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	love_n	temperance_n	1,495	5	11.3666	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A14172	Amendment of life three sermons, vpon Actes 2. verses 37. 38. conteining the true effect of the worde of God, in the conuersion of the godly: and the maner how it changeth their harts, and reformeth their liues, which is the true vvorke of regeneration. By Iohn Vdall, preacher of the worde of God, at Kingstone vpon Thames.	Udall, John, 1560?-1592.	1584 (1584)	STC 24489; ESTC S102078	40,987	110

the weake that finde themselues willing and yet vnperfect in the seruice of God for God doth accept of vs according to that we are and not according to that we are not The least sparkes of obedience insomuch as they be his owne worke are accepted in his sight so that it be w t earnest endeuour to encrease and therefore this giueth no libertie to licentious loosenesse which notwithstanding we sée to presume herevpon for say the Atheistes who can kéepe Gods commandements is any man without sinne and so forth Which in déede is true but they by occasion thereof haue no regard nor care of any reformation but runne on from sin to sinne and that with gréedines But let such knowe that they can not please the deuill better with any thing in the world because hereby they be as like him as if they were spitted out of his mouth for he knoweth that no man can absolutely obey Gods lawes and therefore he prowleth to mocke them in euery point to breake them and thou sayst thou canst not obey him perfectly and therefore art carelesse to doe any good at all Wherein doest thou now differ from him But let vs haue a care to winne ground of our aduersary to obtaine more and more strength against sinne make it weaker in vs euery day than other by continuall meditation in the worde of God and prayer for his grace to fructifie therein then we shall shew our selues valiant souldiers and not dastards in the quarrell of our Lorde and Captaine Iesus Christ. Now follow the ende that we are to ayme at in this fight against our selues to liue godly which is duely to be considered for Satan hath gone thus farre with a number either to perswade them without al doubting of the matter that they shall merit heauen and deserue to be Gods children by their workes or els that they néede to doe none at all and we sée euen the greatest number put the one of these in practise for either they be obstinate and blind Papistes forgetting Christ Iesus and hoping to come to heauen by their works or els they be Atheists affirming plainly that if they deserue nothing for them they will doe no good works From which fountaine floweth this generall securitie where with all the world is so rocked on sléepe that euery man séeketh for him selfe neuer thinking that he is any way bounde to benefite his poore and needye brother Whereby as in many other things we may behold the vsuall practize of Satan either to make vs lye wallowing in all carelesnes or els to driue vs too farre into the con trary extremitie Which thing we are to haue a great care of euen in euery thing that we do that we may kéepe within the bounds of that meane prescribed by the Lord in his word from which it is not lawfull to decline neither to the right hand nor to the left least Satan ouertake vs and worke our confusion The endes wherevnto by the word of God we are to haue regard and respect be in number thrée First Gods glorie 2. Our owne comfort 3. The good of our brethren among whome we liue The glorie of God which is the first ende is to be sought in our good and godly conuersation for it is euident that we are by nature vnfit to doe any good thing but rather prone and bent to sinne but when it pleaseth God so to alter and reforme our harts that the frute thereof shineth in our conuersation this sheweth the great glory of God in that he of seruants vnto sinne and vncleannes maketh vs to serue him in godlines The which thing our Sauiour Christ ment when he sayd let your light so shine before men that they may sée your good workes and glorifie your heauenly father which is in heauen Where vnto also the Apostle S. Peter had especiall regard when he sayd Déerely beloued I beséech you as straungers and pilgrims absteine from fleshly lustes which fight against the soule and haue your conuersation honest among the Gentiles that they which speake euill of you as euill doers may by your good workes which they shall sée glorifie God in the daye of visitation Unto which ende S. Paule had respect also when he exhorting the Thessalonians to godlines sayth that y ● name of our Lord Iesus Christ may be glorified in you The which poynt is duely to be obserued for our instruction because that now a dayes all men will say they doe loue God and honour him but their bare wordes must not goe for proofe for we sée the holy ghost setteth downe that the glorifieng of God by vs consisteth in godly conuersation for if thou sayst neuer so much thou louest God and doest honour him vnlesse it shine in thy conuersation it is a lye in thée and a thing not to be beléeued of others For our Sauiour saith If any loue me he wil kéepe my sayings so that the tryall standeth in this looke howe carefull thou art to reforme thy life according to the word of God and looke howe much thou hast subdued the heate of thine owne affections and so much thou doest glorifie God and no further Nay if thou béest slacke herein carelesse to doe that in déede wherof thou makest profession thou doest euen as much as lyeth in thée dishonour God and therfore sayth S. Paule thou that gloriest in the law thorough breaking of the law dishonorest God I would to God that the carnall professors and enemies to sinceritie of these our dayes both in them selues and others could consider of this with a single eye For those that be enemies to reformation be commonly loose in life as we sée in our owne experience If it were so I doubt not but their conuersation would be found euen of thē selues most vile and filthy not worthy once to be named among them that professe the gospell of Iesus Christ. The second ende which we are to looke vnto is for the establishment and comfort of our owne soules and consciences For we sée that all men are contented to make a shewe of religion and to take vpon them y ● profession of Christ which can not be sufficient for then should all or at least the greatest number be saued yet we know the words of our Sauiour Christ that narrowe is the way that leadeth to life and fewe doe walke therein Then what shall we doe to examine our selues vnfeynedly to sée whether we are of the number of them or no S. Peter shall tel vs most notably what we must doe Flye sayth he the corruption which is in y e world through lust Therefore giue euen all diligence therevnto ioyne moreouer vertue with your faith and with vertue knowledge and with knowledge temperance and with temperance patience and with patience godlines and with godlines brotherly kindnes and with brotherly kindnes loue for if these things be among you and doe

