Selected quad for the lemma: love_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
love_n	find_v	fit_a	great_a	313	4	2.1118	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A07536	Sapientia clamitans wisdome crying out to sinners to returne from their evill wayes: contained in three pious and learned treatises, viz. I. Of Christs fervent love to bloudy Ierusalem. II. Of Gods just hardning of Pharaoh, when hee had filled up the measure of his iniquity. III. Of mans timely remembring of his creator. Heretofore communicated to some friends in written copies: but now published for the generall good, by William Milbourne priest.	Jackson, Thomas, 1579-1640.; Donne, John, 1572-1631. aut; Milbourne, William, b. 1598 or 9.	1638 (1638)	STC 17918; ESTC S112664	68,848	322

safety of those that perish For winding our selves out of the former snare wee are to consider a maine difference betweene the love of man or other creatures and the love of God to mankind Dumbe creatures alwayes effect what they most desire if it be in the precincts of their power because they have neither reason nor other internall law of right or wrong to controll or countersway their brutish appetites Man although indued with reason and naturall notions of right and wrong is notwithstanding oftentimes drawne by the strength or inordination of his tender affection to use such meanes as are contrary to the rules of reason equitie and religion for procuring their safety or impunity on whom hee dotes Howbeit among men wee may finde some which cannot be wrought by any promise or perswasion to use those unlawfull courses for the impunity of their children or dearest friends which the world commonly most approveth Not that their love towards their children friends or acquaintance is lesse but because their love to publike justice to truth and equity and respect to their owne integritie is greater than other mens are A fit instance wee have in Zaleucus King of Louis who having made a severe law that whosoever committed such an offence suppose adulterie should lose his eyes It shortly after came to passe that the Prince his sonne and heire apparent to the crowne trespassed against this sanction Could not the good King have granted pardon to his sonne Hee had power no doubt in his hands to have dispensed with this particular without any danger to his person And most Princes would have done as much as they could for the safety of their successour Nor could privileges or indulgences upon such speciall circumstances be held as breaches or violations of publike lawes because the prerogative of the person offending cannot be drawne into example But Zaleucus could not be brought to dispense with his law because he loved justice no lesse dearly than his Sonne whom he loved as dearly as himselfe And to manifest the equality of his love to all three hee caused one of his owne eyes and another of his sonnes to be put out that so the law might have her due though not wholly from his Sonne that had offended but in part from himselfe as it were by way of punishment for this partiality towards his Sonne It were possible no doubt for a King to reclaime many inferiours from theft from robbery or other ungracious courses so hee would vouchsafe to abate his owne expences to maintaine theirs or afford them the solaces of his Court make them his Peeres or otherwise allow them meanes to compasse their wonted pleasures But thus farre to descend to unthrifty subjects humors were ill beseeming that Majestie and gravity which should bee in Princes If one should give notice to a Prince how easie and possible it were to him by these meanes to save a number from the gallowes his replie would be Princeps id potest quod salva Majestate potest That onely is possible to a Prince which can stand with the safety of his Majestie but thus to feed the unsatiable appetites of greedy unthrifts though otherwise such as hee loves most dearly and whose welfare he wishes as heartily as they doe that speake for them is neither Princely majesticall For a King in this case to doe as much as by his authority or other meanes hee is able to doe were an act of weaknesse and impotencie not an act of Soveraigne power a great blot to his wisdome honour and dignity no true argument of royall love or Princely Clemencie In like manner we are to consider that God albeit in power infinite yet his infinite power is matched with goodnesse as truly infinite his infinite love as it were counterpoised with infinite Majestie And though his infinite mercy be as Soveraigne to his or her Attributes yet is it in a sort restrained by the tribunitiall power of his justice This equality of infinitenesse betwixt his attributes being considered the former difficulty is easily resolved If it be demanded whether God could not make a thousand worlds as good or better than this it were infidelity to deny it why Because this is an effect of meere power and might be done without any contradiction to his goodnesse to his Majestie to his mercy or justice all which it might serve to set forth And this is a Rule of faith that all effects of meere power though greater than wee can conceive as possible may be done of him with greater ease than we can breath His onely Word would suffice to make ten thousand worlds But if it be questioned whether God could not have don more than he hath done for his Vineyard whether he cannot save such as dayly perish the case is altered and breeds a fallacy Ad plures interrogationes For mans salvation