Selected quad for the lemma: love_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
love_n	affection_n	love_v	true_a	4,053	5	4.6245	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A11078	Testis veritatis the doctrine [brace] of King Iames our late soueraigne of famous memory, of the Church of England, of the Catholicke Church : [brace] plainely shewed to bee one in the points of [brace] pradestination, free-will, certaintie of saluation [brace] : with a discouery of the grounds [brace] naturall, politicke [brace] of Arminianisme / by F. Rous.	Rous, Francis, 1579-1659.	1626 (1626)	STC 21347.3; ESTC S4449	57,093	98

others cannot bee saned in case of forgetfulnesse by generall repentance It is the saying of Doctor Francis White The promise Reply to Fisher. of Remission of sinns is conditionall Esay 1. 16. 17. c. and the same becmmeth not absolute vntill the condition be fulfilled either actuall or in desire and preparation of the mind Now if that desire and preparation of the mind to Repentance will serue surely I thinke there is no child of God that hath not had a full desire and purpose to repent of all his particular sinnes and especially the great ones Yea we find in them by experience a preparation and readines of mind to actuall Repentance Dauid hauing his sinne plainly discouered to him presently falls to Repentance and is presenly released of his sinne And Hezechiah being convinced 2. Sam. 12. 13. 2. King 20. 19. of his sin in pride●… presently accepteth the chastisment of his sinne and his humbling immediatly followeth in the Text. And Peter when he had denyed Luke 22. 61. Christ as soone as Christ looked vpon him he went out and wept bitterly Whence it appeareth that the seede of Repentance in these great falls of the Saints is not dead but sleepeth it lyes in the earth during this winter of grace being ready to bud as soone as the frost of Tentation is dissolved and the Sunne of Righteousnesse warmeth it with a new accesse and increase of beames and heate And here I thinke it is worth the obseruing that there are certaine sins that are certainly knowne to be sins yet while the strength of tentation is vpon the Saints they partake very much of the concealement of secret sins For the same lust and corruption that preuaileth vpon the Will of a Saint to do so great a sinne against which his Will was determinately bent and resolued casteth also very commonly a mist on the vnderstanding of the same Saints that the thing formerly appearing out of measure sinfull now doth not looke like a sinne for the flesh hauing darkened the vnderstanding for a season that appeares not in the shape and odiousnesse of sinne to the flesh which most plainly and euidently appeares sinfull being seene by the spirit And therefore a Saint after a great sinne when he comes truely to discerne it is like a man awaked awaked I say out of a slumber of the flesh wherein his eyes were closed and hee saw not sinne to bee sinne and awaked into the light and sight of the Spirit by which alone a man spiritually discerneth So Dauid had neede of a plaine similitude to conuince him of a sinne that was in it selfe plaine enough but no doubt by lust so couered and hid from appearing in the true shape of sinne that before this discouery which awaked the Spirit in him he had not the full and true sight of the odious and vgly face of his sins Briefly Vzzah who dyed in his sinne was saved or damned I thinke no man will be so cruell as to say he was damned wee see he had a good affection to the Arke of God and no doubt a good loue to God for whose sake he loued the Arke but his good loue was ill managed the wrath of God came vpon him because hee serued that God in an ill manner whom no doubt he loued with a good zeale and affection Now if Vzzah was saued by this Doctrine he must actually repent of this sinne which was so mortall to him But first wee reade of no such actuall Repentance and next the suddennesse of the stroake may seeme to preuent it But on the other side if he did actually repent then may any Saint else be thought actually to repent and so this question is againe needelesse as before was proued to be absurd And surely he which gaue Iezabel that sedu●…d the seruants of God a space to repent may be thought to be at least as gracious to the spouse of Christ his Saints and members euen to giue them this space to repent to whom wee know he hath giuen the grace to repent If they doe now reply are Saints immortall having sinned I answer by asking againe Was Iezabell immortall when God gaue her lpace to repent Besids no death can prevent Gods mercy God knowes the time of his Saints and if Sparrowes fall not to the ground without Gods prouidence much lesse doe Saints God hath the time of Saints in his hand and the same God hath also Grace in his hand and therefore nothing can hinder him but that he may prevent the time which he hath in one hand with the grace which he hath in an other Yea as he is the Lord both of life and grace so is he of tentations Therefore as hee can command time to stay and grace