Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	father_n	power_n	son_n	12,372	5	5.6553	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A75459	Gods presence mans comfort: or, Gods invisibilitie manifested unto mans capacitie. The heads of which tractate were delivered in a sermon at the Abbey of Westminster, and since enlarged for the benefit of the Church of God. / By the Lords unprofitable servant, Ch. Anthony. Imprimatur: Ja. Cranford.	Anthony, Charles, 1600-1685.	1646 (1646)	Wing A3477; Thomason E328_1; ESTC R8561	58,663	111

they shall enter into the joy of their Master Lastly by enjoying Gods presence they shall with the holy Angels whom Augustine calls Hymnidici chori Aug. in Johan praise God without ceasing with a perfect heart freely so the Psalmist Blessed are they that dwell Psal 84. 4. in thy house they will be still praising thee To summe up all together In this beholding of Gods face the saints shall know the power of God the Father the wisdome of God the Son and the goodnesse of God the holy Ghost which is the joy of Angels which is the reward of eternall life which is the glory of the blessed spirits the new Jerusalem the perfection of blisse and that peace which passeth all understanding by vertue whereof they shall praise God and praising him love him and loving him possesse him who is the inheritance of his people witnesse his promise to Abraham I will Gen. 15. 1. be thine exceeding great reward O! say we all then O Lord thou art in thy selfe exceeding great and therefore thou must needs be an exceeding great reward It is life everlasting to see thee it is life Joh. 17. 3. everlasting to know thee and whom thou hast sent Jesus Christ If then the wise men rejoyced to see Christ in the manger what joy will it be to see him in his glory If old Abraham rejoyced to see Joh. 8. 56. Aug. Tract 43. in Johan the day of Christ yet afarre off for hee rejoyced through hope that he should see it by understanding it and hee saw it then which what greater joy could be expressed for if they rejoyce who have their bodily eyes opened what joy doth the unutterable light of the soule bring If a bride rejoiceth not onely when she hears the voice of her bridegroom but more affectionately when shee enjoyeth his presence because they twaine shall be one flesh Or if a loving wife rejoiceth when her husband returneth safe after a long and tedious journey So and much more doth the soule of a Christian rejoice when shee is united to Christ her head Thus you see what inexpressible consolation this union of Christ yeeldeth to all the children of the first resurrection First in that they shall be so changed as that they shall be made capable of eternall glory Secondly in that death shall no more be terrible because their bodies shall be no more sinfull And herein the godly differ from the wicked in three respects 1. In the Causes for the wicked shall indeed rise but it is by reason of Gods summons when the trumpet shall blow and all must of necessity appeare whereas the godly rise to be united to their head Christ Jesus 2. In the Manner for the wicked rise with horrour and griefe whereas the godly rise with joy and comfort 3. In the End for the wicked rise to eternall confusion whereas the godly rise to everlasting glorification They that live in Christ shall sleep in Christ and such as sleep in Christ God will bring 1 Thes 4. 14 17. with him and they shall be ever with him Lastly This union of the godly with Christ shall be glorious in regard of their cohabitation for the wicked after sentence pronounced by Christ who then shall sit as Judge shall be hurled into hell a place loathsome and grievous because of that stinke which never shall be abated and because of that pain that never shall be ended whereas the godly shall be enthronized in a kingdom prepared for them from the beginning of the world which is a kingdome of blisse in which they shall live eternally So then as the pains of the one place are universall so are the pleasures of the other universall also Pain and pleasure in this life are temporall in the other they are eternall and as the torture of the one in regard of the losse of Christs presence is inexpressible so the comfort of the other in the fruition of his presence is unconceivable With old Simeon then who rejoiced to embrace Christ in his arms at the time of his presentation let all true-hearted professors rejoice in that Christ will present them to his Father when the time shall come for their glorification In the mean time while we see him standing behinde our wall let us sing with that old Simeon Lord now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace for mine eyes have seen the Prince of peace thy salvation FINIS ERRATA Pag. 7. lin 22. for most reade more p. 10. l. 27. for as r. us p. 26. l. 2. for unto r. to p. 34. l. 21. for for r. forth

which God shineth inwardly upon her soul Haec quasi speculum Creatorem suum repraesentant God through these manifesteth himselfe so farre unto her as shee is able to apprehend him in them and by them Ex effectibus Dei demonstrari Aquin. potest Deum esse licèt per eos effectus non possimus eum perfectè cognoscere secundùm suam Essentiam By the works of God it is evident that there is a God although even by those works wee cannot perfectly discern his Essence Yet 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 what may be known of God by the light of nature is manifested in the creature as that there is a God that there is but one God that hee is Eternall Omnipotent the sole Creator of heaven and earth and all therein that hee is most holy most wise and most just the rewarder of the godly and the punisher of the wicked But yet this light of nature is not of it selfe sufficient unlesse it be holpen by a supernaturall light For Non potuerint Gentiles per solum naturae lumen unum agnoscere solum esse Deum the Heathen by the dim light of nature were not able to know that this God is but One. To those therefore whom the holy Spirit maketh to discern God the same Spirit conferreth the spirit of wisdome and sanctified knowledge by means whereof they doe see God Hence that speech of Christ Hee that seeth mee seeth my Father John 14. 