Selected quad for the lemma: reason_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
reason_n	church_n	invisible_a	visible_a	2,612	5	9.5734	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A86421	A garden inclosed, and Wisdom justified only of her children. Being two exercises, discovering the glory, beauty and perfection of the love of God to saints that are so comprehended, and in such a glorious inclosure: and also the sweet reflections in, and from saints, in iustifying wisdom: which were delivered at New-port Pagnell, about a yeare and a half since: for declaration whereof, the authour was then imprisoned, and since accused, for delivering of blasphemie. by Paul Hobson.	Hobson, Paul.	1647 (1647)	Wing H2274; Thomason E1188_3; ESTC R208251	44,598	118

prophecied of Psal 2.2 Esa 66.5 And also practised Act. 4.18 and 5.28 And therefore the sum of all is this That it is better to please Christ Acts 4.19.5.29.42 then men and therefore you which enjoy Christ Cease not but at all opportunities declare what you know of Christ that so others may enjoy what you enjoy But I shall say no more of this Vse nor of this Conclusion The second thing in the Declaration 2. The matter declared is the matter declared And in that there is something included besides what is expressed And that which is included is in this word Garden In which word is implyed the Church of Christ From whence observe this conclusion That Christ's Church is Christ's Garden Doctr. For the better understanding of this Conclusion I shall unfold these things First What I mean by the Church of Christ Secondly How Christ's Church may fitly be called a Garden Thirdly How it is said to be Christs Garden For the first What I meane by the Church of Christ I Answer I doe not intend in that 1. What is meant by the Church of Christ to speak any thing of the Church invisible but visible And in that Consider First What I do not meane by the Church of Christ And in the first place I do not mean a Nationall Church And by that word Nationall I meane That a Nation considered as a Nation cannot be a Church of Christ My reasons are these First Because if a Church were considered Nationall then a Naturall birth would interest a man into a Spirituall priviledge Secondly The holy Ghost no where considereth Church members under a Naturall relation but under a spirituall considering them as Saints 1 Cor. 1.2 Ephes 1.1 Secondly I doe not meane by a Church a Parochiall Church that is the same in nature with a Nationall Church though not in measure and what may be said against one may bee said against the other But by a Church I meane a company of souls Ioh. 14.17 20. who through the commings in of Christ are made able so to beleeve in Christ that they are through that beleeving made able freely and voluntarily to give themselves up to Christ Rom. 6.17 to walk in the acknowledgement of Christ Acts 24.14 in or according to his word And from the termes of this description wee may observe these three or four consectaries and by them you will the better understand what I mean The first is 1. consectary That the Church of Christ are beleevers in Christ Secondly 2. consect That the Church of Christ are such as are sweetly overcome or fetch'd in to Christ by the commings in of Christ Thirdly That the Church of Christ 3. consect must worship Christ Fourthly That the word of Christ 4. consect is the Rule of the worship of Christ For the first 1. consect That the Church of Christ are beleevers in Christ This is cleare from these scriptures 1 Cor. 1.2 and 2 Thes 1. chap. 1.2.3 verses with many other places If you aske mee Quest. What I meane by a beleever or by that beleeving which is to be in all those that are members of the Church of Christ I Answer I will tell you first Answ What I doe not meane and then what I doe mean For the first I doe not mean a bare professor of Truth and Faith for if all that professe truth and are not possessed with truth should be admitted members of the Church then the Church would not be made up of living stones Secondly I do not meane such a beleever who is drawn up by the power of Reason from the externall declarations of Truth to beleeve a Christ without when he doth not enjoy a Christ within which men may doe and so beleeve that they may bee brought to submit to an externall Ordinance But by a beleever I mean A soul who from the enjoyment of a Christ within is made able to beleeve a Christ without For beleeving according to Truth is for a soule from the power of Truth being overcome by it and swallowed up in it is from thence made able as to assent and give credit to it so to assent and submit to all things presented in it and required by it as that they are made able to live to the glory of Truth in every particular act If you aske me Quest. Whether one may not bee admitted to bee a Church member and receive the Ordinances if he know Christ without so as hee is willing to embrace the outward Ordinance though he doth not know or is not acquainted with a Christ within I Answer Such ought not to bee admitted Answ My reasons are these First Reason 1 Because it is not an externall knowing and submitting to the Ordinances of Christ but a reall one-nesse with Christ that is a ground of union and Communion 1 Joh. 1.7 The Apostle saith If we walke in the light as he is in the light then shall we have fellowship one with another From thence it is clear that an one-nesse in the mistery of Truth is alone the ground of Communion and fellowship sutable to Truth Secondly Reason 2 The Saints ought in all admitting of members into the Church not onely to admit members to them But they should admit such Phil. 1 25. as they may have ground to beleeve will continue with them 1 Iohn 2.19 20 24 27. but there is no ground to beleeve that they will continue with them unlesse they can or do make out a right understanding of a Christ enjoyed within as well as an apprehension of a Christ without Thirdly Reason 3 The Church of Christ in all entertainment of members 1 Iohn 1. ● 7 ought to endeavour to keepe and continue that which is the glory and life of union and Communion which is not a bare enjoying of each other in an externall Ordinance but a sweet refreshing of each other by giving out to each other their internall injoyments for it is not a bare breaking of bread together to make out a crucified Christ without that is the life and refreshing of Saints but it is the sweet unfoldings in the givings out of their experiences each to other in which they do sweetly unfold and give out that love which is the life of Saints And in the giving out of each others experiences there is a sweet building up and refreshing of each other As face answers face in a glasse so doth the experience of one Saint answer another and in their so answering there is a sweet wraping up of each others spirit in each others injoyment And as this is and ought to be the ground of Love So it is that which is the continuation of love but this cannot be enjoyed by admitting of members that onely know a Christ without and do not know and enjoy a Christ within Fourthly Reason 4 That which may be in the men of the world that cannot be a

every beame is like its own Body So it is here that Love that is in a saint to Christ it is but a Sonne 1 Ioh. 4.9.10 it is but a fruit of the Love that is in Christ to us The love that is in a saint is not onely begot by him but it really flowes from him as one with him And what you may say of Love you may say of all that is considered in the heart of a saint as a saint Insomuch that if you should call the love that is in a saint to Christ Choice Love you could neither wrong a saint nor Christ in that thing Dearest friends Behold in this a great wonder Christ in the givings out of himselfe to us requires returnes of himselfe in an acknowledgement of so great a priviledge But behold all the returnes in us to Christ flowes from Christ as the originall Fountaine and Well-head of all those streames And so much of this fourth thing They look like him And now I have done with unfolding the termes of the second Doctrine to you which was that Christs Church is Christs Garden Vse of Information The first Vse is a Vse of Information to informe us of many Truths which I shall draw from the Proposition or Conclusion and that shall be in drawing severall Consectaries from the particulars in every terme Onely the first terme viz. what I meant by the Church of Christ I have at large handled it already and therefore I shall speak no more of that at this time But I shall come to draw Consectaries from the second and third things First From the second Why the Church of Christ is called a Garden And I gave you four Reasons why it may fitly be called a Garden First Because it is inclosed Secondly Because there is more speciall fruit there then else where Thirdly Because there is more care taken of it and watchfullnesse over it Fourthly Because Christ takes more Content and Delight in it then elsewhere From thence observe these four Consectaries First From the first thing Consect 1. That Christs Church may fitly bee called a Garden Because it is inclosed From thence observe this Consectarie That Christs Church is not a scattered confused but an inclosed Company It is the property of idle shepherds to let their sheepe goe scattered up and downe not knowing them nor them knowing him But the Lord Christ taketh care to inclose his Garden within the limits of that Light Life and Glory that maketh known himselfe to them and them to himselfe Ioh. 10.14 that wheresoever a Saint is he is still inclosed by Christ hee is not without the Pale but hee is still within the borders of the limits of that strong wall Esa 26.5 And therefore wee may say here as Christ saith Cant. 4.12 A Garden inclosed is my sister my spouse What this inclosure is in the fellowship of the Saints in any sence at this time I shall not speak having spoke so largely to this before But this I am sure of That Christs Church is an inclosed Garden Wee might in the way of Vse of this Consectarie come a little to parralell the Church of England with the Church of Christ Vse And