Selected quad for the lemma: love_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
love_n	church_n	husband_n	wife_n	4,571	5	7.5354	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A66076	Doctrine of contentment briefly explained, and practically applied in a treatise on 1 Tim. 6. 8. / by Henry Wilkinson ...	Wilkinson, Henry, 1616-1690.	1671 (1671)	Wing W2235; ESTC R415	95,837	200

master instructeth and teacheth his 2. A master instructeth and teacheth his family family It is a grand and necessary duty incumbent upon all masters of families to instruct all under their roof in the knowledge and service of God for performing this duty God highly commended Abraham Gen. 18. 19. For I know him that he will command his children and his houshold after him and they shall keep the way of the Lord to do justice and judgement that the Lord may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him It was the resolution of Joshua c. 24. v. 15. but as for me and my house we will serve the Lord. And David stands upon record for a pattern of imitation Psal 101. 2. I will walk saith he within my house with a perfect heart And what purging work he resolved to set upon in his family is evident v. 3 4 5. This Psalm Bishop Ridley frequently expounded to his family and press'd upon them their duties accordingly Let us then thus inferr if earthly masters as duty binds them instruct their families much more doth God instruct his great family Other instructers and masters of families may err and teach their families wrong because men are fallible and subject to errour but God is the great Master and Instructer of his family and cannot err for he is altogether infallible Gods teaching is an unerring and infallible way of teaching He not onely teacheth his scholars but can make his scholars learn and profit by his teaching God promiseth his Spirit Ezek 36. 27. And I will put my Spirit within you and cause you to walk in my statutes and ye shall keep my commandments and do them Gods children have eye-salve from Christ and an unction from the holy One. Rev. 3. 18. 1 Joh. 2. 20. 3. A master rules and governs his family 3. A master rules and governs his family A master of a family is bound to command all under his roof to live in the fear of God In an especial manner a master should regard the observation of the sabbath by himself and his whole houshold Exod. 20. 10. Thou shalt not do any work thou nor thy son nor thy daughter thy man-servant nor thy maid-servant nor thy cattel nor thy stranger that is within thy gates A master of a family must not suffer refractory and incorrigible persons to live with him such as will not serve God he must not continue in his service He that is a master of a family hath a great price put into his hands to do a great deal of good he must discountenance and punish sins and wickedness and he must encourage the practice of religion and encourage the power of godliness Now doth a master on earth rule carefully and faithfully in his family how much more doth the great Master of the whole world rule and govern all his houshold Other rulers and masters have dominion onely over the bodies of men but the great Master of heaven and earth is the Lord and Ruler over all the consciences of men This Sovereign Lord and Master prescribes laws and not onely commands obedience but makes his subjects willing to yeeld obedience But as for such as are rebellious and will neither bend nor bow to his sceptre he breaks them to pieces Psal 2. 9. Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potters vessel There is no opposing of Christs government for who ever rebelled against him and prospered If then we profess our selves Christs servants let us yeeld cheerful obedience to him as our Sovereign Lord and Master And having interest in such a Master we have greatest reason to be contented servants A fourth consideration why we should 4. Consider God is our Husband have cause of contentment from God is this because God is our Husband so he calls himself Jer. 31. 32. And when a people revolted from God he would no longer be their Husband Hos 2. 2. It is took for granted for so it ought to be that husbands should abound in love and be tender-hearted and provide for their wives and concern themselves in their wives concernments O! how superabundantly doth this love evidence it self in God! for he loves his people and takes care of them and provides for them There is an union between Christ and his Church and this is a great mystery Eph. 5. 32. And the love of husbands to their wives should be like the love of Christ to his Church which is a tender sincere undivided and constant love and farther this love is a mutual and reciprocal love Cant. 2. 16. Love must be returned for love though our love to Christ is but like a drop to the ocean or a sand to the balance when we compare it with Christs love to us Hence then will be raised a ground of satisfaction and singular contentment unto the Church of God for Christ is the Bridegroom the Church is his Spouse God accounts himself an Husband to his people therefore he engageth himself to take care of them Jer. 3. 14 15. Turn O back sliding children saith the Lord for I am married unto you and I will take you one of a city and two of a family and I will bring you to Zion and I will give you pastours according to mine heart which shall feed you with knowledge and understanding Thus you have seen what causes there are of contentment from God SECT 2. Shewing causes of Contentment from our selves and from the example of others IN the next place and to conclude this Sect. 2. Shewing causes of contentment from our selves Treatise I shall represent unto you several causes of contentment from our selves Though these causes are wrought within us yet they are wrought without us and above us by the omnipotent power of God They are our acts but Gods gifts and he crowns his own gifts in us Not to mention many causes that might be named I shall onely insist on two causes as special grounds of contentment viz. peace of conscience and a right government of the affections 1. Peace of conscience is a strong ground 1. Peace of conscience is a cause of contentment of contentment and consolation It is a remarkable saying of Aquinas melior est pura conscientia quàm plenum marsupium A man from himself as Gods gift can receive Quasi dicat fore ut quisquam à se actorum fructum percipiat constare cuique suarum actionum mercedem 3 saepe etiam in hac vita sed certissimè in altera Merc. in loc satisfaction according to that of Solomon Prov. 14. 14. A good man shall be satisfied from himself Now none by his own power and wisdom can satisfie and quiet his own spirit but when the conscience is pacified and God is reconciled to a soul there is an inward soul-satisfying consolation compare this with Isa 3. 10. Say ye to the righteous that it shall be well with him

