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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
nature_n	death_n	sin_n	sin_v	3,797	5	9.4651	5	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A61645	A stock of divine knowledge, being a lively description of the divine nature, or, The divine essence, attributes, and Trinity particularly explaned [sic] and profitably applied the first, shewing us what God is : the second, what we ought to be / by the late learned and laborious preacher, and worthy instrument of Gods glory, Richard Stock ...	Stock, Richard, 1569?-1626.	1641 (1641)	Wing S5693; ESTC R34616	191,839	352

kept by God if he would he might leave them and then they are mutable This Immutability not to be subject to corruption is properly attributed to the divine Essence that it is so is manifest in this place I have read Hee onely hath immortality 1 Tim 1.17 he cals him the King immortall the same is in Psal 102.26 27. They shall change speaking of the heavens and the earth but thou shalt endure thy yeeres never faile so the Apostle saith Heb. 2.12 And this shall suffise for this question Quest For what cause is the divine Essence free from corruption and alteration Answ The answer is Because the power of it is so great that it cannot be corrupted by any power whatsoever Secondly because it is without quantity and cannot be lesse or greater Thirdly because it is without quality and cannot be better or worse nor in any other condition we will manifest these severally First concerning Gods power Christ saith Iohn 10.26 My Father that gave them me is greater then all and no man is able to pull them out of his hand why because there is no power greater then himselfe And this is the nature of every thing to preserve it selfe If any thing had power enough it would not be corrupted we apply this to God that hath all power none can corrupt him our Saviour Christ alledgeth that place Ioh. 10. to shew that his sheepe can never perrish why because my father that gave them me is greater then all Saint Augustine useth these words If any of these sheepe perish speaking of the children of God God is overcome by the faculty of man or some power that comes from him Secondly againe God is without quantity and therefore can be neither lesser nor greater as Saint Augustine saith he is great without quantity and wher there is no quantity there can be no diminution for God cannot be lesser or greater he cannot be greater for then he should not be infinite and he cannot be lesser for then he should cease to be infinite and therfore he cannot be lesser or greater so is voyd of all alteration Thirdly againe he cannot be better or worse why he cannot be beter for then he should not be perfect he cannot be worse for then he should cease to be perfect neither can he be in a lesse good estate for if he be then he loseth the good he had and takes the ill he had not if he lose the good he had then hee wants and so still should be imperfect and therefore hee is thus without quality c. so immutable Vse 1. This confirmes us that we serve the true God and not the false Gods of these nations because we serve the Immortall and the Immutable God they serve false Gods because their Gods are mutable how appeares this thus because their Poets which were their prophets tell us they were Adulterers c. and the Apostle saith they were subject to sinne because for sinne death went over all flesh therefore they are false Gods and they serve false Gods Saint Bernard speaking of celestiall creatures sayth they are subject to sinne for the Angels some of them sinned and became divels and some of them did not sinne not because they were not able to sinne but for that God assisted them that they sinned not they also were subject to sinne and so to death after their kind for there is none free no not the Angels by their nature but as they are established by Christ So that we see the Gods of the nations are false Gods and as they say they are Gods of the mountaines and not of the valleis Vse 2. The second vse is to establish the certainty of our faith because God is immutable we trust not to mutable man wee make not flesh our Arme whose breath is in his nostrils but we trust upon him that is immutable Heere is the certainty of our faith our strength rests not in us but in him on whom it is built and it is with us as it is with children who have but a weake hand and arme notwithstanding if they be helped by their father who is a strong man they can performe something wherein is the childs strength it is plaine it is not in the childe but in the father so saith Saint Bernard man holds not God but God him And this is the comfort that we have when we feele our faith weake we are kept by the power of God unto salvation Therefore this Attribute sheweth that our faith being so kept can never faile I doe not doubt for the Disciples began to doubt we hoped that this man should have redeemed Israel but it cannot faile for it must needes be certaine because grounded and built upon God Vse 3. The third use is matter of comfort to all those that are Gods children and so in the love of God what is their comfort their King that loveth them is immortall they have not the favour of a mortall King but of an immortall King how great is that worldly