Selected quad for the lemma: life_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
life_n	blood_n	flesh_n	meat_n	9,640	5	9.2298	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A89645	A little starre, giving some light into the counsels and purposes of God revealed in the Scriptures. Or A catechisme, wherein these ensuing principles. 1. What God is, and how he manifests himselfe. 2 Why he made the world and man. 3. Mans condition, what, 1. by creation. 2. By his fall. 3. By being restored by Jesus Christ. 4 The uses and ends of the law. 5. What the Gospell is. 6. Justification what it is. 7. Sanctification what, and how it is wrought. 8. What repentance is. 9. The use and ends of the Scriptures. 10. What true prayer is. 11. Baptisme, and the Lords Supper, why, and how used. 12. Generall redemption what, and how to be adjudged of. 13. Resurrection and judgement what. 14. Heaven and Hell what, in truth and misterie. All which are briefly by way of question and answer opened and explained. / By VVilliam Mason.	Mason, William, Anabaptist.	1653 (1653)	Wing M948; Thomason E1505_1; ESTC R208669	86,553	204

were willing to use all means and content to stoop to weak Faith and mean capacities so that they could winne any to Christ Q. But the Apostle Paul writing to the Corinthians tels them that he had received of the Lord that which he delivered unto them For having blamed them for their abuse of that Ordinance comes at length to certifie them in the true and right use thereof saying that the end of it was to shew forth the Lords death till he come And further shewes the danger of unworthy receiving and Gods hand already upon them for the same Doth it not hereby appear very plaine that the Lords Supper is used from Christs own command and is dangerous either to omit or else to receive the same unworthily A. True indeed the Apostle writes these very words to the Corinthians but withall he shewes the reason why he deals thus tenderly with thnm 1 Cor. 3. 1 2 3 4. because he could not speak unto them as Spirituall he could not speak unto them how they should enjoy Christ and be made one with him in the Spirit for they were yet babes and apprehended nothing of Christ but what was held forth unto them in visible demonstrations or outward and carnall ordinances I have fed you saith he with milk and not with meat for ye are not yet able to beare it for ye are in a great measure Carnal and walk not in the Spirit but according to man or as men Where the Apostle shews that there be degrees of attainments among the Saints There be Children and there be Men. 1 Cor. 14. 20. There be Saints that be in a great measure Carnal and there are Saints that be Spiritual The Apostle John in his 1 Epist 2. Cap. 12. 13 14. Verses speaks of three degrees of attainments Little Children Fathers and young Men. Little Children are such as are weak in Faith and under many feares and doubts Fathers are such as have attained to a higher degree of the knowledge of God in the mystery of Christ Young Men are they that know their Union with the Father in the Sonne and who also live in this Union and are carried forth in the strength of the same to overcome Sinne and Satan and the World c. Now these Corinthians were Children and therefore the Apostle feeds them with Milk Christ is very tender of his Lambs he will carry them in his bosome if they cannot goe he willead them by the hand if they cannot digest strong meat he hath Milk for them he will not suffer one of them to perish or to miscarry But Children are not alwayes Children they grow in time to be Men and then they put away childish things For while they are Children and use Milk they are unskilfull in the word of Righteousnesse or mistery of Christ But when they come to a full age then they are able to use strong meat or understand mysteries their sences being exercised to discern both good and evill Now to these Children the Apostle commends Christs practice to his Disciciples in their weak and sad estate saying that there by they might be put in mind of Christs death till he come Intimating thereby that though they were yet babes and carnal and so not able to apprehend their union with Christ in the Spirit yet the time would come that Christ should appear in their hearts in a more glorious manner and then they should see him and know him in the Spirit with farre more comfort delight and satisfaction than in or by any outward or fleshly Ordinances whatsoever And that this comming of Christ is so to be understood is plain from his own words when he telleth his Disciples That he will not drink any more of the fruit of the Vine untill the day that he drink it new with them in his Fathers Kingdome Where he declareth very plain that though now he condiscended to their weakness and gave them those visible elements as signes and pledges that his love was very great towards them in thus dying for them yet when the Kingdome of God should come or that he himself come into their hearts in the spirit or comforter which was fulfilled in