Selected quad for the lemma: virtue_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
virtue_n	good_a	justice_n	temperance_n	1,152	5	10.5078	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A56605	A book for beginners, or, A help to young communicants that they may be fitted for the Holy communion, and receive it with profit. By S. Patrick, D.P.	Patrick, Simon, 1626-1707.	1680 (1680)	Wing P751; ESTC R218754	33,198	242

up the principal things they observe carefully in their hearts that they may find them there upon occasion VIII For which end Masters and Mistresses should take care their Servants may have time to go to Church or rather they should see them go and bring them thither saying with the holy men of God I and my house will serve the Lord. IX And if they would help them to learn some short Prayer by heart besides the Lord's Prayer it would be a means to possess them with a sense of their Duty and to make them more confident of God's gracious assistence in the doing of it Instruct them at least after you have read to them their Duty to God and their Duty to their Neighbour to say Lord have mercy upon me and write all these thy Laws in my heart I beseech Thee and this Collect O God whose Blessed Son was manifested that He might destroy the works of the Devil and make us the sons of God and heirs of eternal life Grant me I beseech Thee that having this hope I may purify my self even as He is pure that when He shall appear again with power and great glory I may be made like unto Him in his eternal and glorious Kingdom where with Thee O Father and Thee O Holy Ghost He liveth and reigneth ever one God world without end Amen X. There is reason Masters and Mistresses should be at this pains with their Servants who cannot reade if they consider how much better Servants they will be to them when they are become the Servants of God and that they themselves have a Master in Heaven who expects they should not merely use their Bodies well but look also after their Souls so far at least as to help them to the means of Christian Instruction This is a thing indeed much neglected and if their work be but well done some Masters and Mistresses concern themselves no farther But such persons plainly declare that they love themselves better then God else they would not be satisfied till God's work was done also and carried on together with their own CHAP. XV. Directions to those that can reade I. AS for those who are able to reade I need not sure advise them to use that ability but onely to use it well avoiding vain and idle especially all filthy Books and being conversant in those that are good and profitable such as will improve their minds in usefull knowledg or excite in them devout affections towards God or direct them in the practice of Justice and Mercy of Temperance and Chastity and of all other Christian Vertues II. But above all other Books acquaint your selves with the Holy Scriptures which Timothy S. Paul says had known from a child and were able to make him wise unto Salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus 2 Tim. III. 15. Which is a high commendation of the Old Scriptures and a great incouragement to study those Holy Books from whence we may reap the greater benefit now that we have the New Scriptures added to them which contain the Faith in Christ Jesus which the Apostle speaks of You do but pretend to love God which you acknowledge is a part of the Duty you owe Him if you do not seek after his mind and will which is onely to be found in the Holy Scriptures III. And of all other parts of the Scripture I have observed young people delight as it is natural to doe in reading the Historical Books of the Old Testament Which truly are writ with such a spirit of Piety as is to be found in no other History designing visibly these two things First to instill into the people a belief of Divine Providence which governs all things and presides not onely over Nations but particular Persons who therefore ought to have God in all their thoughts to whom all events are ascribed by the holy History And secondly to nurse them up in a sense of the difference of Good and Evil the former of which always received remarkable testimonies of God's Favour and the other was ever attended with the effects of his severe Displeasure IV. Do not think therefore that you have profitably read these Books unless you come away from the reading of them more sensible of these two things and more affected with them Possessed that is with a more lively apprehension of God's overruling Power and Providence whereby all things are disposed and therefore resolved to commit your selves unto Him in well-doing and to make that difference between Good and Evil that He doth resting satisfied with what He is pleased to order when you have taken care to order your selves so as to avoid what He hates and to follow that which He loves V. But above all other Books of the Old Testament the Psalms are of most general use and therefore ordered by our Church to be read over publickly once every month Some of which you would doe well to get by heart that you may say them upon all occasions as anciently they were wont to doe nothing being more ordinary then to hear the Husbandman chanting them as he followed the Plow the Seaman as he sate at the Helm the Waterman at his Oar the Weaver at his Loom the good Houswife at her Spindle or her Wheel nay the poor Ditcher sang them at his Spade and the very Children in the streets In short they suckt these in with their Mothers milk and from their very infancy as soon as they could learn any thing were taught a smattering of them before they could speak perfectly such a love they had to the sweet Musick of these Holy Songs VI. The very first of which will put you in mind of your Duty and of the Happiness it will bring you if you doe it faithfully Let that therefore and the rest that are of most general use and relate not merely to David's present condition or to some publick calamity be read most frequently and pondered most seriously Such are the VIII XV. XIX XXXIII XXXIV CIII CIV CXIX CXXXIX CXLV with many other which every one may observe for his own use particularly the VII Penitential Psalms which are most proper when you are in a sad afflicted condition or bewail any Sin you have committed to which they may be also applied They are the VI. XXXII XXXVIII LI. CII CXXX CXLIII VII But when all this is done you must chiefly reade the Books of the New Testament or Covenant made with us in Jesus Christ to which the Books of the Old Testament refer you as the perfection of that Knowledg which was but obscurely delivered by them And first the Holy Gospels which mostly contain the History of our Saviour's Birth Life Death Resurrection and Ascention in all which principally observe the mighty power of God giving Testimony unto Him and declaring Him to be the Son of God Whom therefore you are bound to obey and in order thereunto study what his Will is which is most fully delivered in the

