Selected quad for the lemma: state_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
state_n	body_n	soul_n	union_n	1,547	5	9.5555	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A67417	Three sermons concerning the sacred Trinity by John Wallis.	Wallis, John, 1616-1703.	1691 (1691)	Wing W611; ESTC R17917	57,981	110

THREE SERMONS Concerning the Sacred Trinity By JOHN WALLIS D. D. Professor of Geometry in the University of Oxford LONDON Printed for Tho. Parkhurst at the Bible and Three Crowns in Cheapside 1691. TO THE READER THE first of the three Sermons here following is Printed according as it was Preached in Oxford in the Year 1664. accommodated to that time and place but it was for the Substance of it Preached in London Twenty Years before that time Which I mention to shew that the Construction which I give of the Words is not a new forced Notion just now taken up to serve a turn or as somebody is pleased to call it Equally New and Cautious But what I did so long ago take to be a then received Truth And I since find it is at least as old as St. Austin's Epist. 174. The other Two are lately added in pursuance of some other Discourses lately made publick concerning the Sacred Trinity Wherein much of what was said before scatteringly as those who wrote against it gave occasion is now inlarged and put into a little better Order If what I have done may be serviceable to the Truth and to the Church of God I have what I did desire and shall not think the Labour ill bestowed A SERMON Preached to the UNIVERSITY of Oxford Decemb. 27. 1664. JOH xvij 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And this is life eternal that they might know thee the onely true God and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent I Need not apologize for the seasonableness of this Text by telling you that the Subject Matter of it suites well with the great Solemnity which at this time we celebrate and the Pen-man with that of the day Because a Discourse on such a Subject can never be unseasonable to a Christian Auditory Especially to such as whose profession being to seek after Knowledge should not decline that of God and Christ the chief of all Nor will it be any Exception hereunto That it is no news but well known already Not only because That there be many who pretend to know what they do not or do in effect deny and That there be many things which though we know well we have need enough to be minded of But even because I do not find that many persons are wont to be displeased with being often minded of those things wherein they think that either their Interest or Excellency lies more than a good Wit when commended or a fair Lady with being told she is handsome even though sometimes as we are wont to say they know it but too well already And therefore since to know God and Christ is both our Interest and our Commendation it will not I hope seem grievous to any to hear it discoursed of to the end that those who know it not may be incited to learn it and those who know it may take content in it And I shall as little apologize for a plain Discourse on this Subject Since it is both my Profession and Practice to Demonstrate or make things as plain as I can not to perplex or make them intricate which may amuse the Auditors or sometimes please or tickle them but is not wont either to Teach or Perswade like too much of Ornament which doth but disguise the native Beauty or too much Trimming which hides the Cloth The words read are our Saviour's Words addressed to his Father in the behalf of his Disciples And are a part of that Prayer with which he closeth his large Exhortation or Farewel-Sermon to his Disciples the night before he was to suffer of which we have a large rehearsal in the three foregoing Chapters the 14 th 15 th and 16 th which this 17 th closeth with a Prayer He begins his Prayer with a Petition concerning Eternal Life which he was to bestow according to the Power his Father had granted him to as many as He had given him that is to as many as should effectually believe in him To which Petition he subjoins this Exegetical Epiphonema And this is life eternal that they may know thee the only true God and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent We may consider the words either according to a Synthetic or an Analytic method as the Schools speak The former of which they commonly follow in Sciences Theoretical the latter in Practical If considered Synthetically they present us with First The Cause or Principle The Knowledge of God and Christ and Secondly The Effect or Consequent resulting from it Eternal Life If Analytically we have in them First A glorious End proposed Eternal Life and Secondly The Means proportionate thereunto The Knowledge of God and Christ. In the former way the Result of them is to this purpose That the excellent Knowledge of God and Christ is attended with this most glorious Consequent Eternal Life In the latter way it amounts to thus much That the way or means to Eternal Life is the Knowledge of God and Christ. Nor is it much material whether of the two ways we take them Synthetically or Analytically whether we take them as a Theorem affirming this Effect of that Cause or as a Problem directing to these Means for such an End Yet I chuse rather to take them in the latter consideration though not exclusive of the former Because this Epiphonema taking its rise from the mention made of Eternal Life in the former verse not from a former mention of the Knowledge of God and Christ it seems to be rather intended as a Direction how to attain Eternal Life than an account of the Effect of such a Knowledge But in doing the one it doth the other also I shall begin first with that which lies first in the order of the word The End proposed or the Effect or Consequent of this Knowledge the Happiness which doth attend it which for its Excellency is called Life and for its Duration Eternal This is life eternal The word Life I take to be here used in a figurative sense and to import Good or Happiness like as its contrary Death especially Death Eternal to import Misery There is indeed at least a threefold Life commonly mentioned and in proportion thereunto a threefold Death Natural Spiritual and Eternal Life Natural which is indeed the proper acceptation of the word Life or the first signification of it is more easily apprehended than expressed It imports that active state or condition which ariseth from the Union of the Soul and Body as well in Man as in other Animals not to mention that of Plants the destruction or want of which upon the Soul's departure we call Death 'T is that according to which in common speech a Man or Beast is said to be alive or dead Now this Life is of all natural Goods looked upon as the chiefest and consequently Death the greatest of natural Evils Because Life is that foundation or first good which makes us capable of what else is so and with our Life we lose all the rest