Selected quad for the lemma: death_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
death_n	great_a	life_n	world_n	9,869	5	4.4022	3	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A29649	The way to the Sabbath of rest, or, The souls progress in the work of regeneration being a brief experimental discourse of the new-birth in which many of the serpents wiles are detected, the mysteries of the Cross unvailed, the death of the old man, the life of the new man, the angelical dispensation, with the entrance to the divine / clearly laid open and discovered by Mr. Thomas Bromley.	Bromley, Thomas, 1629-1691.	1692 (1692)	Wing B4888B; ESTC R35790	39,085	70

Root as enjoying the same kind of nourishment and receiving Life from the same quickening Spirit How is all Wrath and Contention here forgot How amiable do Spirits now begin to grow in the Eyes of Christ by their innocent Childishness And truly in this dispensation we come to be cloathed with humility wrap'd up in meekness expressing nothing but the blessed Effects of Heaven upon Earth here we are full of Love-meltings towards Christ who baptiseth us in the soft Water of Spiritual Meekness which overspreads the Soul not suffering any of the fire of Passion to spring up In this state the Soul is very watchful over every motion in the outward and inward Man fearing to step down again into Nature where before it had so much Trouble and Bitterness whereas now it is in a sweet pleasant Rest lying upon the Bed of Innocency solacing its self in the sweet Embraces of its Saviour who now begins to shew himself very clearly and to afford almost continual Refreshments In a word this is a life of Stilness silence and Spiritual Simplicity in which the Soul turning its Eyes from Nature looks directly forward to Eternity and strongly breaths after its arrival there And here we come to know the Work of the fifth day in our New Creation answering the fifth of those seven Spirits which are the Eyes of the Lamb of God Rev. 5.6 If Harmony doth in this Fifth arise What will it be when thou dost Sabbatize In that last day where all variety Concenters in a perfect Vnity Then stand thou fast poor Soul and keep thy ground Till with Eternal Love thou shalt be Crown'd Take heed of Lust which unlock'd Adams Eyes And Cast him to the Earth from Paradise CHAP. XIV WHen the Soul is arrived to this Baptisme of Meekness and innocent Love and hath experienced the comfortable distillations of the Heavenly dew to its very great profit and growth it comes to be much confirmed and established in this principle and finds the effects of its present station to be very blessed in comparison of what it was when it stood in the fire of awakened Nature And now seems as one that hath passed thorough a hot fiery Region into a moderate cool Air where gentle gales of Wind breath upon it and refreshing dues entertain it and cooling waters are afforded to take away the sense of Thirst And now it perceives the happiness of those who have made their way by death thorough irregular and discording Nature into that Spiritual state where there is Joy Peace Rest and Harmony This condition then brings with it a greater Death to the World and all Worldly things a total disrelishing of all things corrupt and impure though more refined and so as it is deadned to the World and Selfishness it lives the more to God and all Goodness and finds its Will more strongly drawn to Christ and Eternity And this dispensation into which the Soul now enters is a state of much life and Quickning and of much pleasing Enjoyment from the Objects of the internal Senses renewed and restored by the Spirit of God for here the internal Faculties of Spiritual Sensation are more opened and give a greater enjoyment of the first Angelical Life which was in Paradise And we attain the Use and Restauration of these Faculties through our growth in Regeneration and as a priviledge purchased for us by Christ So that all Saints shall partake of them either Here or in Heaven according as their Attainments are In this state our Internal Eye is more unlocked to behold the Paradisical World with those Luminous Objects and Inhabitants that are in it Here we see such bright Clouds as the Disciples Math. 17.5 saw on the Mount and at Christs Ascention when he was taken up into Heaven Acts 1.9 In which he will likewise descend again Math. 24.30 Here also we see the Angels of God ascending and descending as Jacob at Bethell Gen. 28.12 In this state also our inward Ear is sweetly entertained with Angelical Harmony hearing the sweet Harpers upon Mount Sion and the Voices of those that sing the Song of Moses and the Lamb and of those that cry Hallelujah Hallelujah Rev. 19.1 3 4 6. with many other voices out of the Eternal World Rev. 4.1 Moreover our internal Feeling is almost continually entertained with the strong Contactions of the Word of Life which sometimes discover themselves by thrilling Motions throughout the whole Man but most commonly by strong Infusions of the pure burning tincture of Jesus Luk. 24.32 into the Heart In this state likewise we oft Smell the hot perfumes of Paradise