Selected quad for the lemma: nature_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
nature_n	flesh_n	sin_n	sinful_a	2,809	5	9.4946	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A77504	The mystical brasen serpent: with the magnetical vertue thereof. or, Christ exalted upon the cross, with the blessed end and fruit of that his exaltation, in drawing the elect world to himself, to believe on Him, and to be saved by Him. In two treatises, from John 3. 14, 15. 12. 32. Whereunto is added A treatise of the saints joint-membership each with other. As they were delivered to the Church of God at Great Yarmouth, by John Brinsley, minister of the gospel, and preacher to that incorporation. Imprimatur, Edm. Calamy. July 30. 1652.	Brinsley, John, 1600-1665.	1653 (1653)	Wing B4719; Thomason E1249_1; ESTC R208891	155,986	284

man is a sinner say the Pharisees to the blind man John 9. Joh. 9.24 that is a great and notorious sinner Mark 15.28 Isai 53.12 He was numbred among the transgressors saith the Evangelist citing that of the Prophet Esay Nay more having as a surety taken upon him the sins of the world the world of his Elect he was now a sinner by imputation and the greatest sinner in the world 2 Cor. 5. last He was made sin for us saith the Apostle viz. by Imputation having the iniquities of many Isai 53. ver 6. and 12. of us all laid upon him And herein fitly answering the Type wherein we have a Serpent stinging and a Serpent healing Rom. 5.19 Ex serpente morbi per serpente medicinae Per hominem peccatum mors per hominem justificatio resurrectio H. G●oti in Text. Even thus by a man came sin and death and by a man cometh righteousness and life The first Adam woundeth being a man like unto us the second Adam healeth being a man like unto us also God could have found out many other Antidotes and remedies against the poysonous stingings of these Serpents but he makes choise of this A Serpent stings and a Serpent must heale Even so possibly he could have found out many other wayes and means for the Redeeming and saving of his people but his Wisdom puts it upon this way as most congruous and convenient 1 Cor. 15.21 that as by a man came death so by a man should come the Resurrection of the dead that as in Adam all die so in Christ should all be made alive as the Apostle goeth on 1 Cor. 15. 2. Christ was like unto us Men Christ like unto us sinful men Serpentem hunc aeneum in eo Christi gessisse imaginem quòd alius erat quàm videbatur rectè notavit adversus Tryphonem Justinus de eo serpente sic loquens 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 H. Grot. ibid. us sinful men but himself not sinful Even as that Serpent was like unto other Serpents but without the sting and poyson that was in them Thus our blessed Saviour how ever he carried the similitude of sinful flesh yet he was no wayes infected or tainted with sin whether Original or Actual Free from the poyson of Original sin which had infected the nature of all other men Being sanctified in his conception by the supernatural work of the Spirit he was born holy That holy thing which shall be born of thee Luke 1. Luke 1.35 Free from Actual sin He did no sin neither was there guile found in his mouth 1 Pet. 2. 1 Pet. 2.22 And here again behold the Truth answering to the Type The stinging of those poysonous Serpents cured by a Serpent that had neither sting nor poyson The sting and poyson guilt and power of sin taken away by him that was free from both Christ hath suffered for sins saith St. Peter the just for the unjust that he might bring us to God 1 Pet. 3. 1 Pet. 3.18 He was made sin for us who knew no sin that we might be made the righteousness of God in him 2 Cor. 5. last Here is a second resemblance in the form of this Serpent 3. 3. The occasion of making and setting it up Vpon what occasion was this Serpent made and set up Why upon the deadly biting and stinging of the Israelites by those fiery Serpents whereof some were dead already others in eminent danger of death Behold here what it was that occasioned the making and lifting up of this true Brasen Serpent what occasioned the Eternal Son of God to take our nature upon him in that nature to suffer to die It was our Misery that called for this Mercy we were all stung and mortally stung by the old Serpent who fastning upon our first Parents through them transfused his poyson unto all their posterity Even as one of those fiery serpents fastning upon one member the poyson thereof ran through the whole body inflaming and infecting the blood and spirits in every part Even thus that old serpent the divel fastning the sting of his Tentation in the heart of our first Parents bringing them to transgress the Command and so to break the Covenant of their God he thereby not only wounded them to the death but through them trasmitted that deadly poyson to the whole mass of mankind being then in their loyns Rom. 5.12 so Death passed upon all men saith the Apostle For that all have sinned All the sons of men being in Adam tanquàm in radice