Selected quad for the lemma: head_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
head_n	church_n	member_n	mystical_a	3,558	5	10.4248	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A55305	The divine will considered in its eternal decrees, and holy execution of them. By Edward Polhill of Burwash in Sussex Esquire	Polhill, Edward, 1622-1694?; Owen, John, 1616-1683.; Seaman, Lazarus, d. 1675.	1695 (1695)	Wing P2754; ESTC R212920	238,280	559

it with the Person of the Son so that it never was any where but there all other Creations stand under the Roof of Providence and Preservation but here the Humane Nature is an Inmate in the very same Person with the Divine all other Creatures have their proper sutable seats and Ubi's in the Sphere of Nature but here 's the Sackcloth of an Humane Body cast upon and the Rush-candle of a Reasonable soul lighted up in the Sun it self The glorious Son of God espoused Flesh and Blood and the Bride-chamber where the knot was tied was the Virgins Womb there was he made of a Woman consubstantial with us as to his Humanity who was consubstantial with the Father as to his Divinity O how great is this Mystery God manifest in the flesh O Domine quàm admirabile nomen tuum non modò mundi hujus staturam admiror non stabilitatem Terrae non Lunae defectum incrementum non Solem semper integrum laborem ejus perpetuum Miror Deum in utero Virginis miror Omnipotentem in cunabulis miror quomodo Verbo Dei caro adhaeserit quomodo incorporeus Deus corporis nostri tegumentum induerit in caeteris aliquae satisfaciant rationes hîc solus me complectitur stupor God never came so near to us as in this wonderful Conjunction In the Creatures we see God above us in the Law we see God against us but here we see Immanuel God with us he is one with us by a natural Conjunction but that 's not all for being in our Nature he became one with us 2. Conjunctione Legali he was our Sponsor or Surety and so in Law one person with us his Stile is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Surety of the covenant Heb. 7. 22. and the Covenant being mutual on both parts from God to Man and from Man to God he is in both respects a Surety of it a Surety on God's part that his Promises should be performed to us and a Surety on our parts that our Debts should be paid to God We were double Debtors to God as Rational Creatures we owed perfect Obedience and as Sinful Creatures we owed eternal Sufferings the first is a debt to God's Holiness and the second to his Justice Now Jesus Christ was our Surety for both a Surety to fulfil all Righteousness for us and the Fidejussorial Bond which he gave for this was his Circumcision for he had no sinful flesh to be cut off but would become a debtor to the whole Law for us and in Circumcision he signed security for it with his own Blood and also a Surety to take our Sins on him Hence the Righteous God who cannot but judge according to truth charged our iniquities upon him Isai. 53. 6. and he as our Surety accepted the charge and those words my sins are not hid from thee Psal. 69. 5. are as St. Jorom thinks spoken ex personâ Christi for he was though not commissor yet susceptor delictorum our Flesh and Blood was taken into his Divine Person and our Sins which could by no means enter in there were yet cast upon him and being cast upon him God exacted satisfaction of him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it was exacted and he answered Isai. 53. 7. Satisfaction was exacted from him as our Surety and he answered for us and what was his Answer Why I 'le lay down my Life I 'le pour out my Soul saith he let all the Wrath due to those Sins be squeezed into one Cup and I 'le drink it up to the bottom let the Fire of God's Anger drop down from Heaven and I 'le be the Paschal Lamb roasted in it Thus Jesus Christ was a Surety nay 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the noblest of Sureties putting his Soul in our Souls stead to bear our Sins and God's Wrath and for this very purpose was he one with us in Nature that he might be one with us in Law too But neither is this all for both these Conjunctions are crowned with a third and so he is one with us 3. Conjunctione Mysticâ Christ is the Head and the Church is the Body and both together make up one mystical Christ 1 Cor. 12. 12. the Head in Heaven and the Body on Earth and the spiritual Continuity between both is one and the same holy Spirit which is on the Head without measure and on the Members according to measure If the Jew ask us where is Christ we can truly answer He is at the right hand of God in Heaven and on Earth loc here is Christ and there is Christ living and breathing in his Saints every Saint is a piece of him and all together are his fulness Eph. 1. 23. so that he doth not count himself complete without them This Conjunction is so near and full of spiritual Sense that a poor Member cannot suffer on Earth but instantly the Head in Heaven cries out of Persecution Acts 9. 