Selected quad for the lemma: love_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
love_n	good_a	hate_v	hatred_n	2,544	5	9.6222	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A73841	Two sermons on the third of the Lamentations of Ieremie preached at Hanwell in the first yeare of his Maiesties raigne, 1602. / The one by I.D. the other by R.C.	Dod, John, 1549?-1645.; Cleaver, Robert, 1561 or 2-ca. 1625. aut; Winston, John, fl. 1614-1634.	1608 (1608)	STC 6951; ESTC S118445	50,535	72

of a happie issue out of all straites and difficulties as wee see in Dauid who hauing committed himselfe to God Psal 3. who was able and had promised to helpe him hee triumphs ouer all his enemies and saith he will not feare though ten thousand should compasse him round about That was some oddes and one would thinke he had little neede to vse such speeches but rather to runne away as fast as hee could at least hee should take little sleepe in the night so long as hee was in such danger or if hee did lie downe and sleepe hee should haue little hope to rise againe in the morning yet wee see vers 5. that hee laid him downe and slept and rose againe because the Lord sustained him and this he got by calling vpon God as it is vers 4. 2 Secondly if we would not be oppressed with feares labor to be righteous for wickednesse makes men dastardlie whereas righteousnesse makes men stout as Lyons 2. Righteousnes Pro. 28.1 that will not looke ouer the shoulder for the barking of euery dogge but walke on without all feare Indeede the child of God will not bee presumptuous neither will hee bee timorous though his enemies sinne Satan and the world bee strong yet hee knows God is stronger and that none euill can come vnto him without the Lord. Which if wee can thorowly meditate vpon and take this receite euerie morning to season our hearts with the feare of God and to wash our hearts and hands from vnrepented sins walke where wee will so it be in our waies nothing shall be able to hurt vs. Vers 58. Thou hast maintained the cause of my soule That is thou hast stood on my part and freed mee from death that was intended against mee For though my name and libertie and riches bee taken from mee yet my life is redeemed and that is thy mercie that bodie and soule are not yet parted Whence the doctrine is Doct. 8. God vpholds his Isa 44.23 That God is the maintainer and vpholder of his people Howsoeuer Kings and Princes bee nursing fathers vnto Gods Church yet that is not because hee needs them but because he would doe them a good turne in imploying them in his seruice And therefore may God be called the vpholder of his people because he saues them frō their firmes and from the punishments due to their sins which no man can doe He watches ouer them night and day and waters them euerie moment Jsa 27.3 and hee will contend with them that contend against his people This should strike a terror into the hearts of those that are iniurious vnto Gods seruants they are bold where the hedge is lowest euerie dwarfe aduentures to leape ouer But let them know that God is as a wall of fire about his Church and hee will maintaine the right of his children Indeede their props are and still haue beene so weake their enemies so strong the standers against them so shamefull and the oppositions so continuall that it is a miracle the Church stands to this day but God hath beene and euer will bee the vpholder of it and therefore it must needs goe ill with those that lift vp themselues against it Vse 2 Secondly here is a notable consolation for the afflicted people of God Howsoeuer they haue fewe meanes and few friends and where they should haue most helpe they haue least where they looked for comfort they finde discomfort and where they thought to bee enriched they are impouerished yet if they can pray all shall bee well If money and friends and large reuenues and the like had beene the vpholders of the Church it would haue gone to the ground long ere this But what saith the Church here O Lord thou hast maintained the cause of my soule There is our stay let vs bee sure wee haue a good cause and lay it before Gods iudgement seate and then though wee be ouerborne God will not bee ouerborne but hee will stand on our side euen hee that loues goodnesse and hates wickednesse and will be auenged on those that bend themselues and their endeuors to do mischiefe vnto his people Wee would willinglie haue him to bee our Iudge who is most iust who carries the greatest loue to vs and our cause and the hardest mind against our aduersaries such an one is God And therefore seeing we haue a good cause to stand in euen the matter of our saluation and enemies whom God hates with a deadly hatred the diuell the world and the flesh c. this should put life and heart into vs to goe vnto Christ Iesus our Iudge who hath so dearely loued vs as to lay downe his life for vs and for the destruction of all our enemies When wee are ouercharged with burdens and temptations let vs lay them vpon him and say Lord thou hast vndertaken