Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	body_n	church_n	head_n	7,573	5	6.7361	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A54027	Concerning the church: or, of the church-state under the Gospel Whereby it may appear what a miserable apostacy from the truth hath overspread and covered the earth for many ages and generations, and how gross and thick the darkness yet lies upon it, though the light of God in his tender mercy hath broke forth and shined upon the people of his gathering, and through them hath also visited the world. The guidance of this in my heart, was particularly and chiefly towards the Papists, but I afterwards had a true sence, that it also extended to the state of such Protestants, as had not waited on the Lord, ... Written in Alisbury prison about the middle of the 6th month, 1666. By Issac Penington. Whereunto is annexed, Some observations upon the eternal judgment, as it is expressed by Christ, Mat.25.31 to the end of the chapter.	Penington, Isaac, 1616-1679.	1666 (1666)	Wing P1157; ESTC R224045	15,114	20

Spirits of his People hath power over it and tormenteth it by opening its nakedness and causing its darkness to appear and the brightness of his coming shall quite dissolve and scatter it For it is but a mist of darkness it hath no being in the Truth nor can it stand before the Truth So Babylon is found standing at the very last just before the breaking forth and coming down of the new Jerusalem and the Marriage of the Lamb with his Bride Rev. 19.6 7. What is Babylon A Mystery of Iniquity in a Form of Godliness A Profession a People a Religion that seem to set up Christ but set up another nature spirit and power in his stead A Church that is not of God not formed in his Divine Wisdom not brought forth in his Light and Power and in the season of his Will but of man and by man that can go no further in Religion than the number of a man Sion under the Gospel is not literal but mystical and so is Babylon also who is the mother of Fornications who teacheth her daughters to adulterate from the Life and from the Power who never knew the Marriage of the Lamb in his Spirit nor his pure Bed of Life but enter into the chambers and bed of a strange spirit Qu. But what is the state of the Church all this while from this hour of corruption till the coming of Christ in his Spirit and Power Answ A state of desolation a state of widowhood a wilderness-state where her living body is not discerned by the vultrous eye but her children whenever they appear witnessing for her are persecuted hunted afflicted and sometimes slain This bloody Church which comes from the red Dragon and rules in his spirit and nature drinks the blood of the Lambs and Martyrs of JESUS who in their several Ages are his faithful Witnesses and love not their lives unto the death And here the Truth and that which hath appeared of the true Church in the world for Ages and Generations ever since this might of the Dragon 's and Antichrists darkness and his sitting in the Temple under an appearance of light hath only been to be found even among the Persecuted Ones who have been dear to God of whom the Professing World hath not been worthy no not at all of that heavenly life spirit and power which dwelt in them and through which they have been able to testifie for the Truth and bear up their heads against the malice and persecutions of their enemies Rev. 12.11 17 c. and chap. 11.3 7. chap. 13.15 16 17. chap. 14.12 chap. 17.6 Now for a close There are a few Questions in my heart briefly to propound and answer which it may please God to reach forth to his Witness in such who in distrust of themselves and their own wisdom shall wait upon him for understanding The Questions are these First what a true Church is 2dly How a True Church may be known 3. How a True Church may continue so 4. How a Church may lose its state and being 5. When a Church hath lost its state and being Quest 1. What a true Church is Answ A true Church is a truly Spiritual Body gathered out of the World or worldly nature and spirit into God's Spirit and Nature there to live and walk with him and worship him in Spirit and Truth and for him to tabernacle in and walk among and fill with his glorious Presence and powerful Life Eph. 2.21 22. 1 Pet. 2.5 Joh. 4.23 2 Cor. 6.16 It is not the Profession of the Truth makes a true Believer nor is it a company of Professors makes a true Church but their proceeding from and union with the Truth it self and their abiding in the Life and Power of that which they profess Ephes 4.16 Quest 2. How a true Church may be known Answ There must be somewhat in man to know them and somewhat in them to be known by That in man which knows them must be somewhat of God in him for that which is of man cannot measure or judg of the things of God As the worldly wisdom spirit could not know Christ formerly so neither now can it know his Church Many may appear to be Churches of Christ and yet not be so and that which is so may not appear so In this case who shall distinguish Not he that judgeth according to the appearance but he that judgeth the Righteous Judgment Therefore it is not for every man to take upon him to judge which is the true Church but first to wait upon God to be led into that and in some measure born of that which giveth ability to judge Wisdom is justified of her Children but of others she is condemned for foolishness and the foolishness justified in her stead And there is also somewhat for the Church to be known by which is that which distinguisheth her from all other Assemblies and Gatherings which is the nature life and presence of the Head with her and in her This none hath but the true Church the gathered Body the separate Body of the Lamb which is of his flesh and of his bones Eph. 5.29 30. Her Husband is with her his life is in her for she is a living body or gathering of living stones So that find the true life of the Lamb any where there is somewhat of his Church find a gathering in his Life Name and Power there is his Church and he also for where two or three are gathered together in my Name there am I in the midst of them Mat. 18.20 Quest 3. How a true Church may continue so Answ By abiding in the Spirit Life and Power that gathered and built them up into a Church This first gave them their being and this still preserves them in their being if they abide till they be perfected and established but falling or being cut off from this they wither die and come to nothing Even as a Disciple departing out of the Vine making shipwrack of the Faith loseth that which made him a Disciple or Christian John 15.6 So a Church departing from the Spirit and Life of what they profess languish by degrees even till their life be wholly extinct and they wholly lose that state and being which they had by their gathering Thus the Churches in Asia beginning to corrupt grew formal lukewarm dead c. were warned to repent and strenthen that which remained lest they were spued out the Candlestick removed c. Rev. 2d 3d chapters Quest 4. How may a Church lose its state and being Answ Several wayes as first By departing from the Truth and Simplicity of the Gospel letting in Doctrines Principles Observations Customs and Practices which are not of the pure Spirit nor in the unity of it but from the corrupt spirit and which corrupt the minds of them that are entangled in them Corrupt doctrines corrupt principles corrupt practices c. they all have of the nature and poison of death in