Selected quad for the lemma: world_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
world_n	law_n	sin_n	transgression_n	4,002	5	11.2412	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A86340	Glory sometimes afar off, now stepping in; or, The great gospel-mysterie of spirit, or Divine nature in saints: not in that philosophical and humane sense, by effects and habits of grace, but after a more evangelical, divine, and mysterious manner of in-being. Opened, affirmed and cleared, and gloriously breaking forth through a cloud of subtil pervertings, carnal objections, and dreadful condemnings cast upon it; and closed up with an account of some principles, practises and wayes which have sealed up this mysterie, and thereby held down the saints in weakness, and shut up the world in darkness for so long a time.	Higgenson, Thomas.	1653 (1653)	Wing H1948; Thomason E687_9; ESTC R206885	45,476	57

that the flesh of Christ was capable of or was advanced unto was not to become God but to be glorified in God and God to be glorified in him Christ is both God and son of man both Lord and son of David 3. So God dwels in all Saints God in Saints yet Saints are not God but his Temple who being fitly joyned and compacted together do grow up into one living Temple for the Lord which is that beautiful Sion that Mountain of the House of the Lord the Lambs Wife that near City Jerusalem above that Tabernacle of God with men wherein God himself dwels and the Father and Lamb himself will be the light and glory in it and the Tree of Life and the pure River of the water of Life in the midst of her and the glory of God himself in her shall be joy and praise the terrour and astonishment of all Nations Thus God is in Saints and will glorifie himself in Saints yet they are not God even as he is in Christ yet the flesh of Christ is not God SECT XIV THE union of God and Man in Christ gives this honour to Christ to be called God Second reason against the spirit in Saints If Saints partake in this union to have God dwelling in them why do they not partake in the honour to be called God Answered 1. The flesh of Christ neither is called God nor is God but he is and is called the true God who was manifest in that flesh So that if it be asked who is Christ or what is his name he is Immanuel the Anoynted or God manifest in the flesh In like manner Saints are not God nor are called God but he who is in Saints is and is called the true God So that if it be asked who is a Saint or what is his name he is an inspired man an anoynted one or Christ or the spirit in man 2. Christ so perfectly denied himself of all that was man and resigned it up to the Divine Nature that of himself he did nothing but the Father did work all his works in him and by him The several actings motions and performings of Christ were not from the will of man but were the streams and flowings forth of the Eternal Fulness in him so that God became manifest through Christ the ways and works of Christ as through a Chrystal or transparent glass and therefore came it to pass that God alone was and did all in Christ because he would be known worshipped and approached unto only in Christ and no man should seek or find or come near unto any God but that God which is in Christ Under the Law God filled Heaven and Earth yet he would be known and worshipped only in the Temple at Jerusalem Under the Gospel he dwels in all Saints yet he is with open face beheld and will be worshipped as the true God only in his living Temple or Sanctuary the flesh of Christ so because we come to God and the Father by Christ and worship God in faith and hope through Christ and not through Saints therefore is Christ called God the Saints not SECT XV. Third reason against the spirit in Saints IF Saints partake with Christ in union with God so that the same Divine Nature which dwels in Christ dwels also in Saints then what preheminence hath Christ above Saints Much every way chiefly in these things Answered 1. That it pleased the Father by him to finish the transgression to make an end of sins to make reconciliation for iniquity and to bring in everlasting righteousness and to seal up the vision and prophesy of the Law and Prophets And that as through one man sin death and wrath entred into the world so he must be that son of man by whom God would put away sin abolish the flesh and death judge the Prince of this world spoyl and triumph over all the Principalities and Powers of darkness and vanquish all the Enemies of man out of the world again and so by him to reconcile all things to himself and in the fulness of time to gather together into one in him all things Dan. 9.25 Heb. 2.10 Col. 1.18 in Heaven and in Earth in him And in this work he hath the honour above Saints of being Messiah the Prince the High Priest and Captain of our salvation the beginning and first-born from the dead who was the Head of the Heasts of the living God and the only Instrument in the everlasting hand and arm of God to cut off the Dragons head to slay the Leviathan in the deeps in his death and drive all the enemies of man out of the world 2. All those things and all that Love that God hath prepared for them whom he loves he hath laid it up in Christ in the Eternal Fulness of