Selected quad for the lemma: body_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
body_n	head_n	member_n	mystical_a	10,566	5	10.6497	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A85498	The saints hony-comb, full of divine truths, touching both Christian belief, and a Christians life, in two centuries. By Richard Gove.	Gove, R. (Richard), 1587-1668.	1652 (1652)	Wing G1454; Thomason E1313_1; ESTC R202241	83,389	226

cease till the house with the stones and timber and morter of it were all broken down So 't is with man Grace may doe much and alter many things that were amisse in him and make him leave many sins to which he was formerly given but to have sin wholly cast out and left that is not to be expected till this earthly tabernacle of his body be by death pulled down and dissolved Expression XIV That to be rich in good works and to distribute to the necessities of Christs poor and needy members is the way to lay up in store for our selves a good foundation against the time to come MAny of the antient Authors in their Writings doe make mention of a certain Country whose fashion was yearly to chuse them a new King who had for that year absolute authority to doe what he listed but the year being ended he was deposed from his place and thrust naked into a remote Island there to end his life in hunger cold and want of all necessaries Whereof one of them being advertised thought aforehand to prevent this inconvenience and therefore in that short time of his reign he sent over his wealth and his treasure into that Island by means of which when he came there he was ●elieved and provided for and did not live in that misery and want that others his Predecessours had done Such is our case for be we never so noble never so mighty never so rich we have no assurance of any long continuance in this world not so much as for one year for here we have no abiding City Heb. 13. 14. and this short time that we have allowed us must at last have an end and as we came naked into the world so must we return naked out of it Job 1. 21. Let us then with that wise King now in the time of plenty provide against the future famine and make us friends of that unrighteous Mammon that when we want they may receive us into everlasting habitations let us now send away our wealth before us in distributing to the necessities of the poor for what we give to the poor we send before us to Heaven and there we shall one day find it to our souls unspeakable comfort See Luk 16. 9. 1 Tim. 6. 17 18 19. Expression XV That a Christian in this life may be infallibly assured of his Salvation ANd this may be thus illustrated A King sendeth a pardon to forty thousand Rebels without putting down in particular the names of any of them onely he puts in a condition that all those shall be pardoned that will lay by their arms and weapons and come in to him the which he sendeth an Herald to proclaim and the people hearing it doe accordingly and thereby know infallibly that they are pardoned And if any man should molest them because their names are not expresly written in the pardon they might contemn them and securely conclude their deliverance from the Condition that is expressed In the same manner doe we assure our selves of our salvation For all men being sinners against God he hath sent out the pardon of his Gospel not writing any mans name therein in particular but putting in a Condition that so many as will be saved by Christ must repent believe and obey him the which being published by preaching assoon as the Elect hear they receive and doe know infallibly they are pardoned And if any would molest them as the Papists for example doe because their name is not particularly and expresly set down therein they might despise them and both against theirs and the Devils accusations securely conclude their salvation from the condition expressed thus He that repenteth and forsaketh his sins and believes and obeys the Gospel unfeignedly shall be saved but I repent and forsake my sins I believe and obey the Gospel unfeignedly and therefore I shall be saved Expression XVI How a man may know whether there be any life of Grace in him ANd to resolve this we need no other signs than we doe make use of to know whether a man be alive or no For if there be any life left in the body at the heart it will beat at the mouth it will breath at the pulse it will be felt So where there is the life of Grace in any man or woman it will appear to himself by his good thoughts and holy desires which he hath in his heart and it will appear to others by the gratious words that proceed from his lips and from the good works that proceed from his hands And if it cannot be perceived by any or all these waies then certainly there is no life of Grace left in a man Expression XVII That holy and regenerate men may have unholy and unregenerate children ANd this Saint Austin illustrates by a two-fold comparison the one of winnowed Corn the other of