Selected quad for the lemma: love_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
love_n	creature_n	good_a	love_v	6,109	5	6.6861	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A34673	The covenant of Gods free grace most sweetly unfolded and comfortably applied to a disquieted soul from that text of 2 Sam. 23. Ver. 5. : also a doctrinall conclusion that there is in all such who are effectually called, in-dwelling spirituall gifs [sic] and graces wrought and created in them by the Holy Ghost / by that reverend and faithful minister of Gods word, Mr. John Cotton, Teacher of the Church at Boston in New-England ; whereunto is added, A profession of faith, made by the reverend divine, Mr. John Davenport, in New-England, at his admission into one of the Churches there.	Cotton, John, 1584-1652.; Davenport, John, 1597-1670. A profession of faith.	1645 (1645)	Wing C6424; ESTC R30971	35,301	46

it is translated directed Job 32.14 This Covenant was directed to David and the seed of David not left at randome but directed to fall aright upon some person as it were as once it was said of Joseph Deut. 33.16 Let the good will of him that dwelleth in the bush come upon the head of Joseph So shall this Covenant of Grace fall upon the heads of those for whom it is appointed Fourthly because it is set in order so is this word used Lev. 18. It is said to be set in order in regard of the grounds means ends parts and persons on whom it falls First for the grounds of it and they are manifest unto us first from the absolute and independent soveraignty God will do what seemeth him good in his own eyes hee will have mercy on whom hee will have mercy Rom. 9.15 Secondly Gods everlasting love Jer. 31.3 The Lord hath appeared unto me of old say they yea I have loved thee with an everlasting love and therefore with mercy I have drawn thee Thirdly from his free Grace not respecting good or evill in the creature but the good pleasure of his will Secondly it is ordered in the means and they are such as do convey it unto us which are First the Lord Jesus Christ this Covenant was made with him from all eternity Ephes 1.3 Blessed be God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ which hath blessed us with all spirituall blessings in heavenly things in Christ Secondly in Christ and by Christ hath God the Father sealed it unto us by his holy and blessed Spirit Ephes 1.15 Thirdly by his Gospel hath he delivered it unto us 2 Tim. 1.10 Christ hath brought life and immortality to light by the Gospel and this is the Instrument whereby the grace of God is written in our hearts 2 Cor. 3.3 Thirdly in the ends of it the chiefest whereof is First that God might be glorified in his free love it sets forth unto us the riches of his grace Ephes 1.6 Secondly that Christ might thereby be glorified Joh. 5.23 Thirdly God hath appointed to glorifie himself in the salvation of his people Ephes 2.2 2 Tim. 1.9 Fourthly this Covenant is ordered in regard of the parts in the Covenant God promiseth First Grace Secondly pardon of Sin Thirdly subduing our rebellions Fourthly outward blessings Hee will not take away his love from us nor suffer his truth to faile Psal 89.33 34. For his love you may reade Jer. 31.3 where the Lord telleth his people that hee had loved them with an everlasting love So for pardon of sin Jer. 31.34 I will forgive your iniquities and remember your sins no more Likewise for subduing our corruptions Micah 7.18 19. Who is a God like unto thee that pardoneth iniquities and passeth by the transgressions of the remnant of his heritage hee retaineth not his anger for ever because hee delighted in mercy He will turn again he will have compassion upon us hee will subdue our iniquities and will cast all our sins into the depth of the sea So likewise for outward blessings Psal 84.11 The Lord is a Sun and shield The Lord will give grace and glory and no good thing will hee with-hold from them who live uprightly If outward blessings be denied to us yet will he not take away his mercy Psal 89.28 My mercy will I keep for evermore and my Covenant shall stand sure and so forward to the 34th verse of the same Psalme Fifthly it is ordered in regard of the persons to whom it is given Gal. 3.16 it was given to Christ and in Christ to every godly man Gen. 17.7 and in every godly man to his seed God will have some of the seed of every godly man to stand before him for ever Quest 3 But why is it called a sure Covenant Answ 1 In Gods eternall purpose it was first framed Ephes 1.4 5. it was everlastingly purposed with God Answ 2 Secondly in regard of the unchangeablenesse of it it cannot be broken it is unviolable and everlasting Psal 89.34 My Covenant I will not break nor alter the thing gone out of my mouth Quest But why is it said to be a sure Covenant Answ 1 Because God is unchangeable himself Mal. 3.6 I am the Lord I change not therefore yee sons of Jacob are not consumed Answ 2 Secondly in Christs perfect suretiship Heb. 7.22 Who was made a surety of a better Testament Answ 3 Thirdly in regard of the firmnesse of the Spirit of promise which