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_v	2,638	5	7.9635	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A55301	Armatura Dei, or, A preparation for suffering in an evil day shewing how Christians are to bear sufferings, and what graces are requisite thereunto : suited for all good Christians in this present time / by Edward Polhil ..., Esq.	Polhill, Edward, 1622-1694?	1682 (1682)	Wing P2750; ESTC R3431	68,313	156

land of Promise Such speculative conceits of the Food of Life as we may find in the Schoolmen are of as little force to inflame our hearts with longing after that Heavenly Kingdom as Poetical Descriptions of far Countries are to make us undertake their Conquest We must have Knowledge and Sense Phil. 1.9 Theory and Experience too to make us stand in the evil day we must tast and see that the Lord is gracious that we may be able to suffer for him A spiritual relish of the sweet streams of Grace that flow from him is a choice preparative to make us take and drink of the bitter Cup. Gotteschalcus suffered a close imprisonment for twenty years together meerly for preaching up the Doctrine of Grace and it is without question that he had not a meer Notion but an experimental taste of it in his Suffering Many have the Knowledge of Christ in a way of Speculation but we must have the Savour of his Sweet Ointments upon our heart that we may follow him into Suffering We had need feel the sweetness of his blood in the calms of Conscience that we may Shed our own blood for him Let us not content our selves to have Christ only in our Bibles but endeavor to have a proof of him in our Hearts a proof of his sweet-smelling Sacrifice in our inward peace a proof of his rich Anointings in our supplies of Grace The experience of Christ in us is a strong encouragement to suffer for him He that hath a Christ only in Notion will fall off from him but he that hath a tried Christ will hardly leave him 4. It must be a Knowledge practical and operative in the life that will prepare us for suffering A meer notional Knowledge of Christ is not a right one He that saith I know him and keepeth not his commandments is a liar and the truth is not in him 1. Joh. 2.4 Such an one contradicts himself his Conversation gives the lie to his Profession the Truth is not in him in a practical way his Knowledge is but a Flash a vanishing Vapor that gives no vital influence to his life he will not do other Commands much less will he take up the Cross which is a Command more grievous to Sense then others are He that would be prepared for Sufferings must labor for such a knowledge as gives a proof of itself in holy Obedience Doing is a good preparative for suffering he that sincerely doth other Commands will take up his Cross too that being a Command as well as others He that indeed is subject to Gods commanding Will will be subject to his disposing one too which orders the coming of the cross to us It is the active Christian that will if occasion serve be passive Our Saviour Christ doth notably set forth what kind of Christians will stand in time of Persecution and what will fall He that heareth his sayings and doth them builds upon the rock and when the storm comes he stands fast because he is founded upon the Rock Math. 7.24.25 that is he is founded upon Christ by Faith and Ocedience and in the Storm he continues upon him by Patience the Rock bears him up as a part of itself But he that heareth Christs sayings and doth them not builds upon the sand and when the storm comes he fals Vers 26 27. Because he is upon the Sand he hath no true Foundation for his Religion he never did dig deep enough to come to Self-denial and therefore in the Storm his fall is very great he and his Religion utterly perish as when a house is broke up from the very Foundation or a Tree is blown up by the Roots Therefore if we would stand firm and unmovable in a Storm let us labor to have Such a lively and operative Knowledge of Christ as may diffuse itself into an universal Obedience to his precepts He that enures himself to do the Will of God will be ready when the Cross comes to take it up and say This is the Will of God too and must be done To conclude that we may have this excellent Knowledge we must not only read the holy Scriptures but with Zuinglius look up to Heaven for that holy Spirit that is able to lead us into all Truth and to seal it upon our hearts for ever CHAP. VII The fourth direction for Suffering is pretious Faith This hath a triple respect arespect to God his providence Power and Grace Arespect to Christ as a propitiation a Pattern an Head and Helper Arespect to the Promises the Promises of Gods Presence the Promises of Confirmation the Promises of a good Issue THe fourth Direction is this if we would be in a fit posture for Suffering we must labour after a pretious Faith A Dogmatical Faith will not do it the Devil himself who is the Chief Agent in