Selected quad for the lemma: love_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
love_n	faith_n	jesus_n	lord_n	9,726	5	3.7449	3	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A50354	Epaphras, A sermon preached at Saint Austell in Cornwal, in commemoration of a benefactor, the second of February, 1639 by Ioseph May ...	May, Joseph, b. 1584 or 5.	1641 (1641)	Wing M1390; ESTC R15046	14,778	36

and well deserving not respect mens persons but to weigh and consider the merit of their causes There were but few to give such testimony of Epaphras and therefore for the future glory of Epaphras the Apostle doth beare record to make an everlasting record of Epaphras his well deserving What was requisite to a sure testimony is found in the person of Saint Paul First eminency in authority Secondly approbation of fidelity Thirdly exemplary integrity All these were in him for he was conspicuous and eminent in place and authority one of an approved fidelity and his life and conversation full of exemplary integrity 2 Cor. 12.11 for authority he was not one whit behinde the chiefest Apostles 1 Tim. 1.12 for fidelity he was accounted faithfull and so put into the ministery For integrity his conversion altered his conversation his life made good his doctrine Gal. 2 20. for Christ lived in him The integrity of his conversation was approved by the viper that fell from his hand from the courteous entertainement that hee received from Iulius Acts 27. 28. whose defence and patronage saved him when the mu inous Souldiers would have killed him and from Publius and the Barbarians that thought him to be a God But above all how did the Disciples at Caesarea witnesse and approve the integrity of his life when they not onely wept Acts 21.13 but did even breake their hearts to forgoe him so that it might be truely said of this Apostle in whom Christ lived as it was said of Christ himselfe by the Centurion certainely this was a righteous man Lake 23.42 This was the applause and commendation which good men and wise men did ever strive for Laudari a laudato Cice. 4. Tusc qu. to be well spoken of by them that were well spoken of the approbation of one Paul was better then the praises of ten thousand parasites This approbation had Epaphras from Paul the Minister of the Colossians from the Bishop of the Gentiles and it were to be wished that every Pastor set over the Congregations in the Church of England had the like approbation from his Diocesan In the application of the Text give me leave to commend unto you an Epaphras now living whom we of this place have round zealous for us and of whom I now beare record Let us examine how and in what measure hee may be paralleld to the Epaphras of St. Paul As Epaphras had a relation unto the Colossians so this man to us Epaphras saluteth them by Pauls Epistle this man by his severall Epistles unto me for you saluteth you Epaphras was their Countrey-man so this is ours Epaphras was a servant of Christ so is ours too First in the common and generall service of Christianity Secondly in the service of the Ministery in particular though not by a speciall service and calling to teach and preach the Gospel of Christ in his own person yet alique mode for that he procureth Sermons to be preached at his cost and expense and this way doth exercise a ministeriall function though not formally yet efficiently for the glory of God and the good of this congregation Epaphras prayed for them this man is not behinde in the like holy exercise for us Wherefore I desire your patience to heare some passages word for word as they are delivered in his salutations by severall Epistles In one Epistle it is thus I aim at those of my countrey by neerest relation them of the Parish and Towne wherein I was born And again I cannot do lesse then remember the place of my birth and the poore that be in that towne and I desire that my gift viz. his benevolence and contribution may stir up some to the like actions whilst they live and not defer it till their death And againe I most humbly pray you writing to me your Minister to give unto your Parishioners foure Sermons in this yeare and I pray God heartily that they may worke upon the hearers effectually as they are by me intended for their good And againe I cease not to pray to God for the increase of your talent and that your ministery may distill upon the hearts of your hearers to gaine some and to direct establish and comfort others to Gods glory and your everlasting peace and happinesse And againe my prayer to God for you and yours is that hee will abundantly according to the riches of his grace make your labours most profitable and glorious in your charge and the high calling that God hath called you unto And againe I pray heartily unto God that I may bee what I am instructed in from men of your ranke and calling who are the lights of the people and the guides of soules for whom my prayers to the God of Spirits which is the quickning instrument shall never cease to be poured forth that every one of you may be as Moses Aaron to go in out before your people and to speak a word in due season to those that hear you for their and your owne salvation So to Gods gracious protection I commit you and them And unto these his several prayers for me your minister and you my Parishioners his alms so liberally extended toward the poore of this place and then tell me wherein he comes short of Epaphras There is not a Sabbath in the yeare wherein his hand is not extended to our poore On the Feast of S. Luke the Purification of the Virgin Mary Ascension day and S. James on each day allowing 10.5 to the poore and 10.5 for a Sermon and at four festivals in the yeare plentitifully enlarged not onely in Almes but Sermons also that so the whole congregation may be fed some spiritually and some corporally by his pious bounty S. Paul did testifie that Epaphras had a great zeale for the Colossians his countrey-men and it was so and I though inferiour to the Apostle yet witnes the truth doe testifie of our friend benefactor and countreyman that he hath a great zeal for you and certainly it is so Wherefore let us then in some thankfull way acknowledge the benefit of his love towards us Gal. 1. ult make requitall as the Churches of Iudea did for S. Paul even by the glorifying of God in him and let us all in generall pray for him as our Apostle did for the household of Onesiphorus 2 Tim. 1.16 The Lord give mercy unto his house for he hath oft refreshed us However if you for your part bee negligent and backward yet I for my part will say and heartily pray Peace be to him and love and faith from God the Father and the Lord Iesus Christ Ephes 6.23.24 And grace bee with all them that love our Lord Iesus Christ in sincerity Amen FINIS Imprimatur Johaunes Hansley May 29. 1641.