to comfort thy children I am not able to vndergoe this that is vpon mee therefore doe thou maintaine my cause and helpe and deliuer mee from my miserie Vers 59. Thou hast seene my wrong From these words this doctrine may be collected Doct. 9. All vvrōgs knovvne to God That there is nothing done spoken or thought against any Christian but God takes knowledge of it there is not one practise slander or deuice of cruell beasts against the sheepe of Christ but God sees it and markes it And this must needs be so Reason 1 1 First because they are his flocke and therefore hee loues to looke vnto them especiallie sith hee hath paide so deerely for them 2 Secondly it is his nature to behold all things Psal 94. Eph. 4.6 For he that made the eye shall not he see c. He is aboue vs all and through vs all and in vs all Yea wee are as it were the apple of his eye Now it is a hard matter for one to come with thornes to put out anothers eye and he not take notice of it and 3 Thirdly God doth the rather obserue the indignities that are offered vnto his children because their profane aduersaries doe hate his image in them For when they were as bad as themselues they could liue with them twentie or thirtie yeares and be good friends with them but when once they renounce the seruice of Satan and of their owne lusts vnto which they are in bondage still then they oppose with might and maine against them Psal 69.7 and therefore it is said for thy sake haue we suffred rebuke shame hath couered our face 4 The fourth and last reason why God must needs take notice of the wrongs done vnto his seruants is because it belongs to him to reward euerie one according to their workes Reuel 20.12 Hee must and will giue them full pay and therefore hee keeps all vpon iust and due record As the workes of the righteous shall stand for them so shall the workes of reprobates be written in great capitall letters against them that all the world may take notice of them at the last day Vse This offers vnto vs matter of singular comfort Howsoeuer the aduersaries be busie and watchful to plot and procure the hurt of Gods Church they cannot be so vigilant for the hurt of it as God is watchfull for the good of it and therefore they may bee sure they shall haue a happie issue out of all their troubles if so be they can make their mone to God and waite patientlie for his mercie Obiection But what neede wee lay open our griefes before him seeing that hee knows them all before hand Answere Though he doe know them yet he would haue you to preferre your bill of complaint and that will be for the increase of your comfort and further experience of his loue and howsoeuer hee purpose to destroy the wicked yet would he haue you to go on in your suite against them still Neither is this to bee restrained onelie to corporall enemies but it holds much more strongly for spirituall enemies Say a man bee surcharged with sinne and Satan let him bemone his case before the Lord and it will be a marueilous ease vnto him If one of our children should but say father or mother I am exceeding sicke readie to saint vnder my paines c. hee neede say no more this would set their hearts and hands a worke to doe him good And is there not far more loue in our heauenly Father Yes surely and therefore in all such extremities let God be our refuge and let vs cast all our cares and sorrows vpon him who is able and willing to beare them and in due season to free vs from them and in the end to make vs gainers by them FINIS

and comfort if there were a thousand worlds and all against one of vs yet one comfort of Christ is able to counteruaile all their oppositions If God giue vs assurance of a better life what great matter is it if they depriue vs of this life If wee see the Angels and Saints and Christ Iesus and the whole Trinitie to bee with vs what perill is it if all leaud base sinfull men bee against vs If God promise to make our names and persons glorious what neede wee feare though they seeke to make vs ignominious Not one haire of our head can fall without Gods prouidence Wee are not in their power though we be in their hands They may proceede so farre as to arraigne vs conuict vs and condemne vs and yet except God will they shall not execute vs though our naturall brethren and sisters and friends forsake vs God will giue vs new brethren and sisters and friends that shal bee more kind and faithfull vnto vs than euer they were But if men for feare of difficulties and dangers will not aduenture vpon religion are they sure to keepe themselues from troubles by that meanes Nay if am an will not suffer for a good cause God can and will make him suffer for an ill cause Achitophel would leaue Dauid and take the stronger side though the worser side but was not that to his destruction So Iudas hee would turne from Christ to the Pharises but did that bring him any peace No it tended to his vtter confusion Vse 2 This teacheth vs another lesson that when we see men so hunted and pursued wee doe not condemne them presently and say