Selected quad for the lemma: love_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
love_n	apostle_n	lord_n	love_v	3,294	5	6.0914	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A53292	The unconquerable, all-conquering, & more-then-conquering souldier, or, The successful warre which a believer wageth with the enemies of his soul as also, the absolute and unparalleld victory that he obtains finally over them through the love of God in Jesus Christ : as it was discussed in a sermon preached at Boston in New-England, on the day of the artillery-election there, June 3d., 1692 / by Urian Oakes ...	Oakes, Urian, 1631-1681.; Shepard, Thomas, 1635-1677.	1674 (1674)	Wing O24; ESTC W28467	45,642	48

Combatant the Believing Champion that in the Name of the Lord defies all the Hosts and Armies of Earth and Hell that come against him notwithstanding the Remainders of sin the greatness and unavoidableness of his Afflictions and Sufferings is expressed 1. Negatively ●…er 35. Who shall separate us from the Love of Christ The Argument stands thus if nothing can separate a Christian from the Love of God in Christ then nothing can conquer him but he is invincible But nothing can make that woful destructive separation which he proves by an enumeration or induction of particulars shall tribulation or distress or persecution c. therefore he is invincible This negation is clearly imported in the interrogation For though it may be a stale yet it is a true and useful observation that interrogations affirmatively exprest in Scripture are wont to ●…arry in them the force and signification of vehement negations The meaning of the Apostle in plain terms is that neither Tribulation nor Distress nor Persecution nor Famine nor Nakedness nor Peril nor Sword nor any thing else of an ●…imical nature can possibly separate a true Believer from the dear love of Jesus Christ. 2. Affirmatively in the Words of the Text Nay in all th●…se things we are more then Conquerours through him that loved us A●… if he should say●… we are so farre from being worsted and prevailed over by the Enemies of our Salvation that warre against us from succumbing under the L●…d they are laying upon us and losing our Interest in the Fruits of the Everlasting Love of God in Christ by Reason of the opposition that is made 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in our way that we carry the Day and are sure of a very glorious victory In this Verse we may remark these two things 1. A singular Priviledge And that is Uictory Conquest which is illustrated amplified 1. From the Extent and Vniversality of it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in all these things such as he had mentioned before or what else can be mentioned and imagined by us 2. From the transcendent incomparable Excellency of it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we are more then Conqu●…rours or do more then overcome It is a Victory with Surplusage and Advantage a Victory and somewhat more then a Victory a Superlative and incomparable Conqu●…st and Victory that is obtained 3. From the Foundation of this glorious Victory o●… the great and only means of acquiring and obtaining it And that is Th●… Lord Jesus Christ. Through him that loved us saith the Apostle m●…ning Christ or God in Christ Iesus 4. From the first grand impulsive ●…use of it the proegumenical Cause of this glorious Victory which i●… infallibly obtained and that is the Love of God in Christ. The special love of God in his Son Jesus Christ is the first Cause of these victorious Atchievmen●… More then Conquerours through Him that loved us 2. The Persons that are thus Priviledged or invested in this great priv●…ledge that have Victory Triumph ascertained to them We are more the●… Conquerours Not only the great Apostle Paul himself that renowned Warriour and brave Champion of the Lord Jesus Christ But all true Believers also universally He ranks Himself with and discourseth of Believer●… in general that walk not after the Flesh but after the Spirit Believing Justified and Sanctified men and women They are not exempted or Secured from violent Onsets furious Assaults hazardous and desperat●… Conflict●… with their mortal Enemies that warre against their Souls But they have this admirable Advantage above all other men that they are assured of a glorious Victory The Intendment of the Apostle in the words is Obvious and may be drawn into this Observation Doct. That all true Believers have a transcendent and incomparably glorious Conquest and Victory in all their severe ●…agements with the Enemies of their Peace and Happiness through the Love of God in Christ Iesus Believing Justified persons through the Love of God in Christ have the better by many Degrees of the Enemies of their Salvation and are m●…h too hard for them in all their sharp Disputes and Encounters with them All the●… h●…ve believed through Grace and are admitted into a st●…te of Justification and Accepration with the Lord a. c ' more then Conquerours successful and victorious beyond Expression or Comparison in their Combates and Co●…flicts with their Enemies those adverse powers that warre against th●…m through D●…vine Love in Jesus Christ●… This Proposition which we have laid down as the Subject of our present Ex●…rcise and which is evidently founded and comprized in the words of the Text hath a large Compass and a very great Circumference as you will readily apprehend We are now entring into a very large Field and might traverse a great deal of Ground if Time and strength would allow us to pace it over We have many Things before us to be discoursed for the due Explication and Confirmation of this observation The way of quickest dispatch and greatest Expedition as well as Clearness and Demonstration will be to cast all we have ●…o say to the Doctrinal part into Six or Seven grand Conclusions Concl. 