Persecution hath such a Faith neither will a temporary Faith do it this is but a meer blossom that fals off in a storm of Persecution it must be a pretious Faith a Furnace Faith that will endure the fiery Trial This is the Apostles 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Shield like a door broad enough to cover the Soul and all its Graces Eph. 6.16 this is to be taken above all other pieces of Spiritual Armor it is eminent among the Graces as the Sun is among the Planets It is the great conquering Grace all other Graces act in conjunction with it In the eleventh Chapter to the Hebrews stiled by some the little Book of Martyrs the Saints are brought in doing and suffering great things but all is ascribed to Faith as the Captain-grace of all the rest the first mover to other Graces It works by Love and not only so but by Meekness Obedience Patience running like blood and Spirits in every part of the New-creature Faith hath a triple respect to God to Christ to the Promises and in each of these it is of singular use in order to sufferings 1. Faith hath a respect to God it makes its approaches to him nay it fixes the the Soul in him as in its Center Hence it is that the righteous fears no evil tidings because his Heart is fixed trusting in the Lord Psal 112.7 The word rowles about but he by faith stands fast in the unmoveable God Hence it is that the Church becomes unmoveable too God is in the midst of her she shall not be moved Psal 46.5 There are three things in God which Faith fixes upon in order to pious Suffering 1. Faith fixes upon his Providence The Stoick could say That there was no living in a World empty of God and Providence Much more may the Christian that is tossed up and down in a persecuting World say so But his Faith tels him that persecution comes not by Chance Man rages but God reigns The World is as a tempestuous Sea but God sits at the Sterne and governs all He limits the fury of Persecutors the wrath of man shall praise him

ARMATVRA DEI OR A PREPARATION FOR SUFFERING IN An Evil Day SHEWING How Christians are to bear Sufferings and what Graces are Requisite thereunto Suited for all good Christians in this present Time By EDWARD POLHIL of Burwash in Sussex Esq LONDON Printed for Tho. Cockerill at the Three-Legs in the Poultrey 1682. TO THE READER IT is the saying of Grave Divine That in the School of Satan the first A B C of Atheism is this All these will I give thee if thou wilt fall down and worship me but in the School of Jesus the first A B C of Religion is this If any man will be my Disciple let him deny himself and take up his Cross and follow me Opposition is Evangelij Genius the Church hath the Cross for its Inheritance It is the Ordinance of God That through Tribulation we must enter into his Kingdome This hath been the way of the Saints in all Ages The Cloud of Witnesses have walked in it to Heaven Jesus Christ the Captain of our Salvation was made perfect through Sufferings and therefore Christians who are to follow him whithersoever he goeth must provide for the Cross Especially at such a time as this Now not only the common Lot of Christianity but the dark aspect of the Times bid us prepare for Sufferings Charity is cold Differences are hot Moderation Vanishes Enmity every where appears Popery lifts up itself in the World Protestants help on the Design by destroying each other Sin is gone up with a great cry to Heaven black Clouds of wrath hang over our heads for it the decayes of holy Love threaten a removal of our Candlestick lukewarmness in Religion shews that we are fit to be spued out of Gods mouth Every one that hath Eyes in his Head may see the tendency of such things as these and therefore Christians have more than an ordinary Obligation on them to provide for the Cross and nothing less than a stock of holy Graces can put them into a posture for it It 's true Diogenes when he was asked what be gained by his Philosophy answered that he gained this by it that he was ad omnem fortunam paratus ready for every thing that should fall out Philosophy may pretend to this but nothing but true Christianity can effect it it is an easy matter to speak finely and say as one did Si fractus illabatur Orbis impavidum ferient Ruinae if the broken World fall about our Ears the Ruins of it shall not startle us But nothing less than Gracious and Divine Principles can enable a Man piously to suffer for the Cause of God and Conscience he that parts with all outward things here had need have an interest in Him who is better than all He that stands fast in a Storm of Persecution without had need of a pure serene Conscience within He that will adhere to persecuted Truth had need to be well setled in it and carry the sweet savor of it upon his heart He that will stand out against the Threatnings of Men had need be well-fixed in the Promises of God from thence draw out Comfort in an Evil Day How can a Christian