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
A19862	The wonderfull combate (for Gods glorie and mans saluation) betweene Christ and Satan Opened in seuen most excellent, learned and zealous sermons, vpon the temptations of Christ, in the wilderness, &c. Seene and allowed.	Andrewes, Lancelot, 1555-1626.	1592 (1592)	STC 629; ESTC S100202	68,496	222

and Ismael were in the wildernes and the water in the bottle spent and shee in great heauines then GOD comforted her from heauen Gen. 21. ●7 When the Israelites were in the desarts then they had an Angell to lead them Exod. 23. 20. When Sidrach Misach and Abednago were cast bounde into the fierie Fornace then God sent them an Angell to be their deliuerer Dan. 3. 38. And so when Daniel was throwen into the Lions den not when he put himselfe in God sent his Angell to stoppe the Lions mouthes Dan. 6. 22. When we are deserti in deserto and all meanes faile it is time to trust in God as Iob did Our conuersation therfore must be without couetousnes and we must be content with those things that wee haue for he hath said he wil not faile vs nor forsake vs Hebr. 13. 5. This it out of the compasse of tempting God and this is asmuch as the psalme could warrant him to look for Looke vpon it and you shall see that it expresseth such dangers as could not be preuented by mans care industrie as from the snare of the hunter v. 3. who vseth to lay it so as we cannot see it to auoyd it Vers. 5. Thou shalt not feare the arrowe that flyeth by daye An arrowe we know will reach a man far off before hee bee aware And so throughout the Psalm they are things out of our defence therefore they neede Angells helpe but when wee haue meanes to help our selues Gods omnipotencie is for the time discharged Eutychus that fell out of a windowe by heauines of sleepe was restored to life by Paule Act. 20. 9. This then is Christs answere If there were no stayres and hee must needes goe downe it were a good Scripture to meditate on III. Thirdly as it is a poynt of Gods power to helpe without meanes so hath hee in his wisedome appoynted means there be degrees wherby we ascend to the effect they are as a pair of staires Where these are we must vse them but when hee offereth vs a strange signe it is scrupulous foolish nicenesse to refuse it As when God bad Ahaz aske a signe Esa. 7. 12. and he would not for tempting God he was too precise he was but an hypocrite Moses asked a signe had it and God was well pleased with it And so did Gedeon also to assure him selfe of deliuering Israel by him Iud. 6. 36. In great weightie and extraordinarie callings it was allowable to request a signe but when there is no neede or when there bee other-wise sufficient as Mat. 16. 1. where manie myracles wer daylie done before their eyes and where though they had neuer so manie more yet they would not haue beleeued on him Such were the Scribes and Pharisies that for euerie trifling occasion must haue a signe from heauen Thus to grate vppon Gods omnipotent prouidence is saucie malapertnesse For ordinarie matters there be ordinarie meanes to serue our turnes and for extraordina●ie there be extraordinarie wayes and means reserued that we need not let fall our trust in matters corporall we all confes there be meanes as they which will not worke may not eate 2. Thes. 3. 10. in warfare there is no victorie to be hoped for without fight building of rampiers and making of dartes and shields 2. Chron. 32. 5. onely in spirituall matters we think to do well enough though wee neuer put too our endeauour we lay all vppon God and trouble not our selues There is but one degree or step in all Christianitie it is no more but out of the font to leap straight into heauen from predestination wee leape straight to glorification it is no matter for mortification there be no such meane degrees But Saint Paule tells vs it is so high that we had neede of a ladder in which be manie steps insomuch as he puts a How shall to euerie step Rom. 10. 14. How shall they call on God on whom they haue not beleeued c. There must bee calling on God beleeuing on him hearing his word there must ordinarie meanes there is a ladder of practise aswel as of speculation or contemplation 2. Pet. 1. 5. Ioyne vertue with your faith with vertue knowledge and with knowledge temperaunce and so patience godlines brotherly kindnes and loue if these things be in you you shall not be idle and fruteles in the knowledge of Christ for hee that hath not these things is blinde he goeth blindfold to the wood and may chance hop beside heauen or step besides the ladder A great manie say as Balaam did O let my soule dye the death of the Righteous but they care not for liuing the life of the righteous Hee went but blindfold he knew not the Angel that stood with a sword drawn in the way but would haue gone vppon it if his asse had been so foolish A great manie thinke that presumption in being secure of their saluation is good diuinitie Balaam thought he went well when he went on the poynt of a naked sword So one entised by the flatterie of a harlot thinkes hee goes to a place of great pleasure but he goeth as one that goeth to the slaughter as a foole to the stockes Prouerbes 7. 22. Those whom it pleaseth God to haue partakers of his kingdome hee puts them in mind to remember their Creator in the dayes of their youth before the euill dayes come hee giueth them the grace of timely repentance and suffereth them not to deferre it till the last cast and then to think that with the turning of a pinne as it were they shal with a trice be in heauen with Elias in a whirle-winde Augustine saith Wee may in some cases aduise men to haue great hope that they shall bee saued but in no case give them warrant of securitie So in Ephes. 5. 6. This we know that no whoremonger nor vncleane person hath anie inheritaunce in the kingdome of heauen Let no man deceiue you through vaine words he that doth righteousnesse is righteous and hee that doth vnrighteousnes is of the diuel Io. 3 7. Now therefore to neglect the hearing of the word or when he commeth to heare it to clap downe in his place without desire or mind to beare it away thereby to be bettered in hys life and without purpose after by meditating on it to chewe it and so to kindle a fire within himselfe whereby it may bee digested and turned into the substaunce of the minde this is to tempt God so also to beare a greater countenaunce and make more shew of holines than indeed is in one is to laye a greater yoake on himselfe than he neede as Act. 15. 10. is a tempting of God Againe he that sinneth must looke for euill to followe Psal. 91. 10. he therefore that sinneth and yet thinketh to scape punishment tempteth God They that by often experience haue found that such and such things haue been to them occasions of sinning and yet will presume