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
A38026	Polpoikilos sophia, a compleat history or survey of all the dispensations and methods of religion, from the beginning of the world to the consummation of all things, as represented in the Old and New Testament shewing the several reasons and designs of those different administrations, and the wisdom and goodness of God in the government of His church, through all the ages of it : in which also, the opinion of Dr. Spencer concerning the Jewish rites and sacrifices is examin'd, and the certainty of the Christian religion demonstrated against the cavils of the Deists, &c. / by John Edwards ...	Edwards, John, 1637-1716.	1699 (1699)	Wing E210; ESTC R17845	511,766	792

at all It is true there were not such plain and evident Discoveries to those Antients of a future endless Existence and consequently a Reward in ano●her World as there have been since the coming of the Messias It is granted that the Law dealt in temporal and secular things most of all but it doth not follow thence that the Iews had no higher Promises than those that were earthly and respected this Life only Yea this also must be further granted that tho Moses and Daniel and the Prophets and the most devout Persons among them were sensible of this yet it is likely many of the Iews look'd no further than the present Enjoyments of this Animal Life and indeed most of the Blessings we read of seem to hold forth nothing else But under the New Testament Eternal Life is openly and clearly offer'd and all Persons may be made apprehensive of it Hence it is that Christ is said to be the Mediator of a better Covenant which is establish'd on better Promises Heb. 8. 6. The Promises under the Gospel are better than those under the Law because they are clearer and plainer concerning an Immortal State hereafter Here is one great difference between the Evangelical and the Legal Dispensation the latter propounds future Punishments without end to terrify Of●enders and endless Rewards to ●●courage the Faithful but the former adds an Assur●●●● of both these It makes it manifest evident and undeniable that there are such things it demonstrates to us that there are never-ceasing Torments for the Wicked and eternal Joys for the Righteous of which latter Christ hath assured us by his ascending into Heaven there to prepare perpetual Mansions of Glory for all his Followers He came from above and went thither again that we might have Life and that we might have it more abundantly John 1●0 10. that we might be every way ascertain'd of an Immortal State of Glory and thereby be effectually moved and excited to Obedience Thirdly There is this Motive peculiar to the Dispens●tion of the Gospel viz the Love of God the Father who sent his Son and the Love of Christ who died for us God so loved the World that he gave his only begotten Son saith that blessed Disciple whom Jesus loved Iohn 3. 16. And again 1 Iohn 4. 9 10. In this was manifested the Love of God towards us because that God sent his only begotten Son into the World that we might live through him Herein is Love not that we first loved him but that he loved us first Now observe how he makes this a Motive to the Duty of Evangelical Love If God so loved us we ought to love one another ver 11. No former Dispensation affords this Motive Christ therefore might well say A New Commandment I give unto you that ye love one another as I have loved you John 13. 34. This is a new thing and is proper to Christianity only Here the Love of God is shed abroad in our Hearts Rom. 5. 5. Here the Love of Christ constraineth us 2 Cor. 5. 14. And then no Duty in Religion comes amiss to us then we act with vigour and chearfulness and exert our utmost Powers and that with ease and complacency This Principle of Love is contrary to the Spirit of Bondage which is most proper to the Occonomy of the Law to the breach of every part of which God hath annexed severe Curses to terrify Offenders and these generally were the most powerful Motives they had to make them obedient The promulgation of the Law was with great Terrors and Astonishment Mount Sinai was another AEtna it cast out Flames and Smoke and nothing was seen and heard but what was very frightful This well represented the terrible administration of the Law which breaths Severity and Rigour and is rightly call'd Esh dath a firy Law Deut. 33. 2. They were scar'd into their Duty for the most part But this servile Spirit this Principle of legal Fear is banish'd out of Christianity those that are effectually brought under this Dispensation act by a Principle of Love for the Spirit of the Gospel is free and ingenuous sweet and gentle and needs not to be push'd on by rigour and austerity God hath not given us the Spirit of Fear but of Love 2 Tim. 1. 