Selected quad for the lemma: soul_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
soul_n	blood_n	body_n	nourish_v	3,797	5	10.3232	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A28519	A consolatory treatise of the four complexions, that is, an instruction in the time of temptation for a sad and assaulted heart shewing where-from sadness naturally ariseth, and how the assaulting happeneth : hereto are annexed some consolatory speeches exceeding profitable for the assaulted hearts & souls, written ... March 1621 / by the Teutonicall philosopher, Jacob Behmen.; Trost-Schrift von vier Complexionen. English	Böhme, Jakob, 1575-1624.; Hotham, Charles, 1615-1672?	1654 (1654)	Wing B3402; ESTC R19729	29,679	98

herself with the glance of the Sun seeing the Divine Light-eye was in Adam shut up to her in the earthly property into which she entred The Soul hath in Adam suffered the complexion as also the Spirit of the great world the Starrs and Elements to enter into her which during the time of this life dwell intermixedly the one in the other the Soul in the complexion and the complexion in the Soul yet one of them comprehends not the other essentially the Soul is deeper than the outward Spirit though in this life they hang upon each other as the inward and outward world neither of which yet is the other so likewise the outward Spirit is not the Soul Know further that The Soul is in her substance a Magicall fire-fountain or property out of God the Fathers Nature a vehement desire after the light as God the Father from eternity with a most intense longing desires his heart to wit the Center of light and in his desiring will begets him out of the firy property as the light is now usually born out of the fire Now there can be no fire but there must be also there a root for the firy subsistence to wit the Center or image to Nature this the soul hath also in it self and burns out of the Image to Nature or the Naturall complexion to wit out of the dark world which in her fountain of desire drives it self till unto the firy property then desires it the liberty i. e. the light as in the Book of the threefold life is expressed So then the Soul being a hungry Magicall Spirit-fire desires spirituall essentiality and power wherewith she may nourish and preserve her fire-life and still the thirst of her firy fountain Now 't is well known how that she hath with Adam in his disobedience entred into the Spirit of this world and eaten of it Whereupon Christ became a man in our essence that he might bring her again thorough the Center and thorough Gods fire into his light namely into the world of meekness which in the person of Christ was actually but our soul seeing that from the mothers wombe it remains involved in the Spirit of the great world in the Complexions it eats from the very birth yea even in the mothers wombe of the Spirit of this world The Soul eats spiritual meat namely of the Spirit of the image of the complexions not altogether their essence but Magically it is the kindling of their fire The Complexions in the soules fire become soulish or of a soular property They are as wood and fire to each other understand by wood the Complexion by fire the Soul Now the fire must have fewell viz. Either the outward complexion or a divine essentiality of Gods Nature of one of these must she eat or dy but 't is not possible for her to perish seeing she is a desire and where there is a desiring there is also a being the desire makes a being to it self By this we understand whence ariseth such a difference in the wills and actions of men For of what the Soul eats and wheerin her fire-life is kindled thereafter doth the life of the Soul exercise her Regiment Goe's the Soul out of her complexion into Gods Love-fire into the heavenly essentiality which is Christs corporiety according to the Angelicall light-world then eats she of Christs heavenly flesh of his eternal essentiality of the mildness of the Majestick light in which the fire of God the Father in the glance resplendence of the light makes a Tincture in the same essentiality in the waterfountain of everlasting life whereof Christ speaks saying that he would give us such water to drink Of this water doth the souls fire eat as of Divine heavenly essentiality which in the Tincture is converted into heavenly and spiritual blood whence ariseth in the Soul a Godly will wherewith she compells the body to do that which according to its own inclination and spirit of this world it would not do in such souls the Complexion rules not but remaines only in the lower fleshly nature exercises the Regiment as to the outward body onely The man enquires after Gods Word and hath alwayes an uncessant longing after God his desire is ever to discourse of God would always gladly tast more of Gods sweetness but is clouded and hindred by the Complexion in so much that he lives in a continuall combat The Soul fights againsts the Complexion for they are here linked together in one band and the Complexion against the Soul it would ever gladly enter into the Souls fire and kindle it self and obtain a life in it For when the Soul eats of Gods Word the complexion according to the outward life becomes powerless and as it were a captive th●ugh it live in it self But the soul is so stedfast and faithful before Gods Love which alone comes to her help in the combat that oft when she eats of Gods Love and essence she induceth a triumph and a Divine taste into the complexion it self that the whole body begins to be roused up into a trembling and height of joy as Paradise were now approaching but his condition proves not durable for the soul is shortly after overshadowed with something of another nature which is insinuated into the Complexion by the outward imagination from the Spirit of the great world whereof she makes a looking-glass and begins to contemplate in it with her outward imagination Thus goes she out from the Spirit of God and is oft bemired in the dirt were it not that the Virgin Wisdom of God should call her again to conversion which is here set down as a Looking glass for souls Further of the Complexions WHen the Soul imagines into the Complexion and eats of it and turns herself from Gods Word and Will she then doth after the property of the Complexion she embraces all whatsoever is injected by the Starrs unto the Complexion all that the Spirit of the great world brings into the complexion by its imagination She empoysons herself thorough the desire in the complexion in the whole outward Nature in all that the world doth in words and works Such matter as this the desire of the complexion brings into the soul-fire or its fewell and the Soul-fire burnes or feeds it self therein Here we see how all evill deeds and works burn in the fire of God the Father in which the Soul consists what is not agreeable to Gods Love that cannot the Love receive Here find we likewise what and how sin is how Gods anger is kindled when in the burning or life of the soul such abomination as a man works is brought in to him which withhold the Soul from Gods Love and make the Soul-fire stark-blind to Gods Wisdom and Light For the Spirit of God enters not into the fire burning or life of the abomination till the Soul again goes out of it and bathes it self again in the water of the eternal Life which comes to

