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
B03494	Great and precious promises; or, Some sermons concerning the promises, and the right application thereof whereunto are added some other concerning the usefulness of faith in advancing sanctification. As also, three more concerning the faith of assurance. / By Mr. Andrew Gray, late minister of the Gospel in Glasgow. All being revised since his death by some friends.	Gray, Andrew, 1633-1656.; Traill, Robert, 1642-1716.; Stirling, John, b. 1621?	1663 (1663)	Wing G1608A; ESTC R177624	115,304	218

from this point 〈◊〉 that if the seeking after assurance be so necessary a duty then let me beseech you to po●der with your selves what means are fit 〈◊〉 you to use that ye may attain it and if ye 〈◊〉 quire what these means are I shall only 〈◊〉 before you some few 1. That ye would be much in the exerc●● of Faith I mean the direct acts of Faith 〈◊〉 whereby the sinner from his sense and fe●●ing of his wants layeth hold on Jesus Chris● closing with him and leaning upon him 〈◊〉 a full supply out of his fulnesse for indeed there are two great faults amongst the Lord people some do seek assurance of Faith before ever they seek to have faith 2. Some 〈◊〉 much more taken up in debating their ●●dences whether they be real or not then they are instrengthening their evidences so that most of their time is spent in questioning O! is this a real evidence of assurance where as more actual believing in Christ and gripping to the promises and lesse disputing were the shorter and surer way that word is most clear Eph. 1.13 After ye believed ye were sealed with the spirit of promise that is ye got assurance but not before ye believed and ye know it is said Matth. 9.2 And when Jesus saw their faith he said son be of good comfort thy sins are forgiven thee so then it is clear that to be much in believing is the nearest way to assurance 2. Ye would be much in believing the general truths and promises of the Gospel and frequently meditating of them all assurance is by a practical sylogisme the first proposition whereof must needs be a Scripture truth And certainly the firm assent to that truth and the souls delightfull meditation on it is often blessed of the Lord as a special mean whereby the conscience is helped to make the assumption and also to bring forth the conclusion For instance we see with what strength of affection Paul acteth his faith on that word 1 Tim. 1.15 This is a faithfull saying and worthy of all acceptation Christ Jesus came to save sinners and presently we see what followeth on it of whom I am the chief then is his assurance for doubtlesse he meaneth that he was the chief of saved sinners yea certainly a sinner thus exercising himself will often finde so much sweetnesse in the general truths 〈◊〉 cannot but put to his own name 3. diligent in the exercise of all sp●●tual graces and Christian duties that th● among the best means of attaining to 〈◊〉 rance is manifest from 2 Pet. 1. Give all 〈◊〉 ●ance to make your calling and election sure 〈◊〉 ●ndeed it is very observable that the dilig●● there mentioned is not a diligence in disp●●ing and questioning about our election 〈◊〉 diligence in the practice of duties and gra●● as is clear from ver 5. Give all diligence 〈◊〉 the Apostle Whereto in adding to your 〈◊〉 vertue to your vertue knowledge and to knowledge temperance c. and then vers 8. If 〈◊〉 do these things ye shall neither be barren 〈◊〉 unfruitfull in the knowledge of our Lord Jesu● Christ he doth not say in the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ simply but of our Lo●● Jesus importing that that the result of diligence in these graces shall be the knowledge of Christ as ours and of our intere●● in him and then he addeth upon the other hand he that laketh these things is blind 〈◊〉 cannot see afar off this is he cannot see far 〈◊〉 any spiritual matter and so not in the matt●● of his interest O therefore think not th● ye will get assurance by lying down with 〈◊〉 sleggard upon your bed or by your for●● prayers or your anxious debates but if ev●● ye come to assurance ye must be striving 〈◊〉 in an agony for so the word importeth whi●● is used to expresse our diligence in Christian duties 4. As ye would be diligent so if eve● would come to assurance ye would be tender and circumspect in your walking that is 〈◊〉 clear word Psal 50. last verse To him that ●●dereth his conversation aright will I shew ●he salvation of God and Isa 32. The effect of righteousnesse is peace and assurance for ever ●h the untender walk that many of us have it is no wonder to see us walk in darknesse ●uch stinking grosse vapors that ariseth off our conversation cannot but engender clouds ●hat hinder us from seeing God and certainly such pearls as Assurance is not given to dogs and swine lest they tread upon them SERMON VIII 2 Cor. 13.5 Examine your selves whether ye be in the faith prove your own selves know ye not your own selves how that Jesus Christ is in you except ye be reprobates THere are two great