Selected quad for the lemma: love_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
love_n	ghost_n	holy_a	son_n	10,008	5	5.5913	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A44484	A sermon preached at St. Martins in the Fields to the natives of that parish upon the 29th of May, 1676 being the anniversary of His Majesties birth and happy return to his kingdoms : as also the day appointed for their yearly meeting and feasting together / by John Horden.	Horden, John, 17th cent.	1676 (1676)	Wing H2788; ESTC R28693	12,280	32

pretender but certainly what did so far prevail with them in an unrighteous cause ought much more in a good one to be of force and make us more firmly adhere to a Prince who is so nearly related to us whom however were he not so we could not without sin and treachery forsake If therefore ever yet again which God fore-fend any son of Bichri should arise any Benjamite of Belial should blow the trumpet of Sedition disclaim his part in David and endeavour to perswade others that they have no inheritance in the King let not in Judah there ever one be found who would go after him let not any of us ever stir an hand or move a tongue against the King let not us lift up any offensive weapon no not that little one which though little yet as David himself can tell Psal lii 2. is sharp as any rasor and makes wounds so deep that they go into the innermost parts of the belly But remembring who we are and what he is to us let us demean our selves suitably to our obligations employ every member in his service assist him with our heads pray for him with our tongues and hearts and after all act mightily for him with our arms And all this that as it is fit for Judah as it well becometh us we may to purpose do Let us in the second place take care that as Judah was so we continue having all our hearts bowed as the heart of one man this it is that will best fit us for and incline us to the foregoing duties preserve us firm in our allegiance to the King and enable us more effectually to do him service Whilst men separately and apart carry on their designs though each of them be well intended and all of them peradventure may have the same end and aim yet do they seldom prosper every man being ambitious that his own may succeed and they mutually hindering and crossing one another whilst the less likely to prevail repines at the others probability of success every one of them when behind still pulls him who appears formost back and each of them envying unto another the recompence and honour of the thing the whole of all their endeavours ends in an inglorious miscarriage and a too fatal disappointment but when hand joyns in hand and hearts too are united we cannot then but mightily prevail by this agreement strength and counsel meet together policy and power do kiss each other and what is there that we may not expect from such an assocration And to this unity and concord this amity and love that very consideration which from such distant places hath brought so many hither in this place to solemnize this day is a sufficient and will I hope prove a very successful obligation that we were all born in this Parish and had our first Education within the same precincts To be of one and the same Nation how strongly doth it bind what firm and yet what easie friendships in Countries that are remote doth this alone create between such as at home were strangers and upon no other accompt abroad have taken cognizance of one another And if to have been of the same Nation only doth tye thus fast together to have had more neighbouring Nativities to have been born in the same Shire or City ought certainly to link more closely yet to one another but to have been Natives of the same Parish must draw yet streighter much the knot and joyn us in so fast and near a friendship as nothing should excel but Brothers love who yet have had their births within a shorter compass and came forth from one and the same womb To these indeed we may yield according to the rule their affections must be proportionably more vigorous and strong for they are brethren and between such no strife should be none but for the mastery in love which of the two should be most kind and shew the greatest tenderness to one another But next to these are we near was the resemblance of our births and as nearly as we can our lives should represent them at least we ought to live like brethren and as them to love that which I hope ye all already do and that ye never may do otherwise but that the love sowell begun on earth may continue till it comes to be perfected in Heaven where when Hope shall terminate in enjoyment and Faith be swallowed up in vision the exercise of this shall still remain I should now come in the last place to give you some directions for its maintainance and preservation but you your selves have taken such a course as justly supersedes the necessity of any such advice and having appointed this day for the holding of your annual Feast you have prevented me of what I should prescribe This very meeting to rejoyce and feast together to eat the fat and drink the sweet as Nehemiah phraseth it ch viii v. 10. is of it self apt to mollifie and soften the harshness of our nature and to create good humour in us this will prepare and fit us to forgive offences insensibly disposeth us for reconciliation and will in one day compose the differences of a year This creates acquaintance where before was none renews it where it was decayed and so improves it by an annual increase till at length it grow to perfect friendship and become an union like that of soul and body which there is nought but death can break in sunder Let then the dissenting sons of discord as we know they oft have done fast for strife and debate and Drunkards tarry at their wine till that false fire which at their first meeting lookt like love break forth before they part into a flame and make them burn with anger instead of being warm with love These are the two extremes which like those of virtue we equally must flie both of them will destroy the business of this day the former is contradiction on a Festival and the latter ruines what thereby we pretend our purpose to advance Against the one I question not but the care of good and liberal Stewards most amply hath provided from the other I hope your own Virtue and Temperance will secure your selves so shall there need no future sorrow to expiate any madness or sin in this days Joy so may we hope to continue this innocent Society this Feast of Love on Earth till being made fellow-citizens with the Saints we are called to the Supper of the Lamb in Heaven where all these ways and needs of feasting happily shall cease and to love God and do his will that shall be our meat and drink for ever Now to God the Father God the Son and God the Holy Ghost three Persons and but one Eternal God be all Honour and Glory now and for ever Amen FINIS

