Selected quad for the lemma: love_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
love_n	heart_n	love_v	see_v	14,118	5	3.5935	3	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A09977	Life eternall or, A treatise of the knowledge of the divine essence and attributes Delivered in XVIII. sermons. By the late faithfull and worthy minister of Iesus Christ, Iohn Preston, D. in Divinity, chaplaine in ordinary to his Majestie, master of Emmanuel Colledge in Cambridge, and sometimes preacher of Lincolns Inne.	Preston, John, 1587-1628.; Ball, Thomas, 1589 or 90-1659.; Goodwin, Thomas, 1600-1680.	1631 (1631)	STC 20231; ESTC S115069	220,964	434

come in that is if my understanding shall suggest a thing inordinate and shall say Goe and give a bribe to Faelix and thou shalt escape imprisonment goe and take a gift of these Corinthians and thou shalt have something of thine owne and shalt not be so dependent on the almes of others now saith he when carnall wisedome shall suggest any such thing to mee I would not admit of it but I walked in simplicity and godly purenesse toward all men but especially toward you Corinthians here was in him the simplicity of the Doves That we might draw it to a little more particulars you shall see an other expression of this Ephes. 6.5 Servants be obedient to them that are your masters in the flesh with feare and trembling in singlenesse of your heart as unto Christ that is servants take heede even with feare and trembling that you admit not by and sinfull respects in performing your duty as there are many motives as feare hope reward and a necessity to doe it but keepe your hearts single that you may looke onely upon Christ and his commandement and then you shall be faithfull in your service but if other respects mingle themselves with this simplicity you will doe but eye-service you will doe it in a double and dissembling manner not plainely and heartily and simply Therefore let us put in practise this simplicity upon all occasions in all other things whatsoever Rom. 12.8 He that distributeth let him doe it in simplicity that is men are subiect to by ends in their good workes as in giuing almes or shewing a kindenesse to men there may be many by-respects as that they may make use of them heareafter or the like but saith hee keepe you your hearts simple to looke upon GOD alone in them So in conversing with men when you professe love and kindenesse you are subject to by ends in doing it but they are commended Act. 2.46 that they did eat their meat with gladnesse and singlenesse of heart that is what love they professed one to another it was simple and plaine not double Compare this place with that in 1 Pet. 1.22 Seing you have purified your selves in obeying the truth through the Spirit vnto vnfained love of the brethren see that yee love one another with a pure love fervently that is when there is nothing else when the heart is simple and plaine when there is nothing but love noe mixture noe by ends in it So likewise when you come to preach the Gospell doe it in simplicity of heart that is let there be nothing besides as the Apostle saith of himselfe he preached Christ and not himselfe so we should doe every thing in simplicity of heart And so you should behave your selves in your elections to looke with a single eye to the oath by which you ought to be guided doe nothing for feare or favour of men or for any sinister respect I wish I could speake and give this rule to all the kingdome at Parliament times For it is an errour among men to thinke that in election of Burgesses or any others they may pleasure their friends or themselves by having this or that eye to their owne advantage or disadvantage that may arise from it whereas they ought to keep their mindes single and free from all respects so that when they come they may choose him whom in their owne consciences and in the sight of God they thinke fittest for the place and that you may doe so you are to get a single and a simple heart to doe it Vse 3 3 If there bee in GOD this simplicity that we have declared to you then goe to him upon all occasions goe not to the streame goe not to the creatures which have what they have but by derivation and participation but goe to him that hath all that he hath naturally and abundantly not sparingly as they have that have it by participation As when a man is in any miserable condition wherein hee desires pitty and would bee respected and relieved what wilt thou doe in this case Wilt thou goe to weake man and have him to pitty thee No goe to the great GOD in whom there is mercy it selfe Amongst men he that is the fullest of pitty he hath but a streame of it a drop of it therefore seeke not so much to him no not to parents their pitty falls infinitely short of what is in GOD remember that he is mercy it selfe that is thou shalt finde infinitely more mercy in him then can be saide to be in man the most that can be said of man is that he is mercifull but that which can be saide of GOD is that the very thing it selfe is there If you have a firebrand and light it by the fire it is something but fire it selfe is another thing man he hath a little mercy but if you goe to GOD he hath a sea of mercy and he is never dry Therefore whatsoever thy misery or distresse bee whether of conscience or estate be sure that thou goe to God and say to him If evill parents can bee so mercifull to their children when they aske it of them what then shall I have of him that is mercy it selfe Matth. 