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
A88816	Gospel-separation separated from its abuses; or The saints guide in Gospel-fellowship. Whereby they may be directed not onely to preserve the purity, but withall the unity of Gospel-worship: by a well-wisher to Sions purity and unity, R.L. Imprimatur. Joseph Caryl.	Lawrence, Richard, d. 1684.	1657 (1657)	Wing L676; Thomason E1613_5; ESTC R202679	77,723	176

the infirmities of the weak and not to please our selves for even Christ pleased not himself but as it is written The reproaches of them that reproached thee fell upon me and that this is not onely a duty but a special duty to all Saints See further Eph. 4.6 1 John 1.3 and 2 13. Mal. 2.10 John 4.21 23. John 6.45 2. For the Minor or second Proposition none can deny that doth not deny the Scripture consider the first Epistle of Iohn 3.1 2. compared with verse 10. Galat. 3.26 27. Isaiah 62.12 Deut. 28.9 Isa 13.3 Act. 20.32 with a multitude of other places it is hard to read a Chapter that affords no evidence to this truth So that I conclude this Argument in every part of it fully cleared I might draw from this head many more Arguments of equal strength as from the Fathers visible Covenant with special promises unto the Saints positive precepts for this union of Saints upon the principle of visible grace c. But I shall leave them to the Readers meditation to enlarge and come to the second head 2. The visible choice and approbation with the personal qualification of God the Son who as he hath set himself a patern of all grace to his people so in an especial manner of this glorious state of Gospel union he became a perfect pattern of holy union by uniting the humane and divine nature in his own person God and Christ and Saints must all be made one in in the mystical union Jo. 17.21 22. which though it cannot be perfected until the state of glory yet it is to be begun imitated and prest after in the state of Grace And therefore God the Father would have but one Son to be his dearly beloved Son Mark 1.11 Luke 7.37 he must have no equal Col. 1.18 nor no partner nor help in his work Isaiah 63.3.5 He must tread the wine-press alone of the people there must be none with him And so Saints must have but one Saviour Acts 4.12 one Redeemer Revel 5.9 one Mediator 1 Tim. 2.5 one Head Ephes 1.22 one Husband 1 Corinth 11.2 one Chief Shepherd John 10.16 one Captain of their Salvation Heb. 2.10 all which lively holds forth to us the unity of Saints and in him alone Christ must not be divided 1. Corinth 1.13 neither in his headship nor in his members but they must grow up into him in all things which is the Head even Christ from whom the whole Body fitly joyned together and compacted by that which every joynt supplyeth according to the effectual working in measure of every part maketh increase of the body to the edifying it self in love Ephes 4.15 16. From whence we may observe what a perfect pattern of union the Lord Jesus Christ is both Head and Body as if not onely the Glory but the very Essence of heavenly things depended on unity And so the main design of Christ in his assuming our nature and doing and suffering all for us was chiefly a work of union and reconciliation Col. 1.20 to reconcile God and man 2 Cor. 5.20 to break down partition walls betwixt Jew and Gentile bond and free Ephes 2.14 16. that in the dispensation of the fulness of time he might gather together in one all things in Christ both which are in heaven and which are on earth even in him Ephes 1.10 And so we finde him in the whole course of his ministry walking by principles of union commanding those duties and commending those Graces most which were the uniting Duties and Graces The first Gospel that was preached on earth was in these words Glory to God in the highest and on earth Peace and good will towards men Luke 2.14 himself is called the Prince of Peace Isa 9.6 7. Heb. 7.2 His Gospel is called the Gospel of Peace Rom. 10.15 Ephes 5.16 his people are called the Sons of Peace Luke 10.6 his wayes are called the wayes of Peace Luke 1.79 And as Peace so Love is held forth in the Gospel of Christ as a Cardinal Grace A new commandment give I unto you that ye Love one another as I have loved you John 13.34 And so we might proceed to the Graces of Humility Meekness Patience Mercifulness c. which are all uniting Graces and by our Lord commended unto us above all Graces they are conditional Graces unto which promises are annexed above all things saith the Apostle put on Charity in the discription of which Grace all these are contained 1 Cor. 13. from all which and indeed from the whole scope and tendency of the Scripture I argue That the duty which is most lively held out unto us by our Paterne and required of us by our Lawgiver the Lord Jesus Christ should be most upon our hearts to imitate and obey him in But the Duty of uniting the Saints to one another next to that of uniting them to himself was the greatest duty held forth by our Lord and Master to us and required by him of us therefor the unity of Saints with one another ought to be most upon our hearts next unto their union with Christ Object But say some we do admit all Christs Members ought to be united together in his worship but the doubt lies who we should own as his members Answ Those whom the Lord Jesus Christ owns as Members of his visible body here on earth ought all to own one another as members of the same body But the Lord Jesus Christ owns all true Beleevers or visible gracious persons to be members of his visible body on earth Ergo All such ought so to own one another 2. Answ Those for whom Christ prayed to the Father that they all might be One as he and the Father were One John 17.11 ought to walk in union one with another But it was for all the Father had then visibly given him verses 6 7 8 9 10 11 12. And that should afterward be converted by their doctrine verses 20 21. for whom he prayed Ergo all such ought to walk together in union We might draw arguments of union from all the Metaphorical relations the Scripture holds forth Christ to stand in to his People as an head Col. 1.18 an husband Isai 54.5 A King Revel 15.3 a Shepheard Psal 23.1 a Root Rom. 11.17 18. the very essence of which relations consists in union and the main end of them in Scripture is to hold forth the necessariness of union in the Church and People of God hut I shall speak to them under another head Arg. 3. From the visible choice and approbation of God the holy Ghost The Spirit of God though it fill all things Eph. 4.10 yet is but one Spirit verses 3 4. the same spirit that fills Christ the head with all fulness Col. 1.19 and 2.9 fills all his members out of the same fulness Eph. 1.23 They all receive out of his fulness grace for grace John 1.16 And as the Spirit of God that fills whole Christ head and members is