they heare that God will graunt whatsoeuer is asked in his sonnes name doe by and by aske riches honor promotions and worldely dignities but for such wishes S. Iames telleth vs that we aske and receiue not because we aske amisse that we mighte bestowe it vpon our owne lusts Therefore to aske in the name of Christe is to aske according to his wil that is to pray for the gifts of the spirit for the strengthning of the soule absolutely and for the thinges of this life with condition that is if it be his will and if we thus pray against any inward weakenesse or outward extremitie yet are not heard we must thinke our praiers haue not bene sufficiently faithfull and feruent or God séeth it better for vs to kéep vs vnder the rod to schoole vs and hauing learned this lesson we should haue great comfort in our prayers though they be not granted and ioy in the crosse euen whē it is most grieuous for whē we are weakest in our selues then be we strongest in the Lord. This fruit of faith bringeth forth many other as first Hope which is a looking for the performance of that which is promised with a trust to obteine it For when I sée that God hath not onely promised eternall life but all things also necessary for this present life vnto al them that with a hearty and true faith aske them at his hands I beléeuing the Lord that he will performe it doe dayly expect looke for the performance thereof and in the meane while doe féed my desire with a continuall expectation for the same to be reuealed wayting for the Lordes leasure vntill it be his good pleasure to accomplish the same vnto me And this is a notable vertue being steadfast for we sée both by the Scriptures and our owne experience how the Lord promiseth and then séemeth to withdrawe his hand he promised the lande of Canaan to the Israelites and yet kept them 400 yeares without it He promised deliuerance from Captiuitie and yet kept them seuentie yeares in it He promised Iesus Christ the Sauiour of the world the séed of the woman to bruse the heade of the Serpent almost foure thousande yeares before he came in the flesh and so he dealeth with vs which thing because it is not presently performed the wicked distrust and take their present pleasure of those things that bée here following their greate graundfather Esau. in selling the birthrighte of the kingdome of Heauen for a messe of pottage of pleasure in this world choosing rather to enioy the pleasures of sinne for a season and so perish afterwarde eternaly thē to suffer heauinesse for a night and want for a moment that they might inioy the kingdome of heauen But contrarywise the godly beléeuing God and trusting to his promises doe with patience abide with earnest praier beg and with hope looke for the manifestation of all Gods promises to their great and endlesse comfort and of one of these sortes is euery one of vs and therefore let vs examine our owne consciences The second vertue is Patience y ● daughter of Hope for as it is in thinges of this world a man that hath bene longe exercised in any labour though it be at the first neuer so grieuous vnto him because he séeth it cannot be auoided he is contented to vndergo the paine thereof and with patience he procéedeth euen so it is in the looking for the promises of God the troubles that we indure here for Christes sake at the first they be very grieuous and the wante of the accomplishment of them doth bring greate lamentation and griefe but when we sée that God hath ordaind that it must be so that his must be fed with hope and tried with adueruties it maketh vs if we be Gods children as méek as lambs and milde as Moses and as patient as we say as Iob. So that you sée howe those thinges that be bitter to the fleshe turne to the great honor and glory of God and our owne good in that it increaseth vertue godlinesse in vs. The third and last vertue that this hope bringeth forth is Contentation a singular and heauenly vertue the rarest flower that the garden of mans soule bringeth forth which is this when I sée by the eyes of faith the narrow way that God hath appointed for his children and that euery extremitie bringeth forth a happie successe to them that feare God therefore doe hope that the Lorde being pleased with me in his sonne my sauiour Iesus Christ it bréedeth this in me and must doe the same in all Gods children to be very willing and contented with that crosse which he hath lotted out vnto me and be so farre from murmuring and grudging that God hath left me vnder the crosse that I muste greatly reioyce therein Which thing we doe not only sée practised by y ● holy apostls of our Sauiour Iesus Christ who did reioice y ● they were counted worthy to suffer for his name but also prescribed vnto all Gods children that because all that will liue godly in Iesus Christ must suffer persecution and enter into the knigdom of God by many tribulations and afflicons that therefore we must account it exceading ioy when wée fal into diuers temptations knowing that the triall of our faith bringeth forth patience and pacience hauing hir perfect worke bringeth forth perfection The outwarde fruite of which Contentation is also cōtentatyon with our estate and calling wherein the Lord hath set vs that so it be neuer so poore base contemptible or laborious seing that God in whō we repose all confidence of whose loue we be perswaded hath set vs therein we must thinke it the most conuenient standing for vs and be well contented therewithall labouring to do our duty therein with all sinceritie and care to deale iustly and truly which lesson a pitifull thing to thinke is scarse learned of any for we sée how y e poore acount rich in good estate the rich déemeth the poore to liue most at ease subiects admire the happinesse of princes and princes wish to themselues the secure condition of their inferiours Wherevpon it commeth that euery one almost setting his eies vppon the glory and outwarde shewe of an other man starteth aside from his standing and is carelesse in his calling as magistrates become careles mean men looking aloft wax couetous séeking to grow greate by extortion and vsery artificers to inrich themselues vnlawfully by facing and lying swearing and forswearing so that the head is sicke and the whole heart heauie from the top to the toe there is nothing whole therein but woundes and swelling and soares full of corruption And in this generall apostacy I quake to think it my toūg faltereth in my mouth to speak it they that should be lanternes of light to others they from whose mouthes should come the swéete word of eternal life and in whose liues should