Selected quad for the lemma: nature_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
nature_n	ghost_n	person_n	son_n	10,211	5	6.0201	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A34673	The covenant of Gods free grace most sweetly unfolded and comfortably applied to a disquieted soul from that text of 2 Sam. 23. Ver. 5. : also a doctrinall conclusion that there is in all such who are effectually called, in-dwelling spirituall gifs [sic] and graces wrought and created in them by the Holy Ghost / by that reverend and faithful minister of Gods word, Mr. John Cotton, Teacher of the Church at Boston in New-England ; whereunto is added, A profession of faith, made by the reverend divine, Mr. John Davenport, in New-England, at his admission into one of the Churches there.	Cotton, John, 1584-1652.; Davenport, John, 1597-1670. A profession of faith.	1645 (1645)	Wing C6424; ESTC R30971	35,301	46

diminished Deut. 4.2 Rev. 22.18 19. Which also is so clear in truths necessary to salvation that the entrance into it giveth light yea understanding to the simple Psal 19.7 2. Concerning the Godhead in the Vnity of Essence and Trinity of Persons That God is a Spirit most holy immutable eternall every way infinite in greatnesse goodnesse power wisdome justice truth and in all divine perfections 1 Tim. 6.15 16. Joh. 4.24 Isai 6.6 Exod. 34.6 7. And that in this Godhead are three distinct Persons coeternall coequall and coessentiall being every one of them one and the same God not three Gods and therefore not divided in essence nature or being Deut. 4.3 but distinguished one from another by their severall and peculiar relative property the Father is of none but of himself the Son is begotten of the Father before all worlds the Holy Ghost proceedeth from the Father and the Son from all eternity all together are to be worshipped and glorified 3. Concerning the Decrees of God That God hath unchangeably decreed in himself from everlasting touching all things great and small necessary contingent and voluntary with all the circumstances of them to work and dispose them according to the counsell of his own will yet without being Author of or having fellowship with the sins of any to the praise and glory of his great name And touching the eternall estate of men that God hath according to his most wise free and unchangeable purpose in himself before the foundation of the world chosen some in Jesus Christ to eternall life to the praise and glory of his grace and rejected or reprobated others to the praise of his justice 4. Concerning Creation and Providence That in the beginning God made by his Word all things of nothing very good and made man male and female after his own Image righteous and as a faithfull Creator doth still uphold dispose and govern all things to the ends for which they were created having care especially for man and amongst men chiefly for the righteous and believers so that neither good nor evill befalls any man without Gods providence 5. Concerning the fall of man and originall sin That in as much as Adam was the root of all mankind the Law and Covenant of works was given to him as to a publike person and to an head from whence all good or evill was to be derived to his posterity Seeing therefore that by the subtilty of the Serpent which Satan used as his Instrument first Eve then Adam being seduced did wittingly and willingly fall into the disobedience of the Commandment of God Death came upon all justly and reigned over all yea over Infants also which have not sinned after the like manner of the transgression of Adam Hence also it is that all since the fall of Adam are begotten in his own likenesse after his Image being conceived and born in iniquity and so by nature children of wrath dead in trespasses and sins altogether filthy and polluted throughout in soule and body utterly averse from any spirituall good strongly bent to all evill and subject to all calamities due to sin in this world and for ever 6. Concerning mans restitution That all mankind being thus fallen yet the elect and only they are redeemed reconciled to God and saved not of themselves neither by their own works but only by the mighty power of God of his unsearchable rich free grace and mercy through faith in Jesus Christ who of God is made unto us wisdom righteousness sanctification and redemption in the relation both of a surety to satisfie God justice for us and of an head to restore the Image of God that was lost and repair the nature that was corrupted in us 7. Concerning the Person and Natures in Christ That the Lord Jesus of whom Moses and the Prophets wrote and whom the Apostles preached is as touching his Person the everlasting Son of God the Father by eternall generation coessentiall coequall and coeternall God with him and with the holy Ghost by whom he made the world and by whom hee upholdeth and governs all the works he hath made who also when the fulnesse of time was come was made of a woman of the Tribe of Judah of the seed of David and Abraham viz. of Mary that blessed Virgin by by the Holy Ghost coming upon her and the power of the most high overshadowing her and was in all things like unto us sin only