and are pierced through with most delightful Odours which infuse themselves into the Tincture of the heart and create Delight and give a plain feeling and sense of the presence of Paradise and that invisible light World where there is no Curse nor Corruption And in a word here we feed upon the Heavenly Manna Angels food which is living bread that quickens enlivens and corroborates the Soul and we oft taste very sweet Dews diffusing themselves with much pleasure into that internal Sense of taste which lies within the Organ of the Tongue Thus all the Spiritual Faculties of Sensation are in this dispensation more opened and more freely entertained with their peculiar Objects But yet we are not to rest in these Enjoyments nor to go to build Tabernacles with them but to look forward and to press after perfect Union with the Divine Nature in the Eternal World where is our true Sabbath of Rest in the Vision of God and perfect fruition of his Love for ever 1 Thes 4.17 Heb. 4.9 The Pleasures which in this state we enjoy Are only known to those that do Obey For Souls that do Imbibe sins poyson here Have neither Eyes to see nor Ears to hear Those sacred Objects of Divine Sensation Which are the Pleasures of the new Creation Man 's lapsed Sense and Reason know them not They are the Little Childrens Sacred Lot CHAP. XV. BY this time the Soul begins to draw near the Eternal World in its fixed station and habitual Enjoyment lying under the showers of Love which descend from the heart of God and the bosom of Sophia Here the blessed Tincture of Jesus coming so powerfully as though it streamed from his glorifyed Humanity flows into the Soul like a River of Oyl mixed with fire which affords that unutterable Delight which cannot be conceived by those that know it not experimentally Here Christ saith Drink yea drink abundantly O beloved and filts large Cups of Love Heavenly Love to power into the Soul so that it sometimes comes to be sick of Love not knowing how to carry its self through the abundant showers that fall upon it For Christ many times toucheth the Soul with a piercing Beam of Love which by this is suddenly drawn to a quick return and this gives freer passage for

Condition before they make a new advance towards Perfection usually much reflecting upon their former work of Conversion as the chief Basis of their Comforts And though sometimes they look forward and desire growth yet that desire of growth is so weak that it terminates in its self short of effectual accomplishment and though they sometimes begin yet their Endeavours are nipt in their first Blossoming and they themselves cast back into wonted Deadness and so they come to run in a Circle without getting ground of their Corruptions And I confess I was long detained in this State without any clear evident progress towards Eternity And though I grew much in Knowledge and mystical Notions of the Life Death Resurrection and Ascention of Christ and of our Conformity to his Example yet not in the Power of his Cross and Death working the same in my Nature But afterward I came to a clearer sight of the Narrow Way which leads to Life Eternal and of the necessity of our exact Conformity to Christs Sufferings and Death to bring us unto his Life and Resurrection And that every degree of Life must come through a degree of Death and the New-man spring up by the continual decay of the Old And though I saw This before yet not so distinctly and effectually as now Here likewise I was more powerfully convinced of the Straitness of the Pilgrims Path which leads through the Visible and Invisible Worlds into the third Heaven Every step being to be made through Death and Resignation and that the Soul could not attain perfect Bliss but through a Death to all things which it came to love through the Fall For as the Soul entred into Selfishness so it must come out of it casting away all that cloathing it is covered with through Lust And as it descended from Paradise into the Spirit of the World and the Kingdom of the Devil so it must re-ascend out of the Spirit of the World and the Kingdom of the Dragon through the Root of fallen Nature into the Bosom of Abraham Here I saw what a real Progress the Soul must make from the External into the Internal from thence into the Eternal And as it descended so it must ascend and as it fell by a gradual Change of the Will into Lust and Earthliness so it must Rise by a gradual renewing of the Soul from Lust into Divine Love Here I saw nothing without us could advantage but as it was apply'd to make a real change within For except we turn and become as Children we cannot enter into the Kingdom of God It must be by a Transmutation and Metamorphosis of the Soul from the Image of the Earthly into that of the Heavenly Nothing can ascend into Heaven but that which came from Heaven even the true Image of God the Earthly being predestinated to destruction For Earth it is and unto Earth it must return Now the motion of the Soul through the gate of Death towards Life Eternal is the motion of a Spirit which is to be looked upon as ascending or descending as it comes nearer or removes