Selected quad for the lemma: heart_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
heart_n	faith_n	pure_a	purify_v	2,905	5	11.3265	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A54052	The scattered sheep sought after 1. In a lamentation over the general losse of the powerful presence of God in his people, since the dayes of the apostles, with a particular bewailing of the withering and death of those precious buddings forth of life, which appeared in many at the beginning of the late troubles in these nations, with the proper way of recovery for such, 2. In some propositions concerning the only way of salvation, where is an answer given to that great objection, that the light which convinceth of sin, is the light of a natural conscience, and a brief account rendred of the ground of mens misunderstanding Scriptures, 3. In exposing to view the fundamental principle of the Gospel, upon which the redeemed spirit is built, 4. And in some questions and answers, by way of catechism, for the sake of the simple hearted, directing to that principle, and fixing in it / by Isaac Penington.	Penington, Isaac, 1616-1679.	1665 (1665)	Wing P1188; ESTC R18193	27,955	34

to the least appearance of his light in their hearts they do it unto him Yea our Lord Christ at this very day is as really crucified in their spiritual Egypt and Sodom as he was without the gates of Jerusalem and his righteous blood cries as loud against the professors of this age as ever it did against the Jews and they are hardned against him by a conceited knowledg which by their imaginations they have gathered from the Scriptures just as the Jews were but the eye in them can no more see it then the eye in the Jews could Q. Surely if they knew the light to be the only living way they would not be such enemies to it A. Yea I believe concerning them as was said concerning the Jews that if they knew it they would not crucifie the Lord of glory for I bear many of them record that they have a great zeal though not according to knowledg But at present very sad is their state for the God of the world hath blinded that eye in them which alone can see the truth and with that eye wherewith they now strive to see they shall never see with comfort Yea so exceeding gross and thick are many of them become and their hearts so fat that in stead of feeling the want of the spirit of God in themselves and mourning after it they can mock at the appearances of it in others and speak contemptibly of a light within where Christ saith the light is For saith Christ Take heed that the light which is in thee be not darknesse for if c. Q. But will not they reply that they do not oppose much less mock at the light of the spirit but only that which ye ignorantly call the light of the spirit A. If we have found it to be the light of the spirit and to work that in us and for us which no other light ever could do not blame us for giving in our testimony that it is that light And take heed how ye reproach us with ignorance seeing many of us have passed through all that which ye call knowledg but our light is a new and strange thing to you and ye are not yet able to judge it Q. But may not men obtain eternal life by reading the Scriptures without knowing or owning this principle of the light A. The true end of mens reading the Scriptures is to turn them to the light The Scriptures contain messages concerning God concerning Christ concerning the Spirit the end whereof is to turn men to the power and life which can do the thing for them which God which Christ which Spirit fill all things and are within in the heart as well as without The word is nigh thee in thy heart and in thy mouth saith Moses to the Jews saith Paul to the Christians And to what end do they tell them it is there but that there they should wait upon it to hear its voice and to obey it Now mark though men could practise and perform all things mentioned in the Scriptures yet not being turned to this they are not in the way of salvation for the way of salvation is not a particular path or course of Ordinances and duties prescribed in the Scriptures but it is a new way a living way a way that the wisest professors out of it never knew I will lead them in paths they have not known So that while men know not nor are not turned to the light and power whereof the Scriptures testifie all their reading of the Scriptures praying and practising Ordinances and duties there mentioned are but in vain and in the end will prove but a false covering and not the covering of the spirit Q. But how did men do formerly for this is but a late notion about the light have none ever been saved that have not embraced this notion A. I speak not of embracing a notion but of turning to the thing it self whithout which none ever was or can be saved for it is that alone can save and it saves only them that are turned to it Now if any man so read the Scriptures as thereby to learn to turn to this he may feel that which will work salvation in him though he know not its name For as darknesse being turned to works death in a mistery though its name be not known but it may appear and be taken for light so light being tu●ned to works life in a mistery although he in whom it works should not be able to call it by its name Q. Then by this a man may be saved though he should not know the litteral name Jesus or the litteral name Christ c. A. The names are but the signification of the things spoken of for it is the life the power the being