Selected quad for the lemma: love_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
love_n	affection_n	child_n	parent_n	4,224	5	8.6238	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A34673	The covenant of Gods free grace most sweetly unfolded and comfortably applied to a disquieted soul from that text of 2 Sam. 23. Ver. 5. : also a doctrinall conclusion that there is in all such who are effectually called, in-dwelling spirituall gifs [sic] and graces wrought and created in them by the Holy Ghost / by that reverend and faithful minister of Gods word, Mr. John Cotton, Teacher of the Church at Boston in New-England ; whereunto is added, A profession of faith, made by the reverend divine, Mr. John Davenport, in New-England, at his admission into one of the Churches there.	Cotton, John, 1584-1652.; Davenport, John, 1597-1670. A profession of faith.	1645 (1645)	Wing C6424; ESTC R30971	35,301	46

this is all his desire The word in the Originall signifies also delight It is all his delight though God bring him otherwise to no great matters nay though he should decay in these outward things yet this is all his desire that Gods Covenant to him may remain firm and sure The words being thus opened divers things may be raised from them as Doctr. 1 That there is no godly man keeps so good an house as to walk with God answerable to their calling and the means of grace offered unto them and this is the meaning of the words though my house be not so with God to wit not walking according to my calling in fear and righteousnesse it is true I should shine as the Sun in the morning without clouds with my family but we are clouded with many corruptions the grasse after Sunshines and rains hath alwayes a green and fresh colour but I and my house receive many showers and Sunshines yet are not we in the like manner fruitfull and flourishing David might well say his house had not the feare of God when Absolom was so rebellious against him as to have plucked him out of his kingdome when Amnon defiled his sister and was for it slain by Absolom who further defiled his fathers Concubines and that in the view of the whole nation there was neither fear of God nor righteousnesse to man notwithstanding the many sweet showers they received from the Prophets they walked not answerable to the blessed means received but were cruell and rebellious therefore though God hath called David to walk with him in the fear of his Name and to cause his family to do so yet that hee should fall short of the grace manifested he hath just cause to complain and yet Davids house is set for a pattern for all houses Zach. 12.8 In that day shall the Lord defend the Inhabitants of Jerusalem and he that is feeble amongst them at that day shall be as David and the house of David shall be as God as the Angel of the Lord before them in which place is shewed that God had especiall regard to the house of David and where David falls short few exceed it David had a speciall care to rule and govern his house aright Psal 101.1 2. I will saith he behave my selfe wisely in a perfect way I will walk within my house with a perfect heart yet notwithstanding all this when David looks back and considers his own wayes and findes many disorders and failings his house is not so with God therefore you may take it for granted that no godly man doth keep so good an house as to walk answerable in his calling to the means of grace offered unto him No house walks according to their callings First concerning the feare of God in your Christian callings in every family there be some of these vices 1. Eye-service children and servants are more carefull to approve themselves to their Parents and Masters then to God 2. In every family you shall finde pride and haughtinesse of minde and spirit contrary to Gods Spirit Rom. 11.20 3. You shall finde drousinesse of spirit in the performance of good duties which implies likewise a want of the true feare of God and this you may finde in the Family of our blessed Saviour they could not watch with him one houre notwithstanding his calling upon them and stirring them up thereunto Matth. 26.40 4. You shall finde a slownesse and dulnesse of capacity and understanding to apprehend any thing that good is Luke 24.25 O fooles and slow of heart to believe c. 5. You shall finde hardnesse of heart the Disciples of our Saviour though they were continually with him enjoyed his glorious presence daily conversed with him saw many strange visions and great miracles and thereby had many sweet showers from our Saviour himself falling upon them yet notwithstanding after all this what said our Saviour unto them As yet perceive ye not nor understand have you your hearts yet hardened Matth. 