Selected quad for the lemma: virtue_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
virtue_n	body_n	soul_n	unite_v	970	5	9.6533	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A47040	The future state, or, A discourse attempting some display of the souls happiness, in regard to that eternally progressive knowledge, or eternal increase of knowledge, and the consequences of it, which is amongst the blessed in heaven by a country gentleman, a worshipper of God in the way of the Church of England.	Whitaker, Edward.; Jones, George, d. 1704.	1683 (1683)	Wing J941B; ESTC R13197	63,632	160

Ways or Methods they may be Communicated unto it unless you will suppose it of very Large and Extensive Presence and Capacity 9. So that if the Humane Nature of Christ Jesus have any Knowledge of the State and Condition of the Church which is his Body as I think can't reasonably be doubted whether Mediately or Immediately in my Apprehension an Extension of Presence must be granted thereunto And if it be granted to Christ Jesus I know nothing that will hinder the same Concession to the Blessed tho not in the same Degree for in all things he must have a Supremacy and Advantage 10. But besides all this Christ Jesus is the Head of his Church and as an Vniversal Cause under God conveys his Grace and Spirit to all the Members of it As the Sun is the Vniversal Cause of Light Heat and Motion in Sublunary Bodies so is Christ of all Grace and Spiritual Influences and Virtues to the Souls of Men and there is no other means or way of Conveyance but by Him 11. The Humane Nature of Christ Jesus by its being Personally united to the Divine and exalted to God's Right Hand is by the Office of Mediator Authorized and by a Participation of the Fulness of the Spirit enabled for the Communication of this Spiritual Influx and Benediction to Humane Minds 12. Yet it is not to be imagined or do I affirm That the Humane Nature of Christ Jesus is any Cause of any Immanent Act of the Divine Spirit but He is the Cause of the Spirits Operation as that Operation signifies the Effect upon the Mind of Man And of this He is no Superiour but only a Ministerial Cause as a Prince rewards the Valour of his Souldiers as the General doth determine it 13. Christ Jesus is the Political Cause of this Spiritual Influence He as Mediator is authorized to determine of the Measure Time Conditions and Persons that shall partake therein Whether He be also a Physical Head and Cause of this Influence and Grace and by proper Efficiency do Communicate of this Spirit and by any Physical Operation of his Humane Soul He operate upon Our Minds is a Controversie that I am not obliged to determine my Cause not requiring it For if He be only the Political Cause of this Grace and Spirit He must have Knowledge of the State Case and Condition of Mankind and that in my Opinion will infer a Large and Extensive Presence which is all that I am concerned to prove AND now having annexed thus much to the Book in regard to one Particular Point I shall superadd no less in regard to the General Subject for the obviating some Objections and preventing Misunderstandings in what I have Asserted or rather Proposed to indifferent Consideration 1. I would not be thought to Place the Happiness of the Blessed in the Knowledge of Creatures Whoever should Thus understand me would Very much mistake and misapprehend me I Place the Happiness of Saints and Angels in the Knowledge and Love of God and being Beloved by Him The Knowledge of Creatures is only the Medium by which we come to the Knowledge of the Creator and by the Knowledge of Him we become capable of Loving Him and Rejoycing and Delighting in Him God is Vltimately the Object of Man's Felicity and Love Delight and Joy are the Great Felicitating Acts and both these Compleat and make it Perfect 2. One great Reason that inclines me to believe that Knowledge will be Progressive in the World to come is because I do suppose that Man will remain a Limited and Finite Essence There yea and Limited to that degree that he will not be Able at one Grasp to comprehend the Nature Qualities and Perfections of the Vniverse A great Enlargement of Capacity Immediately upon his Departure hence I do readily concede and if any shall please to call it Supernatural I will have no Contest with him about it But this Enlargement I conceive will not make his Capacity of Equal Extent with the Vniverse and consequently his Knowledge of it cannot be Simul and Semel but Successive 3. How Various the Limitations of the Essences and Capacities