Selected quad for the lemma: virtue_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
virtue_n	great_a	iron_n	loadstone_n	895	5	13.3376	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A08055	Mans actiue obedience, or The power of godlines especially in the commandement of the gospell, which requireth faith in euerie Christian: or A treatise of faith, worthily called precious faith, as being in it selfe a most rare iewell of ioy, and peerelesse pearle, that excelleth in worth the highest price. Wherein is plainly declared what faith in Christ is what properly is the obiect of it, what is the speciall operation of faith, by which it may bee discerned; and the worke about which it is principally imployed, the subiect wherein it is placed; what things are needfull to the making it up, what to the being, and what to the wel-being of it; with the differences that are betweene true beleeuers and fained in all of them, and the vses thereof. By Master William Negus, lately minister of Gods word at Lee in Essex.; Mans active obedience.	Negus, William, 1559?-1616.; Negus, Jonathan, d. 1633.	1619 (1619)	STC 18420; ESTC S113618	278,658	364

lift the minde off the hindges and to teare vp the very foundations of comfort from the bottome the storme of tentations being so at the highest the poore distracted and distressed soule is then as the raging sea that cannot be quiet but is like to Psal 88. 6. 7. 15. 16. 17. 18. Psal 69. 14. 15. be ouerwhelmed and swallowed vp in those tempestuous waues which threaten to drowne all in the gulfe of despaire when neither banke nor bottome can bee seene nor any thing before them but present death and vtter perishing yet if in all this extremitie faith can finde but any intertainment and if any way can bee made in the heart for the same to haue footing and that place may be giuen vnto it there to worke in so will it keepe the heart the hands the voyce and the eyes vpward as it wil keepe all safe from drowning or finall miscarrying in the end and will neuer giue ouer working in the effectualnes of the operation thereof till it hath obtained helpe from God and till safetie and deliuerance be fully come till by his helpe who stilleth the rage of the sea the noise of the waters Psal 65. 7. and tumults of the people these heauie tempests and stormes of tentations may be made wholly to cease and all be made peaceable and comfortable yea ioyfull again asswaging all sorrowes expelling all feares bringing quietnes to the conscience refreshings to the soule setting the heart at peace with God and causing that the peace of conscience as a sweete sleepe may fall vpon such Rom. 5. 1. tired and wearied soules that were well neere worne vp and wasted with distresfull griefes and sorrowes before that so they may now returne to their owne rest againe Psal 116. 3. 6. 7. These be indeed worthie of the name to be called the faire Hauens into which faith where it may be allowed Act. 27. 8. to be Pilot will bring out of the greatest flawes and fearefullest stormes that can happen the poore distressed soule ready to wracke that so in all safetie at the length the same may be thrust in here and most quietly and ioyfully againe rest therein as in a most sure hauen These with the like being the effects which are wrought in the hearts of true beleeuers by this pretious faith euen in the hearts of so many as it can finde way and place giuen vnto it to shew the operation thereof they are such as are most worthie both to be marked and to be marueiled at when as in the stead of the horrors of conscience and the sound of feares which affrighted them before in the times of their troubles Gods seruants are yet againe so cheared and comforted in the end as their change seemeth worthie to be celebrated with the songs of Angels and the reioycings of men Wee wonder at the vertue of the Load-stone that it should euer be pointing at the North-pole Called Magnes of the great vertue that is in it and that it should draw so forcibly the heauy yron vp to it selfe contrary to the naturall motion thereof God hath put this admirable vertue into faith that it is euer looking vnto Christ alone and pointing vs only vnto him it faileth not to draw home most effectually Christ Iesus our Sauiour into euery soule in the which it is placed and lifteth vp againe vnto him the heart of euery true beleeuer how heauie soeuer coupling them together by an vnion though true and vnseparable yet euery way strange and most vnutterable Faith followeth Christ as doth the flower follow the Sunne which hath the name giuen it vpon the same to be called the flower of the Sunne because it is euer seene turning it selfe to the Sunne when it doth arise and when it doth decline Thus doth faith euer turne it selfe vnto Christ it looketh Gal. 2. 16. after him alone and after none but him which worthily is therefore called the faith of Christ and the faith of his name This sauing grace which commeth from aboue Acts 3. 16. and hath his beginning from on high as it commeth from God so doth it leade vs to God againe it mounteth vs aboue the world and setteth vs vpon the power and prouidence of God assuredly to looke for and stedfastly to beleeue to haue without failing all that he hath promised who speaketh in righteousnesse and is mightie Isai 63. 