Selected quad for the lemma: love_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
love_n	lord_n	love_v	spirit_n	5,771	5	5.0793	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A93876	The commings [sic] forth of Christ in the power of his death. Opened in a sermon preached before the High Court of Parliament, on Thursday the first of Novem. 1649. being a publike thanksgiving for the victories obtained by the Parliaments forces in Ireland, especially for the taking of Droghedah, since which Wexford also was taken. By Peter Sterry, sometimes fellow of Emanuel Colledge in Cambridge: and now preacher of the Gospel in London.	Sterry, Peter, 1613-1672.; England and Wales. Parliament. aut	1649 (1649)	Wing S5476; Thomason E578_1; ESTC R203622	37,495	77

Particular An Expres●ion of the Reason My Strength I love thee O Lord my Strength 1 Particular The Profession of Affection I lo●e thee The Word translated Love is taken from the Belly the Bowels the Inward Parts Rechem It implyes a Three-fold Property in Love 1 Property Inwardnes Divine Love is from a Divine Principle not from Sense or Fancy but the Heart not a Guilding upon the Ou●-side of Flesh but Pure Gold growing in the Inward Hidden Mine of the Spirit He is a Jew that is One Inwardly saith St. Paul Rom. 2. 29. He is a Lover of God who is One Inwardly The true Love of God is a Spiri●uall Fire in the Bowels It consumes the Inward Parts like the Fat about the Heart which was to be consumed by Fire in all the Sacrifices Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine Heart saith Iesus Christ in the Gospel 2 Property Tenderness Love to God must be a Sensible Sympathizing L●ve The Bowels the Inward Parts are Seats of Tenderness Passion Sympathy When Two Lutes are rightly tuned one to another touch a String upon One Lute and the same String upon the other Lute will answer it with a like Sound Iesus Christ and a Saint are thus tuned by mutuall Love each to other Their Bowels are Musicall Strings Let One be touched in any Kinde and the Bowels of the Other will sound 3 Property Strength Spirituall Love hath one Seat and Root with Life our Inward Parts Love is strong as Life nay it is stronger than Life For Love is strong as Death which masters Life Cant. 8. 6. The Loving Kindnes of God is Better Sweeter than Life saith the Psalmist Psalm 63. 3. For when Life can afford no Comfo●t but is full of Bitternes the Love of God will then Sweeten Life When Life failes us the Love of God will then receive us into its Mansions So the Love of a Saint to God is Stronger then Life For he may lose his Life but not his Love to his Saviour Yea he will lay down his Life for the love of the Lord Jesus The Love of a Saint to God is stronger then Death It will carry him thorow Death make him more then a Conquerour over it Thus much for the First Particular the Profession of Affection 2. Particular the Expression of the Reason My Strength O Lord my Strength The Word is Ghazak It hath Foure Senses 1 Sense Durablenesse The Lord is a Strength upon which nothing can make Impression to shake or weaken it 2 Sense Puissance God is the Lord of Hosts He beares down all things before him 3 Sense Praevalency God can doe any thing He can bring forth all things out of the Treasury of His Fulnesse He is Full and Fruitfull He is not onely an Active Potentiality like a Living Spring but a Potent V●i●ersall Act like the Over-whelming Sea before the Dry Land appeared God can out-doe and out-goe all things in all Kindes of Excellency Activity and Fruitfulnesse Thus God is round about His own A Wall encompassing enclosing them round a Fire devouring Outwardly every Evill that would break in upon them a Light shining inwardly multiplying upon them all Formes of Life all Beautifull Glorious Manifestations shooting ten Thousand Beames of Joy into their Hearts Thus the Lord hath been a Wall to us a Sea-wall a Wall between us and a Sea of Blood The Lord hath been a Fire for us Consuming our Enemies He hath been a Light standing still over our Heads like the Sun over the Head of Ioshua while he pursued the Canaanites and made an End of them He hath been a Calme Sweet Light to us in the midst of a Thick Darknesse and a Tempest I have now gone ●ver my Text in Generall Now Honoured Patriots I hope you will give me leave and cause to repeat my Text in your Names with a little Change after this manner To Him who Excelleth To the Conquerour To the Chiefe Saviour