7. Theref●re we may rightly conclude with St. Augustine that Fear and Love are the grand difference between the Law and the Gospel 8. As Christianity hath 〈◊〉 Motives as our Duty is fastned on us by new Obligations and those the greatest and noblest so we have the perfectes● P●●tern the Example of Christ Jesus our Blessed Lord. En●ch Noah Abraham Moses Iob David and many others were worthy and eminent Examples of Virtue and Goodness in the former Dispensations But alas these were Men of like Failings and Infirmities with our selves and their Lives were not an exact Rule for us to walk by But the Blessed Iesu● the Founder of our Religion was without spot and blemish in his Life he neither spoke nor did any thing amiss he was every ways blameless and harmless pure and under●●led He gave us a perfect Example of Piety and Devotion of Justice and Righteousness of Moderation and Sobriety of Mercy and Charity of Humility and Self-denial of Contentedness and Resignation of religious Zeal and Courage of all Virtues and Graces whatsoever which are to adorn the Life of a Christian. Our Saviour was sent on purpose to be a Guide a Pattern a Rule to the degenerate World that by the excellency and transcendency of his Example he might reduce Mankind to the ways of Religion and Righteousness that in him they might behold and admire the beauty of Goodness and the worth of Piety and Holiness and that by this means Christianity might be commended to the World and that Men might esteem and love it when it shineth forth so gloriously in this admirable and unparallel'd Example In this we have an advantage above those who lived be●ore our Saviour's time Therefore this may be reckon'd as one Difference between the Iewish and the Christian Church 9. We under the Gospel have greater Helps and Assistances toward the performing of our Duty than those who lived under other Dispensations had We have greater Light to direct us we have more effectual Means to make use of we have all the revealed Knowledg which they had and we have much more besides We have the Holy Scriptures of the New Testament to enlighten to inform to instruct us to check and reprove us to com●ort and support us We are bless'd with the Sacred Ordinances of Christ's own Institution the sole design of which was to convey Knowledg and Grace Strength and Establishment to our Souls God hath set in the Church some Apostles some Prophets some Evangelists some Pastors and Teachers for the perfecting of the Saints for the work of the Ministry for the edifying of the Body of Christ till we all come in the Vnity of the Faith and

the Faith of Christ. So in the next Ages altho the Iews out of malice and hatred to Christianity as one tells them to their Faces sent out their Emissaries and those of no mean Abilities into all parts of the World to perswade People against that Religion and to make them believe that the Professors of it were guilty of Atheism and all Impiety yet this had but little effect upon them and several Men of good Understanding and Knowledg imbraced the Christian Faith and lived and died in it And as some of the learnedest Iews were converted by the preaching of the Gospel which they once counted foolishness so among the Gentiles some of the wisest Philosophers and wittiest Orators and skilfulest Artists for the Arts as well as Empire were at their heighth when the Gospel appeared when Christ came acknowledged the Truth of Christianity and heartily espoused it These Men who were of considerable Learning and Parts quitted their beloved Sentiments and Principles and freely imbraced the Evangelical Doctrine The early Trophies of the victorious Gospel of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ among the Learned Pagans were such as these Luke the Physician Zenas a Learned Advocate of the Civil Law for he was no Scribe or Doctor of the Iewish Law who in other places is indeed stiled 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But as our own Learned Annotatour hath made it probable he was one that practis'd the Primitive Roman Law which prevail'd not only at Rome but in all places which were under the commands of the Emperour Likewise a vast number of Learned Men at Ephesus who were Professors of curious Arts but being converted forthwith committed their Books to the Flames altho they were valued to be worth fifty thousand pieces of Silver Dionysius the Ar●opagite i. e. a Learned Philosopher and a celebrated Judg in the highest Court of Judicature at Athens was brought to the Profession of Christianity by St. Paul's preaching of the Gospel there and as Ecclesiastical Writers report was made the first Bishop of the Christian Church at Athens The famous Polycarp bid adieu to his Pagan Rites and resolutely admitted himself a Disciple under St. Iohn and