Selected quad for the lemma: love_n
Text snippets containing the quad
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A38400
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England's happiness: or, The only way to make a nation truly happy proved from the testimony of the Holy Scriptures. By an English man, who heartily desires the peace and prosperity of the nation.
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1687
(1687)
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Wing E2978B; ESTC R216765
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7,137
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9
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great Laws of God and can expect no true and real Blessing and therefore the gain that is gotten by wronging cheating and defrauding those that God hath commanded us thus to Love may justly be expected to be blasted by a Curse from Heaven upon it or else to be made a Curse to such that thus do in their enjoyment of it if it be continued unto them 3. Consider that Christ hath said Mat. 7.2 With what measure ye mete it shall be measured to you again Therefore knowing the Word of the Lord is true we should always think when we meet with any Temptation to wrong others if I do this evil God will cause the like or as great an evil to be done to me and therefore we should from this consideration nourish and keep alive the seeds of Grace Love and Favour in our Hearts towards others as we would be beloved and enjoy favour and kindness from others And we should also bruise and crush the very Seeds and quench the least Spark of Envy and Malice that would appear in us against others as we would not have others hate and envy us 4. Consider that if this whole Nation in general will not be perswaded to this great Duty in order to enjoy this great Blessing which is very desirable they may if it can be obtained yet it will be a great happiness to all those that do get into the spirit of Love we are speaking of and that will appear from that Union they shall have with God 1 Joh. 4.16 God is Love he that dwelleth in Love dwelleth in God and God in him and those that have such near Union with God must needs be happy Though there should be any in the Nation that should not regard these directions nor esteem this excellent enjoyment and happiness but for want of this true Love should endeavour to wrong others yet these that are walking in Union with God in this Love it shall be well with them in the worst of times See Isa 3.5 we read there of a time When the People shall be oppressed every one by another and every one by his Neighbour but God saith ver 10. Say to the Righteous is shall be well with them for they shall eat the fruit of their doings Pray take notice their doings were such as we are speaking of that will make a People happy and it appears from this Word of God that the doings of others should not make them miserable though it were such an evil time they should be happy And had all the Nation been in their Duty as they were it might have been a happy Nation 5. And lastly Consider the great Calamities and Mischiefs that have come upon other parts of the World and this Nation also in times past for want of this true Love we are speaking of and what evils may yet befall us for time to come if it should yet be wanting God only knows These Considerations if they are duly weighed and well considered may be a means to put us all upon our Duties and so be a means to make this Nation truly happy with all that Peace Plenty and Happiness that can be obtained in this Life And now to Conclude that no Impediment may hinder this great Duty and Blessing in this Nation I have here set before you an Instance or two of very great and undeserved Love for Imitation The First is the Love of God which is the greatest Love that ever was or will be in the World which dwells plentifully in the Father and in the Son Luke 6.35 36. the Love of God the Father is set forth for our Pattern and Imitation thus Love ye your Enemies and do good and lend hoping for nothing again and your reward shall be great and ye shall be the Children of the highest for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil Be ye therefore merciful as your Father also is merciful And the Love of Christ the Son of God is also far beyond the Love of Man For greater Love hath no Man than that a Man lay down his life for his Friend Joh. 15.13 But when we were Enemies Christ dyed for us Rom. 5.8 Then let me say to my honoured Countrey-men as St. John saith in his first Epistle chap. 4. v. 11. Beloved if God so loved us we ought also to love one another Secondly Another Pattern and Example of Love my beloved Country men is to us that are Subjects in the King whom God hath given the Government of this Nation to whom though he had many Enemies in this Nation yet since God hath given him the Kingdom he hath shewed himself kind and loving unto all Men. Now then seeing Love beins at the Throne my dearly beloved Country-men I beseech you let it oblige us that are Subjects to manifest our true hearty and sincere Love to our King and to each other in general by all those wayes and means whereby we can demonstrate it to be such that so this true and hearty Love running through the whole Nation and having its fruits and effects in every work that is done this Nation may be made truly Happy with all the Happiness that is attainable in this life Which that it may be shall be the hearty Prayer of your Countrey-man That King and People may be blest And live in Love in Peace and Rest Is the Desire of his Heart Who doth to you these Lines impart REASONS why the Authour Printed these Lines and put not his Name to them First HE Printed it 1. Because of that great Desire he hath for the good of the Nation 2. Because of that great need there is of Love now in this juncture of Affairs 3. That he might inprove his own Talent so as not to be ashamed when Christ cometh Secondly He put not his Name to it least any should think he did it more because he would be esteemed than to do good and this I hope may take off all occasions of Offence Gloria Deo Pax Populo Let the Nation have Good and God the Glory Licensed September the 15th 1687. LONDON Printed by J. Astwood for the Authour 1687.