sealeth up to us this Covenant and dwels in us Quest How may the Spirit be said to make it sure Answ In the sure word of promise that God hath made and confirmed it by an oath unto his children that by two immutable witnesses they might receive strong consolation Heb. 6.18 The Spirit of God is said to make it sure to us both by the Spirit of faith looking for salvation by another namely Christ Jesus Rom. 4.16 and by the Spirit of fear Hee will put his feare into our hearts that we shall not depart from him Jer. 32.40 And thus is the Covenant of God said to be sure Psal 89.34.36 My Covenant will I not breake nor alter the thing that is gone out of my mouth I have sworn by my holinesse that I will not faile David So likewise a comfortable place have we in 2 Tim. 2.13 where the Apostle saith though wee believe not yet he abideth faithfull he cannot deny himself Quest What Reasons may there be given why wee should so support and comfort the hearts of Gods people when they see both themselves and their families thus disordered Reason 1 Because this Covenant is a soveraign and sufficient medicine to heal all our disorders and remove all our impediments what though wee on our part fail God hath sworn by his holinesse he will not fail Psal 89.35 It being a Covenant of Grace is not abrogated by our failing though wee remain unsetled yet God continues constant If his children walk not with him but rebell against him what will hee do They shall feel the smart of his displeasure but his loving kindnesse will he not take from them Psal 89.30 31 32 33. Reas 2 Though we and our families are disordered yet Gods Covenant is not but stands firm and sure the Covenant of God compassed about with our disorders fetches them in and cures them Reas 3 Thirdly whereas wee are unsetled and unconstant it may be wee can pray well to day to morrow our hearts are out of frame quite yet this Covenant remaines firme one and the same Reas 4 Fourthly we are unsetled and cannot stay nor keep our selves in any good way wee cannot lay sure hold on this Covenant of God yet notwithstanding it lays hold on us it comprehends us when wee cannot comprehend it and supports us through all But to come to the Uses of the point and in the First place Vse 1 it is a Use of much consolation to all such who are

good wayes they are so clouded with feares of their estates that if they come to be assured of Gods love they will a while love good duties but afterward fall back again to a customary performance and rest themselves contented with the deed done yea many times they break out into open failings to the wounding of their own souls they prove like the high-wayes and barren places rather more defiled then like the green grasse which is bettered by the showers that fall upon it mens hearts may be right before God and they may have much care and diligence to uphold in such a blessed condition and yet come far short of what is required of them as you see in David Although my house be not so with God c. And what might be the reason of this From a secret purpose and counsel God hath to have some unbelievers in every family Reason 1 yea in such places where you shall see most Religion used and God most truly worshipped there shall be some upon whom it shall be his pleasure to shew his displeasure Christ made as good choyce as choyce could be made and yet hee would have us see what we may not unjustly expect in the like case Joh. 6.70 Have not I chosen you twelve and behold one of you is a Devill If it were so in Christs family then we must not look to speed better there is no family wherein one is not a devill his family being as a pattern to all other families it was not for want of means it so proved in his it being our Saviours continuall practice and whole calling to publish Gods truth So for further instances you may see in Adams family Cain the first born an unbeliever In Noahs family there is cursed Cham in Abrahams family is scoffing Ishmael in Isaacs family prophane Esau in Jacobs family brethren against innocent Joseph Moses had a prophane wife who counted him a bloody husband for administring circumcision Aaron had his Nadah and Abihu Samuel his sons were bribe-takers 1 Sam. 8.23 Eli his sons were faulty in the priests office David had his Absolom Adonijah and Amnon Solomon amongst all his wives had not above two that were good Asa his mother had a grove Jehosaphat a wicked son Hezekiah had Manasses who at the first was very wicked Josiah all his sons were wicked and so in all other families we see it true and therefore we can see no cause why with others it should prove better Object But it is said of the Centurion he feared God with all his houshold Acts 10.2 they submitted themselves to all Gods Ordinances though not in truth That may be true in the generall Answ 1 if all did but professe it it is true If they did feare God in truth it was not likely to hold some will be removing and it is like worse come in their room but if they should be all good yet they who were good would be wanting in the feare of God and righteousnesse one towards