to hasten so also can he command tentations to take what time he pleaseth and can make them to keepe what distance he will to the last time of the Saints Yet I may adde further and I thinke that Arminians can hardly disproue it If a Saint haue in him the grace of Repentance which would bring forth the Act of Repentance if it had time it were somwhat strange that a Saint should be damned not for want of grace but only for want of time Now the remaining grace of Repentance after the fall of Saints apeares before in Dauid Hezekiah and Peter who readily repented vpon their summons And even Bertius himselfe confesseth that neither Dauid nor Peter in their falls did wholly loose the Holy Ghost Thirdly this question is grounded on the Popish distinction of sins mortall and veniall A distinction which Doctor Francis White in his Orthodoxe hath with sound reasons and allegations mightily battred There it is said by him That concupisence is as verily sinne as Adultery And that there is a plaine Commandement against it now the breach of any Commandement especially the body of it must needes be mortall So when a man couets his neighbours wife yeahis neighbours Oxe hee hath mortally sinned Herevpon appeares a diuers fault and mischiefe of this question or obiection First a man is in perpetuall feare torment because such lusts do so often arise in him Secondly this obiection hath but onely vanity or nothinges in it For it is an argument raised out of nothing and nothing in the hands of the creature will make nothing The distinction of sins into veniall and mortall is nothing for euery sinne is mortall Death runs along with the whole breach of the Commandements Cursed is hee that continueth not in all things which Deut. 27. 26. are written in the booke of the Law to do them Now if the curse and wrath of God bee annexed to the breach of any part of the Law surely the breach of any part of the Law makes a man subiect to wrath consequently Rom. 8. 23. to death For the wages of sinne euen of all sinne without exception is death Now if all sinne be mortall and the mortalnesse

wrath may be vpon lesser sinnes yea a hot wrath may be vpon a Saint ●…or greater 〈◊〉 but a whole displeasure is not vpon him except he had a who●…e reigne of sinne and from that as I shewed before a Saint is preserued For there is still a seede of Grace remaining and with that seede God cannot be angry yea he still loueth it and where this loue remaines there the wholenesse of wrath is abated so much as is the measure of this remaining loue Neither is this without the word of God For God himselfe when he hath said of a Saint I will be his Father and he shall 2. Sam. 7. 14. be my sonne he saith also If he commit iniquity I will chasten him with the rods of men but my mercy shall not depart away from him as I tooke it from Saul God when he was angry with Iehosaphat Hee told him by the Prophet Shouldst thou helpe the vngodly c. Therefore is wrath vpon thee from the Lord. Yet withall God forgat 2. Chron. 19. ●… not the seede of Grace in his heart Neuerthelesse there are good things found in thee thou hast prepared thy heart to seeke the Lord. So though there be a measure of wrath and God in measure contend with these branches Esay 27. 8. of sinne yet the roote of grace remaining Grace also remaineth As long as the seede of God remaineth so long vnion with God remaineth and as long as vnion with God remaineth so long a man is in the state of grace and cannot be wholly in the state of displeasure But as millions of sinnes lying vpon the Sonne of God brought with them such a heauy displeasure of God that in regard of the anguish and plague of it to which he was deliuered vp he cryed out My God my God why hast thou forsaken mee and yet as concerning vnion God had not forsaken him so also in the sonnes of God vnited to this Sonne though for some single sinnes a great wrath may arise and God in regard of outward feeling may seeme to forsake them yet that vnion still remaineth and whom God hath thus knit together no man can put asunder In Christ that became sinne for vs all the sinnes of the Saints and vnion with God were not incompatible wherefore sinnes and vnion with God are not incompatible And though this vnion was Hypostaticall and our a lower vnion yet from that Hypostaticall vnion our vnion is deriued and that vnion safegards and preserueth the vnion deriued from it His vnion is the Rocke on which our vnion being built that Rocke preserueth the Church vnited vnto it The strength of Christs vnion is not the weaknesse Math. 16. 18. Math. 7. 25. Ioh. 14. 19. Ioh. 17. ●…0 c. ●… Pet. 2. 5. 6. 