7.11 So likewise for wisedome if thou hast a doubtfull case and knowest not what to doe thou goest to thy friends which in deede is a good meanes and ought not to bee neglected for in the multitude of councell there is peace but remember this that there is but a little wisedome in them and therefore they will councell thee but a little but goe to God that is wisedome it selfe Pro. 8. Goe to him for hee will give thee wisedome liberally and without reproach Iam. 1.5 thinke of him that hee is the fountaine of wisedome and fullnesse it selfe So if thou needest grace thou wouldest faine have more thou wouldest have thy faith strengthened and thy love and zeale more fervent goe to CHRIST then from whom wee receive grace for grace and that is made to us wisedome sanctification and redemption goe to God that is grace it selfe Goe not to men for what they have they have it from him therefore looke upon all occasions that thou goest to the Lord when thou wantest comfort goe not to thy pleasure and sports and friends and acquaintance but goe to God that is the great God of heaven and earth that hath it in him abundantly and in him thou shalt find more abundance then in any man of the world FINIS THE THIRTEENTH SERMON EXOD. 3.13 14. And Moses said unto God Behold when I come unto the children of Israel and shall say unto them the God of your fathers hath sent mee unto you and shall say unto me what is his name what shall I say unto them And God said unto Moses I AM THAT I AM c. IN these words as you know God describes himselfe to Moses by his eternall being I AM hath sent me unto you Now our businesse

that sinne and will sinne they are told of their particular faults of their idlenesse c. and they are so and will be so still but let them consider that which is spoken in 1 Cor 10.22 Doe we provoke the Lord to jealousie Are we stronger than he He speakes it to them that receive the Sacrament unworthily as if hee should say Both in this and in all other sinnes that you doe commit you doe as it were contend with the great God which is a vaine thing if you consider his greatnesse for are you stronger then he So Psal. 90. Who knowes the power of his wrath And so should we doe in regard of his goodnesse Hos 3. vlt Men shall feare his goodnesse that is if his goodnesse be so great and infinite as himselfe then the losse of it is a losse above all things in the world Whatsoever is precious to us that we feare the losse of as our liberties and lives and as things are more precious to us the more we feare the losse of them Now the goodnesse of God is greater than all other things it is beyond all these as having all these in it therfore wee are to feare the losse of it as the greatest evill in the world Therefore if we could see the extension of his wrath and goodnesse the losse of the one would be the greatest losse and the other the greatest crosse the enjoying of the one the greatest good and the 〈◊〉 of the other the greatest evill in the world and the consideration of this would helpe us to guide our hopes and feares aright for a great cause of misleading us in our wayes are the vaine hopes and feares that we are subject to we feare the losse of friends and losse of lives and liberties but these in comparison are not to be feared This use Christ makes of it Feare not those that can kill the body but feare the great God that can destroy both body and soule The greatnes of his wrath wee should feare as the greatest evill and his goodnesse as the chiefest good and our thoughts and intentions being taken up about these two it would set our hopes and feares aright and worldly things as credit and profit c. would seeme nothing to us and prevaile nothing with us Vse 3 If GOD be so exceeding great then there is no love enough no affection no desire answerable to him If our love were perfect yet it could not reach to him whose greatnesse doth farre exceede it but being imperfect as it is it falls exceeding short of him Therefore let no man feare that he can goe too farre that there can be too much holinesse and strictnesse in our wayes but let him remember the great GOD of heaven and earth and what is due to him and then thinke how farre thou fallest short of that which thou shouldest doe to him It is an expression of CHRIST Luke 14.26 Mat. 10.37 He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me That which I would have observed out of these places is He is not worthy of me that is if men considered my greatnesse and excellency they would easily see me worthy of more love than this of friends and except you can doe so except you can prize my love above these things yea even hate them all if they come into competition with me you are not worthy of me Consider therefore how much love he is worthy of and see if there be not reason for the commandement where we are commanded to love the Lord with all our strength that is if you would love God with that love that he is worthy of you would love God with all your strength that is whatsoever strength a man hath his love should put it forth to doe service to God If a man be rich he is able to doe more for God than a poore man if he be a Magistrate he can doe more than a private man if he hath learning and knowledge he hath much more strength than another now the