whether that bee an inclosed Garden or a confused wildernesse I leave to you to judge For looke upon the Church of England as a National Church so considered it is that which rather breeds and bringeth forth that which opposeth and endeavours to destroy the Church of Christ the Lillies of Christ then any waies lookes with a face like Christ himselfe And what we may say of a Nationall Church we may say the same of a Parochiall Church But I shall say no more of that thing but only this That Christs Church is an inclosed Garden The Second Consectarie is drawne from the second thing Consect 2. which was this That the Church of Christ may fitly bee called a Garden because there is more speciall fruit there then else-where Thence observe this Consectarie That the fruits in a Saint placed thereby Jesus Christ They are choice fruits The highest title that Christ can give them he gives to them There is no excellent spices no wines no fruits but Christ takes up to expresse the glory and excellency and beauty of those fruits that grow and live in a Saint I say here as I said before There is common fruits in common fields but your choice fruits are in your Gardens Men go to refresh their spirits with a sight of Lillies and Roses and other choice fruits in enclosed Gardens Behold if you would looke upon the choice Lillies of Love The Rose of Sharan Looke what is planted and placed in the heart of saints there is the Rose of Sharan there dwells the Lilly of the Valleys Cant. 2.1 even Christ in them Ioh. 14.17.20 And all the fruit of love thankfullnesse or acknowledgement in Praying or speaking to or of Jesus Christ it flowes from Christ as dwelling in them and therefore must needs bee a choice fruit Truely it sads my spirit to see that in these dayes when there is so much light Copper should goe for the purest Gold My meaning is That common borrowed Religions should be owned as the Religion that Christ himselfe ownes But I shall not at this time largely expresse my selfe in this thing Onely thus much take notice of That there is a Religion considered onely in reference to Reason A Religion in reference to a Law without and not a Law and Love within A Religion in reference to a Letter when men endeavour by the strength of Religion to finde out the spirit and there Religion is not produced by beeing found out by the spirit it selfe and that causeth all the confusion that is now-a-dayes in the world for if reason goes to trade with law and letter it converts both law and letter into no higher glory then into the light of it self and all the fruit that is in such a mans spirit considered in every act of Religion it is poore it is beggarly it is low it is legall it is but a Religion in the letter and not in the spirit If you aske me Why I call this a Religion Quest. I Answer I call it so in reference to man Answ and not to God If you aske me what I mean by a Religion in reference to Reason Law Quest. and Letter Answ 1 What Religion in referrence to Reason is In a word I Answer thus first For that Religion which is in reference to Reason It is when Reason is the highest Light that a man enjoyeth and that Reason is put forth as in directing men so in convicting when men vary from that direction through the power of which there is wrought a certaine conformitie to the light of it selfe And this is that which some men looke upon as Religion which is meere Civilitie 2. What Religion in referrence to a Law without and not within is Secondly for that Religion

duty of saints not to cover but uncover Christ in all their performances and had I time I might tell you what the Apostle meaneth when he saith A man should not pray with his head covered 1 Cor. 11.4 But I shall say no more but as he saith The head of every man is Iesus Christ vers 3. and therefore not onely in your Praying but in your practising Cover not but uncover the glory of Christ by a saint-like walking amongst men But I shall say no more of this Consectarie I should now speak something of some other Vses that I might draw from the whole conclusion That Christs Church is Christs Garden But I have a desire though I doe not enlarge my selfe upon yet to name the rest of the Conclusions that ly in the text and leave them to your thoughts having not time to declare my selfe by reason of the disturbance of those that are now come about the house But to name the Conclusions to you Let us read the words againe Thou that dwellest in the Gardens the Companions hearken to thy voice Cause me to heare it VVherein you may remember I told you there is two things considerable First A sweet acknowledgement or declaration Secondly A sweet desire or thirsting From the first The sweet acknowledgement or declaration you may remember I told you there is three things considerable First the party acknowledging Secondly The matter acknowledged Thirdly The manner of the acknowledgment The first which is the party acknowledging I have finished And for the second The matter acknowledged I have given you severall observations from it And the rest that are behinde I