Selected quad for the lemma: love_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
love_n	commandment_n	law_n	love_v	7,725	5	6.9269	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A93757	Six several sermons preached on Isaiah, 38. I. Wherein that great duty of setting our body and soul in order, for we shall die, is at large opened and explained Wherein also many divine truths are made known relating to the same matter; and now published, because of the exceeding importance and concernment of this subject unto all people whatsoever.	Stafford, Richard, 1663-1703.	1696 (1696)	Wing S5135; ESTC R230779	115,810	178

admission into Heaven And by what follows in the next verse Except your Righteousness shall exceed the Right●ousness of the Scribes and Pharisees ye shall in no case enter into the Kingdom of Heaven From hence there is real grounds of fear for it may be truly understood and gathered that such who break one of the least Comma●dments of Christ and teach Men so shall not only be called l●ast in the Kingdom of Heaven but they shall in no case enter into the Kingdom of Heaven because that the Righteousness of this kind of People doth not exceed the Righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees inasmuch as these also do exactly the very same as the Scribes and Pharisees did viz. break some of the Commandments of God and teach Men so Only with this somewhat better diversity for the Pharisees did Tythe Anise Mint and Cummin but neglected the weighter matters of the Law Mercy Judgment Faith and the Love of God these ought they to have done and not to leave the other undone But several of the better sort of those called Christians may perhaps observe the weightier matters of the Law and neglect some of the lesser Commandments whereas indeed and in truth from the like Reasoning of Christ it may be understood that these ought to be done and observed also as we●● as the others I take God to Record this day who is greater than our Hearts and knoweth all things that all along throughout my Preaching and Writing in all my Books and Sermons as himself will witness herein for me at the last day of Judgment I have taught and affirmed constantly and so I do again repeat and confirm it this day That all the Commandments of God and of Christ ought to obeyed and observed and not one ●ay not the least of them ought in any wise to be broken Far be it from me to teach Men so nor yet to intimate or allow or give the least way unto it See Mark 7. 9 10 11 12 13. Though for this very things sake because I have declared and testified the Will and Commandment of God to be on that wise as he saith by his Proph●t I will be a swift Witness against false Swearers and against them that turn aside the Stranger from his Right Mal. 3. 8. For this cause my Books and Ministry hath been rejected by the Corrupt and Ig●orant Multitude of this World As it is written He that is unjust let him be unjust still and he that is filthy let him be filthy still Rev. 22. 11. So if they go on still in their refusal to hear or receive that part of God's Word which is committed to my Ministration and in their other Stubbornness and Reproaches for their Lips have spoken lies their Tongue hath muttered Perversness Isa 59. 13. I shall sooner convince them out of the Law take it in the whole together and not by piece-meal only to be Sinners and Transgressors herein then they can convince me of having dealt falfly in God's Covenant neither have we dealt falsly in thy Covenant neither have our steps declined from thy way Psal 44. 17. The very nature of a Covenant stands on this wise to observe all the several sorts thereof Suppose we enter into a Bond to perform Covenants and there are for instance six Covenants mentioned in an Indenture If one of them is broken and not performed and the Bond is put in suit thereupon it will be in no wise a good Pl●a in Law for the Covenanter to say and alledge that ●e hath observed the o●her five And so when God comes to enter into Judgment and to call People to an Account when he shall call to the Heavens above and to the Earth that he may judge his People Gather my Saints together unto me those that have made a Covenant with me by Sacrifice Psal 5. 6. How they have kept his Ten Commandments from their Youth up or all the days and years they were on this E●rth for so far his Judgment will examine and reach back as his ●oregoing Statutes Laws and Judgments did enjoyn Deut. 12. 1. Luke 1. 74 75. Then God will not accept of it as sufficient if some should say Lord I have kept nine of them others eight others six others perhaps obeyed none at all from the Heart And so it is of all the other Commandments of God which are written any where else in the Bible whether of the Old o● New Testament they ought to be observed all one i● being God's S●atute Book whereby he governs over the Nations of the Earth all one as the Acts of Parliament of this Nation are kept and done accordingly Now as when one is Arraign'd for Murder Felony or any other Capital Crime it will not avail and save him if he should plead and say for himself that he had obeyed and kept all the Laws of England besides The same holds true as to the present Account and future Judgment of God For whosoever shall keep the whole Law and yet offend in one point he is guilty of all For he that said do not not commit Adu●tery said also do not Kill now if thou commit no Adultery yet if thou Kill thou art become a Transgressor against the Law So he that s●id do not worship Idols nor graven Images said also do not swear vainly or falsly He said also do not Covet and do no Wrong So that if a Man swears vainly or falsly or if he Covets and doth Wrong although he doth not worship