Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	faith_n	heart_n	work_n	7,151	5	5.4540	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A54066	Some things relating to religion, proposed to the consideration of the Royal Society, (so termed) to wit, concerning the right ground of certainty therein, concerning tenderness of spirit, and persecution, a query concerning separation, concerning washing away sin from the conscience, and the garment of salvation, and what it is that is covered therewith : likewise, some questions and answers concerning the church of the New-Covenant, the rock of foundation whereon it is built, and its preservation by and upon the rock : with some queries concerning the scattered and hidden estate of the church, and concerning that church which got up in the view of the world, instead thereof, and was acknowledged by the world as if she had been the true church, though indeed and truth she was not so : whereunto are added, some queries to professors, who speak of high attainments, &c. / written by ... Isaac Penington.	Penington, Isaac, 1616-1679.	1668 (1668)	Wing P1205; ESTC R13142	15,290	26

Commandment nigh in the mouth and heart to which Moses directed them which would have taught and enabled them to have kept to the Law of the Letter without them they also ran into the Nature and Spirit of the Heathen and fell into imaginings and reasonings which led them to worship like them Insomuch that they also changed their glory into the image of an Oxe that eateth grass Psal 106. 20. Now from this part in man ariseth all the uncertainty and doubts and dissatisfaction about Religion And hence arise the Opinions and Judgments and Reasonings in the minds of men Yea indeed the best of Mens Religion here is but an opinion or judgment which the breath of God's Spirit will shake and dissolve every where sooner or later All flesh is grass and all the beauty of men's Knowledg Religion and Worship here will wither like grass All the buildings and Churches that are raised here how beautiful soever are but Babylon built by man's understanding by man's knowledg by man's comprehension by man's wisdom by man's skill and indeed in man's will and time And their standing beauty strength and glory is but from man and in man's day and will fade away like a Flower But the true certainty is in the day of God from the Light of his spirit shining into man's spirit from God's inward reaching to his heart by his power and testifying his truth there And this all the powers of darkness cannot prevail against in it self no nor against that man that is kept to it For it is the Rock the only Rock upon which the whole Church is built and which cannot fail to preserve every member of the Church which is built upon it Ye then which would come to certainty in Religion observe the way which is made manifest from God in this our day blessed be his name which is this Mind the Witness of God in thy heart and come to and build upon the Light thereof Dwell not in reasonings take not up thy Religion in reasonings of the mind but pass through them pass beyond them into a light of an higher nature Wait to know the birth which is from God and the light which he gives to that birth What is the birth Is not the birth of and from the second Adam And what is the Heavenly birth's light Is it not the light of the second Adam Is it not in nature and kind above the light of the first Adam Where is the seat of reasonings Is it not the earthly mind the fallen mind Here lies man's strength Here is man's wisdom Here is man's life It is so indeed But the wisdom of Christ the light of Christ the life of Christ the power of Christ is a cross to this finds it in the enmity against God crucifies it slays it brings it to nothing and he that will become wise as to God must become a Fool unto all this a Child a Babe entring the Kingdom without this and must there remain naked as to this and never put it on more Now observe ye that have understanding and true sense the difference between the Religion which God hath taught us and led us into and the Religions of all men upon the Earth besides Our Religion stands wholly out of that which all their Religion stands in Their Religion stands in the Comprehension in a belief of a litteral relation or description Our Religion stands in a Principle which changeth the mind wherein the Spirit of Life appeareth to and witnesseth in the Conscience to and and concerning the things of the kingdom where we hear the voice and see the express Image of the invisible One and know things not from an outward relation but from their inward nature vertue and power Yea here we must profess we so know things that we are fully satisfied about them and could not doubt concerning them though there had never been word or letter written of them though indeed it is also a great comfort and sweet refreshment to us to read that testified of outwardly which through the tender mercy of our God we feel and enjoy inwardly And in this our whole Religion consists to wit In the silence and death of the flesh and in the quickning and flowing life of the spirit For he who is of the new-Birth