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	sin_n	soul_n	13,963	5	5.3517	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A91515	Aqua genitalis a discourse concerning baptism. First delivered in a sermon at Alhallows Lumbardstreet, Octob. 4. 1658. and now a little inlarged. Into which is since inserted, a brief discourse to perswade to a confirmation of the baptismal-vovv. / By Symon Patrick, B.D. minister of the Gospel at Battersea.	Patrick, Simon, 1626-1707.	1659 (1659)	Wing P747; Thomason E2142_2; ESTC R210125	49,818	131

upon us his Grace Tit. 8.5 that we may be saved through the washing of Regeneration and the renewing of the H. Ghost According to that of the Apostle 1 Cor. 6.11 the place before mentioned But you are washed but ye are sanctified but you are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of God Where as those words In the name of the Lord Jesus refers to being justified so those words By the Spirit of God refers to their being washed and sanctified So in that place of Ezekiel cap. 36.25 After he had said That he would sprinkle them with clean water it follows as an explication of it vers 26 27 A new heart will I also give you and a new spirit will I put into you c. And I will put my Spirit within you and cause you to walk in my Statutes All which doth sufficiently shew that in this Washing with water the Lord ingages to give the Spirit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrys orat 1. de resur 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Fourthly We receive hereby a Promise of Resurrection unto life Though we by going into the water profess that we are willing to take up the Cross and dye for Christs sake yet on Gods parts this action of going into and coming out of the water again did signifie that he would bring such persons to live again That he would not leave their soul in grave nor suffer his holy one to see corruption And this according to Chrysostome a very judicious Interpreter who was so full of the Spirit of Saint Paul that he dreamt sometime that he appeared to him is the meaning of that difficult place 1 Cor. 15.29 Else what shall they do that are baptized for the dead c. i. e. for their dead bodies Why do they profess in Baptism that they believe the Article of the Resurrection of the dead among the rest of the Articles of Christian faith Why are they baptized into the hope and expectation of it of which saith he the Minister gives them a sign or symbole 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by the things themselves that he doth putting them in and taking them out of the water which is a sign of their descending into the state of the dead and their ascending up from thence Now what good do they receive by Baptism if they shall not rise again but remain alwayes in the grave If any think it harsh to render these words For their dead bodies by these For the resurrection of their dead bodies which in Baptism we profess to believe it is only for want of skill in the short manner of speaking which the Hebrews use And methinks they may otherwise be interpreted to the same sense more plainly after this manner Why are they baptized for their dead bodies i. e. for the benefit and profit of their dead bodies for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 denotes the end which an Agent intends in an action as Gal. 1.4 who gave himself 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 some have it which is of the same force for to take away our sins and there can be no end upon our dead bodies which we can have but that they may live again therefore for this end we are baptized that they may rise from the dead which if they should not we should lose saith the Apostle the great benefit which in Baptism was consigned and to what purpose should we use that Rite It may be replied that I have already mentioned many other purposes which render it sufficiently beneficial But if it be considered how near sin and death are one to the other we shall conclude that so must remission of sin and the resurrection from the dead go together and that if the one be not believed we may easily doubt of the other or at the best we shall make forgiveness lame and very imperfect while this great punishment of sin viz. Death remains unremoved Luther indeed in his version of the Bible gives another interpretation of this place but sutable to my present discourse which is grounded Dilheirus thinks upon that practise I mentioned of Baptizing in the places where the Martyrs were nterred The sense whereof is this as one that understands the language interprets it to me What mean they to be baptized Uber Den Toden over the dead To strengthen saith Luther in his gloss upon the words or confirm the Resurrection they used to baptize Christians Vber den Toden grahern over the graves of the dead the intention whereof was to shew that the same the very self same person should rise again But I doubt we shall not find that custom so antient as St. Pauls days wherein there had been but few Martyrs and therefore I wave it thinking the other more clear and proper If any one like it then from both me may conclude that the wa●●rs of Baptism are like the waters of heaven which falling upon the dry earth and the dead roots of plants makes them spring forth and live again It gives us assurance that we shall not alwayes sleep in our dust but shall spring up and flourish in a better soil even the Garden of God never to die or wither any more And Circumcision seems not to have been without this signification neither for they used to cast the fore-skin cut off into a vessel full of dust to signifie it is like that the circumcised person did renounce the Devil and his lusts by whose impulse Adam sinned and so died and was turned again into dust V. Joseph de Voysin de leg Div. cap. 7. and that he did cast away all that evil concupiscence by which death came into the world hoping that that being buried he should attain the Resurrection of the body and live again To which purpose a very antient book the Zohar applies a place in Job which shews though not the sense of the Scripture yet their sense of Circumcision Job 19.26 In my flesh I shall see God i. e. by Circumcision which was the Covenant of God in their flesh come to immortal life And a tradition they have to this purpose That when a man is signed with this holy mark he is made worthy of the vision of God Fifthly Baptism is not improperly called by Divines a seal of all these things i. e. a Rite whereby the Covenant between God and us is confirmed whereby we assure God of our fidelity and he assures us that as certainly as our bodies are washed with water so certainly will he give us of his Grace if we perform our undertaking continually assist us with the holy Spirit pardon our sins deliver us from the power of the Devil save our souls and at last raise our bodies out of the grave and make them spiritual and immortal and unite both body and soul together i●●●ernal Glory That conditional Covenant of Grace and Mercy that was sealed before indefinitely by Christs blood