further from God the Center as Bodies ascend or descend in relation to their Center by their tending toward or from ward the Visible Heavens Vpward therefore to a Soul is Inward Outward is Downward The Center is the Highest the Circumference the lowest God is in the Center being most Inward Matter in the Circumference being most Outward yet God is in the Outward as his footstool but in the most Inward as his Throne filling both though in both not manifest alike In the Inmost he shews himself wholly in the Love in the Outmost in Love and Wrath Life and Death Generation and Corruption But in the Inward dark World altogether in Death Darkness and Wrath as in the Inmost all in Light and Life Therefore our Progress is from the Outward through the Inward to the Inmost The Outward is the place of Good and Evil and as to its corrupt State the Kingdom of the Beast The Inward is two-fold either the Dark or Light world The Dark is the Kingdom of the Dragron the Center of Evil and Wrath The Light World is the Paradisical Sphere or that Garden of Eden which is situate also in its Mesopotamia or betwixt the two great Rivers of Wrath and Love The first of which is called in Revelation 19.20 The Lake of Fire burning with Brimstone the last in Rev. 22. A pure River of Water of Life clear as Chrystal which proceeds out of the Throne of God and of the Lamb. The Inmost is the eternal Sanctuary or the true eternal Tabernacle of God and that spiritual Land of Peace where Abraham Isaac and Jacob and all the glorified departed Saints live and inhabit But none can ever reach This but through the perfect Death and as we die daily so we rise nearer and nearer it Death giving us a gradual passage towards this Eternal Kingdom of Life And is it so that Death must waft us ore The Sea of Nature to the Heavenly Shore Then bring thy Boat blest Death that thou and I May saile together towards Eternity A sweet Companion thou wilt be to me Till I imbosom'd am in Vnity CHAP. V. THe Soul having arrived so far as to see the necessity of a complete Death and of a perfect Conformity to the Cross of Christ and discovering much Selfishness which before it saw not as matter of this Death and Cross begins afresh the serious Practice of the Cross with great earnestness and resolution of Spirit to indulge i nothing that stands betwixt it and God Now it enters upon a strict Enquiry into its own Heart searching its own Jerusalem with the Candle of the Lord that so all Selfishness may be discovered and extirpated and now it finds that although before this Dispensation the chief Bent of the Will inclined habitually toward the Good yet it was not strong enough to bear down that Opposition of Flesh that hindred its constant Ascent toward Heaven and had therefore need of a new Alarm from thence to awaken it and raise it from that Bed of Drowsiness and arm it with Power and Resolution to cast out the Relicks of the Flesh and Corruption and defend its self against the Assaults of the Devil who having long possessed the unregenerate part of the Heart is loath to quit his hold least the Soul should get wholly out of his Kingdom and reach At this remove therefore the Spirits of Darkness exceedingly oppose and use all their art and strength to betray and weaken the Souls Endeavours Here then begins a new and great War in the Soul between the Seed of the Woman and the Serpent Michael and his Angels fight against the Dragon and his Angels Christ and Anti-Christ strongly oppose each other The Wrath and Love bring forth their mighty wonders being both stirred and awakened afresh in the Soul But the

Soul being now sensible of its present state and seeing that there 's no Safety where the Devils have such access and influence sinks down into the Mercy and Love of God and flies to the Cross imbracing and delighting in it that so the Blood of the Cross may be shed into it to cleanse it throughout and to take away those Stains which are the Devils Mansions And here it clearly finds there 's no way of triumphing over the Prince of Death but through Death so it dies daily to that the Evil One lives in and lives to that which is death to Sin In this way there may much Discouragement sometimes seize on the Soul through the strength of Satans working and the reluctancy of Flesh and the Outward Man which is loath to subject his Neck to the sharp Axe of Death But this Bitterness is recompenced with that Refreshment the Soul finds in its Constancy of Self-denial which is attended with many glances of Divine Comfort darting in upon the Soul to encourage it and though it should for a while remain in this Progress which is bitter to the Flesh without any sensible Comfort which may well be through that great opposition the Dragon will make at this remove of the Soul yet when Patience hath had its Work and the Soul is come to be wrapt up in Contentation and Passiveness as to any Change of its Condition and so fitted for Enlargement the showers of God's Love will seasonably and sweetly descend to the strength and blessed Support of the Heart so that it will be forced to cry out It is good that a Man should both