9. also scil opere Spiritûs sancti namely by the work of the holy Ghost On the contrary they the eyes of whose soules the holy Ghost hath not enlightned with the saving beams of divine truth can never see or know the Father in the Son As then none is said to touch Christ when the Mar. 5. 30 31. multitude thronged him save onely shee who had the bloudy issue so none is properly said to see Christ save onely such in whom the holy Ghost hath wrought faith to beleeve him and his word for it is impossible without faith which is the eye of the soule either to see him or know him and according to each mans faith so shall it be unto him For we must know that there is a twofold sight 1. Of the body 2. Of the minde 1. The eye of the body cannot see God for he is invisible his Essence is spirituall and if a man cannot see his own spirit much lesse can hee see God who is the Father of spirits Now if it be objected Heb. 12. 9. Exod. 33. 11. Gen. 17. 1. that Moses and Abraham saw God I answer that they saw not his substance hee only appeared in similitudes by which hee testified his presence But Job saith In my flesh I shall see God Job 9. 26. and mine owne eyes shall behold him Answ By God in that place is meant the second person of the Trinity who being God was incarnate and so God may be seen in Christ But Paul saith that we shall see God face to face Answ God hath not members 1 Cor. 13. 12. as we have but this is spoken per 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 according to our humane capacitie and the meaning is that we shall have such a full knowledge of God as wee have of him whom wee do see face to face But shall our eyes serve us for no use in heaven Ans Yes with them wee shall behold the glorious Saints and Christ our Judge and Redeemer glorified in his humane nature whom to Acts 3. 13. behold yeelds unconceivable comfort 2. The second is the sight of the minde which in this life is imperfect and only seeth God in his works and word c. by which wee may gather the great love of God towards us in exhibiting himselfe so farre but that perfect sight which the minde shall then have of God is reserved till hereafter when seeing him wee shall be transformed into his image This sight of the minde which properly is called the soule is twofold First Simple as when a man sees a thing absolutely and as it is in it selfe thus God cannot be seen by reason of his Immensity filling all places Secondly Comprehensive namely when a man seeth God so farre forth as hee is capable of the knowledge of him and in this sense wee shall see God perfectly in the world to come and be filled with the fruition of his presence as a vessell may be filled with the water of the sea though it hold not all the water of the sea In this comprehensive manner as the Spouse of Christ is sure that shee seeth him so is shee sure also that shee heareth him for saith shee in the verse preceding the Text Behold the voice of my Beloved shee was a partaker of the first resurrection and so heard his voice which enlivened her John 4. 25. soule and shee was sure that it was his voice indeed and not a strangers their often mutuall conference had given her an exact knowledge thereof As then the true Spouse of Christ can onely rightly discern Christs voice so whosoever hath not plighted his faith to him knowes it not from the voice of a stranger and so may soon be deluded as may appeare by Ahab giving credit to the lying spirit in the mouthes of his false prophets 1 King 22. 22. Object But some may object that saying of Christ No man knoweth the Son but the Father neither Matth. 11. 27. knoweth any man the Father save the Son and hee to whomsoever the Son will reveal him Sol. The words are to be understood comparatively that is as the knowledge of the Son is originally in God the Father and it is by the Fathers revealing of the Son that any come to know the Son that is to beleeve in his Name so the knowledge of the Father is originally in the Son and it must be by the Sonnes revealing of the Father that any can come to know him Excellently therefore saith Chrysostome None know the Chrysost Father with that knowledge with which the Son knoweth him that is fully to obey him and in all things perfectly to conforme to his will which is knowledge unto salvation Of this perfection of knowledge which is solely in Christ the best of Gods children come short in this life 'T is true they know him and see him but here it is weakly and imperfectly as from behinde a wall Or thus As by seeing a piece of coine a man may know whose coine it is by the image and superscription engraven thereon so the Spouse of Christ knoweth whose image is engraven in the heavens and who that is that shewes himselfe in the windowes of the Scriptures and in the grates of Conscience Or thus As by seeing a picture a man may know whom it represents especially if there hath been any former acquaintance so the Church which is Christs Spouse seeing the face of God in the light of the Scriptures and the beauty of the Creatures exactly

