Selected quad for the lemma: love_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
love_n	beget_v	love_v	only_a	2,697	5	6.4558	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A07348	Ecclesiastica interpretatio: or The expositions vpon the difficult and doubtful passages of the seuen Epistles called catholike, and the Reuelation Collected out of the best esteemed, both old and new writers, together with the authors examinations, determinations, and short annotations. The texts in the seuen Epistles of Iames, Peter, Iohn and Iude are six and forty. The expositions vpon the Reuelation are set forth by way of question and answer. Here is also a briefe commentary vpon euery verse of each chapter, setting forth the coherence and sense, and the authors, and time of writing euery of these bookes. Hereunto is also annexed an antidot against popery. By Iohn Mayer, B. of D. and pastor of the Church of Little Wratting in Suffolke.	Mayer, John, 1583-1664.	1627 (1627)	STC 17731; ESTC S112551	448,008	564

Gods iudgements is to haue true and vnfained loue in vs towards one another For feare commeth out of the conscience of sin from which we shall be free if we haue such loue in vs wee shall not sinne against the degree the life the chastity the goods or the good name of our brother which kinde of sins are vsually the originall of inward trouble and feare in the minde CHAP. V. IN this Chapter the Apostle treateth of faith prouing that the faithfull loue the children of God because they loue God and that they loue God because they keepe his commandements vrging to beleeue in Christ because of the testimony which God the Father hath giuen vnto him The coherence of it with the former is this Hauing proued that he which loueth God must needs loue his brother he proceedeth to confirme it further from the consideration of the nature of faith Hereby we are begotten of God and therefore we cannot but loue others that are begotten of him also and the ground of this is our louing of God the Father both of vs and them for he that loueth a man loueth his children also for his sake Vers 1 2. So that this is indeed a new argument we cannot loue God but we must loue our brethren also because they are the begotten of God this being the state of euery faithfull person And hauing reasoned so much about the loue of God he sheweth in the next place what this loue is viz. to keepe his commandements Vers 2 3. and that it may not be thought hereupon that no man then can loue God he sheweth that the faithfull haue the Spirit whereby they are so inflamed with the loue of God as that this is their continuall study and care by the assistance of the same Spirit they ouercome the world the chiefe enemy hindring them from keeping these Commandements v. 4 5. Then because the obiect of faith is Christ Iesus hee sheweth by what certaine testimony he came that wee might vndoubtedly beleeue pressing the same vers 6 7 8 9 10. and then what benefit doth redound to the beleeuer euen eternall life vers 11 12. for which cause he saith that he wrote vnto them resuming againe the argument touching boldnesse before vsed chap. 4 17. For if Christ and by him life be ours wee cannot but with confidence aske any thing at his hands vers 14 15. wherefore he exhorteth to pray for them that sin so that their sinning be not vnto death vers 16. yeelding a reason of praying for such vers 17. and then affirming againe the immunity of Gods children from sinne and shewing how all the world is vnder sinne but the faithfull in grace through the knowledge of God and of Iesus Christ he concludeth with a dehortation from idolatry vers 19 20 21. 1 IOHN Chapter 5. Verse 2. Hereby we know that we loue the children of God when wee loue God and keepe his Commandements IT is a maruell Mayer that the Apostle hauing reasoned before from our louing of one another to the louing of God doth now reason from our louing of God to our louing of one another But certainly there may be areciprocall argument drawne both waies wee cannot haue true loue towards one another but in the loue of God and obedience to his Commandements as Piscator noteth Piscator for there may bee a wicked loue and delight in one another this appeareth to be no true loue because we haue no loue of God in louing thus seeing his Commandements are transgressed It was necessary therefore hauing spoken so much of mutuall loue to insert this here lest that should be taken for true loue laudable before God which is wicked and damnable In the first verse he speaketh in the singular number Hee that loueth him that begetteth Vers 1. loueth him that is begotten