transformed by that that saves not the knowledg of a name And Christians mightily deceive themselves herein for they think to be saved by believing a relation concerning Christ as he appeared in a fleshly body and suffered death at Jerusalem Whereas Christ is the same yesterday to day and for ever and the saving knowledg reveals him not only as he was then but as he was the day before and as he will be for ever And this knowledg is also revealed in the Scripture but they are so drowned in the Letter wherewith the carnal part is so filled that the spiritual eye cannot open in them to see and so that which was ordained for life becomes death to them and they perish they perish just as the Jews did for their eyes are with held by a wisdom which they have grown up in from the Letter from the beholding the mistery of life in the spirit which alone can work out and save from the mistery of death Q. But did not God formerly work life in men by their reading of the Scriptures and by the preaching of such godly Ministers as are now despised and counted Antichristian A. When men read the Scriptures formerly in the times of thick darknesse and when some of those who were not made Ministers according to the order of the Gospel preached in the simplicity of their hearts according to the best light of their feeling and experience the Lord pitied the simplicity of their hearts and secretly refreshed this principle in them by such reading and by such preaching But now this principle is made manifest their reading and setting up a knowledg of the Scriptures without this which was the thing even then from whence they had their life yea in opposition to this this increaseth their death and bondage and shuts them out of life Q. Well I will keep to the Scriptures and wait for light there let who will follow this new light A. Wilt thou keep to the Scriptures in opposition to that light which alone can give thee the knowledg of the Scriptures what kind of knowledg wilt thou gather from the Scriptures Not a knowledge which will humble thee and cleanse thy heart but a knowledg which will puff thee up and fit thee for the slaughter While thou art from the light thou canst not know the Scriptures nor the power of God but art exalting thine own imaginations conceivings and reasonings about the sense of Scriptures And this thou wilt one day know with sorrow when God calls thee to an account for thy boldnesse in putting senses and meanings upon his words without his light Q. I am almost startled A. Many have fallen and more must fall for the sharp Axe of the Lord is preparrd to cut down every professor with all his profession and religious practises imitations from Scripture which stand not in the pure life Happy art thou if thou now fall by that hand which now strikes at many in great loving kindnesse and mercy that he might raise them up again and fix them firm on the true foundation But miserable are those whose eyes are withheld till the day of their visitation be overslipt and so they continue keeping their corrupt standing and confidence in their fleshly knowledg of Scriptures for they also must fall but their fall will be otherwise Mind therefore this my single hearted advice Let thy Religion be to feel the pure principle of life in the pure vessel of life for the eye must be pure that sees the life and the heart that receives it And faith is a pure mystery and it is only held in a pure conscience Know that in thee that purifies thee and then thou knowest Christ and the Father and the Spirit and as that lives and grows up in thee so shalt thou know their dwelling place and partake of their life and fulnesse THE END

down knows this very well and therefore endeavours all it can to keep you from owning judgement He would faine keep the light in others from judging you Do not judge saith he All judgement is committed to the Son True but shall not the light of the Son judge shall not the light of that candle which the Lord hath lighted in one heart discover and judg the darkness in another heart Light doth make manifest and its manifestation is its judgement the uttering of the words are but the declaration of what the light in the heart hath done before and cannot but do for as long as it is light where ever it come it will and cannot but discover and judge the darkness it meets with though the darkness cannot owne either its discovery or its judgment but must needs except against it Now if he cannot do this which is utterly impossibly for the dark spirit to do then in the next place he fortifies and hardens the heart as much as he can from receiving the judgement by perswading him to look upon it as the judgement of another spirit like his own and not as the judgement of the light And so what Paul said concerning mans judgement that it was a small matter to him to be judged by mans judgement the same will he say concerning this judgement And yet as the greatest judgement of man in the highest strain of the comprehending part shall fall so the lowest judgement of the light in the weakest child shall stand and all the exalted ones of the earth shall in due time fall before it though now in the present elevation of their minds they may rise high above it and trample it down Therefore be not afraid to judge deceit O ye weak ones but be sure that the light alone in you judge and lie very low in the light that that part which the light in you judgeth in others get not up in you while the light is making use of you to judge it in others