Selected quad for the lemma: love_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
love_n	john_n	love_v	true_a	4,911	5	5.7716	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A56727	A brief vindication of free grace ... relating to several positions asserted by M. John Goodwin in his late book entituled, Redemption redeem'd, and in his former treatise of justification : delivered in a sermon before the Right Honourable, the Lord Mayor and aldermen of the city of London, at Pauls, May 30, 1652 / by John Pawson ...	Pawson, John, 1619 or 20-1654?	1652 (1652)	Wing P880; ESTC R13411	24,080	30

not Peter as a Believer or as a righteous person for such an election would not have been an election of grace but an election of justice Eph. 1. 4. We are said to be chosen before the foundation of the world Therefore God does not stay to see what we will prove before he chuse us If he chose us so soon his election rather makes us holy then finds us holy and this is clear from the next words He hath chosen us before the foundation of the world that we should be holy If he chose us that we should be holy then he did not chuse us as holy There is no such phrase in Scripture that God elected us as believers or in case we believe and therefore to say that * election is only the standing good pleasure Idem page 62. and purpose of God to give life to all those that believe is gratis dictum nor is it true for though there be such a purpose in God yet this is not that purpose which the Scripture calls election Election always carries salvation along with it Rom. 8. 30. Whom he predestinated and consequently whom he elected them be also calleth and justifieth and will glorify But now notwithstanding such a purpose to save whoever believes all might perish therefore such a purpose is not that which Scripture means by predestination and election for such a purpose might stand and yet God have no people Christ be a head without a body a King without Subjects Some affirme that * election is not an act of God that is pass'd Idem page 62. but that when God prevails by his word and spirit with men in time to believe then he is said to have erected them But this is flat contrary to the Apostle for Eph. 1. 4. the Saints at Ephesus were elected before the foundation of the world and yet ver 13. they believed not till after they heard the word of truth This seems to overthrow what some build upon as a foundation viz. that * no act of God is before any act of the Creature in Idem p. 53. respect of time If by time be meant duration as surely must that saying is void of truth for the act of God electing was before the foundation of the world and the act of the Ephesians believing was not till after they heard the word of truth therefore one apparently before the other in respect of duration Whereas 't is said that * God acteth but once for all and that Idem p. 58. * God by one act produceth all things t is true in some sense Idem p. 60. that God by one act does all things but yet if we will speak after the manner of men and so as to be understood we must say that this one act in God is diversifyed and multiplyed in the creature according to the objects upon which 't is terminated Who knows not but that in some sense whatever God did heretofore does now or will do hereafter is but one continued act as in God because 't is himself who is but one and done in eternity which is duratio tota simul But yet though it be but one single act quoad esse notwithstanding 't is diversifyed and multiplyed quoad ●erminar● though all the acts of God are the same as subjectively in God yet as they are objectively put forth upon the Creatures so they are different and one before another We cannot truly say that God created the world and burn'd down Sodom and Gomorrah both at once they were different acts as from God and one done before the other 'T is clear enough that some of God's acts are before others and much clearer that some acts of God are before some acts of the creature Did not God make Adam before that Cain whom Adam begot slew his brother To say that no act of God is before any act of the Creature is new Metaphysicks and thereupon to say that God's electing is not before our believing is new divinity both contrary to the Apostle who says that the Saints at Ephesus were chosen before the foundation of the world and yet believed not till after they heard the word of truth Gods grace and love was on worke in electing Peter before either Peter or the world was * nor does it follow that when Idem p. 63. Peter came into the world and liv'd in a sinfull estate before his conversion that then God must have chang'd his affection and take off his love from him till after his conversion for God lov'd Peter before his conversion even while he was in a sinful estate though not with a love of well-likeing in him yet with a love of wellwilling to him Peter after his conversion lov'd God but God lov'd Peter before Peter lov'd him 1 Iohn 4. 19. We love him because he first loved us God loves us first he begins to us in point of love therefore he loves us before our conversion for after our conversion we love him 'T is true the scripture says God hates all workers of iniquity and such are all elect persons before conversion but yet though he hate them as workers of iniquity i. e. takes no pleasure in them yet he loves them as elect persons i. e. beares a good will to them Nor is it any contradiction in this sense for the same person to love and hate the same man at the same time upon a several accompt as a father may hate a son as he is unruly and undutifull and yet at the same time bear a good will to him as he is his own flesh and blood and one who he hopes may be reclaimed hereafter even so may God hate an elect person as he is a worker of iniquity before conversion and yet at the same time bear a love of good-will to him as he is a chosen vessel and one who he knows will be converted and come in hereafter In Ezek. 13. 18. God is said to have poured out his fury upon the Israelites this was an argument of hatred and yet while he was doing so he is said to have pittyed them ver 21. and this was an argument that he bare love and good will to them as they shed blood in the land and poluted it with Idols so he hated them and powred out his fury upon them ver 18. but yet Israel was his own peculiar people and upon that account he bare such good will to them as that he promises ver 25 26. to cleuse them from their filthiness and from their Idols and to give them new hearts and new Spirits Which argues that though at present he took no likeing nor pleasure in them yet even then he bare good-will and intended good to them God may bear love and intend good to those whom at present he hates as workers of iniquity and thus it is in the case of every elect person before conversion God loves us before our conversion yea before the foundation of