Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	law_n	righteousness_n	sin_n	6,923	5	5.3573	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A54035	The flesh & blood of Christ, both in the mystery and in the outward briefly, plainly, and uprightly acknowledged and testified to, for the satisfaction and benefit of the tender-hearted, who desire to experience the quickning, healing, and cleansing vertue of it : with A brief account concerning the people called Quakers in reference both to principle and doctrine : whereunto are added some few other things which by the blessing of God may be experimentally found useful to the true pilgrim and faithful travellers out of the nature & spirit of this world / written in true love and tenderness of spirit by Isaac Penington.	Penington, Isaac, 1616-1679.; Hicks, Thomas, 17th cent. Continuation of the dialogue between a Christian and a Quaker.	1675 (1675)	Wing P1168; ESTC R7890	24,794	63

being turned and to cause it to spring in me day by day and to give me ability through it Ah none knows but they who have had experience how we have been weakned in the natural part how poor we have been made that we might receive the Gospel and how poor in our selves we are kept that we might enjoy the riches and inheritance of the Kingdom And this we daily experience that not by the works of Righteousness which we had done but according to his mercy he saved us and doth daily save us by the washing of regeneration and the renewing of the holy Ghost yea Gods writing his Law in our hearts and placing his fear there and putting his spirit within us to enlighten and quicken and cause us to walk in his wayes and to keep his statutes and judgments and do them and all the mortifying of sin and denying of the lusts of the flesh and performing that which is holy and acceptable in the eyes of the Lord as all that proceeds from his own holy spirit is all this is of the new Covenant and performed by the working thereof and not by the working of the natural part of it self but by the working of the spirit of life in the new Birth and through the natural part as his instrument So let none reproach the works that God brings forth in us who hath created us a new in Christ Jesus unto good works lest thereby he reproach the holy Spirit and power of the living God in which they are wrought and by which they are brought forth and could never be brought forth without it Then for our sufferings indeed they are gifts we receive from God so that we can truly say it is given us by the Lord our God not only to believe in his Son but to suffer for his sake and that it is only in good Conscience to God and by the assistance of the Lord that we suffer and that the patience and meekness wherewith we suffer is not of our selves but of him When ever the Lord permits afflictions or sufferings to come upon us our eye is to him and we enter into them in his fear knowing our own inability to go through them and looking up to him for strength And when we are in them while they continue we daily look up to him for strength and have been many times very weak in our selves when immediatly or very soon after we have felt great strength in the Lord. Also after our sufferings when the Lord hath been with us all along and brought us through our sufferings in the peace and joy of his Spirit we do not look back boastingly as if we had been any thing or done any thing as of our selves but we bow before the Lord and bless the Lord when we consider how he hath been with us and how he hath upheld us by the right hand of his Righteousness and what he hath done for us when we were very poor weak afflicted and often sorely distressed Therefore let none Reproach mis-represent or vilifie our sufferings which our God hath helped us through and for which we in humility of heart give him thanks and cannot but do so all our days because the thankful remembrance and sense of them is written by the finger of his Spirit upon our hearts O all sorts of People whom we love and travel for and use our interest in the Lord our God for that ye might be truly sensible of your conditions know the inward appearance and visits of the Shepherd and Saviour of the Soul turn to him looking in true faith unto him and be saved I say unto you in tenderness of Spirit O do not requite us so ill for our love and truth of heart towards you as to cast untrue and unjust Reproaches upon us and to render that truth vile which God has made honourable in sanctifying and redeeming many thereby Truly our love is from the God of love We could not so love you as we do if our God had not taught us nor so seek after you as we do in tenderness of Bowels if we were not instruments in the hand of the Shepherd of Israel And the light we testifie of which we feel shine in us it is no less then the true sure light of the Sun of Righteousness which God hath caused to shine in our hearts who also loveth mankind and causeth it to glance into the darkest Corners of the Earth And the life we are quickned by out of Sin and Transgression and the power we have received to become Sons of God it is from him who is the fountain of life and hath all power in Heaven and Earth O that ye could receive the blessed report O that the Arm of the Lord might be revealed in you O that ye could feel and