Selected quad for the lemma: soul_n

Word A Word B Word C Word D Occurrence Frequency Band MI MI Band Prominent
soul_n affection_n understanding_n will_n 4,333 5 5.6834 4 false
View all documents for the selected quad

Text snippets containing the quad

ID Title Author Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) STC Words Pages
A56727 A brief vindication of free grace ... relating to several positions asserted by M. John Goodwin in his late book entituled, Redemption redeem'd, and in his former treatise of justification : delivered in a sermon before the Right Honourable, the Lord Mayor and aldermen of the city of London, at Pauls, May 30, 1652 / by John Pawson ... Pawson, John, 1619 or 20-1654? 1652 (1652) Wing P880; ESTC R13411 24,080 30

There is 1 snippet containing the selected quad. | View lemmatised text

such a principle into us 1 Pet. 1. 23. We are said to be born again of incorruptible seed by the word of God which liveth and abideth for ever In our regeneration there is an incorruptible seed put into us of which the new creature is bred and born within us which seed is not * the word of God for we are said to Idem Redempt Red p. 199. be born of the seed by the word But by the seed is meant a divine principle wrought by God in the heart and soul through the ministration of the word which liveth and abideth for ever i. e. not which word but which seed or principle liveth and abideth in us for ever as appears by the placing of the comma's and as the word incorruptible imports That this is no forced interpretation but the proper meaning will appear from a parallel Text 1 Joh. 3. 9. Whosoever is born of God his seed remaineth in him By seed is confessedly understood a divine principle wrought in us and it is this seed that remaineth saith this latter Text but how long remains it That the former Text speaks home to not only for a season as some would interpret it * but it liveth and Idem Ibiden abideth for ever This is a strong argument for perseverance which some endeavouring to answer have only knock'd one part of the Text against another and left the main thing against them untouched But to return till we be thus regenerated and quickned we are of our selves dead in every faculty not only in our wills and affections but even in our understandings as to things of spiritual concernment The Intellectual frame of the soul of man was by the sin and fall of Adam wholly dissolv'd and shatter'd and brought into as great a confusion of ignorance and darkness as can be imagined Now if so from hence I infer these two conclusions 1. Every man continues in this state till he be made a new creature by regeneration God by Christ hath not so heal'd this natural condition of mankind that every one even before generation is reinvested with ability to apprehend discern and subscribe to the things of God Christ hath not purchased any such general vouchsafement to all the children of men nor is any such grace given to the world in general upon the account of Christ as is presumed not yet proved the contrary appears for till we be regenerate there is nothing in us but the old man and that old man is in the old state of darkness fore-mentioned there must be a renewing the spirit of our minds now they only are renewed in the spirit of their minds who have put on the new man Eph. 4. 23 24. it is the new man who is renewed in knowledge Col. 3. 10. As touching that Text Joh. 1. 9. where Christ is said to be that light which lighteth every man coming into the world there is difference twixt lighting and enlightning one respecting the object and medium the other respecting the faculty if that Scripture prove that Christ lighteth all i. e. holds forth in the Gospel sufficient outward light to see by yet it proves not that he inwardly enlightens all with a principle to see with The Sun is the light of the material world yet they upon whom Nature hath not bestowed sight cannot see for all that The Sun sends out its light into the world far and near yet the man who is born blinde abides in darkness till his eyes be opened I am come a light into the world says Christ Joh. 12. 46. yet it is implyed in the next words that every unbeliever abides in darkness now we are all unbelievers till regenerate and therefore till then abide in darkness though under the very Tropicks of Gospel light yet we discern it not till God give us an ey of faith i. e. till he do that for us which the Scriture calls enlightning the eyes of our understanding Eph. 1. 18. till then though the light shine yet it shines in darkness and the darkness comprehends it not Some by darkness in this and all other like texts will needs understand * Re. Re. preface P 14. p. 20. not a natural but only a contracted blindness not born with us Idem in preface p. 12 but which some or it may be the most wilfully bring upon themselves And therefore I add 2. Not only such unregenerate persons who have darkned their own minds by loose and sensual converse and conversation prepossessing themselves with erroneous apprehensions but even the choysest of the unregenerate those who are in their purest naturals they are in darknes as to the saying apprehension of spiritual things for till they be born again or quickned they are dead which deadness being universal runs thorow every faculty and imports not only a lameness but an utter inability in the understanding as well as other faculties The mouth of that Text is not yet stopt 1 Cor. 2. 14. The natural man is not capable of the things of God nor can he know them because they are spiritually discerned the original word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the souly man i. e. the man who hath no other principles but those connatural to his soul no principles super-infused from the spirit such a souly man cannot understand the things of the spirit of God because being things of the spirit they are only spiritually discerned i. e. by the Spirit which he that is only a souly man wants I shall offer 3. things towards further clearing this Text. 1. By the Natural man here is not meant * the weak Christian Idem in preface p. 13. the babe in Christ spoken of in the next chapter for 't is said the things of God are foolishnes to him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which comes of the Hebrew word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to rebel Now the things of God are not foolishnes to a weak Christian much less does his heart rebel against them as the word seems to import besides the very word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 does properly signifie a man without the spirit so S. Jude defines sin ver 19. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 our translation renders it sensual but 't is the same word with this in the text natural having not the spirit We find the same used again James 3. 15. this wisdom is earthly natural divelish in both these places the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 speaks an unregenerate condition and I cannot meet the word again in all the new testament save only in 1 Cor. 15 where the Apostle distinguishes twixt natural and glorifyed bodies 2. It does not at all appear that by the things of God here spoken of are meant only high and deep mysteries speculations but rather the substantial doctrines of the Gospel which the Apostle calls the knowledge of Jesus Christ and him crucifyed ver 2. the things given to us of God ver 12. which are hidden and deep in respect of those