Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	know_v	receive_v	world_n	7,869	5	5.0949	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A56727	A brief vindication of free grace ... relating to several positions asserted by M. John Goodwin in his late book entituled, Redemption redeem'd, and in his former treatise of justification : delivered in a sermon before the Right Honourable, the Lord Mayor and aldermen of the city of London, at Pauls, May 30, 1652 / by John Pawson ...	Pawson, John, 1619 or 20-1654?	1652 (1652)	Wing P880; ESTC R13411	24,080	30

who have only the spirit of the world and worldly wisdom ver 6. 8. but says Paul we have received the spirit of God that we might know them and we also speak them compareing one spiritual thing with another though the natural man is not capable of them as having not the Spirit 3. By the incapacity here mentioned is not understood only a present actuall incapacity through want of diligent use of means but an utter incapacity through want of a principle spiritual things are not discern'd but spiritually 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vi solius spiritus non vi 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Beza expounds it the spirit is requisite to the discerning of spiritual things and therefore the natural man having not the spirit as Jude speaks wants that very principle whereby he should discerne them 1. Let grace have its due acknowledgment by attributing that to App. 1. it which the scripture termes making us to differ who maketh thee to differ says Paul 1 Cor. 4. 7. Let the answer be not I but the grace of God which is in me by the grace of God I am what I am Let this be fully granted with the clear consequences therof we desire no more But to say that * grace is the restauration or healing of the natural condition of Idem preface p. 14 20. man in general through Christ as if every man was born sound and able till he corrupt himself afterward with the lusts of the flesh and ways of the world this does not make grace to difference one man from another Not is it enough to say that not one of a thousand but does so corrupt himself that without a second relief from the grace of God he never comes to believe for this seems to imply a power though rarely or never exerted into act Whereas there is not one man in the world îf it were possible for him nor so to corrupt himself that hath so much as power to believe without regenerating grace Which grace is not a restauration of the natural condition of men through Christ whereby they are heal'd till they corrupt themselves Neither is it a second relief answerable to and removing such a self corruption neither is it a put ing men into a capacity of believing by vouchsafeing outward means or holding so than object to be believed in which some perhaps may term a power to believe subtilly though improperly neither is it only an irresistable acting upon he understanding by way of illumination neither lastly will all these laid together with an actual assistance in order to believing come up to that which is indeed and in truth discriminating and disterencing grace Differencing grace is an incorruptible seed put into some not others whereby they are made new Creatures a divine spiritual principle running thorow every faculty by which they are inabled and without which they were unable to put forth spiritual acts of saving import ti true indeed it is not God or the grace of God but man who believe who is the subject of such spiritual acts having his own natural faculties ingaged in them but yet man does not put forth those spiritual act by his own natural faculties natural but as spiritually inabled by this supervenient principle of grace And upon this accompt we are norto attribute the differencing of us to any-thing of our selves but to this free grace of God it was one part of God's great designe to carry on the work of salvation in such a way that the creature might have no ground to glory in himself but all the wit of man cannot avoid it but that we may glory in our selves if there be not such a peculiar differencing grace Take heed of crying down the doctrine of peculiar free graee as harsh for to the Appl. 2. people of God none more sweet No doctrine does more indear Christ to the soul and ingage the soul to Christ then this of free grace in all the branches of it Acts of common love or civility amongst men doe nor lay such a great obligation as acts of peculiar love when we pitch favours upon particular persons these have alwaies the deepest imprestion came the heart yest returns That the lot of free grace electing should fall upon me I mean it only by way of allusion let none take advan that expression that Christ should love me and give himself for me that the spirit of God should call and cull our me an I quicken me says a Saint this meits the heart Upon such a consideratio Paul how 's his knee to the master of the families of heaven and earth Eph. 9 14 and at v 18. prays that the saints may be able 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to overtake the love of God in it i. e. in some measure to wake up to it and go along with it with a love answerable to it Oh that those who are so ready to undertake the defence of mans free will would rather endeavour in the Apostles sense to 〈◊〉 the love of God towards them FINIS

