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
A47199	The way to the city of God described, or, A plain declaration how any man may, within the day of visitation given him of God, pass out of the unrighteous into the righteous state as also how he may go forward in the way of holiness and righteousness, and so be fitted for the kingdom of God, and the beholding and enjoying thereof : wherein divers things, which occur to them, that enter into this way with respect to their inward trials, temptations, and difficulties are pointed at, and directions intimated, how to carry themselves therein ... / written by George Keith in the year 1669 ... : whereunto is added the way to discern the convictions, motions, &c of the spirit of God, and divine principle in us, from those of a man's own natural reason, &c.	Keith, George, 1639?-1716.	1678 (1678)	Wing K235; ESTC R33462	109,527	235

little and diminutive that though they had room they could not perform the operations of their nature till by their more through generation and formation they be encreased and augmented And thus the little embryo or conception in the Womb be it of Man or Beast cannot perform the operations of a Man or Beast nay though the Child be born and come into the world how little do the powers of manhood appear in it But as the Body of the Child groweth up the powers of manhood do more and more appear as of Vnderstanding Speech Memory and the like And so it is much what in some manner as to the Divine and Spiritual Seed or if the Soul doth not receive it and convert unto it as aforesaid and that it be not permitted to take root and plant it self in the Soul its life and powers will not be generated or raised up And so the Spiritual generation of the Seed is the raising up of its life and Powers and bringing them into manifestation in the Soul which the Soul drinking in it comes to be regenerated or renewed thereby and still more and more according to the growth and increase of the Seed endued therewith Now the Powers of the Seed of God which proceed or flow from its Life and Spirit are these noble and heroick Christian Vertues enduing both the understanding and will yea and all the other powers of the Soul according to the capacity of each such as love joy peace gentleness meekness temperance righteousness fortitude patience and holy wisdom and understanding and the like upon the distinct and particular enumeration of all which I shall not now insist These are the powers of the Holy Life which are as natural to it as the natural passions and affections are unto the natural Life and Soul and by these Powers man can only perform the exercises and practices of Holiness and Righteousness which powers and the Life which is their root are not in all men though the Seed of them be in all as is said and is elsewhere demonstrated Now it is through the generation of the holy Life and Powers thereof in the Divine Seed and Birth that the Soul cometh to have union with God for the Divine Birth with the Life and Powers or Vertues thereof is that noble chain which tyeth and joyneth the Soul unto God being of a middle or mean nature betwixt God and the Soul and so the more apt for such an effect For as it is inferiour unto the Godhead so is is superiour unto the Soul being Christ the Image of God according to which the Soul is made and by it enobled and dignified And the excellency of this Holy Life and Seed above the Soul appears greatly in this that whereas the Soul can corrupt and degenerate with all its gowers this holy life can never in the least admit of any corruption for it ever abhorreth all sin it may indeed be killed or crucified by it but never corrupted And so it is a most fit medium or mean to unite the Soul unto God and the Powers and Vertues thereof are as so many Chains whereby the Lord doth unite the pure and righteous Souls unto him Ye must understand therefore the Soul's union with God is not simply immediate but mediate through this Seed for no Man nor Soul save Jesus Christ alone by his Soul and Manhood conceived by the Power of the Holy Ghost in the Womb of the Virgin Mary hath this dignity to be immediately united with God for which cause God hath highly exalted him even the whole Manhood of our Blessed Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ above every Creature not only Men but Angels that at the Name of Iesus every knee may bow to whom be Glory Power and Dominion for ever This union of the Soul with the Seed and the Holy Life and Powers thereof through which the Soul becomes united unto God is gradual and becometh more and more intimate and near as the Soul advanceth in Holiness and Righteousness and until the leaven of the Holy Life hath diffused its pure Vertue through the whole Soul and all its powers the union cannot be total nor through but in part even until all sin and iniquity be wrought out for there can be no union with that which is holy with that which is unholy Wherefore if there be but a part of the Soul as it were purified only that part receiveth union with the Holy Seed and with God therein Therefore the first step and degree of the Soul's Conversion unto the Holy Seed and to God and Christ therein is not to speak properly union for the Soul at its first step of conversion bringeth it self or converteth unto God as it is viz. all filthy and unclean with sin yea it bringeth its sins and sinful Members unto God that he may kindle his Fire in them for their destruction but there is no union until the Soul be cleansed in some measure but when the Soul