Selected quad for the lemma: nature_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
nature_n	divine_a	humane_a	personal_a	3,580	5	9.3191	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A37244	A work for none but angels & men that is to be able to look into and to know ourselves, or a book shewing what the soule is, subsisting and having its operations without the body ... : of the imagination or common sense, the phantasie, sensative memory, passions, motion of life, the local motion, intellectual power of the soul ... Thomas Jenner has lineas composuit.	Davies, John, Sir, 1569-1626.; Jenner, Thomas, fl. 1631-1656.	1658 (1658)	Wing D410; ESTC R27853	22,709	36

well enough if they could but have an artifice to get their sins pardoned that they might be freed from the punishment that is due to them and might be admitted into a sensuall heaven though they live to all eternity under the power of sin and wickednesse and never have the lest tast of the true heavenly Manna nor any knowledge of the name written on the white stone which no man knowes but he that hath it and therefore it will serve these mens turnes well enough if they may be freed from the punishment of sin while they love sin with all their hearts The true hearted christian is really departed out of wicked Sodom out of this noysome state of sin he is not so much solicitus about his state as about his life that he may still continue that heavenly life that is begun in him he is not so anxious about his justification in a proposterous method as about the sanctification of his heart and affection that is the best way to be assured of his justification he feeles the divine life in him and that he knowes can never sink him to hell he drinkes of the true springs of everlasting life and knowes he shall never see death he is not so much perplext about his future salvation because he findes he is already saved because it selfe hath taken him upon its wings and carries him away swiftly far from the region of death and Hell I beseech you let us not deceive our selves without such an inward frame of spirit as this is that is really crucifyed to the world and planted into Christ sucking life and influence from him God himselfe with what he can do without us would never make us happy Besides the destroying of this corrupt naturall and fleshly life we must also have a new and spirituall life begotten in us For as Christ and the divine nature did assume the humane nature to it selfe so likewise in every christian the divine life or the life of God must as it were assume the humane and created life of man and totally act it and inforce it this is the essence of the new creature this is the life and soul of christianity the marrow and quintessence of all religion to have a life wrapped up in man that is the very life of God himselfe and whosoever doth not pertake of this life whatsoever opinion he entertains in religion whatever outward forms of discipline he contends for whatever sects he belongs to he is either carnall or devilish For nothing of mans is pleasing unto God but that that God workes in man and by man and whatsoever workes with God according to that that is in God this is in a manner one spirit with God himselfe and whatsoever it doth it doth it in Forma Dei that is God using this mans soule and life and abilities doth act it in him But whatsoever perticular created life lives otherwise then the eternall life of God lives this sets up it selfe against God and this is the life of corrupt nature and the life of the Devill this is sin and nothing else to live otherwise then the eternal life of God lives and this was that that Christ came into the world to destroy and how doth he doe this surely no otherwise then by bringing Gods own life into the humanity Again for he himselfe was nothing else but a Tabernacle of God pitched amongst men nothing but a humane nature acted and disposed and guided by the life of God so that whatsoever Christ lives God lives in him now this must not only be done by Christ without us but the same also must be done within us One grosse mistake among men that yet pretend much to Religion that is very prejudiciall to the advancement of this spirituall righteousnesse that the Gospel requires of us and that is a conseite that men have whereby they think that salvation is a meer outward work and therefore may be wholly effected by outward means whereas it is nothing else for the substance of it but the inward transforming of our selves into the likenesse of God the reall translating of us out of the life of nature into the divine life or life of God or the begetting of a new and heavenly life in the soule of man that is the very same that doth every way agree with the life of God himselfe I say it with reverence God himselfe cannot make us happy by any thing without us but only by forming his own nature and likenesse in us they are carnall and earthly minded men and no way suitable to the state of glory and happinesse that fancy the happinesse of heaven to consist only in things without them and look upon it only as an outward place and not as an inward state and disposition of the soule I say therefore that salvation it is an inward thing and consists chiefly in being saved from our sins and being delivered from our own life and being translated out of the Kingdome of darknesse into