Selected quad for the lemma: love_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
love_n	abide_v	father_n	love_v	4,373	5	7.4281	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A46867	The friendly enquirer's doubts and objections answered concerning the light within, the word of God, the church of Christ, gospel ministers, ordinances in general and in particular, water baptism, and the Lord's supper : together with a brief testimony against oaths and swearing / first intended and written for the satisfaction of some particular acquaintance and now published for more general service by James Jackson.	Jackson, James, fl. 1674-1708.	1698 (1698)	Wing J73; ESTC R34952	26,741	110

And therefore to that pure Invisible Unchangeable and Immortal Seed and Principle of Life and Light Which enlightneth every one that comes into the World that Word which is nigh in the Heart that everlasting Gospel which is preached Col 1.23 In every Creature for so it is in the Greek Copie under Heaven even to that Grace and Spirit of God which appeareth and offereth Salvation to all Men which inwardly makes manifest the hidden works of Darkness reproves and condemns all unrighteousness in Heart and Life directs and leads into the way of Life and Peace accepteth of and rewardeth for well-doing let every one who love their own Souls be inwardly turned to love it believe in it and obey it that ye may no longer remain in Darkness but walk and abide in the Light of the Lord to whom be Glory Honour and Obedience for ever Amen God the Father hath committed all Power in Heaven and upon Earth to his Son and made him Supream Head and Governour over his Church and He in his own Divine Light manifests and reveals himself his mind and will to Man and is all-sufficient and ever present to direct and lead his People into all Truth And being our Lord our Judge and Law-giver requires universal Obedience to his Royal Law written in our Hearts and hath always the Soveraign Power to lay aside alter abolish and lead his People from the use of outward Observations and Ordinances that are idolized or abused as well now as he did formerly by Temple-Worship Sacrifices the Passover and Circumcision which at first was commanded the Jews and their Seed for an everlasting Covenant 1. Even as Swearing under the old Testament an Oath was then taken for confirmation c. which under the Gospel is expresly forbidden by Christ Mat. 5.34.35 and by the Apostle James 5.12 The Primitive Christians kept this Doctrine against the commandments of Heathen Emperors Popes and persecuting Princes As Policarpus refused to Swear affirming it a special Character of a true Christian not to Swear at all he was burn'd therefore in the 86 Year of his Age Acts and Mon. vol. 1. fol. 55. Basiliades another Martyr affirmed it was not lawful for a Christian to Swear Euseb c. 6. p. 98. In the Plowman's Complaint we have this Expression Lord thou givest us thy Commandment of Truth not to Swear but to say yea yea and nay nay and to be Humble and Meek but he that calls himself thy Vicar on Earth hath broken both these Commandments compelling Men to Swear and teacheth that to save Life a Man may forswear himself Acts and Mon. vol. 1. fol. 527. Walter Brute affirmeth that as it was the Perfection of the Ancients in the Old Testament not to forswear themselves so the Perfection of a Christian Man is not to Swear at all Acts and Mon. vol. 1. fol. 653. And Chrisostome declares it is a Sin to Swear upon any account Acts and Mon. vol. 1. fol. 701. Yea a great Master in Divinity saith It is not lawful either to give or take an Oath upon a Book for saith he a Book is nothing else but divers Creatures whereof it is made therefore to Swear upon a Book is to Swear by Creatures and this Swearing is ever unlawful Acts and Mon. vol. 1. fol. 701. So likewise other Customs which had their Rise and Authority of the Romish Church and Popish Councils intruded meerly for filthy Lucres sake ought to be laid aside viz. Ignatius Bishop of Rome was the first who ordained that Infants should be baptized and have God-fathers and God mothers And anno 1500. it was ordained by the Council held at Pïsoy in France that Infant Baptism should be received by Tradition because it could not be proved by Scripture And Higinus the ninth Bishop of Rome ordained the Communion to be celebrated three times a Year 2. And as for paying Tythes under the Gospel Dispensation 't is sufficiently manifest to be a Popish imposition Pope Pius