1. to saue it staieth and setleth the heart from vnconstantly wauering and doubtfully staggering or reeling in vncertaintie to this side or to that it is a sure arch-pillar of strength to leane vnto wee may bee bold with all our weight to stay our selues by it Mightie is the working of that faith that is not fained to get helpe and sauing from Christ for euery soule that hath it yea so powerfull and effectuall is the working of it in this behalfe as nothing can stand in the way to hinder it from Christ which it will not remoue nothing can be able to keepe it from Christ It bursteth through all things not onely that wee haue in our selues but whatsoeuer else is in earth heauen or hell vntill it come to Christ crucified and to the eternall sweete mercies of God in Christ Iesus Here here is the only resting place thereof and no where but here By how much the greater be the vnlikelihoods and impediments that lay before faith by so much the more glorious and excellent doth faith shew it selfe to be in the working thereof and wrestling to ouercome all that stands against still rising vp from vnder all her burthens and running on with greater force when it meeteth with lets in the way to stop her course taking strength euer from resistance If way be not made for it to get vnto Christ it will make way for it selfe whosoeuer or whatsoeuer it is that may seeme to resist It is not a poore silly garment that can stand in the way of it to hinder it from touching Christ to draw vertue out of him but it will Mark 5. 27. 28. 30. 34. Luk. 6. 19. Mark 6. 56. reach through all coates and couerings that Christ can put vpon him he cannot so hide himselfe vnder any couering or garment how strange soeuer it may seeme to be that he may put vpon him but faith will finde him out though he should kill me yet would I trust in him Iob. 13. 15. saith the constant beleeuer Christ cannot so conuey Mark 7. 24. 25. himselfe away into any place or go into other company Whether shall I goe from thy presence saith Dauid so of God it may be said whether shall he goe and not be followed and found of hungring and thirsting soules and get among the throng and thicke of the multitude but faith will striue and wrestle to come neere vnto him He cannot so shut himselfe within the walles of any house but faith will breake in vpon him if other entrie will not be allowed vnto it

these respectes or it may bee for them altogether doth the Lord suffer many and some of his most worthy and excellent seruants too to haue beene ouertaken with many infirmities yea sometimes As the mightie power of God in the beginning of the world did appeare in bringing light out of darkenesse and shall appeare in the end of the world in bringing life out of death so doth the same mighty power and wisdome of God daily appeare in bringing good out of euill with very grosse and grieuous sinnes yet alwaies so ordering and disposing of euery thing as hee that is seene daily to bring light out of darkenesse neuer hath failed to bring good out of all their euill and such good as hath been for the very good of those his seruants themselues that haue done all that euill and made to the high honour and glory of his owne Maiestie who is so good in himselfe as he is goodnesse it selfe and maketh all things good that he medleth with and is wrought by his hand This is and hath been the Lords owne and onely doing and that from the beginning and worthily may it be accounted marueilous in our eyes In the first sinne that euer was committed by man how wonderfull hath been the Lords working therein to bring so much good out of that great euill as vnto all Gods elect and redeemed in Christ their case is now made farre better then euer it was farre happier and farre surer then either it was or would haue been if to this present Adam had kept his standing and should still haue kept his foot from slipping or stepping amisse The Lord we know hath turned Adams fall to his higher rising and his dangerous slipping to a more sure standing in so much as not praising the euill but him that bringeth good out of euill wee may say with that reuerend Beza Oh happy fall which hath brought vs higher Oh most happy darkenesse without which this truly Serm. on Cantic cap. 2. group light had neuer appeared vnto vs. After this manner hath the Lord still for the one improued the falles and foiles of his seruants euer to their more good Dauid that fell so foulely and committed so grosse and so hainous a sinne that gaue him cause to think of washing and cleansing himselfe from such filth and pollution that made him seeme loathsome euen in his owne eyes was brought by meanes thereof to goe ransack his whole life and search out all his other sinnes vntill he came to the gaging of the very belly and wombe of sinne where it first had the conception and from whence originally it first tooke his beginning and did first of all spring and that he crieth out on and bringeth it forth doth disgrace himselfe therewith confessing vnto God that beside that great sinne that he had now committed he saw himselfe to be an vncleane creature ouer-run with a contagious leprosie of sinne all ouer and that from his conception so as his falling into that one great sin became a meanes of his going in hand with the labour of getting himselfe washed and cleansed not onely from that but from all the rest of his sinnes euen his birth sinne and all and that not slightly but earnestly with a thorow rinsing and rubbing of himselfe till hee might become as cleare as the glasse and as white as snow Psal 51. 