ballances into which men do weight themselves there are some that weight themselves in the ballance of deceit who ●hink that in all their labours there is no ini●ui●y to be found yet God who is the weigher ●f the spirit when he shall weigh them will ●●grave this upon their forehead Thou art ●eighed in the ballance and are found light 〈◊〉 but there are many who approve themselves whom Christ shall never appro● There are many that call God Father 〈◊〉 he will not call Children and many th●● Christ Husband whom he will not call 〈◊〉 2. There are some who weigh themselve in the ballance of the Sanctuary who 〈◊〉 so lide and most spiritual grounds do 〈◊〉 this conclusion I am my beloveds and 〈◊〉 desire is towards me who can with boldn●●● and confidence look Christ in the face 〈◊〉 say thou art mine and with much spiri●●● confidence take him in their arms and 〈◊〉 out he shall be eternally mine and 〈◊〉 there is not a more pleasant life than to 〈◊〉 taking him every day in our arms and to 〈◊〉 crying out am I not made up in him am I no● made up in him Before I come to the words there 〈◊〉 three great and most soul concerning errou● amongst the Christians of these dayes th●● we desire ye may consider 1. There 〈◊〉 many that are more desirous to know wh● they are then what they should do th●● are some are more taken up to know wh●ther they be justified and sanctified then 〈◊〉 be indeed justified and sanctified and the● are more desirous to know if they be 〈◊〉 Christ then indeed to be in him and therefore we finde many who do spend a gre●● deal more time disputing that question 〈◊〉 ther am I in Christ or not then they do 〈◊〉 using of these means by which real un●● and communion with him may be attain●● But oh will ye once study more to be in 〈◊〉 and that shall be the shortest way to 〈◊〉 to the knowledge of your being in him Th● second great errour is that some are more desirous to know what they should do the● they are desirous to do what they know 〈◊〉 Are there not many of us that have this question Wherewith shall

continually preserve me that is let thy promises be accomplished and made lively unto me which are ●●y preservation and would ye know the ground and reason that he annexeth unto ●his For saith he Innumerable evils encom●assed me about they have taken such hold of ●e that I am not able to look up He maketh his very want of qualifications the ground of his closing with the promise and seeking the accomplishment of it And there is th●● second expression which is most wonderful● Psal 25.11 David prayeth for the acco●plishment of that promise Pardon my si● upon that same very account Because it 〈◊〉 great And I shall give you a third place i● which the arguing of Faith is most myster●ous Exod. 33. compared with Exod. 34.9 In the first place God demeth the accomplishment of that promise of going 〈◊〉 amongst that people And the ground 〈◊〉 giveth of it is Because saith he ye are 〈◊〉 stiff necked people And chap. 34 verse o● when Moses is praying for the accomplishment of that promise That God would 〈◊〉 amongst them he taketh that same very a●gument out of the mouth of God Go 〈◊〉 amongst us For saith he we are a sti●● necked people God said he would not go up because they were a stiff necked people a●● Moses desireth him to go up because of th●● And there is this lastly that we would sa● to you that so much dispute If ye would have these qualifications that ye want y● would study to close with Christ by Faith Would ye have sorrow for sin then believ● Would ye have high thoughts of Christ th● believe Would ye have humiliation th● believe for believing is a mother grace un●● all these The second duty that we would presse 〈◊〉 on you from this consideration that the pr●mises are free is That when the promis● are given to you and are accomplished ye would study to be denied to any merit in your selves which ye may suppose to be the rise of the giving or accomplishment of the promises There is nothing that a Christian receiveth but it is a fruit of infinit love there is not a conviction that trysteth a Christian but it is the fruit of infinite love there is not one real sigh for sin but it is the fruit of infinit love there is not one blink of the precious countenance of Christ but it is a fruit of infinit love there is not the least degree of hatred against sin but it is the fruit of infinit love there is not the least promise that is accomplished unto you but it is the fruit of infinit love so that upon all our recepts from God there is reason to sing that song Not unto us not unto us but unto thee doth belong the glory And therefore I would presse this upon you O Christians reduce all your mercies unto the fountain and there sit down and pen songs of everlasting praise to him Will ye but take a view of this there is not one bite of bread that ye eat that is within a promise but it is a mercy that hath come running to you through the bowels and tender heart of Christ his heart is the fountain of all our mercies and they sweetly stream out of that