the 5th commanded Tythes to be paid under the penalty of Excommunication The Bohemians in their Christian Exhortation to Kings and Princes to stir them up to Zeal for the Gospel against the covetous practices of the Clergy say They receive Tythes of Men and will have them and preach that Men are bound to give them Tythes but therein they say falsly for they cannot prove by the new Testament that our Lord Jesus commanded it neither did his Disciples receive any and tho' in the old Testament it was commanded to give Tythes yet can it not thereby be proved that Christians are bound thereunto for this precept of the old Testament had an end in the first Year of our Lord Jesus Christ like as the precept of Circumcision Wherefore consider and see how your Bishops seduce you with things that have no proof Christ said in the 11th of Luke Give Alms of those things that remain but said not give the Tenth ye possess Acts and Mon. vol. 1. fol. 860. Finally The Main and Principal Foundation of the Law of England is the Law of God so saith the Law-Book Doctor and Student c. 2. p. 4. in these Words There is a Law written in the Heart of Man which is Man created in the Image of God and this Law is always Good and Righteous stiring up the Man to do that which is good and abhor the evil and therefore against this Law saith the Book Prescription Statute Custom may not prevail and if any be brought against it they are void and against Justice Wherefore it doth necessarily follow that all Popish or Prelatical Prescriptions Customs or Penal Statutes concerning Oathes or Tyths or any other thing not sounded on the Law of God written in the Heart are void and against Justice For undoubtedly they who laid the first Foundation of Government had Authority to make such a Constitution as cannot be altered by Posterity for Foundations cannot be removed without hazzard of the whole building but if any do here plead the necessity of times the expediency or usefulness of some such Statutes or Customs I Answer 1st the greatest necessity and care is and should be to secure and maintain the Foundation and 2ly however necessity might support and indulge other Laws it cannot such as alter and are pernicious to the Constitution but every legal advantage should be taken for restoring it together with our just Rites and Freedoms from all Arbitrary oppressions and innovations and more particularly from the aforesaid Popish intrusions and impositions for Oaths and Tythes And this is the humble and earnest desire of every good subject that they who are more especially concerned may so Vote and so Enact As those that shall be judged by the Law of Liberty James 2.12 for by this Law in the Heart God hath shewed unto them that Govern as unto us who are under them what is good and what he requires of us all Mic. 6.8 And that they who sit to Judge us according to the Law

may not command nor suffer us any longer to be Smitten contrary to the Law Acts 23.3 Postscript THE summ and end of all Testimonies Declarations Words and Writing is or ought to be to Reconcile Recover and Restore lost Man unto God and into his Favour And this is to be done no other way but only in and by Jesus Christ our Lord. He is the Way I am the Way saith he and no Man cometh to the Father but by me John 14.4 5 6. Now then He and he only is in the right way to Eternal Life who is in Christ that hath put on Christ that dwelleth and abideth in Christ and Christ in him John 6 56. But some will say who is in Christ Answ The new Creature even he or she that is raised up from dead Works and made alive to God by the same Spirit and Power that raised up Jesus from the Dead Rom. 8.11 That like as Christ was raised up from the Dead by the Glory of the Father even so we also should walk in newness of Life Rom. 6.4 Therefore if any Man be in Christ he is a new Creature behold all things are become new and all things are of God who hath reconciled us unto himself by Jesus Christ 2 Cor. 5.17 Wherefore all my Dear Friends Brethren and Sisters who have believed in the Light and do walk in the Light and tho' this way is every where evil spoken of Acts 19.9 Yet to you he is precious his ways are ways of Pleasantness and all his paths full of Peace Prov. 3.17 Hold on keep in this your way to the end and as ye have received Christ Jesus the Lord even so walk in him Col. 2.6 So run as that ye may obtain the Crown and finish your Course with Joy Take heed Watch and Pray least ye fall or enter into Temptation