them would better their Condition and encrease their Glory so in hope many after they have been presented as a chaste Virgin to Christ have again been subjected unto Vanity in this Age as Mankind was in the Beginning and have lost a present good Estate by believing the Lyes of the Serpent who told them They should enjoy a better some he hath drawn out on this wise and by other of his Wiles to that Degree of Apostacy and Degeneration that they are become like Trees twice dead and plucked up by the Roots never like to grow in the Garden of God again whose Way and End is Vtter Darkness out of which there is no Redempi●on Now his other Wayes and Means whereby he lies in wait to deceive are more open and manifest but his Working under the Form of Truth more secret and mysterious and more likely to prevail upon the Mind of ●e Simple unless a diligent Watch be kept then when he appears as he is By this Means I have known him not only get into the Temple of God sit there but to be worshipped as God and exalted above all that is called God or that is worshipped besides him Now ●e never got into the Temple not sate there 〈◊〉 was worshipped under the Name of a D●vil Satan or Prince of Darkness now 〈◊〉 in any Age but mysteriously wrought himself in under a Disguize cloathing himself like an Angel of Light that desired and endeavoured the Good of Mankind by this Means he came and comes to be obeyed and worshipped not as he is but as he appears to be Now this Temple where he sits and where he is Worshipped is the Heart and Mind of Mankind in the Degenerate Stite And that which doth reveal him with his Mystery of Iniquity is the Light and Sp●rit of God in which thou hast believed working and Operating in the same place and consuming him with the Spirit of his Mouth and destroying him with the Brightness of his Coming But this thou knowest not effected so soon as thou believest 't is a Work wrought by Degrees thy Safety and Duty is To wait with Patience for the Coming of the Lord in that Light and Grace which fits and prepares his Way and teacheth thee how to joyn with him when he appears and to help the Lord against the Mighty and to meet him in the Way of his Judgments by which Sion is redeemed And so as thou here waitest thou wilt discern him when he appears from all the Appearances of thy Enemy and be made willing in this Day of his Power to yield up thy Heart Mind and Strength unto him and to serve him love fear and obey him this is required on thy Part so wilt thou know him to appear unto thee as a Morning without Clouds and in his Light thou wilt see more Light and know it shine more and more unto a Perfect Day till by the Brig●tness thereof the whole Mystery of Iniquity be discovered and the Man of Sin destroyed and thy Temple cleansed from all that doth Defile and the Mystery of Godliness display'd therein and Truth and Righteousness sit upon the Throne and reign where Sin and Unrighteousness did reign even in thy Heart and Mind Will and Conscience then will thy Earth rejoyce and thy Heavens rain down ●atness and Everlasting Peace will be in thy Dwellings The which that thou mayest attain unto hold fast that thou hast let none take thy Crown whereunto thou hast attained therein walk pressing forwards to the End of thy Race where the Crown of Life is laid up and take heed of thy own Thoughts and Imaginations Conceivings and Consultations and of that Will that works not the Righteousness of God these of thy own House will prove thy greatest Enemies if thou walkst not in the Light which discovers them and takes up the Cross that crucifieth them and is able to bring every high Thought and Imagination into the Obedience of Christ while this is bringing to pass abide in the Patience bearing the Cross of Christ which is the Power of God and keep thy Eye fixed on the same and look not downward to the Earth nor at the Smoak that ascends out of the bottomless Pit and darkens the Air nor at the Dragon that makes War in Heaven but joyn thou with Michael the Prince and follow the Lamb which rides on conquering and to conquer so shalt thou overcome and sit down with him on his Throne as he sate down with his Father on his Throne and know thy Enemies made thy Foot-stool And that thou mayst not fail hereof Watch also against the dead Spirit of Formality see that thy Form of Godliness is accompanied and seasoned with Life Virtue and Power for though Godliness is not manifested without