hope and quietly wait for the Salvation of the Lord And what the Spirit sometimes now enjoys so sweetens the Cross that it cannot but thus break forth Why should the Soul refuse that Cross That Gold returns instead of Dross Why should it fear that piercing Nail Which rends away the fleshly Vail And gives a Prospect of that Place Which Time and Age cannot deface CHAP. VI. BY this time the Soul begins to delight in the habit of strong Self-denyal and watches diligently over its self to discover whatever is to be slain upon the Cross of God's pure Will and now it begins to be ashamed of all Passions and Affections that flow from the Animal Man and therefore much restrains it and keeps it in subjection to the Angelical which is according to that Order God himself set at the beginning Now it likewise sees how the Animal Mortal part with its Motions and Passions is too much imbraced by most few understanding how it was in the Beginning or how it is to be changed and again subjected to the Angelical Part in the Children of the Resurrection But the Soul having now some Sight and Enjoyment of the inward Spiritual Body raised from the dead is much ashamed of the outward Body which stands in the Curse under awakened Wrath seeing what Temptation Spirits are exposed to by Union with this which should continually be under the Law of Mortification till its Change lest through its Earthly Inclination it should infect the Intellect and draw the Immortal Soul into Defilement which now dares not hearken to the Allurements of the sensitive Spirit which as tempting Eve oft presents the Apples of Mortality as those which are pleasing to the Eye and good for Food But through the renewal of the Spiritual Body with its five Faculties or Powers answering to the five Senses of the External Body the Objects and Pleasure of the Outward begin to be forgot and to displease instead of alluring and affecting the Heart For by the Exercise of the Internal Senses we see Spiritual Objects as the Internal Light-World Visions of Angels and Visions of Representation In this state we likewise hear the Songs Voices and Harmony of Angels with the Harpers upon Mount Sion who there continually praise the Lord We smell the Perfumes of Christ's Garments and are oft entertained with Paradisical Odours We touch and feel the powerful tincture of Christ's Body which many times strongly affects the Heart with powerful delight We also oft taste the Heavenly Manna and those Dews of Paradise which are sweeter than Honey to that Part which receives them I could here more largely particularize the several Objects Delights and Enjoyments of the inward Spiritual senses but because there may be great Variety according to the different Gifts and Capacities of several Persons and in regard some for ought I know may pass far in the Progress of the New Birth without a particular knowledge of those Enjoyments I shall not instance in many particulars I could nor set down my own with some others peculiar and various Experiences Yet in general I cannot but affirm that the unlocking the Sences of the inward Man is a great Priviledge and that the Soul by it attains many great Supports and Refreshments to uphold it and give it incouragement to hold out to the end For truly this Communion it lives in now with the Angels of God and other Divine Objects continually minds it of Heaven and Paradise and exceedingly draws the Heart from all that is in the World where Death and Corruption is wrote upon every thing And the Dragon and Beasts bring forth their various Wonders But in this state the Soul blesseth God for that Constancy he afforded under the Cross and for that Death it hath undergone in Resignation to his Will which hath proved a passage into this Life in which the Soul beholds the opening of a New World with its glorious Hoasts And begins to feel the Sweetness of the Angelical Life and to see what we fell from by descending into the Spirit of Mortality and the sensitive Nature Now this state cannot be attained but by a Death to that which was the chief Ingagement of the Soul to the World and the primary Chain that hindred its gradual Ascent towards God And we may find there is something in every one which is the Souls Dalilah that shaves its Locks and betrays its strength and whilst this remains it cannot effectually grow in the Love of God and Conformity to Christs Death But when this subtle Harlot comes to be discovered and killed the Soul flies apace and very swiftly to Eternity for when this Wheel is taken away the smaller that depended on it lose their strength and motion and so cease with it giving Freedom to the Soul of tending towards its true Center which having regained this Liberty and attained in some Measure the Restoration of the Holy Powers of Sensation sings a Song of praise to God in this manner Blest be that Power which hath that Idol broke Which did so long depress me with her Yoke Blest be that Hand which hath restor'd to me An Eye within this World a World to see Where Angels and blest Spirits freely move As they are acted by the Laws of Love Whence they a Visit sometime deign