5. 7. Many are conceited of themselues and of their owne strength taking no notice of other filthinesse of the flesh and spirit or corruption of sinne that is within them so long as they are kept from committing grosse and enormious iniquities the Lord is faine therefore to giue them ouer and to leaue them to themselues that they may fall into such grosse sinnes as wherby their other hidden corruptions may break out and manifestly be discerned both to themselues and others how great it is There bee that will neuer thinke of thorowly repenting themselues nor of Ier. 4. 14. cleansing and washing their hearts from wickednesse that they may be saued vntill they be tumbled into some such puddle as Dauid was and bemired with such filth and then of force they are driuen to it and made to set hand at once to that worke vnlesse they care not to see themselues perish for altogether Thus the Lord is faine to make of the poison of some grosse sinne an antidote against the poison of other lesser sinnes which of themselues are baneable enough if they be not in time expelied and purged out to kill euery soule in which they are retained that so there may be a ridding away of all by a generall repenting for all though the going in hand with such repentance was at the first occasioned by one And thus we may perceiue how as the Lord is said to punish sinne with sinne in the wicked so he knoweth how to cure sinne Sinne cured by sinne by sinne in the godly so making their sinnes as well as all things else to turne to their good Looke but vpon the strange cure of that one sinne of pride which is a sinne as high-borne as any other and spreadeth out it selfe as far the whole race of mankind being either more or lesse infected Pride and tainted with the same This sinne will liue when other sinnes shall die and will raise it selfe vp out of the ruines of them all which is more to be feared among vertues then found among other vices it is the verie venome of vertue and as a spreading cankar or gangrene hauing once gotten to bee fastned vpon the body of vertue it neuer leaueth vnlesse it be the more timely cured till going from ioynt to ioynt it hath weakened and ouerthrowne that whole body how beautifull soeuer it were otherwise and goodly to looke vpon This is the greatest enemy to vertue that it hath as that which hath vertue euer in chase and still is dogging it at the heeles The Apostle himself after his high aduancement and abundance of reuelations giuen him when he had been wrapt vp into the third heauens was not exempt from the perill therof nor from the danger of the hot pursuit and assailement thereof as which was ready to set vpon him if helpe and aide the sooner had not been sent the messenger of Satan therefore was faine to bee sped out apace to stand Paul herein in some stead who fell to beating and buffeting of him 2. Cor. 12. 7. and brought him so low as he was euery way vnsitted for any manner of pride to set vpon him or once to meddle or make any whit at all with him but was faine to leaue him as it found him And so by one enemie he was holpen out of the hands of another enemy euery way as bad as hee Though Satan sending his messenger aimed at nothing lesse then at such an end but God that ouer-powreth Satan and ouer-ruleth in all things would haue it so come to passe But what is the cure of this

into their hearts their sorrowing haue soone been giuen ouer and they quickly haue ceased from their mourning and so haue lost all benefit that might haue come thereon and making no better vse of such their sorrowing for a time they haue gone away and growne to bee more hardned euer after and haue been found to become worse then they were euer before according to that of Peter their end is worse then their beginning Besides worldly sorrow in worldly minded men causeth death while they too eagerly pursuing the things of the world and setting their hearts too much and too strongly vpon them for the enioying of them if they haue not their longing if they be crossed in their desires if they misse of their purposes and cannot obtaine what they so much aimed at and trauel for they grow sicke with Ahab and pensiue they tumble on their beds and will eate no bread 1. King 21. 