improvement of these to the glory of God this is to love him with all our strength And if you consider how great a God he is you will see great reason why you should love him thus with all your strength Therefore we should check our selves when we see the dulnesse of our hearts how ready and how apt wee are to bestow our love upon any besides him we should observe all those riverets wherein our love goes out and runnes to other things and bring them backe againe into the right channell For if you consider the greatnesse of God you will see that there is no love to spare Object But may wee not love him and love other things also Answ. You cannot with an ordinate but with a subordinate love you may that is you cannot love him and the world for they are opposed 1 Iohn 2.15 Love not the world neither the things of the world if any man love the world the love of the Father is not in him So Iam. 4.4 Know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is an enemy to God All our love must be bestowed upon him as most worthy of it there is not one particle to be bestowed upon any other thing But then hee gives us our love againe and then we may disperse it here and there As for example he hath commanded hee to love father and mother and friends and the ground that thou hast to doe it is because he hath commanded thee and gives thee leave to it So he hath given thee leave to love recreations and other things that are sutable to our desires but you must remember that the end is that you may be made more serviceable to him to quicken and strengthen you to doe his service and thus it may be bestowed upon other things But that which we have in hand and commend to your consideration is this that if he be so exceeding great in goodnes that therefore he deserves thy whole love 1 Cor. 16.22 If any man love not the Lord Iesus Christ let him be Anathema Maranatha Paul comes with indignation considering the great good that Iesus Christ had done for us if any man love not him he is worthy to perish let him be accursed even to death I say if we consider the greatnesse that is in him you shall see some reason for that curse that indignation of the Apostle whereby hee expresseth it and so farre as wee fall short we should goe to Christ and beseech him to make it up that our defects may be supplied and that we may be accepted in him Vse 4 Againe If he be so great then wee should learne to reverence to him to come before him with much feare when wee performe any duty to him According as a man is great so wee feare him This use is made of it in Mal.

contrary Therefore in 2 Tim. 4.22 Paul prayes The Lord Iesus Christ be with thy spirit as if hee should say this is the greatest mercy that I can wish thee and the greatest good that God can doe thee and therefore he wisheth God to be with his spirit Now to set on this point a little further and to make this plaine to you you shall see it in these three things 1. Because all other things as riches poverty health sicknesse c. he dispenseth these promiscuously so he gives riches to wicked men c. because as it is Eccles. 9.1 His love or hatred cannot be knowne by these things Whence I reason thus That wherein the love and hatred of God is most seene therein his providence chiefly exerciseth it selfe but in the fashioning of the spirits of men there and there chiefly is his providence seene for other things come alike to men to him that sacrificeth and to him that sacrificeth not 2. The disposing of other things is much in the power of men A Prince or a man hath power to kill or to save he can give riches and honor and take them away at his pleasure But to rule the spirits to compose and guide the apprehensions and affections of the soule that belongs to God alone a man is no more able to doe it than to rule the raging sea For as it is proper to God alone to compose the winde and to rule the waves so it is proper to him alone to rule the turbulent affections to compose and guide them If there be any disordered affection in the heart as an immoderate love of any thing or an impatient desire to any thing who is able to remove it but the Lord who is a Spirit So who can implant holy affections in thee but he alone as for example to thinke a good thought a man cannot do it without him who is the Father of spirits so to perswade a man no man can doe it it must be the Lord as Noah saith God shall perswade Laphet to dwell in the Tents of Sem. So to see the hainousnesse of sinne and the evill of it no man can doe it but by the spirit of God as it is said Iohn 16.9 The Spirit convinceth men of Sinne. So to wil this or that which is good it is he that workes both the will and the deed A man cannot choose but bee swallowed vp with worldly griefe except God keepe him he cannot chose but feare the face of man except God assist him for this is one of Gods prerogatives royall to rule in the affections and apprehension of men 3 Because the guiding of a mans spirit is of the greatest consequence of all other things else Now God is a wise commander and therefore he will not exert and put forth his power but in things of greatest moment but the guiding of our affections is all in all to us For in a mans outward estate what things soever befall him all are nothing but what his apprehension is of them and how he is affected to them makes them crosses or comforts if a mans spirit be whole the greatest