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	holy_a	soul_n	16,669	5	5.2335	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A61449	Thoughts about promoting the interest of Christ's universal church	Stephens, Edward, d. 1706.	1700 (1700)	Wing S5444A; ESTC R222028	4,383	5

3. If instead of railing at one another and preaching at this rate hatred rather than charity the Clergy of all the particular Churches made it their onely business to preach Repentance and Faith according to the first Article they would shew the more of an Apostolick Spirit and reap the more fruit from their labors I have often wondered at their taking more pleasure in the making of Proselytes to their Church than in turning their own flock from the world to heaven and from the Slavery of the Prince of the world to the glorious liberty of the Kingdom of God He that hath a tenderness for the perswasion he professes should not incourage vicious worldlings to come into it since a great many well disposed Souls ground their esteem of a Church upon the number of good patterns which that Church affords So that it is the Interest of those that would bring their own perswasion into request to contribute what they are able that Christian Vertues might shine brighter in their Church than in any other 4. If people of differing perswasions fell into Company they should avoid all controversie the handling whereof seldom betters men but often inflames animosities And most men do think it a lessening of their own reputation and that of their masters if they should yield one tittle of their Systeme of Divinity Whereas some have done good even upon men of a differing perswasion by declining controverted points and grounding their discourse upon those subjects which as essential to salvation are owned by all partys though put in execution by a very few of them 5. Those few that know Christ really (a) 1 Cor. I. 24. as the Power of God in the faithfull and feel by this knowledge (b) Joh. XVII 3. eternal life in them having attained to the blessed experience of (c) 1 Cor. VI. 17. being one Spirit with Christ may endeavor to get acquainted and settle a correspondence with one another though Providence hath placed them in different Provinces of the Lords Vineyard Such a correspondence would not only prove of comfort and incouragement to themselves but they might confer with one another about carrying on the common interest against the Kingdom of darkness that all along so miserably deludes the Slaves of its Dominions and thwarts the heirs of Gods Kingdom In the mean while every one making it his main business to strengthen the weak of his own perswasion and to rescue them from perishing If the following of this method should by Gods blessing prove successfull and Christs meek peaceable heavenly Spirit dethrone the haughty broilsome worldly spirit of Satan in most peoples minds they would soon hasten to brotherly imbraces But the turbulent opposers of Love and Union would be left to fret away by their so much beloved sowrness Macarius Homil. XXXII As the Sun inlightens the whole earth so God is every where If you look for him in heaven there he is in the thoughts of the Angels If you seek him on earth there he is to be met with in the hearts of men But of a great many there is but few such Christians as please him Homil. V. There is a great difference between real Christians and the rest of mankind Real Christians have their mind and understanding all wayes in a heavenly disposition eternall blessings are all wayes in their sight by reason of the communion and participation of the holy Ghost They are born of God from above they are dignifyed to be Gods Children in Truth and Power after much labour sweat and time they are arrived at settlednesse steadinesse tranquillity and comfort ceasing to be sifted and tossed by fickle and vain thoughts In this they are better and greater than the world because their mind and understanding rests in the Peace of Christ and the love of the holy Ghost as the Lord speaking of such saith They are past from death unto life Wherefore the difference of Christians from the rest of men doth not consist in form and outward appearance For by the renovation of the mind by the tranquillity of the thoughts by the Love of the Lord and by a heavenly longing differs the New Creature of Christians from all the men of the World Homil. XXV We have not yet obtained the exultation of Christs salvation because the sting of death sticks still in us We have not yet put on the new man which is created after God in holynesse because we have not yet put of the old man corrupted according to the desires of the Deceit We do no yet wear the heavenly image nor are made resembling to the glory thereof because in our mortal body sin bears the sway still We have not yet beheld the glory of what is incorruptible because we are still under a dark moonless night We have not yet put on the armour of light because we have the weapons and works of darknesse still about us We are not yet transformed by the renovation of our mind because we continue in conformity to the world by the vanity of our mind We are not glorifyed with Christ because we do not suffer with him We carry not his marks in our body about us entered into the mystery of the Cross of Christ for we are still wedded to our carnal passions and lusts We are not yet become Gods Heirs and Coheirs of Christ because the Spirit of Servitude and not of adoption reigns in us We are not yet become a Temple of God and a habitation of the holy Ghost because we are still a temple of Idols and a lurking place of wicked spirits by the strong bent of our Soul to passion FINIS