the day of Pentecost then they should be enabled to know and apprehend the love of God in and through him more than by any outward observations Yea those heavenly joyes and spirituall consolations arising from the love of God in Christ Jesus shed abroad in the soul should be abundantly more full of delight and satissaction unto them than the drinking of Wine For his Love is better than Wine To dwell in the use of outward Ordinances to put us in mind of Christs death is with Mary to stand weeping at the sepulcher when Christ is risen and gone and deserves justly that reproof which she met with in so doing Why seek ye the living among the dead And for that the Apostle tells them the danger of unworthy receiving he seems hereby to rebuke them for or to warn them of two great faults herein the which are also very common among them that rest in outward Ordinances either they make Idols of them and think to attain something by the use of them or else they use them carelesly hand over head not considering what they go about but meerly for custome and so prophane the same For which saith the Apostle God is displeased And indeed this Bread and Cup was as well to teach them their fellowship with Christ in suffering as to put them in mind of his death Ye shall indeed drink of my Cup. And if we suffer with him we shall raigne with him Q. But our Saviour Christ tells the Jews that except they eat the flesh of the Sonne of man and drink his bloud they have no life in them And that whoso eateth his flesh and drinketh his bloud hath eternall life for his flesh is meat indeed and his bloud is drink indeed and whosoever eat thereof shall live for ever Doth it not hence appear that in the partaking of this ordinance of the Lords Supper that the Souls of true believers are nourished and fed up to eternall life A. True indeed our Saviour speaks these words to the Jewes but that he doth not mean nor intend the eating and drinking of Bread and Wine is plainly declared in the same Chapter at the 28 Verse the people aske him What they should do that they might work the works of God He answers them That the work of God is to believe on him whom he hath sent But being carnal and led by sence require a sign saying What sign shewest thou that we may believe For our Fathers under Moses in the desart did eat Manna even bread from heaven and therefore they had reason to harken to Moses But if thou shew no sign nor work no great work why should we hearken to

thee or believe in thee Our Saviour answers Though your Fathers had Manna under Moses yet it was not that bread meaning the bread of life because they that did eat there of were dead but my Father gives you the true bread For the bread of God is he that commeth down from Heaven and giveth life unto the World And further tels them plain That he is the bread of life and tha● he that comes to him shall never hunger and he that believs on him shall never thirst And further shewes That this is the will of him that sent him that every one that so sees the Sonne as to believe on him should not perish but have everlasting life And againe Verily verily I say unto you he that believeth on me hath everlasting life For I am that bread of life which whosoever eats of shall not die but live for ever The Jewes being carnal and understanding his words carnally strove among themselves saying How shall this man give us his flesh to eat To which he solemnly answers Except ye eat the flesh of the Sonne of man and drink his bloud ye have no life in you And he that eateth my flesh and drinketh my bloud hath eternall life For my flesh is meat indeed and my bloud is drink indeed By all which passages it doth appear very plain that by eating and drinking the flesh and bloud of Christ is not to be carnally understood of eating bread and drinking wine but spiritually of believing in him and being united and made one with him As Verse 56. He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my bloud dwelleth in me and I in him That is he that believeth in me indeed he is made one with me in the Spirit and so partaking of the same Spirit together he dwels in me and I in him Againe as the Father who sent me is a fountaine of life and I live by being one with him So he that eateth me or so believeth in me as to be united to me even he also shall live by being one with me To eat the flesh of Christ and drink his bloud in an outward Ordinance of bread and wine is but to know him after the flesh But they in whom Christ lives and they live in him and are taken into Union with him by being one Spirit with him They do not know him any more after the flesh nor have any confidence in fleshly Ordinances But they believing in him or dwelling in him and he in them from this Union in the Spirit doth flow up in them rivers of living waters abundance of spirituall joy peace and heavenly consolations Alas he that goes to the weak and empty elements of bread and wine shall not be satisfied but hunger againe and thirst againe because there is no satisfaction in them