converted unto God in that part or measure of it which is purified its conversion so far may be called and is truly an union with God Furthermore it is to be observed that the Soul's union with God consisteth not simply in meer acts as when it exerciseth acts of conversion towards God these and other acts of the Soul by the powers of the Holy Life do contribute and conduce unto this union and begets it yet the Soul enjoyeth a more constant and permanent union with God then by acts whether of one or all its powers for if the Soul's union consisted only in acts then when it did not act but were wholly suspended in its actings towards God the union should cease which is false for when a righteous man sleeps so that perhaps his Soul exerciseth no acts yet his union remaineth with him bu● because the Soul enjo●eth an union with God by its acts of conversion as aforesaid proceeding from the Holy Life and its Powers therefore this union enjoyed by acts may be called Actual Vnion and the other which abides without acts or while acts are suspended may be called Potential because the Soul remains in union with God simply through its powers being as it were glewed unto or cemented with the powers of the Holy Life Now any sin which the Soul committeth doth certainly break off its actual union with God but though the infinite mercy and Grace of God doth not quite break off the potential though it weaken and many sins weaken it much yea some sins may break it quite off but the● it hath been but partial and not through and total for if it had been total the Soul could not have committed such sins as could occasion the breaking it quite off Moreover it is to be noted that when at times we say God is the Life of the Soul as to its Spiritual Actions and at other times the Life of the Soul is begotten of God from a Seed we understand this in different respects

perfectly cure and restore the sick and diseased Body of Nature either in man or other things but his incorruptible body through the Power of the Spirit that dwelleth in it who said Behold I make all things new and for whose coming to renew them all the Creation is invited to rejoyce because of their being to be delivered through the same from their Bondage and Vanity Yet I shall not deny but that it may be possible for men through the Wisdom of God to find out such a substance as may do great cures on the Body of Nature but I say it can never perfectly cure it otherwise the Body should become immortal which never shall be through the Vertue of any other Body but that of Jesus Christ as is said And though such a Substance have been found or may be as supposing it which could turn the other Metals into Gold yet this were not the universal Bal●om or Stone for even the purest Gold on Earth hath its Corruptions and Distempers from which when it is refined it will more excell what it is now than it at present doth excell the basest Metal Stone or Sand or Turf And to the end that this excellent Body or Birth of Jesus Christ might be the more prepared forsuch an effect viz. To cure and restore all things therefore it pleased the Father to give him up both in Soul and Body to suffer such deep inward afflictions sufferings and trials for by these that hidden Divine Vertue and Perfection which was in the center both of his Soul and Body was raised up and brought forth as into the circumference even unto its fulness and perfection According to which it is said in the Scripture that he the Captain of our Salvation was made perfect thro sufferings for so it is indeed as to all other things which have any perfection or vertue further in them than is manifest as it were hid in the centre which perfection is raised up and brought into view or manifestation through its sufferings as by mortification calcination melting it in the fire heating it pounding and pressing it bruising and squeezing boiling and many such kind of things well known to Chymists and Physicians And thus was our Blessed Lord used both in his Soul and Body his deep sufrings in both were like a Wine-press which served to squeeze and press out the hidden Wine that was in his Grapes even that pure and precious Water and Blood which came out at his Side on the Cross and when in the Garden he sweat that drops of Blood fell to the ground these very drops of Water and Blood had a most excellent vertue in them beyond what man's heart is able to conceive of whereby they entred into the very kernel and quintescence of the whole Creation to its very heart for its deliverance and restauration And this was as a Seed that was then sown in the very heart of the outward Nature by which it is blessed of God in some measure and through which it shall in due time be perfectly delivered and cured of its vanity corruption and bondage Therefore it was that at the sufferings of Christ the whole outward Creation fell into a wonderful passion and suffering in so much that there was a great darkness over all and the very Earth was as it were rent for that secret and excellent vertue which went forth from him at his Sufferings even in the Water and the Blood pierced into the heart of the body of the World and wrought in it like Physick that worketh strongly against the corrupt humours in man's body that doth greatly affect the body with sufferings And thus it was even fit that the Creation should after its manner suffer with him which was to partake of such glorious effects through his sufferings And though the outward Creation be not yet cured through the secret Vertue of that Water and Blood no