4. and even the suffering Member reckons himself sitting in Heaven as long as his Head is there Eph. 2. 6. Thus our Redeemer comes very near unto us in a threefold Conjunction and in each Conjunction there is a rare Condescention In the first he came down into our Natures by a stupendious Incarnation in the second he came down into our Hell by a Fidejussorial Passion in the third he comes down into our Hearts by the Spirits Inhabitation the first opens a way to the second the second is the purchase of the third and the third as in design was a Motive to and as in existence is a Crown upon the Work of Redemption 4. Having considered the Redeemer I pass on to the Price and here I shall reduce all to three Questions 1. What this Price is 2. What manner of Price it is 3. For whom it was paid 1. What this Price is and this is the Humane Nature of Christ as subjected to the Law When the Son of God came forth to redeem us he was made of a woman made under the Law to redeem us that were under the Law Gal. 4. 4 5. Made of a Woman there 's his humane Nature made under the Law there 's his subjection to the Law and the End of all is our Redemption Christ through the eternal Spirit offered up himself to God Heb. 9. 14. and that in a way fully answering the demands of the Law The Law demanded of the Captives two things perfect Obedience from them as rational Creatures and penal Suffering from them as sinful Creatures and Christ gave up his Humane Nature a price both ways in doing and in suffering he gave himself that is his humane Nature for us an offering and a sacrifice Eph. 5. 2. an Offering in his Active Obedience and a Sacrifice in his Passive and both these together were the entire Price of our Redemption 1. Christ gave up himself in his Active Obedience That holy thing his humane Nature as soon as it came out into the World fell a breathing forth

God before he loved us contrary to that of the Apostle 1 Joh. 4. 19. To love as moved by the attractive goodness of the Object is to love like a man but to love Blackamores then give them beauty to love enemies and then overcome them with love is to love like God whose Grace is pure Grace whose Love is all from himself which is emphatically implied in that remarkable reduplication Mark 13. 20. The elect whom he hath chosen as if our Saviour should have said In Election there is nothing but pure Election like that speech of God I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious in which there is nothing but Will and Grace Will and Grace doubled as the only reason of it self But if all the rest might consist yet where is the Efficacy of it If Election be founded on foreseen Faith and Perseverance then it affords no help at all to any man in the way to Heaven How can that saith a Learned Bishop be the cause leading infallibly in the way to Eternal Life which cometh not so much as into consideration untill a man have run out his race in Faith and Godliness and be arrived at Heavens Gates Such a falsly named Predestination might more truly be called Postdestination but call it as they please it enacteth only per modum legis that men thus living and dying shall be received into Heaven but it doth not per modum decreti operantis infallibly work those Graces whereby men are brought unto Heaven If Election take its rise from the last gasp of persevering Faith and Holiness then how came the poor Church by the Chain of Graces on her neck the Bracelets on her hands the Crown of Gold on her head Whence had she her fine Linnen Wedding-garment Gold tried in the fire These are not Natures Riches but Pearls of Grace common Providence gives no such gifts wherefore they are the love-tokens of Election sent indeed in time unto the Church but prepared for her in Eternity O how much better were it that the Sun should be snatched out of the World than that the Influences of electing Love should be suspended from the Church All her light and life holiness and comfort comes down from God in these precious Beams But the Remonstrants instead of these heavenly influences have framed such an Election as hath no more influence on the Faith and Holiness of the Church than a Sun set up at Domesday would have upon the World that was before it it is so far from working that it presupposes all the Faith and Holiness of the Church even to the last minute of Perseverance 2. 'T is evident from the Predestination of Jesus Christ who was God's chosen servant Matth. 12. 18. The Lamb foreordained 1 Pet. 1. 