8.17 So likewise in our outward callings we are failing many wayes in righteousnesse one towards another the husband is wanting to his wife in not giving her her due of love or the fruit of love and she back again to him Parents and Masters wanting to children and servants and so likewise those back again to their superiours not giving and rendring to one another that which God requires of them you shall see Sarah wanting to Abraham Gen. 16.5 when she saw that Hagar had conceived by her husband and she came thereby to be despised of her she imputed the occasion of the wrong offered to her by her hand-maid wholly to her husband and calleth the Lord to judge between them notwithstanding she was most faulty her self in it Gen. 16.5 So likewise are husbands wanting to their wives in love kindnesse provision protection c. which is a want of righteousnesse so children are wanting to their parents and one another as Absolom Adonijah and Amnon in true naturall affection to his sister sometimes they are malicious one to another as Josephs brethren of Jacobs family So likewise idlenesse and lying as in Gehezi 2 King 15.25 David had not dealt well with his sons nor his sons with him neither Eli with his in their younger dayes we should not so complain in our generall calling of hardnesse of heart and want of life and unprofitablenesse in good duties towards God if we were not so much wanting to one another in love and righteousnesse if we therefore would not have our hearts dull and unprofitable in our generall calling we must then labour to dispose our selves aright in our particular calling Not so he meaneth not answerable to the means of grace this is true in any family some of the family will not be brought in no not if there be strong means used it will be but in hypocrisie notwithstanding all the sweet showers that fall upon them and pleasant Sun-shines whereof they daily partake yet some will continue as ignorant as at their first entrance into the family and though many do settle themselves to goodnesse yet they rise not without clouds there be many corruptions in them As they have much knowledge so likewise shall you see them defiled with much pride and vain-glory Husbands cannot bring in their wives nor wives their husbands Parents their children nor their servants and though peradventure they may bring in some yet not all neither this without many a cloud many sinfull corruptions lying profanenesse unprofitablenesse and when they have brought them forward in any good way they have many times such fears and doupting of their estates that they are ready to forsake all and fall back again and if they come on to any profitable performance of good duties yet are they so wonderfully unsetled in their estates and conditions that many times the further the day growes the more cloudy it appears such ado and trouble is there to come to any setlednesse in

have our eternall happinesse in the highest heavens Luke 12.32 Fear not little flocke it is your Fathers good pleasure to give you your inheritance Vse 1 First it may serve to prove a distempered passion of our spirits who cannot be perswaded Gods Covenant reacheth to us unlesse we prosper in the world wee should rather be men after Gods own heart as David See how David carried himself in the like case and condition he doth rest himself in Gods Covenant whether his house grow or grow not but we are of another spirit though wee know Gods Covenant is everlasting and sure yet unlesse our children be great ones and all may prosper in the world according to the desire of our hearts we think we have no favour in the Covenant of Gods grace alas all things are counted otherwise but as dry things like Manna which at length the children of Israel began to loath and hate As concerning the light afflictions which are but momentary herein wee should comfort our selves that God will temper all to our everlasting happinesse as in the issue thereof wee shall see This pride of nature was the sin of Human Est 5.13 all availed him nothing as long as Mordecai the Jew did not bow to him If other mens sheafs may not bow to ours then wee think all little worth besides but this is a grievous sin against God it argues a base estimation of the Covenant of Gods grace it is a sin to be reproved and rooted out Wee think because God doth not make our houses to grow and flourish that there is no contentment to be found in the Covenant of Grace This sin of pride was also in Hezekiah in shewing to the Babylonish men all his garments and precious Jewels Vse 2 Secondly we must learn to grow in the Covenant of Grace though we should never grow great nor rise high in this world nor in the things thereof we must rest satisfied in and by the Covenant of Gods grace If David think it sufficient so must we What though wee be neglected in the world and finde no contentment in outward things yet this may serve to quiet the hearts of Gods children that though they grow not much in the world yet having a part in the Covenant of Grace they need not to trouble themselves about any other thing that is wanting to them this condition is a happy condition Vse 3 Thirdly it may teach every righteous Housholder and Parent to take more care to leave a good covenant to their children and servants then any thing else If they have but this portion left to them they shall do well whether they grow and prosper in the things of this world or no God hath made a Covenant with the Parents and Housholders and it shall descend upon them so far as God doth order it Vse 4 Fourthly