Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	dead_a	life_n	quicken_v	5,491	5	10.4511	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A07348	Ecclesiastica interpretatio: or The expositions vpon the difficult and doubtful passages of the seuen Epistles called catholike, and the Reuelation Collected out of the best esteemed, both old and new writers, together with the authors examinations, determinations, and short annotations. The texts in the seuen Epistles of Iames, Peter, Iohn and Iude are six and forty. The expositions vpon the Reuelation are set forth by way of question and answer. Here is also a briefe commentary vpon euery verse of each chapter, setting forth the coherence and sense, and the authors, and time of writing euery of these bookes. Hereunto is also annexed an antidot against popery. By Iohn Mayer, B. of D. and pastor of the Church of Little Wratting in Suffolke.	Mayer, John, 1583-1664.	1627 (1627)	STC 17731; ESTC S112551	448,008	564

persons preserued are said to be saued by the water because when all others perished in the water they were borne in the Arke vpon the waters and escaped drowning So likewise by Baptisme whatsoeuer is carnall naturall is destroyed and we are made spirituall when we are hereby receiued into the Church as into the Arke depending vpon Christ by faith But it is nothing outward in baptisme that saueth vs but the couenant whereupon a good conscience doth comfortably rest being able to say This thou hast promised Lord vnto me and therefore wilt performe it By the resurrection of Christ that is it being by faith apprehended not onely that Christ died for vs but that he rose againe to make his death effectuall vnto vs. Luther acknowledgeth this place to be so obscure Mayer as that he is not fully satisfied about the sense of it but preferreth this as seeming to him the best that yet could be found out Caietan saith that Christ went and preached to the spirits in hell and that not vnfruitfully But this is worthily reiected by Luther because there is no comming out of that place Gagneus And Gagneus a Papist also derideth it asking who told him of any that were there conuerted He also confesseth that he cannot attaine to any satisfying resolution of this place Some he saith expound it of Christs comming once before his comming in the flesh euen in Noahs time to preach whilest the Arke was in building but as they disobeying not flying into the Arke were drowned so now that Christ hath come in the flesh if any obey not to fly to the Sacrament of Baptisme they cannot but perish The Greekes reade that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the spirits in hell which we read in prison holding that he went to preach vnto them not to saue them but to vpbraid them with their infidelity and sinnes notwithstanding the long warning which they had by Noah Beda Beda is altogether for preaching to men in this world and therefore readeth it either in prison that is to such as were shut vp in the body as in a prison or in the flesh that is such as were greatly oppressed with fleshly desires But to examine and determine in order the doubts or this place first what is meant by being put to death or mortified in the flesh and quickened in the spirit The old Latine translation followed by Tho. Aquinas and Gorra● readeth it Mortificatos carne c. as I haue shewed already and it is expounded by them accordingly of our being mortified and quickened But the Latine translation hath beene amended according to the Greeke as Lorinus acknowledgeth being by the fault of the Writer corrupted according to Gagneus and Augustine Ierom and Cyprian and Ruffin follow this reading He being quickened c. But it being agreed about this reading yet there is a question what is meant by Christs being quickened in the spirit 〈◊〉 An answer to certaine obiections against Christs descent Some contend that his soule was preserued aliue when he was bodily dead and that nothing else is meant And one taketh great paines in alleaging other places of Scripture where to quicken doth signifie to keepe aliue as Luke 17.33 Luke 9.24 Marke 8.33 Iohn 12.25 Exod 1.22 1 Sam. 27.9 c. And the Syrian Interpreter who readeth these words here Gecumen August Th● Aquin. Euther He died in body but liued in spirit Some would haue his diuine power meant quickening others that were dead who came out of their graues Some vnderstand his reuiuing againe to a spirituall life after his bodily death the quickening spirit comming againe into his dead body Some lastly vnderstand his diuinity wherein he liued ●●●d ras 〈◊〉 and alwaies liueth because the Godhead is a spirit expounding his being quickened in the spirit of his being restored to life by the power of his diuinity Beda citeth Athanasius taking the spirit here for the holy Ghost Athanesues as if it were meant that he was quickened in the faithfull his members in the spirit comming into them I subscribe to that of Augustine and Luther as seeming to me most genuine he died the naturall death but liued againe the spirituall life in soule and body For although the word here vsed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be often put for preserued aliue yet here it being opposed to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it agreeth better to vnderstand it of that which is opposite to being put to death that is being raised to life againe in the spirit that is by the power of the Deity his very body is now become spirituall as ours shall also be And thus it agreeth excellently with that which went before that we should patiently suffer any wrongs because as the Lord Iesus did not so neither shall we lose any thing no not though we should be put to death for we shall but exchange as Christ did a naturall life for a spirituall and heauenly which is for euer Secondly What is meant by Christs going in the spirit to preach to the spirits in prison c. To this it is answered diuersly by diuers some of which answers I haue shewed already First It was a generall receiued opinion amongst most that Christ descended into hell there in person to preach to such spirits as were departed out of this world before his comming Clemens Alexandrinus Strom. 