the circumcised Jew For as Corn that is never so well winnowed and cleansed from all chaff if it be sowen brings forth corn with chaff about it And the circumcised Jew begat uncircumcised Children so holy and regenerate Parents doe beget unholy and unregenerate Children And no marvell for they * beget not their Children according to Grace but according to Nature for Grace is personall but Corruption is naturall and God willeth that they shall onely communicate their nature and leave the dispensation of Grace to himself Expression XVIII That Christians should be compassionate and have a fellow-feeling of one anothers misery THis Saint Austin illustrates thus Behold saith he the foot treadeth on a thorn and see how all the members condole it the back bendeth it self the head stoopeth the eye most remote in place diligently searcheth the ears attend where it is said to be the hands pull it out every member is busied to help and succour it and yet neither back nor head nor eye nor ear nor hand nor any other part but the foot was pricked And just so it should be between the members of Christs mysticall body If one member suffer all the rest should suffer with it See 1 Cor. 12. 26. Rom. 12. 15. Job 30. 25. Expression XIX That the Devill is most busy to tempt men when they are about Gods worship and service AENeas Sylvius reporteth that Saint Benedict coming upon a time to a certain Monastery and entring into the Church there where those of that fraternity were at their prayers he espied a multitude of Devils about every one of them at the sight of which being amazed and much affrighted he left the Monastery and went into the Town adjoyning where there was at that time a great fare or market and a multitude of people come together to buy and sell and walking up and down therein he could there espy but one Devill only who sate idle and had nothing to doe and wondring with himself why there should be so many Devils in the Church and they all so busy

and but one in the market or fare and he sitting idle and doing nothing went unto him and conjured him to tell him the reason of it which he presently did saying that in the Church when men be at their prayers and serving of God 't is supposed that they are going out of the Devils Kingdome and are there begging help and grace from God that so they may doe and therefore have need of many Devils to trouble and distract them in their prayers to make them uneffectuall but in markets and fares men are apt enough of themselves to swear to lye to cozen and to commit all other sins for their profit or pleasures sake and therefore one Devill was enough for them See Zech. 3. 1. Eccl. 2. 1. Expression XX That wicked Masters and heads of Families corrupt and undoe their whole Families FOr it is with a family as it is with a fish the which first taketh infection and beginneth first to stink at the head And therefore as good Father Latimer was wont to say if the head of the fish be sweet all the body is sweet but if the head stink all the body is or soon wil be naught So if the Master or Head of a Family be good it is a great means to make the whole Family good but if he once be bad the whole Family will quickly be so too Expression XXI That it is a dangerous thing to frequent the company of wicked men FOr it may be said of frequenting evill company as they were wont to say in a common Proverb here in England of going to Rome He that goeth to Rome once seeth a wicked man he that goeth thither the second time learneth to know him but he that goeth thither the third time brings him home with him So he that frequenteth wicked company the first time that he cometh amongst them he seeth their courses the second time he learneth them and the third time commonly he bringeth them home with him Expression XXII What a wonder it is to see men sleep securely in their sins without fear of danger WEE read of a certain Gentleman in Rome who notwithstanding a great burthen of debt wherewith he was oppressed did yet sleep quietly and take his ease as if there were no such matter The which Augustus the Emperour hearing of when the man was dead was very desirous to buy that bed on which he used to lye At which when his servants marvailed they knowing that he had farre better beds of his own he made them this answer That it seemed to him to be some wonderfull bed and worth the buying whereupon a man could sleep so soundly that was so deeply indebted And just such a wonder it may seem to any that truly fears God and that knows what a debt sinne is to see any to sleep securely in their sinnes that have so many and such heavy debts one day to answer unto God for Expression XXIII That it is possible for a man to be guilty of many sins and yet at the present not to be troubled in conscience for any of them IT is a Rule in Philosophy That no Element is heavy or ponderous whilst it is in its proper place As for example Let a man that is skilfull in swimming dive down to