Selected quad for the lemma: enemy_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
enemy_n	david_n	hate_v	hatred_n	1,155	5	10.0548	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A93286	Sions charity towards her foes in misery. In a dialogue betweene a citizen of London, and a country-gentleman, concerning the offenders of these times.		1641 (1641)	Wing S3869; Thomason E158_13; ESTC R14132	5,750	12

that good may come thereof Citt. Well Sir let us leave off this discourse concerning the Bookes and let us proceed a little futher in our discourse concerning the persons who are the subject matter of such Bookes and I pray you tell me how you conceive a Christian man is to stand affected toward such persons Gent. Without question he ought to love their persons as they are men you know whose words they are Mat. 5.44 But I say unto you love your enemies Citt. Indeed I grant if they were my private enemies I ought to love them yea and so far forth as they are so I ought to doe it but these men are publike enemies yea Gods enemies such as oppose and hate the truth of God and persecute it in the professors thereof yea they are such as are enemies to any good course and godly proceedings Gent. Though they be Gods enemies and publike enemies yet for ought you know while they are alive they may be curable and therefore though you may hate their sins and pray against their devices yet must you love their persons Citt. But did not Paul and David hate the persons of such and pray against them and may not we imitate them therein Gent. It is true indeed Paul prayed against Alexander the Copper-smith 2 Tim. 4. Psal 139.32 that God would reward him according to his workes So David saith Do not I hate them O Lord that hate thee c. and so in many other Psalmes he prayes for the finall and utter destruction of his enemies which indeed is a signe of utter hatred yet this was because they were not only Gods enemies but desperate and irrecoverable ones which they saw by the Spirit of God being extraordinarily and infallibly informed thereof and therefore their prayers were but prophecies of the finall destruction of these men as Psal 63.9 and 54. and 5. But for us because we have not the like measure or gift of Spirit we have no such warrant either to hate or pray directly against any mans person Citt. Well Sir I tell you truly I did not consider these things before now and I begin to feare my heart hath not been so rightly affected towards these men whom I have named as it ought therefore I pray you proceed further in this matter Gent. I will as the Lord shall enable me and first as touching them that are yet living I conceive it is the duty of a Christian and that which doth most expresse a Christian-like spirit to expresse our love to them in being sorry yea and in mourning for them yea and the more we heare their faults discovered the more we are to sorrow for them this I am confident hath warrant from Scripture doe you not remember what the Apostle said to the Corinthians touching the incestuous person and you are puffed up saith he 1 Cor 5.2 and have not rather sorrowed It is a place that I have often thought upon and to tell you truly I have found such a disposition in my owne heart as was in these Corinthians and that is when I have heard-of others that have committed some grosse offences I have as it were found my heart glad within me or rather puffed up with pride because I have not been guilty of the like transgressions when as it is cleare by the Text that I should rather have sorrowed for them for want of which disposition the Apostle blames the Corinthians it was well said therefore of one in the Booke called the Lives of the Fathers when it was told him that one of his brethren was fallen into whoredome he fell yesterday saith he and I may fall to day to this purpose Luther hath an excellent saying we must not saith he measure our own holinesse by other mens sins therefore let him that standeth take heed lest he fall 1 Cor. 10.12 and have ye not considered when it was revealed to Elisha by the Spirit of prophecie what grosse crimes Hazael should commit hereafter the Text saith that he looked upon him stedfastly and wept now if that the Prophet of God wept when he considered the evill which that wicked man should commit hereafter ought not we think you to doe the like when wee consider what wickednesse men have committed heretofore and indeed Sir if we did well we should make this good use thereof unto our selves that is when we heare what transgressions others have committed we should therein as in a glasse behold our owne natures we being the very same by nature as they are and if we had the same temptations which they had and the Lord should leave us to our selves as he left them we should certainly commit the like transgressions which they have done To this purpose I remember a story which I heard a godly Divine relate in the Pulpit concerning a certaine man who being distressed in conscience by reason of the apprehension of the greatnesse of his sins one of his Christian friends labouring to comfort him willed him to consider that his sins were not so great as Manasses were who yet notwithstanding were forgiven whereupon he replyed if I had lived in Manasses times and had had the same temptations as Manasses had I should have committed as great sins as Manasses did Wee cry out saith another godly Divine against Cain for murdering his brother and against Iudas for betraying his Master when as we our selves have the same murderous and traiterous disposition in us by nature to this purpose Austin speaketh well saying There is no sin which any man hath done but another man might doe the same yea saith Luther God by such examples doth shew unto us our owne weaknesse that we should not wax proud but stand in feare according to that of the Apostle Gal. 6.2 Considering thy selfe lest thou also bee tempted Citt. Truly Sir it would be very well if we could be thus affected towards them and that we could make such good use thereof as you have spoken for then should we pitty them and pray for them as I now perswade my selfe it is our duty Gent. Yea surely whilest they are alive it is our duty to pray for them the faithful saith Calvin desire as much as lyeth in them that the wicked should returne to a perfect minde and so they seeke their salvation that they should not perish thus then we must pray to God to pardon them and to turne their hearts and to move us hereunto Mat. 5.44 let us first consider that our Saviour commands it Secondly let us consider that they are our owne flesh Esay 58.7 Thirdly consider they have some part at the least of Gods image in them but alas this duty is contrary to the nature that is in us and the practise of the world and therefore contrary to this duty they doe hate them rejoyce at their fall speake all ill both to them and of them and interpret all things against them Citt. Well Sir you have fully satisfied me how we should be affected towards the living I pray declare likewise how we should be affected towards the dead Gent. As we must pray for them whilest they are alive so must we pitty them being cut off because they have brought misery upon themselves Citt. But may we not lawfully rejoyce when wicked men are taken away are wee not bidden to rejoyce at wicked mens destructions Psal 52. and Psal 58.10 Gent. Indeed thus much I doe grant that though we know not mens finall estate yet if we see any notorious enemy of the Church and Gospel and good men taken away we may give God thankes and in some sense rejoyce as namely for that God hath shewed himselfe carefull of his Church and hath provided for his owne glory the comfort of his people and passage of goodnesse and for the terror of other bad ones left behinde but we must no waies rejoyce as it is the destruction of the person but I being now come to my journies end must of necessity breake off though abruptly except you will be pleased to light and refresh your selfe and your horse with such provision as our Countrey affords Citt. Truly Sir I am heartily sorrie that you are so soone come to your owne home and that I cannot by any meanes stay any longer with you for I desire to reach to Nottingham to night and you see the day is far spent so that if I should stay I feare I should be benighted wherefore Sir I give you most hearty thankes for your good company and especially for your Christian-like discourse the which I hope I shall never forget and if it please the Lord to bring me to London againe I purpose to acquaint my friends with these things who have as well as I been heretofore too harsh in judging and speaking against these men Gen. Sir I should have been right glad to have heard more newes from London but seeing you cannot conveniently stay there is no remedy I thanke you for your company and so the Lord be with you and send you well to your journies end Citt. The Lord be with you also I beseech him Amen FINIS