20. and as St. Austin stiles him Praeolarissimum lumen praedestinationis gratiae he was as man predestinated unto the superlative glory of the Hypostatical Union and this high Predestination was not out of any foreseen holiness in his Humane nature for all that did flow out of the Hypostatical Union but it was ex mera gratia Respondeatur quaeso saith the same Father ille homo ut à Verbo patri coaeterno in unitatem personae assumptus silius Dei unigenitus esset unde hoc meruerit quid egit ante quid credidit quid petivit ut ad hanc ineffabilem excellentiam perveniret Nonne faciente suscipiente verbo ipse homo ex quo esse coepit silius Dei unicus esse coepit Nonne filium Dei unicum foemina illa gratiâ plena concepit Nonne de Spiritu sancto virgine Mariâ Dei filius unicus natus non carnis cupidine sed singulari Dei munere Respondeat hic homo Deo si audeat dicat Cur non ego si audierit O homo tu quis es qui respondeas Deo nec sic cohibeat sed augeat impudentiam dicat Quomodo audio tu quis es O homo cùm sim quod audio id est homo quod est ille de quo ago cur non sim quod ille At enim gratiâ ille talis tantus est cur diversa est gratia ubi natura communisest Certè non est acceptio personarum apud Deum Quis non dico Christianus sed insanus haec dicat Apparuit it aque nobis in nostro capite ipse fons gratiae unde secundùm uninscujusque mensuram se per cuncta ejus membra diffundit sicut est praedestinatus ille unus ut caput nostrum esset it a multi praedestinati sumus ut membra ejus essemus Humana hîc merita conticescant quae perierunt per Adam regnet quae regnat Dei gratia per Jesum Christum Surely the Members must not be set above the Head The Members were not elected to the beatifical vision out of foreseen Faith and Perseverance when the Head was elected to the Hypostatical Union out of mere Grace The elect Stones in Zion were not laid for their orient lustre and beauty when the precious Corner-stone who bears up all the building was laid with a Behold in a wonder of Grace and Love 3. 'T is utterly impossible that Faith and Perseverance should be the causes or antecedents to Election when these are the fruits and effects thereof If we search the Scripture for the Well-head of these we shall find it to be in the Decree of Election Therefore when the Apostle blesses God for the work of Faith in the Thessalonians he elevates his praises as high as Election it self knowing brethren beloved your Election of God 1 Thess. 1. 4. And in the very same strain of praise blessing God for blessing the Ephesians with all spiritual blessings in Christ amongst which Faith cannot but be a prime blessing he sets forth the eternal Rule of dispensing them he hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 according as he hath chosen us Eph. 1. 3 and 4. Where it is plain that those whom God blesseth with Faith and Perseverance he chuseth unto Faith and Perseverance because he blesses according as he chuses The Remonstrants strangely interpret these words he hath chosen us in Christ that is say they being in him in the divine Prescience But this Interpretation cannot stand the Apostle saith not he hath chosen us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but he hath chosen us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in him that is in Christ now where in all the Scripture do the words in Christ import our being in Christ in the divine Prescience The words in Christ in such Scriptures as relate to Justification or Adoption do import our being in Christ by actual Faith but in such Scriptures as relate to Election they do import that all the Grace and Glory prepared in Election is conferred in and through Christ this appears in that famous place 2 Tim. 1. 9. Who hath saved us

the holy Spirit drops some moral Vertues and Beams of light from whence have issued many excellent Sayings some of which the holy Spirit hath so far owned as to quote them in his own Book But the Father doth in a special manner love and the Son did in a special manner die for the Elect. Hence proportionably the holy Spirit works in them after more glorious strains of Power and Grace as a Spirit of Grace and Supplication he melts them into Repentance as a Spirit of Faith he makes them catch hold upon Christ for Righteousness and Life as a Spirit of Wisdom he unveils their hearts and makes the Light to shine out of Darkness as a Spirit of Liberty he unshackles and unbinds their Wills and makes them free indeed in the ways of God and as a Spirit of Truth and Holiness he leads them into Truth and by inward Law-engravings moulds and changes them into it Moreover the holy Spirit after such glorious workings on them comes and dwells in them and that intimately in the very secrets of their hearts 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I will indwel in them saith he 2 Cor. 6. 16. there are two in 's to denote an intimate inhabitation as if God could never be near enough to them As in Christ Personal who is the Head there is God in the flesh by an hypostatical Union so in Christ Mystical which is the Body there is God in the Flesh by a gracious Inhabitation and to shew that he is there he cries Abba Father in their Devotions he is a Spirit of Love in their charities a Spirit of Power in their infirmities a Spirit of Comfort in their distresses and a Spirit of Glory in their sufferings Seeing then the holy Spirit who works in men more or less according to the Fathers Love and Sons Merits works in such a special way in the Elect 't is as clear as if it were written with a Sun-beam that the Father loves them and the Son died for them in a special way Hence we find these three folded and wrapt up together by the Apostle Elect according to the foreknowledge of the Father through sanctification of the Spirit and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ 1 Pet. 1. 