Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	according_a	good_a	zion_n	20	3	8.6974	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A89645	A little starre, giving some light into the counsels and purposes of God revealed in the Scriptures. Or A catechisme, wherein these ensuing principles. 1. What God is, and how he manifests himselfe. 2 Why he made the world and man. 3. Mans condition, what, 1. by creation. 2. By his fall. 3. By being restored by Jesus Christ. 4 The uses and ends of the law. 5. What the Gospell is. 6. Justification what it is. 7. Sanctification what, and how it is wrought. 8. What repentance is. 9. The use and ends of the Scriptures. 10. What true prayer is. 11. Baptisme, and the Lords Supper, why, and how used. 12. Generall redemption what, and how to be adjudged of. 13. Resurrection and judgement what. 14. Heaven and Hell what, in truth and misterie. All which are briefly by way of question and answer opened and explained. / By VVilliam Mason.	Mason, William, Anabaptist.	1653 (1653)	Wing M948; Thomason E1505_1; ESTC R208669	86,553	204

to them through sanctification of the Spirit that thereby they might believe or be obedient and be sprinkled with the bloud of Jesus Now what can be added to good things or how can good things believe or be sprinkled with the bloud of Jesus or have remission of sins Againe if gods anger be not against the persons of men as well as against sin in the person then why did he so severely avenge himself upon sin in the person of Christ Was it sin or Christ that cryed out My God my God why hast thou forsaken me And for that Jacob and Esau are brought in to be a type of this great mistery being both in the wombe of one Rebecca it makes nothing to this purpose that God should elect the good things in a man and not the man Jacob and Esau were men and both of the seed of Abraham and both of them the sonnes of Isaac and both in Rebeccas womb at one and the same time and yet one of them elected and the other rejected to shew that the purpose of God in election was not out of any fleshly or carnal respects But meerly according to his own good pleasure For all are not Israel that are of Israel neither because they are the seed of Abraham are they all Children True it is that there is flesh and Spirit both in the Saints yet that is no ground to conclude that God will destroy the flesh and save the Spirit and not the person but rather that God will save the the Saint or person and destroy the flesh And whereas it is said that the persons of men are but outward formes and act not but are acted and therefore salvation and damnation belongs not to them I hope then that if it be made to appeare that mens persons do act then it will be also granted that salvation and damnation belongs to them And for the word person or man it is all one and that by person or man is meant the whole man and so to be understood is already shewed Now that sin is acted by the whole man is very clear in Scripture In the third of Genesis 1 2 3 4. It is there declared at large how the Serpent begiuled the woman First he is dealing with her understanding and the thing must needs have passage through her eares for the devill was yet without doors Next she looked upon it with her eyes for she saw the fruit that it was good Then her affections were wrought upon And she desired it At length the will consented and she took it with her hand and did eat yea and gave her husband and he did eat Who doth not see here an act of the whole man And it is just so in every actual sin for though Satan be gotten within yet he can force no man to sin but is dealing with the understanding to deceive that and the understanding being deceived cannot force the Will no● the will the outward man For though the body cannot act in good or evill without the soul yet those very actions of the soul performed by the outward man are accounted actions of the body both in good and evill things And though mens persons be acted either by a good or evill Spirit the good Spirit is God and the evill Spirit is the Devil and neither of these do force the person of a man For man being a reasonable creature even that good Spirit or God deales with him according to reason and though it be said that the love of God constraineth us Yet it is not meant of using violence to any mans person but such a constraining as Lydia used towards Paul even a perswading or intreating for so saith the Apostle God doth beseech you by us And we pray you in Christs stead c. Again every man is transformed into the same nature of that spirit which bears rule in him They in whom Satan bears sway they partake of his Image and nature and it is as natural yea as delightful unto them even the whole man to obey Satans commands in committing of sinne as to performe any natural actions which are civilly good And is it not then just with God to render to every man according to his workes Q. But Christ is Gods elect and he in whom his soul delighteth and it is said Eph. 1. 10. That he will gather together all things in Christ And Col. 1. 16 17. All things were made by him and for him and by him all things consist and in him dwels all fulnesse Christ shall come forth as a refiner and purifier of silver and shall purifie the sonnes of Levi and purge them as gold c. And the light of Israel shall be for a fire and his holy one for a flame and shall burn up his briars and thorns in one day c. And if any mans work burn he shall suffer losse yet he himself shall be saved yet so as by fire From all which Scriptures it is manifest that Christ will come forth in all men and destroy and consume all sin and wickednesse and unbelief and gather all the good and the believeing part which is himself into himself God is the fountaine from whence all things proceed and into the same fountaine shall all things return God will come forth in consuming fire and separate between the precious and the vile and gather the good into himself and destroy the evill For Christ and the Saints make but one elect and God by electing of Christ elects all that is good and by saving of Christ saves all that is good for he is the chief good and sin is the chief evill and he onely is elected and sin destroyed thus election and salvation meet in one Christ who is the onely elect and relate not to mens persons for how can it be that God should be so unjust as to make man and afterward damne him first to love him and afterward to hate him A. That Christ is the elect of God and he in whom his soul delighteth cannot be denied But how is Christ Gods elect As touching his deity or divine nature so he is the mighty God the everlasting Father who of his rich and infinite grace and love doth elect and choose to salvation Then surely as he did partake of our nature and our flesh so he was Gods elect and as he was thus Gods elect so all the Saints are elected in him he being the first fruits of election in him the whole lump even all the Saints are sanctified to God and so presented by him Christ was elected of God but not that one person or man in whom the God-head did so wonderfully appear and shine forth should be saved But that all the Saints in all ages and in all nations in whom the divine nature or Christ should appear and sh●ne forth according to their several measures should be brought home to

