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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
word_n	church_n	invisible_a	visible_a	4,744	5	9.2933	5	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A86421	A garden inclosed, and Wisdom justified only of her children. Being two exercises, discovering the glory, beauty and perfection of the love of God to saints that are so comprehended, and in such a glorious inclosure: and also the sweet reflections in, and from saints, in iustifying wisdom: which were delivered at New-port Pagnell, about a yeare and a half since: for declaration whereof, the authour was then imprisoned, and since accused, for delivering of blasphemie. by Paul Hobson.	Hobson, Paul.	1647 (1647)	Wing H2274; Thomason E1188_3; ESTC R208251	44,598	118

prophecied of Psal 2.2 Esa 66.5 And also practised Act. 4.18 and 5.28 And therefore the sum of all is this That it is better to please Christ Acts 4.19.5.29.42 then men and therefore you which enjoy Christ Cease not but at all opportunities declare what you know of Christ that so others may enjoy what you enjoy But I shall say no more of this Vse nor of this Conclusion The second thing in the Declaration 2. The matter declared is the matter declared And in that there is something included besides what is expressed And that which is included is in this word Garden In which word is implyed the Church of Christ From whence observe this conclusion That Christ's Church is Christ's Garden Doctr. For the better understanding of this Conclusion I shall unfold these things First What I mean by the Church of Christ Secondly How Christ's Church may fitly be called a Garden Thirdly How it is said to be Christs Garden For the first What I meane by the Church of Christ I Answer I doe not intend in that 1. What is meant by the Church of Christ to speak any thing of the Church invisible but visible And in that Consider First What I do not meane by the Church of Christ And in the first place I do not mean a Nationall Church And by that word Nationall I meane That a Nation considered as a Nation cannot be a Church of Christ My reasons are these First Because if a Church were considered Nationall then a Naturall birth would interest a man into a Spirituall priviledge Secondly The holy Ghost no where considereth Church members under a Naturall relation but under a spirituall considering them as Saints 1 Cor. 1.2 Ephes 1.1 Secondly I doe not meane by a Church a Parochiall Church that is the same in nature with a Nationall Church though not in measure and what may be said against one may bee said against the other But by a Church I meane a company of souls Ioh. 14.17 20. who through the commings in of Christ are made able so to beleeve in Christ that they are through that beleeving made able freely and voluntarily to give themselves up to Christ Rom. 6.17 to walk in the acknowledgement of Christ Acts 24.14 in or according to his word And from the termes of this description wee may observe these three or four consectaries and by them you will the better understand what I mean The first is 1. consectary That the Church of Christ are beleevers in Christ Secondly 2. consect That the Church of Christ are such as are sweetly overcome or fetch'd in to Christ by the commings in of Christ Thirdly That the Church of Christ 3. consect must worship Christ Fourthly That the word of Christ 4. consect is the Rule of the worship of Christ For the first 1. consect That the Church of Christ are beleevers in Christ This is cleare from these scriptures 1 Cor. 1.2 and 2 Thes 1. chap. 1.2.3 verses with many other places If you aske mee Quest. What I meane by a beleever or by that beleeving which is to be in all those that are members of the Church of Christ I Answer I will tell you first Answ What I doe not meane and then what I doe mean For the first I doe not mean a bare professor of Truth and Faith for if all that professe truth and are not possessed with truth should be admitted members of the Church then the Church would not be made up of living stones Secondly I do not meane such a beleever who is drawn up by the power of Reason from the externall declarations of Truth to beleeve a Christ without when he doth not enjoy a Christ within which men may doe and so beleeve that they may bee brought to submit to an externall Ordinance But by a beleever I mean A soul who from the enjoyment of a Christ within is made able to beleeve a Christ without For beleeving according to Truth is for a soule from the power of Truth being overcome by it and swallowed up in it is from thence made able as to assent and give credit to it so to assent and submit to all things presented in it and required by it as that they are made able to live to the glory of Truth in every particular act If you aske me Quest. Whether one may not bee admitted to bee a Church member and receive the Ordinances if he know Christ without so as hee is willing to embrace the outward Ordinance though he doth not know or is not acquainted with a Christ within I Answer Such ought not to