the blessed Godhead and to him alone hath committed the administration of all things that the Father hath given unto him for us All things that the Father hath are ours but they are first Christs and given unto him the Father loves the Son and hath given all things into his hand he loves Saints through and for the Son with the same love wherewith he loves the Son Joh. 17.26 and so he gives them the same glory in himself which he gave the Son yet by and for the Son Joh. 17.22 The Father as himself without Christ judgeth no man saveth no man does nothing in the world but hath committed all judgement to the Son and hath committed the authority of executing all judgement both of life and death unto the Son of man God doth all and all things are of God Joh. 5.22.27 yet so as by Christ nothing at all without him The glory fulness light and power of God comes forth upon Saints yet so as through the hands scepter and face of Jesus Christ And in this work he hath honour above Saints to be the Head of the Body the Church the fulness of grace and truth the Mediator of the New Testament the King upon the holy hill of Sion anoynted by the Father Therefore this preheminence and honour of Christ above Saints Preheminence of Christ above Saints destroyes not but confirms spirits in-being in Saints that he hath received the fulness of all the wisdom and power of God that all dominion power and authority is given into his hand and that not for himself alone for his own private and singular enjoyment but to be all administred and shed abroad upon the Saints for their enjoyment and everlasting happiness All this preheminence whereunto Christ is exalted above Saints and Angels and every other name doth instead of casting a cloud upon it bring clear light and reason for the further confirming us in the truth that Saints are partakers with Christ of the Divine Nature it self dwelling in them For as Christ received fulness glory and spirit immediatly from the Father so we receive of that very fulness glory and spirit

present state held forth to our weakness under earthly similitudes of Kingdom Inheritance Crown of Glory purchased Possession and in like manner we are called Kings and Heirs of the Kingdom prepared of the Father 2. The way wherethrough God would bring up man into this state as to glorifie man in himself was by first glorifying himself in man Ioh. 13.32 that God might glorifie man in Heaven in his own life and spirit and in the things above he would first glorifie himself in Earth in the flesh and death of man and in the things below God would first come down be seen and known and be all in man in this state of things below which is earthly weak and dying before man should come up be seen and known to have all in the state of things above which is Heavenly Divine and Everlasting God would first appear and tread upon and reign in our Land which is nothing but briars and thorns before we must tread upon and reign in his Land which flows with milk and honey the crucifyings wastings weaknesses and nothingness of man were as a cloathing wherewith God covered himself in Christ wherein God was Priest and King that he might cloath us upon with his eternal perfections and transcendent excellencies and in them make us Priests and Kings Man must first become a covering of weakness upon God for a short time that God might become a covering of glory upon man for ever the Eternal spirit came forth cloathed upon with the likeness of sinful flesh an uncomely despised form with death and the grave which were our old Egyptian vile habit that they being found upon him he might rent them all to pieces as a veil which was signified by his Grave-cloaths left behind him in the grave Luk. 24.12 and cloath us upon with the garments of Sion the righteousness of Saints his own Glory All this God brought to pass first in the man Christ who was moved and led to and fro as the Divine Nature acted and guided him Love in God from Eternity but cleared up to the world by Christ who was made as a weaned Child that in all things he suffered the will of God in his flesh Which Will I humbly conceive to be this God had loved mankind with an everlasting love but through sin bondage a condemning Law and death breaking into the world through one man this shut up and concealed these everlasting affections from us insomuch that we hid our selves from God as from one who burned with anger against us therefore that the loving Father might clear up his love unto us to be such a love as could not be changed he comes forth and visits and speaks with us in the Man Christ and in him slayes the Leviathan breaks the serpents head How it was done abolisheth sin death this world and all flesh and rides in triumph over all principalities and powers and enemies of mans glory and in him burns up with the fire of his love to man all partitions veils Law of commandments sin and whatsoever might seem to separate him and us asunder and after all takes us up into the chariot of his spirit and carries us away into his infinite Mansions of eternal Love and all this he did in the Man Christ in our sight Further bidding us that whatsoever we have seen him do in and upon Christ that we reckon it all done for us and in us and telling