And now ye poor lost souls who find the need of judgment and any willingness within you to embrace it wait first for the rising of the Judge of Israel in your hearts and in the next place wait for the joyning of your hearts to him both which are to be done by his eternal light which manifests and gives his life In the lowest shining of this light there is the judgement and there is the King himself who is not severed from the least degree or mersure of his own light bow down to him kiss his feet know the nature of the thing and subject to it worship him here in his humiliation receive him in his strokes in his smitings and observe and turn from that in your selves which smites him and ye shall one day see him in his majesty in the power of his love in his everlasting healings and embraces And know assuredly that that which will not worship him here will not be fit to worship him there nor shall not but shall only tremble at the dread of his majesty and be confounded at the sweetness of his love but not be able to bow down to it in the true life For that Spirit which is out of the life is shut out in its highest desires hopes attainments enjoyments seemingly spiritual rest universal love liberty and peace as well as in its darkest and grossest paths of pollution Therefore wait to know the nature of things that ye may not be deceived with the highest choicest and most powerful appearances of death in the exactest image of life not stumble at true life in its lowest and weakest appearance And this ye can only attain to by a birth of and growth up in the true wisdome which slaies that spirit which lives on the same things in the comprehension and gathers a stock of knowledge and experiences in its own understanding part These are words of tender love and they will also be words of true life where the Fathers earth opens to drink them in to whose good pleasure and blessing my soul commends them Some Propositions concerning the only way of Salvation 1. That there is no way of being saved from sin and wrath eternal but by that Christ alone which died at Jerusalem There is no name vertue life or power under heaven given by which lost man may be saved but his alone 2. That there is no way of being saved by him but through receiving him into the heart by a living faith and having him formed in the heart Christ saves not as he stands without at the door knocking but as he is let in and being let in he brings in with him that life power and mercy which breaks down the wall of partition unites to God and saves The Jews could not be saved formerly by belief of a Messiah to come with the observation of all the Laws and Ordinances of Moses nor can any now be saved by belief of a Christ already come with observation of all that the Apostles Commanded or Practised but alone by the receiving of him into the heart who there works out the Salvation 3. That there is no way of receiving Christ into the heart and of having him formed there but by receiving the light of his spirit in which light he is and dwels Keep out the light of the spirit keep out Christ let in the light of the spirit let in Christ for the Father and the Son are light and are alone known and received in the light but never out of it 4. That the way of receiving the light of the spirit into the heart and thereby uniting with the Father and the Son is by hearkning to and receiving its convictions of sin there The first operation of the spirit towards man lying in the sin is to convince him of the sin and he that receives not the convincing light of the spirit the work is stopped in him at the very first and Christ can never come to be formed in him because that light whereby he should be formed is kept out And then he may talk of Christ and practise duties pray read and meditate much and gather comforts from promises and run into Ordinances and be exceeding zealous and affectionate in all these and yet perish in the end Yea the Devil will let him alone if not help him in all this knowing that he hath him the surer thereby he being by the strict observation of these kept out of the danger of his condition which otherwise perhaps he might be made sensible of Object But I may be deceived in hearkning to a light within for while I think that I therein hearken to the light of the Spirit it may prove but the light of a natural conscience Answ 1. If it should be but the light of a natural Conscience and it draw thee from sin which separates from God and so prepare thee for the understanding believing and receiving what the Scripture saith of Christ this is no very

A. Letting in the light which convinceth of and warreth against sin the life stirs and is felt and the life leads to the word which was in the beginning and gives the feeling of that also And in the word the righteousnesse the peace the wisdom the power the love is felt and he is made all these to those who are led into and kept in the light And when the powers of darknesse appear with mighty dread and there is no strength to withstand them this lifts up a standard against them and calms all the tempests and cures all the wounds and diseases of the soul anointing it with the everlasting oil so that now I can sensibly and with clear understanding call it my Saviour the Captain of my salvation my Christ or anointed my Husband my King my Lord my God Q. Where doth this light shine A. In the darknesse at first but when it hath vanquished expelled and dispersed the darknesse it shines out of it Q. What