and Singer of Israel To Iesus Christ A Psalme of Praise of the Commons of England the Servants of the Lord who spake to the Lord the Words of this Song in that Day when the Lord had delivered them from the Hand of all their Enemies and from the Hand of Saul and from the Hand of Ishbosheth that feeble Man that Man of Shame those Men of Same in Ireland by the taking of Droghedah in that Day when they saw the Lord Iesus comming out of His Place to raig●e over the whole Earth in the Power of his Death Then they said We love Thee We love Thee Inwarly Tenderly Strongly We love Thee O Lord Our Strength I come now to that which I promised as the Second Part of my Sermon and that is a Particular Doctrine taken up out of the General Sense of the Words and That is This Doctrine The Lord is the Strength of his People I will give you Three Demonstrations of this Doctrine and so descend to the Application 1 demonstr. There is a Neere and Mutual Vnion between God and a Good Man This Vnion is tied by Two Strong and Fast Knots at Both Ends Love is the Knot by which it is fastned on Gods part Faith is the Knot on a Saints part The Spirit is the String or Chain of Gold on which these Knots are Knit St. Paul saith 1 Cor. 6. 16. He that is joyned to the Lord is one Spirit No Things are so capable of Vnion as Spirits They can pene●rate descend into dwell in fill possesse one another Those things clasp one another closely indeed which are Spiritually united The Vnion between God and His People is Strict and Strong for it is Spirituall The Nature and Exercise of Faith and Repentance is best exprest by the Fulnesse of this Vnion This Vnion empties a Man of his Lusts the World the Flesh For it makes a man Spiritual a Spirit For it is the Baptisme of a Spirituall Fir● unto Repentance This Vnion empties a Man of Himself and fills him full of Iesus Christ For it makes a Man to be no more upon his owne Bottome but One Spirit with his Saviour Thus this Vnion is the Helme of Repentance and the Hand of Faith upon that Helme which turnes us quite about and makes the Great Change in us from West to East from Death to Life This Vnion empties a Man quite out of Himselfe into Iesus Christ A Man is no more One Flesh with himself but the Lord and He are One Spirit Here is excercised that Act of Repentance and Faith by which a Man thrusts away from him the Shore of Selfe or Flesh and lancheth forth● into Iesus Christ as a Spirituall Sea This Vnion is the very Eye of Repentance by which a Man weepeth out Selfe in Tears and taketh in Christ in sweet Beames It is that Mouth of Faith by which a Man breathes forth himselfe into his Saviour and sucks in Iesus Christ as a Quickning Spirit It is the Putting off Selfe and the Putting on Christ It

no where hath any thing like it to my Knowledg neither doth it seem Savoury to the Tast of my Spirit I would willingly go over such Depths of Divinity upon those Bridges of Notion and Expression which the Scripture layes out for me Object It is true that God beholdeth All things that are as they are that He contemplateth All things in the Glass of the Trinity seeing in Himself what ever He seeth that Every Thing in God is God For God is Light and in Him is no Darkness that is nothing besides the Pure Light of Divinity 1 John 1. 4. Answ But my Answer to them who so reason is this God seeth not as Man seeth The Seeing is like to the Being of Things in God Both are by Way of Eminency This abates not the Certainty or Cleerness of Vision but increaseth Both Because it is by Way of Eminency Shall He that made the Eye not see More Exactly more Excellently than the Eye The Eminent Way of the Creatures Being and being Seen in God is Excellently set forth by Jesus Christ Luke 20. 38. He discourseth of the Dead Bodies of the Saints He proveth the Resurrection of Those Bodies after this maner God is the God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob He is not the God of the Dead but of the Living For all live to God The Dead Body of a Saint Keeps its Relation to God It is ever in the Eye of God yet not as Dead but as having a Life in the Eternity Glory Bosom of the Divine Nature It lives to God This Life is a Glass in which is seen the course of the Body thorow Mortality and Death according to its severall stations its proper Relations in those Stations its true Denominations by th●se Relations all as at a Distance in Themselves but all as Present in the Glass of This Life This Body living alwayes to God like the Lamps burning before the Altar is that own Body which Saint Paul saith God will give to each dead Body 1 Cor. 15. 