but one spirit so the chief business of this own spirit and tendency of its operation is unity Eph. 4.3 And next to that betwixt head and members Christ and Saints it drives on the designe of the Saints union with one another in all truth Eph. 4.13 It can neither be divided nor deceived but must speak the same thing at all times to all persons Heb. 13.8 Men may have different apprehensions and understandings and from the variety in them may put a various interpretation upon the Spirits teaching 1 Cor. 12.3 but yet the spirit remains the same spirit of truth it leadeth into all truth Jo. 16.13 And though this variety be in the spirits operation in the work of illumination and directing the judgement from the variety which is in the capacities and apprehensions of men yet in the more certain properties of the spirits work upon the hearts of Beleevers as in the works of mortification and sanctification c. there is no such variety for though there may be difference of degree yet the least measure of the spirits work in those things bears a divine stamp that fruit of the Spirit which is in all goodness righteousness and truth Eph. 5.9 is of the same nature and complexion in all Saints from whence I argue That the most infallible Rule Saints can walk by in their choice of gospel brethren or Church-members is to follow the tract of the Spirits choyce to choose where it hath chosen before them But the visible tract or evidence of the Spirits choyce is its manifesting its indwelling through its operation in carrying the Soul out to the exercise of Grace Therefore the visible operation of the Spirit of Grace in persons is the most infallible Rule for Beleevers to make their choyce by Object But may some say how shall we know the Spirits operations and thereby its choyce in such a day of delusion as this is when the spirit of Errour that new reigneth hath transformed it self to so neere a likenesse to the Spirit of Christ Answ Whatsoever is held forth to be the visible fruits and effects of the Spirit of grace in the hearts and conversation of Beleevers by the word of truth ought to be admitted by them as sufficient Testimony of the Spirits choice Acts 11.17 But the effects and fruits of the Spirit are clearly testified to be Love Joy Peace Long-suffering Gentleness Goodness Faith Meekness and Temperance Gal. 5.22.23 Therefore such persons whom the Spirit of the Lotd hath so qualified ought to be admitted and owned by Beleevers as such of whom the Spirit hath manifested its choyce For what may be further objected against this Argument from the various understandings and different minds of several visible gracious persons and from the grosse Errours held by several persons seemingly gracious and spirituall I shall have occasion to speak to when I come to answer to such general Objections as will include many of those particular Objections that might be made against every Argument I might add many Arguments more drawn from the fruits of the Spirits choyce But let all that long for the union of Saints first resolve to make the Spirits choice theirs and then they shall hardly read a Scripture but will afford them some Characters of the Spirits choyce for our heavenly Father hath not a Child nor our chief Shepheard a Sheep that are visibly such but his holy Spirit hath set his seal on them either lesse or more visible 2 Cor. 1.22 Eph. 1.13 4.30 Therefore I shall conclude this head with one Argument more and leave the remain to the Readers meditation That qualification or State which gives us free access to and acceptance with the Father Eph. 2.18 1.6 by which we are made his adopted Sons Rom. 8.15 unto which he hath annexed the performances of his preitious promises 2 Peter 1.4 wherein he seeks and desires us to worship him Joh. 4.23 by which we are joyned unto the same body of which Jesus Christ is the head 1 Cor. 12.13 and whereby we are made partakers of the same grace 1 Col. 12. heirs with him of the same Kingdom James 2.5 or inheritance Eph. 1.11 14. and partakers with him of the same glory in heaven Col. 1.27 3.4 nay wherein the perfection of shall be their State in glory John 17.23 24 Eph 4.13 when all other qualifications and additional rules of distinction shall cease 1 Cor. 13.8 10. is doubtlesse the most infallible rule and qualification for Gods Church and People to owne and joyn with one another in the worship and service of God by But the qualification that gives us right unto interest in all the former particulars is a participation of a spiritual work of grace upon the heart as the Srciptures annexed with abundance more that might be added do sufficiently evidence Therefore it is the most infallible rule for Gods Churches and People to make choice of Church-members and Gospel Brethren by The fourth General head from which we shall argue is the choice and approbation of the infallible servants of God in all ages whose fellowship and communion with persons as Gods Church and People is recorded for our Example in Scriptures who in their several generations and ages of the Church they lived in made this duty of preserving the Churches union and peace within it self the great and weighty duty unto which most other dutyes when they come in competition must give place unto And they did always make the declared visible choice of God their choice For those whom God had chosen to be his people by his visible Covenant with an especial grace unto they owned to be their brethren and fellow members in his Church excluding none of them nor admiting no other which point I suppose hath been sufficiently proved in my discourse of the true Church-bounds That until I meet with one instance at least out of Gods word of a person or persons visible which in those Church-bounds before mentioned viz. Abrahams seed Circumcision in the type Antitype was kept out or not esteemed one of Gods Church not scandalous or unexcommunicated I shall for bear further speaking to that And shall chiefly from this head insist to observe the weight that the holy servants of God in all ages have laid upon the Churches peace and unity When the Church consisted of Jacobs family how carefull was Joseph to preserve union among his Brethren though they had little deserved it at his hands yet the great and chief charge he layeth upon them is see that you fall not out by the way Gen. 4.5.24 So Moses reproves his Brethren the Hebrewes for striving one with another Exod. 2.13 in in these words as Stephen quotes it Acts 7.26 Sirs ye are Brethren why do ye wrong one another So for the Divisions of Reuben there were great searchings of heart Judges 5.15 16. So David Behold how good and how pleasant a thing it is for Brethren to dwell together