of him But here in the plurall whereupon many haue gathered that by him which is begotten Christ Iesus the onely begotten Sonne of God is meant touching the loue of whom he speaketh because many that outwardly embraced the Faith of Christ Hilar 6. c Trin. August lib de fide ●2 Beda did not in heart loue him but were enemies vnto him But many againe on the other side expound it of the regenerate as Dydimus Oecumenius Glossa ordmaria c. But I assent rather to this latter because of the sudden change of the number and an assumption as it were made out of the former verse and because euery one that beleeueth is said to be begotten of God the same word being vsed that is to expresse him which is begotten Vers 3. In that his Commancements are said not to bee grieuous it may seeme that they are possible to be kept in euery thing a speech agreeable to this is that of our Sauiour Christ My yoke is easie Mat. 11 28. and my burthen light But the next words scrue to explaine these Vers 4. Because euery one that is borne of God ouercommeth the world The true faithfull person delighteth in Gods Commandements Rom 7. though by reason of the flesh that hee carrieth still about with him he cannot perfectly fulfill them They are not grieuous because they doe not with-hold vs from any thing profitable or truly pleasant vnto vs. August de natura gr●t c 43. Quo● odo est graue cum dilectionis est mandatum Aut en●m quisqua non diligit graue est aut diligit graue esse non 〈◊〉 est dug de nat perfect inssitae Saint Augustine speaketh excellently in shewing that they are not grieuous How should that be grieuous which is the Commandement of loue for either a man doth not loue and so it is grieuous or else he loueth and so it cannot be grieuous Popish writers doe hereupon insult ouer vs teaching that no man can perfectly keepe Gods Commandements for if it be impossible say they for the regenerate to keepe them without sinning how are they said not to bee grieuous Saint Augustine shall answer for vs it is the loue and delight that we take in them that maketh them not grieuous seeing hereby we are not pressed as with a burthen but cleuated as with wings as the same Father also speaketh For though we cannot doe the thing that we delight in so exactly yet it is not grieuous vnto vs. As Gregory speaketh Greg. lib. 5. in 1 Reg 12. Quid graue non leuiter ●oll●rat qui amat quicquid enim diligitur cum magna deuotione por latur what grieuous thing doth not hee lightly beare that loueth For whatsoeuer is beloued is borne with great deuotion Indeed if for our imperfections and failings in keeping Gods Commandements we should be iudged it must needs be grieuous but seeing by Faith we are stated in him that hath done all things perfectly and God doth not behold vs any more in our selues but in Christ whose perfect righteousnesse is ours we become secure in respect

Hence the master of the sentences deliuereth it that the holy Ghost is loue essentially seeing it is the holy Ghost whereby we abide in God and we are said by loue to abide in him Tho. Aquin. Tho. Aquin. saith that loue is twofold First whereby we loue elicitiuely and formally and this he granteth is a created habit or else effectually and exemplarily and this is the holy Ghost But most consent that God is said to be loue in the abstract as he is said to be goodnesse iustice and wisdome because he is infinitely louing an example whereof is immediatly subioyned and such a fountaine of loue as that they which are in him cannot but loue one another Now God is said to be loue Vers 11. Th. Aquinas Si tantus tantillos iustus iniustos creator creaturas nos qui samus fra●res pares natura conformes debemus in●●cem diligere Verse 12. that finding it impossible for vs to loue as we should wee might seeke it of him Secondly how doth it follow from Gods louing of vs that we ought to loue one another This he resolueth afterwards vers 20. because we cannot otherwise shew our loue to God but by louing one another Againe as Thomas Aquinas hath it by his example who is our Father we his children should be drawne to loue If so great an one loued so little ones the Creator the creatures the Iust the vniust we that are brethren and equall and of a like nature ought much more to loue one another The loue of God is said to be perfect in vs as perfection is opposed to fiction it is in vs indeed neither doe wee make shew hereof only And this true loue he calleth the spirit Vers 13. We know that we abide in him by the spirit which he hath giuen vnto vs because it is a principall gift of the spirit Thirdly what meaneth he when he saith As he is so we