38. The Understanding separates the Dregs of gross Matter from the Images of Sense and Fancy refines them makes them intellectual Images of one nature with her self So She beholdeth all things of Sense and Fancy in those Refined Images without any Communion with the fleshly Substance or sensual Nature of those things Thus all things are Intellectual to the Intellectual Part of Man This is a shadowy Similitude of that transcendent Way of Seeing and Being in God There is a three-fold All {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} 1. All of divided Parts which is this Visible world 2. All of Diverse Powers as the Angelicall World 3. All of Supream Eminency and Unity To name the first All the only God is Sadducism Joyntly with another All Blasphemy Idolatry the second All Heathenism the third All sober Philosophy and One Article of saving Divinity I hope it now appears that a Right knowledge of the True sense the Spiritual sense in which God is doth All will be so far from confounding that it will mightily confir the Morality of the Law The Law moves upon the two fore-wheels of Precepts Prohibitions the two hinder-wheels of Promises Punishments He that takes off these Wheels must cut off the Two Almighty Hands of Jesus Christ the two-fold Mysterie from the Divine Nature Love and Wrath. If all things do flow forth from the Divine Fulness if they do re-flow into the Sea of Divine Glory yet is it in two Divided channels the Spirit of Christ the Devil by two different Mo●ths Love and Wrath. Doth God see thy Sin in a Glass of Glory yet He sees it in that Glass of Glory represented thorow another Glass of Wrath. He sees it as sin in its own Place though like ● dead Viper it be mortified to make up a Glory here in the Light of God But whether have I launched I have endeavoured to be the cleerer in this Case which is the leading Case to all the rest that I may give a quick Dispatch to each of them 2. Case If thou be Al-Spiritualized Al-Divine no more wearing a garment of Flesh I will say to this Three short things 1. Doest thou believe thy self while thou affirmest this 2. As Christ with Thomas Convince us by a Divine Light Make us to see that thou hast not Flesh and Bone as Mortal Men have but as they lie in the Eternal Spirit in their original Copy and are brought forth from thence at pleasure by an inferiour Apparition to inferiour Senses 3. The Moral Law is the natural Image of God in the natural Man Art thou Spirit then thou hast in thy self the spiritual Image of this Law Doest thou come forth into a natural Appearance Come forth then in the natural Image of this Law Otherwise we may fear if you be a Spirit you are a Devil not Divine 3. Case If thy natural Man is acted immediately constantly by the Spirit in an ordinary Way If it be so Thy natural Man is the Spirits shadow in its Being Beauty Motions The Law of the Letter is in like manner a shadow to the Law of the Spirit Then make these two shadows answer one another 4. Case If thy natural Man be acted by the Spirit in an extraordinary way as a sign to the World I have a few things to speak to this briefly 1. Pharaoh was acted by an evil Spirit for a Sign 2. Depend then on God in an extraordinary way for thy Justification Protection 3. The Spirit of the Prophets is subject to the Prophets If thou be acted by the Spirit approve thy self to those that are Spiritual A spiritual Ear tasteth Words and Actions as a musical Ear doth Sounds 5. Case If the distinction between good and evil be none or be taken away The distinction between Good and Evil was real in their several Essences Representative in the Understanding of the first Man When yet it was not miserably active in him by woful experience The Tree of Knowledge of good and evil grew in Paradise before Eve fed upon that Tree Jesus Christ came the first time not to Destroy but Uphold and Heighthen the Law of this Distinction between good and evil Mat. 5. When He comes the Second Time it is to make Good and Execute this Distinction to the Heighth between the Blessed and Cursed by Separating the Tares for unquenchable Fire the Wheat for the Garner of Glory 6. Case If there be a Dispensation in which the Fairest Vertues of the Flesh are to be stained by the Foulest Vices I beseech you to weigh with me a Few Considerations 1. The Righteousness of the Law is not an Enemy but a Friend to the Bride-groom while it Represents Christ as Star-beams point to the Bride-groom of the Skie while it Resignes to Christ as Stars do their Glory to the Rising Sun yet Retaining their proper Brightness though Clothed-upon with His Beauties 2. The Natural Man is a Shadow Thy Moral Beauties are the Image

