Selected quad for the lemma: death_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
death_n	flesh_n	life_n	spirit_n	9,701	5	5.4408	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A13541	The Kings bath Affording many sweet and comfortable obseruations from the baptisme of Christ. Gathered by Thomas Taylor, preacher of the word of God at Redding in Barkshire.	Taylor, Thomas, 1576-1632.	1620 (1620)	STC 23831; ESTC S102223	77,312	281

his and thus it was meete that Christ should accept the seale of the Couenant that he might be bound in our name as our head to fulfill that which we had promised and God required at our hands by vertue of the Couenant I will be thy God and thou shalt be my people And hence al the significatiue actions of Baptisme applied to Christ imply nothing else but how hee was resigned vp wholly to his Father for vs and in our stead as for example 1. When Christ descended into the water was signified his descending from heauen and humbling of himselfe to take flesh suffer and dye in it chusing rather to lose his life than his Father should lose the obedience of his Law 2. The dipping sprinkling or his abode vnder the water signified his death and buriall by whose power and vertue our old man is dead and buried that is our corruption of nature is slaughtered and consumed 3. His ascending out from the water betokeneth his resurrection for our iustification by the power of which we are regenerated and rise to life eternall So as it appeares that what wee were bound to Christ hath first in himselfe performed and enableth vs also in some measure here below but at last by his grace shall perfectly performe it in our full holinesse aboue with himselfe But seeing Christ had been circumcised his baptisme seemed needlesse Indeed if hee had been a priuate man and his baptisme only personall this obiection might seeme the stronger although the Iewes conuerted by Peters sermon and already circumcised were baptized But Christ as a publike person and head of the Church in other respects was to vndertake both Sacraments 1. To shew himselfe the author of all Sacraments both of the old Testament and new 2. To manifest himselfe the Mediator of both peoples redeemer of both the destroyer of the wall of separation who being our peace hath ioyned Iew and Gentile and of two made one 3. To sanctifie both Sacramēts to both peoples in whom they both attained their right ends and efficacie and therefore hee that had sanctified Circumcision in his owne person to the Iewes would now also sanctifie Baptisme to y e Gentiles 4. That the law which himselfe gaue to both peoples himselfe might fulfill for seeing hee came to both peoples in the similitude of sinfull flesh he would not refuse but sanctifie the remedy of clensing the flesh to both hee would lastly approue and iustifie both Gods institutions to both peoples both of the old and new Circumcision and cleare the whole Law to be holy iust and good This is for our consolation here we haue Christ manifesting himselfe our flesh our brother our suretie here is the Word made flesh God with vs Immanuel God not come downe in the likenesse of man as they of Lystra thought of Paul and Barnabas but cloathed with the very nature of man who in his perfect age hauing growne out the seuerall ages of infancie child-hood and youth to shew himselfe true man now of thirty yeeres of age becomes as man our brother in the couenant and in the seale of it yea our surety as God and man our absolute Mediator he would by vndertaking both Sacraments shew himselfe not onely a member of both peoples but also the Sauiour head and chiefe corner-stone knitting both into one body and spirituall house which is his Church And all this is for vs that wee might haue sweete comfort Christ is among men among sinners that we might be among the sonnes and Saints of God he is washed as a sinner not to bee clensed but to clense vs he stands in Iordan that the waters of Gods wrath beeing staied on both sides both peoples might passe ouer to the heauenly Canaan In a word that he might euery way helpe vs he will bee euery way like vs and to this purpose is this tabernacle of God amongst men that we might haue way made to the tabernacle of God amongst Angels Therefore if Satan or the infidelitie of our owne hearts set vpon vs wee see whom wee haue beleeued our saluation is surer than the gates of hell shall euer be able to ouerthrow Againe this is for our instruction to note the excellencie and dignitie of this Sacrament and what esteeme wee ought to haue it in the Lord comes to the seruant a tedious iourney to seeke it yet many of vs when it is brought to vs turne our backes vpon it What price set they vpon it who flye foorth of the Church when this Sacrament is to be administred Shal Christ that needed it not come to it and shall we that neede it runne from it Shall he seek only the baptisme of water and shall we so vnder-value the baptisme of water and the Holie Ghost Shall he no sinner not refuse the signe of repentance for sinne and shall wee despise the broad Seale of remission of sinne Shall Christ himself seek to Iohns baptisme and darest thou runne from Christ This I will adde to what I haue elsewhere largely deliuered that whosoeuer doe not present themselues with due reuerence and meditations but runne out carelesly and profanely when Baptisme is administred they be farre from Christs example and little comfort can they haue of their baptisme but may well feare lest those mysteries and benefits offred and sealed to a member of the Congregation belong not to them for if they did they would owne them and not runne contemptuously from them as good neuer baptized as neuer meditate on it But were thy selfe to take no good by the Sacrament in calling to minde thine owne couenant made in baptisme with the fruite in thy selfe yet good order requires thy presence 1. Because the ordinance belongs not onely to the infants parents and sureties but to the whole Congregation as the entring of a free-man into a Corporatiō is by the whole 2. God lookes it should be graced and not scorned by turning thy back vpon it Were it not a most irreuerent contempt to runne out from the Word and is it not also to runne from the Seale especially the blessed Trinitie being met to such a purpose to seale such benefits to a member of that Congregation 3. Thy presence is requisite to helpe the infant by prayer to ioyne with the Congregation in prayer and in praise for the ingrafting of a member into Christs body Vers. 14. But Iohn put him backe saying I haue need to be baptized of thee and commest thou to mee Sect. 2. THis is a part of the dialogue betweene Christ and Iohn For Iohn seeing Christ come to him and his Baptisme would haue hindred him in his purpose 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 verbis vrgendo obnixè prohibebat forbad him that is instantly vrged him to forbeare and refused to admit him and that with some contention Why did he so First in respect of Christ. 1. Hee considered his Maiesty and greatnesse aboue

