Selected quad for the lemma: love_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
love_n	act_n	faith_n	work_n	2,998	5	6.1099	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A49459	The chief interest of man, or, A discourse of religion, clearly demonstrating the equity of the precepts of the Gospel, and how much the due observance thereof doth conduce to the happiness and well-being as well of humane societies as of particular persons by H. Lukin.	Lukin, H. (Henry), 1628-1719.	1665 (1665)	Wing L3473; ESTC R125	65,780	204

to consist quietly together which heat doth sever and seperate So that I am almost ready to say with Luther that I know not how to believe that the Gospel hath been preached in a place where I do not see errors and divisions And it is further observable as an argument of the general concurrence of all Christians in the belief of the necessity and excellency of an holy life that setting aside some few who being themselves Slaves to vile affections have laid down some loose principles to patronize their own corrupt practises and draw after them such as are laden with the like sinful lusts men of all opinions and perswasions have earnestly pressed men to the greatest strictnesse and accuratenesse in their conversations and have served themselves at least of a shew of holinesse as the most effectual means to induce men to a belief of their Doctrine But to come nearer to the matter let us leave men to suspend their belief a while of those things which they see controverted and where they find probable arguments alledged on the one side and on the other yet their objection holds not against such things wherein all are agreed as are most of the precepts of the Gospel That rule which was formerly mentioned given by our Saviour Mat. 7.12 is not only allowed by all Christians but by the very Heathens Alexander Severus did so much esteem it that he would have it written upon the Walls of his Palace So many other important truths which are a sufficient Foundation of the most strict and holy conversation are agreed on amongst all as Gods omnisciency overseeing all our actions a future judgement wherein all must be sentenced according to their actions insomuch that even Robbers and such as conspire in wickednesse and seem to bid defiance to Heaven are self condemned and witnesse for God against themselves in obliging themselves to secresie and faithfulnesse to each other by solemn oaths wherein they swear by the name of that God whose commands they live in the open breach of and so acknowledge him as a witnesse and spectator of their actions and one who will severely punish the contempt of his authority in the breach of such oaths Many cannot agree indeed about methodizing their notions and disposing them into such a systeme as that every part may agree and that there may be an harmony in the whole Some cannot agree about the order and nature of Gods decrees yet all believe that no decree doth excuse a Mans sin or that any can pretend any benefit by their election that have not some evidence of it in their sanctification Men differ in their notions about the cause of sin yet on both sides they hold that as the kind of fruit is not according to the root or stock but according to the Graft or Cyon out of which it immediately grows so the specification of actions depends not upon any remote causes which may have an influence into them but upon the will of him that is the immediate cause of them and that there is nothing in the decrees of God or the temptations of Satan which will excuse the sinner or quit him from guilt Men are at variance about the extent of the efficacy of Christs death but agree that none shall have any saving benefit by it but those that believe Men differ about the Power of nature and liberty of the will but on both hands own so much power as will leave men inexcusable and may be a ground of our endeavors and so much necessity of Grace and Divine assistance as may bring us upon our knees and force us to our Prayers Some difference there is about Perseverance but a consent in this that he that doth not persevere in holiness shall never be saved Some difference there is about the hand that works have in our justification but all agree that they are necessary in those that are justified Men vary in their opinions about the obligation of the Law the nature of the Covenant of Grace Christian liberty c. but in this they consent that the things required in the Law are necessary to be done though not perfectly yet sincerely as we can that the Covenant of Grace is not so far absolute that men may be saved without faith and holiness that Christians are not to abuse their liberty as an occasion to licenciousness Now happy is he that condemns not himself in the things which he alloweth In short let us pray as if all depended wholly on Gods grace without our endeavors Do good works as if we were to be justified by them Trust to Gods Grace and mercy in Christ as if we had done no works at all Live as if there were no Gospel Hope as if there were no Law I speak not in respect of the lowness and servileness of our principles but in respect of the diligence of our endeavours Let us walk watchfully and cautiously as if we feared falling away yet love God and hope in him as if we were certain to persevere In short if I may take liberty to mention such names let us pray like Calvinists endeavour like Arminians act like Legalists hope like Antinomians be Papists in our works Protestants in our Faith Let me again add to prevent mistake and offence I speak not of the principles of Mens actions but the matter and substance of them nor of what they do in Hypothesi which come under such distinguishing names but of what such Mens principles do really or at least are supposed by others to lead them to Finally whereto we have already attained let us walk by the same rule let us mind the same things FINIS ERRATA PAge 6. line 8. read Isa 6. l. 11. Phil. 3.19 p. 34. l. 25. for God read Gold p. 37. l. 6. r. Col. 3.23 p. 51. l. 15. blot out Mankind l. 28. blot out yet p. 53 l. 15. for them r. him p. 58. l. 10. r. out of joyn● p. 129. l. 15. r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 145. l. 9. r. Zech. 12.3 There are some small faults in the pointing but such as will not much trouble any Reader