cleanse from all sin for saith he If we say that we have no sin we deceive our selves and the truth is not in us But if we see our sinnes and confesse that we are sinners his promise is to forgive and to cleanse us from all unrighteousnesse And these things I write unto you to warn you that yee sin not yet neverthelesse if yee be overtaken as who is not be not discouraged for we have an Advocate with the Father even Jesus Christ who is perfectly righteous and he is the propitiation for our sinnes and not for ours onely who are Jewes but for all them that thus have fellowship with him among the Gentiles also in all Nations throughout the whole world And that this Scripture is thus to be understood the Apostle Paul shewes plainly Col. 3. 10 11. Where saith he there is neither Greek nor Jew Circumcision nor Vncircumcision Barbarian Scythian Bond nor Free but Christ is all and in all he doth not mean that Jewes and Greeks c. are all one and Christ is in them all as to every particular person among all these but onely those among them who in the verses before had put off the old man and had put on the new namely such as had mortified their earthly members fornication uncleannesse inordinate affections c. in the 5. vers and had put off anger wrath malice blasphemy filthy communication c. in the 8. vers which were the deeds of the old man and who also were renewed in knowledge according to the Image of God which is Christ the new man in wisdome righteousnesse and true holinesse c vers 10. Among these saith he there is no difference though some of one nation and some of another some bond and some free for they are all one in Christ and he is all to them and all in them Q. But doth not the Prophet Isaiah say That he meaning Christ was wounded for our transgressions and by his stripes we are healed And all we like sheep have gone astray and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all even all without exception And that he made his grave with the wicked and with the rich in his death Whereby it appeares that his death was an undertaking for all good and bad wicked rich men that saw no need of him Where then is the difference Or how can God be said to respect persons A. The Prophet in the former chapter had largely declared what joyfull and glorious dayes should be in the time of the Gospel and exhorted them to rejoyce in the consideration of the same yea and to account the feet of them beautiful that should bring them such good newes And under the Type of the captivity of Babylon whether they should be carried and from whence they should certainly return he prophecieth of their deliverance from the spiritual bondage and thraldome of sin by Jesus Christ who should both deal prudently and also prosper in his designes and though he should appear in a very despicable form as to men and his visage should be marred through sufferings yet he should be exalted and be very high and sprinckle many Nations with his bloud c. But who saith the Prophet will believe this report or to whom shall this arm or power of the Lord even Christ be revealed Why what was the reason Because the people should be very high in expectation and look for such a Christ as should even like David defend them from outward enemies warre and captivity But it was the pleasure of God that Christ should grow up by degrees as a tender plant n otregarded and as a root out of a dry ground which no man looks after to have no beauty or comliness that we should desire him A man of sorrows and griefes from whom all men should hide their saces yet surely saith he he hath borne our griefes and carried our sorrowes he was wounded for our transgressions the chastisement of our peace was upon him and with his stripes we are healed All we like Sheep have gone astray and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all c. But who are they that the Prophet is now speaking to Or who doth he here speak of Is he not speaking to Israel a people whom God did own above all people in the world and whom by an outward choice he had brought near to himself above all Nations whatsoever Yea and moreover was not Israel after the flesh a type of Israel in the spirit for all were not Israel in the spirit which which were so in the flesh Yea and the Prophet often calls them Zion and Jerusalem which doth usually signifie the Saints and Believers in the dayes of the Gospel and in speaking to these he doth figuratively speak of all the Saints who should believe in Christ Now Christ hath for these born and endured sorrowes and griefes for their transgressions was he wounded and his chastisement was their peace and they were healed by his stripes These were his lost sheep of the house of Israel which were gone astray and turned after their own wayes and that they might be reduced and brought home again the Lord said all their iniquities upon him With these he was content to make his grave though they were wicked in themselves that so he might be their righteousnesse and make them righteous in himself yea he emptied himself and lay down in death that they who were rich and full in their own apprehensions might empty themselves lie down in shame and receive of his fulnesse for these did the Lord bruise him and for these was his soul made an offering And to what end was all this That he might see his seed that he might thereby redeem a people from all iniquity and conform them to himself in all holinesse and so present them to the Father in himself spotlesse and blamelesse for this was the good pleasure of the Lord and it was prosperous in the hand of Christ for he did it effectually Yea Christ did prolong his dayes though he died as to the flesh and saw the travell of his soul and the fruit of his sufferings and was satisfied in the same for his bloud was not shed in vain for by his righteousnesse many not all were justified because he bare or suffered for their iniquities therefore God hath exalted him and made him glorious because he poured out his soul to death and bear the sinnes of not all but many Thus this Scripture being duly weighed all men may hence judge whether the Lord by the Prophet intends a general redemption of all without exception or of a peculiar people even mystical Israel whom he hath adopted to himself in Jesus Christ for Sonnes and Daughters for though the Lord be no respecter of persons as to any outward appearance he regards not