crosse is nothing and the least is intolerable if his spirit be broken As againe what are all pleasant things if a man hath not a heart to apprehend them As to Paul what was all his persecution as long as his spirit was whole within him he carried it out well and what was Paradise to Adam and a kingdome to Ahab when their spirit was broken It is the apprehension that makes every thing to a man heavy or unheavy pleasant or unpleasant sweete or sower and therefore this is the use to be made of it to behold Gods providence cheifely on our spirits and not onely in our owne spirits but what he doth vpon the spirits of others also It is a thing we stumble at when we see a wicked man prosper and carry all things in the world before him we should not say where is Gods providence and the truth of his promise but see what he doth upon the spirit of that man If thou seest such a man more malicious to the Church and children of God growing more carnall and abominable in his courses therein is Gods curse seene more than in all the dispensation of outward curses for that treasure of sinne which he layes up for himselfe will draw on a treasure of wrath which will be executed in due season Therefore beholde your spirits alwayes and Gods providence upon them Lament 3.65 Give them sorrow of heart thy curse upon them the words signifie which is thy curse upon them Therefore if you see an obstinate heart in a man that is the greatest curse of all As in receiving the Sacrament there wee doe pronounce a curse to him that receives it unworthily and prophanes the Lords body but it may be he goes on and sees it not but now looke upon his spirit and see how GOD deales with that whether his heart doth not grow harder and more obdurate which is the greatest curse You may observe this every where If thou seest one that hath a vaine and idle spirit that cannot studie that cannot pray that cannot choose but be carried away by an unruly lust to this or that thing believe it this is a greater judgement than all the diseases in the world than all shame and disgrace that wee account so much of than poverty and crosses as it is the greatest mercy on the other side when a man is able to serve GOD with an upright heart and to be sincere in all his carriage Thus it is with men and this thou shouldest observe in thy selfe also from day to day Let us not observe so much what accidents befall us what good is done to us or what crosses wee have it is true indeed GOD is seene in all these things but chiefly looke what GOD hath done to our spirit what composing of minde or what turbulency of affections or what quietnesse what patience or what impatience and for this be chiefly humbled or be chiefly thankfull for to take away from Christ the praise of sanctification is as much as to take away the praise of his redemption Herein thou shalt see his love or hatred manifested to thee his greatest judgement shewed to thee or his greatest mercies The Third Vse is that which the Scripture makes of it Iohn 4 24. If God be a Spirit then worship him in Spirit and truth What it is to worship God in spirit and truth you shall see if you compare this place with that in Rom. 1.9 For God is my witnesse whom I serve with my spirit in the Gospell of his Sonne that without ceasing I make mention of you alwayes in my prayers The meaning of it is this When Paul had taken a solemne asseveration GOD is my witnesse c. doe not thinke saith hee that I have done this feignedly I am no such man

any man and takes it away againe So that it is but a figurative kinde of speech not that there is any change in himselfe but because what he did before he undoes it now in regard of his actions he changeth not in regard of himselfe Object 2 What is the reason that he is said to drawe neere to us at one time and at another time to depart from us why doth the Holy Ghost come into one mans heart and sanctifie him when before hee was an unregenerate man what is the reason that Christ which was in heaven came downe and tooke our nature vpon him and lived amongst us I say what is the reason of all this if there be no change in the Lord. Answ. GOD is said to doe all this to come to us and to goe from us and to sanctifie them that were voide of sanctification and as you say of the Sunne you say that the Sunne comes into the house when it fils it with light but when the windowes are shut you say the Sunne is gone Yet the Sunne alters not but the change is in regard of the house It is said to come into the house because of the light that comes into it which before did not but the Sunne it selfe is not altered So in this case the Holy Ghost sanctifies a man GOD drawes neere to him in his comfortable presence because there are some workes wrought in the heart that before were not GOD is not changed but it is the man that suffers the change he sees light now that before was in darkenesse and in the shadow of death he is said to be changed by reason of those operations that now are there which before were not So is it in Christs comming there was a change in the humane nature that was assumed which before was not there was a worke done on the earth which was not before he put forth his power in his humiliation and exaltation which before he did not but yet he was the same the change was in the creature and not in him Now we come to the consequences which are two Hence wee may learne