7. but the strength of our vnion and in his safe vnion our vnion is safe against the gates of Hell And this is the very point that accuseth and conuinceth their horrible blasphemy that say wee are no safer by vnion with Christ who was God and man then by generation from Adam who was but a man that had not vnion with God But perchance some will obiect this is a dangerous doctrine to be taught That Saints cannot fall from the State of Grace And why Because men will presume But let the obiectors remember that the question is whether it be true or vntrue not whether there may be ill vses made of it For if it be true then this is iust Gardiners argument against whole relying on the merits of Christ because the people would breake out at this gappe and leaue buying of heaven with their owne merits So might wee argue that the Grace of God may not be taught because some turne it into wantonnes no●… men send their sonnes to the Vniversity because knowledge puffeth vp But let not Gods truth be muzled vp with carnall policy especially let not truth bee denyed to bee truth because flesh and blood makes ill vses of a spirituall truth But secondly I deny that this doctrne is dangerous to breede carelesnesse in obedience yea it is a spurre and encouragement vnto obedience For if wee consider how it is deliuered and to whome it is deliuered and with what cautions and conditions it is to be delivered it will be found to be a doctrine most comfortable and most advantagable vnto holinesse The vsuall manner of delivering it is by the way of incouragement vnto obedience Euen the whole Law is inforced vpon this ground I am the Lord that hath delivered thee from the house of bondage thou shalt haue no other Gods but me c. which agrees iust with the song of Zacharie That wee being deliuered from our enemyes might serue God without feare in holinesse and righteousnesse c. In the next place we may consider that this Doctrine only appertaineth to the Regenerate To them only it can be so deliuered that it may bee received Now the Regenerate haue in them a godly nature a spirit of loue and the loue of God being shewed and sealed to them the spirit of loue in them is enflamed to a more seruent loue of God And the more a man loues God the more will hee keepe his Commandements So that it is most true which S. Iohn speakes Hee that hath this hope purgeth himselfe as God is pure But the cleane contrary is said by these men He that hath this hope defileth himselfe 〈◊〉 the 1. Ioh. 3. 3. Deuill is filthy In the last place let vs take notice what cautions conditions are annexed vnto this Doctrine God knoweth our frame and he seeth that by nature wee are nothing but flesh Ioh 3. 6. And even after Regeneration there is a great remainder of the flesh even in the Regenerate Now this flesh is apt to be puffed vp not vpon this onely but vpon any excellencie of the Spirit knowledge Revelation yea vpon the grace of God yea vpon humilitie it selfe Therefore God hath certaine scourges for his childrē to beate downe this flesh from presuming and exalting it selfe aboue measure Whom the Lord loueth he chasteneth and hee Heb. 13. ●… scourgeth every sonne whom hee receiueth Hee hath scourges of diverse sortes he scourges them in their estates he scourges them in their bodies he scourgeth them in their mind yea in their soules themselues He scourgeth them by men hee scourgeth them by Devils he scourges them by good Angels he scourgeth them by his owne hand even by hiding his face by withdrawing his comforts by sending terrours into their soules so that no scourge almost is wanting but only Hell yea their is not wanting a kind of temporall Hell but only a Hell eternall Dauid is scourged with the death of the sonne of his sinne with the rebellion of another sonne with the rayling of Shim●…i with an exclusion from the Royall Citie So that hee wept as he went vp and had his head couered and he went ●…refoote he was called A bloody

that St. Paul doth when hee planteth and buildeth a certaintie of Saluation Yea shee almost vseth the same words Saint Paul first in a generall sheweth that there is a constant and vninterrupted progresse of good and happinesse to the Saints that loue God and are called of his purpose This generall hee makes good by particulars for hee bringeth them in as proofes of the generall Therefore hee begins with the word For For whom her did fore-know hee also did praedestinate to bee made like to the Image of his Sonne whom hee did praedestinate them he also glorified Behold the Apostle hath made good his generall by these particulars His generall of the constant good and happinesse of the Saints is proued by these particulars because God from his first fore-knowing or taking notice of them neuer leaues doing them good from one degree of good to another vntill hee hath brought them to eternall glory and blessednesse So that this place is no other but a proofe of the constant and vndefeasable happinesse of the Saints Now let vs see how our Church doth paralell this Doctrine of Saint Paul with the Doctrine of her Article Our Church first in the generall teacherh that God by his constant Decree bringeth his Elect to Saluation And then shee also descends to particulars in the like manner Wherefore they which be indued with so excellent a benefit of God be ●…alled according to Gods purpose by his Spirit working in due season they through grace obey the calling they hee iustified freely they be made sonnes of God by Adoption they be made like the Image