nor yet the Bodies of the Saints yet in due time they shall even through and by the Vertue of these Sufferings But as I have said above so do I again repeat it that it may have the more weight viz. that we are not too nicely to make a difference betwixt the Influence and Effects of his outward and inward Sufferings but to understand them in a perfect conjunction and that the end of his Suffering in both was this viz. 1. Both to quench and allay the wrath of God which was kindled both in Mens Souls and Bodies and also in the whole Body of the Creation And 2. To purifie and cure both Men and also the outward Creation from Corruption Vanity and Bondage And so in relation to Men this I say that the Sufferings of Christ and his Obedience Life and Righteousness both inwardly and outwardly hath a very blessed influence upon Men both to remove the Wrath and also to remove Sin the cause of it and to bring in everlasting Righteousness to cover the Soul with by a real participation of it over and beyond all imaginary reckonings and imputation of man though the imputation of God unto man ●we own And this I say further that the Wrath is no further removed from Men by Vertue of Christs Obedience and Sufferings than Sin that is the cause of it is removed and thus Justification and Mortification and Sanctification go on equally And by what is said way is also made for clearing of that concerning Christ his bearing the Wrath and Anger of God for us to which I say he did so bear it indeed that he bore it up from falling upon us in its full weight which if it had done it would have sunk us into an eternal state of misery and he stood in the way and bore it off that it did not drown and consume us with everlasting Death and Destruction but that he did bear the Wrath of God either in that manner or measure which the damned in Hell do or we should have done had not the Lord recovered us I altogether deny for he could and did satisfie the Father well and acceptably without bearing it in that way But if it be queried If he suffered by that wrath when he stood betwixt us and it I answer He suffered a trial and chastisement by it and so it is called a Chastisement but it could never be said that the Father was offended or displeased with him even while he suffered for us for the Father was satisfied and well pleased in him in his greatest sufferings which he did bear in most perfect resignation love and willingness both to please his Father and also to save and reconcile men unto God And tho the Lord did not withdraw that sensible comfort from him when he suffered on the Cross it was not for any displeasure towards him but for a trial and as is said to raise up and draw forth that excellent vertue and perfection that was in him the more So it pleased the Father to bruise him and press him with

this they contend among themselves IV. They judg that this Seed of God is only some supernatural accident or quality but not a substance and that the life of Grace or Holiness is no substantial life such as the vegetative sensitive or rational Life or Soul is which is a fourth error and is indeed the foundation of all the other three above-mentioned otherwise it might be thought no materal thing nor worth the while to contend whether the Seed and Life of Grace and Holiness be a substance or accident it seems rather to be a question of Philosophy and so not needful to be determined the one way or the other by them who meddle not in such matters But I say this makes the thing the more needful to be opened because the other three errours and divers others are built on it for say they If the Seed of God be an accident it cannot be in the Soul but it must denominate it according to its own qualities or properties so that the Soul must be Holy Righteous Pure c. because the Seed is such Also it cannot be in the Soul but it must be in union therewith because the essence or being of every accident consists in its being in union with its subject But say they the Seed of God is an accident Therefore c. Now the first proposition of this Argument is certain and cannot be denied but the second is false which is the foundation of divers other gross errors and so their whole superstructure false And for the refutation of it and the confirmation of the Truth viz. That the Seed of God is a Substance and the Life of Holiness and Grace is substantial I shall no● enter into Philosophical niceties but produce a few plain Arguments obvious to any clear and sound understanding as 1. Even as we do infer from the variety and nobility of the operations of the rational life and soul that it is a substance and no accident So both from the great variety and also the great nobility much greater than that of the rational soul or life of its operations we conclude that it to wit the Seed of God is a Substance 2. It is the root and sp●ing of the spiritual senses whereby we see hear tast savour and feel spiritual and heavenly Objects therefore it is a Substance 3. And seeing it is commonly granted that the life of vegetation the life of sensation the life of Reason are all substances shall we deny that the life of Grace or Holiness which is far above all these lives and doth passingly excell them yea is the very crown and glory of Man is a Substance 4. When God made Man he made him according to his own Image and this was mans dignity above the Beasts that he was made capable to receive the impressions of this Divine Image which the brutes were not Now this Image is the holy and Spiritual Life by which as by a s●●l he doth impress