Selected quad for the lemma: reason_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
reason_n	body_n	soul_n	union_n	2,456	5	9.5499	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A16314	The carnall professor Discovering the wofull slavery of a man guided by the flesh. Distinguishing a true spirituall Christian that walkes close with God, from all formalists in religion, rotten hearted hypocrites, and empty powerlesse professors whatsoever. By that faithfull servant of Christ, Robert Bolton B.D. late preacher in Northampton Shire.	Bolton, Robert, 1572-1631, attributed name.; I. T., fl. 1634.	1634 (1634)	STC 3225; ESTC S111236	58,877	294

to commend it selfe Looke up to heaven for a blessing upon it and desire the Lord to goe along with thee in it and prosper the same for thy soules good which he heartily desireth who rests Thine in the Lord Jesus I. T. THE CARNALL PROFESSOR ROM 8. V. 13. For if yee live after the flesh ye shall die but if through the Spirit ye mortifie the deeds of the body yee shall live IN the Chapter going before the Apostle having delivered the double use of the Law first the proper use to shew men the way to live if in case they were able to fulfill and keepe it Secondly the accidentall use by reason of Sinne which is imployed in condemning us by discovery of our transgression to comfort the distressed heart of a poore sinner hee describeth in the latter end of the former Chapter a speciall meanes to shun this inevitable danger namely the righteousnes obedience and sufferings of Christ And in this Chapter further enlargeth the same by way of confirmation unto the 5. verse After which lest it might bee thought that a Christian may live as hee list being freed from sinne by the merits of Christs death or that a profane person should claime any interest in that blessed sacrifice of Christ he further proveth by many pregnant reasons that every Christian ought to endeavour after holines that thereby hee may prove himselfe to be truly ingrafted into Christ by participating of the fruit of his Spirit and that hee is in deed and not in word only a true Christian by his unblameable life and conversation as the goldsmith is knowne by his costly peeces or any mechanicall artificer by the works which his hāds accomplish In the verse I have read unto you the Apostle concludeth very effectually amongst the rest of his arguments that wee must live according to the spirit and not according to the flesh seeing the one designeth and noteth unto us life the other death both most infallible tokens of our future estate and condition So that if any man or woman be desirous to know what shall betide them after this life If any be desirous to know even the secrets of God I mean his determination as touching themselves their wives their children friends or foes after death let them resort to the Holy Ghost speaking in this place and converse with their owne hearts if they finde the quickning spirit but as a lively sparke raked up amongst the great heap of their owne corruptions they shall assuredly live for ever If they find onely meere flesh and blood to be their guide then wo to them they are in the state of Castawayes and lost creatures be they Prince or Peere noble or ignoble rich or poore there is no difference nor exception with God and therefore they ought speedily to sue for their deliverance through favour by the Sonne of God lest death prevent them to their everlasting misery But it may be these titles of Flesh and Spirit are unknowne or at least not observed through the subtlety of Sathan thickning the eye of dexter and right discerning therefore that we may throughly kenne the flesh in despight of the flesh and judge in the spirit of the spirit let us for our furtherance herein consider these sixe profitable observations 1. What Flesh is 2. What it is to live in the flesh 3. What that death is which is here threatned as a just punishment to such as live after the flesh 4. What the Spirit is 5. What it is to mortifie the deeds of the flesh 6. What is meant when he saith they shal loue 1. The word Flesh is sometimes taken for the body as 2 Cor. 7. 1. Let us clense our selves from all filthinesse of the flesh and spirit that is of soule and body 2. For the humane nature of Christ who was put to death concerning the flesh 3. For this present life If thou take a wife thou sinnest not neverthelesse such shal have trouble in the flesh 4. For the outward aspect and appearance Yee know how through the infirmitie of the flesh I preached the Gospell 5. For the ordinary course of nature Gal. 4. 29. Hee that was borne after the flesh c. 6. For whole mankind All flesh is grasse c. 7. For naturall corruption and inclination of the mind will and affections to that which is against the Law and so it is taken in this place The reason why the holy Ghost termeth this naturall corruption inherent in the soule as well as the body by the name of flesh is because so strict is the Union betwixt the one and the other in an unregenerate man that as a loving couple they seeke the preservation of each others estate and like Hypocrates twins they laugh together they weepe together and are alike affected A bloody heart and a bloody hand a false heart and a false tongue a lascivious mind an adulterous eye yea and which is more so strangely sometimes is the soule overcome with the love of the body that whereas by nature reason should command and rule the flesh as the weaker