Selected quad for the lemma: world_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
world_n	choose_v	hate_v	persecute_v	1,861	5	9.5088	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A42553	Philadelphia, or, a treatise of brotherly-love Shewing, that we must love all men: love the wicked in general: love our enemies: that the godly must especially love another: and the reasons of each particular love. The manner of our mutual love; the dignity, necessity, excellenc, and usefulness of brotherly-love. That the want of love, where love is due, is hatred, shewed in divers particulars. The greatness of the sin of malice and hatred; with the reasons why wicked men hate the saints: together with cautions against those sins that break the bond of love. Many weighty questions discussed, and divers cases cleared. By William Gearing, minister of the word.	Gearing, William.	1670 (1670)	Wing G436C; ESTC R223669	92,727	215

and so become false witnesses of God because they will not joyn with them in some of their sinful practices they hate them because they go in a way contrary to them and so they hate them because they are the children of God 1 Job 3.12 as Cain hated Abel and slew him because his own works were evil and his brothers righteous They are mine Adversaries saith David because I follow the thing that is good Psal 38.20 If ye were of the world saith Christ to his Disciples the world would love its own but because ye are not of the world but I have chosen you out of the world therefore the world hateth you Ye are enemies to the course of the wicked world therefore the world hateth you The hatred of the world against the godly is no new nor strange thing it is a thing not to be wondered or marvelled at marvel not my brethren if the world hate you It is not new for presently after the Fall this enmity began it is not strange for God himself who is the Lord of Hosts proclaimed War between the godly the seed of the Woman and the world the seed of the Serpent The Lord himself hath sounded the Trumpet of War between the world and the godly how then can they but take the Alarum and prepare themselves to Battle not that the Lord hath either commanded the world to fight against his people or that he hath infused any malice into the men of the world but that he having put his Spirit into the hearts of the godly made them partakers of his divine Nature hath thereby made them contrary to the world even as Light to Darkness whereupon necessarily followeth the hatred and enmity of the world against them We see the truth of this in the malice of Cain against Abel Ishmael against Isaac Esau against Jacob three pair of Brethren in several ages We see it in the Egyptians and their King Pharaoh against Israel for the sufferings of Israel are called the reproach of Christ Heb. 11. This hath been the course of the world from age to age Thus did the Caldeans shew their malice to Shadrach Meshech and Abednego accusing them to Nebuchadnezzar that they might be thrown into the fiery Furnace for shunning of Idolatry Thus did the Courtiers of Darius shew their bitter and bloody malice against righteous Daniel for praying three times a day to his God craftily circumventing the King himself not privy to their drift to sign an unlawful Decree by which Daniel was ensnared that he might be cast into the Lions Den. So Haman shewed his malice against Mordecai and the whole Church of the Jews seeking their utter ruin Tobijah and Sanballat were carried with the like malicious spirit against the Church and against the restoring the worship of God at Jerusalem Antiochus Epiphanes was full of malice and rage against the Church So Herod the chief Priests and the unbelieving Jews also in the Apostles times the Roman Emperors and after them the Roman Bishops have continued this enmity and many other Popish Princes But besides these there are many Children of the world mixed with the people of God who are pricks in the eyes and thorns in the sides of the godly and upon many occasions shew their malice against them SECT II. R. ONe Reason is because the world hath had and yet hath one and the same Prince Captain and Commander from the beginning even the Devil whose hatred is restless and perpetual against the people of God Wars and troubles many times cease between Nation and Nation through the change of Kings and Captains yea sometimes there are strait Leagues of Amity and Friendship sometimes Unions as between England and Scotland c. But the Devil having usurped a Kingdom over the world by Gods permission ever since he conquered it in the Garden and so eontinuing his Tyranny over it until Christ at the last day shall utterly and finally destroy his Kingdom it is no matter of wonder no new and strange thing that the world which is in subjection under him doth continue to hate the people of God He is the Arch-enemy of God and he will inspire hatred and malice against the Children of God into the hearts of those that are in subjection to him As it is said of Cain he was of that wicked one and slew his Brother c. so it may be said of other persecutors and enemies in their several times Haman was of that wicked one Pharaoh wrs of that wicked one Jezabel was of that wicked one Herod Nero Domitian the persecuting Popes c. were of that wicked one and led by the same malicious spirit And the like may be said of any enemies which the godly have at this day either within or without the Church It is said that Xerxes the Persian wept when he view'd his mighty Army because an hundred years should not leave one of all the company alive but Xerxes himself also was taken away long ere that time But the Devil never wanteth forces and though his Instruments and Souldiers dye yet having the world under him a new generation ariseth when the old is worn out and he that is their Commander liveth still to train and stir them up unto the Warr. 2. To be hated by the world is incident to all godly men it is not thy Condition only but the Condition of all that do live godly in Christ Jesus the●●hall and do suffer persecution in some degree or other some do sip others drink deeper of the Cup but every one of the Saints have tasted of it All the Prophets Christ himself and all the Apostles is it any wonder then if they do the like to thee thou art not the only Saint in the world that is hated there be as many in thy Condition as there be Saints in the world 3. Christ himself hath fore warned 〈◊〉 of this that we shall be hated of all men for his Name sake John 16.4 What reason then have w● to be troubled when it cometh to pas● Th● things have I told you that when the ●me shall come you may remember that I told you of them Why then should I be troubled at the world's hating me my Saviour hath told me of it aforehand I could expect no other from the world Christ like a Captain tells his Souldiers of the chance of War if ye will be Conquerors ye must endure the brunt and heat of the Battle our Saviour tells us of the worst that we might be fore-armed that in the midst of the worlds hatred we might in patience possess our souls Therefore let not Christians stand amazed like men at their wits end when they see the world malicious against them When was it otherwise When was that Golden Age wherein the world was perfectly reconciled with the people of God Some times have been more quiet than other but when did the enmity wholly cease when could it have been truly said The

