Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n
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A74623
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A discovery of the new creation. In a sermon preached at the head-quarters at Putney Sept. 29. 1647. By Thomas Collier.
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Collier, Thomas, fl. 1691.
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1647
(1647)
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Wing C5278; Thomason E1187_6; ESTC R208247
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16,137
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44
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2 Pet. 3. 13. Isa 66. 22. Querie Wherein doth the glory of this new heaven consist more then ordinary Answ First in the abundance of knowledge Isa 11. 9. The knowledge of God shall cover the face of the earth as the waters cover the sea you may reade from ver 6. That the Lion and the Lamb c. shall lie down together I shall declare by the way what I understand to be the truth intended not that I limit it from any farther truth that any may see in it 1. There are all these things within us in that old Creation the Lion and the Woolf c. which opposes and prevents the Saints joy and spirituall enjoyment of God now these shall be so over-powred by the glorious appearances of light that they shall no more hurt or destroy the Saints peace in their holy mountain their enjoyment of God in the Spirit which is the Saints mountain for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of God the glorious appearings of light in the spirits of Christians will so cover that earth which is within them that they shall be in a great measure freed from those corruptions those distractions which formerly were prevalent in them 2. God will take away the nature of wicked men that although they remain Wolves Lions and brutes still yet they shall not hurt nor destroy in all the holy mountain of God that is the Church and that through the abundance of light that shall be communicated even unto naturall men for the earth that is earthly men must give glory to the God of heaven so Hab. 2. 14. The knowledge of the Lord shall cover the face of the earth as the waters cover the sea for the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of God there shall not be only the knowledge of God that there is a God but the knowledge of his glory shall be much more abundantly manifested And the truth is that herein lyeth one principall part of the glory of this new Creation in the knowledge of God As ignorance is the grand cause of so much corruption so many mistakes in the things of God for alwaies the will and affection follows the understanding whether inlightned or blinded so it is the knowledg of God the breakings forth of light in the spirit that delivers souls from that corruption and darknesse This truth Paul manifests in his prayer for the Ephesians Chap. 1. 17 18. in his desire for himself Phil. 3. 10. That I might know him c. Querie Wherein shall the knowledge of the Saints increase Answ Amongst many I shall instance in these particulars following First In the knowledge of the mysterie of God and that as he is in them for God is a mysterie Col. 2. 2. And it is by the appearance of God in us we come to know God who is a mysterie The truth is that we have had and still have low and carnall thoughts of God judging him to be a God afar off and not a God nigh at hand this is that Antichrist which denies Christ to be come in the flesh this is that mysterie of which we are exceeding ignorant God manifest in the flesh 1 Tim. 3 16. we have had very narrow apprehensions of Christ and the manifestation of the glory of Christ limitting it to that one man when the truth is that Christ and all the Saints makes up but one Christ 1 Cor. 12. 12. And God as truly manifests himself in the flesh of all his as he did in Christ although the measure of that manifestation is different This is a mysterie which God is revealing in the spirits of his people and is indeed the glory of this new Creation this being in some measure manifested in the spirits of christians produceth in the second place Secondly A knowledge of their spirituall liberty in Christ 1. Spirituall liberty and justification from all spirituall enemies sin law condemnation whatever opposes the souls peace in this new heaven it s all done away Ioh. 8. 36. If the Son shal make you free then you are free indeed Saints shall now come to see that they are free indeed by Christ Acts 13. 39 By him all that beleeve are justified from all things from which they could not be justified by the Law of Moses Gal. 5. 1. Thus Saints shall know their liberty and stand fast in it too For the Inhabitant shall not say I am sick they that dwell therein shall be forgiven their iniquity Isai 33. last That is they shall live in the knowledge of their liberty from sin although formerly through ignorance we have not so much looked after it This hath been accounted the highest measure of Christianity to see our selves justified to injoy the full assurance of justification by Christ a desire of Faith was a high measure of Faith and well if the soul get assurance while it hath a beeing in this body and thus many a pretious soul hath lived low under legall bondage through ignorance whereas justification from sin by Christ is the first step in Christianity and that which gives us the denomination of children 1 Iohn 2. 11 12. I write unto you little children because your sins are forgiven you for his names sake Persons injoying the forgivenesse of sin are but little children babes in the school of Christ Now this liberty from sin is that the Saints shall live fully in the knowledge of it as likewise in the knowledge of their liberty from legall bondage and so from legall actings Rom. 1. 2. which I passe in this place 2. In the knowledge of their liberty from men 1 Corinthians 7. 23. Ye are bought with a price be ye not the servants of men That is not to be subject to men in the things of God in matters of conscience that belongs only to God himself it is his proper peculiar right to rule in the spirits of his people although its true that there hath been and still is through ignorance a principle in man not only to usurp authority to rule in and over the conscience of others but a principle in us also out of conscience to submit to man in such cases now God is discovering and likewise delivering his people from this spirituall bondage unto men in the things of God and that from the knowledge of their liberty in the spirit 3. There is a liberty in knowledge 1 Ioh. 2. 20. Ye have an Vnction from the holy one and ye know all things that is all things that the Spirit makes known They are not tyed to other mens approbation but walk in that light the Spirit makes known in them see 1 Cor. 2. 15. Secondly The glory of this new Creation consists in the Saints knowledge of their peace and union with God First Peace and that first peace with God this is injoyed by faith Ephes 2. 13. Rom. 5. 1. Being justified by faith we have peace with God Every man naturally is at a distance