bee admitted Answ My reasons are these First Reason 1 Because it is not an externall knowing and submitting to the Ordinances of Christ but a reall one-nesse with Christ that is a ground of union and Communion 1 Joh. 1.7 The Apostle saith If we walke in the light as he is in the light then shall we have fellowship one with another From thence it is clear that an one-nesse in the mistery of Truth is alone the ground of Communion and fellowship sutable to Truth Secondly Reason 2 The Saints ought in all admitting of members into the Church not onely to admit members to them But they should admit such Phil. 1 25. as they may have ground to beleeve will continue with them 1 Iohn 2.19 20 24 27. but there is no ground to beleeve that they will continue with them unlesse they can or do make out a right understanding of a Christ enjoyed within as well as an apprehension of a Christ without Thirdly Reason 3 The Church of Christ in all entertainment of members 1 Iohn 1. ● 7 ought to endeavour to keepe and continue that which is the glory and life of union and Communion which is not a bare enjoying of each other in an externall Ordinance but a sweet refreshing of each other by giving out to each other their internall injoyments for it is not a bare breaking of bread together to make out a crucified Christ without that is the life and refreshing of Saints but it is the sweet unfoldings in the givings out of their experiences each to other in which they do sweetly unfold and give out that love which is the life of Saints And in the giving out of each others experiences there is a sweet building up and refreshing of each other As face answers face in a glasse so doth the experience of one Saint answer another and in their so answering there is a sweet wraping up of each others spirit in each others injoyment And as this is and ought to be the ground of Love So it is that which is the continuation of love but this cannot be enjoyed by admitting of members that onely know a Christ without and do not know and enjoy a Christ within Fourthly Reason 4 That which may be in the men of the world that cannot be a

sufficient ground to admit one into Church fellowship But a bare beleeving of Christ without may be in the men of the world and therefore that is not a sufficient ground to admit one into Church-fellowship The major is clear And for the minor I prove thus That which the Divel may do a man of the world may do in matter of beleeving But the Devils did believe and know a Christ without Jam. 2.19 and yet did not enjoy a Christ within Therefore a wicked man or a man of the world may do the same And therefore that is not a sufficient ground to admit one into Church-fellowship Fifthly As the Apostles owned men Reason 5 so ought we to owne men But the Apostles knew no man after the flesh 2 Cor 5.16 that is as I conceive by flesh he meaneth all external acts of righteousnesse which he calleth flesh in Phil. 3.4 Therefore I conceive the Apostle meaneth they know no man after the flesh that is according to their external actings but according to their internal enjoyments And so ought we Sixthly Reason 6 That which is the onely way to bring distractions into the Church of Christ that ought not to be practised by the Church of Christ but the admitting of members upon so slight a ground as a bare believing of a Christ without when they do not know and enjoy a Christ within is the cause of distractions in the Church of Christ and therefore ought not to be practised If you aske me Quest. What are the distractions it may or doth produce I Answer Ansvv The distractions are such as these First Distract 1. A continued fear that men will or may fall off from them For if men hold themselves in the profession of Truth 1 Ioh. 2.19 and are not held in by the power of Truth then they will at first or last fall off from Truth Secondly Distract 2. This is that which openeth the mouths of some that are not yet in external fellowship not onely to speak against it but it maketh them also afraid to submit to it because they fear that we center and put too much in outward Ordinances and too little in inward enjoyments This maketh them fear that they shall not enjoy that amongst them that professe outward Ordinances which they do enjoy amongst others Thirdly It is a grief and trouble Distract 3. and sadnesse to the spirits of them that are already in fellowship For insteed of being built up with the exchanges of experiences they meeting many times with some who are admitted upon confession and profession of a Christ without when they do not so enjoy Christ within as to see an interest in him and have a sensible communion with him insteed of the exchanges of experiences that may refresh the souls of each other they give out nothing but external declarations about external administrations which is so far from refreshing that it doth exceedingly damp the heart of a soul that liveth with God And it is no better then pouring cold water upon a warmed spirit For though external Ordinances are very good in reference to the will