not Peter as a Believer or as a righteous person for such an election would not have been an election of grace but an election of justice Eph. 1. 4. We are said to be chosen before the foundation of the world Therefore God does not stay to see what we will prove before he chuse us If he chose us so soon his election rather makes us holy then finds us holy and this is clear from the next words He hath chosen us before the foundation of the world that we should be holy If he chose us that we should be holy then he did not chuse us as holy There is no such phrase in Scripture that God elected us as believers or in case we believe and therefore to say that * election is only the standing good pleasure Idem page 62. and purpose of God to give life to all those that believe is gratis dictum nor is it true for though there be such a purpose in God yet this is not that purpose which the Scripture calls election Election always carries salvation along with it Rom. 8. 30. Whom he predestinated and consequently whom he elected them be also calleth and justifieth and will glorify But now notwithstanding such a purpose to save whoever believes all might perish therefore such a purpose is not that which Scripture means by predestination and election for such a purpose might stand and yet God have no people Christ be a head without a body a King without Subjects Some affirme that * election is not an act of God that is pass'd Idem page 62. but that when God prevails by his word and spirit with men in time to believe then he is said to have erected them But this is flat contrary to the Apostle for Eph. 1. 4. the Saints at Ephesus were elected before the foundation of the world and yet ver 13. they believed not till after they heard the word of truth This seems to overthrow what some build upon as a foundation viz. that * no act of God is before any act of the Creature in Idem p. 53. respect of time If by time be meant duration as surely must that saying is void of truth for the act of God electing was before the foundation of the world and the act of the Ephesians believing was not till after they heard the word of truth therefore one apparently before the other in respect of duration Whereas 't is said that * God acteth but once for all and that Idem p. 58. * God by one act produceth all things t is true in some sense Idem p. 60. that God by one act does all things but yet if we will speak after the manner of men and so as to be understood we must say that this one act in God is diversifyed and multiplyed in the creature according to the objects upon which 't is terminated Who knows not but that in some sense whatever God did heretofore does now or will do hereafter is but one continued act as in God because 't is himself who is but one and done in eternity which is duratio tota simul But yet though it be but one single act quoad esse notwithstanding 't is diversifyed and multiplyed quoad ●erminar● though all the acts of God are the same as subjectively in God yet as they are objectively put forth upon the Creatures so they are different and one before another We cannot truly say that God created the world and burn'd down Sodom and Gomorrah both at once they were different acts as from God and one done before the other 'T is clear enough that some of God's acts are before others and much clearer that some acts of God are before some acts of the creature Did not God make Adam before that Cain whom Adam begot slew his brother To say that no act of God is before any act of the Creature is new Metaphysicks and thereupon to say that God's electing is not before our believing is new divinity both contrary to the Apostle who says that the Saints at Ephesus were chosen before the foundation of the world and yet believed not till after they heard the word of truth Gods grace and love was on worke in electing Peter before either Peter or the world was * nor does it follow that when Idem p. 63. Peter came into the world and liv'd in a sinfull estate before his conversion that then God must have chang'd his affection and take off his love from him till after his conversion for God lov'd Peter before his conversion even while he was in a sinful estate though not with a love of well-likeing in him yet with a love of wellwilling to him Peter after his conversion lov'd God but God lov'd Peter before Peter lov'd him 1 Iohn 4. 19. We love him because he first loved us God loves us first he begins to us in point of love therefore he loves us before our conversion for after our conversion we love him 'T is true the scripture says God hates all workers of iniquity and such are all elect persons before conversion but yet though he hate them as workers of iniquity i. e. takes no pleasure in them yet he loves them as elect persons i. e. beares a good will to them Nor is it any contradiction in this sense for the same person to love and hate the same man at the same time upon a several accompt as a father may hate a son as he is unruly and undutifull and yet at the same time bear a good will to him as he is his own flesh and blood and one who he hopes may be reclaimed hereafter even so may God hate an elect person as he is a worker of iniquity before conversion and yet at the same time bear a love of good-will to him as he is a chosen vessel and one who he knows will be converted and come in hereafter In Ezek. 13. 18. God is said to have poured out his fury upon the Israelites this was an argument of hatred and yet while he was doing so he is said to have pittyed them ver 21. and this was an argument that he bare love and good will to them as they shed blood in the land and poluted it with Idols so he hated them and powred out his fury upon them ver 18. but yet Israel was his own peculiar people and upon that account he bare such good will to them as that he promises ver 25 26. to cleuse them from their filthiness and from their Idols and to give them new hearts and new Spirits Which argues that though at present he took no likeing nor pleasure in them yet even then he bare good-will and intended good to them God may bear love and intend good to those whom at present he hates as workers of iniquity and thus it is in the case of every elect person before conversion God loves us before our conversion yea before the foundation of