times Col. 3. 16. Teaching and admonishing one another in Psalms and Hymnes and spirituall songs And truly when we come into these new heavens we shall then know what it is thus to teach one another Thus amongst many have I branched forth these few particulars wherein the nature and glory of this new heaven consists Vse 1. As to discover the ignorance of those who would retain men still in the old heavens under carnall and fleshly forms so 2. To incourage Saints who have yet but low apprehensions of this glory to presse forwards as Paul Phil. 3. forgetting those things which are behinde pressing forward to the mark that is the perfection of Christ who is the mark the prize run for It is a low and carnall principle for to set men a looking back after what once the soul injoyed not that I shall deny but that God may communicate comfort to souls in this low condition but that this is the temper of a Gospel spirit inlightned in the mysterie of truth to see the greatest glory to be before and that darknesse which is behinde and so it forgets that which is past from the glory of that which is before truly a soul taught of God in this spirituall mysterie of the new Creation cannot rest it self satisfied that is so satisfied as not to presse forward short of glory of that perfection which he sees in Christ this is the end of all Gospel ministrations thereby to work up souls into that unity of faith and knowledge of the son of God God working in it it shall be accomplished 2. To speak more externally by new heavens I understand to be meant a new Church estate and that in opposition unto the old it s said to be new First in respect of matter or members The old heavens were all carnall and prophane creatures people for the most part without the knowledge of God such was the matter of the carnall Church but the matter of this spirituall Church this new heavens shall be the Saints such as are all taught of God Thy children shall be all righteousnesse Isa 60. 21. Rev. 21. ult 2. New in opposition to the old manners and old conversation The members of the old Church were perhaps ignorant prophane having a form of godlinesse without the power of it but the members of this new heaven shall so walk with God as to honour his name God will so gloriously appear in them as that the world shal be convinced by their godly conversation The remnant that are left shall do no iniquity c. 3. They shall be new in respect of form compacted together by the Spirit not literall forms and ordinances The old heaven or Church-constitution hath been formed up with externall compactings the wisdom and power of the flesh knit together by things without them not by the bands of the Spirit the principle and power of love which is an everlasting band which will occasion Saints communion to be sweet and spirituall 4. They shall be new in respect of ministery not in the Letter but in the Spirit not fetcht out of the bottomlesse pit of creature-wisdom and humane abilities but the single ministration of the Spirit pray in the Spirit preach and prophesie in the Spirit praise in the Spirit that is in the wisdom and power of that law in the Spirit which will deliver Saints from fleshly actings into the glorious liberty of spirituall actings that they shall no more act from a legall principle to a law without them but from a principle of light life liberty and power within them Thus God will create a new heaven a new Church estate in the Spirit which will produce spirituall communion spirituall joy and gladnesse amongst the Saints who live in this light and glory This that mentioned Zac. 4. 2. The candlestick all of gold which notes unto us the purity of the Church not only in their comming forth of litterall Babylon but principally of our comming forth of mysticall Babylon in these latter dayes so likewise the woman cloathed with the sun Rev. 12. having the moon under her feet that is the Church cloathed with Christ the sun of righteousnesse But unto you that fear my name shall the sun of righteousnesse arise with healing in his wings Mal. 4. with the Moon under her feet all things be low and short of Christ under feet low in esteem with the spirituall soul shee being with childe travailing pained to be delivered that is to bring forth Christ in the spirit This informs us of the vanity and ignorance of those who seek so much to keep up the old Heavens the old Church for matter and Members that will turn the world into Church by a human power they are those that must be spiritually slain Isa 65. 11 12. But ye are they that forsake the Lrod and forget my holy mountain that prepare a table for the troop and furnish a drinke offering unto that number therefore I will number you to the sword and ye shall all bow down to the slaughter c. Here is the vanity of such persons that seek to uphold forms fleshly actings and fleshly compactings the old Ministery fetcht out of humane abilities the wisdome of the flesh limiting the spirit to those humane qualifications where he appears least all these both persons and things must bow down to the slaughter Now I come to the second part of my text and a new earth in this new Creation there is not only new heavens but a new earth What this new earth is it 's to be looked upon either more mystically or more litterally as the new heavens 1. Mystically there is an earth in the heart of every man nay of every christian flesh and fleshly corruptions fleshly conclusions which prevents the joy of Saints now the Lord will make a new earth he will subject that old earth that is in his Saints that it shall not so prevail in them he will be a fire in them Mal. 3. 3. burning up and consuming this old earth and flesh O beloved there is much ignorance even amongst Christians of Christs appearing powerfully within as a fire to burn up and consume the deeds of darknesse this is that Iohn mindes when he saith he shall baptize you with the holy Spirit and with fire and Christ himself I am come to set fire in the earth and what will ye if it be already kindled truly friends it is the work of Christ to set fire in the earth that is that earth which is within you as well as without you 1. There shall not be such earthly actings actings after the flesh either the lusts of the flesh or the righteousnesse of the flesh 2. There shall not be such earthly distractings which flowe from those corrupt motions and actings but this earth being covered with the knowledge of the glory of God and delivered from this earthlinesse and fleshlinesse into the glorious liberty of the sons of God shall act to God