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	heart_n	let_v	3,737	5	4.4169	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A25248	Redeeming the time a sermon preached at Preston in Lancashire, January 4th, 1657 at the funeral of the honourable lady, the Lady Margaret Houghton / by Isaac Ambrose.	Ambrose, Isaac, 1604-1664.; Houghton, Margaret, Lady, d. 1657.	1674 (1674)	Wing A2969; ESTC R29590	26,695	20

on him in the night-watches And Paul's charge to Timothy was to meditate upon spiritual things and to give himself wholly to them Or if you 'l have another proof for the evening-season not only was it Isaac's time but David's time Mine eyes prevent the night-watches that I might meditate in thy word Psal 119.148 3. The evening is a season for self-examination This is another glorious ordinance which many Christians use occasionally and against some good time but to set some time apart for this every evening and that in conscience as they do for reading the word and Prayer where is the Christian almost to be found I am sure it was David's charge Commune with your own heart upon your bed and be still And agreeable to this was his practice Psal 4.4 I call to remembrance my song in the night I commune with my own heart and my spirit made diligent search Chrysostom on these words of David Psal 77.6 What means this saith he commune with your own hearts upon your bed Post doenam Chrysost Expos in Psa 4.4 thus answers himself after supper-time when ye are going to sleep and are ready to ly down on bed and have great quiet and silence without the presence or disturbance of any then erect a tribunal for the conscience And when neither friend disturbs you Docuerant nos saepe patres nostri c. Dovoth tom 1. nor servants provoke you nor multitudes of business do press upon you then take an account of your life what you have done in the day-time before And Dorotheus layes it down as a rule which the Christians of his time had learned of their fore-fathers that in the evening they should question themselves how they had passed the day Biblioth Pot● p. 14. Oh that Christians now would Sum up their accounts at the foot of every page I mean that they would call themselves to scrutiny every evening when they are ready to compose themselves to sleep as to the little Images of Death 4. The evening is a season to consider my Priviledges in Christ Psal 48. When David was ready for his Bed I will lay me down in peace and sleep saith he for thou Lord only makest me dwell in safety See how he speaks of peace and rest and sleep and safety all these were Priviledges Me thinks it is a sweet conclusion of a good dayes work and a blessed farewel to the World if this evening were my last and that immediately I must go to God to consider of some of those glorious Priviledges in God and Christ I might instance in my peace and rest and sleep and safety by vertue of a promise or covenant of Grace or I might instance in my Election Redemption Reconciliation Adoption Sanctification Glorification But because these are commonly handled and our communion with God and Christ and the spirit of Christ is the most ravishing Priviledge in this World my soul carries me out for the present to pitch on this * Dr. Owens communion God the Father Son and Holy Ghost One of our Worthies hath writ eminenly on it and for a taste of his excellent work the sweeting of my last thoughts with such an excellent subject I shall contract it thus 1. I would consider my communion with God the Father in love This the Father peculiarly fixes upon the Saints and this they are immediately to eye him in God is love Christians walk of times with exceeding troubled hearts concerning the thoughts of the Father towards them they are well perswaded of the Lord Christ and his good will the difficulty lies in what is their acceptance with the Father what is his heart towards them Now here is the work of the Gospel to discover the love of the Father this is the will of God that he may alwayes be eyed as being kind tender loving yea as the Fountain and Spring of all gracious Communications and fruits of love and when Christians apprehend this that God is love and so rest upon him and delight in him as such then have they communion with the Father in love Now for the exercise of my soul in this blessed communion the directions are such as these 1. I must eye the Father as Love I must not look on him as one that