Selected quad for the lemma: love_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
love_n	hate_v	love_v	sin_n	9,451	5	5.6895	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A80742	Gospel-libertie in the extensions limitations of it. Wherein is laid down an exact way to end the present dissentions, and to preserve future peace among the Saints. VVhereunto is added good newes from heaven; to the worst of sinners on earth. The former in nine sermons on 1 Cor. 10. 23. All things are lawfull for me, but all things are not expeaient. The latter in three sermons on Luke 2. 10. Feare not, for behold I bring you good tidings of great joy which shall be to all people. By Walter Cradock late preacher at All-Hallows Great in London;	Cradock, Walter, 1606?-1659.; Homes, Nathanael, 1599-1678.	1648 (1648)	Wing C6762A; ESTC R204983	178,682	290

use for salvation A second instance is this that the Gospel holds forth to sinners all the wrong wayes that they goe and all the wrong meanes that they use to save their soules this is by the light of the Gospel Man naturally is either dead in sin or asleep or if he be a little awaked he takes a thousand wayes to goe to heaven and none of them Gods way none of them the right way Every carnall man sometime or other hath some designe in his head to save his soule one man thinks to doe it by his equity and justice in his dealing and trading another by his hospitality and charity to the poore another by hearing of Sermons and performing of duties as in the time of Poperie how many yeares did they spend spent their strength and time and their money and when all came to all all was lost all their ways were the wrong way to Heaven Now the light of the Gospel discovers all these false wayes and shewes that you will come short of the glory of God and the salvation of your soules and will convince you that There is no Name under heaven by which you can be saved but only the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ Consider is not this good newes that God should come first by the Ministery of the Gospel and shew thee thy wretched condition and then when thou hast spent thy time and strength in false wayes to be reconciled to God and to save thy soule the Gospel comes and discovers all these that thou maiest go seek the true way 3. It holds forth Gods love to sinners Thridly the Gospel holds forth to poore sinners that there is a love an eternall love an infinite love in Gods breast to poore sinners before ever the world was made You know in reason a man would think that God should hate such a one as I am God foresaw what a creature I would be when I was borne and how I have lived and reason would think that love should proceed from something amiable in the object that should produce love some beautie or bountie as wee say but God sees me to be wicked and sinfull and therefore reason would think God must damne me world without end Now the Gospel comes to such a sinner and tells him the case is otherwise it is not so poore sinfull man or woman and though God hate sin above all things in heaven or hell yet God loved thee knowing what thou wouldest be God knows the reason of it we doe not it is as it is said in Deutrenomie I loved thee because I loved thee God hath an infinite speciall love to thy poore soule yet hates thy fin from before the world was made and the Mountaines were brought forth So God loved the world that he gave his Son c. There was a love in God out of which he gave his Son Jesus Christ to die for us This the Gospel and the Spirit of God in it reveales to the poore soule that when I was an enemie to God hee was my friend when I hated him he loved me nay before I was God had thoughts of an infinite eternall love to me 4. Gods love fruitful Then fourthly the Gospel holds forth to a sinner that as God had an infinite love towards him so it was not a cold love that ended in nothing but out of this love God would send his Son Jesus Christ into the world to save sinners This is one maine principle of the Gospel that the Father out of his love sent his own Son that was the Image of his person the Son of his love and delight into this world to lay downe his life and to die for sinners Were it not for the Ministery of the Gospel we could never know this how could we know but by the Gospel that the Lord Jesus Christ did come to die to save sinners So God loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that hee that believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life Fiftly 5. Christ came to work redemption breifly for I doe but give you a few touches of instances it holds out to us that as the Father out of his love seat his Son so that Jesus Christ actually and really is come into the world and took our nature upon him soule and body and the infirmities of both and sanctified our nature that he took and in that nature became our Surety a Publick person for us our Advocate a second Adam That he was conceived and born of the Virgen and that he lived here and so did the will of God and fulfilled his Law and conversed many yeares among men and that therein while he did so he gave us many blessed experiments of his love and mercy to poore sinners in healing the sick in giving sight to the blinde in raising