this notion so far and our Saviour might not have respect to such things as these Yet this we are sure of John 3.5 that we must be born again of water and the Spirit and that our spiritual nourishment after Christ is conceived with in us is compared unto water also as you may see John 4.14 And I cannot but likewise think that he had some regard in appointing Baptism to the cleansing and cooling quality that is in water and that it excellently represents unto us the Spirit of God to be poured forth to the purifying and washing us from the filth of sin and the blood of Christ to the extinguishing our guilt and quenching the heat of Gods anger that might justly burn in our souls when we did remember that we were sinners But there have so many several § 6 winds of Doctrine blown upon these Waters of Baptism and strove together that they are become troubled and darkened so that one can scarcely see with any clearness to the bottom of them The great Controversies that have arose about the persons that should be baptized have so tossed and agitated mens thoughts that I doubt few have any calm and setled apprehensions of the nature and end of Baptism it self Most books that treat of this subject are so concerned in the quarrel of Infants that the use which men ought seriously to make of it is much forgotten If men thought more of its true ends they would lay aside their Disputes or not manage them so roughly and they would soon see that we are all baptized into the same Spirit and made of the same body and entred by it into the same society and community of holy and peaceable Ones What more cool then water What sooner puts out all our fires If the waters of Baptism next to the blood of Christ were sprinkled upon our intemperate heats they would asswage our boiling passions and we should contain our selves within the due bounds of a loving and gentle Zeal But as I said it is but little thought of for what Christ did institute this holy Rite Some look upon it but as a cold Ceremony and many speak of it as a thing that must be done because Christ hath commanded but cannot tell to what purpose and others glory in it as a priviledge but little understand any thing of duty that it requires of them L. 31. c. 2. Pliny tells of a water in Cilicia which is called he saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Mind because it will make their senses that drink it subtil and apprehensive Suidas on the contrary saith that it is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or want Wit because it makes people foolish and takes away their understanding Such a different esteem do men seem to have of these waters of Baptism while some who seem wise despise them as of no efficacy and use them only in compliance with simple people and others make them such heavenly waters that they doubt not at all but being baptized they are wise enough unto salvation but both of them are agreed in this to understand no Engagement that is laid upon us by them and to expect that what they can do should be wrought alone by them without any help or assistance from our selves And we find the greatest multitude of that sort who do glory in Baptism as the Jews did boast of Circumcision who say in effect what Julian its like falsly makes Constantius say In his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. That our Religion requires nothing of the greatest sinners but only this Wash and thou art clean from all thy foul crimes and if thou commit them again do but knock thy breast and beat thy head and all is well But Justin Martyr might have answered him and gives us all another lesson in his Dialogue with the Jew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. where he saith What good doth that Baptism that scours the skin only and makes the body white Baptize your selves from anger and from covetousness from envy and hatred and then behold your body is clean It is a sign and seal of Gods great blessings and so it is of our promise to him of Obedience upon condition then that we own this Covenant when we understand it and keep our selves strictly and religiously to the terms of it We may say of these waters as Euripides of the sea upon the accasion of Plato's recovery by the salt waters in Aegypt 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 They wash away and heal all the evil diseases of men Vitruvi L. 8. cap. 3. But otherwise they will be like some waters in Thrace in which whosoever washes he certainly dies I have therefore adventured to § 7 expose to the world a few of my green and unconcocted thoughts concerning this Argument and to represent what I conceive to be the true meaning of Baptism which is nothing different from the sense of the Church of God There are a multitude of Books I know in the world and men complain of it they that do may let this alone and of others I may easily obtain a pardon for putting my self into the crowd since I take up but a little room and make but a very short stop in their passage to better Authors Others it may be said might have been better allowed to have handled this matter I think so too and believe there are great numbers that understand better and multitudes that understand as much and some that can inlarge these things that are here said into more perspicuous and profitable discourses and I dare not so much as flatter my self that I am able to lead the way to any of them if I may provoke them to do better I think my labour well bestowed I am sensible that the images of truth make but a weak and waterish impression upon my mind but they may draw more lively pictures of themselves upon other souls and let them give us a Copy of their conceptions § 8 Since the preaching of this Sermon it came so strongly into my mind by taking notice of some discourses abroad to insert something of Confirmation that I could not well put away those thoughts and so I have let them take their place in the body of the Sermon by way of perswasion to a more hearty and open owning of the baptismal Covenant Thereby men will ascend from Water unto Wine from a weak estate to a more strong and manly constitution and God will not only sprinkle clean water upon their faces but even lay his hands upon their heads thereby taking more firm hold of them and apprehending them for his own and conferring his blessings more abundantly on them now that they put themselves into his hands to be directed and ruled in all things by him as those that are wholly in his power I dare not keep you any longer in the entry for fear you grow weary and loth to step over the Threshold of the next

