Selected quad for the lemma: head_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
head_n	body_n	member_n	mystical_a	10,421	5	11.0632	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A48445	Some genuine remains of the late pious and learned John Lightfoot, D.D. consisting of three tracts ... : together with a large preface concerning the author, his learned debates in the assembly of divines, his peculiar opinions, his Christian piety, and the faithful discharge of his ministry.	Lightfoot, John, 1602-1675.	1700 (1700)	Wing L2070; ESTC R12231	207,677	406

it You know the hot Disputes that have been about this And for the Divisions of Reuben there are great Thoughts of Heart Hence mainly are our Separations and Divisions in Religion As in Jephtha's Case his dear Daughter was his greatest Trouble Judg. xi 35 Alas my Daughter thou hast brought me very low and thou art one of them that trouble me So this precious Sacrament of Communion is unhappily proved the great Occ●sion of Division but in the same Notion that Christ was a Stumbling-block Which was not of any Fault of his but of Men in faultering about him 'T is true receiving of this Sacrament is a Communion but it is most especially external in the Profession of the same Faith and Doctrine of the Gospel And the Communion of Saints in this Article aimeth further I have formerly observed to you the Phrase This is the New Testament in my Blood 1 Cor. xi 25 Not only My Blood of the New Testament nor only A Seal and Sanction of the New Testament but the New Testament That is A new Administration of the New Covenant terminating Judaism and binding over Receivers to the Profession of the Evangelical Doctrine and Religion So this properly is the Communion that Receivers have in this Sacrament one with another viz. That they join in the Profession of the same Christian Doctrine and that not only among themselves but even with the whole Church that professeth the same Truth And hence it was that in the Infancy of the Church they received the Sacrament almost daily that those new Professors might thereby be held to constant Profession against revolting to their Judaism So that in this there is indeed something of the Communion of Saints all professing the same Truth and Religion but we must still look further for a Communion among Saints to take up the full meaning of the Article before us For the Inquiry after which we are first to consider that Christ's Mystical Body the Church consists of all the Saints that are or shall be in the World from the beginning to the end of it And so it includes the Saints in Glory jointly with these that are yet on Earth Those in Glory Members already above Water as their Head also is yet in the Waves of this troublesome World and not got above them As it is said of Christ himself Luke ii ult That he grew in Stature so is the Mystical Body of Christ growing in Stature till it shall be consumate at the last Day Observe that Eph. iv 13 Till we all come in the unity of the Faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God unto a perfect Man unto the measure of the Stature of the fulness of Christ or the measure of the full Stature of Christ. Some fondly hence conclude that all Saints shall be raised as at the very Age and Stature of Christ when he was raised which was at his very Prime viz. Two and Thirty years and an half of Age. That Elect Infants shall not be raised Infants but as of that Age and Stature That the Aged shall not be raised as Aged but as at their Prime of that Age and Stature Which as it breeds confusion in the understanding of the Article of the Resurrection of the Body so it is clean besides the Apostles intent there He speaks not of our Bodies but of Christ's Mystical Body viz That God had given Apostles and Teachers for the building up that Body the Church by degrees till it came to its full Stature and Perfection in the Salvation of all that belong to it So Saints are building up daily and those that are gone to Glory so much of that Body is compleated and the rest growing on to the same Perfecting till all be Compleated and the whole Body Perfected So that those compleated in Glory and these compleating toward Glory here are the same Body though at present of a different condition The Church Militant and Triumphant are not two Churches not two Bodies but one whole Church and Body of Christ consisting of Members some already Perfected and some Perfecting As Israel at the Temple in the two Courts were not two Congregations and Churches but one Congregation in two divers places two Companies of one Congregation The Apostle in Heb. xi ult saith God having provided some better thing for us that they without us should not be made perfect When some say the Saints under the Law are not perfected in Glory till Christ's coming but in Limbo Whereas the Apostle speaks in the sense we are upon viz. That those Holy Ones without us under the Gospel are not the perfect Body of Christ but the Body was to consist of Gentiles as well as Jews Of some yet to be saved as well as of them that are saved already Now is there any Communion 'twixt these two parts of the same Body Saints on Earth and Saints in Glory I mean is there any imparting of the one to the other as there is 'twixt two Parties in Communion Some will tell you Yes We are to Pray to them and they Pray for us As he in the Prophet makes a God and then falls down to it So it is common in the Church of Rome to make whom they think good Saints and then to Pray to them that they would Pray for them to God Whereas they can never clear the Praying to Creatures from Idolatry and can never prove that it is possible for a Saint in Heaven to hear one Speaking and Praying on Earth much less to know the Heart with which he Prays So can they ever prove that there is Praying in Heaven at all The Church here is called the House of Prayer but it is hard to prove that Heaven is so There is Praising and Thanksgiving and Glorifying God and Adoring the Lamb But where do we ever read of Praying in Heaven Nay Can any prove that Christ Prayeth there for his People But he exerciseth his Mediation some other way He offereth up the Prayers of his Saints Rev. viii 3 And another Angel came and stood at the Altar having a Golden Censer and there was given unto him much Incense that he should offer it with the Prayers of all Saints upon the Golden Altar which was before the Throne But that he offers them he Praying also cannot be cleared But I shall not insist on this The Article aims at the Communion of Saints upon Earth according to David's Style Psal. xvi 3 To the Saints that are in the Earth Saints scattered in the Earth and yet have they Communion We may think of that Ezek. xxxvii 3 Can these dry scattered Bones come together and Live Yes ver 7. Bone came to his Bone and Lived So Son of Man can Men dispersed in Europe Asia Africa and America have Communion They know not one another never saw one another and they have Communion Yes There is an invisible Vein of Communion runs betwixt all Saints on Earth Which we consider in these