it may serve to help our faith in the desolations of the Churches abroad though they grow not but decay yet seeing God hath made a Covenant with their fathers and undertaken to do them good they will at length prove the better for it and God will make his Covenant good unto them all that God doth exercise them withall is that hee may do them good at length Gods Covenant being an everlasting Covenant their condition at last shall be a glorious condition Vse 5 Fifthly it may be usefull to all such who have part in the Covenant of God that undoubtedly at length it shall be well with them though God never make them nor theirs to grow in outward things yet they may rest upon the Covenant there is enough for them Rejoyce we then in this Covenant for it is an everlasting Covenant and let us make it our chiefest happinesse that wee have a part in it though wee and others seem not to our selves to grow yet wee shall grow so far as God sees it meet for us to grow although we for our parts perceive it not Isaiah 3.10 11. Say to the righteous it shall be well with them for they shall eat the fruit of their own doings but wo to the wicked for it shall be ill with them for the reward of his hands shall he given unto him It shall be ill with Rome and her adherents the Covenant of Works shall be required at their hands A Doctrinall Conclusion That there be in all such as are effectually called and united unto Christ in-dwelling spirituall gifts of grace wrought and created in us by the Holy Ghost that is by the begetting whereof we are begotten and renewed to a spirituall life unto God and so become fit members of his Church The opening of the terms of this Doctrine BY gifts of Grace I mean holy qualities the same which Philosophers call vertuous habites or good dispositions whereby the faculties and affections of the soule which by corrupt nature are set upon a mans self and earthly things and cannot savour the things of God and so are said to be dead are hereby sanctified and lifted up to God and set upon him and heavenly things and so are said to be quickened and made alive to God Whence we are said to be begotten again to a lively hope 1 Pet. 1.3 and the faith of the righteous is opposed to the dead faith of vain men Jam. 2.20 These gifts we say are wrought or created by the Holy Ghost because they are the fruits or effects of the Spirit of God in us Gal. 5.22 23. wrought by his Almighty creating power out of nothing Col. 2.12 Ps 5 1.10 and thereby making us spirituall men 1 Cor. 2.15 And fit Instruments for Gods spirituall service 1 Pet. 2.5 and therefore every one of these gifts of grace whereby any faculty or affection of the soule is sanctified it is called the spirit of such a faculty or affection as the sanctified disposition of the mind is called The spirit of a sound minde 2 Tim. 1.7 The spirit of Faith is the gift of Faith 2 Cor. 4.13 The spirit of love or of the fear of the Lord are the gifts of holy love and fear sanctifying such affections 2 Tim. 1.7 Isai 11.2 Further we say these gifts of grace are in-dwelling and abiding in every child of God effectually called and united unto Christ in as much as they are neither mortified and extinguished in us as some would have it by our union with Christ for mortification is of corrupt lusts or of the body of sin in us Col. 3.5 Rom. 6.6 not of the gifts of grace neither are these gifts of grace transient and passing away as they would be if they were meer actions of the Spirit proceeding and passing from us Nor are they abiding in the Holy Ghost though he abideth in us because no created gifts or qualities abide in him whatsoever is in him is himself but they are preserved in us by the Holy Ghost as they were wrought by him and are also by him increased and perfected in us against the day of our dissolution

not the infinite and uncreated life of the Holy Ghost for the humane nature of Christ was not capable of the infinite attributes of the divine nature against which when Eutiches taught otherwise he was condemned for an Heretique in the generall Councell of Chalcedon The comparison must be stretched no further then Christ intended to shew the meer conjunction between Christ and us so far as that we derive and receive continuall nourishment and supply of all grace and fruitfulnesse thereof from him But not to imply the same individuall life in him and us as is in the root and branches head and members for root and branches make but one tree and head and members make but one person But wee are not the same person with Christ and therefore wee have life not the very self-same with his but conformable to his and fashioned after his Image the same with his in proportion and resemblance as is the Image of the seal and of the wax the same in proportion not the same in number And this must needs be so because the fathers before Christ had as truly the same spirituall life of Christ as wee the life of his divine nature neither of us have the life of his humane nature was not then in being and therefore they had only a proportion and resemblance of his life before his coming as wee have after his coming Reason 