4. they pine away to nothing Men for worldly things are sometimes seene to goe and runne mad to loose their wits yea to hang and kill themselues Saul killed himselfe not sorrowing for his sinne but lest the Philistims should mocke him or insult ouer him So Achitophel because his counsell was no better regarded and followed It is reported of Lycurgus the Law-giuer among the Lacedemonians that hee would haue hanged or starued himselfe Tertullian Apcap 46. because somewhat against his credit they had m●nded his Lawes Some haue been so impatient of disgrace as they haue been ready to hang themselues for not playing their parts well in a Play Thus worldly and carnall sorrow being the onely sorrow that all hypocrites can haue is found to cause death euery manner of way CHAP. XXXII Of the seuen atendants on godly sorrow in the heart of euerie true conuert and vnfained beleeuer GOdly sorrow being the sorrow of true conuerts and of vnfained beleeuers that on the other side causeth life for it couseth true repentance which is called repentance vnto life and it causeth not a single and bare kind of repentance alone but a repentance richly furnished with such graces as are most fit and found to bee most meete to bee her attendants and they are reckoned vp by the Apostle to bee seuen in number which wee know makes a perfect number all which are brought forth and set euery one in her place and order as so many maidens of honour to giue their attendance to accompany and waite vpon their Lady and Mistris true and sauing repentance which among many other vertues taketh place before them and sitteth as a great Princesse and chiefe Lady of honour whom the rest are to giue much way vnto and dulie to attend vpon Now godly sorrow marshalleth in all these graces as which procureth and causeth them all the Apostle setteth it out as a very generous grace and fruitfull vertue hauing a goodly traine following her and a very fruitfull off-spring and generation of other graces that spring out of her and are produced by her The first grace mentioned by the Apostle which groweth out of godly sorrow and is caused thereby is care and that not an ordinarie care after an ordinarie manner taken but a singular and very speciall care euery way notable and remarkeable as the words vsed by the Apostle to shew and set it forth by doe plainely import that it was a care worthy the marking and looking vpon when hee saith behold your care and not simply your care but what a care with a new rise and as it were a double vye both words shewing that it was a very great and extraordinarie care that they were now seene to haue after they had once sorrowed thus godly So long as men haue not the sight and knowledge of their sinnes and haue not the sense and feeling of their sorrow and griefe for them they abide secure and carelesse and are troubled with nothing but when their hearts are thorowly once pierced and wounded with sorrow for them then they begin to bestirre themselues and to looke about them then they begin to take care for the businesse how things may bee remedied that are so much amisse how they may get out of Satans clouches of whom they haue been held fast as prisoners so long and when as poore prisoners they haue scaped out of the hands of a rough and cruell Iailor to care and take heede neuer to come into his fingers any more And since by grieuing Gods spirit we haue been thus grieued our selues to haue care to shew our selues more tractable euer after to follow better his guiding and the leading of his hand The word that is vsed may signifie studie earnest labour and diligence which they vsed to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 correct the fault and take away the scandall it was not an idle thinking but a deepe weighing and laying matters together and as it were a beating of their braines with an earnest studie and care about those things So that where godly sorrow hath been first wrought for offending God by our sinnes committed that sorrow will breede and bring in this caring this studying and euer taking thought about the matters of our saluation how God that hath been so offended may againe be pacified how his anger that is kindled may be quenched and be caused to cease what we are to doe that we may be saued what course we may take to please God better It breeds in vs care to shunne all such occasions as by which we were drawne to fall into sinne before and care to vse all good meanes without neglecting any whereby we may be confirmed in our better standing and kept from falling for afterward In whom such a care is not found to be wrought and follow vpon their sorrowing for sinne their sorrow is vnsound and they themselues are farre from repenting truly for they are not come yet to the first steppe that should leade to the same The second grace caused by godly sorrow was a cleering of themselues and that too in a notable manner for of all these seuerall graces the Apostle vseth the same words to shew they were all very remarkable in them Behold saith hee what a care behold what a cleering Giuing all to vnderstand that these graces were right and of the best kinde and were in a very notable and excellent degree found to be in them Now the word may signifie Apologie or defence of a mans selfe whereby hee may be excused This cleering of themselues was rather by a free acknowledging of the fault confessing of the action asking mercie for it by suing out a pardon to haue it forgiuen and they that way to be cleered and discharged when the action is once withdrawne the contrcuersie taken vp and the suite so brought to an end then for them to stand vpon poynts with God in holding plea with him to make that either nothing or lesse then it is made by God himselfe in his declaration that hee hath drawne and put