excepted so that in the person of Christ the two natures the divine and humane are truly perfectly indivisibly and distinctly united 8. Concerning the Offices of Christ That Jesus Christ is the only Mediatour of the new Testament even of the Covenant of Grace between God and man the Prophet Priest and King of the Church of God for evermore and this office is so proper to Christ as neither in the whole nor any part thereof it can be transferred from him to any other And to this office hee was from everlasting and in respect of his Manhood from the womb called separated and anointed most fully with all necessary gifts as it is written God hath not measured out of the Spirit unto him 9. Concerning Christs propheticall Office That Christ hath perfectly revealed the whole will of God so far as it is needfull for his people either joyntly or severally to know believe or obey and that he hath spoken and doth speak to his Church in his own Ordinances by those instruments whom hee sendeth and by his Spirit 10. Concerning the Priesthood of Christ That Christ being consecrated hath appeared once to put away sin by the offering and sacrificing of himself and hath fully performed and suffered all those things by which God through the blood of his crosse in a sacrifice of a sweet smelling savor might be reconciled to his elect and having broken down the partition wall and finished and removed those ceremoniall rites and shadowes is now entred into the most holy place not made with hands to the very heavens and presence of God where he for ever liveth and sitteth at the right hand of Majesty to make intercession for such as come unto the Throne of Grace by that new and living way and he maketh his people a spirituall house and an holy Priesthood to offer up spirituall sacrifices acceptable to God through him 11. Concerning Christs Kingly Office 1. In generall That Christ being risen from the dead ascended up to heaven set at the right hand of God the Father hath all power in heaven and earth given to him and doth exercise his power in his government of this world over all Angels and men good and bad to the preservation and salvation of his elect and to the ruling and destruction of the reprobate communicating and applying to his elect the benefits vertue and fruit of his prophecie and priesthood to their regeneration justification sanctification preservation and strengthening in all their spirituall conflicts against Satan the world and the flesh

when we shall be presented blamelesse without spot or wrincle before the presence of his glory Reasons of the point Reason 1 The first Reason is taken from the expresse testimony of Scripture speaking of the gifts of the Holy Ghost as being in us and fruitfull in us 2 Pet. 1.5 6 7 8. Adde moreover saith hee to your faith vertue and to vertue knowledge and to knowledge temperance and to temperance patience and to patience godlinesse and to godliness brotherly kindnesse and to brotherly kindnesse love For if these things be in you and abound they make you that you shall neither be barren nor unfruitfull in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ From whence the Reason is concluded thus Faith Vertue Knowledge Temperance Patience Godlinesse Brotherly-kindnesse Love they are all in us and make us fruitfull in Christ The Text is plain but all these are neither the Holy Ghost himself for then one Holy Ghost should be added to another or one part of the Holy Ghost should be added to another Nor are they the actions of the Holy Ghost proceeding from us for these things are in us and abounding in us and consequently abiding in us and they cause us to bring forth actions meet for Christian profession For they are said to make us fruitfull in the knowledge of Christ vers 8. Therefore they are the gifts of grace abiding in us Reason 2 The second Reason is taken from such places of Scripture as put an expresse difference between the Holy Ghost and his gifts in us and the exercise of these gifts by us In 2 Tim. 1.6 Stirre up saith Paul to Timothy the gift of God which is in thee and vers 14. that good Treasure or thing which was committed to thee keep by the Holy Ghost which dwelleth in us where there is a plain difference between the gift of God and the stirring up of that gift which is the exercise of it and the Holy Ghost which helped him to keep it and to use it Object But hee speaketh of ministeriall gifts not of gifts accompanying salvation He speaketh of both Answ for in the verse next before vers 5. hee putteth Timothy in minde of the unfeigned faith which saith hee is in thee and which dwelt first in thy grandmother Lois and in thy mother Eunices and now in thee also Whence the Reason is plain If unfeigned faith and other such like gifts of God dwelt in Timothy and in his mother and in his grand-mother then there be gifts of grace accompanying salvation that dwell in such as are effectually called But the former is plain out of the Text therefore so is the latter In 2 Cor. 6.6 the Apostle saith He with the other Apostles approved themselves as the Ministers of Christ by purenesse by knowledge by long-suffering by kindnesse by the Holy Ghost by love unfeigned