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
A34673	The covenant of Gods free grace most sweetly unfolded and comfortably applied to a disquieted soul from that text of 2 Sam. 23. Ver. 5. : also a doctrinall conclusion that there is in all such who are effectually called, in-dwelling spirituall gifs [sic] and graces wrought and created in them by the Holy Ghost / by that reverend and faithful minister of Gods word, Mr. John Cotton, Teacher of the Church at Boston in New-England ; whereunto is added, A profession of faith, made by the reverend divine, Mr. John Davenport, in New-England, at his admission into one of the Churches there.	Cotton, John, 1584-1652.; Davenport, John, 1597-1670. A profession of faith.	1645 (1645)	Wing C6424; ESTC R30971	35,301	46

when we shall be presented blamelesse without spot or wrincle before the presence of his glory Reasons of the point Reason 1 The first Reason is taken from the expresse testimony of Scripture speaking of the gifts of the Holy Ghost as being in us and fruitfull in us 2 Pet. 1.5 6 7 8. Adde moreover saith hee to your faith vertue and to vertue knowledge and to knowledge temperance and to temperance patience and to patience godlinesse and to godliness brotherly kindnesse and to brotherly kindnesse love For if these things be in you and abound they make you that you shall neither be barren nor unfruitfull in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ From whence the Reason is concluded thus Faith Vertue Knowledge Temperance Patience Godlinesse Brotherly-kindnesse Love they are all in us and make us fruitfull in Christ The Text is plain but all these are neither the Holy Ghost himself for then one Holy Ghost should be added to another or one part of the Holy Ghost should be added to another Nor are they the actions of the Holy Ghost proceeding from us for these things are in us and abounding in us and consequently abiding in us and they cause us to bring forth actions meet for Christian profession For they are said to make us fruitfull in the knowledge of Christ vers 8. Therefore they are the gifts of grace abiding in us Reason 2 The second Reason is taken from such places of Scripture as put an expresse difference between the Holy Ghost and his gifts in us and the exercise of these gifts by us In 2 Tim. 1.6 Stirre up saith Paul to Timothy the gift of God which is in thee and vers 14. that good Treasure or thing which was committed to thee keep by the Holy Ghost which dwelleth in us where there is a plain difference between the gift of God and the stirring up of that gift which is the exercise of it and the Holy Ghost which helped him to keep it and to use it Object But hee speaketh of ministeriall gifts not of gifts accompanying salvation He speaketh of both Answ for in the verse next before vers 5. hee putteth Timothy in minde of the unfeigned faith which saith hee is in thee and which dwelt first in thy grandmother Lois and in thy mother Eunices and now in thee also Whence the Reason is plain If unfeigned faith and other such like gifts of God dwelt in Timothy and in his mother and in his grand-mother then there be gifts of grace accompanying salvation that dwell in such as are effectually called But the former is plain out of the Text therefore so is the latter In 2 Cor. 6.6 the Apostle saith He with the other Apostles approved themselves as the Ministers of Christ by purenesse by knowledge by long-suffering by kindnesse by the Holy Ghost by love unfeigned Object But by these Paul and the rest approved themselves as the Ministers of Christ and therefore hee speaketh of ministeriall gifts not of gifts accompanying salvation The inference is naught Answ for a man cannot approve himself as a Minister of Christ by ministeriall gifts without such gifts as do accompany salvation and therefore the Apostle doth plainly instance not only in ministeriall gifts but such also as do accompany salvation as purenesse long-suffering love unfeigned In 1 Cor. 12.4 The Apostle saith there be deversities 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is of gifts of grace which he distinguisheth from operations vers 6. Object But hee speaketh of ministeriall gifts not of gifts accompanying salvation Hee speaketh not only of ministeriall gifts but of all gifts of grace by which we are knit to Christ and one to another as head and members of one body and in respect of which The eye cannot say to the hand I have no need of thee nor the head to the feet I have no need of you vers 21. Reason 3 The third Reason is taken from the estate of the person united to Christ which being united is not a naturall but a spirituall man The Reason standeth thus If there be no spirituall gifts of grace wrought and created in the soul then Christ is united by the Spirit of God to the naturall man For without spiritual gifts there is nothing but nature in us to which Christ by his Spirit is united But Christ is not united by the spirit to the naturall man Proof of this 1 Cor. 2.14 The naturall man doth not receive the things of God nor of the Spirit of God and therefore doth not receive Christ united to him Object A man is not a naturall man but a spirituall man when the Spirit of God dwelleth in him True Answ because the Spirit of God where he dwelleth worketh gifts of spirituall grace but if he should not the soul would be still naturall as the Temple of Solomon was still a materiall Temple not a spirituall Temple as wee are 1 Pet. 2.5 though God dwelt in it because hee wrought not gifts of spirituall grace in the Temple whereby it might live unto God In all union the things united are distinct from the bond by which they are