is no worke of meere power it necessarily requires a harmony of goodnesse of majesty of mercy and justice whereunto the infinite power is in a manner subservient Nor are we to consider his infinite power alone but as matched with infinite majesty nor his infinite mercy and goodnesse alone but as matched with infinite justice And in this case it is as true of God as man Deus id potest quod salva Majestate potest quod salva bonitate justitia potest God can doe that which is not prejudiciall to his Majestie to his goodnesse and justice And hee had done if wee may beleeve his oath as much for his vineyard as the concurrence of his infinite power and wisdome could effect without disparagement to the infinitie of his Majestie or that internall law or rule of infinite goodnesse whereby hee created man after his owne image and similitude God as he hath his being so hath he his goodnesse of himselfe and his goodnesse is his being as impossible therefore that he should not be good as not be Man as he had his life and being so had he his goodnesse wholly from his Creatour And as actuall existence is no part nor necessary consequence of his essence so neither is his goodnesse necessarie or essentiall to his existence As his existence so his goodnesse is mutable the one necessarily including a possibilitie of declination or decay the other an inclination of relapse or falling into evill As he was made after the similitude of God he was actually and inherently good Yet was not his goodnesse essentiall necessarie or immutable Nor did hee resemble his Creator in these essentiall attributes but rather in the exercise of them ad extra Now the exercise of them was not necessarie but free in the Creator For God might have continued for ever Most holy righteous and good in himselfe albeit hee had never created man nor other creature Wherefore hee made them good as hee was freely good And such is the goodnesse communicated to them in their creation not necessarie but free And if free as well including a possibilitie

Audience of this point it would be needfull to dip my pen in Nectar or sweeten my voyce with Ambrosia to allay the harshnesse of this position That God should so earnestly desire the conversion of such as perish Howbeit the surest ground of that charitie which God requires should be in every one of us towards all our greatest enemies not excepted is firme beleefe of this his unspeakable love towards all even towards such as kill his Prophets and stone the Messengers of his Peace I e●hort saith the Apostle that first of all Supplications prayers intercessions and giving of thankes be made for all men For Kings and all that are in Authority Yet did such in those dayes most oppresse all Christians draw them before the Iudgement Seats even because they did pray to the true God for them For they did blaspheme that worthy name by which wee were called This duty notwithstanding which was so odious unto those great and rich men for whose good it was performed Saint Paul tels us was good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour why acceptable in his sight Because he would have all men and therefore even the sworne enemies of his Gospell to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth which they oppugned Or if the expresse authority of the Apostle suffice not his reasons drawne from the principles of Nature will perswade such as have not quenched the light of Nature by setting not the corruptions onely but the very Essence of Nature and Grace at ●ods and faction For there is one God Had there beene moe every one might have been conceived as partiall for his owne Creature But in as much as all of us have but one Father his love to every one must needs be greater than any earthly parents love unto their Children in as much as we are more truly his than children are their parents But here as the Apostle foreseeth might be replyed That albeit God be one and the onely Creator of all yet in as much as wee are seeds of Rebels with whom he is displeased our Mediatour might be more partiall and commend some to Gods love neglecting others To prevent this scruple the Apostle ads As there is but one God so there is but one Mediatour betweene God and Man and Hee of the same Nature with us A man but Men are partiall yet so is not the Man Christ Iesus that is the Man anointed by the holy Ghost to be the Saviour of the world As he truly tooke our flesh upon him that hee might be a faithfull and affectionate High Priest so that wee might conceive of him as of an unpartiall Sollicitour or Mediatour betwixt God and us hee tooke not our Nature instampt with any individuall properties characters or references to any one tribe or kindred Father according to the flesh hee had none but was framed by the sole immediate hand of God to the end that as the eye because it hath no set colour is apt to receive the impression of every colour so Christ because hee hath not these carnall references which others have but was without father without brother without sister on earth might be unpartiall towards all and account every one that doth the will of his father which is in Heaven as Sister Mother and Brother Thus saith the Lord to the Eunuchs that keepe my Sabbaths and choose the things that please mee and take hold of my Covenant even unto them will I give in mine house and within my walls a place and a Name better than of Sonnes and Daughters I will give them an everlasting ●●me that shall not be cut off Briefly Hee is a Brother