or effigiate the Soul of man Therefore it is a Substance For it were absurd to say that the Soul of Man or Man himse●f was made according unto or after the pattern of an accident 5. This Seed and that by which it is nourished God giveth from Heaven as the Scriptures do plainly declare Therefore it is a Substance for if it were an accident it could not come from Heaven because the Maxime is an Accident cannot pass from one subject into another 6. It is called oft in Scripture the body of Christ and his flesh blood which the Soul feeding upon it becometh cloathed therewith as with a body and thereby dwelleth in Christ and liveth in him as the branch in the Vine Therefore it is a Substance and hath a substantial life and spirit For what an absurd thing were it to call the body of Christ an accident 7. The Saints feel it in them as really to be a part or particle of the very substance of Heaven viz. of that spiritual and invisile Heavens where the Saints live as they do feel the body of their outward man to be a part or particle of the sustance of this outward world 8. It receiveth the names of all these things which are substances but never the name of an accident in Scripture Therefore c. But some may say that by this it would appear that we judg the S●ed and Divine birth as we call it not only a Sub●tance but that it is a composed Substance of body and Spirit To which I answer Yea it is so for its body is the vehicle or vessel of its Spirit for as every natural seed and birth hath its body and pirit so hath this Spiritual Seed and it is the body that is the vessel which containes or conveighs the Spirit And so the Seed of Corn hath its Spirit or Vertue in its Body and so every other Seed and Herb and Tree of the Field as the Apple-Tree the Vine-Tree whose fruit have both Body and Spirit As Wine hath its Spirit and so any other Liquor which evaporated or extracted leaves its body dead so this Spiritual Seed and Vine hath its Body and Spirit containing in it manifold most noble and excellent Powers and Vertues which Spirit is a measure of the Spirit or Soul of Christ the Heavenly Man And thus having got through this Particular I pass unto another which is to shew that regeneration is not simply the infusion of the Seed of God into the Soul For indeed as it is in natural seeds and births so is it here in the spiritual Now in naturals the seed is not the birth nor is a thing said to be generate when its seed is sown the seed of an Apple-tree is not ●he Tree it self but a principle out of which the Tree with its spirit life and powers doth spring And the seed of a man is not a man yea the seed may be cast into the womb and by some impediment no conception follow and in the very conceiving may be marred And indeed the words of Christ are plain how that the Seed of the Kingdom after it is sown springeth up like the Corn which may be choaked by impediments but where it is not choaked it springeth up first to the Blade then the Ear then to the full Corn and that is its g●●●ration Now ●hen a thing is but in the See● the Life Spirit and Powers or Vertues of its nature are hid and as it were buried within the body of the Seed which because the Seed hath not a body so large nor so organized as they require therefore they do not appear till it have received in some measure a larger and organized body and the more the Body groweth up and becometh organized its Spirit Life and Powers do manifest themselves more and more which in the Seed lay as it were dead and buried and altogether unable to perform their operations as being confined as in Fetters in so narrow a room Yea further their being is so

but the more abundant fruit it bringeth forth this Month or year the yet more abundantly it bring forth the next Yea its life is so much in working and bringing forth fruit that if it be hindered in its movings and workings it dyeth even as the fire goeth out if it be stopt from burning and the water dyeth if it be kept from running Besides The Lord is so well pleased in the Soul that is diligent in good works through his own holy Life and Spirit that he doth reward it with a further measure and taketh delight to water the Soul that is fruitful therein the more abundantly with his heavenly vertue and Spirit even as the Husband-man doth his garden which yieldeth him good fruit But the Vine-yard which bringeth not forth Good Grapes but the Sowr and Bitter Grapes of evil works see what he doth to it Isa. 5. I will lay it wast saith the Lord it shall not be pruned nor digged c. I will also command the clouds that they rain no rain upon it But it may be said Is not faith a work and is not believing working And yet thou grants that the Soul comes to attain unto the first beginning or beginnings of a holy and spiritual life through faith and believing Unto this I answer that there is a twofold property of Faith 1. Receptive or receiving 2. Operative or working Now the Soul doth not attain unto the beginning of a holy Life through the property of faith which is opperative but through that which is receptive And least any should think this distinction too nice or subtile I shall prove it from the express words of Scripture 1. That faith is operative is clear from that Scripture where it is said Faith worketh by Love and where it is said to purifie the Heart and do a great many good things in many other places 2. That it is receptive I shall go no further then Ioh. 1.12 For proof To as many as received him to them gave he power to become the sons of God And that this receiving Christ is a