vessell the belly and backe so subtly insinuate and creep into favour with the understanding that as the foolish wife with her beauty and composed devices over-ruleth her husband though a man of understanding So these importunat cravers never give over their suite unto reason they make it a drudge to sensuality and an attorney to sollicit the cause of meere grosse and carnall pleasure In consideration whereof I meane because of this mutuall intercourse of the soule and the body in accomplishing of sin many learned Divines have made this a question Whether the soule bee first infected with the contagion of the body or no but of that I will not stand it being besides our present purpose onely thus much I note that therefore the Holy Ghost nameth the flesh to intimate the mutuall confederacy betwixt the soul body of man how that by reason of sin he is now wilfully made a slave and vassall to fleshly desires And therefore likewise it may bee supposed that the Holy Ghost nameth the flesh onely as a man that blameth the provoking Wife for the lewd action done by her husband For albeit sinne lyeth principally in the soule as poyson in the teeth yet it sheddeth and disperseth it selfe at his pleasure actually into the members of the body of whom it is aptly accomplished as occasion is offered And as the whole toad is called a venomous creature because of some one part preserving poyson the rest being capable of the same virulent infection So the whole man is said to bee sinfull not as if the body of it selfe as it consisteth of bones sinnewes and living arteries can properly bee said to be sinfull otherwise then as the house is said to be wicked because of the wicked dwellers Albeit I graunt as the serpent was a fit instrument for the devil because of his subtilty so

dales with his restlesse moanes and stayeth the most speedy passengers with the hollow cryes of his extreme misery Or as a Princes daughter set on shoare by a perfidious shipman where is nought but trees and wildernesse lyons beares and antilopps debarred of all comfort within the hearing of the groveling dens compassed about with seas So and much more fearefull is the state of that man whosoever he be that is banished from the presence of God in regard of the graces of the spirit which are the infallible pledges of his love and favour however he enjoyeth many outward good things as the stranger in a Princes Court may make him selfe glad with his wine though altogether unknowne or at least without any speciall notice taken of him by the Prince But when God shall 1. strip him of all temporall blessings as riches honor health wealth friends peace c. 2. When he shall make himselfe knowne to his blinde soule with a more manifest and apparant resemblance of his glory in justice declaring the detestation hee hath of his supposed knowledge his unconscionable conscience his devillish wil and corrupt affections 3. When hee shall first shut the doore upon him that leadeth unto life and then also for ever cast him out of his presence as a man that throws a toad or serpent out of his garden and that into the place of everlasting tormēt Lord what tongue can expresse or heart conceive the heavy estate of this forlorne or abject creature To be out of favor with a Prince is much but to be out of favour with God who can abide it There is no man living unlesse he be desperate but either hee thinketh himself high in Gods favour and therefore is still peaceable within himselfe or else is possessed with such a spirit of slumber that the faculty of due pondering the pretiousnesse of Gods presence is taken from him as in a drūkard which neither regardeth his frendnor his foe but when the drinke shall be out of his head as at the departure of his soul then shall hee strike his knees together his heart shall bee cold as a stone like that of Nabal when the feast was past and hee had heard the judgement denounced then shall hee open his eyes as the man which hath beene blind from his birth and behold the vengeance of God upon him By the Presence of God in this place I doe not understand a bare locall residence with God so Sathan may stand before God neither can any thing created go from his presence hee being in heaven in hell and in all places but by his Presence I understand as the holy Ghost teacheth me the comfort the joy and blisse which betydeth the Creature through his presence Now what the losse hereof may be I leave to thy owne heart and yet it being fleshly may happily err or not esteem so highly as the thing requireth To helpe thee in a word Adam after his offence fled from Gods presence and the Lord ratified it for indeed hee cast him out of the garden where hee had communion and fellowship with God yet so that hee left him certaine signes and tokens of his former dignity both spirituall and temporall in soul and body from whence it commeth that wee his children doe yet retain some resemblance of our former happinesse though our holinesse is quite lost We have Lordship over all the creatures wee are fed with the fruits of the earth we have some cōlinesse of person and impression of majesty beyōd the beasts yea we have a smack of God And in politicall matters yet preserve some slender and slight footings of his wisdome and providence the King ruleth the people obey the heaven the earth and the stars yeelde themselves according to the will of the Creator propitious unto man hee enjoyeth their light their influences