then how to understand all those places which wee meete with in Scripture wherein the Lord expresseth such a sollicitude for the death of sinners as Why will you die O house of Israel why will you not hearken and obey And As I live saith the Lord I desire not the death of a sinner And how am I prest under your abominations even as a cart is pressed with sheaves And it is said Gen. 6.6 That the Lord was grieved at the heart or it pained him at the heart that hee had made man All these kind of expressions as it is evident from hence are but attributed to GOD after the manner of men not that hee is moved for it cannot be seeing he is unchangeable whatsoever new accidents fall out in the world hee is not stirred with them he is not moved with any new affection for if he were he should be as man is changeable But the meaning of those places is to shew the infinite goodnesse of his nature and the greatnesse of our sinnes so that as men grieve much when their wills are crossed and when their worke is brought to nothing how weary are they when they strive long and doe no good So the LORD would expresse it to us thus that wee might take notice what the great provocations are what the sinnes and faults are wherewith we offend him from day to day that we may know what they be and what price to set upon those sinnes whereby we weary him from time to time That all the love and hatred that hee hath now since the world was made all the complacency and displicency all the happinesse and joy which he hath from any thing done either by the Angels or men that he had it from all eternity for if any thing were new in him there should be a change but now there being none you must needes grant this that they were in him from all eternity So that all the workes of men and Angels be nothing to him all the joy that he hath from them hee had it from eternity Againe all the sinnes whereby evill men provoke him and all the punishments that they suffer for sinne it moves not him but as when a glasse falls against the wall the wall is not hurt but the glasse is broken so wicked men they hurt themselves but hee is not mooved Therefore hence observe that GOD must needes be most holy and righteous and just in all his wayes because there is neither love nor hatred nor griefe in him nor joy which should make crooked or bend the rule of his will or alter it in any action Men are therefore unjust because in all that they doe there is something that bends their wills this way or that way they are capable of love joy griefe but GOD seeing he is capable of none of these therefore he must needes be most just and righteous in all his workes Therefore whatsoever he doth though thou seest no reason for it yet justifie thou him in all when thou seest him overthrowing the Churches denying his grace to many thousands and the like yet doe thou justifie him in all his wayes because there is no griefe or trouble can come to him as to the creature therefore he must needes be holy in all wayes and righteous in all his workes If this be so then this will also follow that all the decrees all the counsells and all the acts of his will that ever were in him they were in him from all eternity that is there is not a vicissitude of counsells thoughts and desires upon the passages of things in the world as there is in men for then he should be subject to change For this is a sure rule Whatsoever is under different termes there is a change in it he is now that which he was not before and if there were any instant in which GOD should will one thing which he did not another time hee should bee subject to change Therefore looke backe to all eternity in your imaginations thoughts as in the making of the world all those acts those counsels that he executed upon men they were in him from everlasting Now I come to uses for practise and we will make such uses as the Scripture doth make of this point The first is this Vse 1 In 1 Sam. 15.28 29. And Samuel said unto Saul The Lord hath rent the kingdome of Israel from thee this day and hath given it to a neighbour of thine that is better than thee and also the strength of Israel will not lie nor repent for he is not as man that hee should repent If GOD be unchangeable take heede then lest he come to this that hee cast thee off as he did Saul for if ever he doe it he will never repent never alter never retract his decree Saul lived

unchangeable God So that this doctrine is for comfort to all the Saints of God Therefore consider thou whether thou art in the state of grace whether thou hast made the match with Iesus Christ if ever there was a covenant betweene Christ and thy soule But how shall I know it you will say Did you ever come to this as to say I am content to be divorced from and to part with all things with every lust and to be content to follow him through all his wayes and to beare every crosse yet this is not enough Did there follow hereupon a generall change within thy heart and a new heart and a new spirit given thee otherwise it is but lip-labour a thought onely that passeth through the mind and therefore was never any such actuall agreement betweene Christ and thee But if there were any such change then thou maist comfort thy selfe for God is unchangeable and this covenant it is an everlasting covenant Consider that it is every where called so Isay 55.3 it is said to be an everlasting covenant