united Christ is one thing the soul is another the Spirit of God that uniteth them is distinct from both Now take the Spirit of God as a distinct thing from the soul and what is the soul but a naturall soule And so Christ by his Spirit being united to the naturall soul is united to the naturall man Reas 4 The fourth Reason is taken from the nature and kinde of that life which the members of Christ do live thus If the members of Christs body be living members and living stones then they live either by some gifts of spirituall grace created in them or else they live the uncreated life of the Holy Ghost communicated to them But they do not live the uncreated life of the Holy Ghost communicated to them therefore they live by the gifts of spirituall grace created in them The former Proposition or major is plain because the dis-junction is immediate there is no middle way can be given but either wee ●●st live a created life by some gifts of spirituall grace created in us or else we must live the uncreated life of the Holy Ghost communicated to us The latter Proposition or minor is as plain for no creature if being finite can live an increated life which is infinite but we are creatures and finite and the life of the Holy God is increated and infinite therefore wee cannot live his life Object The life of head and members root and branches is the same First Answ the life of Christs humane nature is not the infinite and uncreated life of the Holy Ghost which may serve for another proofe of the latter Proposition that wee do not live the uncreated life of the Holy Ghost communicated to us For we cannot live an higher or greater spirituall life then the humane nature of Christ lived But the humane nature of Christ lived

continually dwelling in them by his holy Spirit begetting and nourishing in them faith hope love repentance obedience with peace and joy unto immortality but on the contrary limiting using restraining the reprobates his enemies by his mighty power as seemeth good in his divine wisdome and justice to their seduction hardening and condemnation till his appearing in glory with his mighty Angels to judge both quick and dead where he will be and separate all his elect from them for ever punishing the wicked with everlasting perdition from his presence and joyning together the godly with himself in endlesse glory 12. Concerning his Kingdome 2. In speciall That in the mean time besides his absolute rule in the world Christ hath here on earth a spirituall Kingdome in his Church which hee hath purchased and redeemed to himself as a peculiar inheritance into the body whereof he doth by the power of his Word and Spirit gather his heople calling them through the Ministery of the Gospel out of the world and from Idolatry superstition and from all works of darknesse to fellowship with Jesus Christ and by him with the Father and the Holy Ghost and with his people making them a royall Priesthood an holy nation a people set at liberty to shew forth the vertues of him that hath called them out of darkness into his marvellous light and uniteth them together as members of one body in his faith love and holy order unto all generall and mutuall duties and instructs and governs them by those instruments and ordinances which he himself hath prescribed in his word for the edification of his body the Church 13. Concerning the Application of Redemption That the Holy Ghost is sent by the Father and the Son to make application of Redemption only to those whom the Father hath by his eternall Decree given to Christ and for whom Christ maketh intercession to his Father and whom the Father accepts in Christ unto fellowship of the everlasting Covenant of his free Grace having called them out of the world to fellowship with Jesus Christ by the Gospel made effectually to that end by the mighty power and operation of the Holy Ghost Which grace of effectuall calling is thus dispensed to a poor lost sinner awakened and humbled by the Law through the effectuall working of the spirit of bondage judging himself worthy to be destroyed for his sins and seeing himself utterly destitute of all help or hope of himself The Lord in the preaching of the Gospel by the powerfull work of the Holy Ghost revealeth the fulnesse and all-sufficiencie of that grace and salvation which is laid up in Jesus Christ as the only sutable good to him that hee also enableth him spiritually and savingly to apprehend Jesus Christ as given him of the Father And the same Spirit having thus enlightened him doth leave a supernaturall vertue and impression of Gods love upon the soul whereby the soul is drawn to close with Christ and with that grace of God in him so entirely that there is now nothing between Christ and the soul but it willingly parts with all things that hinder his enjoying of Christ and by this effectuall calling all that are brought to Christ are 1. justified that is absolved from sin and death and accounted righteous unto life for and through Christ apprehended received and relied upon by faith 2. They are adopted that is accepted for Christs sake to the dignity of Gods children They are also 3. sanctified that is really changed by degrees from the impurity of sin to the purity of Gods Image and lastly they are glorified that is changed from the misery or punishment of sin unto everlasting happinesse which begins in the inward sense of Gods love to them in Christ whence they have hope of glory boldnesse in accesse to God certainty of salvation peace joy unspeakable and it endeth in their full perfection in soul and body 14. Concerning a particular instituted Church and the Priviledges thereof That it is a