as in the common stock and root they sinned in him and so death which had seazed upon him passed upon them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pervasit a Metaphor taken from poyson say some Instar occulti veneni penetravit Pareus Com. ad loc which being received into the stomack it passeth through the whole body secretly dispersing it self through all the veines Thus did the poyson of the old Serpent being taken in by our first Parents it presently passed through the whole body of mankinde transfusing it self into our veynes so as we are all by nature no better then dead men As Mephibosheth once said to David All of my fathers house were but dead men before my Lord the King 2 Sam. 19.28 Such are all the posterity of Adam through his transgression and rebellion against the God of heaven Dead men Anshei Maveth Men of death not only subject to natural but under the power of a spiritual and bound over unto eternal death And here is the occasion of bringing in this true Brasen Serpent of sending a Saviour into the world Had not the Israelites sinned and upon their sin been punished after that manner that Brasen Serpent had never been made Had not Adam sinned and sinning died and all his posterity in him we should not have needed a Saviour The Son of God should not have needed to take our nature upon him in that nature to suffer to die It was our sin and misery that occasioned this Mercy And let the one ever put us in minde of the other The Cross of Christ mindeth us of our sin and misery The Brasen serpent standing in the midst of the Campe it could not but be a memorial to the Israelites to put them in minde of what misery they had brought upon themselves by provoking the anger of God against them The like use make we of the beholding of Christ crucified When he is held forth unto us by the Ministers of the Gospel in the Word and Sacraments Gal. 3.1 there crucified before our eyes when we consider what he hath done what he hath suffered for us and reflect upon our selves and there take notice of the occasion of this abasement What was it that should draw the Son of God from heaven to earth to become the son of man to take our nature upon him in that nature to do and suffer what he

took not upon him the nature of Angels saith the Apostle but the seed of Abraham And so was he made the Son of Abraham the Son of David the Son of Man Here is the truth of his humane nature 2. The Meannesse of his condition 2. The meanness of his condition Thus the phrase is sometime used in Scripture carrying a Tapeinôsis with it The Son of Man that is mean man miserable man Man that is a worme and the Son of man that is a worm saith Bildad in Job chap. 25. Job 25.6 Lord what is man saith the Psalmist that thou art mindfull of him Psal 8.4 Isa 51.12 or the Son of Man that thou regardest him Poor man base man So our Translation renders that of the Psalmist Psal 49.2 Both Low and high rich and poor together And so again Psal 62 9. Surely men of low degree are vanity and men of high degree are a lie In both places the Originall hath it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Beni Adam Filii Hominis The Sons of man that is as the Septuagint renders it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Earth-born As the Latines were wont to call ignoble persons H. Grot. Annot. in Mat. 8.20 Terrae filios Sons of the earth so here Filii Adam Sons of earthie man base man opposed there to Beni Ish 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Filii viri The sons of noble man The phrase there imports meanness of condition And so it doth in those places forenamed where this stile is given to Ezekiel and Daniel The Angel calls them Sons of Man to humble them by puting them in mind of their frail condition And in a like sense our Saviour applyeth it to himselfe importing his state of humiliation and abasement upon earth wherein he subjected himselfe to a meane and vulgar condition Being God blessed for ever and the Lord of all he emptied himselfe so the Originall hath it Phil. 2.7 Phil. 2.7 Descripsit hāc voce Christus suam illam 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 de quae agitur Phil. 2.7 H. Grot. ibid. Quasi ex Omni Seipsum ad Nihil redegit Bez. Annot. Gr. Mat. 8.20 Nec aliud est hic 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quàm apud Isaram cap. 53.3 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 H. Grot. Annot. in Matt. 8.20 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sese inanivit he evacuated himself made himselfe of no reputation saith our Translation devesting himselfe of his robes of Majesty and glory he brought himselfe as it were from all things to nothing And took upon him the form of a servant subjected himself to a servile mean condition so as not to be the owner of any thing And in this regard he calls himselfe the Son of man The Son of man hath not where to lay his head the phrase sounding as much as that of the Prophet Isaiah Isai 53.3 Contemptus abjectissimus virorum as Junius