Selected quad for the lemma: virtue_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
virtue_n	jesus_n	knowledge_n	temperance_n	1,049	5	11.6336	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A19487	The anatomie of a Christian man VVherein is plainelie shewed out of the VVord of God, what manner of man a true Christian is in all his conuersation, both inward, and outward. ... By M. William Covvper, minister of Gods Word.	Cowper, William, 1568-1619.	1611 (1611)	STC 5912; ESTC S108976	153,437	332

age it is stronger meate and when he shall be perfected it shall be to him as hid Manna Let vs not therefore thinke at the first to attaine to those sweet and secret consolations which are locked vp and lie hid in the word three dayes did the people waite vpon Christ before hee fed them with miraculous bread and many dayes must wee waite vpon Christ before that he feede vs with his misticall Manna But alas wee are no lesse foolish then they who knowing the place wherein a treasure is hid giues ouer the seeking thereof because the first day they did not finde it except with hearing and reading wee ioyne diligent meditation prayer and practise of Gods word we cannot attaine to the comforts contained in it Salomon sayth that the people will curse him who withdrawes the corne but more iustly deserue they to be cursed who by a more sacraligeous tyrannie withdraw the bread of life from the people of God As the enuious Philistims closed the fountaines of water which Isaac had digged for his familie so the hatefull Papists stop from Gods people the wholesome fountaines of liuely Waters which God in his Word hath opened for their refreshment They pretend that the Scripture is obscure But is it so obscure in some places that it is not plaine in others Or is it reason that because strong meat is hurtfull to Infants therefore no milke shall be giuen them Gregory the great compareth the Scripture vnto water which in some place is so shallow that a Lamb may goe through in other parts so deepe that an Elephant may swimme in it And to the same purpose he saith againe that some part of the Scripture is like vnto bread which must first be cut and broken before that conueniently wee can eate it such is the Scripture which without help we cannot vnderstand Other parts of it againe are like vnto drinke that is more easily receiued As the word is the seede of our new birth so is it the food whereupon wee are nourished when wee are borne that we may grow vp by it to euerlasting life Euery creature by instinct of Nature seekes nourishment and increase of life where it got the beginning the beasts of the field such as the tender silly Lambes so soone as they are procreated doe turne them toward the breast of their mother seeking the encrease of life there where they got the beginning The fowles of the ayre so soone as they are hatched and brought out of the shell gather themselues vnder the wings of their Damme seeking nourishment to their life there where they got the beginning The Plants of the earth so soone as receiuing sap from their mother they begin to spring vpward so soone doe they shoot their rootes downewards into her bosome seeking continuance of life there where they got the beginning And the same is also to be seene in the fishes of the sea Like as this by the instinct of Nature holds true in the Creature so is it also by instinct of Grace true in the Christian for so soone as he is borne of the immortall seed of Gods word he turneth himselfe toward the same word seeking the increase and perfection of his life there where hee got the beginning For it is most certaine that to whom soeuer the Word becomes a seed of regeneration to them also it becomes a spirituall food after which they hunger and thirst that they may be nourished thereby to eternall life As for them therefore who delight not in the Word of God esteeming it a wearinesse to them to heare it let them excuse it as they will the true cause is that the Word was neuer vnto them the seed of their regeneration they are yet in the state of Nature and most fearefull is the recompence of their error for as they delight not in Gods Word so hath God declared that he hath no pleasure nor delight in them The Censure And by these rules it is euident that all haue not the Christians disposition who now vsurpe the Christian name CHAPTER IIII. Of his New Growth The Lords Command FOllow truth in loue and in all things grow vp in him who is the head Christ Iesus by whom all the body being coupled and knit together by euery ioynt for the furniture therof according to the effectual ●…ower which is in the measure of euery part receiueth increase of the body vnto the edefying of it selfe in loue Ephes. 