Idols nor graven Images he is become a Transgressor of the Law So it may be reasoned concerning the keeping of some and neglecting or transgressing of others run them changeably throughout all the Ten Commandments The Author of the Epistle to the Hebrews especially in the eight and ninth Chapters Reasons very much from the nature of Covenants and Testaments Which as himself P●raseth it serveth ●nto the example and shadow of Heavenly things and it is else where expresly said as pertaining to this That though it be another Man's Covenant yet no Man addeth nor diminisheth from it Even so it is as to God's Covenant unto Man If we would indeed have the Benefit and precious Promises belonging to the Covenant we must not in the performing and fulfilling the same on our parts we are to add nothing to it nor yet should we diminish or take any thing from it The Covenant of God is the Word and Law of God for so it is called in sundry places of Scripture and the Word and Law of God is God himself and Christ himself ●o that herein the saying is true Take all or take none Is Christ divided 1 Cor. 3 13. Or can God be divided It is impossible as to both Ye cannot serve God and Mammon Although many foolish deceived People and outward Worshippers who serve divers Lusts and Pleasures would vainly imagine and think to divide their service one half for God and another half for the World or

also Self●Righteousness denoted by this Phrase of the Holy Ghost our Righteousness are the two p●i●cipal Garments and so must be done of whatever is like unto them which the Soul must be stripped of before she goes out of the Body that she may be set in Order and to the intent that she may be found comely meet and acceptable in the ●ight of God when this Spirit of ours is to return to the God that gave it It is commonly and truly said That it is a great thing to die And so indeed it will appear notwithstanding that the most and generality of People who are in the broad way that leadeth unto Destruction make no more of it than barely to undergo it when it comes as if there was no more than to yield up the Ghost and surrender up their Breath when they can no longe●●old it in In truth there is no great matter to die as People usually die to slip and descend down into Hell But to die as indeed we ought to die sed Revocare Gradum superasque ascendere ad Auras hi● labor hoc opus ●st that we may ascend up above and be received up into the Mansions above here is labour and work here is matter enough for all our life foregoing let us do and endeavour and labour as much as ever we can If I should here go about to describe what it is to strip off these Garments spotted with the Flesh to put away the unclean thing and to renounce all our self-Righteousness I am apt to think that I shall pencil and set it forth in higher Perfections and Attainments than People will reach and arrive unto And yet let me say what I can concerning it even according to the Ability and Knowledge God hath given me it will come ●●● short of what is the meaning and requiring of God concerning it whereby also it will be seen Thy Word is very pure therefore thy Servant loveth it Psal 119. 140. The consequent to which is to hate yea and strip off the Garment spotted by the Flesh Some may here be apt to say such a State of Holiness Christianity and fear of the Lord is too wonderful for me it is high I cannot attain to it If none will go to Heaven but such Precise Mortified and Self-denying People Lord have mercy upon us For what will become of us Notwithstanding this or the like imagination and saying so frequent in the Mouths of People when they hear strict and hard sayings drop from the Preachers Mouth who can bear them Yet I say and testifie again there is no making our Calling and Election sure Heaven is such a great and lasting Good that we can never make too sure of it and Hell is so sore and abiding an Evil that nothing can be done too much to avoid it without coming up to these Perfections and Excellencies and higher degrees of Grace and Knowledge of Holiness and Innocency which the Scriptures do any where speak of or set forth And truly we should purchase to our selves a good degree and great proficiency in the Christian life and in the Faith which is in Christ Jesus if we have already used the Office of a Deacon well 2 Tim. 3. 13. That is if we did learn and behave our selves well enough in the lower Forms of Christ's School as to be still coming up and making towards the higher yea the top and highest of all As indeed the very top and highest pitch of Christianity and Faith attainable here on this Earth is set forth by those kinds of words that lie before us of hating even the Garment spotted by the Flesh of laying aside every weighs and the sin that doth so easily beset us of resisting unto Blood stirring against sin Shew me any stricter Gospel Precepts or higher Advancements towards the likeness of God and of Christ For this is certain the more like unto God any one becomes the more he doth love Good and the more he doth hate Evil. Ye that love the Lord hate Evil Psal 97. 