But whoso partake of Christ indeed and are made one with him indeed he gives unto them such a water as shall abundantly satisfie their souls that they shall never thirst that is they shall never be so destitute of true and heavenly comfort and joy as to seek for them in a carnall and fleshly Ordinance in an empty Cistern where is nothing to be had But the water which Christ doth give is himself which shall be in the Saints a fountain of all true and sound comfort and joy springing up to all eternity In the 22. of the Revelations 1 2. there is mention made of a pure River of water of Life proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb and in the middest of the street of it and of either side of it was the tree of life which bare twelve manner of fruits and yeelded her fruit every moneth c. This pure River of water of Life is that rich Fountaine or Spirit and Power of Love proceeding eternally from the Father in and by the Son out of which infinite Love and Goodnesse growes this tree of Life eternall Life which is Christ proceeding transcendently from the infinite Love of the Father to all poor saints in and by his Son Christ Jesus In the 46. Psalme 4. it is said That there is a River the streames whereof do make glad the Citty of God The holy place of Tabernacles of the most high c. Now this City and holy place of Tabernacles is nothing else but the Saints in whom the Lord delights to dwell And this River whose streams make joyfull this City is that unspeakable and unconceiveable Love of God in Jesus Christ when the Lord is pleased to reveal or manifest himself to poor Saints so as to let them see and know their adoption by Jesus and to make them understand their union in the Spirit with him in Jesus And also that now he loves them as he loves Jesus Christ they being taken into the same Spirit or divine nature with him from hence then grows up this tree of life Then the poor Saints apprehend life life eternall and they now begin to live indeed Not any more a carnall but a spirituall life not onely a naturall or temporall but an eternall life Christ who is this tree of life lives in them and because he lives they shall live also And this tree of life or Christ living and growing in them it beares twelve manner of fruits or abundance and variety of heavenly graces and comforts Love joy peace gentlenesse kindnesse patience prayers praises c. And this tree also yeelds fruit every moneth fresh springs of joy and rejoycing yea fresh springings of joy unspeakable and full of glory For Christ who is eternall life shall so manifest himself to them that they shall see him and by beholding of him shall be made like unto him and transformed into his Image even his Image of glory and shall so live in the same from one degree to another as it is perfected in this life untill it be compleated in endlesse glory Now they in whom Christ who is this tree of life thus dwells and manifests himself need not dig for water or run to broken Cisterns fleshly and carnall ordinances and thence return empty men may like the Prodigall live upon huskes till they are almost pined But if ever they come to themselves if ever the Lord be pleased to clear up their eyes so as to let them see and apprehend their union with him in the Spirit through Christ Jesus Then they will say In my Fathers house is bread enough Then they will see and know that Christ is this bread of life and this water of life and that whoso eates and drinks thereof that is so believes on him as to be united and made one with God in him shall never hunger nor thirst after any barren or empty comforts from outward and carnall Ordinances but shall have in them fresh springs of joy and endlesse consolations flowing unto all eternity But they which

believe not in him and are not thus united and made one with him in the Spirit though they eat his flesh and drink his bloud namely in the carnall and outward use of Bread and Wine yet they have no life in them neither shall they enjoy any true comfort in him nor eternall life by him but shall goe into condemnation Q. But is it not said in the Scriptures that Christ died for all men and that as by the offence of one judgement came upon all men to condemnation so by the righteousnesse of one the free gift came upon all men to justification of life How say you then that some go into condemnation A. Christs death did in some respect reach forth it self unto all men God had a glorious design in making of man and for this end did bring forth this outward creation of all things to be subservient to his glory to help forward this design yea and the Lord was rich in mercy and store and abundantly provided aforehand to keep this design on foot for Christ was that Lamb prepared and slain before the foundation of the world Now if Christ had not died in the purpose and account of God before man had actually sinned then there had been an utter subversion and dissolution not onely of mankind but also of the whole Creation by mans sin But now the death of Christ coming between