1. Eve●…y true Believer is a Souldier and engaged in a Warfare I ●…ould it were reciprocally true that every Souldier amongst us is a true Bell●…●…am suee every Souldier ought to be a Believer and of all men Mi●… men when they are commanded out upon real Service to look Death and Danger in the Face and carry their Lives in their Hands had need of Faith and Grace and Interest in the Lord Jesus Christ and thereby the Con●…ition of their Souls well secured for Eternity But it is Infallibly and Universally ●…ue that every Believer is a Souldier in a spiritual Consideration The whole Body of Christians that walk by Faith in this lower World the ●…lace of Sin and Sorrow and Temptation and Absence from the Lord is apt●… and ●…uly called the Church Militant in Contra-Distinction from that ●…hich is Triumphant in the highest Heavens Those that are arrived at a ●…te of Glory have fought their fight and finished the Course of their Wat●…are and are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 out of pu●…h of Pike or Gunshot farre enough ●…moved out of the Reach of their Adversaries They are marched out of the Field and discharged from any further Service and enjoying their Reward But the people of God in this world are in a warfaring state and Condition The first moment that any man is effectually called and converted and sa●…ingly wrought upon He is engaged on Christs side against the world the Flesh and the Devil taken into Christs pay puts on his Armour and is prepared for the Battel For the Graces of Gods Spirit which are infused at a Christians Conversion are a Believers spiritual Armour Eph. 6. 13 14 c. Eve●…y Chris●…ian when he is new Born is born a Souldier It is said of Goliah the Philistine Champion that he was a Man of warre from his

finds enough in the best of Believers that found nothng in our Saviour Satans sparks easily e●…me us because he finds so much Tinder in us The Lusts within us are ready to take fire at every injection There is a Traitour in our own Bowels that is ready to open our Ports and let in the Adversary Now of the War which a Christian wages with this home-bred intestine Enemy the seventh Chapter of this Epistle to the Romans gives us a clear account where the Apostle raises an Out-cry and makes Doleful Complaints of the remainders of sin the Law in the Members the body of Sin and Death and Discourseth of the Nature Power and Prevalency of in-dwelling sin as to some engagements The Apostle Iames speaks of the Lusts that War in our Members Jam. 4. 1. And Peter of fleshly Lusts that war against the Soul 1 Pet. 2. 11. these make up that opposite party within a Christian that would intercept and stop him in his way to Glory a secret subtle treacherous designing party that creates him a world of trouble and danger in his journey towards Heaven 2. From the World which is another Enemy that would obviate and intercept the People of God in their Travels Hence the World was a part of Christ his glorious Conquest Be of good chear I have overcome the World Joh. 16. 33. And the Believer that is born of God by Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ overcomes it too 1 Iohn 5. 4. which plainly implies that the World is an Enemy Considerable are the Expressions of the Apostle to this purpose Iam. 4. 4. know ye not that the friendship of the World is enm●…ty with God whosoever therefore will be a Friend of the World is the Enemy of God And doth it not follow hence that he that is a Friend of God is an Enemy to the World as it lies in opposition to God and the World in that respect an Enemy to him The World is one of the Associates of that false party within a Christian and under the conduct of Satan militates against a Believer Particularly 1. The Snares Allurements of the World which would 〈◊〉 away and seduce a Chr●…stian from following after God These make war upon a Child of God and are dangerous Enemies As they say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Fight with Silver or Gold weapons and never doubt of Victory Some Enemies have bought great Victories which they could never have won otherwise All these things wi●… give th●…e this profit pleasure Honour saith the flattering World 〈◊〉 Believer if thou wilt fall down or surrender to me These ensnaring and alluring Objects which the world presents the Sons of Men with have such a close and intimate correspondence with the Lusts in their Hearts and what is carnal in them that they fight against their Souls with great Advantage and Success The Apostle having dehorted from the love of the World and the things that are in the World sums up