of his only begotten Sonne Iesus Christ they walke religiously in good workes and at length by Gods mercy they attaine to euerlasting felicitie Behold here also the particulers by which that generall bringing to Saluation is perfited so that to ioyne both together The businesse of Saint Paul and our Church is both one or rather the purpose and businesse of Saint Paul is the purpose of our Church euen to shew that the Saints and Elect are constantly and infallibly brought to Saluation and happinesse by Gods loue and Election And indeed there is such a continued and indissoluble chaine beginning in Gods purpose and Decree and not ceasing vntill it bring the Saints to Gods to be glorified that there is no roome nor gappe for this full and finall Apostasie to breake in and interpose it selfe And that wee may be yet more sure that this place of Saint Paul did intend this very thing to proue the infallible stedfast and perpetuall blessednesse of the Saints as before it hath appeared both by his generall position at his entrance after by the particulars in his progresse so it may also most fully appeare and strongly for a three-fold cord cannot be broken by the vse that he makes in his egresse It were too much to stand vpon each particular of his inference and application I will take notice of a few First he triumphs like a conqueror beholding the safetie and assured victory of the Saints What shall wee then say to these things If God be for vs who can bee against vs God is for the Saints all the way from the first foreknowledge vnto the finall glory what Arminius or Bertius can make any Apostacy to be against vs when God is throughly for vs. God being stedfast with vs from Election to glorification no interloper can come in with intercision to cut off and put a sunder this continued chaine of happinesse which God hath ioynd together and guardeth all the way And that yet more plainly you may see that this was St. Pauls very meaning and purpose behold it in his owne words Who shall seperate vs from the loue of Christ See here a challenge sent to the whole world for hee defieth any thing that would seeme to seperate Gods beloued from the loue of God Wherefore let the Arminians take heed how they come within Saint Pauls defiance For the truth is they doe vndertake to accept Saint Pauls challenge and giue an answer to his question for when Saint Paul saith Who shall seperate vs from the loue of Christ They answer that there are many things that may seperate Saints from ●…he loue of Christ. But let them take heed how they make St. Paul their aduersary For it concernes them neerely to agree with this aduersarie while they are in the way lest their aduersary deliuer them to the iudge c. Neither is Saint Paul contented to defie their Apostacy separation only by way of a question in generall termes but he passeth on to particulars and most weightie ones which if any might cause an Apostacy and separation of Saints from the loue of God But both these particulars he denyeth to bee able to separate yea generally all or any creature hee denyeth to bee able to separate vs from the loue of God in Christ Iesus Here also I will spare to insist on euery particular but I desire the Reader to consider of ●… few of them which I thinke include all other if the rule be true that the greater includes the lesse First Life and Death cannot separate vs. Now the Author of Apostacy himselfe could say Skin for ●…kin and all Iob. 24. that a man hath will he give for his life Touch therefore his bone and his flesh and hee will curse thee to thy face But both the example of Iob and the Doctrine of Saint Paul shew that death nor paine doe not separate the Saints from the loue of God For Iob will trust in God though hee kill him and Paul saith That in all thos●… things wee are more then conquerors Now if this maximum terribilium cannot separate the Saints from the loue of God what can lesser terrors doe surely they can separate lesse But here by the way let me giue a note of instruction or at least remembrance to the Doctors of Apostacy that in this case of Iob and other Saints of whom S. Paul speaketh it is God that loued vs who makes vs to conquer and not our owne Free-will for certainly if God did not hold vs by his loue but wee held him only there were quickly an end of the businesse death and many things else would separate vs from the loue of God Especially if among those many things wee take notice of those that follow Angels Principalities and Powers These are the mightiest creatures of all and yet these cannot separate vs from the loue of God Now if these that excell in power cannot separate vs how can any lesser and inferior powers separate vs But here also wee must carefully and humbly acknowledge that we haue no defence safetie and securitie against these mighty powers but the preuailing power of God which assisteth those whom he loueth and makes them conquerors For these are the sonnes of Anah of whom it is said who can stand against the Sonnes of Anah This is the strong man whom none can binde but one