witness the Saviour working out your Salvation in you binding the strong man in you casting him out of you with all his goods after him that the place of the wicked one might be found no more in you nor none of his lusts or vain thoughts lodge in your hearts any more but ye might witness and experience the new heart the clean heart the pure heart in which God dwells and the eye that sees him that is invisible O glory to the Lord for what he hath done in and for a despised People who were no People before the Lord made them one who hath brought them to Sion his holy Mountain where he dwells and reigns and where he builds up his own house and Temple which he establisheth over all where the Sheep of Israel seed and where the Shepherd of Israel Reigns and Triumphs in glory over the enemies of his Kingdom The little innocent Babes tast somewhat of his holy Dominion and Power and of his Kingdom of Peace and Righteousness but in his ancients his light shines very brightly and before them he reigneth gloriously so that he is praised in the very heights of Sion and his name renowned there over all for ever Glory glory to the pure spring of life from whence the living streams come which refresh the Souls of the living Surely his pure praises shall be sounded in the hearts of the living for ever and ever Amen AN EXHORTATION To true Christianity It is easie to pretend to Christ but to be a true Christian is very pretious and many Tribulations and deep Afflictions are to be passed thorow before it be attained unto as those that are made so by the Lord experience NOw everlasting Happiness and Salvation depends upon true Christianity Not upon having the name of a Christian only or professing such or such Christian Doctrines but upon having the Nature of Christianity upon being renewed by the Spirit of Christ and receiving the Spirit and walking in the Spirit and bringing forth the fruits of the Spirit Oh here is the Christian indeed and it should be every ones care not to fall short of this Now because there is such a

are builders and many are built up very high in Religion in a way of notion and practise without acquaintance with the Rock of Ages without the true knowledge and understanding of the foundation and corner-Stone My meaning is they have a notion of Christ to be the Rock a notion of him to be the foundation-stone but never come livingly to feel him the Rock to feel him the foundation-stone inwardly laid in their hearts and themselves made living stones in him and built upon him the main and fundamental stone Where is this to be felt but within And they that feel this within do they not feel Christ within And can any that feel him within deny him to be within the strength of life the hope of glory Well it is true once again spiritually now as well as formerly literally The stone which the builders refused Christ within the builders of this age refuse is become the head of the Corner who knits together his sanctified body his living body the Church in this our day more gloriously than in former Ages and Generations blessed be the name of our God Fourthly The mystery the hidden life the appearance of Christ in spirit comprehends the other and the other is not lost or denyed but found in it and there discerned and acknowledged more clearly and abundantly It was to be after it and comprehends that which went before it Paul did not lose any thing of the excellent knowledge of Christ when he said Hence forth know we no more after the flesh yea though we have known Christ after the flesh yet henceforth know we him no more If he did not know Christ after the flesh how did he know him Why as the Father inwardly revealed him He knew him in his spirit and power He knew his death inwardly he knew his Resurrection inwardly he knew the spirit the vertue the life the power of it inwardly He knew the thing in the mystery in his own heart O pretious knowledge O the excellency of this knowledge of my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ what is the outwardly most exact litteral knowledge without this But what then do I now deny or slight the outward No I have it here and I have the inward feeling of the spirit of life how it dwelt in him how it wrought in him and of what wonderful value all his actions and obedience were in and through the vertue of this spirit Was Abrahams offering his Son so pretious in Gods eye O then what is this Never was such a body so sanctified so prepared never such a Sacrifice offered O the infinite worth and value of it For by the inward life and teachings of Gods spirit am I taught and made able to value that glorious outward appearance and manifestation of the life and power of God in that Heavenly flesh as in my heart I have often called it for the life so dwelt in it that it was even one with it Yet still it was a vail and the mystery was the thing and the eye of life looks through the vail into the mystery and passes through it as I may say as to the outward that it may behold its glory in the inward And here the flesh of Christ the vail is not lost but is found and known in its glory in the inward Be not offended at me O tender hearted Reader for I write in love things true according to the inward feeling and demonstration of Gods spirit though not easie perhaps to be understood at