of God in this Shadow Take these away Nothing will be left but Darkness and Confusion 3. Morality is the Law of the Natural Man to Expire when this Husband dies The Wall may as well cease to be Warm and Bright when the Sun shines upon it As the Natural Man cast off Morality when Jesus Christ looks forth in the Spirit Spirituality is the Gold Morality the Guilding Jesus Christ is the Sun the Law of the Letter the Reflection of that Sun on our Fleshly Part. The Flesh of the Saint is the Loving Dog that cannot sit at the Table but would pick up the Crums which fall on the Ground 4. The Cross of Christ Crucifies the Lusts and Passions of the Flesh first then the Flesh then the Beauty of Flesh fades when Man dies So the Stone from the Mountain strikes the Feet of the Image mixt with Iron and Clay the Image falls the Golden Head and Silver Arms are broke to Pieces by the Images fall 5. The Way of Christ is to make a Less Glory lose it self in a Greater The Outward Man with its Excellency must sweetly Consume and Expire in a Fire of Love not of Lust in the Arms of a Heavenly Glory not of a Hellish Confusion 6. Doth the Spirit of God burn up the Gold of our Earth to leave the Dross Throw down our Finer Flesh to set it up in Filth But the Prophet proclaims Wo to them that call Bitter Sweet Sweet Bitter He makes this Reprobate Sense a Seal of Wrath upon them for the Present He that defaceth the Prints and Image of the Eternal Word in his Natural Man Crucifies his Saviour in the Flesh a Second Time Blessed in the First Place are they who have Oyl in the Vessel of their Spiritual Man and the Lamp of their Natural Man Burning They are Happy in the Second Place who have Oyl in their Vessel though their Lamp be Extinct Such will be awakened with the Cry of the Bridegroom when He comes and enter into His Chamber with Him Right Honorable I have onely one word more to you If I have in my Sermon set Persons for General Figures of Things I have done it with Authority of Scripture and Allusion to the Sense of the Names as Saul for a Monarchy by Will Ishbosheth for the Fruit of that Monarchy Cruelty and Confusion David for Christ Warring Ishai for the Natural Image of God in Man Solomon for Christ Triumphant But I have been too long I rest Praying Continually for your Honors in my Spirit and Professing my self Your Honors Servant in Jesus Christ for the Gospels sake PETER STERRY A SERMON Preached before the High Court of Parliament on Thursday the first of November 1649. being a publike Thanksgiving for the Victories obtained by the Parliaments Forces in Ireland especially for the taking of Droghedah since which Wexford also was taken Psal. 18. v. 1. To the chiefe Musician a Psalm of David the servant of the Lord who spake unto the Lord the words of this song in the day that the Lord delivered him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul and he said I will love thee O Lord my strength THIS is a Psalme of Praises this is a Day and an Age of Praises I hope you will see anon how well they fit one another The Title of a Psalm is Scripture as truly as the Body of the Psalm endited by the same Spirit recorded by the same Pen It is sometimes the First Uerse entire alwayes Part of the First Verse So it is in my Text so it is Part of my Text My Text hath Two Parts 1. Part the Title 2. Part the Ground-worke of the whole Psalme My Method shall be First to goe over the words in Generall then to select one particular Doctrine out of them 1. Part the Title of the Psalm To the chiefe Musician the Psalme of David the servant of the Lord who spake unto the Lord the words of this song in the day that the Lord delivered him from the hands of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul This Title consists of three Particulars 1. Particular the Dedication To the Chiefe Musician 2. Particular the Author David the servant of the Lord 3. Particular The Occasion of the Psalm who spake the words of this song to the Lord in the day that God delivered him c. 1. Particular the Dedication To the Chiefe Musician