Selected quad for the lemma: love_n
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A94152
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A pious president to both kingdomes for a sacred covenant. Being an abstractive exposition by way of paraphrase upon the tenth chapter of Nehemiah, the 28, and 29 verses / by Daniell Svvift, Minister of the gospell of Iesus Christ.
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Swift, Daniel.
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1643
(1643)
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Wing S6255; Thomason E71_3; ESTC R7337
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45,715
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58
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purposeth a speedy returne she is privy to her precedent rebellion now she vowes though a sudden yet a true not a fained reformation she is conscious that she hath provoked the eyes of his glory she now promiseth not againe to offend but in every duty to please his Majesty and in all her endeavours to promote his honour And because she would not be fickle but keepe fast bound to her word she enters into a serious and a solemn oath She sweares in truth for now seeing her selfe in the glasse of the Law she beholds her sinnes as so many spots neither is her purpose meerely formall but reall for cleansing nor her intention hypocriticall but sincere for the removall of the evill of her doings from before the Lord so that her oath is not devoyd of truth Secondly she considers what she binds her selfe from viz. her former Idolatries and what she engageth her selfe unto viz. to walke in spirit and truth in the presence of Jehovah so that she sweares in judgement Thirdly her oath is in righteousnesse for as she sweares to please God so that she may please him she sweares onely obedience to his commands Observat Wee may vow against Sin we may swear obedience unto God Wee may vow against sinne we may sweare obedience unto God I thinke Saul did not ill in swearing that David should not be slaine when Ionathan asked him VVherefore he would sinne against innocent bloud to kill him without a cause 1 Sam. 19.56 neither did Iob offend protesting his innocency and attesting his sincerity by a solemne oath As God liveth who hath taken away my judgement and the Almighty who hath vexed my soule all the while my breath is in me and the Spirit of God is in my nostrills my lips shall not speake wickednesse nor my tongue utter deceit Iob 27.2 3 4. Thus did Asa with his people 2 Chro. 15.14 And this is the present act of these Israelites with their Nobles Isaiah Prophesying of the conversion of the Gentiles saith That they shall sweare by the God of truth Isai 65.16 What are we but Gentiles nay doe we not professe our selves to be converted Gentiles Why doe we then still sit in sinne by consent lye in it by working it and by continuall custome sleepe in it as upon a bed of Downe Let us now awake and stand up from the dead let it be seene that our eyes are in our head to fore-see sinnes misery and to hide our selves that our heart is at our right hand to withstand temptation and with violent blowes to keepe off insinuating and ensnaring corruption and that we are not rash in making of vowes Let it appeare that deliberatenesse hath curb'd rashnesse by a solemne oath against the evill of our wayes And to this end consider Reasons First that naturally since the fall of Adam the Port-all of thy heart is very weake Sathan ever and anon makes it his inrode to infect thy spirit it stands in need of a strong bar A strict oath for ought I know is one of the best barrs wherewith thou maist bolt him out 2. An oath wil penetrate and make a deeper impression than a promise upon thy soul It wil be as a spur continually in thy sides to put thee on to act that whereunto thou hast engaged thy selfe After the children of Israel had sworne to come up to the Lord in Mizpeh and that whatsoever he was that did not vouchsafe his presence should be put to death When they were assembled the thoughts of their oath put them upon diligent inquest after the persons that had absented themselves they must needs for their oath sake looke strictly to them and therefore they cry out Who is there among all the Tribes of Israell that came not up with the congregation unto the Lord c. Judg. 21.5 And when the Benjamites after they had vowed against them lay still as a bait before them for being amongst them they were a daily object of their eye yet their oath kept them to their precedent promise made unto the Lord though they dwelt with them yet they would not marry their daughters unto them And therefore as to accuse themselves so to shew that oathes make an impresse upon the conscience with one voyce they give out this expression Though there must be an inheritance for them that be escaped of Benjamin that a Tribe bee not destroyed out of Israell yet we may not give them wives of our daughters for we have sworne the contrary Iudg. 21.17.18 Promises for the most part with some are but as morning dewes when as a solemne oath is as a great raine that sinkes downe and is long seene upon the earth they are many times not so soone spoken but so soone forgotten when oathes ring in the eares and will be observed presse upon the soule and will not be kept out What is the reason that after so many vowes to God not onely in the dayes of distresse but upon the receipt of mercies you have againe corrupted your selves with your owne devices surely had you sworne as well as promised you would not like broken bowes have started from the Lord. Sauls subjects being sworne not to eate untill the evening though the Hony dropt they durst not put their hands to their mouthes for feare of the oath 1 Sam. 14.26 As there is glory so there is dread in the rayes of Majesty a remisse and a carelesse creature will remember himselfe what he should doe in the presence of his Prince God hath stampt a Majesty and power upon a solemne oath Quest But what shall I doe that swearing I may sweare aright both for God and against my sins Answ First be sure that sin and thy affections be at a distance that the league that was formerly betwixt them is quite broken that the loues of Christ are better than wine to the taste of thy soul and that because that thy heart is united to the God of Heaven that therefore thou art afraid to offend him For he that sweares against sin and yet doth not detest but love sin and sweares obedience unto God and hath not a spirituall panting and braying after God doth not deale fairely hee hath two faces under one hood he doth but dissemble with the Lord he sweares not truly that feares not God unfainedly Deut. 6.13 Paul is certaine that he serves God in the spirit before he call him to witnesse his actions Rom. 1.9 Secondly doe this deliberately considering sins sinfullnesse and strictly viewing the beauties of holinesse inconsiderate vowes are soone broken therefore be not rash with thy mouth and let not thy heart be hasty to utter any thing before God Eccles 5.2 Thirdly looke at thy call to thy oath a good call is a good warrant we must not be Knights of the Post By frequency and forwardnesse we must not give out suspition that wee are prodigall of our owne credit and of our owne salvation Prophane wretches
