Selected quad for the lemma: death_n
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A56113
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To all ye who be called Baptists who call yourselves saints and church-members
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Parker, Alexander, 1628-1689.
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1657
(1657)
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Wing P387; ESTC R28772
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9,000
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10
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To all ye who be called BAPTISTS who call your selves Saints and Church-Members I write these things unto you as by the Lord moved and instructed that you may try and prove your selves with the Touchstone of Truth whether you be so in deed and in truth as you profess your selves to be in words CHrist Jesus the Son of Righteousness Rom. 8.11 Iohn 17. â— is risen from the dead and is glorified with the Father with that eternal glory that he had with him before the world was made Eph. 2.5 6. and the Saints who were raised from the dead and quickened by his living Spirit of Power were made to sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus with the Father and had fellowship with the Father and the Son 1 John 1.3 Coll. 2.11 12 3.9 10 11. having put off the body of the sins of the flesh and the old man with his deeds and having put on the new man which is renewed in knowledge after the Image of him that created him where there is neither Greek nor Jew Circumcision nor uncircumcision Barbarian Scythian bond nor free but Christ is all and in all This was the priviledge of the Saints 1 John 3.8 Rom. 8.21 Rom. 6 13 18 22 23 Heb. 12.14 John 13 34 35 Eph. 2.10 Eph. 4.22 23 24 1 Cor. 15.34 even freedom from the bondage and servitude of sin no more to yeild their members servants unto sin and unrighteousness but unto purity and holiness without which no man can see the Lord and hereby they were known even by their fruits of righteousness being made Gods Workmanship created in Christ Jesus unto good works the Image of the Devil as pride covetousness self-seeking envy wrath and malice and such like being defaced and the Image of God as meekness and humility gentleness patience and long-suffering truth and righteousness love peace joy and true holiness and such like being renewed in them O friends awake and arise and seek not the living amongst the dead Eph. 1.20 21 Eph. 2.15 Coll. 2.14 Heb. â— 2 the Lord is risen and ascended far above all heavens and hath abolished in his flesh the enmity the Law of Commandments contained in Ordinances blotting out the hand-writing of Ordinances and took it out of the way nailing it to his cross He was and is the substance of all Elementary shadows and figures and the glorious appearance of his light and power doth make the Elements to pass and the shadows to flye away and there is the Saints union fellowship in the Light and walking therein 1 Iohn 1.7 Rom. 8.7 8. 2 Tim. 2.11 12. the blood or life of Jesus clenseth from all sin the power of the cross of Christ crucifies that carnal mind which is enmity against God which feeds upon the carnal things and Elementary shadows and so the death of Christ and crucifying with him comes to be witnessed by his followes Rom. 6.6 Rom 8.2 who walk in the Light and believes in the same and being dead with Christ from the Rudiments and Elements of the world cannot turn back and feed upon the shadow or figure nor be subject to fading and carnal Ordinances For as saith the Apostle who came through the warfare Gal. 2.19 20 Col. 2.20 21 22 Iohn 3.6 Rom. 8.8 1 Iohn 2.15 16 17 2 Cor. 4 18 and was dead unto sin and crucified with Christ If ye be dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world why as though living in the world are ye subject to Ordinances Touch not taste not handle not c. I know by the Spirit of the Lord that it is the nature of man being alive unto sin to himself and to the world to feed upon the visible and fading things of the world and so the carnal feeds upon the carnal but all that is in the world that are seen with a visible eye cannot satisfie the hungering desires nor quench the thirstings of the weary Soul but as man by the power of the cross of Christ which the true Disciple must take up daily comes to dye unto himself Luke 9.23 24 25 26 Gal. 6.4 15 and unto sin and evil and to be crucified unto the world he can no longer feed upon the fading shadows nor perishing things of the world Iohn 6.50 51 to 59 but his food and bread is he who came down from above who is the Saints bread and their life and he that eats of this bread lives and hath life in himself and bread in his own house and shall not hunger and he that hath not this life and this bread to feed upon hath no true life nor bread that satisfies Isa 55.2 but is spending his money for that which is not bread and his labour for that which doth not satisfie So it is he that hath the Son 1 Iohn 5.12 which hath life but he that hath not the Son of God hath not life You that have the Name of Christians and of Saints and Church-members judge in your selves and try with true Light whether you be so in truth 1 Cor. 11.31 32 Iohn 3.21 Eph. 5.13 2 Cor. 13.5 2 Cor. 5.17 and have the nature and life of that which you profess the words of it is indeed a high state and condition to be a true Christian for to be a true Christian is to be in Christ and if any be in Christ he is a new creature old things are passed away old heart old love and old life of sin behold all things are become new new heart new love and new life which is the life of Christ Col. 3.3 4 Rom 8.10 Iohn 3.9 Gal. 3.23 Iohn 15.4 5 6 7 Matt. 7.13 14 who is the life of every true Christian this life is sins death For if Christ be in you the body is dead because of sin and in this life is the Saints oneness and out of this life is no unity but all such are in a strife and contention about the words and practises of those who were in this new life and falls out about the meanings and so are divided into Sects and Opinions and many Religions as they are called as is manifest at this day in these Nations many thousands have got the Name and Profession of Truth and Christianity in words outwardly Psal 14.2 3 but a very few there be that are possessors of the life of Truth inwardly as the Fruits make manifest and the Towns and Streets declare The eternal Eye is open and the Lord is come to view your fields and to look for Fruits but his Garden is overgrown Weeds Briars and Thorns Heb. 6 7. 8 Iohn 5 41 44 fruitless Trees cumbers the ground Ye proud ones that are so highly exalted seeking honor one of another ye cumber the ground Isa 28.1 Iam 5.1 2 3 5 1 Cor. 6.10 Isa 5 8 Iames 1.26 and wo is your portion your profession will not cover you ye covetous