The Roote of this word thus translated signifies a Conquest by Conflict out-lasting and out-wearing all Opposition It hath a threefold sense in which it is used by the Pen-men of the holy Scriptures 1. For Excellency 2. For Victory 3. For Eternity The Expression in this place hath a two-fold Interpretation The first Interpretation relates to the Jewes the second to Iesus Christ 1. Interpretation The Iewes had all sorts of Musick both Instruments and Voyces in their Divine worship Each sort of Musicians had their Chiefe their President the Master of the Musick When any holy song was designed for the publique service of God it was given up into his hands This is the Chiefe Musician in the First Sense 2. Interpretation Some expound this Chiefe Musician to be Jesus Christ and accordingly they translate the Word thus To him that Excelleth The Phrase may be applyed to the Lord Iesus in Foure Senses 1. As it signifies Excellency Hee is the only Excellent One the Choysest of Ten thousand 2. As it signifies Eternity He only with the Father hath Immortality 3. As it signifies Victory He is the Conquerour the Captain of the Lords Host 4. As it signifies the Chiefe Musician All the Musicke and Musicians among the Jews were but Types of Jesus Christ Hee is the whole Quire and the Master of the Musicke Himselfe in his own Person There is a Musicke of Hearts Ephes. 5. 19. Making melody to the Lord in your hearts There is a Musicke of Angels The Four Beasts have their Harps Revel. 5. 8. Jesus Christ is the Head of all this spiritual and heavenly musick This Dedication affords us Four short Notes to direct our Thankesgiving 1. Note Dedicate all your Praises for every Mercy to the Lord Jesus He is the Exce●●●ng mercy Raise him above the Head of all your Mercies Let your Thankefulnesse glance onely at other Blessings but aime at and fixe in your Saviour as its proper Mark As the Prophets and Psalmists do so make it your end in all your Songs by all your Deliverances and Delights to shadow out Jesus Christ the Substance and Life of them all 2. Note Entitle all your Victories to the Lord Jesus He is the Conquerour By Him you have overcome Take to your selves the words of the Prophet Psal. 124. v. 1 2 3. If it had not been the Lord Jesus who was on our s●de now may England say if it had not been the Lord Jesus who was on our side when men rose up against us Then they had swallowed us up

fulfilling of this part of the Revelation Yet we read also of the same Season as of a Season of great Trouble as also of great Triumph to the Saints themselves Trouble in the Flesh but Triumph in the Spirit because now Jesus Christ in His Members is exalted in the Power of his Death Page 12. Here is the Patience of the Saints wh●le they are ●innowed from all their H●sks and Straw that nothing may be left but pure Corn for the Ga●ner Here are they that keep the Commandements of God and the Fa●th of Jesus They are now Discovered who are built upon the Rocke of a Divine Principle who live by V●ion with Jesus Christ not looking upon things that are seen but upon things that are not seen Now is the Tryall of those who are not carryed about with the Winds of Fancy Philosophy or Divers and Delusive Spirits but cleave fast to the Commandements of God Concerning these it is Proclaimed by the Spirit page 13. Bl●ssed are the Dead which dye in the Lord namely by reason of the Troubles and Perillousnesse of these Day●s For they rest from their Labou●s and their Works follow them For the End will be suddenly The Resurrection from the Dead with the Burning up of the World and the Consummating of the Saints now maketh h●st and i● even at the Door In the yeere 1656. the Flo●d came upon the ●i●st World Then it rained forty Dayes and forty Nights Genesis 3. 12. When this Flood was spent and the dry Land appeared Noah came forth from the Ark at the Commandment of the Lord and planted a Vine About the same number of yeeres from the last Man may God rain Blood upon the Face of the Earth for the space of forty Yeeres to weare out the Race of the Wicked and to wash off the Worldly part from the Righteous In the mean time shall the Saints be lifted up above the Earth upon the Face of this Deluge being ●id with Christ in God the true Ark After this shall Jesus Christ come forth and all His Saints with him Then shall He plant Himself as a new Vine upon the Face of the whole Earth to che●r both God and Man with His Wine But the Waters of the Flood prevailed upon the Earth one Hundred and Fifty Dayes though it rained onely Forty Dayes Genesis 7. In this last Deluge God will wonderfully shorten His Worke and contract the Times Mat. 24. 