5 The fifth Reason is taken from the change of the heart in conversion It standeth thus If in conversion there be some thing anew created and begotten in us which was not created nor begotten before then there be new spirituall gifts of grace created and begotten in us For the substance of the soul and body is not anew-created and begotten it is the same it was before and the Holy Ghost cannot be said to be created or begotten in us at all but in conversion the Lord doth create a new heart in us Ps 51.10 and doth regenerate or renew a right spirit in us beside the Holy Ghost of which he saith in the next verse vers 11. Take not thy holy Spirit from mee The Holy Ghost cannot be said to be created or renewed for he is no creature nor was he ever old And in Ezek. 36.26 27. hee promiseth to put a new spirit within us vers 26. and withall promiseth to put his own Spirit within us vers 27. And his Spirit and our spirit are made two distinct witnesses Rom. 8.16 Reas 6 The sixth Reason is taken from the Law written in our hearts under the Covenant of Grace thus If there be a law written in our hearts under the new Covenant then either this is the Holy Ghost himself or spirituall gifts of grace wrought in our hearts by the Holy Ghost whereby we are fitted and enabled through his leading to walk in the Law of God and to keep it But there is a Law written in our hearts under the new Covenant Jer. 31.33 and this Law is not the Holy Ghost himself for it is the effect and work of the Holy Ghost 2 Cor. 3.3 where it is said to be written by him now a Law or an Epistle written by any man cannot be the man himself that wrought it Reason 7 The seventh Reason is taken from the voluntary concourse of every child of God with the Holy Ghost in every spirituall work the Reason is framed thus If there be no spirituall gifts of grace in the soule united to Christ then in every good action the Holy Ghost acts immediately the naturall faculties and affections to supernaturall effects as suppose he then acteth immediately my naturall love to the supernaturall love of God But in every good action the Holy Ghost doth not act immediately the naturall faculties and affections to supernaturall effects Proof of this If the Holy Ghost in every good action do act immediately my naturall faculty or affection to a supernaturall effect then in every good action hee turns the course of my naturall faculty or affection against his proper and voluntary bent For my naturall faculty or affection hath no proper or voluntary bent to spirituall good effects but lusteth against them Rom. 8.5 Gal. 5.17 But the Holy Ghost in every good action doth not turn the course of my faculty and affection against their proper and voluntary bent For then we should not do good actions voluntarily and then they would be unwelcome and grievous to us contrary to 1 Joh. 5.3 and then we should lose our reward 1 Cor. 9.17 Object But God himself is said to be our gifts and graces and therefore they are nothing but his Spirit in us As God is said to be our confidence which is all one with faith Psal 65.5 So he is said to be our hope Jer. 14.8 Psal 71.5 our love our love it self 1 Joh. 4.16 Answ First God is said to be our confidence and hope because he is the object of our faith and hope and therefore wee are said to put our confidence or to believe on him 1 Pet. 2.6 Now if it were meant God is the very grace of faith or confidence which is in us then when we believe or put our confidence on God we should put God upon God which were absurd and if something were lacking in our faith as there is 1 Thes 3.10 then something were lacking in God And if it were meant that God is the grace of that hope which is in us then when David prayed he might not be ashamed of his hope hee meant that he might not be ashamed of his God God also may be said to be our confidence or hope because hee is the author and giver of these gifts to his people Psal 119.49 God is said to be our love because whatsoever is good in the creature is in God eminently and infinitely and so is God himself But if God were that grace of love which is said to abide in us 1 Cor. 13.13 then God were a fruit of the Spirit for that love which dwelleth in us is a fruit of the Spirit Gal. 5.22 The Lord scatter our darknesse and lead us by his Spirit of light and truth into all truth through Christ A Profession of Faith made by the Reverend Divine Mr. John Davenport at his admission into one of the Churches of God in New-England viz. I believe with all my heart and confesse with my mouth 1. Concerning the Scriptures THat all Scripture is by divine inspiration or inbreathing of God by Scripture I mean the Books of the old Testament as Moses and the Prophets and of the new Testament and is profitable for doctrine for reproof for correction for instruction in righteousnesse that the man of God may be perfect throughly furnished unto all good works 1 Tim. 3.16 17. and that in all things which concern faith and obedience whether in Gods Worship or in the whole conversation of men it holdeth forth a most perfect rule wherunto nothing may be added nor from it may ought be