of God yet it is not an outward Ordinance but God in the Ordinance that is the life of a Saint Seventhly Reason 7 That which is held out in the Gospel for men to believe that ought to appear in men when they do professe themselves to believe before they are admitted into Church-fellowship But that which the Gospel holdeth out for men to believe is not a bare believing of Christ presented to them but to believe an interest in Christ Ioh. ● 15.14.6 so as to enjoy life by him Gal. 2.20 1 Ioh. 1.7 And untill men can declare that they see an interest in Christ and sensibly enjoy Christ there is no ground for us to believe that they do so believe as to admit them into Church-fellowship And so much concerning the first consectarie That the Church of Christ are believers in Christ The second consectary is Consect 2. That the Church of Christ are such as are sweetly overcome and fetch'd in to Christ by the commings in of Christ By those expressions my meaning is First That that heart that is truly possessed with Christ is sweetly overcome by the sweet love and lovelynesse of Christ so that he hath nothing to say against him or any thing that is required by him but doth sweetly submit to him Secondly He is fetch'd in by that I mean not onely a fetching into an external Ordinance but to the enjoyment of an internal glory he is not barely fetch'd in from a seeming power of death to live under the shadow of life but he is really fetch'd from the power of death into the glory of life In a word he is fetch'd into the bosome of God to live in him so that he is sweetly wrapt up in the mysterie of that glory which is involved in the bosome of God And so much for that consectarie The third consectarie is Consect 3. That the Church of Christ must worship Christ And that this is their duty is cleer from these Scriptures 2 Kings 17.36 1 Chron. 16.29 Psal 29.2 and 96.9 John 4.23 24. Acts 24.14 Rom. 12.1 Phil. 3.3 And had I time I should speak somthing of the word Worship for Worship in Scripture is taken either for Moral or Instituted Worship but I shall say nothing of that Onely in a word the people of God are to acknowledge God in all things both external and internal that are required of them by God But I shall not at this time speak any more of this consectary The fourth consectary is Consect 4. That the word of Christ is the Rule of the worship of Christ Esai 8.20 Every King must and doth rule by a Law sutable to himself Kings that govern and rule in civill things are to govern and rule by a civil Law but Christ who is a King spiritual ruleth and regulateth his Church by a spiritual Law civil Lawes cannot reach Christs government Neither hath Christ centred any power in the civil authority to regulate mens spirits in the worship of Christ Gen. 49.10 though that was formerly in the Church of the Jewes which was a type of Christ it is now ended by Christ and all power in matter of worship is called home to him Esa 9.6.7 and resides in him Mat. 11.27 and those men that indevour by the power of a civil Law to constrain men to a spiritual worship Ioh. 3.35 they take upon them the authority and prerogative of Jesus Christ Nay in a word they in that act deny Christ come in the flesh and it is not onely sinful but poor and beggarly for they would have all men see with their eyes and all mens spirits in nature and measure sutable to their Law and if they see more they must be fetched back by the power of it and if they see lesse the must be fetched up to

duty of saints not to cover but uncover Christ in all their performances and had I time I might tell you what the Apostle meaneth when he saith A man should not pray with his head covered 1 Cor. 11.4 But I shall say no more but as he saith The head of every man is Iesus Christ vers 3. and therefore not onely in your Praying but in your practising Cover not but uncover the glory of Christ by a saint-like walking amongst men But I shall say no more of this Consectarie I should now speak something of some other Vses that I might draw from the whole conclusion That Christs Church is Christs Garden But I have a desire though I doe not enlarge my selfe upon yet to name the rest of the Conclusions that ly in the text and leave them to your thoughts having not time to declare my selfe by reason of the disturbance of those that are now come about the house But to name the Conclusions to you Let us read the words againe Thou that dwellest in the Gardens the Companions hearken to thy voice Cause me to heare it VVherein you may remember I told you there is two things considerable First A sweet acknowledgement or declaration Secondly A sweet desire or thirsting From the first The sweet acknowledgement or declaration you may remember I told you there is three things considerable First the party acknowledging Secondly The matter acknowledged Thirdly The manner of the acknowledgment The first which is the party acknowledging I have finished And for the second The matter acknowledged I have given you severall observations from it And the rest that are behinde I shall