all that is in the World in those three particulars the Iust of the Flesh the Iust of the Eyes and the pride of Life 1 Ioh. 2. ●…5 16. The Apostle speaks as if there were nothing else in the world but Lusting because there is such a curse come upon all Creature-enjoyments with reference to man that so farre as He is of the world they are Objects of Lust to Him exciting drawing forth invigorating and improving that Lust and Corruption that is in him By these Lusts the Apostle means the several respective Objects and puts the Lust which is in us for the things themselves lusted after Carnal Pleasures Profits and Preferments He saith not sensual Pleasures Riches Honour though he speaks of them but the Lusts of the Flesh and Eye ●…nd pride of Life because our Lusts render them evil to us how lawful soever in themselves the Objects are and make them Objects of Temptation and Seduction from the Lord putting a painted Whorish Beauty and tempting Lustre upon them varnishing them 〈◊〉 and making false representations of them Yea it is evident as the 〈◊〉 Dr. Owen observes Treatise of Temptat pag. 68. That all th●…se things the Lust of the Flesh c. are principally in the Subject not in the Object in the Heart not in the World But they are said to be in the World b●…cause the World gets into them mixes it self with them unites incorporates As Faith and the promises are said to be mixed Heb. 4 2. So are Lust and Temptation from worldly Objects mixed they twine together 〈◊〉 mutual improvement one from an●…ther grow each of them higher and higher by the mutual strength they administer to one another From this mixture Union and Incorporation of the Objects in the World with the Lusts in the Hearts of Men and their firm and close combination together it comes to pass that the enticing tempting World is a very potent and prevailing Adversary to the Souls of Men And that Believers themselves ●…n whom the Lusts mentioned are but in part mortified and subdued have hard work sometimes to stand their Ground against the snares and allurements and bewitching insinuations of a d●…ceitful World To this Head reduce sinful Examples in the World Counsels of Carnal Friends the Friendship of the World which is E●…mity ●…o God and good men Jam 4 4 False Doctrines which are spo●… out of the Wo●…ld 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Ioh. 4 5. calculated to the corrupt Humors Inclinations and Interests of the m●… of the World and therefore of a very grateful resentment with them In a word all Worldly Lusts as the Apostle calls them Tit. 2. 12 that are so many baits and snares to entangle and entice the People of God to desert the Holy and good wayes of the Lord those Golden 〈◊〉 that are thrown down before a Christian to invite him to g●…ze upon them and stoop to take them up that so he may be retarded and stopt in his course and lose the prize he runs for 2. The Troubles and Affrightments of the World Th●… 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the formidable f●…ightful Afflictions and persecutions that would im●…e or reta●…d and hinder the people of God in their Travels towards that H●…enly Country where the sweet Fruits of Divine Love are to be enjoyed in the greatest maturity and perfection of them That Tribulation in the World against which the Lord Jesus layes in great encouragement from the consideration of his own Corquest of the World Ioh. 16. 33. Of this ill 〈◊〉 and Entertainment in the world the Afflictions that the Children of God must expect to contest withal the Apostle discourseth here Rom. 8. 35 36 37. Tribulation Distress Persecution Famine Nakedness Peril Sword and such like formidable things to Nature oppose the Faithful in their way and make warre upon them A Christian lies open to many sharp and fiery Tryals 1 Pet. 4. 12. and must look to endure 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a great fight or Concertation of Afflictions

He must strive hard that will enter in at the strait Gate Luk. 13. 24. ordinary seeking will not do it If the Believer put off his Armour lay by his weapons suffer the Sw●… of Faith to rust in the Scabberd and draw it not forth as there is occasion 〈◊〉 He hang down his Hands in Prayer sink in his Hopes cool in his Courage and stand still in a secure careless manner it will be impossible that he should b●…eak through those Legions of Devils those Armies of Temptations and make his way through those Adverse Powers that oppose themselves in his wa●… to Happiness 4. As the Opposition from at least some of his Enemies is perpetual in this life So the Believer hath no rest but hath work enough every day to contest with them A Believer hath a restless E●…my to contend withal as Hamibal said of Marcellus the Roman Consul 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Plutarch Marcel Let him conquer or be conquered he would never be quiet nor give over neither give rest to his Enemy nor tak●… it himself he would be at it still and never have done So may we say much more of the Believers Enemies Satan never draws his Forces out of the Field Corruptions one way or other will be stirring and the Christian shall be exercised ●…ill with some Thorn in the Flesh and Buf●…etings of Satans Messenger The People in Nehemiab's time when they were Alarmd ' and afraid of their malicious and malignant Neighbours wrought with one hand and held a weapon in the other Nehem. 