Selected quad for the lemma: virtue_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
virtue_n	godly_a	remember_v	wicked_a	881	5	9.8041	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A09757	The pathway to perfection A sermon preached at Saint Maryes Spittle in London on VVednesday in Easter weeke. 1593. By Thomas Playfere, Doctor of Diuinitie.	Playfere, Thomas, 1561?-1609.	1597 (1597)	STC 20021; ESTC S103577	59,781	129

at one marke and follow But one thing This is the first degree to perfection TOuching the second hee sayth I doo not remember but I forget that which is behind Truth it is we may remember both that wee haue done ill to amend it and also that we haue done well to cōtinue it For the first Chrisostom saith Nothing doeth so well help vs forward in a good course as the often remembrance of our sins Whereas in the bitternes of our soules wee call to remembrance the dais of old which we haue passed away in sin Wherupon the Psalmist particularly intituleth the eight and thirtith Psal. a Memorandum or a Remembrance because he made it whē hee called to remembrance his sinnes which hee had in former time committed And generally Baruch sayeth to vs in this sort Remember well what you haue done and as it came into your hearts to turne away from God so now striue with your selues ten times more to turne agayne vnto him n. Thus did Paule remembring he had once beene a persecutor he did repent him of it made amends for it and was afterward tenne times more zealous to saue the wicked then before hee had beene to destroy the godly For the second an other sayeth ô what heauenly comfort doe they inwardly feele which are delighted with the remembrance of vertue past with the fruition of ioy pesent with the expectation of felicitie to come This three-fold cord of comfort as it can neuer be broken so it must always be drawn forth at length that he which is iust may be stil more iust that hee which is strong may be still more strong Thus did Dauid remembring hee had once slaine a Beare he did not repent him of it but gathered strength and courage by it was afterward more bold to combat with a mighty Gyant than before he had beene to deale with an eluish Beare Therefore as they which leap the further they goe backward to fetch their run the further they leap forward when they haue runne so heere we may looke back a little and remember both that we haue done ill to amend it and also that wee haue done well to continue it Otherwise the remembrance eyther of vices or vertues is so far from putting vs any whit forward that it casteth vs quite backward For as Marke the Eremite witnesseth The remembrance of former sins is inough to cast him downe altogether who otherwise might haue had some good hope Our sinnes Elies Sonnes are alike Ely hearing his Sonnes were slaine whom he himselfe had not chastised and corrected as he ought fell down backward and brake his necke And so all they that remember hearken after their former sins which they should haue mortified and kild fall downe backward and turne away from God For this is the difference betweene the godly and the wicked Both fall But the godly fall forward vpon their faces as Abraham did wh●n he talked with God the wicked fall backward vppon the ground as the Iewes did when they apprehended Christ. He that remembers his sinnes to be sorie for them as Abraham did falls forward vppon his face but hee that remembers his sins to reioyce in them as the Iewes did fals backward vpon the ground VVherefore if thou be vppon a mountaine looke not backward again vnto Sodom as Lots wife did if thou be within the Arke flie not out againe into the world as Noahs Crow did if thou be well washed returne not agayne to thy mire as the Hog doth if thou be cleane purged run not againe to thy filth as the Dog doth If thou be going towards the Land of Canaan thinke not on the flesh pots of Eg●pt If thou be marching agaynst the hoast of Madian drinke not of the waters of Harod If thou be vppon the house top come not downe If thou haue set thy hand to the plough looke not behind thee remember not those vices which are behind thee no nor those vertues neither For as Gregory writeth The remembrance of former vertues doth many times so besot and inueigle a man that it makes him lyke a blinde Asse fall downe into a ditch When Orpheus went to fetch his wife Euridice out of hell he had her granted to him vpon condition that hee should not turne backe his eyes to looke vppon her till he had brought her into heauen Yet hauing brought her forward a great way at length his loue was so excessiue that hee could not contain any longer but would needs haue a sight of her VVhereupon forthwith hee lost both her sight and her selfe shee sodainly againe vanishing away from him This is a poeticall fiction Neuertheles it serueth very fitly to this purpose To admonish vs that if we haue anie vertue which is to be loued as a man is to loue hys wife yet we must not be so blind in affection as to doate too much vpon it or to fall in admiration of our selues for it or to be alwaies gazing wondering at it lest by too much looking vpon it and by too well liking of it and by too often remembring it wee loose it Because indeede he that remembers his vertues hath no vertues to remember Seeing he wants humility which is the mother-vertue of all vertues For this is the difference between the godly the wicked Both remember vertues But the godly remember other mens vertues the wicked remember theyr owne vertues They remembring other mens vertues make thē ensamples to imitate these remembring theyr owne vertues make them miracles to wonder at Therefore the godly remembring they haue some one or other little vice in them are humble though they haue very manie great vertues but the wicked remembring they haue some one or other little vertue in them are proud though they haue ve●●e manie great vices Wherefore though thou haue conquered Kingdomes yet cracke not of it as Zenacharib did though thou hast built Babel yet bragge not of it as Nabuchodonozer did though thou haue a great people yet number 〈◊〉 not as Diuid did though thou haue rich treasures yet shewe them not as Ezechias did though thou haue slain a thousand Philistines yet glory not in it as Sampson did though thou hast built seauen altars yet vaunt not of it as Balack did though thou giue almes yet blow not a trumpet though thou fast twise a weeke yet make no words of it remember it not but Forget that which is behind If thou wilt be Perfect sell all that thou hast and follow mee sayth our Sauiour S●ll all that thou hast Or if no man will buy it giue it Or if no man will take it Forget it Themistocles said he had rather learne the Art of forgetfulnes then of memory That is as I vnderstand it rather diuinity then philosophy For philosophy is an Art of memory but diuinity is an Art