onely name to you which are these One is from this word Thou that dwellest in the Gardens Observe Doct. That Christ in a speciall manner dwelleth with his own Or thus 1 Cor 16.16 Iohn 14.23 Christs residence is in his Church And then again from this word Thou that dwellest in the Gardens the Companions hearken to thy voice Thence observe these two Conclusions First Doct. 1 That those that are called home by Christ they are called into a friendly and familiar acquaintanee with Christ Ioh. 15.14.15 Secondly That it is as the propertie Doct. 2 so the priviledge of the friends of Christ to hearken to Christ Ioh. 10.3 But I shall not at this time speake any thing of these things And so I passe over as the party acknowledging so the matter acknowledged And now I should come to speake something of the manner of the acknowledgment 3 The manner of the acknowledgement Of the free and friendly spirit that did appeare in the Spouse whilst she acknowledgeth Christ But I passe that over And so I come to the second thing in the words which is The sweet desire 2 The desire or thirsting or thirsting of the Spouse in these words Cause me to heare it VVherein you may observe these things First The party Longing That is a soule possest with Christ from thence observe That it is the propertie of a soule that knowes Christ Doct. to long for him Psal 9.10 Secondly From that which lyeth in the conjunction betweene the acknowledgment and the desire in these words The Companions hearken to thy voice Cause mee to heare it Observe this Conclusion That so farre as a soul knowes Christ Doct. so farre in that knowing is a spirituall longing after Christ Beholding Christ begets and causeth the soule according to its beholding to act towards Christ And so I passe over that Thirdly You may consider the matter desired and that is in these words Cause mee to heare it VVherein there is something included as well as what is here expressed And that which is included is in these words Cause mee Implying that they could not spiritually hearken to Christ unlesse they were spiritually caused by Christ From thence observe this Conclusion That to make a soul hearken to Christ Doct. is the sole worke of Christ himselfe And then from that which is expressed in these words Cause mee to heare it From thence observe First That to hearken to Christ is a matter worth desiring Doct. 1 Secondly That no soule doth rightly understand what it is to hearken to Christ but knowes Doct. 2 and in its knowing doth acknowledge that all power is from Christ and in this acknowledging seekes for Power to act sutable to the acknowledgment in desiring power from Christ to hearken to Christ I might make divers Vses of these Conclusions But Dear friends I hope you that enjoy Christ within and have Truth preached to you from it selfe are and will bee made able to make use of Truth sutable to it selfe And seeing our time is short and oppositions encrease 1 Cor. 7.29 wee not knowing how soone wee may bee called to suffer for Truth I shall therefore leave you all to Truth Iohn 14.6.65.5 Desiring that Truth may dwell in you and you in Truth so that in all things Truth may be honoured by you may be own'd and not denyed in any action done by you FINIS WISEDOME Justified of her CHILDREN MATTHEVV 11. the last part of the 19. verse VVisedome is justified of her Children IN the 16. verse Christ comes to discover the generation of the Scribes and Pharisees where he compares them to children that call to each other saying Wee have piped and yee have not danced wee have mourned and ye have not lamented verse 17. and so hee comes in the 18. and 19. verses to make application of these darke expressions wherein he doth discover the crosse disposition of the Scribes and Pharisees saying verse 18. Iohn came neither eating nor drinking and they said that he had a devil but Christ comes and presents himselfe in an other forme he comes eating and drinking but presently they cry out hee is a friend of Publicans and sinners before they seeme to dislike Iohn upon this ground that he did neither eat nor drinke and Christs actions seeme to speak out thus much Doe you object against Iohn because hee does not eat I will eat But the Scribes and Pharisees were so opposite in their spirits to Truth that they could not fancy any forme where Christ was presented so as to affect Truth Now these words that I have read unto you are a conclusion of Christ upholding of them wherein he saith verse 19. But wisdome is justified of her Children which words is an affirmation of grace brought forth in opposition to corrupt nature the words are excluding as well as including excluding the world and including Saints The world as accusing and condemning Christ Saints as owning and justifying Christ that which doth exclude the world lies in this word But Thence observe this Conclusion before I come to the words themselves Though all outward occasions be taken away by truth Doct. Luk. 7.32.33 yet still the spirit of the world will not justifie but condomne Truth Mat. 10 12. Iohn comes neither