their fruits sundry commodities And all this because man albeit out of the garden of Eden the place of delight yet is still as long as hee liveth in the Cookes garden being thrust as it were out of a most pleasant parlour where God appeared in glory into a more obscure place of lesse communion with him Now when the first death commeth as a sore-runner to the last judgement man is deprived in an instant of all pretended comforts and outward favours and plunged into an infinite depth of woe and bottomlesse gulph of wrathfull misery his body strangely altered being severed from his soule which gave it both life and reason yea and deprived of all earthly succour excepting a ditch in the earth to preserve his bones and Cinders unto the time of the resurrection All which marke it by the decree of the just Judge of heaven shall for ever be deprived of all shew of favour or the least drop of mercy and be exiled the Courts of the Almighty world without end Here the Kings of the earth shall bee degraded the Lords and Ladies of the Court abashed and each rich stately person utterly disherited of all his substance To bee out of favour with the world is troublesome to weake flesh but to bee discountenanced with God this is the Ocean of all misery Every creature then beholdeth with a threatning face the heavens lower the earth frownes and withdraw themselves from our comfort For as hee that loseth the good will of the Master loseth also the heart of the true and trusty servant So he that is once discountenanced with God all creatures in heaven and earth make head against him Oh that our great landed men as wee call them which have seated themselves for ever as they suppose would consider of this tragicall ruine they are so shamefully beguiled with the composed countenance of the harlot voluptuousnesse the strength of pleasure arising from worldly wealth hath so dispossessed them of their wits that they rave in the pride of their hearts not considering their latter end Out beggar I scorne thee my land is worth three hundred pounds by the yeer and wilt thou presume to keepe mee company c. Ah consider that thou art carnall and livest according to the flesh and therefore must dye All outward things shall forsake thee thy wealth and credit thy pastime and acquaintance all shall bee abandoned God himselfe will strippe thee of these robes and clothe thee with shame for ever In vaine doest thou presume of mercy thou caryest the bagge for a season but it shall one day bee rent from thy side and God shall bee glorified in leaving thee naked The second thing to bee considered is that great reproach which shall seise on the carnall man after this life by reason of the cleere revealing of all his hidden sinnes Little Children abide in him that when hee shall appeare we may be bold and not be ashamed before him at his comming If a man come and publish a hidden crime we are ready with our action to cleere our honesty and defend our reputation by challenging

light and wavering opinion thē a grounded and setled perswasion but also of all ability of attaining the true knowledge of God by any faculty vertue industry or meanes whatsoever inherent in himselfe That the Mind is thus fast bolted up in the dungeō of ignorāce appeareth plainly by the Apostle which affirmeth that the naturall man perceiveth not the things of God and that The wisdome of the flesh is enmity against God Nay reason experiēce manifests this truth for as the birds behold not the things which betyde in the depths nor the fishes acquainted with the dwelling in the ayre No more doth a poore naturall man go beyond the cōpass of his sense or know further with any certainty then experience the mistris of fooles directeth him And therefore howsoever by reasonable discourse hee may gather as Paul speakes The invisible things of God as his eternall power and Godhead from the consideration of the creatures yet little or nought doth hee truely know either concerning God or his worship as appeareth by all ages and nations who have acknowledged as much and yet every one have chosen a God of their owne making and worshipped him also in their owne manner Moreover that man by nature hath disabled himself is become impotēt indocible and not capable of instruction appeareth by the Apostle who affirmeth that we are not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sufficient of our selves to thinke any thing as of our selves but our sufficiency is of God and therefore our Saviour Christ opened the understanding of his disciples that they might understand the Scripture From hence it commeth that the pictures in the Church are as much affected and taught by the Word as the common sort of hearers which areas a goodly company of images in a carvers shop having eyes and see not eares and heare not beholding the Preacher with outward reverence attention and yet not able with all their wit and endeavour to perceive any thing that is spoken if it contradict sense or to conceive it if it seeme impossible in nature It is observed in the Church of England that many thousands have lived twenty yeares together under a preaching Minister yea and that minister sometimes very painefull and diligent in the discharge of his calling yet scarce a man among them all able to give an account of his faith in any one article otherwise then hee hath learned it by roate out of his English Credo in Deum or to give any testimony of his profiting more by the