4. 17. But such is the case of a Christian that he must not only work with a Weapon in the other hand but he must actually use his Weapon whilest he is working ●…ghting with one hand and building or labouring with the other If his Enemies conquer they will be sure to prosecute their victory to the utmost and lose no Advantage if they be worsted and routed in any particular Engagement they will not fail to rally their Forces recruit and reinforce themselves presently and fall on again So that a Christian had need eat and drink and sleep in his Arms. He hath no time to put off his Armour to lay by his Weapons He will be hotly engaged till the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Act. 3. 19. the times of refreshing and cooling shall come He can never be said in this world to be miles emer●…us or stipendia confec●…sse which were the Roman Phras●…s for them that were discharged from the Wars If a Christian live to threescore years of age or more he is not thereby superannuated nor can he plead Age or any thing else to excuse himself from the duty of a Souldier Verily there is no discharge in this Warfare on this side of the Grave There is no bringing of these Enemies to a composition no cessation to be made no League or Truce to be admitted in this Warfare A Christian must be constantly fighting and contending against●… the Enemies of his peace and happiness Thus much for the second Conclusion Concl. 3. A true Believer is never totally and absolutely conquered in any Engagemen●… with the Enemies that War against him To be Conquered sin the ●…se I take it here is to be separated from the Love of God and utterly deprived of the special fruits of it Who shall separate us saith the Apostle Rom. 8. 35 from the love of Christ that is who shall conquer us I am perswaded that neither Death ●…r Life nor Angel c. shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Iesus our Lord Rom. 8. 38 39. Importing thus much that a Christian can never be totally conquered notwithstanding all the opposition that is made against him Let Enemies do what they can against him yet if he be not separated from the love of God he is not absolutely Conquered or defeated of his Happiness In this respect a Believer is never Conquered For 1. Nothing befals him in his Warfare notwithstanding what his Enemies attempt against him that turns away the Heart of God utterly from him Though Sin and Satan may prevail very far in some conflicts yet never to such a degree as to provoke the Lord to reject him and cast him out of his favour God may be provoked by the compliances of a Believer at some turns with Sin and Satan and the World to take away the manifestations of his Love to deny him some expressions of his Favour to visit his transgressions with a Rod and his iniquity with Stripes but never to take his loving-kindness utterly from him Psal. 89. 30 33. A Believer may be so foiled and worsted by his Enemies through the neglect of his watch or otherwise that God may be displeased with him that there may be a discontinuance of the sensible expressions of the love of God to him and an interruption of it as to manifestations and yet there is no intercision of the love of God to him as to the being of it His love to him is unchangeable and everlasting 2. Nothing fal●…s out in his progress or march that absolutely flops him in or diverts him f●…om his course of proceeding or moving towards the enjoyment of the sweet fruits of Divine Love A Believer may be wounded Lemed and retarded but not totally checked in his way and turned aside from it He may receive many a blow that staggers him that makes him reel and complain that wounds him in his Graces and comforts David had his Bones broken received deep and dangerous wounds that were long healing that s●…ank and were corrupt Psal. 38. 5. 7 8. Because he did not apply a timely Remedy unto them they were not presently searched and looked after He was knock'd down and lay in a swoon for a great while that those about him might be ready to fear he would never come to himself again but he revived and recovered at last Satan prevailed with him to commit Folly with B●…hsheba to murder and imbrue his hands in the Blood of Vriah to vent his pride and vain glorious humor in the numbring of the People and to incu●…re the displeasure of God thereby but all this did not ex●…uss and expel the Love of God out of his heart or divert him totally from prosecuting the enjoyment of it Take a Believer in his lowest condition when he is most worsted and prevailed upon by his Enemies yet at that time there is the Seed of God remaining in him 1 Ioh. 3. 9. that inclines 〈◊〉 carries him God●…ard There is a power of Grace and a work of the Spir●… upon his Heart that gives him an inclination bent tendency Godward cont●…ually and though temptations may turn him out of the way for a time and he may meet with many Rubs and Impediments in his Christian race yet there is the strong Byas of Grace the poize and impression of Gods spirit upon his heart that inclines and carries him Godward so that he will come