ones who are griping for the earth whose hearts are even set thereon striving and endeavouring by all your wit and policy to compass riches and so to become great in the Earth ye cumber the ground ye envious bitter spirited ones ye cumber the ground ye who are at liberty to speak your own words to think your own thoughts and do your own works whose tongues be at liberty and carnal minds at liberty you are in the broad way and your Religion is vain where the tongue is not bridled Hos 4.1 2 3 Isa 2.1 9 Isa 58.2 3 Psal 66.18 Jer. 5.23 24 25 26 Gal. 6.7 1 Pet. 3.21 ye cumber the ground Oh! the Land mourns and the Earth is polluted with corruption thus saith the Lord Pride and vain-glory self-seeking earthly honor and preferment and respecting persons is found amongst you called Church-members envy and bitterness of spirit you have made a shew and profession of my Name outwardly in words but deceit and iniquity lodgeth and is regarded in your hearts and your sins have seperated between you and me saith the Lord. Oh lay things to heart and deceive not your selves with a vain hope for it is not the outward Name nor the outward washing that doth make a true Christian no more then the outward Name and the outward Circumcision did make a true Jew For as the Apostle by the spirit of the Lord said He is not a Iew which is one outwardly Rom. 2.28 29 neither is that the Circumcision which is outward in the flesh but he is a Jew which is one inwardly and Circumcision is that of the heart with the Spirit Even so by the Spirit of the Lord I say unto you That he is not a Christian which is one outwardly which hath the Name onely Gal. 3.27 1 Cor. 12.13 Heb. 10.19 20 21 22. neither is that the Baptism which is outward with Water but he is a Christian who is in Christ and Baptism is that of the Spirit having the heart sprinkled from an evil conscience and the body washed with pure Water For as many as are baptized into Christ have put on Christ are one in Christ But all that are sprinkled or dipped and plunged in Water are not one but many differences there be amongst them about these outward things Gal. 3.27 28. which the kingdom of God doth not stand nor consist in as I know you are in some measure sensible of it outward Water can do no more then wash and cleanse the outside it cannot cleanse the heart from sin Matt. 5.20 so that outward washing is but a figure of the inward washing as other figures are which I own all in their time and place but figures and parables are to the World 2 Cor. 3.13 14 15 16. Coll. 1.26 Gal. 1.16 1 Cor. 1.30 Col. 3.11 and them that understand not the mysterie For the Vail being over the heart the mysterie is hid as it was all the time of the Law but as the Power of God doth arise it rends the Vail and the mysterie is opened and the Son of God revealed within the Emanuel God with us who is the Wisdom and the Righteousness the Life Light and Leader Bread Wine and Water and all other things he is made to the Saints And as for that Scripture Matth. 28.19 which you call the Command for Water-baptism though Water is not there mentioned I say If that had been of force and extended unto all then why was it not binding unto Paul who was called into the Ministry after that who was a true Minister of the Gospel and yet he saith plainly 1 Cor. 1.17 Christ sent him not to baptize but to preach the Gospel Eph. 4.4 5 6. and he saith There is one Body and one Spirit one Lord one Faith one Baptism he brings them from the many to the one and this one I own which brings people into one Acts 4 32. Rom. 8 39. one heart one mind one soul where the unity stands unseperable in the one Spirit of Love And as concerning those words which Christ said to his Disciples at the eating of the Passover Iohn 6.27 This do in remembrance of me I own Iohn 14. chap. he saith unto his Disciples I go away a little while but I come again unto you and ye shall know that I am in the Father you in me and I in you c. So in the time of his absence that was to be done in remembrance of him but when he was come he was their bread and they fed upon him and he was their Pastor Teacher 1 Iohn 5.19 20 Col 2.19 Iohn 10.14 1 Cor. 11. And whereas Paul saith to the Corinthians What I have received of the Lord that do I deliver unto you That the Lord Iesus the same Night that he was betrayed took bread take notice this was done in the night and when he had given thanks he brake it c. for as often as ye do eat this Bread and drink this Cup ye do shew the Lords death till he come Read 1 Cor. 10 16.17 Now the Apostle declares that he could not speak unto them as unto spiritual 1 Cor. 3.1 2 3. Iohn 6 53 60 63 66. but as unto carnal even as unto Babes in Christ and saith he I have fed you with milk and not with meat for hitherto ye were not able to bear it neither yet now are you able So that it is plainly manifest they could not bear what the Apostle had to declare like unto those who had eaten of the loaves but when Christ spoke unto them of the Mysterie saying Except ye eat my flesh and drink my blood ye have no life in you they stumbled at this Saying and went back walked with him no more So Paul came down and fed them with such meat as they were able to disgest 2 Cor. 12.16 according to the Wisdom of God given him he caught them by guile coming down to their weak capacities and became all to all in the truth that he might win some but after this he tells the Corinthians 1 Cor. 12.31 that yet he shews them a more excellent way and so in his second Epistle he brings them nearer and draws them from the visibles to the invisible the Light which shined within and said We have this treasure in earthen Vessels 2 Cor. 4. chap. that the excellency of the Power may be of God and not of us We are troubled on every side yet not distressed we are perplexed but not in despair persecuted but not forsaken cast down but not destroyed alwayes bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Iesus here is a true Remembrance that the life also of Iesus might be made manifest in our body for we which live are alwayes delivered unto death for Iesus sake that the life also of Iesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh mind that which life is