precious fountain so that if ye had no other thing to commend your mercy from but that it is a gift of the heart of Christ ye may take it in your arms upon this account and solace your selves with it The last duty that we would presse upon you from this consideration that the promises are free is this Ye would be studying to close with Jesus Christ that is promised and freely holden out to you in the Gospel O sinner of eighty years old O sinner of sixty years old O atheists of fourty year● old and O sinner of twenty years old and downward I do here invite you as the Ambassadour of Jesus Christ to imbrace Christ freely offered in the promise yea I do invite you by all the vertues of that noble Plant of renown by that everlasting love that dwelt in his precious heart by all the sufferings and wounds that he received by his eternal glory and by all the blessings and joyes of heaven and by that love that ye owe unto your precious and immortal souls that ye would come and imbrace him freely offered to you in the Gospel And for the further pressing of this and for clearing of the way of your closing with him I shall first propose some Gospel mysteries and sweetly agreeing contradictions if so we may speak held forth in Scripture 1. Come and buy Christ and yet buy him without money that is come and receive Christ and ye shall have as unquestionable a right to him as if ye had bought him that is to but without money ye have nothing to commend you to Christ but necessities and necessities biddeth you go and Christ bidde● you come why then will ye sit this call 2. What a Gospel-mysterie is that Ye a●● to buy Christ and Christ is above price the●● is nothing that we can give to buy that pe●● of greatest price and yet we must buy him then the meaning is come and buy Christ by faith and by forsaking of your idols this is all the price that he doth require for himself and so he requireth nothing of you but what he himself doth give or what is both your duty and advantage to forsake and which is no gain for him to receive Christ is not enriched by your hearts and by giving of your consent to him 3. This is a Gospel mysterie that we are to buy without money and without price and yet to buy with a price according to that word Prov. 17.17 there is a price put in the hand of fools to buy wisedome and what is the meaning of that to buy with price and buy without price It is in short this though Christ be offered to you in the Gospel freely ye must not sit down but be active in closing with him What is the price that Christ requireth of you even this that ye would forsake your soul destroving idols and that ye would forsake your former evil wayes and take hold of the present opportunity for imbracing him And O! cursed shall the heart be that will not imbrace Christ O but to have him one hour in our arms it were well worth ten thousand Eternities of the enjoyment of all things that are here below ye would never open your arms again to another lover if once ye had him between your breasts O but a sight of him that now is the eternal ravishment of all that are above would transport your hearts with joy with delight and admiration above all expression Fourthly There 〈◊〉 this Gospel mystery by which we would presse you to imbrace Christ A Christia● must buy Christ and yet he must have him freely Is there not an inconsistence do you suppose between buying and having freely But I would say this to clear it

policy may move in one orb and sphere with piety and the one is not contrary to the other in some case 3. This shineth in that discourse even the spiritual boldnesse Paul had in giving an excellent confession of his faith and the declaring him to be God even Jesus Christ in whom he did believe Christ witnessed a glorious confession before Pontius Pilat for him and he would witnesse a glorious confession before Agrippa for Christ that since Christ had not denied him in that notable day he would not now deny precious Christ in this day and this is from the beginning and all alongs Lastly This shineth in the words that Paul doth set forth the matchlesse freedom and unspeakable riches of Christ not only toward himself in that he did cast the lot of everlasting love toward him but likewise toward the Gentiles to whom he was sent as a Preacher and that he did gloriously condescend to visit the dark places of the earth and to have the morning star and the day spring from on high arising on the habitations of cruelty And in this verse which we have read you 〈◊〉 behold these five glorious ends of the pre●●ing of this everlasting Gospel for at●●ing of which Ministers are made instments under God The first is to open 〈◊〉 eyes of the blind which in short is even th● to give those that are ignorant of God 〈◊〉 spiritual knowledge of the deep mysteries the Father and of the Son So that fro● this ye may see that the Gospel hath a ki●● of omnipotency in producing effects abo●● the power of nature The second we ma●● see in these words to remove them from dar●nesse to light