of the new-Creation of the second Adam the Lord from Heaven is as really alive to God and as really lives to him in his spirit as ever he was really dead in trespasses and sins in the time of his alienation and estrangement from God Of Tenderness of Spirit and Persecution He which is born of God he who is of the Love and dwells in the Love cannot but be tender He who is born of the earthly Wisdom who taketh up and holdeth forth a Religion there cannot but persecute Why so Because he cannot but judg that any man may take up Religion as he hath done and so by reasonings may come to acknowledg and take up what he hath taken up and holdeth forth or else he is wilful and stubborn as he judgeth But now he that is born of God and hath received his Light Knowledg Religion and way of Worship from him He knoweth that no man can rightly receive them but the same way to wit from God by the Light which he causeth to shine into the heart at his pleasure and in the Faith which he gives So that God's free and powerful spirit is to be waited upon for the working of all in his people and not any forced to act beyond or contrary to the Principle of his Life and Light in them A Query concerning Separation Quer. Whether after the Apostacy from the Spirit Life and Power of the Apostles and the getting up of the Antichristian state Church and Worship there must not of necessity be a separation from all these before there can be a recovery of the Life and Power again and of the true Church-state which was brought forth in the daies of the Apostles Must there not be a perfect coming out of the corrupt state in the whole nature several parts and degrees of it before there can be a restoration to and witnessing of the true and pure state Must not the Christians now come out of all the Antichristian Inventions and Churches as well as the Christians of old came out of all the Heathenish worships yea out of the Jewish worship and Church which once was of God before they can become an holy building and habitation to God in the spirit Yea doth not the same spirit which cryed to the people of God then Come out from among them and be ye separate c. call and cry now Come out of her my people out of Babylon out of the false Church out of all the Antichristian buildings which are reared up after the several forms and waies of mens inventing but out of the spirit life and power which alone is able to build up in and unto the Lord And what is

that which cries out against separation in this day of the Lord 's dividing and separating but that spirit which would hold back the soul from being gathered to the Lord in the Chains of darkness and in the Land of death and confusion O that men knew that which divides and separates and which is appointed by God to divide and separate both inwardly and outwardly and might feel the full work and effect of it even perfect separation from all that is not of God that so they might be joyned to him and built up in him who is the life rest peace joy and pure breath of the soul for ever The word of God is quick and powerful sharper than any two-edged Sword and what doth it do Why it separates between Nation and Nation between Church and Church between People and People between Cattel and Cattel between Soul and Soul yea between the thoughts and intents of the same heart owning and cherishing all that is of the pure and condemning and destroying all that is of the impure And happy O for ever happy is he who can witness the work of this word perfected in his soul even the Axe of the Lord powerfully laid to and having cut down all that is corrupt in him that the pure plant of God may flourish and bring forth fruit in him in peace without Annoyance or Interruption of the impure Then the River of Life as the Streams of everlasting Righteousness shall flow into his vessel and Jerusalem become in and to him a quiet habitation and nothing be able to hurt or destroy any thing of Life in him who dwells in and abides on the Mountain of God's Holiness O blessed is the Race of Travellers which in the pure Light of the everlasting day are travelling thitherwards even with their hearts and faces faithfully bent towards Sion which is the Holy Spiritual Heavenly Hill of God! And blessed O blessed for ever is the Lord God of Life and Power who is the Faithful Guider Leader and Conducter of all that follow the footsteps of the flock in the way which is Pure True Living and Everlasting Concerning the washing away of Sin from the Conscience and the Garment of Salvation and what it is that is covered therewith There is somewhat appointed by God to wash away Sin which is the Water of Regeneration the Water of Life the Spirit 's Water and the Blood of the Lamb which are known received and felt by Faith in the Light of the Spirit wherein alone his work is wrought Thus now upon believing the Soul is washed The Faith brings in or lets in the Water and Blood which cleanse and purge the Conscience from the Sin which before stained and defiled it And according to the Faith so is the Water and Blood let in and accordingly is the washing And he that is baptized he that is washed by the spirit