the Kingdome of light and righteousnesse and it is not a Heaven without us though never so glorious and glistering a place nay it is not God without us that can make us truly and really happy but it is God inwardly setting himselfe in our soules and so dwelling in us that our sins may be so ruled and guided by the life of God as the members of our bodies are acted by our soules and when this is once done we shall at once live both the life of God and injoy the joy peace and happinesse of God himselfe which will all at once flow in upon us I would not be mistaken I doe not here deny but that there be some other inferiour circumstances belonging to the state of happinesse as the changing of these vild bodies of ours and instead of this earthly tabernacle that weighs down the minde as Solomon speakes when as our soules were as it were now buried in a heepe of flesh they shall receive an other more divine Tabernacle that Paul calls a spirituall body a more fit companion for our soules and many other such things answerable hereunto I say these things I doe not deny but yet all these things are of an inferiour nature and all depend upon the former the inward frame and disposition of the soule in which the substance of heaven and hell consist Now this being well consider'd and understood it is very plain that to thinke we can be saved without inward righteousnesse meerly by something done without us without the inward and reall change of our soules is all one as to thinke we can be saved without salvation or we can be made happy without the possession of happinesse though we must still remember the only procuring cause of our salvation is the death sufferings and satisfaction of Christ who was made a propitiation for our sins this is therefore the reason for which this inward righteousnesse before spoken of is to be urged in the Gospel not

A WORK For none but ANGELS MEN THAT IS To be able to look into and to know our selves OR A BOOK Shewing what the SOULE Is Subsisting and having its operations without the Body it s more then a perfection or reflection of the Sense or Temperature of Humours Not traduced from the Parents subsisting by it self without the Body How she exercises her powers in the Body the vegetative or quickning power of the Senses Of the Imagination or Common sense the Phantasie Sensative Memory Passions Motion of Life the Locall Motion Intellectuall powers of the soul Of the Wit Understanding Reason Opinion Judgement Power of Will and the Relations betwixt Wit and Will Of the Intellectuall memory which is the Souls store-house wherein all that is laid up therein remaineth there even after death and cannot be lost that the Soule is Immortall and cannot dye cannot be destroyed her cause cease●h not violence nor time cannot destroy her and all Objections answered to the contrary Thomas Jenner has lineas composuit In faelix qui pauca sapit spernitque doc●ri Such knowledge is too wonderfull for me it is high I cannot attaine unto it Psal 139.6 LONDON Printed by M. S. for Thomas Jenner at the South-Entrance of the Royall EXCHANGE 1658. Of the Soule of Man and the Immortality thereof Why since the desire to know did corrupt the roote of all mankind did my parents send me to Schoole that my minde might be inriched therewith for when our first parents cleere and sharpe reasons eye could have approached the eternall light as the Intellectuall Angells even then the Spirit of lies suggests that because they saw no Ill therefore they were blind and breathed into them a curious wish which did corrupt their will for that ill they straight desired to know which ill was nothing but a defect of good which the Devill could not shew while man stood in his perfection so that they were first to doe the Ill before they could attaine the knowledge of it as men by tasting poyson know the power of it by destroying themselves Thus man did ill to know good and blinded reasons eye to give light to passions eye and then he saw those wretched shapes of misery and woe nakednesse shame and poverty by experience Reason grew darke and could not discern the fair formes of God and truth and mans soul which at first was fair spotlesse and good sees her selfe spotted hanted with spirits impatient to see her own faults therefore turnes her selfe outward and sees the face of those things pleasing and agreable unto her sences so that she can never meet with her selfe The lights of Heaven which are the fair eyes of the World they looke down upon the World to view it and as they run and wander in the Skies they survey all things that are on the Center yet the lights mine eyes which see all objects farre and nigh look not into this little world of mine nor see my face in which they are fixed since nature fails us in no needfull thing why doe I want means to see my inward selfe which sight might bring me to the knowledge of my selfe which is the first degree to true wisdome that power which gave me ability to see externals infused an inward light to see my self by means of which I might have a perfect knowledge of my own form But as the eye can see nothing without the light of the Sun neither can the mind see her self without Divine light for how can art make that cleere which is dim by nature and the greatest wits are Ignorant both where she is and what she is one thinkes her to be Air and another fire