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
A36908	Dunton's remains, or, The dying pastour's last legacy to his friends and parishioners ... by John Dunton ... ; to this work is prefixt the author's holy life and triumphant death : and at the latter end of it is annext his funeral sermon.	Dunton, John, 1627 or 8-1676.; N. H., Minister of the Gospel. Funeral sermon.; Dunton, John, 1659-1733.	1684 (1684)	Wing D2633; ESTC R17002	124,862	318

Faith embrace thee as a strong Hold Hope wait upon thee as a sure Defence Charity relieve thee in thy distressed Members and Patience bear thy Cross as her Crown of Glory 6. Of Self-denial There is nothing brings more Honour to God and Credit to Man than the Grace of Self-denial which is a Character of Gods own Teaching but few will take the pains to Learn it because they must first be untaught self before they can be taught the Art of Self-denial Men generally are apt to study Men and study Books both Divine and Moral to increase Humane knowledge and set up the Interest of Ambition and Covetousness that when Times change and Religion and Ambition come in competition they will steer their Devotions to all Winds to shelter them from the storms of Ship-wrack whereas a gracious Heart will endeavour to study that Chymical Wisdom to draw out the Spirit of Self-denial from the Limbeck of Heaven which indeed is the Quintessence of all the Graces and makes a Soveraign Antidote against all Malignant Tumors of Self-love it combates the passions of the Heart it allayeth the flateous Humours of Pride and Vain-glory it suppresseth the Earthy Vapours of Avarice which poysoneth the Heart and intoxicates the Brain it bridles intemperate Appetites which run like a Torrent having the wind of Satans Temptations and our own passionate inclinations to split the Ship of our Souls upon the Rock of Eternal Misery Preserve me O my God from such disasters by this Mysterous Vertue of Self-denial render me I beseech thee a Disciple capable of this Science teach me effectually to spell my frailty in this golden Alphabet place it as a Frontlet before the eyes of my Soul that I may continually read the out-strayings of my Heart with regret of spirit that I may change my Affections from the love of the World to the love of thy self that when the Bark of my Soul shall put ashore it may safely arrive at the Haven of Heaven 7. Of Patience Patience under the Cross is like Gold under the hand of the Finer when sufficiently tryed in the Fire of Affliction and ordered by the hand of Heaven becomes a Glorious Crown for a faithful Christian Lord if my Earthy heart be so impatient that it needs Refining purifie it I pray thee of its drossie quality that it may be brought into a better temper and be made tractable to thy gracious Designs 8. Of Contentment Contentment is a meek submission of a gracious Spirit to the will of God in every condition it puts the Heart into a Holy frame willing to subject and lay it self low to the frowns and stroke of Justice as well as to the smiles of Mercy Good is the Word of the Lord saith Old Eli. If the Lord say he takes no pleasure in me saith David let him do to me what he pleaseth Learning with Paul in every condition to be content This gracious disposition is like Wax capable of any impression or as Clay in the hand of the Potter which may be molded into any form or fashion Where there is a suitableness between the disposition and the condition a man will suffer all things endure all things with contentment Take from him as one saith his Wealth his Treasure is in Heaven cast him into Prison his Conscience is free take away his good Name his Innocency will vindicate him against all aspersions banish him his Countrey Jerusalem above is his City of Refuge Si fractus illabatur orbis impavidum seriunt ruinae vultus Though the Foundation of the Earth should shake he will not be moved It is the mind and apprehension that makes every condition better or worse Restraints and Confinements to some are as bad as Death but to others sweet Captivities places of more Liberty for the Service of God witness the rejoycings of Paul and Silas He that hath Christ dwelling in his Heart by Faith may truly say with the Philosopher Omnia mea mecum porto my Treasure is a hidden Treasure I carry all within me and that all I shall carry to Heaven with me Gracious Lord who hath the hearts of all men in thy hands to order and dispose of them to thy own design impress I beseech thee with the seal of thy spirit upon my heart this lovely Grace of Contentment that I may bear thy Cognisance in every condition mold it I pray thee to such an Holy temper as my submission to thy will may answer thy expectation If thou cast me into the Mold of Affliction let me come out thy contented Patient if thou take from me all that I have give me thy self and I shall enjoy all things Christus meus omnia If Christ be not wanting Contentment feels no want 9. Of Peace Peace is a gracious Acquiescence of the Soul in God it is one part of that joyful Tidings proclaimed by the Herald of Heaven Glory to God on Earth Peace good-will towards men yea it is that Royal Legacy left by the King of Glory to his Apostles My Peace I leave with you as it was his dying bequest so it was his reviving salute after his Resurrection Peace be unto you This is that Peace which passeth all understanding which keeps our Hearts in the knowledge and love of God It causeth a cessation of all our Lusts which War against God and our Souls it Uniteth God and Man together in a happy Union and sweet Communion in the Court of Conscience it puts an end to all strife and begets an harmonious Agreement between man and man Blessed Saviour who art the great Peace-maker between God and Man who stilleth the raging of the Sea and the madness of the People I beseech thee bridle the floods of my Passions that they run not over me with noise calm with the word of Peace the boisterous billows of my warfaring Members that they swell not over the banks of my soul sending forth mire and dirt And since there is a necessity of War in my heart Lord convert the enmity thereof against sin and Satan that the end of this War may be Peace 10. Of Love Love is a holy flame derived to us from the Altar of God who is Love it self whose property is to beget the like so we come to love God who first loved us Philosophy tells us that Love is grounded upon similitude Nature instructs sensible Creatures to love their young and God teacheth Parents to love their Children because parts of themselves and Children by a reflective relation to love their Parents as Authors of their being How much more ought we to love God who created both Soul and Body Our Love being but a part of his parental Affection who offered himself a Sacrifice for us through the flame of his Affection Assimulate O my God the soul of thy servant unto thee and let the fire of thy spirit burn up the pile of my sins purifying my heart and kindling my Affections that I may offer up

