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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

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A53678	A continuation of the exposition of the Epistle of Paul the Apostle to the Hebrews viz, on the sixth, seventh, eight, ninth, and tenth chapters : wherein together with the explication of the text and context, the priesthood of Christ ... are declared, explained and confirmed : as also, the pleas of the Jews for the continuance and perpetuity of their legal worship, with the doctrine of the principal writers of the Socinians about these things, are examined and disproved / by J. Owen ...	Owen, John, 1616-1683.	1680 (1680)	Wing O729; ESTC R21737	1,235,588	797

or in the Love of God by Christ as by and in our own Love to him and his The Mystical Body of Christ is the second great mystery of the Gospel The first is his Person that great mystery of Godliness God manifest in the Flesh. In this mystical Body we have Communion with the Head and with all the Members with the Head by Faith and with the Members by Love Neither will the first compleat our Interest in that Body without the latter Hence are they frequently conjoyned by our Apostle not only as those which are necessary unto but as those which Essentially constitute the Union of the whole mystical Body and Communion therein Gal. 5. 6. Ephes. 6. 23. 1 Thes. 1. 3. 1 Tim. 1. 14. chap. 1. 11. 2 Tim. 1. 13. chap. 2. 22. Wherefore without Love we do no more belong to the Body of Christ than without Faith it self And in one place he so transposeth them in his expression to manifest their inseparable connexion and use unto the Union and Communion of the whole Body as that it requires some care in their distribution unto their peculiar objects Philem. 5. Hearing of thy Love and Faith which thou hast towards the Lord Jesus and towards all Saints Both these Graces are spoken of as if they were exercised in the same manner towards both their Objects Christ and the Saints But although Christ be the Object of our Love also and not of our Faith only yet are not the Saints so the Object of our Love as to be the Object of our Faith also We believe a Communion with them but place not our Trust in them There is therefore a variation in the Prepositions prefixed unto the respective Objects of these Graces 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And this directs us unto a distribution of these Graces in their Operations unto their distinct Objects Faith towards the Lord Jesus and Love to the Saints But they are so mixed here to declare the infallible connexion that is between them in the constitution of the mystical Body of Christ. This therefore is the form life and soul of all mutual Duties between the Members of Christs mystical Body Whatever passeth between them in outward works wherein they may be useful and beneficial unto one another if it spring not from this principle of Love if it be not quickened and animated thereby there is nothing of Evangelical Communion in it Whereas therefore this Grace and Duty is the peculiar Effect and Glory of the Gospel the form and life of the mystical Body of Christ the pledge and evidence of our Interest in those better things which accompany Salvation I shall briefly declare the nature of it and shew the reason of the necessity of its diligent exercise Mutual love among Believers is a fruit of the Spirit of Holiness and effect of Faith whereby being knit together in the Bond of entire Spiritual Affection on the account of their joynt Interest in Christ and participation of the same new divine spiritual Nature from God do value delight and rejoyce in one another and are mutually helpful in a constant discharge of all those Duties whereby their eternal spiritual and temporal Good may be promoted 1. It is a fruit of the Spirit of Holiness of the Spirit of Christ Gal. 5. 22. It is no more of our selves than Faith is it is the Gift of God Natural Affections are in-laid in the constitution of our Beings Carnal Affections are grown inseparable from our nature as corrupted Both excited by various Objects Relations Occasions and Interest do exert themselves in many outward effects of Love But this Love hath no root in our selves until it be planted in us by the Holy Ghost And as it is so it is the principal part of the Renovation of our natures into the Image of God who is Love This Love is of God And every one that loveth is born of God 1 Joh. 4. 7. You are taught of God to love one another 2. It is an effect of Faith Faith worketh by Love Gal. 5. 6. Hence as we observed before Love to the Saints is so frequently added unto Faith in our Lord Jesus Christ as the effect and pledge of it And although it proceeds in general from Faith as it respects the Commands and Promises of God yet it derives immediately from Faith as acted on the Lord Jesus Christ. For he being the Head of the whole mystical Body it is Faith in him that acts it self by Love towards all the Members Holding him the Head by Faith the whole Body edifies it self in Love Ephes. 4. 