the dead And while he conversed among men he taught and discovered in a great measure the mysteryes of his Fathers counsells to us that else we could never have known and gave us a holy patterne and example of life in humility and patience and delligence and prayer and thankfulnesse All these things are good newes and glad tidings to poore sinners every part of them Then the Gospel tells us that this Lord Jesus Christ after he had walked among men for many yeares together that then as a Publicke person 6. Christ died for us and second Adam and our Surety he did lay downe his life and die for our sins But you will say Where is the good newes from that Hence it is that poore sinners are reconciled to God they are made friends with God Hence it is that poore sinners are redeemed from all their enemies sin and death and wrath and curse and hell all these by the death of the Lord Jesus are removed Then the Gospel tells you that Jesus Christ as hee died for our sins so he rose againe for our justification he rose againe from the dead the third day 7. He roase from death whereby poor sinners are assured that they are justified and freed from all their sins and whereby they shall rise to grace here and their soules and bodies shall rise to glory hereafter with Christ and whereby they shall rise out of all afflictions also in due time For the resurrection of Christ is the ground of our resurrection out of afflictions in this world and every tittle of this is glad tidings and good newes to poore sinners Then the Gospel tells you that after his resurrection he conversed with his Disciples 8. Conversed with his discipls and not with the world and that he met with his Disciples from one mountaine to another from one Towne to another for a few dayes after and there he made many precious Prayers to his Father for them and for all that should believe in him and there he gave them instructions and directions how they should order the Churches of God

shall have the Lord knows I know not but only thus much I say that what ever it will be if it be according to these straines that have been heretofore than I confesse there will be a great deale of heavie tidings and hard newes even in the Gospel of Jesus Christ if men call it Gospel or any thing belonging to it For my part as I am wholly ignorant what Government men will set up and call it Christs right or wrong So I am not ignorant of the feares and jealousies that are in the hearts of godly people of this and that thing but be sure if it be the government of Jesus Christ and his discipline there will be nothing but good newes and glad tidings to the honestest heart and tenderest conscience and if it be not such a government it is not of God for I have proved plainly that there is nothing in the Gospel of Jesus Christ but good newes and glad tidings to the worst of sinners But if it be a government that I shall be compelled against conscience and my goods confiscated for this or that trifle this is not according to the Gospel for there are none of these terrible things in the Gospel of Christ it is all sweet The two worst things in the Gospel good newes I will give you but one instance and passe it over In the government of Christ according to the Scriptures the two worst and harshest things that you shall finde there you shall see clearely that they are good things and good newes for a poore Christian to have them set up over his soule As first of all you know that in the Gospel 1. Reproofe the government or discipline call it which may you will We finde in some cases that the Lord Jesus will have us not only comfort and exhort and teach one another but in some cases he will have us reprove one another Benefit of Gospel reproofe and have our Ministers reprove us also but in love and tendernes This is one of the harshest things and this if you look right on it with a spirituall eye truly it is glad tidings for a poore Saint when he hath forgot himself by the violence of some lust Then for a sincere hearted Brother or Sister in the spirit of meeknes and love to reprove him and set his bones in joynt You have some of you found in experience that a sweet and wise reproofe hath been as pleasing to you as any Sermon of consolation that ever you heard And therefore you see in Scripture how the Lord sets downe reproofe that you may not be affraid of it Levit. 19.17 he tells you that reproofe is an argument of love Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thine heart but rather reprove him It is an argument of love A man that reproves another wisely and meekly he loves him for otherwise his poore soule is going in the way towards hell from God and fellowship with God going on in sin Now a man that reproves him he brings him backe againe from sin and that strangnes from God that he was in a course to run into therefore I say there is no such evil in reproofe Besides the Scripture saith it is a precious thing Ps 14● 5 David saith Let the righteous smite me and it shall be as balme it shall be a kindness let him reprove me and it shall be an excellent oile it shall not breake my head It shall be as excellent oile or balme to heale his soule Reproofe is called a profitable thing also 2 Tim. 3. The Scripture is profitable for instruction