us that though he hath done all this in the person of Christ yet it is not for Christ but for man and that what we see or behold in Christ whether dyings in the flesh or glory in the Father that we bring all into our selves and possess in our selves the same dyings in the flesh that he did and the same glory of the Father that he does possess for as he came down not for himself but for us so he ascended and sat down in the Fathers bosom not for himself alone but for us so that whosoever would know what is laid up for Saints yea what is in Saints already though to most of them yet unknown let them look within the veil that is the flesh of Christ what he hath what is in him for all that spirit love and glory which is now in and upon Christ manifest revealed and enjoyed the same is already in Saints yet invisible and hid up in their faith and union and in this respect is Christ called the Head and Conduct of our salvation and our forerunner into the heavenly places and in like manner Saints are called heirs and fellow-heirs with Christ in the same kingdom and glory Thirdly Saints being fellow-heirs with Christ of God that is of the same Divine nature as he came to the inheritance after the same manner shall they come to it the steps he did tread Divine Nature as in Christ first veiled then manifest so is it in Saints they shall go in the same the Divine nature did not withdraw but as it were retired it self as to the perfect enjoyment of it from Christ until he had passed through the death of his flesh then the glory of the Divine nature with which he was glorified before the world was did break forth in him it was alwayes in him and now and then sent out some sharp glances through him for the convincing of the world and he alwayes enjoyed it in such an enjoyment as enabled him to fulfil the will of his Father on earth but the clearer and higher breakings forth of it in him was not until the dyings of his flesh were ended so it is and so shall it be in Saints they are heirs with Christ of the Divine nature wherewith they shall be glorified together with him and they are already Partakers of the Divine nature 2 Pet. 1.4 and are filled with all the fulness of God Eph. 3.19 but it is as it were retired and much under concealment from Saints until they have fulfilled the sufferings which are behind in their flesh and if now and then some unspeakable light and ravishing vision spring forth in a Saint yet it is but as in a glance or God passing by and tarrying not but the openings of this book and the manifestation of this inheritance whereof we are heirs with Christ that is of the spirit the Divine nature in us this is reserved for a while in the Fathers power until the revealing of the sons of God which will be Manifestation of the sons of God is the Divine Nature revealed in us when the Divine nature which is now in Christ openly in Saints covertly shall flow forth and be revealed in us then Saints shall be manifest to be what now indeed they are but in faith only not in manifestation truly and verily the sons of God that is when they shall appear with him in the same glory of the Divine nature and the glory of Christ the Son shall be the glory of all the sons

be called Temples but from the fulness of God filling them and dwelling in them Eph. 3.19 all which doth hold forth a clear account of this truth as worthy of all acceptation that the spirit or Divine nature it self dwells in Saints SECT VI. A Further witness to this truth is from 1 Cor. 6.17 But he that is joyned unto the Lord is one spirit Ephes 4.4 The fifth testimony to the spirit in Saints There is one body and one spirit First members of the natural body being many are but one body because united together and living in one common principle or spirit of life dwelling in them so Christ and Saints being many members are but one mystical body because united together and living in one eternal spirit dwelling in them Christ is to the soul what the soul is to the body the one being as real an union in spirit and Mysterie as the other is in nature and reason yea and much more real for what the natural spirit is to the body natural that and far more is the Spirit of Christ to Saints 1 Cor. 12.12 13. Vnion of Christ and Saints by created inspirations only brings forth two conclusions which destroy the reality of that union First conclusion Secondly he that brings down this union of Christ and Saints in one body by one spirit to be no more then an union of the created inspirations and habits of one spirit he must unavoidably affirm the conclusions following both which do debase weaken and quite disanul the reality of the union between Christ and Saints or Saints and Saints First that the highest principle of life in Saints as one body is some created gift or habit of grace or something below the spirit for as in the natural body so it is in the body spiritual the highest principle of life is that only which unites many members into one body and denominates them one body so that if it be not the Spirit himself but some infused habit which unites Christ and Saints into one body then that infused habit is the highest principle of life in Saints as one body of Christ which assertion besides the irrationality of it