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	let_v	soul_n	7,333	5	5.2669	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A25297	The light upon the candlestick serving for observation of the principal things in the book called, The mysteries of the kingdom of God, &c., against several professors / treated of, and written by Will. Ames ; printed in Low-Dutch for the author, 1662, and translated into English by B.F.; Lucerna super candelabrum. English.	Ames, William, d. 1662.; B. F.	1663 (1663)	Wing A3007; ESTC R16094	8,069	12

words are not the Scriptures but the mind alone is the Scripture and this meaning can never be truly and justly hit but by those alone that stand in the same Light out of which the Scriptures proceeded These are they then to whom the Scripture is a Co-witness and as a seal of their being Sons of God while by experience they find themselves every one according to his measure in the same condition in which the Saints formerly were who spake writ all those things comprehended in the Book of the Scripture these then have the true understanding and meaning of the Scriptures not those that imagine unto themselves a meaning by opinion and guess thorough a thousand imaginations without the least assurance of not erring which becomes the very ground of all jangling and contention In fine and lastly This Light in every man is the means to come to the knowledge of God And seeing all external signes must needs presuppose this knowledge therefore its self must needs be immediate without any external sign that signs must presuppose such a knowledge is undeniable for these signs must either be words or effects works or miracles If Words we see at first an impossibility in in the thing it self for Words are created and finite and God who should make known himself by them uncreated and infinite and therefore here is so infinite a difference that there is no manner of agreement nor any thing in the world by which they might be capable to do it But again if you flye to the meaning of the words as being fit for such a thing then that which we say will more manifestly appear As put case for example sake that GOD about to make known himself by words should say I AM GOD and that this should be the sign by which he would make himself known we see clearly that it would be impossible for a man at first to know God by this For if he should comprehend any thing out of the sence of the words he must needs formerly have had the signification of the word GOD and what he is to understand by it In like manner if God maketh his will known to man the Knowledge of God which hath its original from the true Light must precede and convince him that that Manifestation can be from none but God alone whereupon he 's then sufficiently assured If by Effects or outward miraculous Works 't is the same thing for these are no less created no less terminated And though we might observe somthing in the nature of a thing which might be too difficult for the power of any creature which we know to effect Yet this at the utmost would be but a demonstration taken from our impotency and not from the nature and all the operations of it and this kind of demonstration cannot be certain and stable till we were able clearly and distinctly to see that there was not a concurrency of many causes to produce such an effect but that it must needs have been caused by an infinite and unlimited cause whom we call God But who knoweth this Or who can declare it Add to this That the knowledge of God in all things must first be before the knowledge of any creature or particular thing so no particular thing without this can be well known and so consequently altogether uncapable to come to know God by or certainly to make known himself to man by Go to then Without thy self O man thou hast no means to look for by which thou maist know God Thou must abide within thy sel● to the Light that 's in thee thou must turn thee there thou wilt find it and no where else GOD is considered in Himself nearest unto thee and every man He that goes forth of himself to any Creature thereby to know God departs from God and so much the further as he comes more to mistake himself by it This thou must then shun and the contrary mind viz. Mind the Light that 's in thee by it to work unmovably and faithfully to persevere THE END If words are too gross to express the refined thoughts of mortal men how much less then can they be in truth said to be the ineffable Word of the eternal God 'T is little worth that is not worth the trial The loss is little the gain may be unvaluable 'T is hard helping him that durst not try No knowledge of God without this Light The Light being found and God thereby known a sure foundation is discovered Where there is nothing to work there nothing can be wrought * Where any see there must needs be LIGHT 'T is folly to expect effects from unsuitable Means No man wittingly chuseth his own harm but being blinded Therefore to undeceive the judgement is the first step The Iudgement being amended the will and affections must follow If you know the truth the truth shall make you free saith Christ. * No man will part with what he judges best till be sees something better and then he need not be forced This the one and first thing necessary There is but one thing which is uncorruptible which cannot be corrupted which must be the Judge of all things that offer themselves to our tryal which are liable to be corrupted as are all things without us Therefore this one Iudg is undeniably within man No man farther knows the Scriptures then he is what the Scripture speaks No other sure Foundation can be laid Where the knowledge of God is not there all external things are of no value Therefore this knowledge must needs first be immediate and altogether independent to all externals Words too weak to give the knowledge of God Many things may seem Divine Miracles which are produced by a hidden concurrence of many natural causes Therefore without the knowledge of God precedes no man can d●scern in this case From whence undeniably is concluded That these can nei●her be any sure foundation or certain nay nor p●ssible means to bring any to the knowledge of God God considered in himself is nearest unto every man then himself because he penetrates the most inward and intimate parts of man and is the life of the inmost spirits as the spirit is of the soul the soul of the body Therefore is he worthy to be turned to minded sought waited upon and feared Let all blind Leaders that say 't is not God that appeareth in the hearts of the wicked hear this and all fools that say In their heart there is no God