believing in him is plain from the words immediately following even said he to them that believe in his Name So here is the receptive faith for receptive is as much as to say in English receiving Nor are there many examples wanting in natural things to shew that a thing may have the receptive power when as yet it hath not the operative yea that the receptive maketh way for the operative as to instance in some 1. The needle of the compass must first receive its vertue from the load stone being touched with it before it can direct it self towards the pole 2. The branch that is cut-off from its own natural stock and grafted into another it first receiveth life and vertue from the stock into which it is grafted and drinketh it in before it proceed to send forth either leaves or flourish or fruit 3. The womb first receiveth seed before the powers of nature in it proceed in their operation for its conception and formation 4. The Stomach first receiveth the meat into it before by the powers of nature therein it digest and turn it into the nourishment of the body And indeed this last example doth with great clearness hold forth the thing in hand For suppose now a man through hunger were even faint and as it were dead so that he were able to do nothing yet receiving a little food the vertue of it doth suddenly revive him and gives him natural strength whereby he may do and work as formerly And thus the Soul receiving and drinking in that divine vertue of life that is in the divine Seed is thereby quickened and strengthened to do the things that pertain unto an holy Life in some measure All which examples and many more which could be adduced prove that a thing may have a receptive power and not the operative yea that the receptive maketh way for the operative And to this purpose these words of Christ are observable He that believes in me saith he though he were dead yet shall he live which imports that a Soul though it be dead may believe that is to say receive the Seed and principle of Life into it for this Divine Principle is of an insinuating and penetrating nature it doth make way for its own reception in the heart insinuating and as it were winding it self thereinto as the Fire doth into Wood or any combustible matter But now when this Principle doth labour to work it self into the Soul and its powers the Soul may resist and doth so many times whereby it remaineth dead though otherwise it might have lived by giving way unto or receiving this Divine Principle and Seed And thus that subtle objection may be answered which is thus Believing or Faith is an act of Spiritual Life indwelling in the Soul and can only proceed from the Soul that liveth a Spiritual Life For as a dead Body cannot walk or move so nor can a dead Soul believe From this it is inferred That the Soul must first live before it can believe or have Faith and consequently that none others can have Faith but they who are already partakers of a Spiritual Life which is contrary to what ye say that it is possible for all men to believe while yet ye grant all men are not spiritually alive But this is answered by the former distinction of the twofold property of Faith Therefore unto that proposition on which the whole strength of the objection lieth viz. that Faith is an act of Spiritual Life indwelling in the Soul I thus answer That the Operative Faith or Believing is an act of Spiritual Life indwelling I grant but as for the receptive property of Faith through it the Soul is made a partaker of the Spiritual Life by which it comes to indwell in the Soul and therefore the Soul cannot be conceived to live Spiritually before the receptive Faith This receptive Faith is the same with the Soul 's converting or turning or being converted or turned inwardly by the Lord unto the Divine Seed and Principle in it and to the Divine Presence of God and Christ Jesus therein whereof I have said somewhat chap. 4. And whether the Soul be supposed only to be passive in this receptive Faith or partly passive and partly active the matter is not much provided it be acknowledged that it cannot so much as believe even according to the receptive Faith but as it is enabled and assisted after a supernatural manner by the Lord. Also some may object This Doctrin seemeth contrary to what ye seem to hold when ye say That it is possible for all men to do the things that God requires of them and that no man perisheth for want of power to do the will of God Answ. There is no contrariety herein for when we say it 's possible for all men to do the things that God requires of them we understand not this simply and absolutely

not apprehend nor acknowledge that that Birth had any thing of its own nature more than the Birth of any other man which I say it had according to the Revelation of God given me concerning it And this is demonstrable also from Scripture ● But I shall soon put an end to both these reasonings and yet also speak or declare freely that which is given me concerning the same and in plainness so far as the nature of the thing can admit I say then that neither is the God-head it self conceived or born in this Birth nor yet is it a particle or portion thereof For I confess to say either of these two were very unsound and is altogether contrary unto and inconsistent with the dignity and Glory of God And as for the God-head to speak properly it is not discerpible into particles And thus I have plainly cleared my self of the least ground of suspicion of Blasphemy or unsoundness as to the nature and dignity of the God-head that is