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
A86549	Salvation from sinne by Jesus Christ: or, The doctrine of sanctification (which is the greater part of our salvation) founded upon Christ, who is both the meritorious, and and efficient cause of sanctifying grace, purchasing it for, working & perfecting it in his people. Applied (as it was specially intended) for the better information of our judgements, and quickning of our affections in holiness, wherein our everlasting our everlasting happiness chiefly consisteth. / Preached in the weekly lecture at Evesham in the county of Worcester, by George Hopkins, M.A. minister of the Gospel there.; Salvation from sinne by Jesus Christ	Hopkins, George, 1620-1666.	1655 (1655)	Wing H2743; Thomason E1608_1; ESTC R208454	135,124	325

Christum omnia Christi membra continuitas quaedam ratione Spiritus Sancti qui plen●ssime residens in Christo capite imus idem numero ad omnia etiam ejus membra diffunditur vivificans ca singula uniens universa Dav. in Col. c. 1. v. 18. of the body Col. 1.18 He is the head of the body the Church As then in the naturall body the members have their life preserved by being united to the head being compact together by certain bonds and ligaments and if any be cut off and severed it becomes void of all life and motion So is it in the mysticall body if a soul should be dismembred from Christ it would as a hand cut off immediately become livelesse and uselesse If man at his first Creation so soon lost the life of perfect grace having the custody thereof committed to himselfe much more would he lose it now the degree thereof being so imperfect as it is were not this life originally in Christ Were it in us alone it would be but as water in a broken cisterne that would presently leake all out But Christ is an ever-over-flowing fountain continually streaming forth into the souls of his people yea as a spring arising within them as his words to the woman of Samaria import John 4.10.14 Jesus answered and said unto her if thou hadst known the gift of God and who it is that saith unto thee Give me to drink thou wouldest have asked of him and he would have given thee living water Whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life Undoubtedly Christ himself is this Fountaine of grace and well doth Paul call it the grace which is in Christ Jesus 2. Tim. 2.1 God hath not then given unto his Saints as Abraham gave to Hagar water in a bottle to be soon exhausted that they should hopelessely bewaile the childe of grace as in a starving and perishing condition But hath sent the Angell of his Covenant who hath cheered their hearts by opening their eyes and shewing them a well of water whereby they may have assured hope that the babe shall be preserved and nourished till it come to perfect stature And this directs me to the next head As Christ is the Conserving so he is also the Perfecting cause of sanctifying grace in his people Christ the perfecting cause of sanctifying grace He is the Alpha and Omega in the work of grace He layes both the foundation and the top-stone in the spirituall building He is the Finisher as well as the Authour of our Faith Hebrews Chap. 12. ver 22. and we are said to be compleat in him Col. 2.10 In the work of Sanctification as well as Justification * Ph. 2.12 Not as though we were already perfect or could attain it in this life as the perfectists fondly argue from thence x Quae itaque in sanctis reperitur est imperfecta quaedam perfectio tum scientiae tum obedientiae De bac Aug Cont. duas Ep. Pelag. l 3 c. 5 Secundum istius vitae modum est quaedam perfectio cique per fectioni hoc deputaetur ut se quisque noverit nondum esse perfectum Dav. in Col. cap. 4. v. 13. In this life this work of Christ is but opus in fieri not in facto esse A work in doing not done Yet is grace perfect in its kinde from the first instant of it in the soul There is a twofold perfection 1. Of parts 2. Of degrees Or there is a Perfection 1. Of truth 2 Of Growth 1. That is perfect in Parts to which no parts are wanting and is opposed to maimed Thus a child is said to be perfect in the day of his birth that hath all parts that a child should have That is perfect with a perfection of Truth which is not Adulterate or counterfeit thus that is said to be perfect gold which is true and not counterfeit In this sense the work of Sanctification is Perfect at the first the soul is Sanctified throughout and in every part though it be but partly Sanctified The new man at first forming hath all its parts and members and the child of grace hath no part wanting in the day of his birth y Animalia nascuntur 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Arist Hist anim l. 7 c. 8. 1 Tim. 1.5 2 Tim. 1.5 2 Cor. 6.6 Ro. 12.9 Then also is it perfect in respect of Truth there is Faith unfained Love without dissimulation and every other grace in sincerity It will abide the touch-stone although it be not full weight 2. There is a Perfection of Degrees and of Grouth this is twofold 1. Comparative compared with that which is very weak little and much beneath it 2. Absolute as having nothing to be superadded Thus in a Comparative sense he is said to be Perfect that is a strong man in Christ an able Christian in Comparison of those that are as babes and but weak in the faith Thus saith Paul Phil. 3.15 Let us therefore as many as be Perfect be thus minded And Heb. 5.14 Strong meat belongs to them that are of full age 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Heb. 5.14 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Phil. 3.15 the Greek word here used 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies Perfect and is the same that is used in the foregoing proof This perfection also doth Christ give unto the soule that is his he brings it in and leads it on in the wayes of grace He who is called the Everlasting Father who hath begotten us againe is not contented meerely to preserve the children of Grace that they die not but doth tenderly nurse and cherish them and cause them to grow to greater strength and stature Eph. 4.15 16. But speaking the truth in love may grow up into him in all things which is the head even Christ from whom the whole body fitly joyned together and compacted by that which every joynt supplyeth according to the effectuall working in the measure of every part maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of it selfe in love But alas how imperfect is the greatest perfection that is attainable in this life how many are the sinfull weaknesses of the best of Gods servants and what little dwarfs are they here in comparison of their heavenly stature Christ doth not therefore set up Hercules Pillars with a Nil ultra to what he doth for his people here but he writes a Plus ultra there is something more that he doth for them yea that he works in them which exceeds this as far as heaven is higher than the earth There is therefore in the last place Perfection of d●gree● absolute an absolute perfection of Degrees which he bestows upon the Souls of his people at the houre of death z Tunc enim erit perfectum illud de quo loquens Apostolus Ex parte