6. Athanasius Epist ad Ep●ctet Epiphan Haeres 77. Cyrillus Alex. in Iohan. cap. 36. lib. 12. Hillar in Psal 118. Ieronym in cap. 54. Esa Ambros in Rom. 10. Iustin in tryphon Irenaeus lib. 3. cap. 23. And the last of these two alleageth a place out of Esay the former of Ieremy in these words The holy Lord of Israel was mindfull of his dead which slept in the earth and descended to preach saluation to them that he might saue them Which words are not now extant any where but are thought by Irenaeus through the hatred of Christianity to haue beene put out by the Iewes yet they that agree in the generall of Christ his descent doe greatly differ about the effect thereof Some holding that hee saued all that were in hell before by his preaching as Hilary and Hermes in his booke entituled Pastor but the disobedient in Noahs time are named onely because they were the greatest number that perished together This is mentioned and reiected as an heresie by Augustine August lib. de Hares cap. 79. and that worthily because so contrary to the holy Scriptures Esa 66.24 Matth. 18.8 Luke 16.26 Some aga●ne hold that hee saued onely those that were worthy who led a good life and would haue beleeued if he had before come amongst them but vpbraided the rest by their disobedience and infidelity as Occum Gregory Nazianzen c. or that there were some penitent amongst them that were drowned by the floud whom he had saued as Lyra teacheth And it is a thing generally held amongst the Papists that there were

1. What is meant by our suffering in the flesh Verse 1. whereupon followeth a cessation from sinne I answer with Oecumenius that the suffering of death in the body cannot bee meant though he who is set for example suffered death when he suffered in the flesh for vers 2. hee speaketh of the residue of his time in the flesh being spent according to the will of God Wherefore to suffer in the flesh here is to be mortified to sinne Luther in 1 Pet. 4. which to follow it is a life vnto vs naturally For as Luther saith there were two ends of CHRIST his suffering as he was man which is meant by his suffering in the flesh first to satisfie for our sinnes secondly to giue vs example both of suffering persecution and of suffering by being mortified vnto sinne as vnto lust or hatred and enuy for if these inordinacies be subdued in vs then we cease from seeking how to satisfie our carnall lusts and from attempting reuenge in word or deed It is true we are iustified by Faith when we first beleeue and then the Spirit of Sanctification entreth into vs but we must be more holy and righteous daily as he that had his wounds bound vp by the Samaritan was staied from bleeding and being indangered any further thereby but yet they were not altogether healed till after some time Rom. 6.6 7. Saint Paul hath a place to the same effect with this Our old man is crucified together with him that the body of sinne may be destroyed that we may not serue sinne any longer To meditate vpon Christs Passion is a most effectuall meanes to make vs to be thus mortified to sinne and willingly to beare our aduersities Some vnderstand these words Ieron contr Jouin August de fide op●re●● 10. c. 1 Cor. 5 2●● He which hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin either of Christ or of the Christian he hath ceased from sinne both because he neuer did any and as he is said to haue beene made sinne that is a sacrifice for sinne for he is now no sacrifice any more but all preferre the other as it is indeed the most genuine the mortified Christian ceaseth from sinne so that it doth no more rule and reigne in him What are the seuerall vices here mentioned Lasciuiousnesse Vers ● Lusts excesse of Wine Reuellings Banquetings c. wherein hee saith they liued before Lyra Lyranus by Lasciuiousnesse vnderstandeth all externall acts in the matter of venery and by Lusts the internall desires of a lustfull minde and indeed by Lasciuiousnesse is meant not onely adultery but that wantonnesse which is ingesture and apparell and words The lusts here spoken of are defined by the Pontificians to be onely lust with consent denying lust simply to be sinne but of this enough before Rom. 7. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 expounded the excesse of Wine signifieth properly those boilings vp which breake into pustules and red tumours The next word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 eatings after the meale ended Some say it is so called because of the dead sleepe following after called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Some because of the pipe which is commonly present at such feastings Some from streets and rowes of houses together which are called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 where they inuite one another The next word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 drinkings because as Lyra noteth there bee other waies and meanes to drunkennesse besides by Wine Who are meant by the dead to whom it is said For this cause it was preached to the dead Vers 6. that they might be iudged according to men in the flesh and liue according to God in the Spirit That of Thomas Aquinas and Occumenius which is followed also by Luther that by the dead are meant the dead in sinne cannot stand because the Particle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 were then redundant it being hereby intimated that the Gospell was preached to others besides the now liuing and by the quicke and the dead vers 5. are no such dead meant according to which it is fit that this should be expounded Beza Beza therefore holdeth it most easie to giue the sense of these words that as the Gospell was preached to the liuing so it had beene preached to them that died long agoe and so is no new doctrine The spirits of the dead cannot be meant because of the distinction following according to man and according to God that is the naturall and the spirituall man And to this doe I subscribe and so of the words following this is the meaning As now they to whom the Gospell is preached are required to die vnto sin and to liue vnto righteousnesse so were they like wise required then to be iudged according to man that is to be mortified as they were naturall men for hee that is iudged or condemned is iudged to die and to liue according to God that is Piscator to be renued vnto holinesse Piscator expoundeth it of those in Noahs time before spoken of Chap. 3. of whom hee saith some when they saw the iudgement of God comming vpon them repented and were saued and so they were iudged according to man that is perished in their corporall life but were receiued to euerlasting life Aug●●pist 99. Augustine vnderstandeth by the dead the dead in sinne and infidelity as Thomas Aquinas doth saying that vpon their conuersion they are iudged according to men in the flesh because they are persecuted and spoken against but they are euen hereby furthered in their spirituall life and this is followed without much difference by Beda Vatablus Arias Montanus and Huge Bellarmine Valentia and Suarez hold that by the dead are meant the spirits in prison before spoken of as Oecumenius doth and Lorinus saith that it is a most plaine place to confirme Christs locall descent into hell but I cannot see how it may bee thus taken vnlesse it be yeelded that they in hell were conuerted and saued by his preaching there because he saith that they might be iudged according to men in the flesh but liue according to God in the Spirit which cannot be expounded of any thing else but of the conuersion of a sinner But that any are conuerted and saued out of Hell abhorreth from all sound Diuinitie Note Note that there is a conformity betwixt Christians and their patterne Vers 1. Christ as he suffered in the flesh so ceasing to be any more in this world after the manner of men so true Christians suffer by mortification vnto sinne which springeth from the flesh but that being once mortified there is in them a cessation from all their former wickednesse Howsoeuer they may still fall out of infirmity yet the course of their life is not intemperate and riotous as it was before they trade not in sinne They therefore that liue a wicked life still though they are called Christians yet they haue no communion with

Iezzabel had contended with them about the sense of the Scriptures their knowledge should be more clarified and they should attaine vnto perfect light when as Saint Peter saith The Day-starre should arise in their hearts that is they should not need the helpe of meanes any more but should haue a light in themselues in lightning them to see and know as they were seene and knowne For the communication of Christs glory is set forth in their reigning his ressurrection was a thing past and as for the resurrection of their bodies or the glorification of the soule it is not likely that hee would comfort them with part of their happinesse when he had already set forth their full glorification THe fift Epistle is to the Church of Sardis in six verses of the third Chapter The fift Epistle Chap. 3. wherein their deadnesse is reproued and threatned they are stirred vp to awake and be watchfull some few are commended and comforted with the promise of white garments and that the Lord will confesse them before God and his Angels Quest 1. What is meant in that Christ is said to haue the seuen Spirits of God and the seuen Starres Vers 1. and what particular reason of mentioning these things here Answ The seuen Spirits are they that were spoken of Chap. 1.4 which stand before the Throne of God and the seuen Starres the Ministers of the Churches as is also plaine Chap. 1.20 yet some by these Spirits vnderstand the Angels whom Christ hath at his command Pareus but so he should assume a title to himselfe not mentioned before seeing the seuen Spirits there are the Holy Ghost as hath beene already shewed For the reason of remembring these particularly to this Church it is rendred diuersly Some say that the Lord would hereby intimate his wisdome to discerue their wickednesse couered vnder the cloake of hypocrisie because he had seuen Spirits and his power to punish it Richard de Sancto victore for hee had the Starres in his power Bullenger much more men that offended Others say that this is spoken to intimate that he giueth all spirituall life that they