Which importeth these two● 1. The removing of persons from an estate of excellent joy 2. The removing of persons from an estate of iniquity unto an est●● of holinesse darknesse in Scripture pointing out sin and light in Scripture pointing out holinesse 3. The bringing us from under the power of Satan unto God the making a blessed exchange of captivity and bondage that these who were under the captivity of Satan may be under the captivity of Love that those who were under the bondage of sin may be under the sweet obedience of Christ whose yoke is easie and whose burden is light Marth 11.30.4 That persons may receive the remission of sins and the for givenesse of their iniquity This is the gre●● voice of the Gospel come to a crucifi●● Christ come to a pardoning Christ com●● to a glorified Christ Christ hath the pardo●● of iniquity in his one hand and riches 〈◊〉 himself in the other and these are the gre●● motives by which he studieth to perswa●e us to come And the last is in the close of the verse that persons may receive foregivenesse of sins and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me that is that they may have a share of that glorious mansion of that excellent Kingdome that Christ hath purchased and hath gone before to prepare And withall in this verse as the words are set down ye may see the excellent and orderly methode that the Gospel keepeth in conquering souls and you may see these excellent allurements these perswasive arguments that Christ holdeth forth to conquer you as it were Christ cometh not unto us cloathed with the robes of Majesty but clothed with the robes of Love and advantage knowing that in this posture he shall most gain upon our hearts Now in speaking unto that last end of the preaching the Gospel we shall only according to our present purpose take notice of this one thing from it not intending to prosecute it as it is an end of the Gospel but as a property of Faith and it is that Faith in Jesus Christ hath a noble and excellent influence upon the growth of Sanctification and the attaining of holinesse they are sanctified saith he through faith in me We shall no● stand long to clear this unto you it is evident from Act. 15.9 where the Apost● telleth us of purifying their hearts by faith And likewise 1 Tim. 1.5 where a pur● heart and faith unfeigned they are ioyne and linked together As likewise 1 Jo● 3.3 Every man that hath this hope in him 〈◊〉 purifieth himself All the Graces of the G●●spel they are linked together by a golden 〈◊〉 unseparable chain so that he that obtaine● one he shall obtain all yea more all th● graces of the Gospel they have a mutual in●fluence upon one anothers growth so tha● we may compare them unto Hypocrates twi●● of whom it was reported that they di● laugh and weep together and they did grow together even so when one grace doth rejoyce the rest doth rejoyce with it and when one grace doth mourn the rest doth also mourn with it and when one grace doth grow the rest of the graces of the spirit they do likewise grow apace There are only three particulars that we shall insist a little upon First We shall shew you how faith hath influence upon the attaining of Sanctification and this we make clear unto you in these respects 1. In that it discovereth to the soul that matchless excellency that transcendent beauty and that surpassing comelinesse that is in Christ which sight doth exceedingly perswade the soul to draw that conclusion What have I to do any more with idols A glorious sight of Christ and acquaintance with him maketh us lose our acquaintance with our idols and when once we are united unto Christ by faith we break that union we had with them And indeed the want of the knowledge of that excellent comelinesse that ●s in Christ and of love to him is the great occasion that the poorest dieries and idols in the world taketh up your hearts did ye but once see him who is that glorious Son of righteousnesse ye would be forced to put in your Amen unto that excellent confession of Faith Eccles 1.2 Vanity of vanities and all is but vanity and vexation of spirit 2. In that it is the grace that discovers unto a Christian the spotlesse holinesse of Christ Faith doth not onely discover the beauty of Christ but likewise his holinesse and this doth make the soul fall in love with that excellent thing Sanctification It is recorded amongst the first steps to sin and misery that we desired to be as Gods knowing good and evil but certainly it is among the first steps to life and happinesse when the soul desireth to be holy as he is holy And I suppose this is the great ground that ye are not much endeavouring a blessed conformity to God and to be partakers of the blessed Image of Christ ye know not the beauty of holinesse 3. aith layeth hold upon Jesus Christ and draweth strength and vertue from him for the conquering of lusts and in raising us up into a blessed conformity unto himself when the Christian is weak Faith is that noble corre●pondent between that emptiness that is in us and