Selected quad for the lemma: death_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
death_n	body_n	separation_n	soul_n	19,136	5	6.0308	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A35421	Spiritual opticks, or, A glasse discovering the weaknesse and imperfection of a Christians knowledge in this life by Nathanael Culvervvell ...	Culverwel, Nathanael, d. 1651?; Dillingham, William, 1617?-1689.	1651 (1651)	Wing C7573; ESTC R8817	20,121	36

compassed with a sea of glasse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 verse 6. Under the Law it was mare aereum but now in the Gospel mare vitreum clearer representations as that renowned interpreter of the Revelation observes Well then in reference to them under the Law we behold with open face but yet in respect to that cleare sight which we shall have hereafter it is but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and so it follows we are changed into the same image from glory to glory which though it may be thus understood from his glory we become glorious yet I doubt not but it is meant of the severall degrees of glory and thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is from grace to glory For grace is Aurora gloriae the dawning of the beatificall vision Grace is glory in the bud and glory is grace at the full Surely glory is nothing else but a bright constellation of graces happinesse nothing but the quintessence of holinesse And yet if any shall much contend that there to see through a glasse expresses a cleare and unobscure vision it is nothing prejudiciall to our present purpose for here Saint Paul doubles his expression 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we see through a glasse darkly in a riddle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Aenigma is properly obscura allegoria an allegory with a mask on it is a borrowed speech and a cloudy speech A knotty intricate speech sealed up and lockt from vulgar apprehensions that 's a riddle and our knowledge of God here is thus cloudy and enigmaticall and that if you take it in those three severall wayes which are usually given of it First by way of removall or negation when we take away all such things as are inconsistent with a Deity And thus the Scripture riddles him forth With him is no beginning of dayes nor end of life He is not a man that he should lie or the sonne of man that he should repent With him is no variablenesse nor shadow of turning c. and in this sense Dionysius tells us that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and he there admires 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the transcendent beams of Divine darknesse for so that Areopagite is pleased to speak Now you will easily grant that this is a dark and cloudy knowledge when we cannot tell you what a thing is but what it is not for ex puris negativis nihil concluditur Secondly when we conceive of him in a superlative way in a way of eminency and transcendency and thus the forenamed authour if he be the authour speaking of his being saith that 't is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Many divine perfections are scattered and broken amongst the creatures as the same face may be represented in seveall glasses and all the excellencies of the creatures are collected and meet eminently in God as severall faces may bee seen in one glasse The creatures must be winnowed from all imperfections and the finest and choicest of them must be taken to give some weak resemblance of a Deity the ruddinesse of the rose and the purity of the lily nay the top and excellencie of the creation must be brought to shadow out the Spouses beauty and yet that this knowledge is weak and imperfect will easily appeare 1. Because these inferiour beings are so grosse and materiall as that the purest of them the very quintessence and flos creaturae is meer dregs if compared with so pure an essence its gold becomes drosse its silver time And when heavenly perfections are set out by the creatures excellencies it is but a stooping low to humane capacity the soul would be dazeled at so bright a Majesty unlesse he were clouded with such expressions 2. This way of beholding him breeds rather admiration then begets knowledge for when we heare of so goodly an essence that hath all excellencies bound up in one vast volume we wonder what that should be and admiration is at the best but semen scientiae or abrupta scientia as the learned Verulam calls it a stupified kind of knowledge 3. This rather sets the soul a longing then gives it any true satisfaction For when we heare there is so choice a thing we long to know what it is which was a figne we knew it not before or but very weakly For true knowledge satiates the soul there is a complacency and acquiescence in it especially when it is conversant about so high an object so that this way is but dark and full of riddles Thirdly When we consider of God by way of Causality in that vast influence which he hath upon all things as with him is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the supposed Areopagite Springing beams of goodnesse and overflowing effusions of ight as he is causa fontana a fountain essence continually bubling forth from whence the severall drops of inferiour beings have their originall and as he is the main spring that sets the wheels of those petty entities on working for in him we live move and have our being Now this rather shews us that there is a God then what he is that there is indeed such a prime being a self-being an all-being a giver of being à quo omnia per quem omnia propter quem omnia but still we are to seek what this being is so that these apprehensions of him are very weak and shadowie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we now see through a glasse darkly But then Then when a believing soul returns to God that gave it it sees him face to face and fixes its eie upon him to all eternity As soon as ever the soul is unsheath'd from the bodie it glisters most gloriously as soon as ever it is unclouded from corruption it shall beam forth most oriently as soon as it is let loose from this cage of clay it sings most melodiously nothing hinders a Christian from a sight of God face to face but the interposition of a grosse earthy body it is deaths office to break down this wall of separation that the soul may be admitted into the presence of God Secondly Then at that generall day of refreshment when God shall sit upon his throne in beauty and excellencie as a centre of light streaming forth to the glorious circumference of the foure and twenty Elders that sit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as it is in the 4 of the Revelation Face to face 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This is opposed to seeing in a glasse 1. as a more immediate vision 2. a cleare and perfect vision 3. as a permanent and eternall vision 4. as the learned Piscator because those things which we see in a glasse are à tergo exceptâ facie corpore proprio In the words there is a plain allusion to that place in the 12 of Numbers the 8 where God promises to manifest himself to his servant Moses 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the Septuagint render it very agreeable to our purpose that which is here 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