10. Now this is an hating of Evil with a perf●ct hatred when we do not only hate loath and have indignation against Evil but we hate every thing that is in the least stained tinctured and spotted with the Evil. Nay yet further this is true hating of Evil when although the Flesh is not simply and absolutely evil yet it being the Ground or Soil where this Evil the Poysonous Herb grows and springs up we do not only hate the Poysonous Herb it self but even the very Ground that bears it and round about for its sake W●e● in our Thoughts and Soul the Ground is by us accursed for its sake That although no Man hates his own Flesh but loves and cherisheth it as the Scripture witnesseth and God would have it so in the State of Innocency yet because of the Body of Sin dwelling therein and because that Evil and Corruption doth root settle and spread it self fo●th there we hate our own Flesh therefore and could almost destroy it which we must not neither though here we are Commanded also Mortifie your Members which are on the Earth If ●hy righ● Hand offend thee cut it off if thy right Eye offend ●●ee pluck it out And even we are to loath and detest those Members which have been yielded Servants to ●nclean●ess and to Iniquity unto Iniquity The Flesh lusteth and striveth against the Spirit and the Spirit against the Flesh as may be seen in the seventh and eighth Chapter to the Romans For when we were in the Flesh the motions of sins which were by the Law did work in our Members and by the like consequence of that of 〈◊〉 of hating even the Ga●ment spotted by the Flesh we ●ught to hate our Members because of the motions of ●●s in them to bring forth Fruit unto death But now we are delivered from the Law that being dead wherein we ●●e held that we should serve in the n●wness of the Spirit and not in the oldness of the Letter Rom. 7. 5 6. For they that are after the Flesh do mind the things of the Flesh but they that are after the Spirit do mind the things of the Spirit Because the carnal mind is enmity against God for it is not subject to the Law of God neither indeed ●an be So then they that are in the Flesh cannot please God There is no need of citing more places of Scripture these being sufficient and express to the purpose to shew that the Flesh is distinct contrary and opposite unto the Spirit And also the reason of not only hating but even stripping off the Garment spotted by the Flesh to set the Soul in Order before she goes out of the Body will easily appear By the way it is not proper nor yet a true expression to say that the Soul doth die when it goes out of the Body for indeed it doth not die but depart But this is certain and evident that when

And so the Lord Guides and Commands the Ministry of his Word Comfort ye comfort ye my People saith your God speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem To be Sons of Consolation to some and to be Sons of Thunder unto others To speak such a suitable word to all the several and promis●uous Hearers that all may learn and all may be comforted Some may be convinced some converted some strengthened and builded up according to the several needs of his People and according to the several great ends for which he in Wisdom appointed the Ministry and Preaching of the Word As the Apostle Paul saith to the Thessalonians But a● touching Brotherly Love ye need not that I write unto you for ye your selves are taught of God to love one another So I need not draw any more Practical Uses and Inferences from Isa 38. 1. because that as Isaiah the Son of Amos came unto Hezekiah and said unto him Thus sai●h the Lord Thou shalt die and not live So the same God the Creator of all Generations and Persons of Mankind speaketh unto them in his written Word in his Spirit in their Hearts and Consciences and by his Ministers for by all these ways they are taught of God to set their Souls in Order against the time they shall go out of the Body Which will time after time opportunity after opportunity morning after morning morning after morning he wakene●h me and all this will furnish ye with Practical Uses and Inferences enough on this Subject For all these ways God will teach you what shall be profitable for ye to know and give an inferring what ye have to do And so I have done with this Text telling ye withal that all your remaining business throughout your Life here on Earth and whatever other Sermons or Word of Exhortation and Instruction ye may ever hear or read if it is managed aright it is all to the same end and purpose that ye may set your Souls in Order for ye shall die that is they shall go out of the Body Do ye therefore so live and set your whole Body Soul and Spirit in Order that when ye die ye may live again in Happiness and Bliss and not in Misery and Punishment even that your Spirits may be severally saved in the day of the Lord Jesus Amen saith my Soul come Lord Jesus come quickly FINIS Practical Books Written and Published by Richard Stafford OF Happiness Wherein it is fully and particularly manifested That the greatest Happiness of this Life consisteth in the Fear of God and keeping his Commandments in oppo●●tion to the Pleasures of Sin or the pretended conveniency of Disobedience Rules and Directions for the prevention of and Recovery out of Sickness A Discourse against Partial Obedience Or that dangerous Deceit so universal amongst them who call themselves Christians of keeping some of the Commandments of God and neglecting others Some Thoughts of the Life to Come With a brief account of the state of Religion as it is now in the World The great Benefits of Christ to all that Believe on and Obey him Being a Treatise on Hebrews 2. 15. Wherein it is shewed and made known how People may be freed and delivered from that slavish fear of Death whereby they are subject to Bondage throughout their Life-time And also how they may be saved and preserved from the Evil and Danger of Death when it shall approach nigh and come actually upon them An earnest Call to all the Inhabitants of the Earth to Turn immediately to the Lord their God An Exhortation unto all Dissenters however they are distinguished or named to return into the Communion of the Ch●●ch of England Six several Se●mons Preached on Isaiah 38. 1. wherein that great Duty of setting our Body and Soul in order for we shall die is at large opened and explained