and reproofe c. If reproofe were an evil thing one could not say that the Scripture were profitable for such an end It is a great judgment of God when God casts a man into such a condition that no body will reprove him It is a thing that I am many times affraid of truly almost to trembling least a man should so carrie himselfe to the Saints and so estrange himselfe that they will not reprove him O it is fearefull when a man stands on his owne bottome and on his owne leggs that men shall say there is a Professor he is so proud and so foolish that none will reprove him Saith God to Ezkiel Thou shalt not be a reprover to this peaple and in Hosea 3. Let no man strive or reprove another Why so saith the Lord in the end of the Chapter Let him be as a backsliding heifer Ephraim is joyned to Idols let him alone It is a pitifull thing when God shall leave a man as a heifer that is turned into the meddow to grasse let him alone They used to plow with heifers in those dayes as we doe with horses and Oxen and the horses and Oxen are called from the house to the Plow and are driven and beaten but when the Oxe is turned to grasse to be fatted let him alone he lies downe and riseth when he will so these people were so wicked that no man should reprove his brother but he should be as a lambe in a fat Pasture So that reproofe that is one of the harshest things in the government of Christ in the Gospel it is a good a precious and profitable thing It is a great judgment to be without it therefore though that be used the doctrine holds true that there is nothing but good newes glad tidings in the Gospel of Jesus Christ There is another thing that is Excommunication 2 Excomunication cutting a man off from the people of God or delivering him up to Satan A man may say that is a terrible thing It is terrible as I said before when there is secular punishment with it confiscation of goods and losse of estate and freedome but according to the Gospel of Christ you shall see that even the delivering men up to Satan Christ Jesus intends it in love for the good and salvation of their soules It is harsh but it is good newes 2 Cor. 5. saith the Apostle In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ when yee are gathered together and my spirit with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ to deliver such a one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus speaking of the incestuous person If men will be so wretched as to sin grosly the Lord Jesus hath ordered that such a man shall be delivered to Satan for what that he may be damned and to bring him to hell No for the destruction of the flesh that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus And truly Beloved I have seen more than one that have blessed God for that Ordinance that have been brought to humble their soules and sweetly and closely to walk with God againe by the blessing of God on that Ordinance Now I have told you the worst in the Gospel either reproofe and that but upon great occasion or else delivering to Satan

have warrant we agree in all the maine things let us walk so till we come to that one that they differ in and a hundred to one if ever we come to it the strife among Gods people of Presbytery and Independencie would cease take away those that strive to make bate It is as if you and I should strive who should goe into the gates of Venice first and a hundred to one if any of us come there Let us goe along in the substantiall things wherein we agree And what shall we doe then I tell you as for the matter of appeale the Presbytery truly called as they cannot fully prove that there is an absolute rule that they should doe so so the other cannot prove that they may not What is to be done then This that when all things come to that that they cannot agree in a Church it may be expedient and convenient that we appeale to others to end our busines if this were done downe would goe the difference between Presbytery and Independents This is the way to peace and union and agreement among the Saints But you will say Sir this is the way to confusion for there being but a few things lawfull and abundance of things that are not expedient now who shall judge what is expedient and what is not shall every particular man determine of his owne head then there will be a confusion worse than ever for so many men so many minds therefore surely this is not the way to peace To answer that to take in some obiections as I passe to cleare the truth I must tell you foure or five things The first is 1. Take heed of vaine feares in Gods wayes that if this be the way of God which I hope I have proved to you then take heed of your wisedome that runns and sees inconveniences in Gods wayes Feare it not if it be Gods way God can perserve it and blesse it feare not inconveniences in your vaine thoughts leave the event to the Lord. As you know that unhappie man Uzzah when he saw the Arke shake he must goe and hold it When you are sure that this is the will of God set not your wits on work as people doe they reason from intricacies and absurdities and this and that that may follow It is good to be sober and not to be curious when we see clearly that this is the will of God leave it to the Lord to direct them and guide