iii. 3 Thou shalt be for me and not another and I will be for thee saith the Lord. Observe that Expression 1 Cor. vi 17 He that is joined unto the Lord is one Spirit Here is Union and Communion Joined to the Lord Beza renders it Agglutinatus There is Union And Communion One Spirit He takes some Comparison before from a married Couple But this is nearer there must be an Union betwixt Man and Wife nay there is betwixt Man and Whore Know ye not that he which is joined to an Harlot is one Body For two saith he shall be one Flesh. But it may be no Communion of Hearts and Affections But he that is joined to God is one Spirit II. Observe this Communion by the Expression of the Members of his Body Which the Apostle follows in 1 Cor. xii especially see ver 27. Now ye are the Body of Christ and Members in particular Ye are the Body in gross and every particular Christian a particular Member Now the Body and Members relate to the Head which is Christ. Eph. iv 15 That ye may grow into him in all things which is the Head even Christ. From whom the whole Body fitly joined together And Col. i. 18 He is the Head of the Body the Church So that here you may first see the Union 'twixt Christ and his Members and then the Communion The Union as the Head to the Body the Communion as betwixt Head and Members So what nearer Union or Communion can be in the World And this asserts what I said that Communion with God and Christ is founded in Union with God No Member if not in Union with the Head and if a Member so in Union it cannot but have Communion Members cannot but derive Virtue from the Head and cannot again but be serviceable all they can to it Such a Communion is there 'twixt a Saint and God And what the particular Nature or Virtue of it is learn by observing how it comes and how a Saint comes by it For the Discovery of which we will take up this Question to speak to Quest. How should I do to come in Communion with God I know it is good and happy but how shall I come by it Ans. Learn this from civil Converse 'twixt Friend and Friend Abraham was the Friend of God and he came into that Nearness after the manner as Friend doth with Friend Observe two Expressions in Scripture Knowing of God 1 Chro. xxviii 9 Thou Solomon my Son know the God of thy Father And Acquainting one's self with God Job xxii 21 Acquaint now thy self with him So is the Case with two that come to converse as Friends I know such a Person and I make my self acquainted with him I. So that the first Step to Communion with God is to know him But under what Notion or what Knowledge 1. Not a distant Knowledge As wicked Men know there is a God This is far from bringing into Acquaintance Every one of us know there is a Turk and Pope but this is far from being in Converse with them Nay nearer we all know the King is our Soveraign and own him so yet this is far from conversing with him It is said God beholds the Wicked afar off So they tho' they knew him they knew but afar off As he that was newly cured of his Blindness in the Gospel saw Men walk but they seemed to him like Trees As Balaam saith of his seeing of God Num. xxiv 17 I shall see him but not now I shall behold him but not nigh 2. Nor is it barely to know God in his Attributes That he is terrible glorious just The Devils know all this but as far from Communion with God as Hell is from Heaven 3. But so to know God is to love and desire him and his Communion He that would be acquainted with one looks not on him barely as one he knows nor barely as one worthy to be acquainted with but as by whose Acquaintance to have Comfort Benefit and Delight and which he cannot comfortably be without Such is that Knowledge of God that begins Communion with God To make it our Work to know God as without Knowledge of whom and acquaintance with whom we are undone To desire his Knowledge and Acquaintance above all things in the World and to account nothing in the World worth our Study Knowledge and Acquaintance but himself So the Apostle professeth over and over 1 Cor. ii 2 For I determined not to know any thing among you save Jesus Christ and him crucified For nothing else in comparison of him is worth the Study and Labour to know And Phil. iii. 8 Yea doubtless without any dispute and I count all things but Loss for the Excellency of the Knowledge of Jesus Christ my Lord. This is that that makes me justly to move the Question Do you seriously ask how I may come in Communion with God Because that requires the Preparative of the most affectionate Desires to come into Communion with him Such a Desire breathes the Heart of a true Saint Esai xxvi 8 9. The Desire of our Souls is to thy Name and to the Remembrance of thee With my Soul have I desired thee in the Night yea with my Spirit within me will I seek thee early II. The second Means to come into Communion with God is to be acquainted with him Now to make your selves acquainted with God be not strange to him The Wicked are estranged from the Womb. Not only not knowing God but not making himself known to God The Word in Job xxii 21 which we translate Acquaint is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Accustom thy self to God The Word is used elsewhere Num. xxii 30 The Ass said unto Balaam Am not I thine Ass upon which thou hast ridden ever since I was thine unto this Day Was I ever wont or accustomed to do so unto thee So that the Word signifies Accustoming Frequenting A Saint acquaints himself with God by frequent coming to his Presence in Prayer and hearing and attending on him As Acts iii. 10 All knew the poor Creeple which sat for Alms at the beautiful Gate of the Temple because there he constantly sat so God knows the Face of a Saint he is ever and anon in the Presence of God Oh! I know thee by Name thou art always at my Footstool thou art always in my School I know thee Moses by Name saith God And very good Reason for it he was always in his Presence Ps. lxxxiii 23 I am continually with thee Was it possible then but that God should know him God at the Judgment will say to the Wicked I know you not And no wonder for he never saw their Faces in his Family You are none of my Children I never saw you owning your Dependance upon me knowing me as the Father None of my Servants I never saw you doing my Work None of my Scholars I never saw you in my School studious and taking out your Lesson Your Faces