Surely these are bad fellowes for otherwise they would neuer be so much maligned nor molested But what shall wee thinke of Gods people here that were hunted and chased and that for their liues shall were say that these were the worst in the world Nay rather if we would conclude any thing let it be this These men are enuied and wronged and wee see no euident cause why it should bee so therefore it is likelie they are good men and deale faithfullie Vers 54. Then thought I I am destroyed This was the case not onely of Ieremie but of the rest of Gods seraunts in captiuitie they were euen past hope for any recouerie Doct. 6. Outward afflictions vsually accompained with inward tēptations The doctrine that here may bee gathered is That when troubles arise against our bodies and states Satan labors to breed troubles in our soules when there are fightings without vsuallie there are terrors within This is manifest in the Chapter that wee haue now in hand vers 17.18 VVhen they were farre from peace and prosperitie then they conclude their strength and hope is perished from the Lord. Hee had made them many gratious promises they could not deny but now they neuer expected the performance of them all their hope was gone And this we see that Gods children haue still beene exercised with great terrors and feares within when they haue beene set vpon by grieuous trials without the trueth whereof we see in Iob and in Ieremie Iob. 3.3 c Ier. 15.10 the violence of whose inward conflicts made them to breake forth into marueilous great distempers Reason And this stands with reason for in those times Satan will be readie to perswade them If God loued you hee would neuer let you bee in this estate 〈…〉 as he dealt with 〈◊〉 Sauiour If thou bee the Sonne of God command that these 〈…〉 should haue said Is this the God 〈…〉 all this while See how hee deales with you 〈…〉 ●●●●ainely forsaken if you will eate stones you may 〈◊〉 prouision he makes none for you and is it likelie then that you are the sonne of God If you thinke you are so still trust no more in him but prouide for your selfe and command that these stones bee made bread that so you may haue reliefe that way Vse 1 Since the case stands thus let vs in time of prosperitie arme our selues with strong reasons whereby we may assure our hearts that the Lord is our God and this will appeare to be no more than needefull if we consider how Gods dearest seruants haue beene and are put to it and though they haue had a good measure of confidence yet their grounds haue beene shaken and they themselues much perplexed God hath turned away his face from them Psal 30. and they haue beene troubled Since I say the case stands thus let vs get good euidence for our happie estate in Christ and for our interest vnto eternall life Let vs haue our hearts seasoned with true pietie with the loue of Gods word with the feare of his name with zeale for his glorie and the like vertues and graces of Gods holy spirit and that before distresses come that so in the euill day we may haue good assurance of Gods vnvaluable and vnchangeable fauor in his sonne For if wee be slacke and negligent herein and onelie hope well and trust that God wil bee mercifull vnto vs and accept of vs for his children then when Satan and affliction and our flesh ioine together and make an assault against vs our hope will proue but a broken reede wee shal be tossed with euerie waue yea sore perplexed and vtterlie ouerwhelmed in the gulfe of distresse if not of despaire it selfe Therefore let men make sure worke before hand especiallie before death approch For otherwise the diuell will tell them that then it is too late to set vpon matters of godlines as hee euer perswaded them before that it was too soone then will hee bring before them all former reckonings and charge vpon them the iniquities of their youth and if their grounds be not very good their hearts will vtterly faile them and then they are vndone for euer For if the Church of God make this wofull complaint that their hope and strength were perished from the Lord how shall wicked vnregenerate persons be able to stand when God shall come against them Not with matters of temptation as he doth against his children but with matters of truth not of mercie but in iudgement not that the diuell makes them beleeue so but that indeede it is so When God shall once begin to draw out his sword against them where will they bee then If Gods children doe feele such a heauie burden of it doe not you thinke it will presse them downe to the gates of hell When no friend shall stand by them no shifts and inuentions of wit shal bee auaileable for them when all mirth will be vncomfortable and euerie thing frowne and looke heauily vpon them God and Satan and sinne and their owne consciences beeing all vp in armes against them When this I say comes vpon them as come it will sooner or later which way can they turne them and how can they shift off that heauie loade of Gods wrath and indignation which will lie as a mountaine vpon their