Selected quad for the lemma: virtue_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
virtue_n	love_n	patience_n	temperance_n	1,797	5	11.2015	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A47513	A new family-book, or, The true interest of families being directions to parents and children, and to those who are instead of parents : shewing them their several duties, and how they may be happy in one another : together with several prayers for families and children, and graces before and after meat : to which is annexed a discourse about the right way of improving our time / by James Kirkwood ... ; with a preface, by Dr. Horneck.	Kirkwood, James, 1650?-1709.; Horneck, Anthony, 1641-1697.	1693 (1693)	Wing K647; ESTC R15399	107,616	291

consider that they are to be employed in the greatest the most painful and most dangerous work in the World and therefore 3 dly They ought to do all that in them lies to fit and prepare such Children that they may undertake this Sacred Employment as they ought to do More than ordinary care is to be taken that their minds be furnished with good Impressions that they be inspired with a great Love to God and with a mighty Zeal for his Honour and Glory They must be daily trained up in the Practice of Humility of Meekness of Patience of Temperance of Charity and of all other Virtues and Graces they must be kept from seeing and hearing bad things so far as may be their minds must be strongly fortified against Temptations and all that is possible must be done to keep them from the danger that comes from evil Company and corrupt Example They must be entrusted to the good Conduct of Excellent and Worthy Persons by whose means they may be formed to as high a sense of true Piety as may be that so when they come abroad into the World their light may shine before others If Parents who dedicate their Children to the Holy Ministry would in this manner endeavour to act the part of Men who have a lively sense of God upon their Souls who are possessed with a mighty Zeal for his Glory and are earnestly desirous to promote the Kingdom of Jesus Christ we might hope to see very speedily the Blessed Effects of their Pious Endeavours Religion would flourish more than it does at this day and Impiety and Irreligion would not so much Triumph as alas they do Secondly When they are fit for Marriage Parents are so to dispose of them as that in all likelyhood they may be happy in such a state of Life They are not to constrain then to marry against their Will for such Marriages are seldom Happy they end too often in somewhat or other very Tragical and Calamitous to one or t'other Party if not to both Great care is to be taken that there be not too great inequality of outward state and condition for that occasions often neglect and contempt of the Person that is Inferiour to the other in some External Advantages Nor yet too great Inequality of Years for that doth likewise sooner or later cause an Abatement and Decay and sometimes an utter Extinction of that Respect and Love which is necessary to make those who are Married Happy Parents are not in disposing of their Children in Marriage to govern themselves wholly by their respect to Riches and Honour but are to have a regard to Virtue and Goodness so far as to prefer one who is Discreet and Wise of a Virtuous and good Disposition to another that is foolish or indiscreet and Prophane and Atheistical tho' attended with greater degrees of Wealth and Earthly Honour 'T is reported of Themistocles a Famous Athenian Captain that when several young Men came i● Suit of his Daughter he preferred one who was a Wise and Virtuous Person to another that was very Rich. When some People wondered at this choice he told them he had rather have a Man without Money than Money without a Man What a great reproach is it to our Religion to think that so many Parents in disposing of their Children only consider how much Wealth they may have and what Friends and Alliances they may make by marrying into such a Family or what Profits and Preferments may be expected thereby As for any other thing they do not much trouble their heads about it They know no other Happiness but in the things of this life and therefore they seek nothing else for their Children but to make them Great and Wealthy by which means it often comes to pass that they bring their Children into a most miserable and unhappy state of life in which they must pine away their days in Sorrow and Grief in the company of Foolish and Wicked Wretches who are often in a fury and rage who spend their time in Gaming and Drinking in Cursing and Swearing in Quarrelling and Fighting in Whoring and Ranting and such like woful doings which cannot but prove to those who have any the least degree of real goodness so very uneasie and afflictive that Wealth and Riches can make no amends for them Such unfortunate Persons cannot but often envy the happiness of those who are in a very poor and low Estate and Condition but yet live in Peace and Quietness in Love and Concord and in the fear of Cod and so enjoy real satisfaction and contentment and have a great deal of Comfort to sweeten their outward Wants and Necessities For as the Wise Man says Prov. 15. 16 17. Better is little with the fear of the Lord than great Treasure and Trouble therewith Better is a Dinner of Herbs where Love is than a stalled Ox and Hatred therewith But besides all this it too often falls out that they who are given in Marriage to Vicious and Profligate Persons are sooner or later involved in those Judgments which are caused by the Sins and Follies of the Persons to whom they are matched 'T is true such Persons have a great deal to support their Spirits if they have not been Partakers with them in their works of Darkness In this case there is no doubt but their Merciful and Gracious God will order what they suffer for their good But alas it too often comes to pass that they who are unequally yoked either with Persons of a false Religion or of a Wicked Life do by degrees degenerate from their strict and Virtuous Education Tho' formerly they seemed to have a right sense of Religion and a great Inclination to the best things yet sooner or later by the Example and Perswasions of their Irreligious and Atheistical Relatives they lose all sense of God and give up themselves to all manner of Wickedness 'T is said of Jehoram who was Educated under a Religious Father Jehosaphat 2 Chron. 21. 6. That he walked in the way of the Kings of Israel like as did the House of Ahab for he had the Daughter of Ahab to Wife c. Where 't is very observable that this unequal Marriage of Jehoram is noted as the cause of his great Wickedness And from the following Verses it appears how many heavy Judgments fell upon him for his Impiety To what hath been said may be added that the hurt and inconvenience attending such Marriages does not only affect the Married Persons themselves but likewise extends to their Off-spring and Posterity who are in great danger of being corrupted as to their Religion and Manners by the Influence and Example of their Parents 'T is observed as one principal cause of the Wickedness of Rehoboam 1 Kings 14. 21. That his Mother was an Ammonitess which is repeated v. 31. to shew us that 't is a matter which deserves to be taken notice of To the same purpose 't