in making an habit or quality a principle of life may be judged the highest wrong and dishonour that can be to the body of Christ that the Body of bodies the body of the Son of God the Temple and City of Jehovah the eternal Spouse of Christ the Lambs wife the joy and praise of all the earth that body which shall be comprehensive of such stupendious masses and eternal weight of glory should have no higher larger no more substantial principle of life then a bundle of created habits how doth this strip the glorious body of Christ Mystical of its glory and perfection and brings it into a condition below the very natural body of a man whose highest perfection of natural life consists in something more substantial and noble then any such thing as a meer habit or quality Second conclusion Secondly if the union of Saints with Christ in one body be only by infused habits then the Mysticalness and reality of the union comes to no more then a moral union the union of man with God no more then the union of man with man or two lovers or friends that is of one heart mind or thought in a moral conjunction and so the riches of the glory of that Mysterie which was hid from Ages and Generations under the whole Law and not made manifest until the dayes of the New Testament which is Christ is in us are no more but that which hath been common Col. 1.26 27. and known amongst all men in Ages and Generations Vnion of Christ in Saints was a Mysterie hid until the dayes of the Gospel that is a moral union wherefore this union of Christ and Saints being a Mysterie so ful of glory and hid from the Prophets and Fathers under the Law must be something unseen unknown to the world before something more hi●h Divine and perfect then moral union that having been well known unto the Saints before and therefore it is Christ himself in Saints that is not onely an heart will or mind like to Christ in Saints but Christ himself his Divine nature and spirit in Saints a Mysterie so deep and glorious that the Disciples of Christ understood it not all the while he was with them in the days of his flesh until some time after he was gone unto his Father and in that day they should know that he was in the Father and they in him and he in them Joh 14.20 All which do give their witness to this glorious Mysterie of truth that the spirit himself dwells in Saints SECT VII ANother convincing witness to the spirits in-being in Saints is from Joh. 14.16 17. I will pray the Father The sixth testimony to the spirit in Saints and he shall give you another Comforter which shall be in you Joh. 16.7 It is expedient for you that I go away for if I go not away the Comforter will not come unto you c. God in Christ the great promise under the Law First two great promises have been made and revealed to the world one by the Father under the Law of sending the Messias or Emanuel or God manifest in the flesh of Christ whose coming forth in the flesh should put an end and consummation to that administration of him under the Law the other by Christ of sending his spirit into the flesh of Saints God in Saints the great promise under the Gospel whose first coming forth should put an end to Christs dwelling among us in the flesh which accordingly came to pass and his second approach or coming forth should finish the Mysterie of God or the witness of Christ under the Letter and external administration of the Gospel which yet is not come to pass but is that we wait for until it be revealed in us Both these promises pass through the same states conditions and changes Secondly both these promises may be observed in their several succeeding reasons and proper day of their comings forth to have trodden the same path of Occurrences and to have passed through the same states conditions and changes each after other They are as follows The first promise or God in flesh and his threefold state The first Promise or God coming forth in flesh had his appearance disappearance and reappearance or had his time of witnessing his time of being cut off from witnessing his time of finishing or sealing his witness by his rising again and ascending up into glory in the first state or time God was in Christ yet veiled and hid in his weak flesh obscure estate and uncomely form from the wise and prudent Princes Scribes and Disputers of this world but known and manifest to a few Babes and despised ones which state prepared him for his second state or time wherein he

or spirit in Saints Col. 1.27 of shadows flying away and the breaking of the day c. Cant. 2.17 The first sort of truths belong to children and were all the light and knowledge former dayes attained unto and they saw God and Christ but as it were at a distance and they tasted of the spirit and were refreshed and made glad with him yet they knew not that that spirit and fulness which they felt and tasted was within them that more spiritual and deeper knowledge God hid from them Attainments of a few in present times what because they could not then bear it the other truths belong to them of riper age and as yet they are the light and understanding but of some known and enjoyed only by a few of the wiser children in Sion who have been children and have spoken and done as children but now are