Object But by these Paul and the rest approved themselves as the Ministers of Christ and therefore hee speaketh of ministeriall gifts not of gifts accompanying salvation The inference is naught Answ for a man cannot approve himself as a Minister of Christ by ministeriall gifts without such gifts as do accompany salvation and therefore the Apostle doth plainly instance not only in ministeriall gifts but such also as do accompany salvation as purenesse long-suffering love unfeigned In 1 Cor. 12.4 The Apostle saith there be deversities 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is of gifts of grace which he distinguisheth from operations vers 6. Object But hee speaketh of ministeriall gifts not of gifts accompanying salvation Hee speaketh not only of ministeriall gifts but of all gifts of grace by which we are knit to Christ and one to another as head and members of one body and in respect of which The eye cannot say to the hand I have no need of thee nor the head to the feet I have no need of you vers 21. Reason 3 The third Reason is taken from the estate of the person united to Christ which being united is not a naturall but a spirituall man The Reason standeth thus If there be no spirituall gifts of grace wrought and created in the soul then Christ is united by the Spirit of God to the naturall man For without spiritual gifts there is nothing but nature in us to which Christ by his Spirit is united But Christ is not united by the spirit to the naturall man Proof of this 1 Cor. 2.14 The naturall man doth not receive the things of God nor of the Spirit of God and therefore doth not receive Christ united to him Object A man is not a naturall man but a spirituall man when the Spirit of God dwelleth in him True Answ because the Spirit of God where he dwelleth worketh gifts of spirituall grace but if he should not the soul would be still naturall as the Temple of Solomon was still a materiall Temple not a spirituall Temple as wee are 1 Pet. 2.5 though God dwelt in it because hee wrought not gifts of spirituall grace in the Temple whereby it might live unto God In all union the things united are distinct from the bond by which they are united Christ is one thing the soul is another the Spirit of God that uniteth them is distinct from both Now take the Spirit of God as a distinct thing from the soul and what is the soul but a naturall soule And so Christ by his Spirit being united to the naturall soul is united to the naturall man Reas 4 The fourth Reason is taken from the nature and kinde of that life which the members of Christ do live thus If the members of Christs body be living members and living stones then they live either by some gifts of spirituall grace created in them or else they live the uncreated life of the Holy Ghost communicated to them But they do not live the uncreated life of the Holy Ghost communicated to them therefore they live by the gifts of spirituall grace created in them The former Proposition or major is plain because the dis-junction is immediate there is no middle way can be given but either wee ●●st live a created life by some gifts of spirituall grace created in us or else we must live the uncreated life of the Holy Ghost communicated to us The latter Proposition or minor is as plain for no creature if being finite can live an increated life which is infinite but we are creatures and finite and the life of the Holy God is increated and infinite therefore wee cannot live his life Object The life of head and members root and branches is the same First Answ the life of Christs humane nature is not the infinite and uncreated life of the Holy Ghost which may serve for another proofe of the latter Proposition that wee do not live the uncreated life of the Holy Ghost communicated to us For we cannot live an higher or greater spirituall life then the humane nature of Christ lived But the humane nature of Christ lived

not the infinite and uncreated life of the Holy Ghost for the humane nature of Christ was not capable of the infinite attributes of the divine nature against which when Eutiches taught otherwise he was condemned for an Heretique in the generall Councell of Chalcedon The comparison must be stretched no further then Christ intended to shew the meer conjunction between Christ and us so far as that we derive and receive continuall nourishment and supply of all grace and fruitfulnesse thereof from him But not to imply the same individuall life in him and us as is in the root and branches head and members for root and branches make but one tree and head and members make but one person But wee are not the same person with Christ and therefore wee have life not the very self-same with his but conformable to his and fashioned after his Image the same with his in proportion and resemblance as is the Image of the seal and of the wax the same in proportion not the same in number And this must needs be so because the fathers before Christ had as truly the same spirituall life of Christ as wee the life of his divine nature neither of us have the life of his humane nature was not then in being and therefore they had only a proportion and resemblance of his life before