Selected quad for the lemma: father_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
father_n	love_n	love_v	world_n	20,088	5	6.2970	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A85401	Irelands advocate: or, A sermon preached upon Novem. 14, 1641. to promote the contributions by way of lending, for the present reliefe of the Protestants party in Ireland. In the parrish church of St. Stephens Coleman Street London, by the pastor there.	Goodwin, John, 1594?-1665.	1642 (1642)	Wing G1178; Thomason E149_2; ESTC R5164	23,228	41

among themselves doubtlesse it is their duty also to manifest this love in the full proportion and in all the dimensions of it with expressions sutable to it and every waie commensurable with it when opportunity requireth A candle is not lighted to be put under a Bed or a Bushell as our Saviour speaketh no more is an excellencie or fervencie of love injoyned the servants of God to be dissembled or to be kept prisoner in the hearts or soules of men but chiefly for this end and purpose that the heat light and beauty of it may be the comfort riches strength and glory of the whole society or body The Greeke word {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} translated fervent properly signifieth that which is extended or stretched out at large or at length and doubtlesse the spirit and soule as it were of this injunction or exhortation is that there ought to be such a love vigent in the hearts of all beleevers that should be able and ready upon all occasions of their Brethrens necessities to doe execution if need be a great way off and to stretch out it selfe in the fruites and expressions thereof beyond the line of the ordinary affections of men as a fire that is very hot and hath much wood burning upon it will warme men at a great distance from it I forbeare the drawing together any more Scriptures for this service the minde of them I conceive this way is better known unto us generally then to require any anxious or long examination Let us make forward to the grounds and Reasons of the point Reason 1 First we ought to rise to the highest in our expressions of love to the Brethren in Christ when their conditions doe require it because God requireth this at our hands as ye have heard It is one of the impositions of heaven upon us It is a tribute of thankfullnesse which God hath said upon the Great and rich commodity of salvation by Jesus Christ to be paid toties quoties as oft as the necessities of our fellow-Beleevers call for it We ought saith the Holy-Ghost in the words of the Text to lay down our lives for the Brethren Now the laying down of our lives we know is an expression of love that goeth very farre and reacheth very high So then if we acknowledge a lawfull Authority and Soveraignty of Heaven over us in other things and all things meet and fit to be done every thing to be just matter of duty that God requireth us there is no withstanding the truth of the Doctrine which requireth the deepest and weightiest expressions of our love to our Brethren in Christ when they stand in need of them Reason 2 Secondly Because God doth not only require this at our hands but he hath himselfe begun unto us in the highest and deepest expressions of his love unto us he hath provoked and ingaged us hereunto not so much by his own example as by the choice of his Subject upon whom he was pleased to exemplifie this exceeding love of his in the highest demonstrations of it viz. our selves So God loved the world i. the inhabitants of the world men that he gave his only begotten Sonne as John 3. 16. If God had shewed the same love unto the lapsed Angels which he hath done unto Men if he had lifted up the like horne of salvation for them there had bin the like Example but there had not bin the like engagement or provocation unto us to rise to those heights of shewing love likewise where he should appoint as now there is As the example of love which he hath now shewn to men is not any such obligement upon the reprobate Angels to shew love anywhere as it would have bin had themselves bin the object of this love of his Reason 3 Thirdly Like Father like Sonne Jesus Christ himselfe hath walked in the steps of his Fathers love and hath gone as high in the declaration and expressions of his love as the Father hath done in his He hath given himselfe and offered up himselfe in sacrifice upon the service of the peace and happinesse of a most miserable wofull and sinfull world For we must not look upon the death and sufferings of Christ simply as the ransome and attonement of the world nor as the gift of the Father only unto the world for the ransome of it for then we shall fall short in our reckonings but further as the free and glorious testimony and pledge of the unspeakable and unconceivable love of Christ himselfe unto the world The Holy Ghost is very carefull to vindicate the honour and glory of the love of Iesus Christ himselfe in his death and so to recommend and set forth the love of God the Father in giving his Sonne unto the world that he may not drowne or quench or prejudice in the least measure the glory of the love of Christ himselfe herein Here in perceive we love those words of God were not in the former translation neither are they found in the best Greek copies that he i. e. Christ hath layd down his life for us in the word immediately before the Text besides many like expressions wherby it appeares that the death and sufferings of Christ were not of constraint or necessity as the typicall sacrifices of Beasts under the Law were who had no inward principle to incline or make them willing to offer themselves they were faine to be drawn and dragged to the Altar by a strong hand and to be bound with cords to the horns thereof otherwise there was no sacrificatorie death to be had of them but the sufferings of Christ were absolutely and intirely free and consequently excellent and high expressions of his love unno us And the truth is were the frame of our hearts eminently spirituall and our apprehensions truly Noble and keene in touch and tast of things of highest worth and excellencie the death of CHRITT would be more taking and transporting with us in respect of the Parent that brought it forth I meane his love to the World then in respect of al the Children that are brought forth by it I meane all the great benefits and blessings and priviledges that are procured and purchased by it for the world But generally we are even the best of us no better then a generation of spirituall pothunters all for the prey but little or nothing for the game So then this is another ground or reason of the Point we are bound to rise high in the expressions of our love when CHRIST shall require it because we have received like measure from his hand and where much is given much may very lawfully and equally be required Reason 4 Fourthly by such excellent expressions of your love to your Brethren in the Faith as are required of you you shall glorifie the Name of CHRIST on earth and convince the judgements and Consciences of ignorant and wicked men that he is what he is viz. the Sonne of