that is the effect of it is the whole Duty of Man founded on his Power and Wisdom ratio rei or reason it self the ground of such things as are of natural right Gods soveraignty the ground of such things as are of positive right I Shall begin with the Equity of Gods commands and shew how reasonably he requires the observance of them his nature most justly challenging and the excellency of his attributes really meriting whatsoever his Law exacts as our duty Man hath as the Moralists observe but a Political Dominion over his affections not such a despotical and absolute power as over his locomotive faculty and so over his outward actions so that he cannot love and hate and fear and desire as he list The Soul being a rational Agent moveth it self in respect of all Objects according to what it sees there of good or evil which begets liking or aversion Wherefore arrogancy is one of the most contemptible vanities amongst the Sons of men it being the most ridiculous thing in the World for men to require of others that Honour esteem reverence which they have no real worth in themselves to be a foundation of And it is worse tyranny than that of the Egyptian task-Masters who required brick without giving straw They say indeed honor est in honorante depending on the will of the giver yet it must be radically in him that is honoured there must be a Foundation laid by him whereon others must raise their esteem of him Wherefore the charge is given to Timothy and Titus that none should despise them that is they were to carry themselves with that gravity prudence integrity that none might have occasion to think meanly and contemptibly of them Now there is in God a real foundation for all those affections which he requires of us as the principles of all our outward actions whereby they are formed and fashioned First God requires that we should love him with all our might with all our strength with our whole Soul and this is in effect the keeping of his commands the fulfilling of his Law Love being the Queen-regent the commanding affection of the Soul the first mover that sets all on work as Austin saith Love is the byass which turns us where ever we go We may judge of the power of this affection by observing the effects of it in our selves where we do truly love how careful are we to please how fearful to offend how desirous to enjoy how ambitious to serve how unwearyed in serving how ready to run hazards to undergo difficulties what sympathy is there of all affections what jealousie So that God needs require no more of us for if he have our Love the rest will follow Now it were not beseeming the Majesty of God to require this of us were there not that in his nature and in his works that did justly deserve it but there is nothing in the creature attractive of our Love which is not eminently in him how great is his goodness how great is his beauty Zach. 9.17 that is those perfections of his nature which being found in the Creature infinitely below what they are in him make it amiable to us Goodness and greatnesse where they meet in Man are very desirable and lovely but God is Optimus Maximus as he is wont to be called the greatest and the best not exceeding us more in his greatnesse than in his goodnesse in his Glory than in his Grace Mich. 7.18 What narrow bounds did Peter set to his forbearance when he asked if he should forgive his brother seven times what would soon become of us if the forbearance of God were confined within such narrow limits we indeed pass by many offences in others because we know not how to revenge them but God could every moment by a word of his mouth an act of his will let us know what it is to contemn his authority And let us but consider the disproportion between God and Man how infinitely he is above him and the nature of God how holy and contrary to whatsoever is evil and we shall much more admire his patience and goodnesse We can do good to our Friends we who are evil but to do good to Enemies whom we have daily in our power and who still continue their enmity against us is too hard for us God is good to Angels that never sinned patient only to sinners Let us but recount the various acts of his Providence towards us consider the daily care which he hath of us the mercies which we daily receive from him the evil he preserveth us from what offers he makes to us of an eternal Glory with himself what means he affords for obtaining it how long space of repentance he gives us and we shall find our obligations to him to be infinitely beyond what they are to Parents Princes Friends disloyalty and ingratitude to whom is condemned abhorred of all Further the Fear of God is the whole Duty of Man Eccl. 12.13 that is efficienter though not formaliter for where ever it is it doth bind the Soul to its duty Job 28.28 Prov. 1.7 and I may say as much for this as for the Love of God Methinks it is a condescension in him to argue the matter as he doth with sinners Jer. 5.22 Mat. 10.28 when he might let them run upon their own ruine and know by experience the danger that they despise We should deride the threatnings of some vain boaster that should go about to affright us with such things as it were far above his power to effect but the frown of a Caesar an Alexander might make us tremble it is the most astonishing madnesse and folly in the World for men to account it generosity braveness of spirit not to be awed by the great words of Scripture to dare to sin to take courage against God like the Philistins 1 Sam. 4.9 and to account it meanness of spirit to be affrighted with the threatnings of an invisible God whose greatnesse we neither see nor feel though it is our own fault we seeing it in its effects every day It is he that hangs the Earth on nothing and when he pleaseth makes it tremble sends the Sun on his errand every day orders the host of Heaven making every Star keep its place thundring with his voice so as he can make the Emperors of the World run to hide themselves setting bounds to the raging waves of the Sea which they dare not passe and though he doth not every day reveal his wrath from Heaven against sinners yet he hath told us it is not because he approves of their ways or knows not how to right himself he only stays till the time of the Revelation of his righteous judgment and then he will pour out his wrath like fire and make the stoutest sinners run if it were possible for them under the Rocks and Mountains to hide themselves from his presence David and Solomon were both feared for