comes out of the water clean and watching to the Light wherein he was purified witnesseth the powerful word of Life as able to preserve in cleanness as it was to cleanse But if there be not a watch to and Faith in and single-hearted obedience to that which purified and keepeth pure there is that near which will defile where it is hearkned to and let in there is that which will tempt to lust and sin and so draw into darkness and death again And if any man sin afterwards sin defiles again and the stain thereof will lye upon the Conscience till by Repentance and Faith the Water and Blood be let in again and the cleansing vertue from it received and restored again So if any man sin there is an Advocate an Intercessor a divine Helper one who hath the Water of Life and the Blood of Life to wash with There is a Fountain set open for Sin and for Uncleanness for Judah and Jerusalem to wash therefrom But every defilement and pollution sticks until it be washed off Now there are sins of several kinds Some are easily remitted and washed off insomuch as the stain is hardly felt by the Soul the tender Mercy and pure Life doth so readily and naturally flow over them Some again are long held and bound by the Spirit upon the Conscience and often remembred to the heart which is apt to backslide Yea there is in some cases a severe judgment and a long waiting on the Lord for his mercy and for his renewing and enlivening of Faith before the Water and Blood which washeth can be again felt For Faith is not in a Man's power nor Repentance neither but they are given of God to whom and when he pleaseth And a man that is in part converted may give ear to the Enemy and let in sin and death upon his soul but he cannot repent again presently nor believe again presently but as God breathes upon him and revives the work of Faith and Repentance in him There were Sins under the Old Covenant and there are Sins under the New or against the Law of the New The Sins of the Old Covenant did lie upon him that committed them until they were expiated according to the Law of the Old Covenant And Sins under the New Covenant lie also upon the Soul and Conscience until they be expiated according to the Law of the New Covenant which is until the Advocate interpose and plead with the Father and give Faith and Repentance to the Soul and sprinkle upon the heart and conscience that Water and Blood which hath vertue in it to wash And if it were not for this after-washing as I may so say no man could be saved But though he were once washed yet sinning again afterwards he would die in his sins and so under Condemnation unless he were again washed O blessed be the name of the Lord for the Water and Blood of the Covenant and for his continual pouring them out upon the souls of his in the Light that is Eternal Now as men come to the truth as it is in Jesus they will find their own apprehensions about these things to have been but dreams wherewith the Enemy hath fed and pleased them while he hath lulled them asleep in the Night of Darkness that he might the better steal away the true weighty knowledg of the things of the Kingdom from them Thus men have dreamed about Justification about Sanctification about Regeneration about Redemption about Faith Hope Love Righteousness Peace Joy c. And have been mistaken about them missing of that Power and Light whereby and wherein they are revealed and made manifest Now he that will rightly know these things must know them in the feeling and true experience And therein he shall find all these are wrought in a mysterious way of pure Life's operation out of the reach of man's comprehension and that no Man can understand them but as the New and Holy understanding is given him nor retain the sense and knowledg of them but as he abides in the new nature and retains

the new understanding So for the Garment of Salvation that is Christ the righteousness of Christ the Nature of Christ the Spirit of Christ This is the holy covering He that puts on Christ puts on this He that wears Christ wears this he that appears before God in Christ appears in this And the Soul puts on this as it puts off the other It is the purified Soul that only puts on him that is pure And as a man is cleansed from the impure so only hath he in him a capacity of receiving and being cloathed with Christ And this now is the work of the true Ministry to wit to preach the Word to reveal the Word and bring the Mind to the Word which changeth it and begets the new capacity and so to begin the work of Life and reconciliation wherein and whereby there is some unclothing of the Old and some clothing with the New and so to carry on this work in the Spirit and power of the Father until it be perfected And this is a blessed work and blessed is the Ministry which is called to and entrusted with this work being faithful in it and blessed are they that witness the truth of and receive the effect of this Ministry and are subject to it in the Lord. For through and under this Ministry there is a receiving of a perfect gift in some measure at first wherein some true union and little acquaintance with the Lord of Life is at first