is now sealed by Baptism to this particular person which receives it Therefore Sixthly The sum of all is that hereby we are regenerated and born again It is the Sacrament of the new birth by which we are put into a new state and change all our relations so that whereas before we were only the Children of Adam we are now taken to be the Children of God such of whom he will have a fatherly care and be indulgent and mercifull unto We have now a relation likewise to Christ as our Head and to the holy Ghost as the Giver of life and grace Yea herein he grants remission of sin and we are sanctified and set apart to his uses We being hereby given to him and he accepting of us do become his possession and proper goods and cannot without being guilty of the foulest Robbery sin against God We are made hereby the Temples of the Holy Ghost the place where he and nothing else is to inhabite and being by this consecrated to him ●●e likewise then enters upon his possession and we are said thereby to receive the holy Ghost so that if we run into sin we defile his house and commit the greatest profaness and impiety and may be said very truly to do despite to the Spirit of God whereby we were sanctified Socrates in Plato well saith that every man is by his birth In Phaedon● 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 One of Gods freeholds and therefore concludes it is as unlawfull for a man to kill himself as a servant to run away from his Master seeing he is not his own goods nor can dispose of his life according to his pleasure In this second birth God is seized again of us he owns us in a special manner for his Children and we may not without committing a double murder sin against him and may be called twice dead if we do because in Baptism are the beginnings of a new life and the Spirit of life takes hold of us and as far as is agreeable to our age and condition we are renewed by the Holy Ghost For Baptism being a beginning of our performance of our duty God doth likewise in it begin proportionably to make good his promise We may call it therefore with Cyprian Genetalis unda aqua salutaris c. the Laver of Regeneration seeing as the Apostle saith 1 Cor. 12.13 By one spirit we are all baptized into one body c. whereby he intimates that the Spirit of God doth accompany this water and therefore we must be in a sort made other Creatures I see no cause to leave this antient language which may have a very good sense and none I suppose will deny but that at least a Relative change is herein made and so much Grace and Favour is conferred Apolog. 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that we stand upon better terms then meer nature did instate us in Justin Martyr relating the manner how Christians were made that the Heathens might not he offended so much at their Religion speaks of this matter When men are perswaded of the thing that we teach and promise to live accordingly they fast and pray and beg of God remission of sin and then we bring them to the water and so they are born again after the same manner that we were regenerated to this he applyes that place Joh. 3.5 Except a man be born again c. All things seem to grow out of water and it was not unfitly made by one of the antient wise men the first Principle of all so that it may well signifie another birth a new plantation in a better soil which is watered by daily dews and showers of Gods heavenly Grace and in it we may be said to have changed our Patents and all our relations so as after a manner to become new Creatures Li. paedag cap. 7. If Clemens Alex. his reading of that place Mat. 3.17 be right one would think that Christ was by Baptism admitted to his office and had a kind of a new birth in it Thou art my beloved Son this day have I begotten thee i.e. now have I appointed thee to thy office now of the Son of Joseph as thou art esteemed I declare thee the Son of God and make thee my Vicegerent That which was perfectly done at the Resurrection to which those words This day have I begotten thee are applyed Act. 13.33 was begun and done in sign at Baptism when the Holy Ghost likewise descended upon him and anointed him unto his office And so in after times they used to anoint the baptized person with oyl to represent I suppose that God took him to be his Son and did bestow upon him the Holy Spirit But because Clemens must be thought to have expressed rather the sense then the very words that were spoken let us consider only what succeeded our Saviours Baptism and it will tell us thus much that at that time it was that God first owned him openly for his Son and it may well teach us that in Baptism God takes us to be his Children 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we are received under his shadow are and shall be indued with this Holy Spirit according as it follows in him Christ was our 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Exemplar or Pattern and being baptized are illuminated and being illuminated we are made sons and being made sons we are compleated and being compleated we are made immortal There is nothing wanting after we are baptized to the injoying the whole of this but that we be faithfull in Gods Covenant and follow the conduct of Gods illuminating and holy Spirit till we be made Possessors of that Immortality unto which in Baptism we have a Title given us The antient Christians speak of high Illuminations wherewithall God pleased then to grace Baptism I make no question but they speak as they felt and that they talk not of a strange change then wrought which never was but if any say that those great Communications of the Holy Ghost were proper to that time when Christ did most notably attest to the Truth of his own Institutions for the conviction of Unbelievers I think so also for young plantations needed larger effusions of the heavenly dews to water and cherish them But yet we may conceive that there may be still some operations of that spirit in mens hearts at Baptism though secret insensible unto us and I profess my self one of those that labour to believe very highly of Christs presence with all his own ordinances though if any cannot savour this I will not contend nor fight in the dark but desire the other things may be entertained which are certain and then there will be sufficient ground to think that it is not indifferent whether we be baptized or no and that it is not a naked Ceremony that neither doth good not harm as some men seem to speak against the constant sense of the people of God And thus much may suffice concerning