divine wrath and the whole creation did still give a being unto the same that it should be serviceable in helping forward this glorious design And upon this account meerly it is namely by the death of Christ that all men even the most wicked enjoy a temporall life health riches yea all outward things whatsoever for in this sence he is said to save or preserve man and beast for he doth good to all and makes his Sun to shine and his Rain to fall upon the just and unjust namely the Sun and Rain of his outward providence and thus Christ died for all men and so he is the Saviour of all men But there is a more especial salvation as the Apostle saith He is the Saviour of all men but especially of them that believe and this salvation is not that outward or temporal salvation but an inward and spiritual one and is peculiar onely to them that believe in him and are made one with him and upon this ground it is that the Apostle saith as by the offence of one judgement came upon all men to condemnation even so by the righteousnesse of one the free gift came upon all men to justification as if he had said that as Adam by sinning brought all men into a state of sin and so of condemnation so all that are justified unto life are made just by the free gift and grace of God by faith in the righteousnesse of Jesus Christ so that the words doe not extend that as all men fell in Adam so all without exception should be justified and saved by Christ but onely they who by faith lay hold on the righteousnesse of Christ the which the Apostle declares at large in the 3 4 5 6 7. Chapters In the 3. Chapter he proves all men to be under sin and that by the workes of the Law no man can be justified and that God hath set forth Christ to be a propitiation that whosoever believes should be justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in his bloud In the 4. Chapter he tells them that even Abraham was not justified by or for any work which he wrought but onely by faith in Christ Jesus and that faith was reckoned unto him for righteousnesse and so it shall be to all that doe believe In the 5. Chapter he tells them that justification by faith brings peace and joy into the soul which justification by the work of the Law could not doe because the work was ever doing but never done and they looked upon God in that estate as ever angry But now sayes he we have peace with him and can joy in tribulations for though in Adam we were under condemnation yet now believing in Jesus and looking to him for righteousnesse we are justified unto life Thus the Apostle is farre from intending a general redemption but an especiall salvation by faith in Jesus Christ peculiar onely to them that believe Q. But the Apostle writing to Timothy exhorts that prayer be made for all men because he will have all men to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth and further saith that Christ is the Mediator between God and man who gave himself a ransome for all And the Apostle John saith That Christ is the propitiation for the sinnes of the whole world How say you then that salvation is peculiar onely to them who doe believe A. For the clearing of this the meaning of these Scriptures must be inquired into The Apostle indeed exhorts that prayers intercessions and giving of thankes be made for all men for Kings and all in authority and gives a twofold reason First in respect of themselves that so they might live in quietnesse and godlinesse under them The second reason respects God it is his will he is well pleased with our praying for them because he will bring some of all sorts high and low to the knowledge of the truth that so they may be saved And if he say what must we pray for the Gentiles for our Governours are no Jewes is it lawfull to pray for them Yea saith the Apostle God will have all to be saved Gentiles as well as the Jewes for there is but one God and he is the God of the Gentiles as well as of the Jewes and there is but one Mediator between God and man even the man Christ Jesus who gave himself to ransome the Gentiles as well as the Jewes and this mystery was not known to former ages but now in due time it is to be manifested and for this very purpose saith he I am ordeined a Preacher and an Apostle to bring this good tydings to the Gentiles and to assure their hearts that if they believe in Christ they shall be saved and thereof you need not doubt for as Christ who is truth is in me so that which I speak is truth And hereto agrees that of the Apopostle Peter in Acts 10. 34. That God is no respecter of persons but in every Nation Gentiles as well as Jewes he that feareth him and worketh righteousnesse is accepted of him shewing plainly that the purpose of God in bringing in the Gentiles was a secret to that day but now was revealed And where the Apostle John saith That Christ is the propitiation for the sinnes of the whole world he doth not mean every particular person in the world but onely they who walk in the light as God is in the light even these the bloud of Christ doth