Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n
Text snippets containing the quad
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A03610
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The soules ingrafting into Christ. By T.H.
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Hooker, Thomas, 1586-1647.
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1637
(1637)
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STC 13733; ESTC S104199
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16,216
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35
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THE SOVLES INGRAFTING into CHRIST By T. H. LONDON Printed by J. H. for Andrew Crooke at the signe of the Beare in Pauls Church-yard 1637. THE SOVLES Ingrafting into CHRIST MAL. 3.1 Behold I will send my Messenger and hee shall prepare the way before mee and the Lord whom yee seeke shall suddenly come to his Temple even the Messenger of the Covenant whom yee delight in Behold hee shall come saith the Lord of Hosts FOr the Preface two things are considerable 1. What wee have done 2. What wee will doe We have finished the scope of our endevour which was to shew how Christs Merits are applied to the Soule how it stands possessed of grace here and happinesse hereafter Now these two things must be wrought in the Soule before it can be made partaker of saving grace 1. A preparation 2. an Implantation A preparation there must be for a sinner naturally as he hath no grace so hee is not naturally capable to receive grace This appeares in 2. things 1. On Gods part he breakes the cursed Combination betwixt Sinne and the Soule hee drawes us from sinne to himselfe 2. Something on our part touching the disposition of our hearts and that in 2. workes 1. Contrition 2. Humiliation Now there was a necessity of these two to be in the Soule as wee then disputed for these are the two maine hinderances of our Faith 1. Security when the soule being blinded takes rest and sees no need to be better therefore desires it not hence naturall men thinke it Curiosity therefore the Lord sends in this worke and causeth us to know the misery of sinne and pierces our soules with it and so upon this we desire a change for else it sees it must be condemned 2. When the sinner thus sees his misery then he begins to scramble for his owne comforts that he may releeve himselfe hee will reforme sinne and doe superficiall duties and so thinke to make amends this is Carnall confidence thus many a man perisheth resting on these huskes for Meanes are not Mediatours and Services are not Saviours Now in the place thereof God discovers that there is sinne enough in the best services The Soule being thus plucked off from sin and from all his lusts and pared from his abilities renouncing all confidences and being nothing hee is fit for Christ to bee all in all unto him thus farre we have gone All this while the Soule is like the children of Israel partly wandring in the valley of Teares partly wildring in the desart of Humiliation Egypt was a Type of a mans naturall condition Moses a Type of the Law Iosuah a Type of Christ the wildernesse a Type of these two Now the soule having passed through all these is just upon the Coast of Canaan The soule is like a graft first it is cut off then pared and then ingrafted So Contrition cuts us off and Humiliation pares us The next Point is the ingrafting into the Lord Jesus the heart being thus prepared it is implanted into the true vine the Lord Christ Touching the worke wee will discover these 2. things 1. We will open it in generall 2. We will discover the parts of it What it is in generall our implantation into Christ is the worke of the Spirit whereby the humbled sinner stands possessed of Christ and is made partaker of the Spirituall good things in him 3. Things in the Description The humbled sinner for else nothing to doe with Christ stands possessed of Christ I use the word possessor because it is rather wrought upon the soule than comes out of any Principle in the soule Christ possesses him and hence hee comes to bee possessed Gal. 4.9 as if he should say It is not how wee can perceive him but how hee will know us Philip. 3.12 Still a man is more passive than active the worke lyes on Gods part The childe holds the father because the father holds him So we hold God because he holds vs. Hee is made partaker of the good things in Christ still the action lyes on Christs part wee worke so far as we are wrought on These two things are generall in all the workes of application 1. To be possessed of Christ 2. To be made partaker of the Spirituall good in him As in vocation Christ drawes the soule hee challenges more of him than the being possessed and the soule following him there is the spirituall good In Justification Christ layes downe a price there is the possession and withall the soule is freed from the guilt and punishment of sinne there is the spirituall good In Adoption Christ not onely cals a sinner and justifies him but adopts him and makes him of a sinner a sonne there is a nearer possession and he hath the privileges of a sonne there is the Spirituall good derived from Christ In Sanctification the Lord Christ by the power of his Spirit leaves a stampe of his Image grace for grace he is marked for his owne this is the further possession he is freed from the power of corruption this is the Spirituall good Thus in all we see the soule is possessed of Christ hee is partaker of the Spirituall good in him All this is done by Gods Spirit a graft cannot put it selfe into the stocke but the same hand that cut it off and pared it must ingraft it to the same Spirit that wrought Contrition and humiliation comes to bee the Spirit of grace and promise Now for the ground of our discourse wee have chosen this Text which is a Prophecie of Iohn the Baptist Wherein observe 2. things The words are spoken of Iohn the Baptist First Consider the worke of Iohn the Baptist he was the Messenger of God and was to prepare the way for Christ 2. We have the Consequence The Lord will suddenly come into his Temple We come to the point but before I can discover the severall particulars give me leave to open two words that so the doctrine may bee undeniable First what is meant by Temple 2. What by Christs comming into the Temple First the word Temple besides the naturall and literall sense of it it is also taken Mystically and Spiritually and so it is here to be conceived and then it implyes partly the Church of God I meane the company of the faithfull which serve God in uprightnesse of heart and as in generall all the company of the people fearing God are said to be the Church of God and his Temple so also in particular every man that is faithfull is the Temple of God 2 Cor. 6.10 Yee are the Temple of the Holy Ghost Looke as it was in the materiall Temple in Jerusalem the text saith the Glory of the Lord fell upon it and the Lord said he would abide there and reveale himselfe there so the heart humbled and prepared is the Temple of the Lord and the Lord takes possession of it and rules in it and will provide for it for ever Looke as a man dwels in a