another in any answerable walking according to the means they do enjoy So concerning the house of the Jailor the same answer may be given though they be all generally good yet may they fall short of the right performance of many good duties to God and one to another The second Reason is from the vanity and curse that lies upon the creatures in every condition of life Reason 2 Every man in his best estate is vanity Psal 62.10 take them single they are vanity take them together they are lighter then vanity it selfe If it was possible to assemble a company who are all good yet would they corrupt one another yea put what persons together you can they will hurt and defile one another in stead of doing good Heb. 12.23 If any man could have a perfect family hee might then have an heaven upon earth which he shall not enjoy In the Church and Congregation you shall finde some wheat some chaffe some good corn some tares so in the best families you shall finde a mixture of good and bad together The third reason is from the mixture of flesh and spirit that is in every man Wee know but in part wee prophecie but in part Reason 3 and as our knowledge so likewise all other graces are imperfect our obedience hope love faith they are but all in part and if David himself was not so how could hee expect it of his family Though all our families should be brought on to be godly yet would they be corrupt in part for so are the best here Learn we then hereby Vse 1 every one of us to judge our selves and our families and to teach every person to judge themselves as at other times so more especially in the dayes of their humiliation and when they come to renew their promises and vowes with their God If David were not able to say that his house were perfect with God what then may we say we have not that means which he had such Teachers to instruct us such guides whereby we might be brought forward neither are wee compassed about with Prophets in a land of uprightnesse where shall we finde an house that walks with God as David did that growes as the tender grasse and is as the Sun without cloud Wee are therefore to charge our selves with our follies and failings and to humble our selves for them whether it be towards God or towards one another we should consider how we are failing in the true fear of God how subject we are to eye-service and although we can do little in reforming Kingdoms and Nation yet we may take care for our own houses we may judge our selves and our families in our manifold failings we may judge our selves for our high-mindednesse drousinesse in good duties for our evill slow heart to get hold of any spirituall thing for our customary performance How do we start aside from them upon every occasion our common complaint is we are wanting to God in his fear and holy service we are too strait hearted in the performance of good duties true cause there is why it may be so with us yet this is but a branch of the Covenant and the reason of our failings in that is because we are wanting in righteousnesse one towards another husbands walk not towards their wives nor their wives back again to them Parents to their children nor children to their parents c. as they all ought to do according to the Law of God and therefore we are to judge our selves for our uncleannesse for our unprofitablenesse under the means we enjoy and toward one another and this is the cause why such good means as are used are not so powerfull to prevaile with us The Sun riseth without cloude and shineth forth freely and powerfully if we be overclouded and overshadowed with any inordinate unruly passions and unbeseeming behaviour if we rise so distempered and the corruption of our natures raise such vapours and mists

not the infinite and uncreated life of the Holy Ghost for the humane nature of Christ was not capable of the infinite attributes of the divine nature against which when Eutiches taught otherwise he was condemned for an Heretique in the generall Councell of Chalcedon The comparison must be stretched no further then Christ intended to shew the meer conjunction between Christ and us so far as that we derive and receive continuall nourishment and supply of all grace and fruitfulnesse thereof from him But not to imply the same individuall life in him and us as is in the root and branches head and members for root and branches make but one tree and head and members make but one person But wee are not the same person with Christ and therefore wee have life not the very self-same with his but conformable to his and fashioned after his Image the same with his in proportion and resemblance as is the Image of the seal and of the wax the same in proportion not the same in number And this must needs be so because the fathers before Christ had as truly the same spirituall life of Christ as wee the life of his divine nature neither of us have the life of his humane nature was not then in being and therefore they had only a proportion and resemblance of his life before his coming as wee have after his coming Reason 5 The fifth Reason is taken from the change