the bottome of the sea and as long as he is there he feels no waight though the water of the whole Sea lye upon his back and the reason of it is this because the water is in the Sea as in his proper place but let the same person come out of the Sea and take a great vessell full of that water and put it on his head and the waight of it will make him to sink under it So it is with sin it seemeth no burthen to a man as long as it is in the Will which is the proper seat and place of it but bring it once from thence and convent it before Reason Conscience which will shew it what an infinite-Majestie it hath offended and what an infinite punishment it hath deserved and then it will make the sinner to cry out as once David did That it is a heavy burthen too heavy for him to bear Psal. 38. 4. Expression XXIV That Justification from the guilt of sin is perfected at once and in an instant but Sanctification from the power and pollution of sin is by degrees THis difference Saint Bernard thus illustrates When we fall into sin saith he we are like unto a man which falls upon an heap of stones and in the mire so as that we are not only defiled but wounded allso and sore bruised Now we may quickly be washed but to heal us there needs a longer time Where by washing away our mire he meaneth our Justification which he saith may soon be done but by healing our wounded and bruised nature he understandeth our Sanctification which is long in doing Expression XXV How Mercy and Truth met together and how Righteousnesse and Peace kissed each other in mans redemption FOr the illustration of this the learned have invented this pretty expression When God say they created Adam he gave him all excellent and precious virtues as Truth to instruct him Justice to direct him Mercy to preserve him and Peace to delight him with all pleasing correspondency but that when he fell away and forgate all the good which God had done for him these virtues left their lower dwelling and speedily returned back to him that gave them makeing report what was fallen out on earth and earnestly moving the Allmighty concerning this his wretched and forlorn creature yet in a very different sort and manner For Justice pleaded for the condemnation of sinfull man and called for the punishment he had worthily deserved and Truth required the performance of that which God had threatned but Mercy intreated for miserable man made out of the dust of the earth seduced by Satan and beguiled with the shews of seeming good and Peace no lesse carefully sought to pacifie the wrath of the displeased God and to reconcile the Creature to the Creator When God had heard the contrary pleas and desires of these most excellent Orators and saw that there was no other means to give them all satisfaction it was resolved on in the high Councell of the blessed Trinity that one of those sacred Persons should become Man that by taking to him the nature of Man he might partake in his miseries and be subject to his punishments and by conjoyning his Divine nature and perfection with the same might fill it with all grace and heavenly excellency And thus were the desires of these so contrary petitioners all satisfied for man was punished as Gods Justice urged that was performed which God had threatned as Truth required the Offender was pitied as Mercy intreated and God and Man were reconciled as Peace desired and so was fulfilled that of the Psalmist Psal. 85. 10. Mercy and Truth have met together

so simple was he that how to pray he knew not Onely every morning humbly bending his knees and lifting up his eies and hands to heaven he would deliberately repeat the Alphabet And now said he O good God put these letters together to spell syllables to spell words to make such sense as may be most to thy glory and my good And so let us do too if we cannot pray as we would or as we ought let us fall to this poor-pious-mans A. B. C. D. E. c. let us do what we can in praying hearing receiving of the Sacraments other Christian duties and leave the rest to be supplied by Gods holy Spirit Rom. 8. 26 27. and to be perfected by Christs intercesion for us Revel. 8. 3 4. Expression LXXIX That it is better to be Gods servant than mans ANd hereof we have a lively example in Cardinall Wolsey who when he was cast out of King Henry the Eights favour and saw himself likely to be called in question for his ill management of those affairs of State and other businesses wherewith the King his Master had intrusted him made a ruefull complaint and cried out when it was too late Oh saith he if I had been but as carefull to serve God my Master in Heaven as I was to serve the King my great Master on Earth he would never have left me in my grey hairs Expression LXXX That many under the shew and pretence of Religion doe undoe themselves and others WE read of two famous Thieves in the Kingdome of Naples the one of which called himself Pater Noster and the other Ave Maria and that these two had robbed and killed an hundred and sixteen men before ever they were taken but being taken they were punished by the Magistrate with hot burning pincers and were chopt and cut into many pieces and gobbets So there ever have been in the Church of God in all ages and I pray God there be not such now who under a pretence of long prayers zealousseeming preaching devout a hearing and such like formall shewes of Religion doe undoe both themselves and others too in the end See Mat. 23. 