contentment and he is a rich man indeed who is content with Godliness It is an excellent observation of Calvin That God is always present Semper adest suis Dominus quantum illorum necessitati sufficit ex sua plenitudine suum cuique demensum erogat Calv. in loc with his people and he gives to every one of them that portion that may suffice for their necessity Whoever therefore makes God his portion and treasure his honour and refuge his shield and buckler he hath the greatest cause to be content for he hath all in God Esau said to Jacob I have enough Gen. 33. 9. But Jacob said I have all for of all seeing God gave him his grace For grace is more worth then a whole world besides Jacob had interest in the Ex benignitate Dei omnia mihi abundè suppetunt Paulus Fagius Covenant of grace and having God his portion he had all David profess'd that the Lord was the portion of his inheritance Psal Benignè largitus est mihi Deus quamplurima omnia mihi suppetunt nullâ re indigeo Vatablus 16. 5. The Lord is the portion of my inheritance and of my cup thou maintainest my lot So Psalm 119. 57. he again professeth Thou art my portion O Lord so likewise the Church professeth Lam. 3. 24. The Lord is my portion saith my soul therefore will I hope in him If then we desire rest and quietness all our hopes love joy and desire Amor est pondus animi quocunque feror amore fertur animus in Deum tanquam in centrum aeternae quietis Aug. de Civit. Dei lib. 1. cap. 13. must centre upon God The dove could find no rest for the sole of her foot till Noah took her into the ark There can be no rest nor acquiescence for any Christian but in God It s frequently observed by learned men that all the letters in Jehovah are quiescent to imply unto us that there is no rest to be had but in God alone Dost thou Oh Christian desire treasures they are to be had in Christ 1 Pet. 2. 7. Col. 2. 3. In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge Dost thou desire honours they are to be had in Christ for he is said to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the abstract and he puts a great honour upon all his Saints as we may see 1 Pet. 2. 9. But ye are a chosen generation a royal priesthood an holy nation Rev. 1. 5. a peculiar people Gods children are Kings and Priests unto God Christ saith Col. 3. 11. the Apostle is all and in all Augustine hath a memorable saying viz. Christ alone Ipse unus Christus erit tibi omnia quia in ipso uno bono bona sunt omnia Aug. will be to thee all for in that one good are contained all And in that rare book of his Confessions amongst many choice sayings he propounds from his own experience this excellent one viz. All my plenty if Omnis mihi copia quae Deus meus non est e●●stas est Aug. Confes lib. 3. God be not there is poverty Here then is evidenced wherein consists the experimental knowledge of Contentment That man questionless hath not onely the Theory but the Practice of Contentment who accounts God his riches honours pleasures profits refuge and all While the Epicure continues swallowing and the covetous is scraping and the ambitious continues climbing and the voluptuous man with all eagerness pursues his vain delights and pleasures a true beleever makes his address and application unto God He finds and tasts riches pleasures delights and all comforts whatsoever concentred in his God His God is all and above all and the light of his countenance he prefers before all the treasures in the universe This is that grand request that David prefers to the throne of grace Psalm 4. 6 There are many that say who will shew us any good Lord lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us The multitude in general ask after that which is good for good in general is the object of the will as the Philosopher observes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Arist Rhet. But there are variety of mistakes and many mistake that for good which is not Wherefore the Psalmist determines wherein saving good real and solid consists viz. In the light of Gods gracious countenance Moses the man of God prays O satisfie us early with thy mercy Psal 90. 14. that we may rejoyce and be glad all our days Such an one who hath these desires in sincerity and truth is the truly contented man CHAP. III. Wherein the Doctrine is illustrated by Chap. 3. Containing an illustration of the doctrine by Examples several examples and proved by Scripture SECT 1. Wherein the Doctrine is illustrated by Examples 2. IN the second place I shall illustrate 2 Head Wherein the doctrine is illustrated by Examples the truth of the doctrine by Examples I shall make mention of four Scripture Examples as choice patterns for our imitation The first Example of Contentment I 1. Example of Abraham shall instance in is Abraham I before mentioned his Contentedness in refusing the goods of the King of Sodom What I shall now take special notice of shall be concerning his Contentedness in managing and ending the controversie between his herdsmen and Lots herdsmen First Abraham perswades to peace and amicable agreement Gen. 13. 8. And Abraham said unto Lot Let there be no strife I pray thee between thee and me and between thy herd-men and my herdmen for we are brethren Secondly Abraham though the uncle and superiour offers to Lot though his nephew and inferiour the choice of what place he would go to v. 9. Is not the whole land before thee separate thy self I pray thee from me if thou wilt take the left hand then I will go to the right or if thou depart to the right hand then I will go to the left And Lot accordingly took his choice v. 11. Then Lot chose him all the plain of Jordan Thus Abraham discovered signal and exemplary humility in yielding to his nephew Lot the choice of a place and as signal and excellent contentedness of spirit in taking Lots leavings A second Example I shall instance in is 2 Example of Jacob. of Jacob Abraham's grand-child who trode exactly in his grandfathers steps Jacob was constrain'd to flie for his life and to be an exile from his fathers family that so he might escape the murder design'd by his incensed brother Esau He came the first night of his travels to Bethel and what lodging Gen. 28. 11. he had there is upon record He had no other canopy then the Expansum of the heavens and no other pillow but hard stones yet there where he lay subdiò exposed to wind and weather God graciously appeared Gen. 28. 13 14 15. in a dream unto him and renewed