present by thee but in due time the Lord can make them manifest to thee if thou in uprightness and tenderness of heart and in the silence of the fleshly part wait upon him A few WORDS Concerning the way of PEACE The way of Peace they have not known Rom. 3.17 THere is a way of Peace of true Peace with God who is an Adversary to all that is unholy and unrighteous Those who have been unholy and unrighteous who have been awakened troubled and could find no rest but the severe and righteous judgments and wrath of the Lord lying upon their Spirits night and day having at length had their ears opened by him and being led by him out of the unholy and unrighteous way into the holy and righteous way have felt both Life and Peace therein Now there are two sorts which the Apostle here mentions or two states which the Apostle here speaks of which have not known nor can know the way of Peace with God who is an Adversary to them both and will one day speak trouble to them both when their Souls and Consciences come to be searched and judged by him The one is the Prophane or Gentile-state which is without the sense of God not heeding any appearance of his or any inward voice of his Spirit or the writing of his Law upon their heart These never knew the way wherein the heart is inwardly and spiritually circumcised and renewed sin forgiven and Peace obtained The other is the professing or outward Jewes-state who may study the Letter and apply themselves to conform outwardly to the Letter but never were acquainted with the inward spirit and power These greatly differ from the Gentile or Prophane-state both in outward appearance and in their own eye but are the same in the ground with the Gentiles and know no more of the way of Peace than the other do Quest But what is the way of Peace which neither the Prophane nor any sort of Professors out of the life and power ever knew or can know Answ It is an inward way away for the inward Jews for the inwardly renewed and circumcised to walk in It is an holy or sanctified way for the sanctified ones to walk in It is a living way which none but the living can find It is a new way which none but those to whom God hath given the new eye can see It is a way that God prepares and casts up and leads mens spirits into who hearken unto him and guides the feet of his Saints in It is a strait and narrow way which no lust of the flesh nor wisdom of the flesh can find out or enter into O how little how low how poor how empty how naked must he be that enters into this way and walks therein Many may seek after it and may think to find it and walk in it but few shall be able as our Lord Christ said Here circumcision outward avails not here want of that circumcision hinders not here bodily exercise profits little The new Creature is all here the cross of Christ is all here the power of God is all here and he that walks according to this rule Peace is upon him and the whole Israel of God But he that knows not this rule nor walks according to this rule Peace is not upon him nor is he one of the inward Israel of God who receive power to become Sons who receive the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus

putting on Christ the Flesh and Blood of Christ c. is very plain to him that reads singly But to make it manifest particularly concerning the Flesh and Blood of Christ I shall recite one Query it is the 33. Query page 29. The Query is thus Is not the true Church Flesh of Christs Flesh and Bone of his Bone Is not the false or Antichristian Church Flesh of Antichrists Flesh and Bone of Antichrists Bone What is the Flesh of the spiritual Whore which is to be stripped naked and burnt with fire Shall ever the Church which is of Christs Flesh be stripped naked and burnt with fire Nay doth not his Flesh make able to abide the devouring fire and to dwell with the everlasting burnings Can this possibly be understood of outward Flesh and Bone is it not manifestly intended of Flesh and Bone in the Mystery yea that I did relate to the Mystery in that very Query out of which he takes the four first words and no more is very manifest by the following words of the same Query It is the 17. Query page 25. The Query runs thus Can outward Blood cleanse the Conscience ye that are spiritual consider can outward water wash the Soul clean ye that have ever felt the Blood of sprinkling from the Lord upon your Consciences and your Consciences cleansed thereby did ye ever feel it to be outward It is one thing what a man apprehends in the way of notion from the letter concerning the things of God and another thing what a man feels in spirit Is it not manifest by the express words themselves that I spake of the inward feeling of the Blood in the mystery Fourthly This Query Can outward Blood cleanse the Conscience c. doth not necessarily nor indeed at all infer that the Blood of Christ as to the outward was but a common thing or useless If I had been to answer this Query my self he doth not know what my answer would have been It was put to Professors to answer inwardly in their hearts who I did believe upon serious consideration could not but confess in way of answer thereto that outward Blood it self or of it self could not cleanse and purge away the filth that was inward but that must be done by that which is inward living