15 18. And the more sincere active and firm our Faith in Christ is the more abundant will our Love be towards all his Saints For Faith in Christ doth first excite Love unto him from whom as it were it descends unto all that it finds of him in any others And our Love of the Saints is but the Love of Christ represented and exhibited unto us in them The Papists tell us that Love or Charity is the form or life of Faith without which it is dead It is so far true that according to the Apostle James where it is not there Faith is dead Not that it is the life of Faith but that Faith wherever it is living will work by Love Faith therefore is the life the quickening animating principle of Love and not on the contrary And that Love which proceedeth not from which is not the effect of which is not enlivened by Faith is not that which the Gospel requireth 3. Believers are knit together in an entire Affection This is that Cement whereby the whole mystical Body of Christ is fitly joyned together and compacted Ephes. 4. 16. This mutual adherence is by the uniting cementing efflux of Love It is but an Image of the Body or a dead carkass that men set up where they would make a Bond for Professors of Christianity consisting of outward Order Rules and Methods of Duties A Church without it is an heap of dead stones and not living stones fitly compacted and built up a Temple unto God Break this Bond of Perfection and all spiritual Church Order ceaseth for what remains is carnal and worldly There may be Churches constituted in an outward humane Order on supposed prudential Principles of Union and external Duties of Communion which may continue in their Order such as it is where there is no Spiritual Evangelical Love in exercise among the Members of them But where Churches have no other Order nor Bond of Communion but what is appointed by Christ wherever this Love faileth their whole Order will dissolve 4. This mutual Love among Believers springs from and is animated by their mutual Interest in Christ with their Participation of the same Divine Nature thereby It is from their Union in Christ the Head that all the Members of the Body do mutually contribute what they derive from him unto the edification of the whole

other grounds obliged unto a Love towards all mankind whether Friends or Enemies yet that peculiar Love which the Gospel so chargeth on the Disciples of Christ is an effect of and built upon their common and mutual Interest in Christ. They are to love one another as Members of the same mystical Body and united unto the same Spiritual Head Whatever Love there may be on other accounts among any of them which doth not arise from this Spring and Fountain it is not that Gospel Love which ought to be among Believers And how can this be in us unless we have a good perswasion concerning our mutual Interest and In-being in Christ God forbid that any should press that peculiar intense Love that ought to be among the Members of the Body of Christ to take off or derogate from that general Love and usefulness which not only the Law of our Creation but the Gospel also requireth of us in an especial manner towards all men Yea he who professeth Love unto the Saints that peculiar Love which is required towards them and doth not exercise Love in general towards all men much more if he make the pretence of Brotherly Love the ground of alienating his Affection from the residue of mankind can have no assurance that the Love he so professeth is sincere incorrupt genuine and without dissimulation But this special Love is the special Duty of us all if we believe the Gospel and without which foundation well laid we can rightly discharge no other mutual Duty whatever Now this as is evident we cannot have unless we have a perswasion of the only ground of this Love which is our mutual Relation unto Jesus Christ. And to act this Love aright as to its object as grounded on this perswasion take heed of evil surmises these are the bane of Evangelical Love though some seem to make them their Duties Those concerning whom we hear that they make profession of Faith and Obedience towards our Lord Jesus Christ and know not that they any way contradict their Profession by wicked works we are obliged to bear the same Love towards as if we knew them sincere For Charity hopeth all things namely that are good if we have no certain evidence to the contrary And thus in general we may have this perswasion concerning all that in every place call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ their Lord and ours We have no obligation indeed hereunto towards such as visibly and evidently walk unworthy of that high Calling whereby we are called For concerning such our Apostle assures us that whatever they profess they are Enemies of the Cross of Christ whose end is destruction whose God is their belly and whose glory is their shame who mind earthly things Phil. 3. 