honour that earthly joy and that temporall rest that many men have in the favour of Princes and yet notwithstanding what are these Princes even mortall such as must most certainely die and none can tell how soone this therfore is a vaine thing to trust to for we see in what a trice Nebuchadonozer was taken away and Belshazzer his sonne even in a moment all their honour was taken away and layd in the dust yea and more then this they that have the favour of earthly Princes abuse it and grow proud and insolent of their inferiors who as soon or before as the Kings bones be cold labor to pluck them down from their excellency as Bathsheba said to David 1 King 1.21 When thou my Lord shalt be gathered to thy fathers I and Solomon shall be reputed offenders So they may say when the king shall be gathered to his fathers they shall be counted vile so that this is a comfortlesse comfort to depend upon a mortall man but here is the comfort and happinesse of those that have the favour and countenance of God they depend upon the favour of an immortall King that never dies but ever lives and will preserve all those that are his they need not feare any earthly power if they have confidence in Christ they need not feare if their owne corruptions doe not provoke God so then we see here is matter of comfort to Gods people they have the love of an immortall king that lives for ever and loves for ever and will be their God and the God of their seeed Therefore parents if they labour to make their children great let them not have that excessive care to get riches for them but labour to make them religious that God may care for them that same that Barzillat said to David 2. Sam. 19.37 When David would have had him to go over with him no saith he take my Sonne and we see David gave Solomon charge

not because he was sent but because he proceeds both from the Father and the Sonne and that is this which Saint Augustine observes when he gave the Spirit he breathed upon the Apostles Iohn 20. to signifie that when he gave the spirit it was proceeding and this is the same which the Psalmist called the breath of God Psal 33.6 by the word of God were the heavens made and the host of them by the breath of his mouth and thereupon he is said to be the breath of the Sonne also in 1 Thes 2.8 he shall consume Antichrist with the breath of his mouth further that he did proceed from the Father is manifest by the place which we have read Iohn 15.26 and that he proceeds from the Son Iohn 15 16. all that the Father hath is mine so he saith he shall receive of mine therefore the procession is from them both so that when our Saviour Christ saith that it proceeds from the Father he doth not exclude himselfe but after a speciall manner of speaking he sets his name after the name of his Father Why because he hath his person from the Father and the holy Ghost received it from them both therefore we may give it to the Father as the beginning and this shall suffise to manifest this therefore we will conclude as Saint Nazianzen doth How is it that the Sonne is of the Father and the holy Ghost is of them both comming from them both differently the Sonne from the Father as the light from the light hee shines by the manner of begeting the holy Ghost he is from the lights not by manner of generation but by manner of procession The third distinction by which he is different from the other is the worke of Sanctification Rom. 1.4 therefore the name of life is given to him it is he that mortifies the old man and quickens the new man Rom. 8.7 The law of the Spirit of life hath freed us from the law of sinne and of death therefore he is after compared to water Iohn 3.5 Except a man be borne of water and the holy Ghost now the nature of water is to cleanse and to make fruitfull and to revive things that are ready to dye so the Spirit is he that cleanseth us from our filthinesse so in Ezek. 36.21 I will power cleane water upon you and you shall be cleansed from all your filthines What is that in the 27. verse I will powre my Spirit upon you so that the Spirit you see is compared to water In this respect also it is compared to fire Mat. 3. He shall baptise you with the holy Ghost and with fire that doth quicken up the heart and cheare it and sanctifie it therefore hence it is in many places that holinesse is called the fruit of the Spirit Gal. 5.22 the fruits of the spirit are joy and peace gentlenesse meeknesse long-suffering c. all these are fruits of the spirit therefore it followes that the holy Ghost is he that hath this worke of sanctifying the elect Quest Why say we that he is the third person in the deitie and so God Answ Because he hath the name of Jehovah Secondly Essentiall Attributes Thirdly workes proper to God Fourthly divine worship and therefore he is God First the name Jehovah is given unto him that appeares by these texts of the old testament Ier. 1.14 Ezek. 1.4 and so in the new testament is given him the name of Jehovah Act. 7.51 You stiffe necked that resist the spirit of God as did your fathers so doe you they resisted him in the Prophets and you now do follow them resisting him in the Apostles one place more Isai 6.9 that which is said The Lord saith go and make the heart of this people fat that same 28. Acts 20. the Apostle Paul saith The holy