company of faithfull and holy people or persons called out of the world to fellowship with Jesus Christ and united in one Congregation to him as members to their head and one with another by a holy covenant for mutuall fellowship in all such wayes of holy worship of God and of edification of one towards another as God himself hath required in his Word of every Church of Christ and the members thereof 15. Concerning the manner of gathering a Church That it is the duty of all Christians having renounced all false wayes of Idolatrous Antichristian and superstitious worship and of sin and the world as to instruct and govern their own families according to God so to joyn willingly together in Christian communion and orderly covenant and by free confession of the faith and profession of their subjection to the Gospel of Christ to unite themselves unto peculiar and visible Congregations wherein as members of one body whereof Christ is the head they are to worship God according to his Word To this Church he hath given royall priviledges as the holy Oracles the Promises the Seals of the Covenant his presence love protection and blessing in a speciall manner here all that acknowledge him to be their Prophet Priest and King are to be inrolled amongst his houshold servants and to present their bodies and soules and gifts and solemn services for a spirituall sacrifice acceptable to God by Jesus Christ Being thus united they to whom God hath given gifts to interpret the Scriptures being approved by the Church and appointed thereunto may and ought to teach publikely the Word of God by prophecying according to the proportion of faith for edification exhortation and comfort of the Church till such time as men may be had fit for such office or offices as Christ hath appointed to the publike Ministery of his Church and then they are upon due triall to proceed to the choyce and ordination of those officers according to God and then the officers are to dispense the seals of the Covenant viz. Baptisme to the seed of the faithfull in their Infancy and to others not yet baptized when by profession of their faith they are added to the Church And all of the Church that are of yeers and are able to examine themselves must communicate also in the Lords Supper in both kindes viz. Bread and Wine 16. Concerning the Sacraments That they are in the ordinance of God signs and seals of Gods everlasting Covenant with us representing and offering to all receivers but exhibiting only to true believers the Lord Jesus Christ and all his benefits unto righteousnesse sanctification and eternall life through faith in his name to the Glory and praise of God 17. Concerning the power of every Church That Christ hath given the power of chusing Officers and of receiving in or calling of any member to the whole body together of every Church and not to any one member apart or to more members sequestred from the whole or to any other Congregation to do it for them yet so as every Church ought to use the best help they can hereunto and the most meet member they have to pronounce the same in their publike Assemblies if they want Officers And to this censure and judgement of Christ duly and orderly dispensed every member of the Congregation yea and officer also how exellent or learned soever he be is subject Yet ought not the Church without great care and advice to proceed against such publike persons 18. Concerning the Communion of Churches That although particular Churches be distinct and severall Independent bodies every one as a city compact within it self without subordination under or dependence upon any other but Jesus Christ yet are all Churches to walk by one and the same rule and by all means convenient to have the counsell and help one of another when need requireth as members of one body in the common faith under Christ their only Head 19. Concerning Church-officers That Christ when hee ascended up on high gave gifts unto men and disposed of them in severall functions and for publike ordinary ministery he gave Pastors Teachers Elders Deacons helpers for the instruction government and service of his Church to the worlds end and that none may usurp or execute a Ministery in the Church but such as are rightly called by the Church whereof they stand Ministers and being so called they ought to give all diligence to fulfill their Ministery and to be found faithfull and unblamable in all things And that this ministery is alike given to every Church of Christ with like and equall power and commission to have and enjoy the same as God offereth fit men and means and the same rules are given to all for the election and execution thereof in all places which rules lawes it is not lawfull for those Ministers or for the Church wittingly to neglect or transgresse in any part And those Ministers thus chosen and executing their office faithfully every Church is bound to have them in singular love for their works sake to reverence them according to the dignity of their office which they execute and to provide for them that they be not entangled with the cares of this life according to the Law of Christ And this to do not as in way of courtesie or mercy but out of duty to them in the Lord and having hope in God that the resurrection shall be of the just and of the unjust of the just to the resurrection of life and of the unjust to the resurrection of condemnation 20. Concerning giving every man his due That unto all men is to be given whatsoever is due to them in regard of their office place gifts wages estate and condition endeavouring our selves to have alwayes a conscience void of offence towards God and towards men FINIS