and spiritual Then hereby they had been brought to see the necessity of the mystery the spirit the power the life of the Son to be inwardly revealed in them and then had I obtained my end Nor was I their enemy in desiring or aiming at this for them or in setting Queries before them which to my eye as in the sight of God seemed proper and conducible in themselves however they might fail as to them towards the obtaining of this end And if they could once come to this to own the Flesh and Blood in the mystery and so come to partake of its cleansing and nourishing vertue and not fix and appropriate that to the outward which chiefly belongs to the mystery I say if they could but go thus far with me in owning the inward life and power in the sensible feeling and operation thereof I could meet them a great way in speaking glorious things of and attributing a cleansing or washing vertue to the outward in and through and with the inward For I do not separate the inward and outward in my own mind but the Lord opened my heart and taught me thus to distinguish according to the Scriptures in love to them and for their sakes For that was not my intent to deny the outward or make it appear as a common or useless thing There was never such a sense in my heart nor was ever word written or spoken by me to that end which to make more manifest I shall now plainly open my heart how it hath been and is still with me in this respect since it pleased the God and Father of mercies to reveal the mystery of himself and of his Son in me In the first place I freely confess that I do own and acknowledge as in Gods sight Our Lord Iesus Christ his Flesh Blood in the mystery The Apostle Paul speaks of the mystery of God and of the Father and of Christ Colos 2.2 The Son was revealed in him Gal. 1.16 and so he knew the mystery of Christ and Preached the mystery of Christ Colos 4.3 He was made an able Minister of the new Covenant not of the Letter but of the Spirit or mystery and so he Preached the wisdom of God in the mystery or Spirit 1 Cor. 2.7 2 Cor. 3.6 Colos 1.25 26 27. and he had great conflict to bring people to the rich knowledge and acknowledgement of the mystery Chap. 2.1 2. He was sent to turn men from darkness from the power of Satan which is a mystery and works in mens hearts in a mystery to the light to the Spirit and power of God which is a mystery also and remission of sins is received in and through this mystery Act. 26.18 And I desire every serious and tender heart to consider whether this knowledge of Christ in the mystery was not that which he called the excellency of the knowledge of Jesus Christ his Lord Phil. 3.8 Certain I am that the knowledge of God and Christ in the mystery is the most excellent knowledge and no less then life eternal inwardly revealed and felt from God in the heart And here no legal righteousness no self-righteousness can stand but the vertue and power of Christs Death and Resurrection inwardly revealed and felt in the mystery subdues and destroyes it all Indeed self-righteousness may be given up in way of notion or seemingly destroyed as to mens apprehensions without the revealing or working of the mystery but it cannot be destroyed in reallity but where this is felt But where the mystery is known is received and throughly works self-righteousness can have no place there Now the Apostle who was acquainted with the mystery of Christ he speaks of his Body Flesh and Bones in the mystery Eph. 5.30 And if there be Flesh and Bones in the mystery is there not also Blood in the mystery yea the Apostle John speaks of Spirit Water and Blood 1 John 5.8 Now consider seriously are all these of one and the same nature or are they of a different nature the Spirit of one nature the Water and Blood of another nature Blessed be the Lord the birth which is born of the Spirit and is spiritual knoweth the nature of the spirit which begat it and knoweth water which is inward and heavenly and blood which is not at all of an inferiour nature to it And Jesus Christ our Lord and Teacher speaketh of Flesh which came down from Heaven which Flesh is the Bread of life which he that lives feeds upon and none can feed upon but they that live And by this it is manifest to all to whom God hath given understanding in the mystery that his Flesh and Blood in the

contention about Christianity who is the right Christian it behoves every man to take care as to himself that he be really such that he receive that from God and be that to God which none but the right Christian can be or can receive This is the use I would make of these things in my own heart even to be sure I be such an one as God hath made and will accept and own as a Christian And having had some experience of this thing and truly understand what the Christian-state is and what doth attend it I shall set down some few things which he that inwardly knoweth witnesseth and enjoyeth is without all controversie a true Christian what ever men may account of him First He that is a new Creature is without doubt a true Christian He that is Regenerated he that is renewed in the Spirit of his mind by Christ Jesus he that is New-Created in the Holy Heavenly Image he has felt the power of Gods Spirit begetting him anew forming him anew out of the old nature and Image of the first Adam into