Selected quad for the lemma: love_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
love_n	believe_v	jesus_n	love_v	2,543	5	6.2190	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A34242	The confession of faith ; and, The larger and shorter catechism first agreed upon by the Westminster Assembly of Divines at Westminster, and now approved by the General Assembly of the kirk of Scotland to be a part of uniformity in religion between the kirks of Christ in the three kingdoms.; Westminster Confession of Faith.	Dickson, David, 1583?-1663. Summe of saving knowledge.; Church of Scotland. General Assembly.; Westminster Assembly (1643-1652). Larger catechism.; Westminster Assembly (1643-1652). Shorter catechism.	1671 (1671)	Wing C5769; ESTC R27273	112,419	253

this request and do not yield when they hear Ministers with Commission saying We are Embassadours for Christ as though God did beseech you by us we pray you in Christs stead be ye reconciled to God 9. To make it appear how it cometh to pass that the Covenant of Reconciliation should be so easily made up betwixt God and a humble sinner fleeing to Christ the Apostle leads us unto the cause of it holden forth in the Covenant of Redemption the sum whereof is this It is agreed betwixt God and the mediator Iesus Christ the Son of God Surety for the redeemed as parties contractors that the sins of the redeemed should be imputed to innocent Christ and he both condemned and put to death for them upon this very condition that whosoever heartily consents unto the Covenant of Reconciliation offered through Christ shall by the imputation of his obedience unto them be justified and holden righteous before God for God hath made Christ who knew no sin to be sin for us saith the Apostle that we might be made the Righteousness of God in him Hence may a weak believer strengthen his faith by reasoning from this ground after this manner He that upon the loving request of God and Christ made to him by the mouth of his Ministers having Commission to that effect hath embraced the offer of perpetual reconciliation through Christ and do purpose by Gods Grace as a reconciled person to strive against sin and to serve God to his power constantly may be as sure to have righteousness and eternal life given to him for the obedience of Christ imputed to him as it is sure that Christ was condemned and put to death for the sins of the redeemed imputed to him But I may the weake believer say upon the loving request of God and Christ made to me by the mouth of his Ministers have imbraced the offer of perpetual reconciliation through Christ and do purpose by Gods gra●e as a reconciled person to strive against sin and to serve God to my power constantly Therefore I may be as sure to have righteousness and ●ternal life given to me for the obedience of Christ imputed to me as it is sure that Christ was condemned and put to death for the sins of the redeemed imputed to him The third warrant and special motive to believe in Christ is the strait and awful command of God charging all the hearers of the Gospel to approach to Christ in the order set down by him and to believe in him holden forth 1 Ioh. 3.23 THis is his Commandment that we should believe on the name of his Son Iesus Christ and love one another as be gave us commandment Wherein the Apostle giveth us to understand these five Doctrines 1. That ●f any man shall not be taken with the sw●et invitation of God nor with the humb●e and loving request of God made to him to be reconciled he shall find he hath to do with the Soveraign Authority of the highest Majesty for this is his commandment that we believe in him saith he 2. That if any man look upon this Command as he hath looked heretofore upon the neglected Commandments of the Law he must consider that this is a command of the Gospel posterior to the Law given for making use of the remedy of all sins which if it be disobeyed there is no other Command to follow but this Go ye cursed into everlasting fire of Hell for this is his commandment the obedience of which is most pleasant in his sight ver 22. And without which it is impossible to please him Heb. 11.6 3. That every one who heareth the Gospel must make conscience of the duty of lively faith in Christ the weak believer must not think it presumption to do what is commanded the person inclined to despiration must take up himself and think upon obedience unto this sweet and saving command the strong believer must dip yet more in the sense of his need he hath of Jesus Christ and more and more grow in the obedience of this command yea the most impenitent prophane and wicked person must not thrust out himself or be thrust out by others from orderly aiming at this duty how desperate soever his condition seem to be for he that commands all men to believe in Christ doth thereby command all men to believe that they are damned and lost without Christ he thereby commands all men to acknowledge their sins and their need of Christ and in effect commands all men to repent that they may believe in him And whosoever do refuse to repent of their by-gone sins are guilty of disobedience to this Command given to all hearers but especially to those that are within the visible Church for this is his commandment that we should believe in the name of his Son Iesus Christ saith he 4. That he who ob●yeth this Commandment hath built his salvation on a solid ground For first he hath found the promised Messiah compleatly furnished with all perfections unto the perfect execution of the Offices of Prophet Priest and King for he is that Christ in whom the man doth believe 2. He hath embraced a Saviour who is able to save to the uttermost yea and who doth effectually save every one that cometh to God through him for he is Jesus the true Saviour of his people from their sins 3. He that obeyeth this command hath bui●t his salvation on the Rock that is on the Son of God to whom it is no robbery to be called equal to the Father and who is worthy to be the object of saving Faith and of Spiritual Worship for this is his command saith he that we believe in the Name of his Son Iesus Christ. 5. That he who hath believed on Jesus Christ though he be freed from the curse of the Law is not freed from the Command and obedience of the Law but tyed thereunto by a new obligation and a new command from Christ Which new command from Christ importeth help to obey the command unto which command from Christ the Father addeth his authority and command also for this i● his commandment saith John that we believe on the Name of his Son Iesus Christ and love one another as he hath Commandded us The first part of which command enjoyning belief in him necessarily implyeth love to God and so obedience to the first tab●e for believing in God and loving God are inseparable And the second part of the command injoyneth love to our neighbour especially to the houshold of faith and so obedience unto the second Table of the Law Hence may a weak believer strengthen himself by reasoning from this ground after this manner Whosoever in the sense of his own sinfulness and fear of Gods wrath at the command of God is fled to Iesus Christ the only remedy of sin and mis●ry and hath ingaged his heart to the obedience of the Law of Love his Faith is not presumptuous or dead but true and