shall onely name to you which are these One is from this word Thou that dwellest in the Gardens Observe Doct. That Christ in a speciall manner dwelleth with his own Or thus 1 Cor 16.16 Iohn 14.23 Christs residence is in his Church And then again from this word Thou that dwellest in the Gardens the Companions hearken to thy voice Thence observe these two Conclusions First Doct. 1 That those that are called home by Christ they are called into a friendly and familiar acquaintanee with Christ Ioh. 15.14.15 Secondly That it is as the propertie Doct. 2 so the priviledge of the friends of Christ to hearken to Christ Ioh. 10.3 But I shall not at this time speake any thing of these things And so I passe over as the party acknowledging so the matter acknowledged And now I should come to speake something of the manner of the acknowledgment 3 The manner of the acknowledgement Of the free and friendly spirit that did appeare in the Spouse whilst she acknowledgeth Christ But I passe that over And so I come to the second thing in the words which is The sweet desire 2 The desire or thirsting or thirsting of the Spouse in these words Cause me to heare it VVherein you may observe these things First The party Longing That is a soule possest with Christ from thence observe That it is the propertie of a soule that knowes Christ Doct. to long for him Psal 9.10 Secondly From that which lyeth in the conjunction betweene the acknowledgment and the desire in these words The Companions hearken to thy voice Cause mee to heare it Observe this Conclusion That so farre as a soul knowes Christ Doct. so farre in that knowing is a spirituall longing after Christ Beholding Christ begets and causeth the soule according to its beholding to act towards Christ And so I passe over that Thirdly You may consider the matter desired and that is in these words Cause mee to heare it VVherein there is something included as well as what is here expressed And that which is included is in these words Cause mee Implying that they could not spiritually hearken to Christ unlesse they were spiritually caused by Christ From thence observe this Conclusion That to make a soul hearken to Christ Doct. is the sole worke of Christ himselfe And then from that which is expressed in these words Cause mee to heare it From thence observe First That to hearken to Christ is a matter worth desiring Doct. 1 Secondly That no soule doth rightly understand what it is to hearken to Christ but knowes Doct. 2 and in its knowing doth acknowledge that all power is from Christ and in this acknowledging seekes for Power to act sutable to the acknowledgment in desiring power from Christ to hearken to Christ I might make divers Vses of these Conclusions But Dear friends I hope you that enjoy Christ within and have Truth preached to you from it selfe are and will bee made able to make use of Truth sutable to it selfe And seeing our time is short and oppositions encrease 1 Cor. 7.29 wee not knowing how soone wee may bee called to suffer for Truth I shall therefore leave you all to Truth Iohn 14.6.65.5 Desiring that Truth may dwell in you and you in Truth so that in all things Truth may be honoured by you may be own'd and not denyed in any action done by you FINIS WISEDOME Justified of her CHILDREN MATTHEVV 11. the last part of the 19. verse VVisedome is justified of her Children IN the 16. verse Christ comes to discover the generation of the Scribes and Pharisees where he compares them to children that call to each other saying Wee have piped and yee have not danced wee have mourned and ye have not lamented verse 17. and so hee comes in the 18. and 19. verses to make application of these darke expressions wherein he doth discover the crosse disposition of the Scribes and Pharisees saying verse 18. Iohn came neither eating nor drinking and they said that he had a devil but Christ comes and presents himselfe in an other forme he comes eating and drinking but presently they cry out hee is a friend of Publicans and sinners before they seeme to dislike Iohn upon this ground that he did neither eat nor drinke and Christs actions seeme to speak out thus much Doe you object against Iohn because hee does not eat I will eat But the Scribes and Pharisees were so opposite in their spirits to Truth that they could not fancy any forme where Christ was presented so as to affect Truth Now these words that I have read unto you are a conclusion of Christ upholding of them wherein he saith verse 19. But wisdome is justified of her Children which words is an affirmation of grace brought forth in opposition to corrupt nature the words are excluding as well as including excluding the world and including Saints The world as accusing and condemning Christ Saints as owning and justifying Christ that which doth exclude the world lies in this word But Thence observe this Conclusion before I come to the words themselves Though all outward occasions be taken away by truth Doct. Luk. 7.32.33 yet still the spirit of the world will not justifie but condomne Truth Mat. 10 12. Iohn comes neither