his coming as wee have after his coming Reason 5 The fifth Reason is taken from the change of the heart in conversion It standeth thus If in conversion there be some thing anew created and begotten in us which was not created nor begotten before then there be new spirituall gifts of grace created and begotten in us For the substance of the soul and body is not anew-created and begotten it is the same it was before and the Holy Ghost cannot be said to be created or begotten in us at all but in conversion the Lord doth create a new heart in us Ps 51.10 and doth regenerate or renew a right spirit in us beside the Holy Ghost of which he saith in the next verse vers 11. Take not thy holy Spirit from mee The Holy Ghost cannot be said to be created or renewed for he is no creature nor was he ever old And in Ezek. 36.26 27. hee promiseth to put a new spirit within us vers 26. and withall promiseth to put his own Spirit within us vers 27. And his Spirit and our spirit are made two distinct witnesses Rom. 8.16 Reas 6 The sixth Reason is taken from the Law written in our hearts under the Covenant of Grace thus If there be a law written in our hearts under the new Covenant then either this is the Holy Ghost himself or spirituall gifts of grace wrought in our hearts by the Holy Ghost whereby we are fitted and enabled through his leading to walk in the Law of God and to keep it But there is a Law written in our hearts under the new Covenant Jer. 31.33 and this Law is not the Holy Ghost himself for it is the effect and work of the Holy Ghost 2 Cor. 3.3 where it is said to be written by him now a Law or an Epistle written by any man cannot be the man himself that wrought it Reason 7 The seventh Reason is taken from the voluntary concourse of every child of God with the Holy Ghost in every spirituall work the Reason is framed thus If there be no spirituall gifts of grace in the soule united to Christ then in every good action the Holy Ghost acts immediately the naturall faculties and affections to supernaturall effects as suppose he then acteth immediately my naturall love to the supernaturall love of God But in every good action the Holy Ghost doth not act immediately the naturall faculties and affections to supernaturall effects Proof of this If the Holy Ghost in every good action do act immediately my naturall faculty or affection to a supernaturall effect then in every good action hee turns the course of my naturall faculty or affection against his proper and voluntary bent For my naturall faculty or affection hath no proper or voluntary bent to spirituall good effects but lusteth against them Rom. 8.5 Gal. 5.17 But the Holy Ghost in every good action doth not turn the course of my faculty and affection against their proper and voluntary bent For then we should not do good actions voluntarily and then they would be unwelcome and grievous to us contrary to 1 Joh. 5.3 and then we should lose our reward 1 Cor. 9.17 Object But God himself is said to be our gifts and graces and therefore they are nothing but his Spirit in us As God is said to be our confidence which is all one with faith Psal 65.5 So he is said to be our hope Jer. 14.8 Psal 71.5 our love our love it self 1 Joh. 4.16 Answ First God is said to be our confidence and hope because he is the object of our faith and hope and therefore wee are said to put our confidence or to believe on him 1 Pet. 2.6 Now if it were meant God is the very grace of faith or confidence which is in us then when we believe or put our confidence on God we should put God upon God which were absurd and if something were lacking in our faith as there is 1 Thes 3.10 then something were lacking in God And if it were meant that God is the grace of that hope which is in us then when David prayed he might not be ashamed of his hope hee meant that he might not be ashamed of his God God also may be said to be our confidence or hope because hee is the author and giver of these gifts to his people Psal 119.49 God is said to be our love because whatsoever is good in the creature is in God eminently and infinitely and so is God himself But if God were that grace of love which is said to abide in us 1 Cor. 13.13 then God were a fruit of the Spirit for that love which dwelleth in us is a fruit of the Spirit Gal. 5.22 The Lord scatter our darknesse and lead us by his Spirit of light and truth into all truth through Christ A Profession of Faith made by the Reverend Divine Mr. John Davenport at his admission into one of the Churches of God in New-England viz. I believe with all my heart and confesse with my mouth 1. Concerning the Scriptures THat all Scripture is by divine inspiration or inbreathing of God by Scripture I mean the Books of the old Testament as Moses and the Prophets and of the new Testament and is profitable for doctrine for reproof for correction for instruction in righteousnesse that the man of God may be perfect throughly furnished unto all good works 1 Tim. 3.16 17. and that in all things which concern faith and obedience whether in Gods Worship or in the whole conversation of men it holdeth forth a most perfect rule wherunto nothing may be added nor from it may ought be