to all mankinde more loving and more affectionate than Brothers of entire bloud are one towards another The very ground of the Apostles reason thus bared will of it owne accord reverberate that Distinction which hath beene laid against his meaning by some otherwise most worthie Defendants of the Truth The distinction is that when the Apostle saith God will have all men to be saved he means Genera singulorum not Singula generum some few of all sorts not al of every sort some rich some poor some learned some unlearned some Iewes some Gentiles some Italians some English c. The illustrations which they bring to justifie this manner of speech did the time permit I could retort upon themselves and make them speake more plainly for my opinion than for theirs It shall be sufficient by the way to note the impertinencie of the application supposing the instances brought were in themselves justifiable by the illustrations they bring or how little it could weaken our assertion although it might intercept all the strength or aid this place affords for the fortification of it What can it helpe them to turne these words because they make towards us from their ordinary or usuall meaning or to restraine Gods love only unto such as are saved when as the current of it in other passages of Scripture is evidently extended unto such as perish In stead of many words utter●d by him that cannot lie unto this purpose those few Ezek. 33. 11. shall content mee As I live saith the Lord God I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked but that the wicked turne from his way and live turne yee turne yee from your evill wayes for why will yee die Oh house of Israel If God minde the safety of such as perish yea even of most desperate and stubborne sinners no question but he wils all should be saved and come to the knowledge of his truth The former distinction then will not stop this passage Howbeit some learned among the Schoolemen and other most religious Writers of later times have sought out another for intercepting all succour this or the like places might afford to the maintenance of that truth which they oppugne and wee defend That God doth not will the death of a sinner Voluntate signi they grant but that hee wils it Voluntate heneplaciti they take as granted That is in other termes God doth not will the death of him that dies by his revealed will but by his secret will Not to urge them to a better declaration than hitherto they have made in what sense God being but one may be said to have two Wils That hee wils many things which wee know not that hee hath divers secret purposes wee grant and beleeve as most true indefinitely taken But because these Wils or Purposes are secret man may not without presumption determine the particular matters which hee so wils or purposes Otherwise they should not bee secret but revealed to us whereas things secret as secret belong only to God In that they oppose this Secret will to Gods revealed will they doe as it were put in a Caveat that we should not beleeve it in those particulars whereto they apply it For wee may not beleeve any thing concerning the

the Lord hath forsaken me and my Lord hath forgotten mee but hee answered Can a woman forget her sucking childe that shee should not have compassion on the sonne of her wombe yea they may forget yet will not I forget thee Behold I have engraven thee upon the palmes of my hands c. These and the like places of the Prophet compared with our Saviours speeches here in my text give us plainly to understand That whatsoever love any mother can beare to the fruit of her wombe unto whom her bowels of compassion are more tender than the Fathers can be or whatsoever affection any dumbe creature can afford to their tender bro●d the like but greater doth God beare unto his children Unto the Elect most will grant But is his love so tender towards such as perish Yes the Lord carried the whole host of Israel even the stubborne and most disobedient as an Eagle doth her young ones upon her wings Exod. 19. 4. Earthly parents will not vouchsafe to wait perpetually upon their children the Hen continueth not her call from morning untill night nor can shee endure to hold out her wings all day for a shelter to her young ones as they grow great and refuse to come shee gives over to invite them But saith the Lord by his Prophet I have spread out my hands all the day long unto a rebellious people which walked in a way that was not good after the● owne thoughts A people that provoketh mee to anger continually to my face that sacrificeth in Gardens and burneth incense upon Altars of brick which remaine among the graves and lodge in the 〈◊〉 which eat swines flesh and br●th of abominable things is in their vessels which say adding Hypocrisie unto filthinesse and Idolatry Stand by thy self come not neere unto me for I am holier than thou Such they were and so conceited of our Saviour with whom hee had in his life time oft to deale and for whose safety hee prayed with teares before his passion These and many like equivalent passages of Scripture are pathetically set forth by the Spirit to assure us that there is no desire like to the Almighties desire of sinfull mans repentance no longing to his longing after our salvation If Gods love to Iudah comne to the height of rebellion had beene lesse than mans or other creatures love to what they affect most dearely if the meanes he used to reclaime her had beene fewer or lesse probable than any others had attempted for obtaining their most wished end his demand to which the Prophet thought no possible answer could be given might easily be put off by these incredulous Iewes unto whom he had not referred the judgement in their owne cause if they could have instanced in man or other creature more willingnesse to doe what possibly they could doe either for themselves or others than hee was to doe whatsoever was possible to be done for them And now Oh inhabitants of Ierusalem and men of Iudah judge I pray you betweene mee and my vineyard what could more be done to my vineyard that I have not done to it Wherefore when I looked it should bring forth grapes brought it forth wilde grapes Esay 5. 