without all variableness or shadow of change And now to that question viz. If that Birth have in it and that substantially and in its very nature somewhat above the common nature of man what can it be but the God-head it self I answer Yea it hath and yet it is not the Godhead it self but a certain middle nature substance or being betwixt the God-head and mankind that is as far yea and much farther transcendent in Glory above the common nature of man as the nature of man is above the nature of the beasts yea it is even above the nature of the Angels This will be thought the more strange of by many because they have been commonly taught and have commonly received it that there is no middle substance betwixt the God-head and us at least as to the inward for they have supposed that the spirit or mind of a man or an Angel is next unto the God-head which I deny for the Heavenly or Divine Substance or Essence of which the Divine Birth was both conceived in Mary and is inwardly conceived in the Saints is of a middle nature Now this middle Nature I call a Divine Substance or Essence not as if it were the God-head it self or a particle or portion of it but because of its excellency above all other things next unto the God-head as on such an account men do call other things Divine which are very excellent yea some call Holy men Divine and some call these who teach the things of God Divines as Iohn who wrote the Revelation is called Iohn the Divine Also this excellent and intermediate being may be called the Divine Being on such an account as because the God-head is most immediately manifest therein and dwelleth in it as in the most Holy place or Holy of Holies For thus even according unto the manner of men we commonly say such a place in the outward is such a man's being because of his dwelling or abiding there And so it may be called the Divine Essence or Being for that God doth dwell in it though he dwelleth in himself also and so did from everlasting And truly I cannot but in Charity construe this to have been intended by some in some other places who affirmed that Christ as man was born of the Divine Essence or Substance for so say I according to the foresaid explanation that he was not only born of it but of the essence or substance of man also thro' Mary And thus he was both the Son of God and the Son of Man according to his very birth in Mary and therefore even according to that birth he hath a Divine perfection and virtue and that substantial above all other men that ever were are or shall be who is the Heavenly Man by vertue of which Divine Perfection he was united with God in an immediate manner and replenished with such a fullness of the God-head as no other man or men are capable of yea by vertue thereof the fullness dwelt in him bodily as the Scriptures declare And this Divine and Super-eminent perfection of this birth above the common nature of man yea of Angels is that wonderful nexus tie or bond betwixt God and him through which he hath immediate union with him yea it is and may be called the union viz. that by which God and man is made one and such and union as no other Creature hath or ever shall have for that the union of God with all other creatures is but mediate whereas this is immediate Wherefore he and he alone ought to be called Iesus Christ both God and Man and no other And by this Divine Perfection he carrieth the Image of God in his very outward birth as also he carried in the same the true nature and image of Man through his partaking of Marys substance And thus he hath our whole and perfect true nature as man being like us in all things without sin in Soul and Body so he hath also somewhat even as to his Soul and Body much more excellent than all other men and that substanstially so that his body hath not only the perfections of our body but also much more because of its being generate not only of the Seed of Mary but of a Divine Seed and his Soul hath all the perfections and properties which the Soul of man in innocency hath but it hath also much more excellent properties and perfections and that substantially And therefore his body tho it could suffer death yet it could not suffer corruption and his Soul could not sin nor be corrupted with Iniquity but did ever suffer under it and by it which Soul of Christ is the Quickening Spirit as Paul hath declared 1 Cor. 15. Now because of the wonderful and Divine excellencies and perfections of this birth therefore it is ordained and appointed of God to be that Universal Balsam or Medicine to cure and restore not only all these of Mankind in Soul and Body who shall receive him inwardly by Faith and Love but also to cure and restore the whole outward Creation from its Distempers and Corruptions that are come upon it through sin Yea this is the little leaven that shall leaven the whole lump of this visible Creation by its Pure Heavenly and Divine Vertue into most wonderful Sweetness Purity Vertue Beauty and Glory whereby all things shall be made new and that which is but natural shall be as it were spiritual Yea this is indeed that Stone of the Wise-men which by its touch shall in due time change not only the Bodies of the Saints but the Body of the whole Creation and purge it from all its weakness and impurity And truly another Philosophers Stone even in the outward at least to that Latitude as it is commonly defined shall men never find but this even this Holy and Divine Body and Birth which now 1669 years ago was brought forth through the Power of the Holy Ghost in and by the Virgin Mary For what can