is that darkness wherein the light shines A. Man mans heart mans conscience mans spirit This is the world which Christ the Sun of righteousnesse is the light of in every part whereof he causeth the rayes or beams of his light to shine at his pleasure though in no part the darknesse can comprehend the least shining of his light Q. How then can it ever be converted thereby A. The darknesse is not to be converted Every man in this state is reprobated and the wrath abideth on him So that the darknesse is rejected and man in the darknesse but man touched by the light made sensible of it and following it in the life and power which it begets is drawn out of the horrible pit and saved Q How may I do to find the light in the midst of the da●kness of my heart which is so great and this seed so small A. By its discovering and warring against the darknesse There is somewhat which discovereth both the open and secret iniquity of the corrupt heart following it under all its coverings of zeal holinesse and all manner of voluntary humility and self righteousnesse with which the true light ●●ver had unity and sometimes may cause secret misgivings that all is not well but there may be a flaw found in this covering and in the end it may prove too narrow for the soul This which thus warreth against the darknesse to bring people off from all false foundations to the true and living foundation this is the light and thus thou maist find it at some time or other at work in thy heart if thou mind it Q. Having found the light how may I come to feel the saving vertue and power of it A. By believing in it For the vertue and power springs up in the heart that believes in it Q. How can I believe in it am not I dead A. There is a creating a quickning power in the light which begets a little life and that can answer the voice of the living power Q. Yea If I could finde any such thing begotten in me then I might be drawn to assent that that though never so small might believe but surely my dead heart never can A. Hast thou never found a true honest breathing towards God hast thou never found sin not an imaginary but a real burthen This was from life there was somewhat begotten of God in thee which felt this It was not flesh blood in thee but somwhat from above And if this had known the spring of its life and not been deceived from it by the subtilty it would have fed upon and have grown up in the vertue and power of the spring from whence its life came Q. Why then by this all men have power to believe A. In the light which shines in all and visits all there is the power and this power strives with the creature to work it self into the creature and where there hath been the least breathing after life there hath been a taste of the power for this came from it But the great deceiver of souls lifts up mens mind in the imagination to look for some great appearance of power and so they slight and overlook the day of small things and neglect receiving the beginnings of that which in the issue would be the thing they look for Waiting in that which is low and little in the heart the power enters the seed grows the Kingdom is felt and daily more and more revealed in the power And this is the true way and door to the thing take heed of climbing over it Q. What is it to believe in the light A. To receive its testimony either concerning good or evil and so either to turn towards or from in the will and power which the light begets in the heart Q. How will this save me A. By this means that in thee which destroys thee and separates thee from the living God is daily wrought out and the heart daily changed into the Image of him who is light and brought into unity and fellowship with the light possessing of it and being possessed by it and this is Salvation Q. We thought salvation had been a thing to be bestowed hereafter after the death of the body but if it be thus then salvation is wrought out here A. So it is even in all that are saved for there is no working of it out hereafter but here it is wrought out with fear and trembling and the believer who is truly in unity with the life daily changed from glory to glory as by the Spirit of the Lord. Q. But shew more particularly how Faith or believing in the light worketh out the Salvation A. First it causeth a fear and trembling to seize upon the sinner The Lord God Almighty by the rising of his light in the heart causeth the powers of darknesse to shake the earth to tremble the hills and mountains to melt and the goodly fruit-Trees to cast their fruit And then the plant of the Lord springs up out of the dry and barren ground which by the dews and showers from above thrives grows and spreads till it fills Gods earth 2. In this fear and trembling the work of true repentantance and conversion is begun and carried on There is a turning of the Soul from the darknesse to the light from the dark power to the power of light from the spirit of deceit to the Spirit of truth from all false appearances and imaginations about holiness to that which the eternal light manifesteth to be truly so And now is a time of mourning of deep mourning while the separtion is working while the enemies strength is not broken and subdued and while the heart is now and then feeling it self still hankering after its old lovers 3. In the belief of the light and in the fear placed in the heart there springs up an hope a living hope in the living principle which hath manifested it self and begun to work For the Soul truly turning to