part with the present World if he hath not another a better to go to or lay down a Temporal Life if he hath not a lively hope of an Eternal one in Heaven How can he lift up himself above the Dregs of a Corrupt World if he be not extasied and rap't up in Love to God or bear the Terrors and Cruelties of Men if the fear of God do not prevail and over-rule his heart Humility must make him a Worm a Nothing in his own Eyes that he may be willing to be trampled on by Men. Obedience must work him to a compliance with God's Commanding Will that Patience may fit him to subject to his disposing one Believe it it is a great an Heroical thing to suffer for Religion it must be Grace true Grace such as carries a man up above himself and the World and joins him to the Fountain of Comfort and Happiness that will make him fit to suffer and lose all for Righteousness sake Reader The ensuing Discourse hath no other design but only to shew how Christians are to bear Sufferings and what Graces are requisite thereunto If any Glory may come to God or Profit to Men by it it is as much as is desired by him who is A Lover of Truth Edw. Polhil ARMATVRA DEI OR A Preparation for suffering in an Evil-day CHAP. I. Persecution will come on good men This World is mixt of Comforts and Sorrows The old enmity will persecute Corruption in Saints will shew it self inwardly and outwardly The Church is heir to the Cross God orders Sufferings for good Things abroad and at home admonish us ONe Apostle tells us That all that will live Godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer Persecution Another acquaints us That this is no strange thing A third wishes us not to marvel at the Worlds hatred It s true the Sufferings of good men have been an old Stumbling-block Pompey complained that Providence was very dark The Poet was ready to think that there were no Gods Nay the holy Psalmist cried out I have cleansed my heart in vain as if Religion were to no purpose Yet if we consider all those Sufferings are not to be wondred at This World standing between Heaven and Hell must partake of both Heaven is all comfort Hell is all misery The middle World must have a mixture here evil men may meet with Comforts and good men may meet with Afflictions The old Enmity between the Seed of the Serpent and the Seed of the Woman will stir up Persecution to the Worlds end He that is born after the flesh will persecute him that is born after the Spirit T is his nature and property to do so a thing no more to be wondred at than the stinging of a Serpent or the tearing of a Briar Many pretences were made to palliate the Persecution of the primitive Christians Under Trajan it was said That the Christians were too numerous under Antoninus Pius it was given out That all kinds of Penal Evils came for their sakes under Severus it was alleaged That they were guilty of all kind of Villanies under Dioclesian it was fairly pretended That there must be but one Religion in the Empire But in truth all these were but so many colours the venome of the Serpent was at the root the devillish Enmity which is in carnal men against the Saints was the very proper cause of all those Persecutions Wickedness will proceed from the wicked the old Enmity will breake out and that not only in men grosly wicked but in fair Moralists too A Trajan or Antoninus can persecute as well as a Nero The same root of bitterness is in all carnal men The inherent Corruption in the Saints will shew it self inwardly and outwardly Inwardly it will raise up a Prosecution in their own Bosome the

what that Fear is which prepares us for Suffering and then how it prepares us thereunto 1. I shall consider what that Fear is which prepares us for Suffering and this I shall dispatch in three things It is not the Fear of man but of God that doth it It is not the fear of man that can do it God gives us a charge against this Who art thou that thou shouldest be afraid of a man that shall dye Esay 51.12 There is no cause to fear a weak piece of Clay a very Breath a fading Leaf he must dye and there is an end of him and all his thoughts perish with him The wise man tels us That the fear of man bringeth a Snare Prov. 29.25 It made Abraham dissemble as if he had no wife David change his behaviour as if he had no reason Peter curse and swear as if he knew not his Master This Fear disposes to apostacy and must be cured by that Fear of God which disposes to suffering When we are ready to drown in worldly sorrow it is of singular use to spring another a godly sorrow in our hearts and when the Fear of man puts us into trembling fits it is an excellent remedy to raise up the Fear of God in our Souls above the other Thus God directs his People not to fear the confederate Enemies but to sanctify the Lord of Hosts himself and to let him be their fear and their dread Esa 8.12 13. He is Lord of Hosts God over all and the fear of him should be above all