witnessed and some operation of the Light and Power of his Holy Spirit And a grovving up in it unto perfection as the Soul is exercised by it and faithful to the Lord in the exercise under the daily Cross vvhich daily vvorketh against and crucifieth in the Heart Mind Life and Conversation vvhat ever is contrary to God as it is singly vvaited for taken up and subjected to Some Questions and Answers concerning the Church of the New-Covenant the Rock or Foundation whereupon it is built and its preservation by and upon the Rock With some Queries concerning the scattered estate of the true Church and concerning that Church which got up in its stead and made a great show with her Golden Cup for the time while the true Church was scattered Qu. 1. What is the Church of God under the new Agreement or Covenant An. It is a company of Living Stones quickned by God and knit together in the unity and fellowship of his Spirit to worship God together in his Spirit and offer up unto him spiritual Sacrifices acceptable to God by Jesus Christ What was the Church of the Old Covenant Was it not the seed of Abraham the outward Jews the Children of the Old Covenant And what is the Church of the New Covenant Is it not the seed of God the Jews inward the Children of the New Covenant Qu. 2. How are these Stones joyned together An. By the Spirit of Life which begets them all in one Nature and knits them together in that nature By the inward circumcision cutting off that which causeth Enmity and Disunion and so fitting them to be made one New Lump in Christ By Christ's Baptism which is the Baptism of Fire and of his Spirit which burns up the Old earthly Nature and so Baptizes them into one New Living Body sutable and fitting to their Head which is the Fountain of Life and distributes Life through all the Body according to its capacity need and service Qu. 3. Upon what is this Church built An. Upon the Rock or Foundation of God which God hath laid in his spiritual Sion which Rock is Christ For other Foundation can no man lay than that which is laid which is Jesus Christ nor other Rock did the Lord ever chuse for his Church to be built upon Nor hath any other Rock sufficient strength to bear up the building against the storms and stress of the powers of darkness which it often meeteth with even every member in its travels after it is once built on the Rock the Gates of Hell press hard upon it but abiding on the Rock it feels the strength and preservation of the Rock For as they cannot prevail against Christ so neither can they prevail against that which is built upon him But if there be a going forth from the strength and preservation there is a liableness to be made a prey And the promise is not absolutely and perpetually to that Person or Congregation which is received or let into the truth but to that Person or Church which abideth and continueth in the truth unto the end The Jews were safe in the Faith and Obedience of their Covenant and the Christians or Christian Churches are not safe but in the Faith and Obedience of theirs For if they walked not humbly with the Lord and in his Fear which keeps the heart from departing from him and in the Faith whereby they stand they were to be cut off from their Church-state as well as the Jews were from theirs as the Apostle Paul expresly tells the Church at Rome Rom. 11. 21 22. Qu. 4. VVhat was Paul An. The Apostle of the Gentiles who Laboured abundantly even more abundantly than all the other Apostles and hath left more instructions relating to the Gentiles than all the Apostles besides and was tender of them in standing for and defending their liberty in Christ when Peter a little warped and was to be blamed Gal. 2. 11. For indeed man cannot be certain and infallible further than he kepeth to and is exercised by the certain and infallible Spirit which he is subject to be tempted to err from further than he stands upon the watch and cannot but err from unless he feel a continual preservation in the Fear and by the Power of the Lord. And the certainty of truth doth not depend so much upon the person from whom it is received as upon the demonstration and evidence to the conscience wherein it is received The Apostles were not Lords over the true Christians Faith but helpers of their joy And Christ did not require his Disciples to believe what ever he knew to be true but prepared their capacities and dropped in according to their capacities And this is the way of the true Ministers to wait on God to beget and on him again to Water the begotten Soul and carry on his work in it to make them know Christ their Master from whom they are to receive Light Life Instruction and Direction and to feel the Head and be joyned to the Head and receive from the Head their knowledg as well the least as the greatest Ebr. 8. What is Paul What is Apollos What is Cephas Were not they carnal that cryed up these one above another Yet the younger ought to be subject to the elder and all to be subject one to another in the truth 1 Pet. 5. 5. Qu. 5. What was Peter An. One of the Disciples of Christ a precious Stone in the building Joh. 1. 43. one of the most eminent Apostles