God and sent into the world by him to be the Saviour thereof Thus CHRIST prayes unto his Father for those that shall beleeve in him that they may all be one as the Father and he are one so that they also may be one in them that for this end that the world may beleeve that thou meaning God his Father hast sent me and somwhat more plainly verse the 23. I in them and thou in me that they may be perfect in one that the world may know viz. by this their perfection or being made perfect in one that thou hast sent me c. But what is there in this in Beleevers being made perfect in one as our Saviours expression is that should produce such an effect in the world as is here attributed to it viz. the making them to know or the giving of them to understand that God hath senr JESUS CHRIST into the world what proportion is there betweene such an effect as this and such a cause as that I must not stand to open my selfe at large in this take a tast of what I would say further in two words By being made perfect in one our Saviour doubtlesse meaneth that entirenesse and dearenesse of affection that should be between them their being made all one heart as it were and one soule Love we use to say is an affection of union and when it is reciprocally and mutually fervent and strong and rais'd to an excellent degree though amongst never so many it makes a strong consolidation of all into one so that every one hath in effect the same strength and the same wisdome and so every other perfection which any other hath yea or which they all have amongst them In such a case one man so perfected in one with others though never so many hath as much of every thing that is desirable or good as they all have together Now then when those that beleeve in JESUS CHRIST are thus made perfect in one thus intimatly and mightily affecting one another that entercourse of Love and those glorious expressions of this affection passing to and fro from time to time betweene them cannot but be taken notice of by the world and the interpretation of what they see and take notice of in this kinde can lightly be no other when their judgments and consciences are but in any measure themselves then this that that CHRIST whose Disciples and followers these men professe themselves to be was doubtlesse the Sonne of GOD and hath appeared unto them otherwise such an excellent Spirit of Love which we see and behold could not worke in them As Nebuchadnezar and his Nobles saw a fourth man in the Furnace walking with those three which he had cast in whose appearance was like the Sonne of God So in those flames of love wherein the Saints and servants of JESUS CHRIST live and walke together on Earth there is a Spirituall visage or appearance of one greater then they even the appearance of their Great Lord and Master JESUS CHRIST himselfe We should answere that objection here but that we have no time But are there not many other factions or societies of men in the world that hold fast together expresse themselves many times with much affection and cordialnesse one towards another therfore how should any expression of Love whatsoever betweene those that truly beleeve be any argument or conviction unto men that Iesus Christ is he that he is the Sonne of GOD and sent by him into the world we must respite the full answere to this objection to some other time Only you may please to take a tast in two words of what would have bin further enlarged upon this occasion It is true there are many factions and parties and combinations of men in the world that seeme very deere and deeply ingaged amongst themselves that are ready to stand up to plead the cause one of another perhaps even unto blood But here is the difference betweene the affection of love which seemes to rule in other Societies of men and that which ruleth amongst true beleevers when they are perfected in one the reason ground or roote of that affection or deerenesse which reigneth amongst Christians is not any thing visible any thing savoring of the flesh nor can their enemies the men of the world satisfie their judgements or consciences in conceiving so of it though many times they satisfie one another in so speaking whereas the band wherewith other societies of men are chain'd and link'd together is alwaies somewhat that is naturall and which falls within the reach and comprehension of a naturall understanding So that the greatest affection that is found amongst naturall men leadeth the apprehension but to that naturall thing which is the ground and cause of it and there it stayeth but that affection which is or should be found amongst Christians carrieth the minde and thoughts of him that diligently inquireth into the originall and pedegree of it unto a supernaturall principle which can be no other but Jesus Christ as might be shewed more particularly but time hasteneth Reason 5 By such deepe and deere expressions of our love to the Brethren we may be a meanes to open the eyes of the ignorant and blinde and cause them to see and looke upon him whom they have pierced with their sinnes hitherto especially with the sinne of their unbeliefe This reason runs pararell with the former and depends in part upon it Strange tongues and so other miracles are for a signe unto those that beleeve not saith Paul 1 Cor. 14. 22. viz. for the conviction of their unbeliefe and as it were the opening of an effectuall dore unto them to beleeve Now such expressions of Love as we speake of betweene the Saints are of the same kinde of importance and working that tongues and miracles were By this saith Christ John 13 35. shall all men know that yee are my Disciples that is may know it hereby that there is an aptnesse in it to convince them hereof if yee have love one to another Now that which is a meanes to discover and prove men to be the Disciples of Iesus Christ is a meanes likewise of great efficiencie and power to prevaile with men that are yet strangers and enemies to him to become his Disciples also For such a Master were he known and those that know his Disciples cannot lightly be ignorant of him would draw Disciples apace after him Reason 6 The command lies with the same weight and charge upon others also in respect of us and our necessities Indeed if Christ had singled out us out of all the world or any other parcell of beleevers and had imposed that by way of duty which the Text or Doctrine speakes of to lay down our lives or to rise so high in our expression of love unto the rest of the Saints and had not layd the same charge and commandement indifferently upon them in respect of us and our necessities