Ghost spake by Esai as the Prophet and therefore the name Jehovah being a peculiar name given to none but to him that is naturally God the spirit having this name must needs be God Secondly there are given unto him Essentiall Attributes now Essentiall Attributes are foure principally eternity ubiquity omniscience omnipotency all these are given to the spirit first he is eternall for before the beginning he moved upon the waters and Heb. 9.14 He is called the eternall spirit Secondly omnipresence Psal 139. Whither shall I goe from thy spirit the holy Ghost is said to dwell in the Saints Rom. 8.9 2 Cor. 1.16 1 Iohn 2.27 arguing that it is proper to him to be every where Thirdly he is omniscient and knowes all things Iohn 14.26 He shall teach you all things Iohn 16.13 He shall lead you into all truth 1 Cor. 2.10.11 He searches the hidden things of God and no man knowes the hidden things of God but the spirit Fourthly omnipotent because it is he that casts out divells Matth. 12. The spirit of God casts c. this cannot be done by any created power but he must be God that doth it 1 Cor. 12. It is God that worketh all in all And in the 11. verse The spirit worketh all these things and therefore he must be omnipotent and so by these foure Attributes we see he is God Againe he must needs be God for the proper works of God are given to him Gen. 1.2 The spirit moved upon the waters that is preserving them Iob 26.13 The spirit of God hath garnished the heavens So in the 33. Iob 4 The spirit of the Almighty hath made me Psal 33.6 By the word of the Lord were the heavens made and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth Fourthly because divine honour and worship cannot be without sacriledge given to any person that is not God but is given to him Mat. 28.19 Baptizing them in the name of the Father Sonne and holy Ghost And so the Apostle praies the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God the father and the Communion of the holy Ghost Nazianzen hath sufficient to this purpose he saith he whom the Church doth professe to believe in is God now the Church doth professe to believe in the holy Ghost so that by these it necessarily followes that hee is God Quest How comes he to proceed from the father and the Sonne Answ Because he received from the father and the sonne the whole Essence communicated to him by way of procession that we manifest thus the Sonnes begetting of the Father you heard to be by receiving the whole Essence from him by way of begetting so the holy Ghost is sayd to proceed from the Father and the Sonne because he received the whole Essence from them by way of proceeding the thing is manifest that he proceeded from the Father and the Sonne and therefore is not said to be begotten but to proceed and as the Scripture hath been strict and carefull to reserve these relations unconfounded so the Church hath diligently imitated them and alwaies saies that the Sonne is begotten and the holy Ghost proceeds

God Answ Because he is equall to God Secondly because the name Jehovah is given unto him Thirdly because Essentiall Attributes are attributed to him Fourthly proper workes and so divine workes are given to him to explane these First we say he is equall to God Iohn 16.15 All that the Father hath is mine It is manifest that there is equality an adopted sonne cannot say that all that my father hath is mine he cannot chalenge it but Christ chalengeth this to himselfe therefore necessarily it must be that he is God Philip. 2.6 He that was in the forme of God thought it no robbery to be equall with God by forme is meant Essentiall forme whereby he was equall to God not an accidentually forme as men are said to be partakers of the divine nature but if he have a forme that was equall to God it must be an Essentiall forme it appears the Apostle saith that he tooke upon him the forme of a servant what was that not the shape of man but the Essentiall forme of a servant so also he was in the Essentiall forme of God and therefore equall to God Col. 2.9 The Godhead dwelt in him bodily If the son of man be man because he hath all the parts of man because he hath the same kind by generation Christ then having the same spirituall nature must necessarily be equall with God The second thing the name Jehovah is given unto him a title as we heard before which is given to none but the true God so the Psalmist Psal 83.18 Thou whose name alone is Iehovah That this is given to Christ appears Ier. 22.5.6 speaking of raising up a branch of David he saith in the 6. verse They shall call him Iehovah our righteousnesse and in 33. Chap. 15.16 verses He shall be called the Lord our righteousnesse A multitude of other places might be noted in the old Testament he is called Jehovah in the new Testament it is said that they tempted Christ in the wildernesse 1 Cor. 10.1.6 there it is said that they tempted the Lord whence it followes that the name Jehovah was given to Christ Thirdly Essentiall Attributes are given to him as in that place before all that the Father hath is mine eternity omnipotency c. Iohn 1.1.2 In the beginning was the word c. omnipresency being in every place Matth. 18.20 Where two or three are gathered together in my name there I am in the midst of them Matth. 