them and blesse them as he pleaseth That is one answer 2. Christ hath done the maine already concerning worship Secondly you say it will be all confusion who shall judge shall every particular man This is the second answer It is very probable if every man shall goe and set up what government he will and worship God as he pleaseth if all the worship of God were to be determined according to every mans humour or every nation and custome and fashion then it would breed confusion but Christ hath done that for the maine the substance is done and the matter nay the manner and forme in a great measure nay it may be some circumstances But if all were to be done againe that we were to shape a Religion and customes and lawes wholly and as a Godly Ancient saith if we were to frame the house to the curtaine and not the curtaine to the house If we were to frame Religion to every countrie where we come this would breed confusion But Christ hath done the maine only there are somethings that fall out in Worship and Doctrine and Discipline that must be mannaged by the rules of expediency that I gave you before I answer 3. To study spirituall things it is probable that in case wee should goe on thus according to the rules agreeing in the cleare generall rules and goe accordingly in particulars as is expedient yet it is to be doubted that according to the spirit we have now and our temper wee shall goe to greater confusion and so wee shall as long as wee have carnall sleight spirits as generally Christians have they will lead us to confusion What shall wee doe then Every one set his soule about the studie of spirituall things The more carnal the more busie about outward things endeavour to see the beautie and excellency of them and to feed more upon them that will avoide that stir and contention 1 Cor. 3. Are yee not carnal Why so one said I am for Paul another I am for Peter I am for Presbytery and I am for Jndependency are yee not carnall as if he had said I warrant you spirituall things grow not in your soules I never saw a spirituall excellent Christian following curiosities about externall things I will tell you a mystery from your experience you observe sometimes your soules are in better temper than at others sometimes you see the things of the Kingdome of God the riches of Christ and the opperations of the Holy Ghost more clearly and you shall finde that according as your soules are screwed up in the sweetness and contemplation of spirituall things so you are lesse and lesse disposed to make chrotchets knots in outward things therefore the way is labour to be spirituall If wee were full of faith and peace and joy in believing and full of the Holy Ghost there would be no confusion about these things Especially get love in your soules 4. To get love for that is the reason wee are in a lovelesse condition therefore wee run to confusion and so we shall goe which way we will unlesse wee get love in our soules John hath a cleare place for it 1. Jo. 2.9 He that saith he is in the light and hates his brother he is in darknes untill now he that loves his brother abides in the light and there is no occasion of stumbling in him A man that loves his brother and is full of love there is no occasion of stumbling in him Mark those people take a man that is full of love he hath not crotchets and fancies to make bate and strife between men there is no occasion of stumbling in him But hee that hates his brother is in darknesse he walks in darknesse and knows not whether he goes because the darknesse hath blinded his eyes When people hate their brethren and doe not love them as they should they are in darknesse and goe they know not whether and so love growes lesse and lesse and darknes more and more among us and we are groping daily and going to confusion Therefore the Saints and the Ministers should joyne to get spirituall things especially love and then there would be no such confusion In 1 Cor. 13. Love doth nothing unseemly the word is dirived from the Latine word indecore Love doth nothing amisse but doth every thing seemly if we were full of love we should be able to answer a hundred questions that now wee are not able to doe But we want love

not quite rooted out that there is in the Gospel administration some ill and bad tidings there is some love and some hatred some mercy and some wrath you think that it may be God is your father and it may be he is your enemie and that because you have sinned he will damne you to hell This is naturall and ordinary Now if you were convinced that there were nothing in the Gospel since our Lord Jesus is gone to heaven and is at the right hand of his Father there is nothing in his dispensation but love and mercy and no wrath hell and damnation and sin c. are all thrown away and if I be perfectly righteous and perfectly justified from all my sins if I have the spirit of Christ given me and am one with God for ever by an everlasting Covenant and shall have life and a Crowne of glory for ever and my sins shall not be laid to my charge O what a cleare and sweet spirit should I have in Gods service and not a muddie and dogged and froward spirit that ariseth from guilt soaking into the soule When I view this truth over and pull it by peice-meale and see that