Selected quad for the lemma: nature_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
nature_n	humane_a	person_n	union_n	11,677	5	9.6253	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A84690	The spirit of bondage and adoption: largely and practically handled, with reference to the way and manner of working both those effects; and the proper cases of conscience belonging to them both. In two treatises. Whereunto is added, a discourse concerning the duty of prayer in an afflicted condition, by way of supplement in some cases relating to the second treatise. / By SImon Ford B.D. and minister of the Gospel in Reading.	Ford, Simon, 1619?-1699.	1655 (1655)	Wing F1503; Thomason E1553_1; ESTC R209479	312,688	666

Ointment on his head reacheth his garments Psalm 133. 2. Joh. 1. 16. And strength I have laid help saith he upon one that is mighty Help What help surely sufficient supplies and means of relief for all his people in all their wants and exigencies Psal 89. 19. Sutable to this is that Phil. 4. 13. And for all supplies See Col. 1. 19. It pleased the Father that in him should all fulnesse dwell Why so see verse 18. Because hee was to have plenitudinem capitis the fulnesse of an head He is the head of the Body So that whatever I want it is for security if I may so say already made over to that friend in trust so as God to eternity can never revoke it 2. Study God in his performances to Christ He never asked any thing no not in the days of his humiliation in which he did not prevaile Father I thank thee saith he that thou hast heard me and I know thou hearest me alwayes John 11. 41 42. Many thousands have made use of his name from the beginning of the World and never any one failed of acceptance to this day 3. Consider the neere union between the divine nature and the humane in Christ That it is not onely an union of relation as between friend and friend father and sonne nay nor husband and wife and yet this last is so near an union that the Scripture calls them two one flesh But a real personal union in which God and man make up the same one person Christ Now surely this nearnesse of union between God and our nature cannot but infer the most entire friendship and by consequence the most full communion that can be And as by the relation that wee have to his humane nature now marryed to the divine we are emboldened by the relation of our flesh to come to Christ and he by the relation of his flesh bound to sympathize with us so by the relation that his flesh in this union hath to God the Father we may come to God the Father too with assurance that this marriage into our kindred must needs derive some more particular respect unto his family and humane relations And to encourage thee to this I add that no natural relation that he had in the World as such would be more prevalent with him then thou if thou be of his family by faith No not his very mother according to the flesh so that were I of the Papists mind for praying to Saints to intercede for me to Christ I should as boldly use any of the glorified Saints as her mediation and if she were on earth if she prayed in her sonnes name she had no more advantage by the relation of a mother to his natural body then another Saint by the relation of a member of his mystical body For as Christ received not his person from the virgin but his nature so hee cannot be affected with any such personal respects as we are but whoever doth the Will of his Father as himself saith when his mother and brethren came upon the account of relation to call him off from a work that concerned the spiritual good of other Saints is his brother his sister and his mother Mar. 3. 34 35. i. e. As dear as any of those Relations And for this reason I doubt not when his mother it is likely upon the account of her relation spake to him to work a miracle in turning water into wine that she and others might not think that upon that ground he would do more for her then for other Saints he answers her by the common terme of woman and takes her up so short Joh. 2. 4. It may be you may conceive if you had a natural relation to Christ you might be more bold with his name to the attainment of any thing from God I tell you again the meanest woman here upon Christs account may aske as boldly as the Virgin Mary might because the union between God and man in Christ is not such an union in which he assumed a humane person but only an humane nature 6 And lastly pray not ordinarily but upon a due preconsideration of the wants you are under with the exigency and necessity of your condition This I have before told you will cause boldnesse He that is in want strains no complements This consideration made Hester bold Hest 4. 13 14 15 16 17. she and her people were like to perish by Hamans plot and if she went not in there was no preventing it therefore saith she I will go in boldly not straining at legal formalities I can but perish by going in and I shall perish if I go not in therefore I will go in though not according to Law and if I perish I perish Ans 2. If thou be one that hath had this boldnesse in the presence of God and hast lost it my advice to thee for the recovery of it is 1. Enquire how thou hast lost it whether 1 By some renewed sin This is a thing that will make a Saint hang down his head in the presence of God Psal 40. 12. David under the guilt of sin complains Mine iniquities take such hold of me that I cannot lock up And Ezra coming to God in relation to others under a great sin Lord saith he I am ashamed and blush to lift up my face to thee Ezra 9 6. Ever since sin came into the world shame came in with it Adam when he had sinned hid himself from God hee could not endure the presence of God as before Gen. 3. 8. But of this as of the following Hinderances of boldnesse I have spoken before and therefore shall but touch them now 2. By some grosse neglect of keeping constant communion with God in Duty It may be thou art growne a greater stranger to God then before God hath not been visited by thee as frequently as he was wont to be 3 By some sinful neglect of stirring up the Graces of God in Prayer Thou hast prayed it may be but in a cold formal superficial way If any of these be the cause of it my advice to thee in the next place is as formerly 2 Remember whence thou art fallen and repent and do thy first works Remove the obstacle as was directed above in the case of lost Assurance and then thou maist renew thy confidence 3 Practise all the Helps to the recovering of this holy confidence when it is lost which are above prescribed to the attainment of it at the first Look on it as a Duty fortifie against the forementioned discouragements study Promises renew thy apprehensions of God in Christ come with a due pre-consideration of thy wants and the exigencies of them 4 To these add 1 An holy expostulation with God concerning former familiarities Mind the Lord of the acquaintance that hath been between him and thy soul intreat him to continue it Lord where are thy ancient loving kindnesses How many hours have I spent in familiar intercourse