to replant it in its proper place where we hope through his blessing it hath taken such root that no storms nor tempests shall ever again be able to unfix it but underneath its branches for many many years we may yet sit and sing how much soever the sons of discord are offended at the harmony And these indeed are the great and essential happinesses of this day that have imprinted Gods especial character upon it that justly do denominate it the day which the Lord hath made and consequently the day on which we may rejoyce To which it is not nor let it seem to any so small and inconsiderable a mercy as to be thought unworthy to be added that this day doth annually renew this solemn and great convention of persons so cordial and unanimous who marching all under the same colours shew that they are brethren who dwell together in unity who are of one mind and have the same designs and making choice of these do farther evidence that their designs are good that they do meet and will meet in honour of him whose are the Colours which they were and that as chearfully as now they do sit down to eat and drink so when his Service shall require they will as heartily rise up to play I do not mean as did the bruitish Israelites Exod. vi 32. but as the young men did at the request of Abner unto Joab 2 Sam. ii 14. even to catch them by the heads and thrust their Swords into the sides of all that dare rebelliously lift up their hands against our Lord the King Only to see the first of these must unto every eye be good and pleasant as was Aaron's oyntment or the dew of Hermon-hill but to understand the latter cannot but infinitely rejoyce every good and loyal heart Nor is this blessing of the Day less glorious in its Author or effects it being the Lord who maketh men to be of one mind who causeth us to be at peace and unity among our selves by making up our breaches and healing our divisions by composing our differences and quieting our strifes works great as it is to still the raging of the Sea and turn the storm into a calm And as it is excellent in its author so is it lovely in its effects it being to this love and friendship this concord and unanimity of which this present meeting is an happy instrument and representation that we owe very great and many advantages but to make us set that due value and price upon it which we ought I shall need to instance only in that one which deservedly hath the greatest share in the gladness and solemnity of this day which the Text that I have now read unto you reckons up as the immediate consequent of Judah's unity and agreement and that is the recalling and restauration of their King an effect so happy and desirable that there needs no other to recommend it to our love and engage us in its preservation And he bowed the heart of all the men of Judah even as the heart of one man so that they sent this word unto the King Return thou and all thy servants So the King returned and came to Jordan and Judah came to Gilgal to go to meet the King to conduct the King over Jordan In which words you may be pleased to take notice of these four things considerable First The then state and condition of the men of Judah And he bowed the heart of the men of Judah even as the heart of one man Secondly What they did in this condition They sent this word unto the King Return thou and all thy servants Thirdly We have the Kings condescension to their embassy and request The King returned and came to Jordan And fourthly We have those returns of gratitude and respect which Judah made unto this kind condescension of their King Judah came to Gilgal to go to meet the King and to conduct the King over Jordan I begin with the first in which we have again more particularly observable the state it self the persons in it and the person who brought them to it First The state it self a state of amity and friendship unity and agreement all the hearts of the men of Judah stood bent the same way they had all the same inclinations and desires not any the least appearance of any variance or repugnancy but they all together moved the same way the thoughts of their hearts as we may guess by the agreement of the tongues that spake from them were in all the same and there was in every one a like and equal readiness to put them in execution so that those many bodies seemed as they ought to be but so many members of the same body which one soul did animate and influence with ease So we find the phrase often used in Holy Writ with the import of an extraordinary agreement and unanimous consent Thus when the people so universally conspir'd to avenge the indignity offered by the men of Gibeah to the Levites concubine it is said that all the people arose as one man Judges viii 20. And again when they so unanimously made their address to Ezra that he would bring forth and read the Book of the Law that all the people gathered themselves together as one man This is that which the policy of Heathens did recommend and the Religion of Christians hath since more powerfully enjoyned So St. Paul in 1 Cor. i. 10. Now I beseech you brethren by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ that ye all speak the same thing and that there be no division among you but that ye be perfectly joyned together in the same mind and the same judgment Nay the Devil himself who by dividing chiefly doth maintain his Empire upon earth preserveth and supports his Kingdom by unity at home whilst Devil with Devil is in league and all are ready as one Belzebub their Prince to go about seeking whom they may devour I could heartily wish that a greater plenty of Christian patterns did wholly supersede the necessity of proposing Hell as an example unto imitation but alas so is every Church rent by Schism so is every State torn by Division that I know not where on earth to find a parallel union The Text indeed gives us the instance of a tribe so closely cemented and joyned together that all the men of it are but as one and here within these walls I see a smaller body but I hope united by the firmest ties of true affection O may it still grow on every year still add unto our numbers and increase our love till Neighbours grow enamour'd of the fair Example every Parish wish that she had sons agreeing and affectionate as you and the whole Nation study to become so So much for the first particular the state or condition they who were in it were the men of Judah a Tribe of which though there are many things I might remark yet I shall at