such a principle into us 1 Pet. 1. 23. We are said to be born again of incorruptible seed by the word of God which liveth and abideth for ever In our regeneration there is an incorruptible seed put into us of which the new creature is bred and born within us which seed is not * the word of God for we are said to Idem Redempt Red p. 199. be born of the seed by the word But by the seed is meant a divine principle wrought by God in the heart and soul through the ministration of the word which liveth and abideth for ever i. e. not which word but which seed or principle liveth and abideth in us for ever as appears by the placing of the comma's and as the word incorruptible imports That this is no forced interpretation but the proper meaning will appear from a parallel Text 1 Joh. 3. 9. Whosoever is born of God his seed remaineth in him By seed is confessedly understood a divine principle wrought in us and it is this seed that remaineth saith this latter Text but how long remains it That the former Text speaks home to not only for a season as some would interpret it * but it liveth and Idem Ibiden abideth for ever This is a strong argument for perseverance which some endeavouring to answer have only knock'd one part of the Text against another and left the main thing against them untouched But to return till we be thus regenerated and quickned we are of our selves dead in every faculty not only in our wills and affections but even in our understandings as to things of spiritual concernment The Intellectual frame of the soul of man was by the sin and fall of Adam wholly dissolv'd and shatter'd and brought into as great a confusion of ignorance and darkness as can be imagined Now if so from hence I infer these two conclusions 1. Every man continues in this state till he be made a new creature by regeneration God by Christ hath not so heal'd this natural condition of mankind that every one even before generation is reinvested with ability to apprehend discern and subscribe to the things of God Christ hath not purchased any such general vouchsafement to all the children of men nor is any such grace given to the world in general upon the account of Christ as is presumed not yet proved the contrary appears for till we be regenerate there is nothing in us but the old man and that old man is in the old state of darkness fore-mentioned there must be a renewing the spirit of our minds now they only are renewed in the spirit of their minds who have put on the new man Eph. 4. 23 24. it is the new man who is renewed in knowledge Col. 3. 10. As touching that Text Joh. 1. 9. where Christ is said to be that light which lighteth every man coming into the world there is difference twixt lighting and enlightning one respecting the object and medium the other respecting the faculty if that Scripture prove that Christ lighteth all i. e. holds forth in the Gospel sufficient outward light to see by yet it proves not that he inwardly enlightens all with a principle to see with The Sun is the light of the material world yet they upon whom Nature hath not bestowed sight cannot see for all that The Sun sends out its light into the world far and near yet the man who is born blinde abides in darkness till his eyes be opened I am come a light into the world says Christ Joh. 12. 46. yet it is implyed in the next words that every unbeliever abides in darkness now we are all unbelievers till regenerate and therefore till then abide in darkness though under the very Tropicks of Gospel light yet we discern it not till God give us an ey of faith i. e. till he do that for us which the Scriture calls enlightning the eyes of our understanding Eph. 1. 18. till then though the light shine yet it shines in darkness and the darkness comprehends it not Some by darkness in this and all other like texts will needs understand * Re. Re. preface P 14. p. 20. not a natural but only a contracted blindness not born with us Idem in preface p. 12 but which some or it may be the most wilfully bring upon themselves And therefore I add 2. Not only such unregenerate persons who have darkned their own minds by loose and sensual converse and conversation prepossessing themselves with erroneous apprehensions but even the choysest of the unregenerate those who are in their purest naturals they are in darknes as to the saying apprehension of spiritual things for till they be born again or quickned they are dead which deadness being universal runs thorow every faculty and imports not only a lameness but an utter inability in the understanding as well as other faculties The mouth of that Text is not yet stopt 1 Cor. 2. 14. The natural man is not capable of the things of God nor can he know them because they are spiritually discerned the original word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the souly man i. e. the man who hath no other principles but those connatural to his soul no principles super-infused from the spirit such a souly man cannot understand the things of the spirit of God because being things of the spirit they are only spiritually discerned i. e. by the Spirit which he that is only a souly man wants I shall offer 3. things towards further clearing this Text. 1. By the Natural man here is not meant * the weak Christian Idem in preface p. 13. the babe in Christ spoken of in the next chapter for 't is said the things of God are foolishnes to him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which comes of the Hebrew word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to rebel Now the things of God are not foolishnes to a weak Christian much less does his heart rebel against them as the word seems to import besides the very word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 does properly signifie a man without the spirit so S. Jude defines sin ver 19. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 our translation renders it sensual but 't is the same word with this in the text natural having not the spirit We find the same used again James 3. 15. this wisdom is earthly natural divelish in both these places the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 speaks an unregenerate condition and I cannot meet the word again in all the new testament save only in 1 Cor. 15 where the Apostle distinguishes twixt natural and glorifyed bodies 2. It does not at all appear that by the things of God here spoken of are meant only high and deep mysteries speculations but rather the substantial doctrines of the Gospel which the Apostle calls the knowledge of Jesus Christ and him crucifyed ver 2. the things given to us of God ver 12. which are hidden and deep in respect of those