Thoughts about promoting the Interest of Christ's Universal Church THE Interest of the Universal Church lyeth doubtless in the raising inlarging and adorning of that mystical building which is called the City of God Christs Spouse and Christs Body As this Body is made up of such members as are animated by the vital Spirit which Floweth from the Head and linkes them together with one another as well as with their Head Christ so real Christianity is without doubt the main point of the Universal Church and as real Christianity spreads and improves or shrinks and decayes the Universal Church must be looked upon as flourishing or declining Real Christianity consisting in following the steps of our Saviour and expressing by our life his pattern as far as Divine Grace inables every one of us we may term it a ressemblance to Christ the restorer of Gods image in the soul of man the Beginner and Fullfiller of our Faith Now the nearer we ressemble unto Christ and the more there is of those that ressemble him the more fully the glorious ends of his Gospel are answered and the Universal Church advanced As absurd as it is to think that Christ dyed for this or that sect and that heaven must be stocked onely out of one particular Church nevertheless notions of Christianity run so low that the greatest part fancy Christian Religion is the performing of divine Worship after this or that form and houlding such or such opinions Which false supposition hath betrayed some into Unchristian courses against those that differ from them and occasioned dolefull effects Wherefore divers pious Souls have endeavored to heal the wounds of the Church by reconciling the aforesaid differences It is but too much known how fruitless hitherto such endeavours have proved Nor can it be otherwise as long as that poisonous root of all dissension remains in the Soul namely the rebellious selfish tincture contracted by the first man in listening to te serpent and so declining from God to Satan the Prince of Pride It would not signifie much neither if all the men in the world resolved upon using the same expressions and the same Church service continuing all the while slaves to te Kingdom of darkness Whereas holyness or real Christianity sincerily pursued in the several particular Churches would approach people to that heavenly temper to which jarring and disquiet is a perfect stranger Wherefore I am of opinion that instead of studying for confessions to be received by all partys or arguing against one another's tenets the differing partys should vye with one another who could produce most instances of such as have in their Church arrived at the glorious renovation of Gods image in the Soul which is the sign and effect of that Faith which (a) 1 Joh. V. 4. overcomes the world (b) Eph. III. 17. and by which Christ lives in us inabling those that receive him (c) Joh. I. 12. to become childern of God Those that (d) 2 Cor. V. 17. are in Christ become such new Creatures and united with him need not study for a confession whereby thy might be united all of them together living as it were by one common Soul Though the number of such is very small nevertheless God hath some here and there which in his infinite mercy he hath left as the salt of the earth These Few ought to be the more thank-full to that goodness which hath snatch'd them out of the inundation of the Universal Corruption The greatest thankfulness to the great Donor of all good and perfect gifts consists in benefitting others by what we have received out of the unexhaustible divine treasure to the glory of the Liberal Giver Wherefore the aforesaid proficients in real Christianity will hardly make here on earth a better return to heavens Favors than if they heartily bestir themselves to communicate unto others that divine nature whereof in the new Creature they are made partakers After these premises I inferr that the Interest of the Universal Church might be promoted if the following points were heeded 1. Those that are in authority should study all possible means to provide such Guides for the people as have an experimental knowledge of the above-mentioned real Christianity and can say with St. Paul Follow me as you see me follow Christ At least ut-most care ought to be taken that a Preacher my not bring a reproach or disparagement upon his doctrine by his bad example Persons that have not themselves recovered life by Christ will hardly be able duely to lay before their hearers what is the (e) Eph. IV. 22. Old man depraved according to the desires of the Deceit and the (f) Eph. IV. 24. New man who is created after God in Righteousness and holyness of the truth what it is to be dead in sin and to be resuscitated with Christ Wherein nevertheless consists preaching repentance and Faith which two heads (g) Act. XX. 21. St. Paul rekones the chief towards the saving of Souls Without this foundation the learnedest discourses will avail little towards the inlarging of Gods Kingdom though they tickle the ears get credit and esteem to the Preacher and fill the minds of the hearers with never so fine notions Nay though they should convince the auditory of the advantages of a good moral life little will be practised as long as the principle of disobedience selflove and own will continueth the spring of the heart At the best a good moral life is not yet Gods Righteousness (h) 2 Cor. V. 21. which is the Scope of the Gospel Moral men are some times fallen into a conceit of themselves setting up their own righteousness for want of due instruction about the deplorable state of corrupted nature and the glorious advantage of a new birth from above (i) Phil. III 9. which formeth Christ in us and begetts at this rate Gods Righteousness which is by Faith 2. For the breeding many Guides duely qualifyed it would be requisite to order the Schools so that a solid foundation for true wisdome might be laid there by inuring youth betimes to a sincere regard to him who is the fountain of true understanding For want hereof we find so many Schollars that aim rather at fame by being versed in many hard authors than at the glorifying of God and advantaging their Neighbour by an experimental knowledge of the vast difference between Living to God and Living to ourselves I have met with some that took more delight in giving an account of an old manuscript than in turning of a Soul from the world to heaven Nor is it probable Heavens interest should be heartily espoused by those with whom the Love of the world bears the chief sway Though Providence hath contrived it so wisely that some smart for their vanity in desiring the reputation of vast Schollars because oftentimes they become unfit for thinking right themselves by wasting their lives in cramming other mens notions into their brains