22. Accordingly the Difference in Daniels last Number which reacheth to the Resurrection of the Just from His first Number is Five and no more above Forty Happy and Blessed are you that live to the Brinke of these Times Happy and Blessed are your Eyes that see Jesus Christ lifted up in the World by His Crosse This is your Season to rejoyce Now in the midst of Wars and Rumours of Wars for now your Redemption draweth nigh Luke 21. 18. Now lift up your Heads and look forth your Redeemer is comming as a Gyant refresht with Wine to run his Race thorow the World over the Necks and Brests of His Enemies When He hath finisht this Course He will come forth as a Bridegroom from His Chamber to receive you into his Everlasting Embraces Here is the Faith and Patience of the Saints Here is the Faith of the Saints to see their Saviour raigning like David in Blood Here is the Patience of the Saints to wait all this Forty yeers of His First and David like Raign for His great and last Appearing Then shall ●e come like Salomon the Prince of Peace having changed His Red Apparell for the Wh●te Garments of Righteousnesse and everlasting Joy I have done now with the Auther of the Psalme as he is described by his Name and Person David 2 Description His Relation The Servant of the Lord Davids Wisedome ●n● Courage had a great share in Victories which he obtained Yet he gives all the Glory to the Lord and puts in himselfe only under this Title the Servant of the Lord A Servant is a living Instrument David was carried from a Shepherds life through many D●fficulties and Dangers safe to a Kingdome He ownes nothing of all this Neither the Design nor the Working of it were his He was an Instrument a Toole a Weapon in the ●and of his God and no more The Highest Praises come from the Humblest Hearts Noble Patriots This is your Copy after which you also are to write in this Day of your Praises your Titles the Servants of the Lord I appeale to your own Breasts whether God hath not wrought you and perhaps is still working you to Great things beyond your Ay●● or Imagination As the Paper in a Letter so you Right Honourable have had the Honour to Convey the Words the Works of God to us But the Head that beares the Sense and Contrivance the Hand that formed them these have been the Lords nor Yours I have done with the Second Particular in the Title of the Psalm the Author 3 Particular The Occasion of the Psalme This is twofold 1. Generall 2. Particular 1 Generall A Universall Deliverance from all his Enemies to that day When God had delivered him from the hand of all his Enemies 2 Particular and from the Hand of Saul Saul signifieth Askt Saul was given to the People in Displeasure For they desired a King upon a Heathenish Ground that they might be like the rest of the Nations 1 Samu. 8. 5. Now make us a King to judge us like all the Nations They desired a King upon a Profane Ground in Opposition to their Thearchy their Government under God by Judges 1 Sam. 8. 7. They have not rejected Thee but Me that I should not reign over them This Saul was forsaken by the Lord haunted by an Evill Spirit could finde no Reliefe from It except only by the Sweet Strokes of Davids Harp Yet he hunts David all his Dayes for his Li●e as a Pa●tridge upon the Mountains David was now delivered from the Power and Malice of King Saul Yet Saul left a Son His name was Ishbosheth which signifies a Man of Shame He had the Affections of the greatest Part of the People and succeeded his Father in the Kingdome of the Ten Tribes He acted nothing in his own Person but by his Servants especially Abner his Chiefe Captain He was a Slight and a Short trouble to David He never prospered still declining He continued not above two yeares ●Sam 2. 10. He was betrayed and flain by those of his own Camp and Court God hath delivered you Right Honourable not only from Saul but also from Ishbosheth in a very great Degree by those la●e Victories and Successes in Ireland I have journeyed thorow the First Part of my Text the Title of the Psalme I passe now into the Second Part The Second Part. The Ground-work of the Psalm I Love thee O Lord my Strength This Part hath Two Particulars in it 1 Particular A Profession of Affection I love thee O Lord 2