Selected quad for the lemma: sense_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
sense_n	church_n	invisible_a	visible_a	2,874	5	9.2871	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A26810	Spiritual perfection, unfolded and enforced from 2 Cor. VII, 1 having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse our selves from all filthiness of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God / by William Bates ...	Bates, William, 1625-1699.	1699 (1699)	Wing B1128; ESTC R4307	200,199	485

Carnal Satisfaction What sweeter reflection can there be of Conscience the only true and internal Comforter than upon Innocence and Victory 2. The discovery of our progress in Holiness is made by the habitual frame of the Heart and the fixed regularity of the Life There cannot be a true Judgment of a Christian either when he is best disposed or when he is worst disposed One that has less Grace may sometimes in the use of the Ordinances feel high and holy Affections in an unusual manner An excellent Saint in time of temptation may feel the power of Corruption strangely great A strong Man in a fainting Fit is weaker than another a weak Man in a Fever is stronger than two But we may judge of the degrees of Grace by the spiritual frame of the Heart and the actions flowing from it The character and denomination of Men in Scripture is from two Principles the Flesh and Spirit The Apostle tells us That they that are after the Flesh do mind the things of the Flesh and they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit Those who are not distinguish'd from the Carnal in the Resurrection of Grace shall not be separated from them in the Resurrection of Glory The Carnal are under the prevalent influences of the outward Senses their Minds and Wills their Imaginations and Affections their Discourses and Actions are all pointed on the Earth their weak Eyes are dazzled with the false lustre of worldly things their Hearts are ravish'd with them With what an accent and emphasis do they express their desires Who will shew us any good The World is the principal Object of their Esteem and Love they labour continually they sweat and freeze and move in a circle of toilsome Employments their desires are uncessant and unsatisfied without obtaining it and their acquiring one thing kindles desires after another But how slow and slack are their endeavours after eternal things They use God to enjoy the World But the Saints are spiritual in their Principles Objects and Ends. God is a pure Spirit and the more we are spiritualiz'd the more we partake of the Divine Nature and are pleasing in his sight This discovers it self by our Esteem Affections and Conversations When the Mind is purified from Carnal Prejudices and Passions then the beauty and goodness of God all his amiable excellencies appear and powerfully attract the Thoughts and Affections The Christian that can say with the Spirit of the Psalmist Whom have I in Heaven but thee and there is none upon Earth I desire beside thee and in the Expression of the Church The Lord is my portion saith my Soul he is spiritually-minded He places his Happiness in the Favour and Fruition of God His temporal affairs are subordinate to his main design He prosecutes with the greatest resolution diligence and delight his blessed End He uses the World to enjoy God Riches is principally valued by him as he sees God's Love in them and shews his Glory by them Now 't is an infallible Rule as we are affected towards God and those things that have the nearest resemblance to him accordingly we may judge of the degrees of our Spirituality More particularly 1. The Divine Law is a clear Glass wherein the Wisdom the Rectitude the Goodness and Holiness of God are evident and consequently according to our Valuations and Love to it there is a sure sign of a Divine Temper and its prevalency in the Soul David the Man after God's own Heart declares it to be his incomparable Treasure his dearest Enjoyment 'T was the pleasing Object of his Mind and Will 'T was his meditation all the day He expresses his Love to it in the highest degree by intimating 't is inexpressible Oh how I love thy Law He loved it because 't was pure The Holiness of God so conspicuously shin'd in its Precepts that it was as strong an ingagement to his Affections as the Majesty of God by its Sanction oblig'd his Conscience to obey it 2. When the Worship of God in its purity and simplicity is the Object of our Esteem and Love 't is the effect of a spiritual frame of Soul During the Levitical Dispensation the Service of God was perform'd with Pomp and Lustre suitable to the Church in its minority when Faith did need the assistance of the Senses But now the Church is come to mature Age and brought to nearer Communion with God the gaudy allurements of Sense are taken away Men are naturally under the dominion of Sense of this there is the most clear and palpable Proof in the Heathen World that would rather worship visible Idols than the true invisible God 'T is a certain indication of Mens Carnal Minds that they are pleased with Carnal Service that lavishly runs out in Formalities which by sympathy works upon them This affects the Eye and is far more easie than Spiritual inward Worship that issues from the strength of the Soul and is performed with attention and ardency This is very disparaging to the Nature of God for it proceeds from the conceiving of him to be like themselves who are not Heavenly and Spiritual to be pleased with an Earthly Bodily Service The introducing Theatrical Ceremonies into the Service of God is directly opposite to the simplicity of the Gospel Whatever pretences are made that they set a gloss upon the plainness of Christian Worship and make it more amiable and venerable they are like the artificial Painting of natural Beauty that corrupts and does not commend it The productions of Humane Minds are imperfect at first and are polish'd and arrive to perfection by degrees But Divine Institutions are compleat in their kind at first and the more they recede from their original they lose of their purity and perfection How acceptable those parts of Worship are not chosen and commanded by God we may clearly understand by considering that the enjoyning such new Rites is a tacit presumption that the Reason of Man knows better how God should be honour'd than himself does and how unprofitable they are to us is evident for being used without his Warrant and Promise we cannot expect the conveyance of his Grace and obtaining his Favour by them Only Spiritual Religion the inward reality is of value in his esteem When the Understanding is spiritually inlightened it esteems the simplicity of Gospel-worship to be its true Beauty 'T is like the nakedness of Paradise the indication of the unstained Purity of our first Parents in that state 'T is true in the Worship of God we are to glorifie him with our Bodies to behave our selves in such a manner as may express Reverence and excite Affection but the joining Humane Devices upon that pretence is the snare of Conscience and has been fatal to the Peace of the Church 3. The Mind when spiritually illuminated sees the true worth of the Saints though in an obscure condition and accordingly honours and loves them 'T is the character of one that