of the heart in conversion It standeth thus If in conversion there be some thing anew created and begotten in us which was not created nor begotten before then there be new spirituall gifts of grace created and begotten in us For the substance of the soul and body is not anew-created and begotten it is the same it was before and the Holy Ghost cannot be said to be created or begotten in us at all but in conversion the Lord doth create a new heart in us Ps 51.10 and doth regenerate or renew a right spirit in us beside the Holy Ghost of which he saith in the next verse vers 11. Take not thy holy Spirit from mee The Holy Ghost cannot be said to be created or renewed for he is no creature nor was he ever old And in Ezek. 36.26 27. hee promiseth to put a new spirit within us vers 26. and withall promiseth to put his own Spirit within us vers 27. And his Spirit and our spirit are made two distinct witnesses Rom. 8.16 Reas 6 The sixth Reason is taken from the Law written in our hearts under the Covenant of Grace thus If there be a law written in our hearts under the new Covenant then either this is the Holy Ghost himself or spirituall gifts of grace wrought in our hearts by the Holy Ghost whereby we are fitted and enabled through his leading to walk in the Law of God and to keep it But there is a Law written in our hearts under the new Covenant Jer. 31.33 and this Law is not the Holy Ghost himself for it is the effect and work of the Holy Ghost 2 Cor. 3.3 where it is said to be written by him now a Law or an Epistle written by any man cannot be the man himself that wrought it Reason 7 The seventh Reason is taken from the voluntary concourse of every child of God with the Holy Ghost in every spirituall work the Reason is framed thus If there be no spirituall gifts of grace in the soule united to Christ then in every good action the Holy Ghost acts immediately the naturall faculties and affections to supernaturall effects as suppose he then acteth immediately my naturall love to the supernaturall love of God But in every good action the Holy Ghost doth not act immediately the naturall faculties and affections to supernaturall effects Proof of this If the Holy Ghost in every good action do act immediately my naturall faculty or affection to a supernaturall effect then in every good action hee turns the course of my naturall faculty or affection against his proper and voluntary bent For my naturall faculty or affection hath no proper or voluntary bent to spirituall good effects but lusteth against them Rom. 8.5 Gal. 5.17 But the Holy Ghost in every good action doth not turn the course of my faculty and affection against their proper and voluntary bent For then we should not do good actions voluntarily and then they would be unwelcome and grievous to us contrary to 1 Joh. 5.3 and then we should lose our reward 1 Cor. 9.17 Object But God himself is said to be our gifts and graces and therefore they are nothing but his Spirit in us As God is said to be our confidence which is all one with faith Psal 65.5 So he is said to be our hope Jer. 14.8 Psal 71.5 our love our love it self 1 Joh. 4.16 Answ First God is said to be our confidence and hope because he is the object of our faith and hope and therefore wee are said to put our confidence or to believe on him 1 Pet. 2.6 Now if it were meant God is the very grace of faith or confidence which is in us then when we believe or put our confidence on God we should put God upon God which were absurd and if something were lacking in our faith as there is 1 Thes 3.10 then something were lacking in God And if it were meant that God is the grace of that hope which is in us then when David prayed he might not be ashamed of his hope hee meant that he might not be ashamed of his God God also may be said to be our confidence or hope because hee is the author and giver of these gifts to his people Psal 119.49 God is said to be our love because whatsoever is good in the creature is in God eminently and infinitely and so is God himself But if God were that grace of love which is said to abide in us 1 Cor. 13.13 then God were a fruit of the Spirit for that love which dwelleth in us is a fruit of the Spirit Gal. 5.22 The Lord scatter our darknesse and lead us by his Spirit of light and truth into all truth through Christ A Profession of Faith made by the Reverend Divine Mr. John Davenport at his admission into one of the Churches of God in New-England viz. I believe with all my heart and confesse with my mouth 1. Concerning the Scriptures THat all Scripture is by divine inspiration or inbreathing of God by Scripture I mean the Books of the old Testament as Moses and the Prophets and of the new Testament and is profitable for doctrine for reproof for correction for instruction in righteousnesse that the man of God may be perfect throughly furnished unto all good works 1 Tim. 3.16 17. and that in all things which concern faith and obedience whether in Gods Worship or in the whole conversation of men it holdeth forth a most perfect rule wherunto nothing may be added nor from it may ought be