in the former verse where Christ is called the head of all things being the head of his body hee hath made a passage both for himselfe and his members How doth Christ open heauen for vs oh that we could see such a sight Christ openeth heauen 1. by the merit of his obedience vnto the death so saith S Paul Col. 1. 20. By the bloud of his crosse he hath set at peace all things Meditate on his death 2. By the donation of his Spirit who worketh faith in the heart of Gods child which is as an hand wherby Christ with all his benefits is receiued and a mouth whereby he is eaten so is it an eye cleered to see thorow the clouds God sitting in his glory vpon the Propitiatorie and Mercy-seate and sometimes vpon the throne of his iustice Heb. 11. 27. By faith Moses departed Egypt and feared not the fiercenesse of the King but endured as one that sawe him that was inuisible By faith Henoch walked with God hee had him euer in his eye heauen was euer open and vndrawne vnto him Iose●h saw on the throne of his iustice and said Can I sinne and doe this great wickednesse against God Thus the godly in this life haue heauen after a sort opened so as they haue God euer present with them Steuen being full of the holy Ghost saw heauen open get faith and thou shalt see it open too 3. By the benefit of his intercession Ioh. 17. Father I will that where I am they also be to behold my glory Now he was heard in all that he prayed for so as by vertue of the merit of his intercession all the elect shall be gathered in soule and body into heauen after this life This same key openeth heauen to our prayers and persons Heere is the comfort of the godly that whereas the first Adam hath shut heauen on them and set hell wide open and armed all the creatures against them this second Adam hath opened heauen againe and reconciled all things there is now passage from man to God from earth to heauen by the prayer of faith and betweene God and man while hee heareth prayer and bestowes heauenly blessings a passage for the Spirit and for Gods helping hand in trouble there is a beaten way betweene heauen earth in which Gods Angels are continually mouing as diligēt ministers to the heires of saluation Here ye may see Iacobs ladder which reacheth from earth to heauen on which the Angels are continually ascending and descending this ladder is Christ himselfe who by his humanity toucheth earth and by his diuinity reacheth vp to the heauens and so hath made heauen earth meete together And as this comforteth vs through our whole life so especially in the houre of our death it is of exceeding vse then happie is he that can see the heauens opened by Christ for him as Steuen did he shall lay himselfe downe in rest and assurance that though his body shall be inclosed in the earth for a time yet his soule shall ascend to God and both soule and body in the Iudgement day shall partake of the glory vnto which Christ the Head is already ascended and the same power which made the heauens themselues now at his baptisme set themselues open to strengthen encrease the grace of his Saints shall then set them wide open to confirme them for euer in glory And Iohn saw the Spirit of God descending like a Doue and lighting vpon him Sect. 7. THis is the second diuine testimony whereby God the Father would make euident to all the world that Christ the Sonne was the Messiah anointed with the gifts of the holy Ghost for this purpose Where for the meaning of the words must be knowne 1. What is heere meant by the Spirit of God 2. How the Spirit could descend or be seene so to doe 3. The manner of his descending like a Doue 4. Why hee lighted vpon Christ. 5. Why it is said Iohn saw all this 1. By the Spirit of God is meant sometimes the whole essence of the God-head as it is common to all the three Persons as Ioh. 4. 24. God is a Spirit Somtimes the gifts and graces of the Spirit as Luk. 1. 15. Iohn was filled with the Spirit that is spirituall gifts by a Metonymie of the cause for the effect And Act. 6. 5. Steuen a man full of faith and the holy Ghost Somtimes the third Person in Trinity as 1. Ioh. 5. 6. and that Spirit is truth and thus is the word here vsed not the gifts and graces of the spirit nor taken essentially or commonly for the whole Trinity but personally for the third Person in Trinity who is distinct from the Father and the Sonne equall vnto the Father and the Sonne and the same God in Nature and Essence with the Father and the Sonne though not the same person And the third person is called a Spirit because he is that essentiall vertue proceeding and as it were spired or breathed from the Father and the Sonne or from his effect who bloweth where he listeth and inspireth holy motions and graces into the hearts of the elect 2. How can the holy Ghost be said to descend `who is God omnipresent and filling heauen and earth Psal. 139. 7. Whither shall I goe from thy Spirit Answer True it is that this descending of the Spirit was a locall motion from heauen where it was opened vnto earth to the very head of Christ and yet wee may not conceiue any locall motion in God or any of the persons but in one word The signe or siymbol wherein the holy Ghost pleased to testify a speciall presence or efficacy doth take the name of the thing signifiyed the Doue a signe of the Spirit is called by the thing signified the Spirit it selfe not that the blessed Spirit was changed into a Doue or any similitude whose nature were it not immutable he could not bee God but because it pleased him retaining his owne vnchangeable nature to appeare vnder this forme and likenes and thus Iohn also seeing this shape and appearance descend frō heauen is said to see the Spirit which is inuisible the Doue signifying called y e Spirit signified by a figuratiue kinde of speech common in the Scriptures The Ark was called The Glory of God because it was a speciall signe of it Three Angels came to Abraham one of them seeming to be more glorious then the other is called by the name Iehoua a name proper to God and not agreeable to any Angel further then he representeth the Sonne of God as that did The right interpretation and vnderstanding of such phrases would cut off infinite quarrels about the reall presence which is onely held vp because by this same figure the bread signifying is called the body signifyed which if it necessarily imply a change of the bread into the very Body of Christ then because the Spirit of God is called a Doue