of being easie or luke-warm or to begin to wax wanton against Christ 1 Yim 5.11 And so espouse to your selves any carnal Intrest or false Liberty which leadeth down to the Chambers of Death and Hell Prov. 7.27 And therefore believing that I am in Conscience obliged both to God and Man and made willing as a warning unto All here to Insert and Publish this following Testimony A Copy of the Paper sent to Nottingham the 21st of the 7th Month 1697. To all tender and upright-hearted Friends in Nottingham and Nottinghamshire James Jackson sendeth Greeting in the Love and Fear of God which abideth unchangable for ever MY Dear Friends whereas by my sinful Prevarications and publick Revolt the Glorious Name of the Lord and his ever blessed Truth hath been greatly dishonoured his holy Spirit together with yours exceedingly grieved besides the manifest occasion of Stumbling Offence and Perjudice hereby given to the World And now through the infinite Goodness and Mercy of God in Jesus Christ being brought into the weighty sence of his righteous Judgments and just Displeasure for my Transgressions and Backslidings feeling also the operation of his mighty Power in the fresh Visitations of his Love renewing and reviving his own blessed Work upon my Heart whereby he hath made me as at first to look unto him whom I have Pierced and with shame and contrition to yeild unto and fall under those very same Pricks and Divine Reproofs against which I have too too long kicked In the living sence hereof I am constrained to declare unto you and am not ashamed to Publish unto the World how abundantly Good and Gracious the Lord hath been and is to me who after all my Provocations and Ill requitals hath once more in the way of his Judgments extended Mercy and as a God that waits to be Gracious hath given me a repenting broken and returning frame of Heart filled with Self-condemning and Self-abhorring resentments and withal raised in me a living hope that as he hath seen all my Wanderings and perversness of my ways he will also pity and heal me and restore Comforts to me and to you my Mourners according to that precious Word Isa 57.15 16 17 18. Neither can I here omit to make my sincere and thankful Acknowledgements for the many repeated Testimonies of your tender Care and Christian-like Dealing with me watching over me administring wholsome and seasonable Admonitions faithful and compassionate Reproofs and lastly righteous and just Censures All which as to me I own were very necessary and as from you the products of Love and Faithfulness The savour thereof hath ever since by times affected my Heart with warm Inclinations to love you and secret Motions to return with the Dove into the Ark back again unto you Hos 2.7 And also in tender Love and Faithfulness I cannot but warn and beseech those who in any measure or degree have swerved from the pure path of Holiness and Selfdenial whose Hearts are privy to any secret allowance of Sin or inward declinings or decay from your first Love that ye make haste and delay not but immediately look up unto Jesus as they in the Wilderness to the Brazen Serpent Oh! linger not dally not with Sin nor take liberty to defer from mine or any others evil Example least hardness come through the deceitfulness of Sin who knows how soon the Day of Visitation may be over the strivings of Gods Spirit cease and the Door of Mercy be shut And as for my part tho' I can truly say the Lord hath preserved me from the Spirit of Envy and Prejudice the usual Companions of Apostacy yet I must ever pray that none who have known the Truth may have the like occasion to feel the bitter Pangs Terrors and Difficuties which attend a deferred return And Ye who have abode Faithful and continued in your first Station knowing that all your Strenth and Sufficiency is of Grace Put on as the Elect of God Bowels of Mercy and Pitty sustaine the Weak and pray for Us and all that have tasted of the Good Word of Life and the Powers of the World to come that we together with you may be Preserved and persevere in that Liberty wherein the Truth doth set us free and there abiding may keep our Dominion in the Authority of Truth over the Lusts of the Flesh the Lusts of the Eyes and the Pride of Life And to conclude with the humble Expression of Nebuchadnezzar in the like case Dan. 4.37 I Praise and Extoll and Honour the God of Heaven all whose Works are Truth and his Ways are Judgment and they that walk in Pride he is able to Abase Iames Iackson THE END