of the Blessed will be I will not affirm Peradventure they may be as Various and Different as their Rewards will be Those that have Loved and Served God in This World with the Greatest Sincerity and Vigour of Affection and Endeavour will have the Largest Capacities in the Other they will be capable of knowing Most of God and consequently of loving Him Most and being Most beloved of Him It seems to me I say probable that the Remunerating Grace of God will Diversify Men's Capacities in the Kingdom of Heaven according to their Works Here on Earth 4. If any Man should think that because I affirm an Alteration for the better in the Future State that therefore there may be an Alteration for the worse and to the Disadvantage of the Blessed I answer That I see Nothing in what I have Said that may give any Reason for Such an Inference or Conclusion For why Confirming Grace may not secure the Blessed from Any Defection on Supposition that Knowledge and consequently Happiness be Increasing and Progressive as well as on supposition that it be Instantaneously Compleat and Perfect I confess I do not understand 5. St. Paul I do acknowledge doth assure us That Eye hath not seen nor Ear heard nor hath it entred into the Heart of Man to conceive what God hath laid up for those that love Him 1 Cor. 2.9 Which words he transcribes from Isaiah the Prophet But how they are any Prejudice to the Doctrine that I have proposed I do not find For besides that the Words were spoken by the Prophet with respect to the State of the Gospel and the great Revelations and Discoveries that were to be made of the Divine Grace and Mercy at That time and in That State I shall readily grant that no Eye hath seen nor Ear heard nor hath the Heart of any Man conceived what and how Various how Great and Stupendious those Objects will be that the Future State will present unto our Thoughts and Contemplations Who can tell what Variety of Wonders the House of the Living God may set before us Who can imagine the Lustre and Glory of the Heavenly Jerusalem and what are the Beings that do Embellish and Adorn the Palace of the Great King Who can tell or who can conceive what Species or Kinds of Beings may be comprehended in the Whole Universe and of what Various and Amazing Natures Qualifications and Perfections 6. And as we cannot Vnderstand what will be the Number Kinds Nature nor Perfections of these things so we cannot Tell what will be the Joy Pleasure Satisfaction yea Extasies and Ravishments that we shall Conceive and have Experience of in the Contemplation and Knowledge of them Who can imagine what Joy he shall feel at the Sight and First Aspect of the Magnificent Structure of the Heavenly Palace At the Vision of those Holy Myriads that encompass the Throne of God At the Vision of the Holy Jesus that Prince of the Kings of the Earth At the Sight of all the Holy Patriarchs Prophets and Apostles At the View of all the Holy Confessors and Martyrs together with all the Holy and Good Men of all Generations Who can imagine what Pleasure and Joy every Object that is offered to our Meditation may Raise and Awaken in our Souls Who can Think what Joy we shall Conceive from our Exercise of Love to God and 〈◊〉 the Sense and Apprehension of our 〈◊〉 Beloved of Him and of the Eternal D●●ation of it 7. But though we cannot Conceive nor have not Seen nor Heard what are the Beings and Objects that the Future State will furnish to our View and Consideration and though we cannot Imagine what will be the Joys and Pleasures that they will introduce upon our Minds Yet we may know that there will be Objects of Various and Illustrious Qualities and that the Knowledge of them will make Very Great and Pleasant Emotions and Affections upon our Souls and that This Knowledge and These Affections may be of Progressive Nature and Increase to All Durations Which is all that I have Asserted and I think Sufficiently consistent with the Words of the Apostle in the Text above-mentioned 8. I know nothing Momentous that may be objected against what I have Said on this Subject which I have not Answered or Obviated in Some Place or Other of This Discourse Nevertheless 't is no Article of my Faith nor am I zealous to Proselyte any Man to the Belief of it I will Conclude with those Words where-with Cartesius concludes his Principia At nihilominus memor meae tenuitatis nihil affirmo sed haec omnia tum Ecclesiae Catholicae Anglicanae Authoritati tum Prudentiorum Judiciis submitto nihilque ab ullo credi velim nisi quod ipsi evidens invicta ratio persuadebit FINIS