the natural the Instruments of Sense and Motion are bound up the apprehensive Faculties that discover dangers and the active Powers that resist or avoid them are suspended from their exercise Now spiritual Security is call'd a Sleep as it implies ignorance of dangers that threaten the Soul and unpreparedness to prevent them Accordingly in opposition to carnal security Watchfulness consists in two things in the foresight of approaching Evils and furnishing our selves with means and using them for our safety There is the Life of Grace in every regenerate Person but Watchfulness implies the lively exercise and activity of Grace In the present state the spirit of Slumber is apt to steal upon us even the wise Virgins slumber'd and slept The three Disciples at Christ's Transfiguration in the Mount when it might be imagin'd there could be no inclination in them and no temptation to sleep for that the glorious Light would powerfully excite and actuate the visive Spirits yet fell asleep and at his private Passion in the Garden when there was the greatest cause of their sorrow and simpathy yet were siez'd with unwelcome heaviness for which our meek Redeemer so gently reprov'd them Could ye not watch with me thus one hour The best are liable to relapses into security till they shall be awakened and raised by the Omnipotent Voice of the Son of God at the last day to Immortality and Perfection Watchfulness may be consider'd either with respect to the preventing Evil or the doing Good With respect to the preventing Evil there are such Motives as should make us very circumspect lest we be overtaken and overcome by Temptations 1. If we consider the Subtilty and Strength the Malice and Diligence with the mighty numbers of our Spiritual Enemies there is great reason we should not only be awake but watchful to oppose them 1. The Tempter is surprizingly subtle and understands all the arts of circumventing and corrupting us He knows the several Characters of Mens Dispositions the commixture of their Humours all the radical Causes of their different Inclinations and of those Lusts that have dominion in them He knows the various impressions of Nature from the Sex the Age the Country from inherent or external Causes from Health or Sickness Nobility Obscurity Riches Poverty Prosperity Adversity He tempts to Sensuality in Youth and Covetousness in Old Age like the possess'd person in the Gospel that was sometimes cast into the Fire and sometimes into the Water Men often exchange their Lusts and deceive themselves as if a dead Palsie were the Cure of a burning Fever Sometime he will try to cool the Zeal of the Saints who are serious in working out their Salvation by suggesting that their diligence is not necessary But if he cannot recall them to their former security by the allurements of Sense he will discourage their Hopes and represent God as irreconcileable and damp their Resolutions in seeking his Favour and doing their Duty Thus by stratagem and ambush or by open assault he attempts to ruine their Souls 2. His strength is superiour to ours Evil Spirits are stil'd Principalities and Powers and spiritual Wickednesses We are frail Flesh and Blood But we are encouraged that by our vigilancy and the assistance of the Holy Spirit we shall be preserved against his utmost Power and Cruelty For greater is he that is in the Saints than he that is in the World 3. His Malice is deadly Nothing can allay his Torment but the involving Men under his Judgment and Misery 4. His Activity and Diligence is equal to his Malice The Spirits of Darkness never slumber nor sleep They are not capable of weakness or weariness as our faint Flesh is He is restless in following his pernicious designs What is recorded of Martellus the Roman General is applicable to Satan If he obtains a Victory he fiercely insults and pursues it if he be repuls'd he returns afresh His Spight is never spent He tempted our Saviour with distrust of God's Providence with Presumption and Vain-glory and being foil'd in all attempts 't is said he departed for a season and afterward made use of Peter as his Instrument to make him decline his Sufferings for the Salvation of Men. 5. He has a mighty number of Principalities and Powers and spiritual Wickednesses under his Commands There was a legion in one Man St. Peter earnestly excites us to watchfulness for our adversary the Devil with innumerable infernal Spirits goes about seeking whom he may devour He is the most formidable and least fear'd Enemy in the World We are surrounded with invisible Enemies sooner felt than seen and usually not discerned but by the Wounds they give us and yet the Senses of Men are unguarded and all the Gates are open to give them an easie entrance into their Souls And tho' their operations in destroying Souls are secret yet the deadly effects of their Hatred are visible for how few are there in whom the signs of the Spiritual Life appear 2. The World is the store-house of his Temptations the Men of the World to allure us to Sin or terrifie us from our Duty The things of the World are suitable to our vicious Appetites and foment them like Food that is pleasant but unwholsome and seeds the Disease He puts a gloss and flattering colours upon earthly things to give them a lustre in our Imaginations 3. In our depraved state we are very receptive of his Temptations The Innocence of the first Adam did not secure him from seduction The Carnal Affections are like Gun-powder a spark sets all a-fire and we cannot easily quench the unruly Flame when 't is inspir'd by the Tempter 'T is true he cannot immediately act upon the Soul But as in Paradise he made use of the Serpent to deceive the Woman and of the Woman by her blandishments to allure Adam so he makes use of the carnal part in every one which proves as fatal as the Serpent and the Woman were All the corrupt Appetites and disorder'd Affections are manag'd by him and draw Men with unforc'd consent to yield to him He knows the insidious party within us that will admit his Temptations When the Heart is dejected and sorrowful he sends in Terrors and Griefs knowing that his Faction within are ready to receive them When 't is cheerful and lively he sends in vain Thoughts excites the Carnal Affections which are ready to comply with his design and betray the Soul to Folly and Security Now considering our Enemies without and the deceitful Heart as the traytor within that keeps correspondence with the Tempter our danger is infinite We are not by priviledge exempted from Temptations nor invulnerable in our encounters with the Powers of Darkness but by vigilance and managing the Armour of God we are victorious There is no Saint on Earth but may fall as foully as David did without a constant jealousie over his Heart and Ways 'T is said While the Husband-man slept the envious