being yet dead might be put in minde to seeke vnto him therefore that he defendeth his faithfull Ministers so as that they shall not need to feare the anger of man that if they did reuiue in their godly care they might safely trust in Christ who doth continually defend such Viegas Others say that it is spoken in opposition to their conceit of themselues for hypocrites are readiest to thinke that they are full of life when indeed they are dead and glory much in their life of vnderstanding and in being counted excellent when indeed they want both therefore the Lord assumeth all life to himselfe for hee had the seuen Spirits and all light and glory for he had the seuen Starres Viegas Lastly others say that it is spoken to shew that the Starres and the Spirits are ioyned together so that he which will haue the glory of Starres must first haue the Spirit that is true sanctity Of all these I preferre that of Bullenger as most genuine because it is adidem whereas the rest goe somewhat from the true meaning of the things here mentioned Let Hypocrites therefore consider their vanity and danger whilst they want the life of grace Christ taketh no care of them to protect and defend them but onely of such as haue life and light hee holdeth the Spirits and Starres if therefore thou wilt haue the comfort of his protection seeke for the Spirit of life at his hands who only is able to bestow it Quest How is the Angell of this Church said to be dead Vers 2. and yet but bidden to awake as being onely asleepe and to strengthen what was about to die Answ Deadnesse here by the consent of all is deadnesse in sinne he had a name to be aliue in that a great shew of piety was made but was dead indeed because void of truth and substance there was nothing but hypocrisie And because in Hypocrites there is no true loue of Christ vrging to sollicitude about the sanctity of others negligence and remisnesse doth vsually accompany hypocrisie and so it seemeth to haue done in the Angell of this Church he laboured of two vices hypocrisie and neglect of his charge Of the first he is admonished in that he is charged to be dead and of the other in that he is excited to watch and to strengthen those that were about to die that is some of that Congregation which were yet aliue but in great danger of death also by his bad example and neglect of his office Quest 3. What is meant by saying Vers 4. they haue not defiled their garments and by promising they shall walke with mee in whites and because they are worthy whether is not here a ground for mans merits Answ I omit here to speake of these words I haue not found thy workes full before God vers 2. For no man is so simple to thinke that this is spoken against imperfections and weaknesses but against hypocrisie for those workes are not full before God which are not done in sincerity Touching the question propounded By garments Pareus some vnderstand their soules and bodies which are sometimes also set forth by another metaphor of vessels as 1 Thes 4.4 Their soules were not defiled by erroneous opinions nor their bodies by fornication after the Nicolaitan manner Gorran Some vnderstand onely their bodies the garments of their soules or their vertues and vertuous actions which are not polluted when vice is not mixed with them Lastly some vnderstand Christ Iesus and the Christian profession Bullinger for of Christ it is often spoken as of a garment put ye on the Lord Iesus and if we consider the first vse of garments Rom. 13. Eph. 4. Col. 3. that it was to couer our nakednesse whereof wee are ashamed this metaphor doth most fitly agree vnto Christ the onely couer of all our sinnes and blemishes In this sense they defile not their garments which flie wickednesse the staine and shame of a Christian profession and this I subscribe vnto as the true sense For though the body be sometime compared to a garment yet the soule is neuer and if the body only should be meant here should be a iustification of single externall purity without the internall Touching the whites here promised Gorran some vnderstand it partly of a pure and good conscience here and of the glory to come hereafter Bullinger Pareus But for so much as the whitenesse of a good conscience is already enioyed and it is here spoken of whites yet to be giuen I subscribe rather to them that vnderstand the glory to come which is compared to the purest white when some glimps hereof were in Christs garments at the time of his transfiguration Matth. 7. In that he saith they shall walke with mee in

faithfull person liueth not as the naturall man doth though he cannot but through humane frailty sinne yet his heart is against all sinne and his life is such a continuall practice of repentance and the Spirit of Christ doth so sway and carry him as that he falleth not so often as the naturall man doth and he doth daily wash and cleanse himselfe from sinne by the teares of true repentance and that when there is no worldly shame or losse to moue him hereunto Neither can I see but that the regenerate must needs be of such an holy life as not at any time to fall into any great sinne as of adultery murther theft drunkennesse or the like although vnder the Law most holy men haue fallen for the Spirit is now giuen in a greater measure than it was in those daies and the force of corruption is more abated as is cleare from sundry passages of holy Scripture Whereas vers 8. it is said Vers 8. that the Deuill sinneth from the beginning and the Sonne of God appeared that he might