Word then in the time of that Popish and blasphemous Idolatry The reason whereof is that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or inability of nature before spoken of through which he is as unable to conceive of the incarnation of the Sonne of God the miraculous conception of Christ the spirituall regeneration of the faithful the resurrection of the body eternall glory and the like as an horse to flye in the ayre or a dead man to rise out of the grave by his owne power If your apprentice in tenne yeeres being actively taught bee not able to attaine the mystery and science of his trade you count him an asse or blockhead why then may wee not terme the master an uncapable sot in the mysteries of God which hath spent twenty or thirty yeeres in the knowledge thereof Sabbath upon Sabbath Sermon after Sermon and yet like the mill wheele turning all the yeere is yet in the same place where it was in the beginning It may be you will ask mee what is this to the purpose or at all concerning my text It is very materiall if you marke it for you must know that to bee fleshly minded is not only to be a whoremaster or an adulterer as the world imagineth Oh say they hee is a man given to the flesh he is a bad liver as if there were no fleshly corruption but that Yes beloved if thou be ignorant of God and his worship walking after thine owne inventions dead-hearted secure and carelesse vaine in thy imaginations contēt with thy naturall estate c. thou art as fleshly as the wretchedst whoremaster and as carnall as the most wicked liver in Gods account Remember that flesh is here opposed against Spirit whatsoever is not Spirit is flesh and therefore ignorance is flesh unlesse thou wilt blasphemously affirme that it hath his originall from the Spirit Now as he that is desirous to seat in his minde the true frame of the body must view it in an anatomy consisting of bones and sinewes so he that would learne the true discription of the body of sinne must see it in his original both in the minde will and affections after this he shall easily perceive how by veines it disperseth it selfe like a net over the whole soule and distills into act both inward and outward to the finall destruction of the whole man Thus much of the Understanding 2. Concerning the Conscience In the next place wee are to consider of the Conscience which is a part of the understanding in all reasonable creatures determining in all particular actions either with or against a man This in the state of innocency did onely excuse to accuse is a defect in the Consciēce following the first Creation Now the fleshy infection of the Conscience is the impurity thereof Either it is dead or living and stirring The dead conscience hath two degrees either of slumber which doth not accuse a man for his sinne unlesse it be capitall and not for that alwayes unlesse in some grievous calamity S●ared which accuseth not for any sin and this is compared in Scripture to that part of the body which is without sense life or motion scared with an hot iron this comes not to a man by nature but by encrease of the corruption of his nature These two are caused 1. Chiefly through defect of reason in all crazed braines 2. Through the strength of affections overcasting the minde and swallowing up judgement 3. Ignorance of Gods will and error in judgement The stirring Conscience which doth sensibly either accuse or excuse hath these differences 1. To accuse men for doing evil 2. To excuse for doing well in some particular actions this being in a man without Christ as also sinne for all the vertues of carnall men are Splendida peccata glistring or shining sinnes 3. Concerning Memory As a loving father setting his sonne to schoole giveth him a chest to locke up his bookes and whatsoever hee hath of price and value that hee may there preserve them till neede requires So the Lord in the state of innocencie revealing himselfe and his will unto man gave him a good memory strong treasury wherein he might lay up whatsoever his minde truely conceived and fetch it again to bee meditated and thought upon as occasion was offered But this also being tainted with the flesh in spirituall matters will hold nothing but being already furnished with divers impressions of

upon them yet shall they escape no more then a beast taken in a trappe or the prisoner included in a strong tower When the Lord shall come in the clouds with his holy Angels the assises shall bee kept in the aire the prisoners of the earth notwithstanding their boasting among their fellows shall all be arraigned before him and then shall ensue the verdict of the conscience upon them even that fearefull sentence of death Goe ye cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the devill and 〈◊〉 angells This may teach us to give small credit to the glittering face and flattering countenance of outward things Let us cheere our selves never so much in our youth and walke forth-right in the wayes of our owne hearts and sight of our owne eyes yet for all that God shall bring us to iudgement The waters are deepest where they are stillest upon a hot gload there followeth a violent storme the terrors of Gods wrath shall assault the wicked man as a sudden tempest and carry him away by night In this one word Yee shall die is contained the infinite volumne of all misery the great Ocean of all sorrow it being an Epitome of mans future calamity Did a man certainely know that hee should lose all