there is no gall nothing in the Gospel first or last but what is amiable and beautifull and blessed newes to sinners then there should follow this consideration why should there be any thing in my heart and spirit towards God but amiable thoughts and love c why should there be any of those coares of unbeliefe and distruct and feare and horrour Those mixtures of adoption and bondage Why should there be hellish feares or guilt in me since there is no wrath not anger at all in God Why should not the carriage of my heart be clear towards him as his is in his Sonne by the administration of the Gospel towards me Labour for a perfect spirit of adoption that you may not have any of those bublings of bondage in your spirits that now over take you and are twisted and woven with that little adoption that you have For who is there among us to this houre but when he comes before the Lord and hath a little smiling in his soule to see his favour and a little joy and delight to come at him and yet there is some feare and trembling as Peter when he was on the waves and what if God will not receive me c. Therefore studie to keep up the spirit of adoption It is a hard thing to keep up the temper of a childe in the soule especially when God lets a man fall into temptations and folly and weaknesse c. But though it be hard labour to keep up that temper at least thus much that thou never come to so low a condition which was the prayer of one that was a good man wherein thou canst not with a full mouth and with a cleare heart call God father and thee his childe though the unhappiest and unworthiest childe If thou come below this if thou call on God with feare and canst not cry abba abba that is as much as daddie daddie as our babes use to say if thou doe not come so high thou art spoiled and undone desire God to teach you this Lesson also The damnation of them that refuse the Gospel just Thirdly if this be so that the Ministery of the Gospel is all glad tidings to the worst of sinners then I appeale to you all and let every man put his hand upon his owne breast and if this be a truth as I hope it hath been cleared you shall all be your own judges how just will the damnation of that sinner be that will not receive the Gospel If there were in the Gospel ridged tidings sad newes as people are apt to fancie to themselves then it were no wonder if one persecuted it and another despised it and another neglected it and another turned it into wantoness But when it comes in such a ●reame that there is nothing but love and light and salvation and grace and all freely laid down at the feet of a sinner for his receiving nay he shall have power and grace to receive it he shall have salvation and a vessell to carry it in judge how justly thy damnation will be in the last day man or woman whosoever thou art that settest thy selfe against the Gospel and wilt not receive salvation Damnation mentioned frequently in the new-Testament why This is the reason why damnation comes out so rife in the new Testament it is scars ever mentioned in the old Testament that I know of damnation is not mentioned in the old Testament nor hell but as it is taken for the grave c. But when grace and the Gospel and life comes damnation comes at the heeles of it How can yee escape the damnation of hell Then comes the worme that never dieth and the fire that never goeth out The reason is because then damnation is proper Then when a man will not receive salvation not because he cannot no man is damned because he cannot receive Christ but because he will not receive this salvation and grace Therefore saith Christ Mat. 28. Goe preach the Gospel he that believeth shall be saved he that believeth not shall be damned That is saith that godly Dr Preston go tell every wicked man this good newes that Christ hath brought salvation But it may be they will not believe what we say to them there is no more in the long and short but in a word tell them they shall be damned That is the reason in Mat. 22. where the Ministery of the Gospel is compared to a feast of dainties and one slights it and another despiseth it and another rejecteth it and when the Master of the feast came it is said he found one without a wedding garment and that the man was speechlesse he was as a man saith Beza with a halter about his neck saith hee goe Binde him hand and foot and cast him into utter darknesse there shall be weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth He was speechlesse he had nothing to say and truly I have had more experience lately than ever I had in my life I saw a man that was accounted all his life a professed Athiest and I was with him in the roome when one in the company opened the Gospel from one end to the other as I have endeavoured in my poore abilitie to doe now and all the riches and the salvation of it how free it is how there is no core nor nothing but what is amiable Saith the man when he had done judge yee will yee not think it just if yee be damned if ye will not receive and obey this Saith he it is so I deserve to be damned without mercy Consider this you will say so too you will be made to confesse how just your damnation will be for refusing it If there were any thing in all this that were harsh and cruell and rough