Children of God do love each other is towards Strangers whom they never saw nor are like to see when they hear of their Graces and of their zeal and forwardness in the ways of God and for his glory as St. Paul was affectionate towards those of the godly who had not seen his face in the flesh 2. Then doth a man truly love the godly when he can love all Saints as well as some and this floweth from the former If I love a c●ild of God because a child of God I must love all the children of God A quatenus ad omne valet consequentia If I love gold because gold I love all gold so if I love grace because grace I cannot but love grace in all If I love the Image of God in one I must needs carry the same affection to all that have this Image There is the same ground reason motive and object in all Saints as well as in one particular Saint To love one Saint and not another is to make spiritual love carnal a divided a factious love as the Apostle speaks to the Corinthians for while one saith I am of Paul another saith I am of Apollos are ye not carnal So when men shall say I love such a man he is a good man but cannot endure the name of another godly man their love is carnal He that loveth not all Saints loveth no Saint at all he that loveth not the poor Saint as well as the rich the low and mean Saints as well as the noble and honourable he doth not truly love any There is great reason why we should love all Saints as well as one be their outward conditions never so contrary God the father loveth all his Saints alike All the Saints have an equal share in the love of Jesus Christ he shed his blood for all alike he giveth his merits and righteousness to all alike Yea Jesus Christ himself calleth all the Saints his brethren even the meanest of his Saints The heart of the meanest Christian is the Temple of the Holy Ghost as well as the heart of the most honourable and shall not we love all whom the Lord thus loveth Godly love is like the Center in the midst of a Circumference or circle which hath an equal respect to all parts of the circle so true Christian love hath respect to all parts of the circle so true Christian love hath respect to all Saints equally 3. When they go beyond us in grace when they excell us in holiness when we love them the more we see them excell us in grace and in all spiritual gifts whatever relation they have unto us yea though their gifts and graces should eclypse ours yet then if we can as truly rejoyce in their gifts as if we our selves had them and do more entirely love them by how much the more we see those gifts and graces shining in them this is true Christian love like that of Moses Num. 11.29 when one came and told them that Eldad and Medad prophecyed Moses was glad to hear it Would God saith he that all the Lord's people were Prophets Are others as good or better than I am would God that he or they and all others were better than I. Only he loveth the Saints truly that can love them for their graces and the more grace the more to love them Let it satisfie thee that thou art a door-keeper in God's house although thou art not made high Priest to enter into the holy of holies it is well that thou art admitted into Christ's School although thou art not placed in the highest form it is well that thou art a beloved disciple of Christ although thou hast not the same priviledg with St. John to lie always in the bosom of Christ 4. When we can love the Saints constantly at all times as well as at one time when the Church of God is overwhelmed with troubles and nothing but stormy clouds hang over the heads of God's people then to love them as in the serenest calm when the Church enjoyeth peace and quiet round about when there are no fears troubles nor persecutions this is the man that loveth the godly Doth the state of a Christian alter and decay yet thy charity doth not decay Is a Christian friend fallen into disgrace with the world yet thou dost truly make much of him Is he persecuted every where yet thy love followeth him Is he fallen into poverty and necessity yet thy love faileth not for all this certainly thy love to the godly is a peculiar love It is not affliction that shall divide the Soul of Jonathan from the Soul of David True Christian love owneth the people of God in all conditions it uniteth and knitteth the heart to the children of God and maketh a man one with them and so maketh their case ours 5. When we can heartily love godly men when they most of all reprove us check us The Rebukes of friend are better than the Flatterings of a foe and he that loveth with austerity is better than he that killeth with delicacy admonish us and as gladly receive an holy reproof as a kindness from them Let the Righteous smite me it shall be a kindness let him r●prove me it shall be an excellent oyl which shall not break my head but yet my prayer shall be in their calamities Psalm 141.5 David had rather be quickened up with holy reproofs then tickled with fond and flattering soothings such men he would pray for in their calamities and love them best This often times turneth the love of wicked men into hatred who pretend love as long as the godly are silent at their evil ways but if they begin to reprove they will cease to love Thus Ahab dealt with Elijah and H●rod with John Baptist and the Galatians with St. Paul men that did love St. Paul as dearly that they could find in their hearts to pluck out their eyes for him yet was he reputed as an enemy because he told them the truth Mutual reproof is a sign of true Christian love to each other if thou lovest a child of God love him when he reproveth thee as when he doth not CHAP. XIX SECT I. THis then may shew unto us the woful condition of those that are enemies to the children of God and of all others almost that love them least in whom there are most signes of true godliness yea hate them because of their religious lives hate them for those very practises wherein the godly labour to be like their heavenly father and to approve themselves his children hate them because they hate sin and fear to offend their Father which is in heaven not only in the greatest sins but also in those which seem very light and small offences or none at all in the eye of the world they hate them because they shew their dislike of their courses which tend to God's dishonour and because they do not sooth them in an evil estate