other fears this is the way to have him to be a Sanctuary to us as it follows If we Fear him he will be an inviolable place of retreat where we may repose our selves in a day of Trouble 2. It is not a diffidential Fear but a fiducial one that doth it A diffidential Fear makes the mind as Meteors in the Air to hang in suspense and in case Affliction come to fail under the burden St. Peter walked upon the water to go to jesus but when he saw the wind boistrous he was afraid and began to sink Math. 14.29 30. By Faith he walked and by diffidence he began to sink Non ambularet nisi crederet nec mergeretur nisi dubitaret Aust de Verbis Rom. Serm. 14. Our condition is the very same in the waves of a troublesome World we stand by Faith but fall by diffidence That Fear which prepares us for suffering must be a fiducial one Ye that fear the Lord trust in the Lord he is their help and their shield Psal 115.11 Holy fear is and must be in Conjunction with faith Fear flies from the evils of Sin and Hell Faith closes in with the Promises of Grace and Glory both concurr to make a man fit for suffering and such a sufferer shall have God for his help and shield 3. It is not a servile Fear but a filial one that doth it He that hath a meer servile fear of the wrath to come may forbear an act of sin but he hath the Love of it in his heart adbuc vivit in eo peccandi voluntas the Love of sin lives in him still as an Ancient hath it Such an one is not in a fit case to suffer for the Truth he hath not a Love to God to move him to it nor a capacity to have Heaven after it and how can he suffer It is very hard for a man to suffer for a God that he Loves not Or part with the good things of This World when he hath no hope of those in a better That Fear which prepares for Suffering is not servile but filial it stands not in conjunction with the love of Sin but with the Love of God the nature of it is such that he that hath it will displease man rather then offend God part with a World rather then let go the Truth and pure Worship nay and lay down his Life rather then forfeit the Divine Presence and Favour which are better then Life Thus much touching the nature of that Fear which prepares us for suffering 2. I come to consider how holy Fear doth prepare us for sufferings and this I shall open in three things 1. Holy fear looks upon sin as an evil much greater then any suffering suffering is opposite to the Creature but sin is opposite to the infinite God it is a Rebellion to his Soveraignty a contradiction to his Holiness a provocation to his Justice an abuse to his Grace a stain cast as much as in us lies upon his Glory nay as the Schools speak it is a kind of Deicidium it strikes in a sort at the very life and being of God it wishes that there were none at all and if it could effect it there should be none Suffering doth not make a man worse then he was before but sin doth it Those Saints that were destitute afflicted tormented wandring in Deserts and Mountains and Dens and Caves of the Earth were yet such excellent ones that the World was not worthy of them Hebr. 11.37 38. On the other hand Antiochus Ephiphanes who was as his name imports illustrious and glorious in the World was yet but a vile person and was made such by his wickedness Suffering strikes at the estate or body of man but sin strikes at his Soul a thing more pretious then a World nay and at the Divine Image there which is more worth then the Soul it self It doth where it can prevail turn men into Beasts in its sensual lusts or into Devils in its spiritual Wickednesses Suffering may have good nay great good in it but sin is evil only evil t is called by St. James 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the superfluity or excrement of all evil Jam. 1.21 It contains all evils in it and if all evils saith a worthy Divine were to have a scum or excrement crement sin is it as being the abstracted quintessence of all evil and having nothing at all of good in it Sin saith Bradwardine is a thing not to be done pro quantiscunque bonis lucrandis aut pro quantiscunque malis praecavendis for the gaining never so great a good or for the avoiding never so great an evil He that hath this holy Fear in his heart will chuse suffering as the lesser evil rather then sin which is much the greater When Antitiochus Epiphanes brought forth Wheels Rodds Hooks Rakes Racks Caudrons Joseph Ant. Cages Gridirons Gantlets Awles Bellows Brasen Pots and Frying-pans before Salamona here seven sons to terrify them they could not be induced by all his tormenting Engines to trespass so far as to eat of a little sacrificed Swines-flesh to save themselves from a cruel death It was the saying of Anselm That if Sin were set before him on one hand and Hell on the other he would rather chuse Hell then sin Scult Decad An. Dom. 1528 Henry Flander being a Prisoner for the Protestant Religion would not say that his Wife was his