is alwayes angry but as one most kind and tender in himself and as one that hath had thoughts of kindness towards his Saints from everlasting 2. I must so eye the love of the Father as to receive it by faith I must believe this love of God as for my self Certainly his love is not mine nor will it be mine in the sweetness of it untill it be so received Either I must know it assent to it embrace it and have all my affections filled with it or it will be in vain as to my Communion with God the Father 3. This love must have its proper fruit and efficacy upon my heart in a return of love to him again To this purpose God loves that he may be beloved this is the return that he demands Pro. 23.26 My son give me thy heart thy affections thy love O the Priviledge of Saints they have meat to eat that the World knows not of they have close communion and fellowship with the Father they deal with him in the interchange of love so that every one of them may say If I have hatred in the World I will goe where I am sure of love though all others are hard to me yet my Father is tender and full of compassion I will goe to him and satisfie my self in him 4. I would consider of my communion with God the Son in grace So the Apostle speaking of our communion with him as Mediator concludes his Epistles 1 Cor. 6.23 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all Not to mention any other grace Gal 6.18 but his perchased grace of justification or acceptation with God the directions for this Communion are such as these Ephes 6.24 I must eye Christ's doings and sufferings not as for himself but for his Saints Phil. 4.23 and for their Righteousness He was made under the Law Gal. 4.4 5. that we might receive the adoption of Sons And he bare our sins in his body on the Tree 1 Thess 5.28 This was the end of Christ's life and death to work out a compleat Righteousness for believers 2 Thess 3.18 Gal. 4.2 as to a perfect acceptation before God 1 Pet. 2 24. I must approve of this Righteousness of Christ as that alone which is absolutely compleat and able to make me acceptable before God Of this I am convinced that if I die this night there is a necessity of a Righteousness wherewith I must appear before God and if I have nothing to commend me unto God but my own Righteousness oh how should I appear before his glory there is no other name but Christ

REDEEMING THE TIME A SERMON PREACHED AT Preston in Lancashire January 4 th 1657. at the Funeral of the Honourable Lady THE LADY MARGARET HOVGHTON Revised and somewhat Enlarged and at the importunity of some Friends now published BY ISAAC AMBROSE Preacher of the Gospel at Garstange in the same County LONDON Printed for Rowland Reynalds at the Sun and Bible in the Poultrey 1674. Eph. 5.16 Redeeming the Time THE Apostle here gives many Lessons exhorting 1. to love Walk in love as Christ also hath loved us 2. To fly fornication v. 1. But fornication and all uncleaness or covetousness v. 3. let it not be once named amongst you as becometh Saints 3. To avoid intimate dear or familiar converse with graceless men Be not v. 7 8. ye therefore partakers with them for ye were sometimes darkeness but now are you light walk as Children of light 4. To walk warily exactly circumspectly See then that ye walk circumspectly not as fools but as wise And this last he amplifies from an effect which testifies a circumspect exact and acurate walking to wit Redeeming the time c. I am only to learn you some part of this last Lesson wherein you have 1. The instruction it self See that you walk circumspectly 2. The amplification of this instruction and that is either from the reason binding to it not as fools but as wise or from the effect testifying of it Redeeming the time 1. For the instruction it self See that ye walk circumspectly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 exactly precisely no word fits the Greek better than this it comes of two words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifie to go to the extremity of a thing we must be willing to go to the utmost of every Command To which purpose are those precepts to be hot in Religion Rev. 3.16 to be zealous of good works Tit. 2.14 to be fervent in spirit Rev. 3.16 Rom. 12.11 to strive to enter in at the strait Gate Tit. 2.14 Luk. 13.24 with an holy vioence to lay hold upon the Kingdom of Heaven Rom. 12.11 Matth. 