and another Blood defused about the heart and that she is compounded of the Elements Musitians say our soules are Harmonies Physitians the complexions Epicures makes them swarmes of Atomes which by chance fly into our Bodies some again that one soule fills every man as the Sun gives light to every star others that the name of soule is a vain thing and that it is a well mixt body and as they differ about her substance so also where her seate is some lift her up into the Brain others thrust her down into the stomack some place her in the heart and others in the liver Some say that she is all in all and all in every part and that she is not contained but containes all and thus the learned Clerkes play at hazzard and let them say it is what they will there be some that will maintain it the only wise God to punish the pride of mens wits hath therefore wrought this confusion but he that did make the Soule of nothing and restor'd it when fallen to nothing that so we might be twice his can define her subtle forme and knowes her nature and powers To judge her selfe she must transcend her selfe for fetterd men cannot expresse their strength but now in these latter dayes those Divine Mysteries which were laid in darkness are brought to light and this Lampe of God which doth defuse it selfe through all the Region of the braine doth shew the immortall face of it VNDERSTANDING I once was Aegle ey'ed full of all light Am owle eyd now as dim as darke as night As through a glasse or Cloud I all thinges vew Shall on day see them in there proper hue MEMORIE A com̄on Jnne all com̄ers to reteyne A Siue where good run̄e out bad remayne A Burrow with a thousand vermine hydes A Den where nothinge that is good abides This she doth when from particular things she abstracts the Universall kinds which are immateriall and bodilesse and can be lodged no where else but in the minde And thus from divers acts and accidents which fall within her observation she abstracts divine power and virtue again how can she know severall bodies if she were a body the eye cannot see all colours at once nor the tongue relish all tasts at one time but successively nor can we judge of Passion except we be free from all passions nor can a Judg execute his office well if he be possest of either party if lastly this quick power were a body were it as swifte as fire or winde which blowes the on one way makes the other a spier her nimble body yet in time must move not slide through all places at an instant she is nigh and far above beneath in poynt of time which thought cannot devide she is as soon sent to China as to Spain and returnes as soon as sent she as soon measures the heavens as an ell of Silke As then the soule hath a substance besides the body in which she is confinde so hath she not a body of her own but is a spirit and a minde immateriall Since the body and soul have such diversities we may very well muse how this match began but that the Scripture tells us Zachariah 12.1 sayth the Lord which stretcheth forth the Heavens and layeth

Root and Fountaine of man kinde did draw corruption and Gods curse by sin this was a charge that did binde all his off-springe and so they all grew corrupted as when the hand sins the man offendes for part from whole in this the law doth not sever so Adams sin extends to whole mankinde for all natures are but part of his Therefore this sin of kind was not personall but reall and hereditary the guile and punishment whereof must pass by course of nature and law for as that easie law was given to all to Ancestor to heir first and last so the transgression was generall in our law we see some foot steps of this which take her root from God and nature Ten thousand men make but one corporation and these and their successors are but one and if they gain or loose their liberties they harme and profit not themselves alone but their Successors and so the Ancestor and all his heirs if they should increase as the Sand their advancements and forfitures are still but one his civill acts doe binde and harme them all There are a Crew of fellowes J suppose That angle for their Victualls with their nose As quick as Beagles in the smelling sence To smell a feast in Paules 2 miles from thence Trueth and a Lye did each a Lodging lack And to a Gallants Eare their course did take Trueth was put by being but meanly clad And in the Eare the Lye the Lodging had Next she useth the smell in the nostrels as into them at first God breathed life so now he makes his power to dwell in them to judge of all Aires whereby we live and breath this sence is Mistress of an Art to sell sweete perfumes to soft people yet it imparts but little good for they have the best smell that cannot away with any perfumes yet good sents doe awake the fancy refine the wit and purifie the Braine and old devotions did use incense to make mens spirits more apt for divine thoughts Lastly the power of feeling which is lifes roote which doth shed it selfe through every living part and extends it selfe from head to foot by sinewes as a net covering all the body or much like a spider which setteth in the midst of her web and if the outmost thread of it be touched she instantly feels it by the touch we discern what 's hard smooth rough what 's hot and cold and dry and moyst these are the outward instruments of the soule and the Guards by which every