his prayers for the Colossians doth include the sum of all perfection necessary to Christians in this life in that he praieth that they may stand perfect and compleat in all the will of God And here the Apostle doth not onely pray that they may be perfect and complear c. but also that they may stand perfect c. where the Metaphor in the phrase of standing is not to be omitted because to stand in a matter is to be constantly setled in the same signifying to abide and continue in it and not to be drawne away from that station and posture by any assault or temptation as the Romans are said to stand in grace Rom. 5.2 And as the Galatians were advised to stand fast in their Christian liberty Gal. 5.1 And the Ephesians are exhorted to take unto them the whole armour of God that they may bee able to withstand in the evill day and having done all to stand Ephes 6.13 For as the counsell of the Lord is said to be sure and immutable Heb. 6.17 so the Prophet David saith It standeth for ever Psalm 33.11 Epaphras prayeth not only for an habendum but a tenendum to that so the grace of obedience to all the will of God may be theirs to have and to hold And no marvell that Epaphras had such a zeale for them because there was a possibility that they might be spoyled through Philosophy and vain deceit Col. 2.8 after the traditions of men after the rudiments of the world and not after Christ which might bee feared and therefore out of the earnestnesse of his zeale for them he laboureth instantly with our Apostle to write this Epistle and send faithfull messengers with the same as Tichious and Onesimus that as they had received Christ by the ministery of Epaphras so they might walke in him by the counsell and consolation of the Apostle Anxiè sollicitus Pel. in loc To this purpose his zeale is shewen for the Colossians in that hee was very earnest and carefull for them that they might continue in the doctrine by him taught and preached whereby the foundations of Christianity layd might not be thrown down or overturned As there is a zeale of God for men expressed by the zeale of the Lord of Hoasts for the remnant of Iudah and those that remaine of Ierusalem 2 King 19.30.31 So there is a zeale of men for God which was the zeale of Elias being zealous for the Lord of Hoasts because the children of Israel had forsaken his covenant broken downe his Altars and killed the Prophets 1 King 19.10 And there is againe a zeale of men for men this was the zeale of Epaphras for the Colossians The zeale of God for men is the abundant and earnest love of God for the good of his Church and his people The zeale of men for God is the fervent and zealous love of men toward God for the advancement of his glory The zeale of men for men is the hot and earnest affection that the Church and people of God have to doe good one to another Zeale being still taken in the better part for true warrantable and religious zeale for this zeale of men to men setteth forth the fruits of it selfe in mercy and compassion Gal. 6.10 in the desires of doing good to all men especially to them of the houshold of faith in the hatred of prophanenesse and the furthering of Gods true worship and service in wrastling against the corruptions of the world ever hotly pursuing that grace of God which teacheth us to live godly Tit 2.12 righteously soberly in this present world The zeale of men for men is positive of men for God is comparative but that of God for men is superlative This we may admire the other two we must practise To be zealous as Epaphras was and withall that our zeale be extensive not unto one person or one place onely but unto many persons and many places even unto all the world and all persons in the world For looke how farre the commission from God extendeth to goe and teach Mat. 28.19 1 Tim. 2.4 so farre it commandeth to extend the rayes of our love and affection even to such as are of Colosse Laodicea and Hierapolis the Cities and places which had no long existence For in Nero's time Strab. lib. 10. as Historians write they all perished with an earth-quake From such desolation the Lord deliver us Neverthelesse the love of Epaphras toward them is here highly commended and where-ever this Epistle shall be read what this Epaphras hath done for the Colossians shall be told for a memoriall of him And so much for the person in my text commended and the grounds of his commendation It remaineth that I say somewhat of the person that commended him The person that commended him as I have said before was the Apostle Saint Paul and the manner was by bearing record or giving testimony of both which bri●fly and together For the person commending as he was not a Citizen of a meane City Acts 21.39 so he was not a man of a meane quality for he was a chosen vessell unto the Lord Acts 9 15. to beare his name before Gentiles and Kings and the children of Israel and by the Apostles Peter Iames and Iohn he was appointed I may say consecrated the Apostle or Bishop of the Gentiles he maketh no question but his testimony would bee accepted of the Churches as it was at Rome Rom. 10.2 where he witnessed by his Epistle the zeale of Israel 2 Cor. 8.3 at Corinth where he witnessed the contribution and liberality of the Macedonians at Galatia Gal 4.15 where hee witnessed the aboundance of their love toward him and here at Colosse where he witnesseth the zeale of Epaphras toward the Colossians It was the happinesse of Epaphras to be limned by such a Painter Tul. de or at Tully the Oratour esteemed it sufficient that wise Cato approved him though others condemned him And Pauls testimony of Epaphras was as much if not more as if all the other Apostles had borne record of his just commendations 1 Cor. 7.40 for the Apostles judgement as in other matters so also in this was guided by the Spirit of God Undoubtedly Epaphras had never obtained these commendations from Saint Paul unlesse hee had duly deserved them and the causall particle doth enforce it for I beare him record Wherefore to be commended by him was the greatest honour the times could afford and that was justly due unto Epaphras Prosp de sym Paul was another Simmachus mirabili eloquio sapientia praeditus wise and learned vir totus exsapientia virtutibus factus Boetius de eod full of grace and goodnesse which Symmachus said of himselfe mei moris est bene cognitis approbatisque ferre suffragium nec personas hominumsed vitae merita cogitare My manner is to approve such as are well knowne