11.12 Luke 12.24 But this is not the point I shall now insist on Mat. 11.12 2. For the reason binding to it not as fools but as wise It points to us that exactness or preciseness in holy walking is a fruit of true Wisedom Luther brings in the men of the World objecting against him Num tu solus sapis Num solus tu De● places What are you the onely Wise man in the World do you onely please God The answer was easie from this Text that exact walking or a strict conversation is the fruit of Wisedom But neither is this the point that I shall insist on 3. For the effect testifying of it Redeeming the time If I may open the words 1. By time is meant oppertunity which either it taken for the whole course of our remaining life or for such and such particular occasions as God doth offer to this or that particular duty and both these may be understood here 2. By Redeeming the time is meant either the avoiding of some hinderances which would take us off from the opportunity or the recompencing of some former unfruitfulness which hath been in the former part of our life or a gaining streching improving of time by embracing all the occasions of doing all the good we can do and we shall discover anon that all these may be understood here In the mean time we lay down this Position as a necessary fundamental Evangelical truth that time must be Redeemed Look to it all ye that fear God herein will your spiritual Wisedom and exact walking appear even in Redeeming the time In the prosecution of this point I shall 1. give you the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2. The. 3. The 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And then come to Application 1. That time must be redeemed the very Heathens confirm it 'T was the saying of one Pittacus one of the seven Wise-men 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 know time lose not a minute Theophrastus had another saying near to this Sumptus pretiosissimus tempus time is of pretious cost Pliny seeing but his Nephew at leisure taking some turnes in his walk was so very strict that he tells him Non licet has boras perdere he should not lose so many precious hours When Titus the Son of Vespasian who revenged Christ's blood on Jerusalem returned victor to Rome remembring one night that had done no good that day he cryed out to his friends Hen perdidi diem O alas I have lost a day Little do we think of losing time and is not this our shame If such men without God and Christ without Law and Gospel without all the promises of God and Christ in Law or Gospel could say thus much how may they rise up in judgment against many of us But we cite not them as though we stood in need of their learning Col. 4.5 the Apostles themselves give it us in charge walk in Wisedom towards them that are without Heb. 3.13.15 redeeming the time and exhort one another while it is called to day lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin And again while it is said to day 1 Pet. 1.17.18 if ye will hear his voice harden not your hearts And pass the time of your sojourning here with fear 1 Pet. 4.3 forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things but with the pretious blood of Christ q. d. Christ redeemed you and therefore you had need to redeem the time For the time past of our life may suffice us to have wrought the will of the Gentiles so that henceforth we should not serve sin Rom. 6.6 Gal. 10.9.6 or no longer should we live the rest of our time in the flesh to the lusts of men but to the will of God Let us not be weary in well-doing for in due season we shall reap if we faint not as we have therefore opportunity let us do good unto all men It is Hieroms saying upon these words O how short is this race of my life how short is this time now in hand Breve vitae Curriculum c. Jeron l 3. Comment my studying preaching writing correcting reading what it is but a gaining or a loosing of my time 2. What is it to redeem the time John 4. I answer it comprehends these particulars 1. An avoiding any thing which would hinder us from taking the opportunity If you ask what are these hinderances I answer 1. Ignorance many think they are not in so strait a manner to be accountable for time It is a general opinion of the grossely ignorant that if they can but pass away in time without doing any harm as they say they are well enough as if no account of time might be given at all they are ignorant of this principle that they are to improve and to redeem the time 2.