3 4. But the greater wee make the truth and extent of Gods love the more wee increase the difficulty of the second point proposed For amongst women many there be that would amongst dumbe creatures s●arce any that would not redeeme their sucklings from death by dying themselves Yet what is it they can doe which they would not doe to save their owne lives And did not God so love the World that hee gave his onely begotten Sonne for it Yes for the World of the Elect. If there be Worlds of the Elect I see not why any should be excluded from the number But to let that passe Gods desire of their repentance which perish is undoubtedly such as hath beene said Yet should wee say that he hath done all that could be done for them how chanceth all are not saved and was the vineyard more barren than Sarah the fruit of whose wombe he made like the starres of the skie or like as the sands by the Sea shore innumerable was it a matter more hard to make an impenitent Iew bring forth fruits worthy of repentance than to make a virgin conceive and beare a Sonne If it were not how chanceth it the word of the Lord and that but a short one should bring the one to joyfull issue whiles the other the repentance of these Jewes and other ungodly men after so many exhortations and threatnings after so many promises of comfort and denuntiations of woes which the Prophets the Apostles and their Successors have used is not to this day nor ever shall be accomplished If repentance of men borne and brought up in sinne be a worke altogether impossible all of us should utterly perish none repent If possible to any shall it not be possible to the Almighty who alone can doe all things If possible in him why is not repentance wrought in all whose salvation he more earnestly desires than the most tender hearted mother doth the life and welfare of her darling infant Hence in probability some may conclude either Gods love unto such as perish is not so great as some mothers beare unto their children or else his power in respect of them is not infinite And against our doctrine perhaps it will be objected that by thus magnifying Gods love towards all we minish his power towards some From which to derogate ough● is in some mens judgements the wo●st kind of blasphemie a point as dangerous in divinity to speake but doubtfully or suspiciously of it as in matter of State to determine or limit the Prerogative Royall Howbeit if no other choice were left but a necessity were laid upon us of leaving either the infinite power or infinite goodnesse of our God questionable or unexpressed the offence were lesse not to speake of his power so much as most doe than to speake ought prejudiciall to that conceit which even the Heathens by the light of nature had of his goodnesse This attribute is the chiefe object of our love and for which hee himselfe desires to be loved most And in this respect to derogate ought from it it must needs be most offensive But his curse be upon him that will not unfainedly acknowledge the absolute infinitenesse as well of his power as of his goodnesse Whoso●ver hee be that loves his goodnesse will unfainedly acknowledge hee is to be feared and reverenced as the Almighty Creator and Judge of men Unlesse he were in power infinite hee could not be infinitely good Howbeit hee that restraines his love and tender mercy only to such as are saved doth make his goodnesse lesse at least extensively than his power For there is no creature unto which his power reacheth not But so doth not his loving kindnesse extend to all unlesse hee desire the good and

object To the same purpose Esay 65. 12. Therefore I will number you to the sword and you shall all bow downe to the slaughter because when I called yee did not answer when I spake yee did not heare but did evill before mine eyes and did chuse that wherein I delighted not So then whether by the destruction of the wicked or salvation of the chosen Gods name is still glorified His justice expects what should have beene done but was not paid unto mercy Hee can be no loser by mans unthankfulnesse or ungratefulnesse The case is all one as if one should take that from a theefe with the left hand which hee hath picked out of our right hand Thus much of the two points proposed I doe desire no more than that the tree may be judged by the fruit and questionlesse the use of these resolutions for convincing our selves of sinne or quelling despaire or for encouraging the carelesse and impenitent unto repentance by giving them the right hold of the meanes of life is much greater than can bee conceived without the admittance of their truth First seeing the end of our preaching is not so much to instruct the elect as to call sinners to repentance not so much to confirme their faith that are already certaine of salvation as to give hope to the unregenerate that