not such as the Jewish Doctors taught but love out of a pure heart c. 3. That the true end of the Law preached unto the people is that they by the Law being made to see their deserved condemnation should flie to Christ unfaignedly to be justified by faith in him So saith the Text while it maketh love to flow through faith in Christ. 4. That no man can set himself in love to obey the Law except in as far as his conscience is quieted by faith or is seeking to be quieted in Christ for the end of the Law is love of a good conscience and faith unfaigned 5. That faigned faith goeth to Christ without reckoning with the Law and so wants an errand but unfaigned faith reckoneth with the Law and is forced to flie for refuge unto Christ as the end of the Law for righteousness so often as it finds it self guilty for breaking of the Law For the end of the Law is faith unfaigned 6. That the fruits of love may come forth in act particularly it is necessary that the heart be brought to the hatred of all sin and uncleanness and to a stedfast purpose to follow all holiness universal for the end of the Law is love out of a pure heart 7. That unfaigned f●ith is able to make the conscience good and the heart pure and the man lovingly obedient to the Law for when Christs blood is seen by faith to quiet justice then the conscience becometh quiet also and will not suffer the heart to entertain the love of sin but sets the man on work to fear God for his mercy and to obey all his commandments out of love to God for his free gift of justification by grace bestowed on him For this is the end of the Law indeed whereby it obtaineth of a man more obedience than any other way The fourth thing requisite to evidence true faith is the keeping of strait communion with Christ the fountain of all grace and of all good works holden forth Iohn 15.5 I Am the true vine ye are the branches he that abideth in me and I in him the same bringeth forth much fruit for without me ye can do nothing Wherein Christ in a similitude from a vine tree teacheth us 1. That by nature we are wild barren briers till we be changed by coming unto Christ and that Christ is that noble vine tree having all life and sap of grace in himself and able to change the nature of every one that cometh to him and to communicate spirit and life to as many as shall believe in him I am the vine saith he and ye are the branches 2 That Christ loveth to have believers so united unto him as that they be not separated at any time by unbelief and that there may be a mutual inhabitation of them in him by faith and love and of him in them by his Word and Spirit for he joyneth these together if ye abide in me and I in you as things inseparable 3. That except a man be ingrafted in Christ and united to him by faith he cannot do any the least good work of his own strength yea except in as far as a man doth draw spirit and life from Christ by faith the work which he doth is naughty and nul in the point of goodness in Gods estimation for without me saith he ye can do nothing 4. That this mutual inhabitation is the fountain and infallible cause of constant continuing and abounding in well-doing For he that abideth in me and I in him saith he the same beareth much fruit Now as our abiding in Christ presupposeth three things 1. That we have heard the joyful sound of the Gospel making offer of Christ to us who are lost sinners by the Law 2. That we have heartily embraced the gracious offer of Christ. 3. That by receiving of him we are become the sons of God Iob. 1.12 And are incorporated into his Mystical body that he may dwell in us as his temple and we dwel in him as in the residence of righteousness and life So our abiding in Christ importeth other three things 1. An imploying of Christ in all our addresses to God and in all our undertakings of whatsoever peece of service to him 2. A contentedness with his sufficiency without going out from him to seek righteousness or life or furniture in any case in our own or any of the creatures worthiness 3. A fixedness in our believing in him a fixedness in our imploying and making use of him and a fixedness in our contentment in him and adhering to him so that no allurement no tentation of Satan or the World no terror nor trouble may be able to drive our spirits from firm adherence unto him or from constant avowing of his truth and obeying his commands who hath loved us and given himself for us and in whom not only our life is laid up but also the fulness of the God-head dwelleth bodily by reason of the substantial and personal union of the Divine and Humane nature in him Hence let every watchful Believer for strengthning himself in faith and obedience reason after this manner WHosoever doth daily imploy Christ Iesus for cleansing his conscience and affections from the guiltiness and filthiness of sins against the Law and for making of him to give evidence of true faith in himself But I may every watchful believer say do daily imploy Jesus Christ for cleansing my conscience and affections from the guiltiness and filthiness of sins against the Law for enabling of me to give obedience to the Law in love Therefore I have the evidence of true faith in my self And hence also let the sleepy and sluggish believer reason for his own up-stirring thus Whatsoever is necessary for giving evidence of true faith I must study to do it except would deceive my self and perish But to imploy Christ Jesus daily for cleansing of my conscience and affections from the guiltiness and filthiness of sins against the Law and for enabling of me to give obedience to the Law in love is necessary for evidencing of true faith in me Therefore this I must study to do except I would deceive my self and perish And lastly seeing Christ himself hath pointed this fourth as an undoubted evidence of a man elected of God unto life and given to Jesus Christ to be redeemed if he come unto him that is close Covenant and keep communion with him as he teacheth us Iohn 6.37 Saying All that the Father hath given me shall come to me and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out Let every person who doth not in earnest make use of Christ for remission of sin and amendment of life reason hence and from the whole premisses after this manner that his conscience may be wakned Whosoever is neither by the Law nor by the Gospel so convinced of sin righteousness and judgment as to make him come to Christ and imploy him daily for remission