are in this world therfore we haue boldnesse in the day of iudgement Vers 17. Oecumen To this Oecumenius may answer for all that we are as Christ was in this world when by the mortification of the deeds of the flesh we represent Christ dying for vs and by true brotherly loue we come as neere vnto him as we can for who so doth thus shall appeare at the last day not vnto condemnation but vnto life and saluation Augustine expoundeth it of God Augustine as he is so we are in this world if wee loue our enemies and so doth Beda Beda There needeth no contention whether of these wayes it be expounded but that being vnderstood of Christ is may seeme to be put for was but one saith Catharinus that Christ is still in this world in memory and example being alwaies propounded to the eyes of the faithfull Fourthly how is loue said to be without feare and that loue casteth out feare seeing to feare is elsewhere commended Vers 18. Oecumen To this also Oecumenius answereth that there is a two-fold feare the first initiall when for feare of punishment a man commeth vnto God the second profiting whereby a man out of the perfect loue which he beareth vnto God becommeth sollicitous lest in any thing hee should faile of doing that which ought to be done towards him whom he most dearely loueth Psal 19.10 August Ser. 214 de temp lib 83. quaest q. 36. Tantò minor sit timor quantò patria quò tendimus propior maior enim timor debe●esse perigrinantium minor propinquantium ●●●●us per●●●entium and this loue when a man attaineth to he is without all feare of punishment and so without the trouble that commeth by this feare And of this the Psalmist speaketh affirming it to be pure S. Augustine saith that no man whilest hee liueth can be free from feare because he cannot be free from sinne and so hath not yet perfect charity but this feare is the lesse by how much the Countrey to which we are tending is the neerer for the feare of those that are in their perigrination is the greater the feare of those that draw nigh is the lesser but of those that come thi her none at all Touching the initiall feare before spoken of he granteth it to be necessary to bring vs into a right Christian estate as the bristle maketh way for the Shoo-makers threed a burning hot iron though for the present it maketh the wound paine the greater yet by drying vp the putrified humour it taketh away all paine at the last Tertul. in Scorpia●● cap. 12. Tertullian saith that the feare which is not in loue is worldly feare whereby a man is not afraid of death for Christ his sake But the feare of death is not here handled but the feare which is in respect of the day of iudgement of which hee spake in the words before going And therefore I subcribe to Augustine and Oecumenius that no seruile feare breeding anxiety and trouble in the minde is in perfect loue so that a man should be in feare of damnation for the more perfection of loue a man attaineth to the more free he is from all such feare being at peace with God This feare is the lesse the more grace a man hath attained vnto but at the day of iudgement when charity shall be perfected there shall be no such feare at all but all confidence and boldnesse to which feare is here opposed Feare of punishment is in the beginning of grace but after some proceedings made herein this worketh no more but the feare of offending God because he is good and gracious so that there is no painfulnesse now any more in respect of the punishments to come but the trouble of the minde that is ariseth out of a sollicitude and carefulnesse about being in Gods fauour and continuing therein in respect of our owne infirmities Fiftly why doth he affirme that he which loueth not his neighbour whom hee seeth cannot loue God Vers 20. whom hee seeth not To this it is commonly answered that things seene and present doe affect vs more than those that are absent and not seene our brother that is like vnto vs continually with vs and subiect to the same affections and necessities if hee be not loued of vs in naturall reason it cannot be that we should loue God whom we see not But yet by faith we may apprehend so of him as to loue him more Note Note how great the excellency of loue is in that God himselfe is said to be loue it is thus spoken of him in respect of any other attribute of righteousnesse or wisedome or power but onely of loue that we might the more prize his endlesse loue towards vs in giuing his onely Sonne to the death for vs and so be the rather drawne to mutuall loue Note againe that the onely way to haue a quiet conscience Note and not to be distracted with the feare and dread of