they may bee saved how shall wee accomplish either intendment by magnifying Gods love towards the elect who these are God and themselves know How shall he that lives yet in sinne p●rswade himselfe there is probability that he may bee saved because God hath infallibly decreed to save some few Rather seeing by the contrary doctrine the most part of mankinde must necessarily perish hee hath more reason to feare lest he be one of those many than one of the few The bare possibility of his salvation cannot be inferred but from indefinite premisses from which no certaine conclusion can possibly follow and without certaine apprehension or conceit of possibility there can bee no certaine ground of hope But if wee admit the former extent of Gods unspeakable love to all and his desire of their eternall safety which desperately perish every man may nay must undoubtedly thus conclude Therefore Gods love extends to mee It is his good will and pleasure to have mee saved amongst the rest as well as any other and whatsoever he unfainedly wils his power is able effectually to bring to passe The danger of sinne and terrour of that dreadfull day being first made knowne to our Auditory the pressing of these points as effectually as they might bee were this doctrine held for current would kindle the love of God in our hearts and inflame them with desires answerable to Gods ardent will of our salvation and these once kindled would breed sure hope and in a manner inforce us to embrace the infallible meanes thereunto ordained Without admission of the former doctrine it is impossible for any man rightly to measure the hainousnesse of his owne or others sinnes Such as gather the infinity of sinnes demerit from the infinite Majestie against which it is committed give us the surface of sinne infinite in length and breadth but not in solidity The will or pleasure of a Prince in matters meanly affected by him or in respect of which h●e is little more than indifferent may bee neglected without greater offence than meaner persons may justly take for foule indignities or grievous wrongs But if a Princes soveraigne command in a matter which he desired so much as his owne life should be contemned a loyall subject conscious of such contempt though hapning through riot or perswasions of ill company would in his sober fits be ready to take revenge of himselfe specially if hee knew his Soveraignes love or liking of him to be more than ordinary Consider then that as the Majesty and goodnesse of our God so his love and mercy towards us is truly infinite that he desires our repentance as earnestly as wee can desire meat and drinke in the extremity of thirst or hunger as wee can doe life it selfe whiles wee are beset with death This our God manifested in our flesh did not desire his owne life so much as our redemption We must therefore measure the hainousnesse of our sinne by the abundance of Gods love by the height and depth of our Saviours humiliation Thus they will appeare infinite not only because committed against an infinite Majesty but because with this dimension they further include a wilfull neglect of infinite mercies and incomprehensible desires of our salvation Wee are by nature the seed of rebels which had l●ft up their hands against the infinite goodnesse of their Creator in taking of the forbidden fruit whereby they sought to be like him in Majesty Conscious of the transgression the first actors immediately hid themselves from his presence and as if this their terrour had imprinted a perpetuall antipathy in their posteritie the least glimpse of his glory for many generations after made them crie out Alas wee shall die because we have seene the Lord. We still continue like the off-spring of tame creatures grown wilde alwayes eschewing his presence that seekes to recover us as the bird doth the fowlers or the beasts of the forest the sight of fire And yet unlesse hee shelter us under the shadow of his wings wee are as a prey exposed to the destroyer already condemned for fuell to the flames of hell or nutriment to the breed of serpents To redeeme us from this everlasting thraldome our God came downe into the world in the similitude of our flesh made as a stale to allure us with wiles into his net that hee might draw us with the cords of love The depth of Christs humiliation was as great as the difference betweene God and the meanest man therefore truly infinite Hee that was equall with God was conversant here on earth with us in the forme and condition of a servant But of servants by birth or civill constitution many live in health and case with sufficient supplies of all things necessary for this life So did not the Son of God His humanity was charged with all the miseries whereof mortality is capable subject to hunger thirst temptations revilings and scornings even of his servants an indignitie which cannot befall slaves or vassals either borne or made such by men or to use the Prophets words Hee bare mans infirmities not spiritually onely but bodily For who was weake and hee not weake who was sick and hee whole No malady of any disease cured by him but was made his by his exact and perfect sympathie Lastly Hee bare our sinnes upon the crosse and submitted himselfe to greater torments than any man in this life can suffer And though these were as displeasant to his humane nature as to ours yet were our sinnes to him more displeasant As he was loving to us in his death so was hee wise towards himselfe and in submitting himselfe unto his