28.20 I will be with you till the end of the world Iohn 3.13 Who is he that ascended but he that descended Intimating that while he was upon the earth he was in heaven c. omnisciency knowing all things Matth. 12.15 He knows the thoughts of mens hearts Iohn 21.17 Lord thou knowest that I love thee for thou knowest all things omnipotency so it appears Iohn 5 19. All that the Father doth the same doth the Sonne and all that the Sonne doth the same doth the Father Philip. 3.21 Being strengthened by his mighty power by which he is able to do all things so that these things being given to him he must be God Lastly proper workes of God are given to him as creation that is given to him Iohn 1.3 He created all things that were made Heb. 1.10 The holy Ghost said that he created and so the working of miracles as to raise up the dead these were the workes of God Lastly divine worship is given to him Iohn 5.23 That all men might honour the Sonne as they honour the Father That which is given to the Father may be given to the Sonne which could not be except he were God c. Iohn 4.14 You beleeve in the Father beleeve also in me Acts 7.50 Lord Iesus receive my soule So the Apostle The grace of our Lord Iesus Christ be with you Philip 2. At the name of Iesus every knee shall bow that is all should worship him therefore it necessarily followes that he is God c. and so you have this explaned Quest Why is he said to be begotten of the Father Answ Because he received the whole Essence by communication not by alienation in which there is no motion Saint Ambrose saith the Sonne is begotten without passion without action so that he communicates the whole Essence to him Col. 2.9 In him dwells all the Godhead bodily Essentially as a candle receives light without corruption as the sunne that communicates his beames and hath no dimunition Quest But why say you that he redeemes the elect Answ Because he only tooke the nature of man gave himselfe as a price to set them free from death and hell and reconciled them to God from the worke of redemption we exclude not the Father yet notwithstanding there is a difference the Father sends his Sonne the Sonne gave himselfe the holy Ghost applies it but the manner of redemption is far different what is that he tooke the nature of man and so the word was made flesh and satisfied the justice of God and thus he onely paid the price Mat. 20.28 He gave himselfe a ransome Acts 20.28 He purchased them with his bloud Titus 2.14 He gave himselfe for them that they might be a peculiar people unto himselfe and therefore he must be a person distinguished and thus we have runne thorough this description Vse 1. The use is First for the matter of confutation this must informe us how we ought to beleeve to salvation concerning the Sonne that we may avoid their heresies which say that he is not God by nature but by office neither may we thinke that because it is said he is begotten there was a time wherein he was not for he was from eternity Saint Basil speaking to them of his time take heed of this saith he when we say that he was begotten we doe not say that he was after the Father but shew whence he had his person nor make him inferior in time but shew that he had his person from the Father take heed therefore of this though we cannot see this yet we are to beleeve it by faith This generation of Christ is to be adored by silence and faith and not to be enquired into he was begotten when there was neither time nor spectator neither was there any interpreter to tell us Why then should the minde of man imagine and speake of this any more the Apostle Paul speaking of his generation as man 1 Tim. 3.16 saith Great is the mystery of godlinesse God manifested in the flesh this was a mystery if this was so great a mystery what is the divine generation some shadow it after this manner it is no unreasonable thing that the begetter and the begotten should be both at one and the same time the minde begets a reason the minde is the begetter and the reason begotten are both at one and the same time Saint Austin saith it is no absurd thing to say that the begetter and the begotten may be together as there are in a candle

lighted two things the light and the fire if the question be what is the cause of the light the answer must be fire but if we should aske whether the light or heat were first we could answer they are both together if it may be thus in the creature how much more in the creator Vse 2. This in the next place commends unto us the love of Christ though he was God and equall to God the Father though he was the eternall and infinite God yet he became our redeemer the worke doth not so much commend his love as the manner of the working if comparisons may be here modestly admitted it seemes there is a greater love that Christ doth manifest then the Father c. the Father sheweth his love in appointing and sending and giving but the Sonne gives himselfe for us the Fathers love is apparent Isai 45.4.5 I will give men for thee c. where God shewes his love to the intent saith the Lord that I might free thee I put thee into their hands yet what are these these are nothing in comparison of his love in redeeming his elect he put his owne Sonne into his enemies hands so we may see Iohn 3.16 So God loved the world Rom. 5. God sets forth his love that when we were enemies Christ died for us Yet notwithstanding see the greatnesse of the love of Christ in this he being God humbleth himselfe to the lowest degree that he might redeem his as first he tooke flesh Secondly he dies c. Now all this is grounded upon this that he being God humbleth himselfe laying aside all his glory to the death of the crosse What shall I say what could he have done more this amplifies the love of Christ to give himselfe freely there was no necessity of nature or sinne compelled him but meerly voluntarily that he might redeem us Saint Augustine saith doe you thinke that the spears could have pearced him unlesse he himselfe had suffered it as he saith Matth. 