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
A94169	The greatnes of the mystery of godlines; opened in severall sermons by Cuthbert Sydenham teacher to a Church of Christ at Newcastle upon Tine.	Sydenham, Cuthbert, 1622-1654.	1654 (1654)	Wing S6296; Thomason E1499_1; ESTC R203682	101,615	278

seen and discovered as his wisdome power But no man saw God at any time the only begotten Sonne revealed him and the fulnesse of the God-head dwelt in no Nature bodily but in our Nature which Christ had Thirdly God never manifested himselfe in such a straine of love as in our flesh it was the highest manifestation of Love that ever was that God loved our very Nature so as to be one with us herein was his love manifested and commended indeed that he would come down in our Nature to us And as one said well God did so love the very Nature of his Elect that though he had them not all with him in Heaven for the present yet he must have their picture of their own Nature in his Sonne to see them in and love them 1. Vse Then here is still ground of new admiration and wonder to soules God is come downe and hath left as it were his owne habitation to dwell amo●● the sonnes of men This is the first and great mystery of the Gospell God out of infinite goodnesse would make a revelation of himselfe to the world to doe it in his pure glory would consume all flesh especially seeing it was to be a manifestation unto sinners but he cloths himselfe with flesh with our own Nature and so appears to us as in infinite love and sweetnesse there be many great designes in this one 1. By this he takes away the distance between his majesty and us for he is now become Immanuell God with us The thoughts of God would have been sufficient terror we could never have come nigh God for we were infinitely below him But now Gods taking up our Nature as one with himselfe and appearing as in our own form and likenesse hath broken down the wall of partition in Nature as that which takes away the dwelling nature of Gods glory yet reflects the reall sweetnesse of it to us 2. By this God would indeare and sweeten himselfe to his poor creature and fit a way of sweet converse with us if God had manifested himselfe in his own naked glory still while we are sinners we should not only be daz'led but shrunk up to nothing to see the Sun as it shines in its owne lustre would spoile the sight of the strongest eye But to look upon it as in an eclipse in water or thorough a glasse that is not offensive to consider God in himselfe is to have our soules swallowed up but to look on God in our nature brings down his glory to our eye and wooes us to behold it 3. By this God hath raised up a statue and visible monument of his own infinite love to his Elect for ever For rather then they shall want a sutable discovery of himselfe he will come and take up their owne nature and be called after their names as if he would be any thing to shew his love This is the fullest visible demonstration of God's love that ever was It was more for God to take our nature then simply to save us more then let a out bare mercy and grace in it selfe For a King to save a murtherer from the Gallowes by his owne prerogative and dispence with the Law is not such an act of love and mercy as to take the murtherers clothes and weare them as his richest livery and give as a mark of honour to his owne Sonne and to make an honourable order of the rags of that garment as that King did of a Garter God hath done more in taking our Nature what love was this that God will be no more God as it were simply but take up another Nature rather then the brightnesse of his owne glory shall undoe us 4. By this God would shew what he means to bring us unto he took our nature up to himselfe as a pattern or type of what he would bring all Saints unto God is come down in our likenesse to bring us up into his likenesse Nature was never so advanced it is the highest glory that is possible to be put upon nature it is more then to fill all our souls with a fulnesse of grace for our nature is united in a personall union with the second person then which there cannot be more glory What a faire step is now made for the bringing the person up to the injoyment of God Oh let none say now that God is not willing to save soules who is come down so low as live among us say not who shall goe up to Heaven to bring downe God or downe unto the deeps to fetch him up God is nigh you even in your owne flesh You may but turne about and see God manifested to your owne eyes we preach not fancy when we lay out the riches of Gods glory in love and mercy But as the Apostle saith what we have seen and what we have felt and tasted that we declare unto you 1 Joh. 1.1 2 3. Say not unbelieving soule how shall I come nigh God why God is come to thee he dwels in the Tabernacles of men In a word God is manifested in our flesh that our flesh may be taken up into his fulnesse SERMON IV. 1 TIM 3.16 God manifested in the flesh c. I Made an entrance on this the last day but there are new mysteries yet arising and no sooner doth one discovery passe but another comes on this bottomlesse depth of Gods glory in the Gospell can be sounded by none but God himselfe we have some manifestations of it and that in flesh or else we had never imagined what thoughts God had towards his poore Creatures besides what hath been spoken as to the opening of the words still this must be taken in That it is not God in flesh mystically but personally Or else thus It is not meant of God manifested in flesh that is in the whole mysticall body of Christ the Saints But only God assuming our nature into the union of Christs person and this had need to be observed because all these places where it is said that it pleased the Father that in him all fulnesse should dwell Col. 1.19 and that the fulnesse of the God-head dwelt in him bodily Col. 2. and this place is spoken of Christ mystically or in his body not personally intimating that God dwels in the flesh of the Saints as much as in the humane nature of Jesus Christ and that there is no other distinction than of head and members Now to cleare up this to you I shall not need to go farther than this verse 1. This is spoken of a thing that is already done God is or was manifested in flesh now if it were meant of the whole mystical body of Christ it must have been said God will manifest himself in flesh for all that body is not yet made up are not capable of any such manifestation thousands of them being yet unborne 2. God that is manifested in flesh is justified in spirit and seen of Angels and preached unto