their salvation then are they guilty of their own damnation Wouldest thou O man then know whether thou art a childe of God or not know then that there is a conscience First Good yet not quiet and this is in the godly when they are restlesse in themselves for sins as yet unrepented of Thus was it with that kingly Prophet David after his committing of murther and adultery how doth hee in perplexitie of his soul being awakened by the Prophet Nathan cry out that God would according to the multitude Psal 51. 1. of his tender mercies blot out his transgressions c. So also when God had laid his hand heavie upon him how doth hee mourn There is no soundnesse Psal 38. 3 4. in my flesh because of thine anger neither is there any peace in my bones by reason of my sin For mine iniquities are gone over mine head as an heavie burden they are too heavie for mee The sicknesse of his body put him in minde of the sin of his soule that which hee did endure did put him in minde of what hee did deserve which galled his conscience with the remembrance of his particular slips and failings both by omission and commission Secondly There is a conscience quiet yet not good and this is in the wicked as namely when after sin committed their hearts remain still obdurate cauterized senselesse they sleep so soundly in sin that they never feele the sting of conscience wounding them they are so delighted in sin that they never regard when they sin nor how they sin nor against whom they sin nor before whom they sin The shew of their countenance doth Isa 3. 9. testifie against them they declare their sin as Sodom they hide it not therefore wo to their souls for they have rewarded evill unto themselves S. Paul excellently decyphereth them They have their understanding Eph. 4. 18 19. darkned being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them because of the blindnesse of their heart Who being past feeling have given themselves over unto lasciviousnesse to work all uncleannesse with greedinesse Thirdly There is a conscience both good and quiet and this is proper onely to the elect namely when God speaks peace to their soules by assuring them of the free pardon of all their sinnes and the Spirit of God testifies to their spirits that they are the sonnes of God and shall be made partakers of life everlasting in the heavenly Canaan Fourthly There is a conscience neither good nor quiet and this accompanieth onely the reprobate namely when through sense of sin horrour of conscience and Gods wrathfull yet just indignation such a dreadfull trembling seizeth on them that they know not where to betake themselves From this perplexity no incorrigible sinner can exempt himselfe neither Kings nor great Rev. 6. 15. ad finem men nor rich men nor mighty men nor bond nor free men According to these observations examine thou thy selfe and thou shalt easily finde whether thou belongest to God or not And if thy conscience hath wounded thee so that thou canst without any flattery assure thy selfe that thou hast throughly repented thee of all those sins which like Zecharia's talent of lead on the mouth of the ephah Zech. 5. 7 8. pressed thee even to the pit of hell and that thou findest God to be a reconciled God to thee in the face of his Son then is thy condition happy and the brightnesse of Gods countenance hath shined upon thee otherwise if thou wert never sensible of thy sins nor hast yeelded to the checks of conscience then is it an evident signe that if ever thou didst confesse thy sins yet it was but a meer orall confession hypocritically performed and so thy condition is most miserable And now Beloved conceive within your selves what an horrour it is to have an accusing and tormenting conscience alwayes pursuing a sinner nay not onely pursuing him but alwayes harbouring in his brest like an Erynnis quae indagatrix est gravissimorum flagitiorum which is the Inquisitor and hunter out of the grossest crimes to be his bosome companion and yet alwayes pleading guiltie so that the sinner shall not know where to repose himselfe for feare the very shaking of a leafe shall make him to tremble and be at his wits end Such a comrade had that fratricide Cain after hee had spilt his brothers bloud when he said Behold thou hast driven mee out this day from the face Gen. 4. 14. of the earth and from thy face shall I be hid and I shall be a fugitive and a vagabond in the earth and it shall come to passe that every one that findeth mee shall slay mee The sting of death is sin saith Saint Paul yea and the sting of conscience is sin also which so overwhelms some with an horrible dread that they flee when none pursueth It is the nature of sin to Pro. 28. 1. pursue the sinner and a wounded conscience who can Prov. 18. 4. beare Moses told the Israelites that they should be sure that if they sinned against the Lord their sin would finde them out and Evill pursueth the sinner Numb 32. 23 Pro. 13. 21. saith Solomon Now although God speaketh thus to the conscience of the wicked yea although the sting of conscience doth as it were make their ears to tingle 1 Sam. 3. 11. 2 King 21. 12. as the Lord speaks although it awakens them by sounding an alarm of Gods judgements in their ears yet veternum excutere nolunt they will not be roused from their sottishnesse but with Solomons fool A little more sleep a little more slumber Pro. 6. 10. a little longer basking in sin till at last that grim sergeant Death arrests them and layes them in the prison of the grave there to remain till the great and generall Assizes This evidently appeares in that they labour to quiet and appease the gnawings of this worm of conscience then whose bite nothing smarts more then whose sting nothing galls more and then whose torment nothing frets more and yet they fain would hush and still it that it may not affright and appall them But conscience will not be corrupted but as shee keeps a true register of all sins so shee gives in a true evidence against all sinnes Doe the wicked what they can God hath said that their worm shall never die and that no peace shall Mark 9. 44. Isa 57. 20. be to the wicked but they shall be like the raging sea whose waters cast up mire and dirt Adde to these inward torments of the conscience those outward plagues by which God shall Psal 2. 5. vexe them in his sore displeasure and by which at last they shall be enforced to confesse him just whom willingly they would not acknowledge to be at all Wherefore Beloved labour to gain a quiet yet a tender conscience which as it is a continuall feast so it is a