Slothfulness this makes men heedless or careless of their time As it is with the sluggard Yet a little more sleep Cor. 6.10 a little more slumber a little more folding of the arms is sleep So it is with the idle person Let this hour and this day be spent in doing nothing O the many golden hours and days and years that many thousands spend and yet cannot give the least account wherein either they have glorified God or served their generations 3. Love of fleshly liberty Alas what care they for redeeming time who are set on their lusts and liberties to sin All the care they have it is meerly to eat and drink and play sensual pleasures are the whole study of these men and if they can but enjoy them let time slip away as it will they never regard it 2. A recompensing of some former unfruitfulness 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hath this interpretation it is a redeeming as it were of that jewel of time that hath been formerly lost As a travailer that hath long stayed at an Inne when he finds the night comming upon him he mends his pace and goes as many miles in an hour or two as he did before in many This me thinks comes nearest to the word Redimo to redeem or to buy back again It is taken say some from the custom and practice of wise Merchants or Trades men who uie to buy their commodities while fit time of buying serves and while the market holds and having haply had great losses or formerly spent their time idly or unthriftily they do by their after diligence seek to redeem and as it were to buy back again the time that is past 3. An embracing of all occasions for acting graces and doing good and this agrees with the reason following for the dayes are evil q. d. Look to your selves for these are hard and dismal times now is much corruption and great persecution and the opportunity of good is exceedingly straitned and therefore it is very needful to catch at time and to lay hold on an opportunity both to exercise graces and to be doing as much good as you may while the time permitteth I must work the works of him that sent me John 9.4 while it is day saith Christ the night cometh when no man can work And John 12.35 yet a little while and the light is with you walk while ye have the light lest darkness come upon you Gal. 6.10 And as we have opportunity let us do good unto all men especially to them who are of the houshold of faith Mark these sayings while it s called to day and while the light is with you and while you have opportunity Thus you see what it is 3. But why must time be redeemed what necessity for that I answer 1. In respect of time past Alas many a golden season have we lost how many hours and dayes and months and years have we spent idly and done little good Is it not time then to lay hold of every opportunity to redeem time past When God brought us forth into this world his commands were upon us to work in his vineyard and to that purpose he designed to every one his time thus many dayes or months or years shall you every one live and while you live be imploying these and these talents it is my command upon all the sons of men in the sweat of thy face i. e. of thy brow or of thy brain shall thou eat bread till thou return unto the ground Gen. 3.19 and why then do ye stand all the day idle why are ye not in the work and especially in the work of the Lord Now if this be so that there is such a command and that we have broke this command at such a time and such a time is it not our duty and is there not cause to redeem the time A fellow that hath loytered a great part of the day in his business and yet must needs finish his work will he not toyl and sweat at it towards night will he not double his pains and put all his strength to it So we having not onely been slack in our business about Gods service and slow in the way towards Heaven but even for many yeares having perhaps run in a quite contrary course and done the Devils work how should we now towards the night of our natural life and in the conclusion of the short span thereof spare no paines double our diligence press hard to the price of the high calling with an holy kind of violence lay hold upon the Kingdom of Heaven with all zeal courage and resolution labour to redeem past because it is past This our reason 2. In respect of time present It is but a moment on which depends eternal bliss or woe if we have lost time past and if we do lose time present we may be undone for ever In this respect may we say of time as Boaz said to his kinsman concerning Ruth If you will redeem it redeem it never think of redeeming it tomorrow Ruth 4.4 2 Cor. 6.2 or the other day or hereafter for no time is properly yours but the present time Behold now is the accepted time behold now is the day of salvation now while I am speaking and you hearing now ere the night be done or the next day comes on Oh why should we trifle away the time which is properly ours and promise to our selves great things in a time which is none of ours Luk 19.42 When Christ mourned over Jerusalem he bemoans it thus If thou hadst known even thou at leas in this thy day the things belonging to thy peace So may I mourn over you if thou hadst known even thou at lest in this thy day when 's that while Ministers call and you hear this is your day and therefore he that never heard effectually let him hear now it is now high time to awake out of that cursed security wherein you lie the Lord is now come near Christ Jesus is calling mercy is intreating and wisedom is even hoarse with crying after you if you lose this time this hour of grace who knows whether ever you shall enjoy such another season Oh take time by the forehead post est occasio calva it will be too late soon Now the Lord calls and now it concerns us to bestirr our selves upon these grounds 1. Because now are evil dayes the very reason in the Text these are the last times which the Apostle calls perillous times and why perillous Tim. 3.1.2 For men shall belevers of their own selves covetous boasters proud blasphemers c. One would think it rather an History than a Prophecie of our dayes Oh is it not time now if ever to reedeem the time 2. Because now are dayes of light notwithstanding the evils of some or most in comparison yet many glorious truths do now appear the Devil I know now brings forth his ware but withal