2. And again The Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ the love of God and the communion of the holy Ghost be with you all 2 Cor. 13. 14 If the Father's Love and the Son's Blood had respected all men as much as the Elect doubtless the holy Spirit who in Subsistence procedes and in Operations works from them both would have converted all as well as the Elect why then are not all men actually converted Is it because the holy Spirit works not equally in all or because the holy Spirit is resisted in some Is it because the holy Spirit works not equally in all I answer That the Spirit is sent forth from the Father and the Son and works exactly according as it is sent the inward impulsive Cause of pouring out the Spirit is the Father's Love and the outward meritorious cause of it is the Son's Blood Wherefore if the Father equally love all and the Son equally died for all the Spirit works equally in all for there can be no breach in the sacred Trinity Or is it because the Spirit is resisted in some I answer Their resistance is a grand Obstacle to the work but if the Spirit did roll away the Stone and new-mould the Heart and work the Will in all as he doth in the Elect that Obstacle would at last be removed out of the way 5. I argue from the Blessings purchased Christ's Death is more or less respective of men as it is more or less procurative of Blessings for them Christ purchased a Salvability for all but over and besides he purchased many choice Blessings for the Elect he purchased Repentance for them for he is a prince and a saviour to give repentance to Israel Acts 5. 31. He purchased a room for Repentance even for all men but he purchased Repentance it self for his chosen Israel he purchased Faith for them Unto you it is given for Christs sake to believe in him Phil. 1. 29. For others he purchased a ground-work for Faith but for them he purchased the very Grace of Faith he purchased effectual Vocation for them others have a Call by the Gospel but these have a Call by the Gospel coming in power and in the holy Ghost and in much assurance he purchased Holiness and Sanctification for them Indeed there is no man living on the Earth but if he did really believe he should have the rivers of living water the Spirit of holiness flowing in his heart Joh. 7. 38. but the Elect were destined and chosen in Christ to be holy Eph. 1. 4. and Christ sanctified himself in a special manner for them that they might be sanctified 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in truth actually truly Joh. 17. 19. Lastly he purchased Heaven and Glory for them others may have Heaven upon believing but these shall certainly arrive at it these are the sheep to which Christ gives eternal life Joh. 10. 28. these are the sons which without fail shall be brought to Glory Heb. 2. 10. Now seeing Christ purchased so many Blessings for the Elect 't is evident he died for them in a special way 6. I argue from the Intercession of Christ. Christ intercedes for men more or less proportionably as he more or less respected them in his Death for his Death is the foundation of his Intercession the very same Blood of Christ which as shed on Earth made Satisfaction as presented in Heaven makes Intercession Now how far doth Christ intercede in Heaven What doth his Blood speak there For all men it speaks thus Father let them all be saved on Gospel-terms but for the Elect it speaks thus Father let them have Repentance this the Apostle hints out Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a prince a saviour to give repentance to Israel Acts 5. 31. Israels Repentance on Earth comes from Christ exalted in Heaven for there he intercedes for it by his Merits and from thence he works it by his Spirit Again it speaks for them thus Father let them be made a willing people this I gather from the 110. Psalm where we find Christ sitting at the right hand of God Ver. 1. and sitting there he intercedes for us and from this Session and Intercession comes forth a willing people Ver. 3. Here 's the true original of spiritual willingness the right Hand of God which is a right Hand of Power works it in our Hearts and works it at the instance of Christ who sits and intercedes there for it Again it speaks for them thus Father sanctifie them with thy Grace preserve them with thy Power and crown them with thy Glory in Heaven Thus Christ in his sweet Prayer a little before his bitter Passion interceded for them for their Sanctification Sanctifie them