his goods friends honor and credit if hee committed this or that particular action I suppose he would shrinke from doing it If the adulterer should know that he was watched and that one behinde the doore stands ready with a polaxe to choppe off one of his legges or armes mee thinkes the feare of that mischiefe should bee too strong for his bruitish affections and conquer his lustfull passions If the drunkard should know that in such a taverne whither he usually goeth posting with his cup companions there standeth in one of the drinking places a man with a pistoll charged with white powder of purpose to shoote him through I imagine how gladly hee would leave his wine and sugar and betake himselfe to his heeles yea and account him his friend that would push him over the threshold and thrust the doore after him And this not without reason for as a man would bee willing to give all that he hath yea and to lose some of his limbes to redeeme his life Skinne for skinne and all that a man hath will be give for his life So will hee be contented to deny his pleasures and profits if in case they prejudice that unlesse it bee those wherein the temerarious rashnesse of affection preventeth reason and enforceth the body to commit the action before the minde hath given any counsell Now if reason can thus prevaile against corrupt passions when hurt is intended against the body why should it not much more perswade the understanding conscience and will to endeavour themselves against fleshly corruptions which are pernicious to the soule and not onely temporall but eternall death to the whole man By death in this place is understood not the first but the second death as appeareth plainely by the antithesis and opposition of eternall happinesse against this everlasting death and misery And so it is taken in many places of scripture Hee that overcommeth shall not be hurt of the second death The fearefull and unbeleeving c. shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone which is the second death What need many proofes as if every scripture were not given by divine inspiration Here wee see the Tragedy that must follow the pleasant Comedy of worldly joyes and the hard reckoning that is given after all the junkets of fleshly pleasure If you aske mee what this death is I thus define it When the aforesaid ignorant and unconscionable wretch hath played his pageants in City and Countrey upon the scafffold of this present earth and perhaps hath gotten him wealth wife and children builded a faire house borne office in the parishwhere he dwelleth purchased much land engrossed sundry commodities and mounted upon the proud foaming steede of all stumbling vanity of a sodaine when hee most wisheth and hopeth to live as a fish taken with a hooke or a bird with the snare he shall bee entrapped with death His fleshly body shall be cast into the earth for a time and his soule into the bottomeless pit of hell Now after that the soule and body hath for a certain season made their abode in the said places of the grave and hell as a Malefactor in the prison untill the Law day then shall they by the unspeakable power of God be united again into one man at the voice of an Archangell and trumpet of God and be summoned together with the rest of the dead to make their appearance before the Almighty to heare that fearefull sentence of condemnation pronounced against them Depart from mee yee cursed c. This is the truth which the Lord hath spoken let all flesh cover their faces lay their hands on their mouthes and stand agast hereat Mocke not at Gods judgements as commonly thou doest at the devil in a play It is fearful jesting with thy maker or playing the foole with edged tooles If further you demand what shall be the state of this creature thus cursed of God and condemned to death I answer if men may bee deceived in judging of the creature subject to sense and outward being much more hardly are they able to conceive of things invisible and made purposely of God in his wisdome to exceede the apprehension of any creature For which cause as the ioyes celestiall doe farre surpasse all earthly melody and therefore cannot be conceived truely because man wanteth a cleer spectacle wherein to behold them So the sorrowes of everlasting torment being transcendent all the glasse of humane misery cannot be sufficient in full conceit to expresse it or come neere it neither can it be knowne of any fleshly creature saving onely of such as feele it Yet least any man herein should be utterly ignorant and so waxe secure esteeming death eternall as a poeticall fury or vizzard to be playd withall thereby fearfully derogating from Gods power wisdome and glory in inflicting justice the holy Ghost hath given us some secret items concerning this point and slightly in comparison runne it over as a Painter with a little white lead drawing forth the great Elephant not so much teaching us what it is as what indeed it is not The first thing touching this matter to be considered briefly is the separation of these carnall men before spoken of from the presence and glory of God whose communion as it is the head and heart of all felicity so to bee deprived of his favourable presence is the very summe of all misery For as a grievous malefactor once in favour with his Prince bound in chains of iron hung up on the top of an hill debarred of all mortall helpe set apart to be consumed with famine night and day filleth the hils and