Nehe. 3.5 They are not like some in our times who care not to damne themselves that they may hurt the Church they rather resemble Iustinian they have no lesse care of the Church of God than they have of their owne soules They are Loyall not perfidious to our King Have they not vowed to defend his Majesties Royall person Crowne dignities and estate wherein have they dealt falsely in what particular can you lay treachery to their charge They love his soule they will not corrupt it by ill counsels they had rather fence it that sin may not breake in upon it by christian advice they know that sin is the soules poyson It appeares by their prayers for him they would not have soule-guilt laid to their charge they would have our King hereafter as a bright morning star to shine in the Kingdome of heaven They love his Majesties person it is his presence that they long for not his absence that they are content with Stangers both in Nation and religion doe daily inviron him they feare it may make for his ruine and his good peoples destruction they beseech his Majesty to withdraw himselfe from them they are confidently perswaded of his sweet and pliable disposition they strive therefore to remove evill Counsellors from him they so thirst ofter the enjoyment of him that they are willing to hazard their lives to get him His Majesties peaceable returne unto them will bee the rejoycing of their hearts they stand for his State wealth Honour and Reputation they are willing to settle if not to increase his Revenue and they have ingaged themselves to make him as glorious as any of his Predecessors that have gone before him Surely our King himselfe believes that such of the Pilots Royall of this Land as have made use of and relyed upon the auncient Lawes and long setled Customes of this Nation for their guard and compasse for the guiding of the Barke of this Common-wealth have most honourably and prosperously sayled through all the most dangerous and difficult passages and roughest billowes in the most boysterous stormes and at length have arrived at their desired Haven with infinite glory to themselves and to the Nation or else he would never have said unto them We doe engage unto you solemnely the word of a King that the security of all and every one of you from violence is and ever shall be as much our care as the preservation of Vs and our Children Thus you see his Majesty judgeth them faithful why should we then thinke then disloyall He assures them of his adhering to them and care of them saying Hee will be as carefull of his Parliament and of the Priviledges thereof as of his Life and Crowne And shall not wee encourage them by promising to assist them so long as they stand for us and for our Lawes with out estates and lives Seeing then they are thus zelots for God Fathers to the Country and not rebellious but loyall to his Majesty we need not feare to owne them not scruple to be advised by them not refuse to enter into a holy Covenant with them They are not degenerate they are truly generous dangers doe not dismay them difficulties doe not dishearten them they have met with many stormes but yet they doe not hide their heads they have had many discouragements but yet they hold up their spirits they have bin much tost with waves by reason of crosse winds but yet they are not hopelesse of getting to the harbour The Divell and the scarlet whore with all the Romish faction have combined together against them but yet they are not daunted they still contend for the Conquest they yet play the men for the people and for the Cities of their God Menaces from others doe but breath a new life into their spirits They know that vertues companion is not facility the way that shee treads must be rough and Thorny They remember that good things are hard to come by the Gospell and the Subjects liberty are the Treasures they search for they looke at these as worth their paines as worth their labour it is still for these that they adventure the losse of their precious lives They are content for the present to beare that which displeaseth them that in the end they may freely without interruption enjoy these rich jewels which if they get them will prove advantagious unto them and theirs They are not ignorant that quiet calmes are often subsequents to stormy tempests and that sowre accidents are sometimes seasoned with sweet events these and such like being the subject of their thoughts they breake not off their intended purposes they desert not their president resolutions they alter not their propounded courses with a fixed countenance they out-stare the threatning eye of danger they leave their vow as a witnesse of their valour they are determin'd to resist to bloud rather than forsake their God life is not deare it is the Lords statutes that they covenant to keepe close unto 2 Chro. 19 2. They that love God should be the object of our love it was Iehosaphats sin that he helped the ungodly and loved them that hated the Lord. They are a publike not a private or a cabinet counsell they are the great and generall Counsell of the Kingdome feare not that they will ensnare you themselves and their owne estates are interest in all their decrees they bid you doe nothing but what they have done themselves their covenant will not endanger you unlesse it prove perillous to withstand Gods enemies and to stand close unto Gods Commands A community is seldome prejudiciall unto it selfe or hurtfull unto others They are our brethren So they stiled the Scots in the act of pacification and surely they will not deny us to be their brethren who are of their owne Kingdome and of their owne Religion like brethren in all their actions they desire our welfare they have bin studious to contrive and they are resolute to performe and this present covenant they have set forth for the publike good like elder brethren they command with love Let us not hang backe but joy in our obedience our Nobles like the Primitive Christians are well read in Saint Iohns Doctrine they have begun to soare to the highest pitch of affection they are willing to lay downe their lives for the brethren some already in the common Cause are gone to Heaven in a bloudy Chariot others now are in continuall perills not knowing how soone death may cut in sunder the thred of their lives they may well take up the symbole of Alphonsus Neopolitanus viz the Pelican drawing the bloud out of her breasts for the feeding of her young and considering for what it is that they adventure themselves they may annex unto it this inscription Pro lege pro grege Shall they thus freely for our Kingdomes Lawes and for our safety give up their selves as it were in sacrifice and shall we forsake them O no