thing must passe into the Soule or aproacheth unto the minds intelligence or touch wits looking-glasse the Fantasie yet these Porters which admit all things themselves neither discern nor perceive them one Common power which sits in the forehead brings together all their proper formes For all those Nerves which carry spirits of Sense and goe spreading themselves to the outward Organ are there united as their Center and there they know by this power those sundry formes the outward Organs present things doe receive the inward sence retayne the things that are absent for she straightwayes transmits what she perceives unto the higher Region of the Brain Where sits the Phantasie which is the hand maid neer to the minde and so beholds and discerneth them all and things that are divers in their kinde compounds in one weigheth them in her Ballance and so some she esteemes good and some ill and some things neuterall neither good nor bad this busie power is working night and day when the outward sences are at rest a thousand light and phantasticall dreames with their fluttering wings keeps her still awake yet all are not alwayes afore her she successively intends this and that and what she ceaseth to see she commits to the large volume of the memory This Lidger Book lyes behinde in the Brain like Janus eye seated in the Poll and is the storehouse of the minde which much remembers and forgets more here sences apprehension ends as a stone cast into the Pond of Water one Circle makes another till at last it toucheth the Banke But although the apprehensive power do pawse yet the motive virtue is lively and causeth passions in the heart as joy griefe fear hope love and hate and these passions bring forth divers actions in our lives for all actions without the light of reason proceed from passion but since the powers of sence lodge in the Brain how comes passions from the heart it ariseth from the mutuall love and kind intelligence betwixt the Brain and the Heart From the kinde heat which raigns in the heart from thence the spirits of life takes their beginning these spirits of life ascending to the brain causeth a sensablenesse and imediately judgeth whether it be good or ill and sends down to the heart where all affections dwell a good or ill report and if it be good it causeth love and longing hope and well assured joy If it be ill it anoyes the heart with vexing grief and trembling fear and hatred Now if these naturall affections were good or if we had such strength of reason and especially grace for to rectifie natures passion we might be happy and not so often miscarry as we doe for we were but blocks without them besides there ariseth another motive power out of the heart which are the vitall spirits born in arteries and causeth continuall motion in all parts it makes the pulses to beate and lunges respier and holdes the sinewes like a Bridle so that the body retires or advanceth turns or stops as she strains or slackens them thus the soule tunes the bodyes instrument with life and sence fit instruments being sent by the body although the actions doe flow from the soules influence sometimes I will this yet I have not a power to expresse the working of the wit and will for though their roote be knit to the body yet use not the body when they use their skill WILL. Free to all ill till freed to none but ill Now this I will anon the same I nill Appetite ere while ere while Reason may Nere good but when Gods Spirit beares y e sway To these high powers there is a store-house where lyeth all Arts and generall reasons which remaine unto the soule even after death which cannot be washed away by any Loethean flood of forgetfulnesse This is the soule and these be her virtues which although they have their sundry proper ends and one exceed another yet each one doe mutually depend on the other our understanding is given us to know God and he being known our will is given us to love him but he could not be known to us here below but by his word and workes which we receive through the sences and as the understanding reapes the fruit of sence so the quickning power feeds the sences and while they do thus dispence their severall powers the best needeth the service of the least even as

or Gaole delivery for in this third life reason will be so bright as her sparkes will be like the Sun beames and shall the reall ●●ght enjoy of God being still increast by divine influence Then let us take up this acclamation O ignorant poor man what bearest thou lockt up in the casket of thy breast what Jewels and what riches and what heavenly treasure hast thou in so weak a chest Looke into thy soule and thou shalt see such virtues honour and pleasure and whatsoever is counted excellent in this life Thinke of her worth and then know that God did mean thy worthy mind should embrace worthy things Blot not her beauties with unclean thoughts neither dishonour her with thy base passions destroy not her quickning power with surfeitings and drunkennesse let not her sensitive power be mar'd with sensualities and fleshly desires let not her serious thoughts be employed on idle things and enslave not her will to vanity and whensoever thou thinkest of her eternity have not this evill thought of her that death is against her nature no assure thy selfe it is a birth in which she is brought forth to a better being and when