4. 15. 16. Cleanse yee therefore also your selues from all ●…ilthnesse of the slesh and Spirit and grow vp vnto ●…ull holinesse in the feare of God 2 Cor. 7. 1. The Christians Prayer for Grace to obey this Command O Lord who perfectest euery worke which thou beginnest bring forward I beseech thee in me this worke of my regeneration Stablish O God that which thou hast wrought in me that I may grow daily in grace till ●… be perfected Alas Lord my corruption hath in such sort choaked the seede of thy word that it is scarce sprung vp to the blade which after so long planting and watering should haue brought out long ere now the ripe fruit of godlinesse where in regard of the time I ought to haue beene a teacher of others I am yet alas but a babe inexpert in the word of righteousnes Lord s●…ue me from that curse of the wicked that I should waxe worse and worse let me not end in the sl●…sh when I haue begun in the spirit Punish not my former sinnes with a barren heart that I should be like that accursed earth which beares nothing but thornes and briars these are th●… fruits of the slesh which grieues thy spirit but as a liuely member of Christs body quickned by his spirit I may encrease with the encreasings of God and be daily filled with the fruites of righteousn●…sse which are to the praise and glory of thy name through Iesus Christ. The Christians Practise of this Command THE light of the righteous shines more and more vnto the perfect day Pro. 4. 18. and hee goes from strength to strength till hee appeare before God in Sion Psal. 84. 7. When I was a childe I spake as a childe I vnderstood as a childe and thought as a childe 1. Cor. 13. 11. But as I grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord Iesus 2. Pet. 3. 18. I put childish things from mee 1. Cor. 13. And now I giue all diligence to ioyne vertue with faith and with vertue knowledge and with knowledge temperance and with temperance patience and with patience godlinesse and with godlinesse brotherly kindnesse and with brotherly kindnesse loue 2. Pet. 1. 5. Thus being knit to the head by ioynts and bands I encrease with the encreasings of God Coloss. 2. 19. fruitfull in all good works and encreasing in the knowledge of God Coloss. 1. 10. till at

the praise of Gods mercy and if their sinne had not beene punished where should haue beene the praise of his iustice but the Lord Iesus hath vindicated the glory of both For this law of a Redeemer found out by the meruailous wisedome of God as the Lord Iesus did willingly accept it for the loue hee bare to the glory of his Father and saluation of his brethren so hath hee perfectly fulfilled it In his blessed body hee bare our sinnes on the cursed tree the chastisement of our peace was laid vpon him hee hath satisfied the Iustice of his Father and so hath purchased a righteousnesse not for himselfe hee needed it not but that as I said hee might communicate it to his brethren And this garment of righteousnesse is so perfect that it couers all our nakednesse from head to foot both of the Soule and Body for in both he suffered His blessed head was crowned with thornes that hee might satisfie for the proud imaginations of our braine His hands and feete which neuer offended were pierced with Nayles that hee might satisfie for the vnrighteous deedes wee haue done with our hands and feet and so of the rest of his sufferings As Iacoh couered with the garment of his elder brother got the blessing so wee couered with the sweet smelling garment of our elder Brother the Lord Iesus are acceptable to God for in him the Father is well pleased The second garment which vnder this the Christian puts on is the garment of sanctification compact as wee said of many vertues both these at one instant are giuen to the Christian the one defends him from the wrath of God the other sanctifieth and reformeth corrupted Nature Other garments may couer the nakednesse and filthie sores of the bodie but cannot cure them This garment both couers and cures our filthy nakednes it turnes our sicknes into health our darknesse into light for whosoeuer puts on the Lord Iesus for his righteousnesse to iustification puts him on also for holinesse to sanctification so full of Grace and Vertue is the Lord Iesus