it is also as plain in our daily experience how that the Saints in whom Christ dwels and who are united to him and made one with God in him that they are carried forth in the strength of his quickning spirit to shew forth the prayses of him who hath called them out of darknesse into his marvelous Light But on the contrary we see worldly wicked men live many of them more like bruite beasts than reasonable creatures pampering and feeding themselves without fear swilling and wallowing themselves in their own vomit like filthy swine sporting and delighting themselves in their own lusts and windy fancies and deceivings belching out the rottennesse of their own hearts by cursed oathes and blasphemies making a continual ●●ade of mocking backbiting standering fighting and quarrelling ranting and roaring in a word living in all ungodlinesse and dying without repentance And thus it is plain in experience that there be many yea too too many who are so farre from living in God and God living in them by Jesus Christ that they are rather possest of Satan who lives in them and leads them captive at his own pleasure Thus both Scripture and Experience do clearly witnesse that God is not in all men in a way of life and salvation which is by Christ Jesus But in a common spirit or common and outward providences so he acts rules and orders all men Neither can God be said to be in the Saints in his fulnesse for the fulnesse of the Godhead dwels onely in Christ and the Saints receive of that fulnesse which is in him For though they partake of the same spirit or divine nature with him yet it is still in that measure or degree as he is pleased to let out or to manifest him self by Christ is the head and the Saints are the body or members now all the members as they have several offices so they have several capacities for God hath set all the members in the body every one in due place and office that it might be compleated in the head which is Christ And from Christ or the head the whole body being fitly joynted together receiveth nourishment to every part a measure even to encrease and edifie it self in love Neither is this to divide God for as he cannot be devided so neither can he be comprehended for he fills all things and so he fills the Saints yet while they walk in flesh they are not able to comprehend him in his fullnesse But they are all so filled according to their several measures to advance the good of the whole And that God may be in men in his love in Jesus Christ and ever lie hid and not appear is contrary to Scripture and right reason For God is light and with him is no darknesse at all And where God comes in this Light which is Christ there he expels darknesse The Saints indeed while they are in the state of nature are in darknesse because they want the manifestation of God or revelation of Jesus Christ All this while they are in the love of God but this Love is not yet shed abroad in their hearts the seed was sown but it was not yet quickned up to life But when the appointed time is come that Christ will say come forth and I say unto thee arise Then appeares first the blade then the eare then the full corne in the eare But this is not in all men without exception but onely in the Saints who are elected in Christ Jesus in the purpose of of God before the world began that they should be thus conformed unto the Image of his Sonne and so be holy and without blame before him in love Q. But election doth not relate to persons but to the things in the persons for Gods love hatred is not toward the persons of men but toward the good or evill in the persons and this is Typed out in Jacob and Esau which as good and evill dwell in every man as they were in the womb of one Rebecca for the persons of men are but outward formes in which good and evill is acted and these outward bedies can act nothing but are acted themselves either by a good or an evill spirit How then can God be said to elect or not to elect to save or not to save the person of a man which is nothing and shall be nothing when the spirit ceases to act in it A. That election doth not relate to mens persons but to the good things acted in the persons is a meer fancy and quite contrary to the mind of God revealed in the Scripture First we must consider what the person of man is and what makes him a man or person and then secondly prove that election relates to the person For the first in short a man and every man consists of two main parts The body and the soul without the soul or spirit the body is but a dead carcass and without the body the soul hath no residence or place to act in and cannot act at all Therefore it must be concluded that if either be wanting there is not a man or a person A man then is a person consisting of a reasonable soul and humane body Now that election doth relate to a person thus considered and not to the good things acted in the person is easily made good in Scripture The Apostle in the Ephesians chap 1. vers 4. 5. 6. 7. telleth the Saints or rather blesseth God on their behalf for that he had chosen them in Christ before the foundation of the world that they should be holy and without blame before him in love And that he had adopted them to be Children by Jesus Christ meerly of his free grace even his own good pleasure And that they were accepted in the beloved for no other end but for the praise of his glorious grace And not onely so but also through the riches of his grace wherein he abounded towards them they were redeemed from Sinne and Satan Hell and Death their sins being forgiven them through his bloud From whence it is plain that persons and not things are here intended For it is not said that God had chosen holinesse or unblamablnesse in them but them to be holy and unblamable Neither is it said that God had predestinated the good things in them to the adoption of Children But them to the adoption of Children Again if election relate not to persons but to things I wonder what redemption remission of sins mean in this place and many others what can good things be redeemed from and how can good things stand in need of remission of sins And the Apostle Peter in his first Epistle 1. Chapter 1. 2. Tells the strangers that were scattered that they were elect according to the fore-knowledge of God and not the good things in them And that this election is assured