afterwards was deservedly constituted Bishop of Smyrna With him I may rank Ignatius who abandon'd his former Perswasions and imbraced the Doctrine of the crucified Jesus and afterwards arrived to the Episcopal Chair at Antioch whose antient and godly Epistles are of great Note and Eminency in the Church and have been justly vindicated by one of our learned'st Prelates Some would rank here Clement the Roman who became a Convert to the Christian Faith and manfully undertook the Defence of Christianity and hath left us many noble Discoveries of Primitive Actions especially that rare piece of St. Peter's Life Who hath not heard of Irenaeus for now I will step into the second Century that most eminent and noted Enquirer after Truth who submitted at last to that of the Gospel and made it his particular Employment to rehearse and at the same time to confute the several Hereticks that confronted any Articles of the Christian Belief Aristides an eloquent Philosopher of Athens changed his Religion and presented an Apology for the Christians to the Emperour Adrian Athenagoras another excellent Athenian Philosopher and famous for all sorts of Heathen Learning must not be omitted here who bidding adieu to his former heathenish Life and Institution undauntedly maintain'd that of the Christians Theophilus of A●tioch was another converted Philosopher and so was Tatianus who when he had abandon'd the Pagan Religion writ an excellent Orationagainst the Greeks wherein he apologizes for Christianity and confutes Heathenism tho he mingled some Errors with his Doctrine afterwards Pantanus who was afterwards Catechist at Alexandria was a Christian Convert from the Stoick Philosophy I must by no means forget Clement the great Philosopher of Alexandria who being converted to Christianity indeavour'd by his Writings to promote that Cause and accordingly put forth an exhortatory Oration to the Gentiles wherein he discovers the Folly and Falshood of Paganism and earnestly perswades them to imbrace Christianity And he writ a Body of Christian Ethicks in which he informs the Manners of a newly converted Christian and he adds another Treatise full of variety of Matter made out of diverse Authors sacred and profane wherein he supposes the Convert arrived to some Perfection and therefore lays him down greater and higher Rules With this worthy Convert I will rank Iustin who as he tells us himself had run through all the Families and Sects of Philosophy having been first a Stoick then a Disciple of the Peripateticks afterwards a Pythagorean and pitch'd at length upon Platonism and became a profess'd Assertour of it a long time But at last an antient Christian● man he saith met him as he was walking by the Sea-side and gave him some account of Christianity from which time he had a Fire kindled in his Breast he felt a Love of the Prophets and Apostles and Followers of Christ and seriously reflecting on that Mans discourse he found after all his tedious Searches and the long Risque of Philosophy which he had run that Christianity was the only safe and useful Philosophy Here he found Certainty and Profit which two things he never met with before Hereupon he was studious to advance the Christian Religion and to that end writ and Admonitory piece to the Greeks against Gentilism and two incomparable Apologies for Christianity with a Defence likewise of it against Iudaism in a Dialogue with one Trypho a Iew and at last suffer'd Death for the Christian Cause and thence justly purchas'd the Sirname of Martyr But I will pass to the third Century and there mention Cyprian who was converted from Paganism and afterwards was made Bishop of Carthage He became the most zealous Assertour of Christianity and in his Writings acquitted himself with so great a Courage as can never be express'd He manfully wielded his Pen against the N●vatians and against Apostates from Christianity in time of Persecution he suffered much and at last was honoured with the Crown of Martyrdom I must add Tertullian a Native of Africa who of a Civil Lawyer commenced a solid Advocate and Maintainer of Christianity This is that Tertullianus according to some who is mentioned in the Digests and hath some Consulta of his set down there And indeed he that observes his stile shall find many Law-terms as his Prescriptions against Hereticks c. which are borrowed from the Civilians or old Roman Lawyers though I know the learned Grotius of the same faculty denieth it utterly But against Grotius I set Eusebius who tells us that Tertullian was most accurately skill'd in the Roman Laws and then it is no wonder that he uses several Forensick words and particularly Praescriptions which as we learn from Quintilian Vlpian and the Pandects were the Defendents Replies to the Plaintiffs Action Besides it might be