thou comest to dye sing and rejoyce as a swan that thou art a going to blisse if thou have faith to beleeve in Jesus Christ that thy sinns may be forgiven thee and whereas before thou did'st fear as a child which is in the darke fear not now having this light brought into thee and now O thou my soule turn thine eye inward and view the rayes and beams of thy divine forme and know that whilst thou art clouded with this flesh of thine thou canst not know any thing perfectly study the highest and best things but retayne an humble thought of thy selfe cast down thy self and strive to raise the glorious and sacred name of thy Maker and blessed Redeemer use all thy powers to praise that blessed power which gives thee power to be and also power to use those powers thou art endewed withall and thus shut up all and say O the depth of the riches both of the wisdome and knowledge of God how unsearchable are his Judgments and his wayes past finding out Of him and through him and to him are all things to whom be glory for ever FINIS WHAT HEAVEN IS VINDICATED From the Vulgar mistakes and grosse conceivings of many some of which mistakes is mention made in this Title the rest of them manifested and enlarged in the ensuing Treatise AS I. Mistake of Heaven is that fancey the happinesse of Heaven to consist only in things without them and look upon it only as an outward place and not as an inward state and disposition of the Soule II. Grosse conceit of Heaven is as if it were nothing but a Theatre a place of sights and showes and God himselfe were nothing but a more Pompious spectacle there to be gazed upon by these bodily eyes whereas we are never at a distance from him but only in the dispersion multiplicity distraction and scattering of our bo●●●s and in the dissimilitude and disproportion of our soules unto him III. Another Vulgar and common mistake is that God doth not require any endeavours or activity of ours in the businesse of Heaven and that he deales with us in matters of Grace and Glory as meere stocks and stones and inanimall creatures and not in any way suitable to us as free and rationall for although we cannot make alive the new man in us yet we may concur to the killing and destroying of the old by refusing to satisfie the lusts and cravings of it IIII. Neither are we to entertain this conceit that God hath found out any other way to save his people from Hell and destruction without saving of them from their sins and wickednesses Infaelix cujus nulli sapientia prodest What Heaven is vindicated from the Vulgar mistakes and grosse conceivings of many False Gospellers undermine the true righteousnesse of God and make the Gospel nothing else but a slight imagination we should not entertain any such conceit as if Christ came with any new devise to bring men to heaven without the hard labour of mortifying their lusts as if the intent of his coming was to promulgate ease and liberty to the flesh and by his being crucifyed for us upon the Crosse to excuse our crucifying the old man in our hearts as if he had found out a way to save his people from hell and destruction without saving of them from their sins and wickednesses 1. The possibility of attaining that righteousnesse that is required of us in the Gospel it is by the power of Christ attainable or else none could enter into the Kingdome of Heaven He that is born of God sins not for his seed remaines in him and he cannot sin because he is born of God and must we needs say that he that is born of God can and may doe nothing else but sin is the immortall seed of Gods holy spirit of Gods eternall word in the hearts of true believers is nothing else but the seed of the Serpent and the Cockatrice Eggs it is possible that the divine nature that the Scripture speaks of should be nothing else but the nature of the Devil that Gods holy spirit in us shou●d make us habitations for it selfe to dwell in and yet suffer us at the same time to be vessells of sin and Satan is the end of the holy Gospel not at all to free us from sin by the power of Christ but only to spread a Purple vaile over us not all to destroy the works of the Devill in us but only to cover them from Gods avenging eye Is the end of the Gospel nothing else but to paliate over the diseases of our corruptions which remain in us ever sence the fall and not at all to cure them If so then surely the reason of this is either because Christ is not able to overcome sin and Satan in us as the Manikees of old dreamed or else because he is not willing and that is a greater disparagement to him then the former for the other robbs him only of the Glory of his power but this spoyles him of the Glory of his goodness as if Christ should envy that to us which of all other things is the most necessary to make us happy or as if God were not as carefull to advance his Kingdome of light here in the world as the Devill is to inlarge his Kingdome of darknesse as if God did not love his own butifull Image his own son and nature but would willingly suffer it to be choaked and smothered here in the world by those Fiends of darknesse whom he hath long since lockt and fettered up in chains of darknesse and reserved for the judgment of the great day Say's the Philosopher no man sets up a marke on purpose that men might misse it and shall God set up this marke of righteousnesse in the Gospel as a Butt