any difference betwixt thee and a Reprobate God found it not in thee but did put it into thee thou art of the same nature with them thou hadst no more ability to work out thy own Salvation than they had Thou seest many commit lewd pranks some Murder others Whoredom c. Thou leavest yea hatest these things What is the cause surely Gods Grace and only Gods Grace Give Glory therefore unto God praise his name yea let all that is within thee praise him And ran Behold the readiness of this Father to receive this his penitent child the one is not so willing to return as the other is joyful to receive The Father seeing of him coming doth not stay until he cometh but ariseth to meet him yea and when he was a great way off so far as he could see him he goeth to meet him and stayeth not for his coming nigher Hence learn God is very ready to shew mercy to everytrie Penitent So saith the Prophet Esay He is very ready to forgive Those Titles given him for his name testifie as much The Lord the Lord Strong Merciful and Gracious c. The Reasons are these First because man is the Workmanship of Gods own hands and therefore he is the more ready and willing to save him A third Reason may be this because none might despair of his mercy he is ready to shew mercy that by the example of such as have found mercy others also might resort and repair unto him for mercy in the time of need Is this so that God is ready to forgive every true Penitent then let none lay the fault upon God if they perish in their sins for God is ready and desirous to forgive and doth often call upon us to turn from our evil ways that so we might not perish Secondly seeing this is so that God is ready to shew mercy to every one that seeks it let this be as a spur and goad in our sides to make us turn unto him and seek for Mercy at his hands He will not be wanting to thee if thou beest not wanting to thy self The last Use may serve for Imitation Let us be like to our Heavenly Father and be as ready to forgive others who have offended us as God is to forgive us who have and do daily offend him It may be fome have offered thee wrong yea great wrong yet must thou forgive and that readily Why is there then so much suing and intreating and begging for Reconciliation before Pardon be obtained Remember God is more gracious unto thee and oughtest not thou to be so unto thy Brother Further in that we here find the Son coming to confess and the Father running to forgive Hence learn we God is more ready to shew Mercy than Penitent Sinners are to sue for Mercy the one comes softly the other swiftly the Father was the forwarder of the two Vse Take notice then of Gods wonderful Love who albeit he be the Party that is offended yet is more ready to forgive than we to seek or to beg Pardon Secondly let this serve to increase our boldness in coming to the Lord thou canst not be so forward to come as God is to meet So ready to crave Pardon as he is to forgive He fell on his neck and kissed him Here is a joyful meeting betwixt so good a Father and so bad a Son Mercy and Truth are met and each of them kiss the other Here is Truth in the Prodigal for he dissembled not and Mercy in the Father He fell on his neck c. By these Circumstances the heat and fire of his Affections is declared and his entire Love unto his Son expressed for a kiss hath ever been as a pledge and pawn of kindness which is possessed by it By this Ceremony or Rite they did express their Love in the time of the Primitive Church one to another which Ceremony continued till the days of Justin Martyr in customary use before their approaching to the Lords Table thereby to testifie their hearty Reconcilement each to other this was called a Holy Kiss It is a Ceremony also of Civility and hath been and is still in use Thus Joseph Blessed his Brethren and fell upon their neeks and kissed them c. When Judas the Traitor studied with himself what course might be the best to bring Christ to his death he could devise not a more subtil shift than under a shift a pretence of kindness to cover his Villany When the Church in the Canticles sueth to her Spouse to shew his Love unto her she intreateth him to kiss her with the kisses of his mouth viz. that he would manifest his Love and Affection unto her by manifest and good tokens Thus the Father kisseth his Penitent Child thereby to seal and confirm his love and good will towards him that he might make no doubt thereof So then in that the Father doth thus manifest and declare his love and good will to his Son after his coming into his Presence hence let us learn this Lesson God will manifest and make known his love unto his Children by evident signs and tokens upon their Conversion and turning to him And were it not so how could we be affected with it What is it for a blind man to know that the Sun is a most glorious bright Greature when he himself doth not see it So what is it for a Man to know there is much love hid in God except he have some sense and feeling of it Now to the Vses And first is this so that God doth not only love and inwardly affect his Children but doth also manifest the same by signs and tokens that they may be out of doubt thereof Then this may serve to confute that Doctrine of the Church of Rome who hold that no man can be certainly assured of the love and favour of God he may hope well and so forth But no man can have any assured Confidence What is this but a Rack and Torment to weak Consciences What doth this but extinguish the truth and sincerity both of faith and love towards God What Fruit bringeth this but impatiency in time of trouble and Persecution and indeed maketh a way for desparation of Gods Mercy Secondly let this stir up every one of us to a diligent examination of our selves whether God hath as yet kissed us with the kisses of his mouth whether he hath as yet manifested his love unto us by signs and tokens For till we have assurance hereof what comfort can we have And in the last place this may serve for the great comfort of all such as have Gods love manifested unto them by the former signs For as the terrors are great which that Man hath in his Conscience who is in doubt of the love of the Almighty towards him so is the comfort as great which that Man hath who is hereof perswaded For come tribulation or distress or persecution or famine or nakedness or peril