of making their Children Lovers and Followers of that which is good All wise and good People who observe the Truth and Faithfulness the Justice and Uprightness the Meekness and Modesty the Prudence and Discretion and the other Virtues which appear in Children must needs conceive and entertain very respectful thoughts of the Parents themselves by whose means the Children have been so Virtuously and Religiously Formed and Educated But besides all that has been said Good and Virtuous Children afford manifold Advantages to their Parents The Psalmist Psal. 128. 3. compares them to Olive Plants round about the Table of their Parents that is as Olive Plants are not only for Ornament but of great use to those who possess them so good Children are not only Ornaments to their Parents but very useful and profitable to them in many regards for example they serve their Parents they assist and help them in their Employment they stand by them in their danger and defend them they provide for them in their want they pray for them and do many Important Offices to them so that no wonder if the Psalmist saith Psal. 127. 5. Happy is the Man that hath his Quiver full of them they shall not be ashamed but they shall speak with the Enemies in the Gate That is it makes Parents Couragious it encourages them to appear in publick in their own just defence when they have worthy Children to attend them and to assist them against those who endeavour to wrong them Fourthly The benefit of the good Education of Children is not confined to the Parents alone but is extended both to Church and State Families being the Nurseries both of one and t'other 1 st As to the Church when Children are rightly educated in the Knowledge and Practice of true Religion they will then be sure to observe all such things as tend to Peace Unity and Edification they will readily and gladly joyn in Religious Assemblies and carefully avoid whatever tends to unnecessary Separation Neither will they only joyn outwardly in Christian Assemblies but will be careful likewise to do it sincerely to Worship God in Spirit and in Truth and to hear his Word with great Reverence and Attention with a great desire to know the Divine Will and with a real and hearty design to do it They will also observe all other Sacred Institutions without consulting with Flesh and Blood And as they will do those things themselves so they will do what they can to engage others to do the like And not only will they carry themselves as Christians in publick but likewise in their several Relations and Capacities wherein God hath placed them in the World they will be careful to adorn their Christian Profession they will study to avoid whatever is contrary to true Piety they will Zealously endeavour to do all the good they can in the World For which end they will watch the most fit Occasions of doing good to the Souls of those they are acquainted with and will be sure to comply with any favourable Opportunity of serving them in those things which are for their Everlasting Happiness which tend to make them wiser and better How great a Blessing would it be to the Church to have many such Persons of her Society And therefore as the sense of this ought to excite Parents to do their utmost to Educate their Children in the Fear and Love of God So it ought to stir up the Guides of the Church to employ themselves Vigorously in dealing with younger Persons to make them wise and good in endeavouring all they can to beget in their minds a true Sense of Religion and Virtue to possess them with the Knowledge and Love of God to fortifie them against the many Temptations to Sin and Folly to which they are exposed And in a word to make the● Followers of Christ in true Holines● in this World and fit to live an● Reign with him in Glory in the Wor● to come All who have dealt with Mankind about the concerns of another Life must needs lament that very litt● can be done for reforming Aged People who are hardned in Evil Habits and therefore there is the greater nee● to deal in good earnest with young Persons to prevent their being corrupted and to lay in them the Foundatio● of solid Piety for the time to come 2 dly As to the State it would likewise reap no small Benefit by th● right Education of Children For 〈◊〉 As to those who are to Rule a●● Govern others whether in an highe● or more subordinate Quality if the● are happy in a Pious and Virtuous Education if their minds are season● with Religious Principles if they a●● possessed with a great Love to th● which is good and with a great Abhorrence and Detestation of th● which is Evil if they are trained 〈◊〉 in the daily Practice of Modesty an● Humility of Meekness and Patience of Truth and Faithfulness of Justice and Uprightness of Brotherly Kindness and Charity and of Temperance and Sobriety c. I say if they who are to rule others are Educated in this manner there is great reason to hope that they will prove great Blessings in those publick Capacities to which it shall please God to call them Such Persons are likely to Minister Justice impartially to encourage Piety and Virtue where-ever they see it and to curb and restrain whatever is dishonourable to God and unsuitable to the Christian Profession Whereas on the contrary when they who are to rule others are bred up in Idleness and Luxury are gratified in their Vanity and Folly are cherished in their Passions and Extravagancies are accustomed to no Society but of trifling or Atheistical Persons and are not employed in any useful sort of Business I say when they who are to rule others have such woful Education what can be expected from them but such things only as are dishonourable to God scandalous to Religion and in many regards prejudicial to Mankind 2 dly As for those of lower Quality when once they are inspir'd with the Knowledge of Christian Principles and when these have taken deep root in them and have a due Influence upon them they will not only teach them but also engage them to Honour and Obey their Rulers and that not only for Fear but also for Conscience sake As Christianity will make them give unto God the Things that be God's so it will cause them to give unto Caesar the Things that be Caesar ' s. It will likewise make them true and sincere in all their words just and upright in all their deeds faithful and constant in all their Lawful Undertakings and Charitable and Compassionate to every body in distress studious of Purity and Chastity of Temperance and Sobriety and of Peace and Concord It will cause them as much as is possible to live Peaceably with all Men to seek Peace and to pursue it to be Zealous Peace-makers and to be ready to overcome Evil with Good