14 15. 2 Tim. 3. 5. Expression LXXXI That the good Thieves late Repentance on the Crosse is no warrantable president for any to put off his Repentance till the last FOr first it was but one that is said thus to have repented and one Swallow we know makes not a Summer neither of one example without a precept must we conclude any thing from Scripture Now put the case that a certain man travelling on the high way should find a sum of money in a purse enough to defray all the charges of his journey and another hearing of it and being to take the like journey would hereupon purposely carry no money with him hoping to find money enough upon the way to defray his journey allso would we not take him for a very fool Or if the Prince of any Country should of his meer grace and favour send a pardon for one that were upon the gallowes and ready to be turned over would any wise man commit the like offence in hope to find the like favour 2. This example was extraordinary yea even a very miracle with the glory whereof our Saviour would honour the ignominy of the Crosse We may allmost saith one expect a second crucifying of Christ as such a second Thief Christ then triumphing on the Crosse did as Princes doe in the triumph of entring into their Kingdomes they pardon grosse offences before committed which perhaps they will never pardon again as long as they live 3. His repentance though late was true as appears by the fruits of it for he confesseth his sins and earnestly prayeth for pardon of them he sheweth a marvailous strength of faith in Christ that he did acknowledge him to be his King and Saviour when he was in the lowest degree of his humiliation even when he hanged upon the Crosse derided of his enemies and forsaken of all his friends he reproveth his fellow thief and patiently submitteth to his deserved punishment Take heed therfore of making this Thieves repentance a president for thee to follow in hope to find the like mercy lest it be proved to be true in thee which is said in the Spanish a Proverb That for one Thieves sake many a one finds no entertainment And never forget that golden saying of Saint Augustine That there is one such example of finding mercy at Gods hands upon late repentance left registred in Scripture that b none might despair and there is but one that none should presume Expression LXXXII In what a dangerous condition they are that fight Duels or single Cambats to vindicate their honour IT is here saith Saint Gregory as it is in a Cock-pit for as there the Master of the Cock-pit or one that hath Cocks sets two Cocks a fighting of purpose to make him sport and when he hath suffered them to fight unto the death of one or both of them he sups with their bodies Even so saith he the Devill the Master of such hot spurs sets them together by the ears that after mutuall conflict and much sport they have made him therein the one or both of them being killed he may sup with their souls in his infernall house in Hell And Saint Bernard gives this reason for it For saith he if in fighting thou hast a mind to kill another man and art slain thy self thou diest a Murtherer and if thou prevail and kill the other then thou livest a Murtherer but whether thou live or dye conquer or be conquered it is not good to be a Murtherer Expression LXXXIII How apt men are that are at variance to mistake one the other and to think and to take all things at the worst WHen the men of Syria were at feud with the Romanes they sent but these four letters by an Herald S. P. Q. R. which in too much suspicion of defiance they thus construed as if they had meant Syris populis quis resistat Who may resist the people of Syria And thereupon they answered them back with the same Characters S. P. Q. R. which they allso too credulously expounded Senatus Populusque Romanus The Senate and People of Rome Thus witty malice in the Syrians and Romanes from a mis-construction collecteth enmity whereas charity in either which thinketh not evill might have expounded them thus Sapiens populus quaerit {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Wise men seek strength by unity Expression LXXXIV What a dangerous thing it is in a family where the Wife will strive with the Husband for superiority FOr this family would be like Plinies Amphisbaena a Serpent which hath an head at each end of her body both which whilst they strive for the mastery they doe in the mean time toyl the body miserably and in the end rent and tear it to pieces