26. I could intreat my Father and he could give me more then twelve legions of Angels but yet he being the mighty Sonne of God laies all aside and puts on all basenesse what of all this this should provoke us to thankfullnesse as David in 116. Psal to say What shall I render to Christ for all his benefits Israel when they were delivered out of Egypt and passed the red seas sung a song c. if such a small thing required this what doth this that we are delivered from sinne and Sathan require It is not enough that we sing songs and speake good words but let Christ have his end for which he hath redeemed us what is his end Luke 1. That we should serve him in holinesse and righteousnesse all the daies of our lives let us give our selves to his service and feare 2 Sam. 19.9 There the people reason after this manner David hath delivered us out of the hand of our enemies and shall we be slack thus we should speake to our hearts hath Christ delivered us from death and the thraldome of Sathan and shall we be slack in giving honour to Christ Ezra 9.13.14 the people reason thus that being delivered say they shall we turn back again c. how then should every one speake to his owne heart thou hast tasted of this and shall I turne backe againe and transgresse against Christ therefore learne to remember what the Apostle saith Titus 2.14 He hath redeemed us a people to himselfe to be zealous of good workes and thou that condemnest well ordered zeale thou hast no dram of religion in thee for no true zeale no religion thou criest out of zeale thou art a slave to Sathan still therefore let every man bring forth righteousnesse and deny ungodlinesse and live soberly in this presen world walking and glorifying God here that we may be glorified of him hereafter OF GOD THE HOLY GHOST CHAP. XXVII JOHN 15.26 The spirit of truth which proceeds from the faber he shall c THE third person of the Trinity is the holy Ghost Quest What is the holy Ghost Answ He is the third person of the Diety proceeding from the Father and the Sonne sanctifying the elect The thing that is described is the spirit which in the Scriptures signifies many things it may be reduced to these heads I will but name them First it hath relation to the creature Secondly to the creator as it hath relation to the creature the word signifies many things I will but name them sometimes it signifies power sometimes the soule of man sometimes the life of beasts sometimes Angels sometimes naturall motions in the heart of man and divers others which I passe over In respect of the creator it hath a double signification and it is taken Essentially and personally Essentially and so all the three persons of the Trinity are said to be a spirit according to this we have it Iohn 4.24 God is a spirit where the whole Diety is put under the name of spirit Secondly it is taken personally in the Diety concerning whom spirit may signifie two things either the person or the gifts the person it selfe it is manifest in this place the spirit that proceeds from the Father the gifts and graces of the spirit 2 Kings 2.19 Let thy spirit be double upon me So Numb 7.11 1 Thes 5.19 Quench not the spirit understanding it of the grace of the spirit againe I say the third person I need not stand upon that to shew that it is a person common to him with the other all persons are distinct one from another really and truly he is a person distinct three waies in order in property and working in order he is the third person in property he proceeds from the Father and the Son in working sanctifying the elect the Father is the first not in time not in dignity but in order so the Son the second and so the holy Ghost the third we adde the third person in the Diety that we may have occasion to manifest that he is God as well as the other that he is God there may be many testimonies Samuel 27.23 David the sweet singer of Israel the Lord God spake by me the Lord said that that is in the former the Lord and God in the next is said to be the spirit Acts 5.34 Peter said to Ananias why have you lied to the holy Ghost and in the fourth verse You have not lied to men but unto God that in 1 Gor. 3.16 You brethren are the temples of God and the holy Ghost dwelleth in you temples of God and temples of the holy Ghost both one The next thing I say is the third person proceeding from the Father and the Sonne his property is proceeding he is as Athanasius Creed hath it not made not begotten but proceeding That he doth proceed from the Father and the Sonne appeares first by these places that he is affirmed to be the Spirit of the Father and the Sonne