renders it a man despised and rejected of men 3. These reasons of the phrase are generall There is a third which is more peculiar to the Text Christ here stileth himselfe the Son of Man 3. The Nature which suffered shewing in what nature he was to bee lifted up to be crucifyed viz. in his humane nature Not as the Son of God but as the son of Man True indeed by reason of the union of the two Natures in one Person and by a communication of properties as Divines call it the Death and Passion of Christ is attributed to the whole Person which is denominated sometimes from one nature sometimes from another And thence it is the Apostle saith That Acts 20.28 God purchased the Church with his own blood that is that person who was truly God as well as man 1 Cor. 2.8 he shed his blood which he did not as God but as man Whole Christ was lift up suffered died but it was according to his humane Nature So St. Peter explaineth it 1 Pet. 3.18 Christ was put to death in the flesh So again Chap. 4.1 Christ suffered in the flesh that is in or according to his humane Nature As for the Godhead it was immortal impassible it could neither die nor suffer It was the Manhood that was the proper and immediate subject of this Passion And therefore saith our Saviour The Son of Man must be lift up The Type resembling the Truth the Brasen Serpent Christ in To dwell no longer upon the Phrase Come we now to bring these two together the Type and the Truth the Serpent and the Son of Man and see how the one resembles and answers to the other These Resemblances are many But I shall not take up every particular I shall onely reflect upon those few which I named already Beginning with 1. The Matter Isai 45.2 1. The Matter of the Serpent It was Brass Brass a strong and durable mettal enduring both the Hammer and the Fire a fit Emblem of strength Whence it is that strong impediments are called Gates of Brass Psal 107.16 And an imprignable strength is called a Wall of Brass Jer. 1.18 and Chap. 15.20 Dr. Taylour Christ revealed p. 308. Isai 9.6 And herein some observe a fit resemblance of Christ who was the Lord strong and mighty as he is called Psal 24.8 strong to stand against all the powers of Hell A brasen wall mighty to deliver his people Mighty to subdue and destroy his enemies And thence described by his feet of Brass Revel 2.15 Able to tread under foot all adverse power Mighty to suffer and undergo what ever the Justice of God should inflict The humame Nature of Christ in it self was weak but being supported by the power of the Godhead dwelling in it it was mightily enabled for the enduring of what ever sufferings Hereby the flesh of Christ became as Brass It was Jobs speech of himself Is my strength the strength of stones or is my flesh of Brass Job 6. Job 6.12 Truly such was the flesh of Christ in his sufferings made able to undergo that which all the men and Angels in the world must needs have sunk under 2. For the form or fashion 2. The Form It was a Serpent such in appearance not in truth having the shape of a Serpent but neither the sting nor poyson And herein again fitly representing this Son of man Heb. 4.15 who was a man like unto us in all things sin onely excepted Herein two particulars 1. Christ was like unto us To us Men Christ like unto us men He was made in the likeness of men saith the Apostle 2 Phil. Phil. 2.7 that is of us meer men I of us sinful men Rom. 8.3 God sending his Son in the likeness of sinful flesh Rom. 8. Even as that Brasen serpent carried the likeness of other poysonous and venomous Serpents so did Christ carry the similitude of sinful flesh being a sinner both by Reputation and Imputation In common repute a sinner a great sinner We know that this

holdeth forth this truth the Guests which were invited to the Marriage Supper Luke 15.18 every one had something to keep him away one a Wife another a Farm c. Thus it is with poor sinners when they are invited to come unto Christ to beleeve on him to have communion with him every one hath something or other to detain and keep him back either the pleasures or profits or honours of the world c. and these are Satans snares wherein he taketh and holdeth poor captivated souls so as they cannot come unto Christ Exod. 5.4 5. Even as Pharaoh held the Israelites under their burdens that they could not go forth to serve the Lord their God So doth Satan hold men under some burdens or others so as they cannot be brought unto Christ unlesse they be brought to him by a strong hand so were the Israelites brought out of Egypt Exod. 6.1 and so must poor sinners be brought unto Christ they must be drawn to him and that by a power greater then Satans Luke 11.21 Where the strong man keepeth the house he cannot be dispossessed but by a stronger where Satan keepeth his hold as he doth in every meer naturall man he is not easily ejected neither are his captives easily taken out of his hand There must be an overpowring power to rescue them even the power of Jesus Christ who unlesse he draw men they can never come to him of