carefull in your constant Duty III. But the greatest Discouragement of all is this I do not profit by the Holy Communion nor grow one jot the better by receiving it so often Which language is not more common then it is for the most part causeless For as many people think they do grow better when they do not so others think they do not when they do because neither of them know what it is to be better Examine your selves therefore by your Duty to God and your Duty to your Neighbour and try whether they be better performed or no since you received the Holy Communion Let poor Servants for instance examine whether they order themselves more lowly and reverently to all their betters and be carefull to be just and faithfull to govern their tongues also and to abstain from evil speaking as well as stealing c. And more especially whether they grow more contented in that state and condition of life into which God hath been pleased to call them These are substantial signs of growing better by which you make a true judgment of your selves and either be rid of your Scruple or know how to be rid of it by endeavouring seriously to improve in such Vertues In like manner Children should examine themselves about the same Reverence and Lowliness and whether they honour their Parents more then heretofore and submit themselves to all their Governours Teachers and spiritual Pastours or Masters And all Young people should examine whether they keep their Bodies more strictly in temperance sobriety and chastity because they have greatest temptations to the Vices that are contrary to these Christian Duties And here it will be fit to mention one thing of which many complain that they are troubled with the motions of carnal Lusts unto which Youth is naturally prone The Answer is that it cannot be otherwise if they be in health and therefore there needs the greater care and diligence to preserve themselves pure and undefiled Which they may doe though they feel such Motions if so be they do not follow them nor suffer themselves to be led by them to any act which God hath forbidden That 's all you promise in Baptism to renounce the Lusts of the flesh so as not to follow them nor be led by them Lusts that is Desires you may have and will feel and they cannot be perfectly subdued but they do not defile you if they do not obtain your Consent to them And all you have to doe is to refuse to follow them whether they would carry you and to resolve not to satisfy them in any way but that which God allows And after the same manner you must examine your selves about your Duty to God Whether you believe more heartily and firmly what Christ hath taught you in his Gospel and are verily persuaded of it so that you fear to offend Him and esteem his Promises far above all Riches and think your selves exceeding rich in Faith and Hope though otherwise you be poor and low in the World These are the best signs of improvement CHAP. X. Directions in case of frequent Relapses into Sin BUT suppose a man frequently relapse into those Sins which he constantly resolves against and solemnly promises to forsake what shall he doe in that case To this I answer I. That as it is his duty to judge and condemn himself severely for it so I think this ought to be a part of the Sentence he pronounces against himself to judge himself unworthy to partake of the Holy Communion For so the Church would judge if it knew what he was and did exercise its discipline upon such Offenders II. And therefore looking upon himself to be as vile as a Dog that returns to his Vomit let him accordingly refrain from the Table of the Lord till he be sufficiently humbled and so sensible of his Sin and of his Danger as to grow more carefull and better resolved III. Which it is to be hoped he will be if he for this reason and no other forbear to approach thither because he looks upon himself as too vile to enjoy such a privilege not staying away out of carelesness and lothness to take pains with himself much less despair of God's Mercy but merely out of a sense of his Undeservings and by way of deep Humiliation and to punish himself for making no better use of his Saviour's Love and Kindness to him IV. If this will not doe he must adde some extraordinary means of afflicting his Soul as the Scripture speaks by judging himself unworthy to eat or drink or enjoy any of the good things of this World and accordingly casting down himself upon the Earth before God with fasting weeping and mourning bewailing and lamenting his sad condition as we are wont to do a Friend when we fear he is a-dying or in great danger of it V. And if still he find he is not safe he must after all advise with some discreet Minister of God's Word as with a Spiritual Physician desiring to know what course to take that he may get the mastery of those unruly Lusts which are too hard for him VI. And when he comes for this ghostly Counsel and Advice let him not be ashamed plainly to confess his Sins and to open the whole state of his Soul before him whom he consults relating how and by what means he comes to be thus intangled in the Snare of the Devil that he cannot get out of it VII Be sure you conquer the lothness you will find in your self to make this Discovery for fear it disgrace you in his opinion And convince your self that you ought the rather to confess your Sins ingenuously that you may take shame to your self and lay your self low in the presence of God and his Minister Doe it as a part of your Humiliation VIII Whereby he will be able to judge what Remedies are most proper for your Cure when he knows the cause and the root of your Disease When you deal sincerely with him he will be able to tell you of what nature and degree your Sin is and whence it proceeds whether it be from Idleness or Ill company or Carelesness in your Devotion or Neglect of serious thoughts to quicken your belief to call to remembrance your Obligations and to put your self in mind of the great Account you must give or from too much Confidence of your self want of Fear and Caution not watching over your eyes or the door of your lips and abundance of other such like things which he may observe and accordingly give you his Directions IX And be sure you submit to his Prescriptions and be very carefull to follow them for this is the last Remedy which you ought to use with thankfulness to God for it and with fear and trembling lest you should not be the better by it Suppose a man had the Falling-sickness what would he not give or doe or suffer to be freed from it rather then be in