whole soul confidence in one ther 's strength enough in one to withstand him thou maist in it strength wilt thou but wrap up thy soul in it easily put him to shame Neither can he touch thee nor will he long abide thy presence If thou manfully stand thy ground and give not back he becomes a laughing-stock to his other agents employed in his service among men and also the holy Angells therefore he usually takes his wings and flies away before he be forc'd by those tart scoffings to avoid the place Repeat therefore as need requires that one saying thou hast made choise of fix it in thy heart and from thence strengthen thy courage against him the Spirit that lies hid in the holy Oracle will not fail to stand by thee Though the soul tremble before him stand firm though in the wrath his own principle against him yea though thou art in fear of thy life thou shalt suffer no hurt He dare not force thee nor indeed hath he any power to touch the soul during this life for Christ hath unlock● the door of grace it now stands wide open to the poor finner while he lives upon earth this door of grace stands open in the soul Christ hath in his soul broke ope the Iron gate that was fast shut up in Gods wrath Now all souls have a communion and correspondence with this soul they all come from one and are altogether one tree with many branches his breaking open of that prison is from him gone forth upon all souls from Adam till the last men the door of grace stands open to them all God hath shut it up to none but those that will needs exclude themselves The signe or mark of his ingress into the manhood is manifest to all souls the same will be a witness over all ungodly men in the judgment day which they have despised Though our sins saith Esaias were as red as blood yet stands the door of mercy still open for in the sinners conversion they shall be made as white as the snowy wool further sayes the Prophet Esaias Can a mother forget her child that she take not pity of the son of her wombe She may possibly forget it but I will no forget you for I have markt you in mine hand viz. In his hand pierc'd thorough with the sharp nailes and in his spear-wounded side did he engrave the everlasting memorial of the soul of all souls Will now any man not come and rest himself therein but contemn the mark of Christ or suffer the Devill to cover it he is himself in the fault and though he cover it yet remains it still deep engraven in the greatest sinner that lives on earth For Esaias sayes in the Spirit of Christ Though a mother forget her children which she cannot do but with great grief yet shall his love and grace never be forgotten he forgets not the souls though never so deep dyed in the sinfull Tincture for he hath engraven their character in his own Blood and Death not of some only but of the whole tree intire with its root branches and as sin came from one upon all so saith the Apostle came righteousness through Christ upon all As the sin from one pierc'd through all unto death so had the righteousness out of Christ its impenetration from one into the whole stock with all its branches to animate them to a new life But that all men partake not of this life the fault is in their own will their will is free Gods will is that all men should be holpen and Psal. 5. Thou art not a God that willest the evill And Ezek. As true as I live saith the Lord I will not the death of a sinner but rathat he be converted and live Therefore let no soul think the measure of mine iniquities is full God hath forgotten me I cannot be sav'd No it cannot be so he hath engraven her in his nail-pierced hands She is a sprig of the great tree of all souls and hath an invisible commerce and communion with all as the branch with the tree While she lives in this world so long as she is clothed with flesh and blood she remains yet in the tree Of the temptation arising from the complexion and insluence of the Starrs ALL temptation comes not from the Devill especially with melancholy men but the most part of that afflicting sadness which falls so heavy upon them comes from the imagination of the soul which being necessitated to dwell in dark melancholy habitations no wonder if it be easily surprised with heaviness so as to think God hath forgotten her and will have none of her For the melancholy complexion is dark and hath no light of its own as the other complexions have yet is not this darkness essentiall to the soul but is only her lonesome tabernacle during her pilgrimage here on earth nor doth the souls holiness and righteousnes consist at all in the complexion but is deep rooted viz. in the inward heavenly principle where God dwells For as S. Paul says Philip 3. Our conversation is in heaven Now this Heaven wherein God dwels is not manifested in the outward complexion but only in it self viz. in the second principle It oft happens that the holiest souls are in this manner overwhelmed with sadness and this not without Gods speciall permission to the end they may be proved and strive the more earnestly after that heavenly crown of victory which is given them in this life as a pledge of their everlasting felicity For when the soul takes heaven as 't were by storm and winns her crown the gift of the Holy Ghost after a constant persevering stedfastness in the fiery conflict her Crown of triumph is much more noble and pretious than that which is not obtain'd till after the bodily death for the Revelation of Jesus Christ saith To him that over comes will I give to sit with me upon my Throne as I have overcome and am seated on my Fathers Throne Item To him that overcomes will I give to eat of the hidden Manna and will give him a good testimony and with the Testimony a new name written which no man knows but he that receives it But to return to the natural cause of sadness in the melancholy complexion There oft happens a malignant conjunction of the Starrs or Eclypse of the Sun or Moon which if it chance to be in an earthly signe and ♂ poyson the ☌ with his hellish influence then does the influence of this ☌ mightily terrify this soul enwrapt in the melancholy complexion she always imagines 't is the fierce wrath of God is risen up against her or that t is the Devill is now come to hale her away into Hell For her complexion being strongly imbiterd with ♂ his venemous beames and finding herself enclos'd in a desolate and dark dwelling she presently imagins God hath cast her from him and will have none of her and this