the nature and Image of the second Adam who is the quickning Spirit and that which is begotten and born of him is Spirit Secondly He that is in the new Covenant is a true Christian He that hath thirsted after the living waters and hath heard the call to the waters of life hath heard the voice of him who gives life and hath received life from him who giveth life to all that come to him and who maketh the new and everlasting Covenant with all that hear his voice take up his Cross and follow him he is without doubt one of Christs Sheep whom the Shepherd owneth and taketh care of Thirdly He that is inwardly circumcised with the circumcision made without hands he is a Jew inward a Christian inward in the sight of God who hath felt the Spirit and power of Christ Jesus and rejoyceth in Christ Jesus and is one of those Worshippers whom God hath sought out and taught to Worship him in the life and spirit of his Son Fourthly He that is inwardly washed with the clean water with the inward water he is the inward Jew the inward Christian God promised to pour out clean water upon his Israel and they should be clean He who hath the clean water poured upon him inwardly which inwardly washeth and cleanseth he is without controversie of Gods inward Israel Fifthly He that feeds on the Bread of life within and drinks the water of life out of his own Well or Cistern he without doubt is living He that is invited to the Marriage-Supper of the Lamb and comes and Sups with the Lamb he is one of the same nature and spirit with him He with whom Christ Sups who hath heard Christ knocking at his door hath opened to him and received him in to purifie his heart and dwell in him and Sup with him and to give him to Sup with himself so that he eats Bread in the Kingdom and drinks Wine in the Kingdom and partakes of the Feast of fat things which God makes to his Israel in his holy Mountain he is without doubt one of Christs and partakes of this in and through him Sixthly He that lives the Christian life who walks not after the Flesh but after the spirit who doth not fulfill the lusts of the Flesh but hath the law of God written in his heart and his fear put within him and his holy Spirit given to instruct him and to guide him to answer the holy law written in his heart which the carnal mind is not subject nor can be subject to without doubt he is spiritual without doubt he is a true Christian Seventhly He that lives by faith who knows the faith which is the gift of God hath received it and lives by it who can do nothing of himself but only by faith in that holy power which doth all in him so that he lives and believes and obeys from an holy Root of life which causeth life to spring up in him and love to spring up in him and the Lambs meekness and patience to spring up in him and all grace to spring up in him I say he that lives thus without doubt is engraffed into the true Vine into the true Olive-tree and the Root bears him and Ministers sap unto him and he is a true fresh green living branch of the true Vine of the holy Olive-Tree Many more things might be mentioned as they are experimentally known and felt amongst us who are true Christians though the Baptists and others have represented us to the world as if we were no Christians but that toucheth us not their saying so is no more to us than the professing Jews of the same Spirit who said Christ had a Devil but these are to give a Tast And he that knows and feels these may also know and feel the rest and he that doth not know nor feel these would not know or feel the rest if never so many more should be mentioned Now the way to feel these and to become a true Christian and to grow up in the Christian life is to feel the Seed of the Kingdom which is the beginning of the Kingdom the beginning of true Christianity and then to feel the Seed abiding the Seed which is of the Spirit and which is Spirit here 's the constant Seal of Christianity in my heart here are true and certain evidences day by day of the Christian nature and Spirit manifesting themselves undeniably inwardly And now having the witness in my self the Testimony of him that begat life in me testifying to his own work and to his own Birth of what value are any Testimonies of men without against this Christianity is a mystery and he only can truly see who is a Christian indeed who hath the inward eye opened and with that inward eye is taught of God to peirce into that wherein Christianity consisteth There have been many Christians of mens making there are also some Christians of God and Christs making which Christians God and Christ will own but not the other O let men have a care that when God cometh to distinguish between Cattle and Cattle between Christian and Christian they be found such as God will make up as his Jewels and own as the Sheep of his fold such as shall be able to bear the Tryal of his searching judgment and pure impartial eye and not such as still notwithstanding all their profession of Religion and Christianity are found workers of iniquity and so not created anew in Christ Jesus unto good works and therefore not truly of him nor true Christians in his eye The End ERRATA PAge 13. l. 4. read ground p. 19. l. 21. r. Sun p 24. l. 2. ibid. p. 20. l. 25. r. Enemy p 31. l 7. r. man p. 36. l. 13. r. here p. 46. l. 11. r. 〈◊〉