18 19. It is a dishonour a reproach to Christ and the Gospel that we should perswade our selves that they are his Disciples and Members of his mystical Body whom we see to walk after the manner of the world and to have their Conversation in the Lusts of the Flesh. These we are still to Love as those who once had and are yet capable of the renovation of the Image of God upon them But they proclaim themselves destitute of all those qualifications which are the formal object and reason of this peculiar Love 2 The Lord Christ hath by his Institution secured us as to a certain rule of this perswasion and love by the disposal of his Disciples into Church Societies upon such grounds as are a sufficient warranty for it Thus our Apostle in all his Epistles unto the Churches Salutes Esteems Judgeth them all to be Saints and called in Christ Jesus For although some of them might not be so really and in the sight of God yet his perswasion and his Love being directed according to the Rule were acceptable unto Christ. And whereas our Lord Jesus hath commanded that all his Disciples should joyn themselves unto and walk in such Societies were there not great confusion brought into the world in and about Gospel institutions we should not be at a loss about this perswasion and love for we should be obliged unto them towards all that are called Christians until they had openly declared themselves to be Enemies of the Cross of Christ. But we are yet suffering under the confusion of a fatal Apostasie which God in his good time will deliver his Churches from 3 As we cannot direct our Love aright without this perswasion no more can we exercise any of the Duties or Fruits of it in a due manner The Fruits of mutual love among Christians are either in things Spiritual which concern Edification or in things Temporal which concern outward Relief Of the first sort are Admonition Exhortation Instructions and Consolations mutually administred Now how can any man order or make use of these in a right manner unless he have some directive perswasion of the Spiritual condition of them unto whom he doth administer It is true he may sometimes be therein mistaken yet it is far better so to be than never to consider what is meet and requisite with respect thereunto And as for the Fruits of the same Love in outward things although they ought to be brought forth in the temporal supplies of all according to our Opportunities and Abilities yet without this perswasion they will want the quickening form and soul of them which is a design to place our love in them ultimately on Jesus Christ. We may as occasions require publickly testifie that good perswasion which we have concerning the Spiritual condition of others and that unto themselves Our Apostle here acquaints these Hebrews with his good perswasion concerning them and likewise in all his Epistles he still declares his hopes and confidence of their blessed Interest in Christ unto whom he wrote and spares not to give them all the Titles which really belong only to Elect Believers Now as this is not to be done lightly not in a way of flattering Compliance not but upon just and firm grounds from Scripture least of all to give Countenance unto any to continue in an evil way or practice yet in three cases it is warrantable and requisite 1 When it is done for their due encouragement Gracious persons through their Temptations Fears and sense of sin yea whole Churches upon occasion of Trials Distresses and Back-slidings among them may so be cast down and despond as to be discouraged in their Duties and Progress In this case it is not only lawful but expedient yea necessary that we should testifie unto them that good perswasion which we have concerning their state and condition with the grounds thereof as the Apostle doth in this place So in like case testified our Saviour himself concerning and unto the Church of Smyrna I know thy Poverty what thou complainest of and art ready to sink under but thou art rich Rev. 2. 2 It may and ought to be done for their Just Vindication The Disciples and

among his Disciples is here and elsewhere called a new Commandment When mankind by sin fell off from the love of God and out of it from loving him and being loved of him they fell into all manner of discord and enmity among themselves living in malice and envy hateful and hating one another Tit. 3. 3. And from the same root still springs all contention From whence come Wars and Fightings come they not hence even from your Lusts Jam. 4. 1. In the former Revelations of the Will of God as in the Law there was mutual Love commanded Envy Hatred and Revenge being forbidden But yet there was a great defect and weakness in this matter partly in the obscurity of the Law partly out of some forbearances which God was pleased to exercise towards that carnal people by reason of the hardness of their hearts and partly out of their darkness that they did not understand the Spirituality and Holiness of the Commands But the principal Imperfection of the Law in this matter was that it gave no Example of that Love which is necessary to restore us into that condition of the Love of God and one another which we fell from This was reserved for Christ that in all things he might have the pre-eminence Until he set us the example of it in his inexpressible Love to us which is so frequently proposed unto our imitation we could not know what kind of Love it was wherewith we ought to love one another So saith he here That you love one another as I have loved you see Joh. 3. 