themselves As themselves are both blind and lame so Satan hinders them They cannot come though they would 2. Reluctancy Men will not come unto Christ either as 2. Nay in the second place that which maketh the case the more desperate they wil not though they could There is in them naturally not only an Impotency but a Reluctancy They will not come so our Saviour chargeth it upon the Jewes Yee will not come unto me Joh. 5.40 Such a reluctancy there is naturally in the heart of man not only an indisposition but an Opposition so as though Christ be offered and tendered unto men yet they will not come to him They will not come to him as to a Lord no nor yet as a Saviour 1. Not as unto a Lord. 1. A Lord. Nolumus regnare say those Rebellious ones Luk 19.14 We will not have this man to raign over us Such rebellion there is in the heart of every man naturally men will not have Christ to raigne in them over them A Truth whereof we have but too sad experience at this day in regard of the outward Government of Christ in his Church How many are there who cannot endure to hear of it no not of any Government at all It is much more true of his Inward Government men naturally are averse hereunto and why because they are wedded to their own wils to their own lust which they are loah to part with Hereupon they will not yeeld up themselves to Christ to be governed by him They will not come to him as to a Lord. 2. No nor yet as a Saviour 2. A Saviour True it is those that hear of Christ haply they could be content to be saved by him I but they will not come to him that they may be saved Yee will not come to me that ye might have life Men will not come to Christ as to a Saviour they will not beleeve on him for life and salvation Qu. And why will they not The reason of this Reluctancy An. Because they will not go out of themselves neither do they feel the need they have of him 1. Men are not willing to go out of themselvs 1. Men wil not go out of themselvs Quisque sibi proximus Naturally men are wedded to themselves and so are loath to be divorced Self Deniall is a hard lesson specially for a man to deny and renounce his owne goodnesse his own righteousnesse now this a man must do before he come unto Christ They who come unto him must come not like Peter Joh. 21.7 Mark 10.50 who girt his coat about him to swim to Christ but like Bartimaeus who cast off his cloak to come to him so must men cast away the garment of their own righteousnesse in respect of any affiance or confidence in it before they can come to Christ Now this flesh and blood is loath to do A little of a mans own is better then a great deal of another bodies A mans own righteousnesse is a pearle which nature is loath to part with men are loath to go out of themselves 2. Neither in the second place do they apprehend the need they have of Christ 2. They feel not the need of Christ Naturally men though sick in their souls sick unto the death yet like men in an Apoplexie or Phrensie they feel not their grief they apprehend not their danger Now what hope that they should look out for a Physician much more that they should go unto him A very difficult thing it is throughly to convince men of the misery and danger of their naturall estate and so of the need they have of Christ And hence is it that they will not come unto him though pressed urged They will not go upon a needless errand as they suppose nor yet go seek for that abroad which they presume either they have or may have at home hence it is that men though invited they will not come unto Christ unlesse he draw them by inlightning their minds and inclining their wils of unwilling making them willing And thus you see this first Observation cleared and made good viz. That men come not unto Christ of themselves What use shall we now make of it Vse 1. Mans naturall power and liberty of wil in the work of Conversion decayed Applic. Not to spend time in Controversie which yet the Text giveth just occasion to viz. touching the power of nature and the liberty of mans will in the work of conversion which is so much cryed up by Pelagians Papists Arminians and other Sectaries of the times A Doctrine how directly contrary to the sense and meaning of this expression here used by our Saviour in the Text where he tels us that being lift up he will Draw all men unto himselfe Now surely were men of themselves able to come and had they such a command over their own wills as they dream of there should not need any such drawing over-powring there should not need any such sweet violence to be offered to the soul Certainly drawing presupposeth either Impotency or Reluctancy one or both As for that glosse upon this word which some would father upon Chrysostome whose soever it is it is justly by Illiricus renounced as corrupt and erroneous 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Philosopho The ologi proferun Oraculum ex suo Chrysostomo c. Glossahaec è diametro pugnat cùm voce Traham Flac. Iilic Clavis voc Traham Qui trahit volentem trahit He that draweth draweth