that not onely by the merit of his sufferings doth hee pacifie the wrath of God towards all them in whom hee is but also by his vertue sanctifieth them by creating a new minde and a new heart in them hee maketh them new creatures The third is a suite of complete armour most necessarie for the Christian for Sathan enuying this new happinesse of man endeuours continually to defile or rent in pieces our garment of holinesse sometime hee assaults our Patience sometime our Temperance c. so that it is not possible for the Christian to keepe vnviolated the seuerall pieces of his holy garment vnlesse hee put on the whole complete armour of God The seuerall pieces of armour requisite to preserue the seuerall graces of the Spirit are set downe Ephes. 6. called there the armour of God both because it is that God furnisheth vs with them and also because no other then these can serue vs in the spirituall warre-fare For in the bodily war-fare men commonly doe resist their aduersaries by such weapons as their enemies doe impugne them with all but in the spirituall if wee sight against Sathan in his Instruments with such weapons as they vse in sighting against vs the aduersarie shall easily ouercome vs. And therefore as Dauid cast from him the armour of Saul and tooke him to weapons farre vnlike those that Goliah brought against him so must wee when wee goe out in the name of God against that vncleane vncircumcised Philistim cast from vs carnall weapons and take vs to the armour of God if we would be sure of victory That is wee must not render euill for euill nor rebuke for rebuke but if our enemies curse vs let vs blesse them if they persecute vs let vs pray for them that so we may ouercome euill with good The last garment is his Sabboth dayes garment which in this life is not put vpon him but is kept in his Fathers Treasure till his warre-fare be ended then shall he be decked with all those excellent ornaments whereof we haue spoken The Censure But the want of these garments proueth that all are not Christians indeed who now vsurpe the Christian name CHAPTER VI. Of his New Names THe Christian being born againe as we haue said is aduanced by the Lord with many honourable stiles in holy Scripture for he is called The Son of God 1. Ioh. 3. the heire of God Rom. 8. Christs brother Iohn 20. Christs fellow-heyre Rom. 8. a spirituall man who discerneth all things 1. Cor. 2. 15. a new creature 2. Cor. 5. a free-man Ioh. 8. a holy man 2. Cor. 6. a Citizen with the Saints and Burges of heauenly Ierusalem Ephes. 2. 19. the Lords domestique or houshold man Eph. 2. the Lords annoynted 1. Iohn 3. a branch of a wilde Oliue contrary to nature ingrafted into the right Oliue Rom. 11. 14. an Israelite in whom there is no guile Ioh. 1. one of the congregation of the first borne Heb. 12. 23. one of Gods peculiar people 1 Pet. 2. 9. a member of Christ 1 Cor. 6. the Temple of the holy Ghost 1 Cor. 6. a royall Priest 1 Pet. 2. 9. the elect man of God Col. 3. 12. a vess●…ll of mercie Rom. 9. a childe of the marriage Chamber Mat. 9. an excellent one Psal. 16. 3. The Christians Prayer for Grace to answere these Names O Lord who promised that thy Children should be called with a new Name which the mouth of the Lord should name and according there to hast put thy name vpon thy Children confirme I beseech thee all this great goodnesse which thou hast spoken to thy seruant let it please thee to blesse mee and I shall be blessed teach me to chuse that which pleaseth thee and to take hold of thy couenant that thy name may be sanctified in me and I may walke worthy of my heauenly vocation so shalt thou fully performe to me thy promise and giue mee that euerlasting name which shall neuer be ●…ut out and thy name shall be stable and magnified for euer praise and honour and glory without ●…nd appertayning to thee THE OBSERVATIONS THE first man being blessed of God in the day wherein hee was created had his name called Adam to remember him that hee was taken from the dust but now higher stiles and names are giuen by God to the Christian to declare that high honour and dignitie wherevnto by Christ hee is aduanced in this his new Creation For albeit it be customable among men to vsurpe stiles which do far surmount their estate for there hee that is a vessell of dishonour oftentimes is named honourable and many slaues of Sathan goe vnder the name of great Lords Yet is it not so with God for to whom soeuer hee giues a name to them also hee giues the thing