16. Hence the Commandment of Love becomes a new Commandment not only because it was newly revived by Christ in an especial manner when the Doctrine of the Duties of it was cast under Pharisaical corruptions Matth. 5. and the practice of it in the wickedness of the world nor only because it was more plainly and clearly given by him than it had been under the Law or only because he had revealed the Love of God unto us but principally because it was now founded established and animated by the Example of the Love of Christ himself which gave it a new life and nature making it a new Commandment And the first Observation of it is the first Evidence of the Renovation of all things by Jesus Christ. He came to restore and renew all things but the work whereby he doth it is for the most part secret and invisible in the Souls of men What Evidence and Token of this great work is there given unto the World It is principally this the bringing forth of the practice of that Love which is in a manner the fulfilling of that Original Law of our Creation which we broke and from which we fell For so he adds By this shall all men know that you are my Disciples if you have Love one for another The great Example which I have set you being that of Love the new Commandment which I have given you being that of Love the design I have to accomplish in and by you being the Renovation of Love how shall or can men otherwise know you to be my Disciples but by your mutual love Without this therefore we can no way evidence our selves to be the Disciples of Christ. And this one consideration is of more weight with me than a thousand wrangling Disputes that would furiously drive men into such outward forms and compliances which they call Love 3. This mutual Love is that wherein the Communion of Saints doth consist How great a thing that Communion is appears from the place which the acknowledgement of it hath always had in the ancient Creeds of the Church I do not say this Communion doth consist solely therein There belongs unto it a common participation of the same sanctifying Spirit and a common Interest in the same spiritual Head Christ Jesus as to its principles and common participation of the same Ordinances as to its exercise But herein doth this Communion among themselves principally consist That it hath no concernment in an outward compliance with certain Rites and Ceremonies that are invented not for the life of Unity but for a shew of Uniformity I suppose all men are well enough satisfied But this is the Order of the Communion of Saints The foundation of it is laid in a joynt participation of the same quickening Spirit and Union with Christ thereby It is acted and exercised by Love arising from this Spring and it is expressed in our joynt participation of the same Ordinances of Worship Hence it is apparent that where this Love is not there is no Communion of Saints nor any thing belonging thereunto For our participation together in the same Ordinances is no part thereof unless the influence of our Original Communion in the participation of the same Spirit be conveyed thereunto by Love by which alone it is acted This the Apostle fully expresseth Ephes. 4. 15 16. But speaking the Truth in Love we may grow up into him in all things which is the Head even Christ from whom the whole Body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joynt supplieth according to the effectual working in the measure of every part maketh increase of the Body unto the edifying of it self in Love There is not a more eminent description of the Communion of Saints especially as united in Church Order in the whole Scripture And we see that it begins and ends in Love and so is carried on from first unto last The Spring and Fountain of it lies in our Relation unto and Union with Christ the Head And we are said to grow up into him in all things when we expresly derive all from him and direct all to him when in the increase of every Grace our Union with him is more express and confirmed and our likeness with nearness to him is enlarged From him as from the Head the whole Body and every Member thereof hath all those spiritual supplies whereby their Union with him is expressed and their Communion among themselves is acted and carried on For the Union and Communion of the Church doth not consist in things of outward Order and supposed Decency but in the fit joyning and compacting of all the Members in the same Body by an effectual communication of spiritual Supplies from Christ the Head which do naturally cast every part of the Body into that place and use which is designed unto them But what do the Saints themselves as Members of this Body why every joynt every principal person on the account of Gifts Grace or Office yea every part every member contributes to the Edification of the whole and the increase of Grace in it which is the end of all this Communion But how is this done how is their part acted saith the Apostle it is done by Love The foundation of it lies in their speaking the Truth in Love 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 holding believing professing the Truth so as to exercise mutual Love thereby