Selected quad for the lemma: world_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
world_n	comprehend_v	light_n	shine_v	2,130	5	9.2464	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A54052	The scattered sheep sought after 1. In a lamentation over the general losse of the powerful presence of God in his people, since the dayes of the apostles, with a particular bewailing of the withering and death of those precious buddings forth of life, which appeared in many at the beginning of the late troubles in these nations, with the proper way of recovery for such, 2. In some propositions concerning the only way of salvation, where is an answer given to that great objection, that the light which convinceth of sin, is the light of a natural conscience, and a brief account rendred of the ground of mens misunderstanding Scriptures, 3. In exposing to view the fundamental principle of the Gospel, upon which the redeemed spirit is built, 4. And in some questions and answers, by way of catechism, for the sake of the simple hearted, directing to that principle, and fixing in it / by Isaac Penington.	Penington, Isaac, 1616-1679.	1665 (1665)	Wing P1188; ESTC R18193	27,955	34

A. Letting in the light which convinceth of and warreth against sin the life stirs and is felt and the life leads to the word which was in the beginning and gives the feeling of that also And in the word the righteousnesse the peace the wisdom the power the love is felt and he is made all these to those who are led into and kept in the light And when the powers of darknesse appear with mighty dread and there is no strength to withstand them this lifts up a standard against them and calms all the tempests and cures all the wounds and diseases of the soul anointing it with the everlasting oil so that now I can sensibly and with clear understanding call it my Saviour the Captain of my salvation my Christ or anointed my Husband my King my Lord my God Q. Where doth this light shine A. In the darknesse at first but when it hath vanquished expelled and dispersed the darknesse it shines out of it Q. What is that darkness wherein the light shines A. Man mans heart mans conscience mans spirit This is the world which Christ the Sun of righteousnesse is the light of in every part whereof he causeth the rayes or beams of his light to shine at his pleasure though in no part the darknesse can comprehend the least shining of his light Q. How then can it ever be converted thereby A. The darknesse is not to be converted Every man in this state is reprobated and the wrath abideth on him So that the darknesse is rejected and man in the darknesse but man touched by the light made sensible of it and following it in the life and power which it begets is drawn out of the horrible pit and saved Q How may I do to find the light in the midst of the da●kness of my heart which is so great and this seed so small A. By its discovering and warring against the darknesse There is somewhat which discovereth both the open and secret iniquity of the corrupt heart following it under all its coverings of zeal holinesse and all manner of voluntary humility and self righteousnesse with which the true light ●●ver had unity and sometimes may cause secret misgivings that all is not well but there may be a flaw found in this covering and in the end it may prove too narrow for the soul This which thus warreth against the darknesse to bring people off from all false foundations to the true and living foundation this is the light and thus thou maist find it at some time or other at work in thy heart if thou mind it Q. Having found the light how may I come to feel the saving vertue and power of it A. By believing in it For the vertue and power springs up in the heart that believes in it Q. How can I believe in it am not I dead A. There is a creating a quickning power in the light which begets a little life and that can answer the voice of the living power Q. Yea If I could finde any such thing begotten in me then I might be drawn to assent that that though never so small might believe but surely my dead heart never can A. Hast thou never found a true honest breathing towards God hast thou never found sin not an imaginary but a real burthen This was from life there was somewhat begotten of God in thee which felt this It was not flesh blood in thee but somwhat from above And if this had known the spring of its life and not been deceived from it by the subtilty it would have fed upon and have grown up in the vertue and power of the spring from whence its life came Q. Why then by this all men have power to believe A. In the light which shines in all and visits all there is the power and this power strives with the creature to work it self into the creature and where there hath been the least breathing after life there hath been a taste of the power for this came from it But the great deceiver of souls lifts up mens mind in the imagination to look for some great appearance of power and so they slight and overlook the day of small things and neglect receiving the beginnings of that which in the issue would be the thing they look for Waiting in that which is low and little in the heart the power enters the seed grows the Kingdom is felt and daily more and more revealed in the power And this is the true way and door to the thing take heed of climbing over it Q. What is it to believe in the light A. To receive its testimony either concerning good or evil and so either to turn towards or from in the will and power which the light begets in the heart Q. How will this save me A. By this means that in thee which destroys thee and separates thee from the living God is daily wrought out and the heart daily changed into the Image of him who is light and brought into unity and fellowship with the light possessing of it and being possessed by it and this is Salvation Q. We thought salvation had been a thing to be bestowed hereafter after the death of the body but if it be thus then salvation is wrought out here A. So it is even in all that are saved for there is no working of it out hereafter but here it is wrought out with fear and trembling and the believer who is truly in unity with the life daily changed from glory to glory as by the Spirit of the Lord. Q. But shew more particularly how Faith or believing in the light worketh out the Salvation A. First it causeth a fear and trembling to seize upon the sinner The Lord God Almighty by the rising of his light in the heart causeth the powers of darknesse to shake the earth to tremble the hills and mountains to melt and the goodly fruit-Trees to cast their fruit And then the plant of the Lord springs up out of the dry and barren ground which by the dews and showers from above thrives grows and spreads till it fills Gods earth 2. In this fear and trembling the work of true repentantance and conversion is begun and carried on There is a turning of the Soul from the darknesse to the light from the dark power to the power of light from the spirit of deceit to the Spirit of truth from all false appearances and imaginations about holiness to that which the eternal light manifesteth to be truly so And now is a time of mourning of deep mourning while the separtion is working while the enemies strength is not broken and subdued and while the heart is now and then feeling it self still hankering after its old lovers 3. In the belief of the light and in the fear placed in the heart there springs up an hope a living hope in the living principle which hath manifested it self and begun to work For the Soul truly turning to