because it is founded upon the sure mercies of David God gave Saul mercies as well as David God tells him that he shall have the kingdome if hee will walke in his wayes but Saul started out of the wayes of God and so God performed his part but yet the covenant was broke because Saul performed not his part And as it was with Saul so it was with the people of Israel because they broke the covenant on their parts God also broke his David started out of the way as well as Saul but they were sure mercies that were promised him for it was an everlasting covenant of mercy Therfore you must know this that there is a twofold covenant First a single covenant such as GOD makes with children when they are baptised which is this If you will believe and repent and walke in my wayes you shall be saved now if they breake the condition GOD is freed he is not bound any further Secondly a double covenant to performe both parts which is this If you will believe and repent you shall be saved and I will give you an heart and you shall repent and believe and be saved I began the worke and I will finish it here is not onely a covenant on Gods part to be our Father but on our parts also as in the other but GOD doth not onely promise for his part but makes a covenant to to inable us to performe the conditions on our part and therefore it is called a double covenant And it is impossible that this covenant should be broken for then GOD should breake it himselfe for he is ingaged for both parts and so be changeable if hee should not give thee a new heart and keepe thee from the first day of thy regeneration till death Therefore it is an everlasting covenant and the fruites of it are sure mercies it is a double covenant and therefore cannot be changed And it is called Compassions that faile not why are they called so to shew the unchangeablenesse of this covenant But you will say what if I fall into sin I will forgive them saith the Lord. Oh but lusts doe rebell old lusts and new but saith the Lord I will mortifie them and give you grace to overcome them Oh but grace is subject to decay but I will renew it saith GOD. If thy sinnes and lusts should exceede his mercies then they should faile but they cannot and therefore they are called compassions that faile not Besides consider this that the covenant is made in Iesus Christ. There are two Adams he made a covenant with both with the first Adam he made a covenant as with the common roote of all mankinde but Adam brake the covenant and so did all his members But there is a second Adam and all that are saved are members of him as truely as wee are of the first Adam and he kept the covenant and therefore if he stand they shall stand also Besides consider that he makes this Covenant as to sonnes and not as to servants To the servant the Master saith Doe my worke faithfully and thou shalt have thy wages if not I will turne thee out of my dores but with his Sonne it is not so hee abideth in the house for ever if he fall into sinne hee corrects and nurtures him but yet hee keepes him in his house for ever Answ. But what use is there of this Doctrine Object There is this end for it were it not for this Doctrine thou couldest never love God with a sincere and perfect love For I aske thee this question canst thou love him with a perfect love whom thou thinkest may sometime become thine enemy It is a saying Amare tanquam aliquando osurus is the very poyson of true friendship But now when thou knowest that God is knit to thee by an unchangeable bond that hee is a friend whom thou maist build upon for ever whom thou maist trust this makes thy heart to cleave to him as Paul saith I know whom I have trusted this makes thy heart to fasten upon him and there is no scruple of love which would be if there were a possibility of change Besides what makes a man to depart from his profession Because he thinkes to get a better portion but when thou hast this portion sure Christ and heaven sure why shouldest thou let it goe Heb. 10.23 Besides endeavours never faile till hope failes And therefore when thou art sure that thy worke is not in vaine in the Lord it is that which makes thee constant and immovable in well-doing And therefore the use is to make us have strong consolation in the Lord and to doe his worke abundantly to doe that which wee are exhorted to doe to cleave to the Lord without separation And this wee cannot doe except we were sure of him and that you may know by this that he is an unchangeable God and the gifts of his calling are without repentance FJNJS THE FOVRTEENTH SERMON EXOD. 3.13 14. And Moses said unto God Behold when I come unto the children of Israel and shall say unto them the God of your fathers hath sent mee unto you and they shall say unto me what is his name what shall I say unto them And God said unto Moses I AM THAT I AM c. Object WHEN men heare that GOD is thus unchangeable that when he hath rejected any he never retracts his decree this objectiō may be made For what end is it then to pray to endeavour a change of life or to repent for if there be such an unresistable decree past against mee what hope is there Before I come to a particular answere to this I will premise these two things in generall First you know that in other things there is an unchangeable Decree as there is an unalterable Decree concerning the time of mens death and yet no man for this doth cease