dissolue the workes of the deuill the meaning is that he was euer the Author of sinne by his temptations so preuailing amongst men as that the world hath hitherto beene full of sinne but now the Sonne of God comming hath giuen a contrary Spirit into the hearts of his people whereby they are sanctified to leade an holy and new life The Deuill had them before as it were in the chaines of sinne fast bound for stirring to forsake those superstitious and riotous courses but now these bands are loosed and they are set at liberty to walke in the waies of Gods Commandements because free will which was lost in Adam is restored in the regenerate by Christ that we may now striue against and resist euill temptations Note that the most certaine marke of a childe of God Note is to leade an holy life and truly to endeuour to refraine from all sinne out of an inward affectation of holinesse and the dislike and hatred of euery sinne be it neuer so pleasing or profitable to the outward man and not in any by-respect and being ouertaken with sinne by infirmity to be humbled therefore and to beg for mercy and pardon and that toties quoties The comfort of those that doe thus is that they are not now accounted sinners but are iustified here-from Luke 13. as it is said of the poore Publican that hauing knocked vpon his breast and humbled himselfe he went away iustified The penitent person sinneth not because he doth daily that which is righteous in calling himselfe to account for his sinnes and iudging himselfe therefore as Beda saith Beda in Luc. 10. Seruos nos inutiles fatcamur vt in sortem vtilium veniamus Hieron Vnica iustitia nostra est iniustitiam fateri In confessing our selues to bee vnprofitable seruants we come to be profitable and Ierome Our only righteousnesse is to confesse our vnrighteousnesse For whoso doth thus and bewaileth it daily in secret cannot but haue his heart set against sinne and so sinneth not in will and desire CHAP. 3. VER 21. If our heart condemne vs not wee haue boldnesse towards God and receiue what wee aske of him because we keepe his Commandements c. In commending brotherly loue Mayer Vers 14. which he had often done before he saith Hereby wee know that wee are translated from death to life if we loue the brethren vers 14. By the loue of brethren all vnderstand here the loue of one another which is vsually expressed by the word neighbours in the old Testament but by the word brethren in the new Brotherly loue is a signe of true grace which is the beginning of the spirituall life that is eternall it is not the cause of life as euen the Iesuit condescendeth orinus Hereby a man may know that hee is raised from the death of sinne to the life that is by grace if he hath true loue in him because all that are partakers of this life haue this loue in them and consequently a man may know that euerlasting life is his and not only haue a probable coniecture hereof as popish writers teach For to put it out of doubt that we may know certainly he saith vers 24. We know that he abideth in vs by the Spirit that he hath giuen vs Verse 19 20 21. and in vers 19 20 21. he argueth from the heart and conscience of euery man which vpon this ground of actuall loue comming to be quiet and free from any accusation argueth most certainly that wee are in his fauour He that loueth to the exercising of charitable actions keepeth Gods Commandements which stand but in two things the loue of God and the loue of our neighbour God is said to be greater than our conscience that is more able to iudge and condemne because all things are most euident vnto him so that if our conscience condemneth vs hee will condemne vs much more And this is his commandement Vers 23. Oecumen that we beleeue in the Name of his Sonne Iesus Christ To beleeue in the name of Christ here saith Oecumenius is to giue credit to his will for by his Name is set forth sometime his glory and sometime his will Now his will whereunto he would haue vs giue credit is that we should loue one another But this exposition is forced for hauing spoken of loue hitherto and how necessary it is because God hath commanded it hee now goeth somewhat higher and sheweth that in commanding vs to beleeue in the Name of his Sonne hee commandeth loue also seeing that loue is inseparable from a liuely faith Therefore hee addeth This is his command that we beleeue and loue one another as if he should haue said For so much as I haue spoken of the Commandements of God affirming that he which loueth keepeth thē hereby it plainly appeareth to be so because that in commanding to beleeue in Christ he inioyneth vs both to beleeue and to loue loue being vnto faith as the soule is to the body which is but a dead carkasse if it be away And so hee commeth aptly to mention the Spirit giuen vnto vs in the next verse whereby we know that we are in God that is The. Aquin. Gorran Beza this grace of the Spirit loue And hereunto doe others consent Note here Note because he maketh the keeping of Gods Commandements the ground of our confidence to God-ward so as that we may pray with certaine expectation to be heard that none but such as are of a godly life charitable to the poore can haue any assurance of Gods fauour All wicked men and hard-hearted cannot but haue an accusing conscience if it bee not cauterized and therefore their hope to God-ward is vaine though they call and cry to him for mercy they shall not preuaile Iam. 5.16 Mat. 7.22 CHAP. IIII. HAuing spoken in the last verse of the former Chapter of knowing