putting away childish things and the righteousness grace and salvation which sometimes they only knew and kissed as without them they watch that they may embrace and see it spring forth within them SECT XIX The fourth veil which hath been upon the truth of the spirit in Saints THe Ecclesiastical or Church-state through the favour fear or superstitious zeal of Princes hath been oftentimes promoted to great worldly honour and hath encreased and grown up unto the greatness power and glory of a kingdom and hath twisted and intermingled its power with the power of the Civil state and so became a National Church Civil and Church-state twisted together have veiled up truth and sometimes hath inlarged it self by Royal Edicts Imperial decrees Forces of armies as upon wings over many Nations and hath become a Catholick or Oecumenical Church These great Churches whether National over one Nation only or Catholick over the whole world looking liker Babel then Temples for the Lord it may be observed of them when they came to this greatness they fell in love with their own Image and worldly greatness and that they might establish and confirm the same for ever they call together the wisest and learnedst Doctors of every Countrey or Nation these gathered up truth under such forms of Profession and worship and doctrines of faith as would preserve them in their lordly preheminence over the people and keep the people in blind subjection under them and these they declared and sent abroad as their Decrees Laws and Ordinances to be the Rule of faith National Church-state hath kept light of truth out of the world and conscience pattern of all worships and the measuring line of the Sanctuary and that the union of Saints liberty of worship highest degree of holiness the door to the power of Ministring should be in conformity unto their commandments as the doctrines of Christ in these things was the interest power and practise of a National or Catholick Church-state in times past Now the people of those times and under that government were of three sorts One was of them who delighted to see the Church come forth in this carnal glory and domination that they might be great in her Greatness such magnified her National constitution as most invincible and secure from heretical innovation affirmed her authority sacred and indispensable her decrees and Laws unquestionable and watched against more spiritual worships and worshippers and so all the teachings and writings of these men were no better then Idolatrous and Antichristian admiring of a Babel-church-state Another sort was of Saints and true Believers yet having no further light then the reformation of doctrines and worships established and commanded by that present Church-power they were under they magnified the Church in its National supremacy were zealous for all her rules and prescribed forms as the highest discoveries and only wayes of God did not seek for nor think that there was any other further or more excellent truths to be found out then was prescribed by the Churches these were in the faith yet having their eyes with the carnal glory outward greatness and worldly wisdom of a National Church they opposed present reformation principles against further reformation and knowledge lesser light against greater light and so through their ignorant and inordinate zeal it came to passe that Saints themselves gave their helping hand to the man of sin the Antichrist in suppressing and keeping down all springings and risings of more glorious truth into the world The last sort was of Saints yet such as had passed from under that administration of impurer principles and doctrines established by the National Church and gone on towards more perfection of light and knowledge such could not come back from spirit to flesh nor return again from liberty to bondage they could not bless an Idol nor defile the bed of Christ their conscience by prostituting it to a stranger the commands and force of a National Church or Synodical Council the Church not bearing the light of these Saints nor the word of their Testimony nor their separating themselves from her obedience suppressed their light restrained their liberty and excommunicated their persons and after all gave up their bodies to the Iron-rod of worldly powers to be corrected with chastisements and instructed with sufferings and thus the wisdom of the wise Disposer of all things saw it good that the powers both of Church and State should for many ages down to these last times joyn and unite themselves into one interest force and counsel against the entrance growth and spreading of deeper Mysteries of clearer Gospel-glory into the world SECT XX. The fifth veil upon the truth of the spirit in Saints THe Church of Christ under the New Testament hath her several states vicissitudes and changes through which she passeth to come to the Land of Promise and under every state hath been given unto her spirit light and nourishment necessary for The Church passeth through three eminent changes of state to Sion and becoming her under that present state there are times wherein the Temple of God or Church of Christ is under curtains then her tent is set up and took down and removed from place to place Three eminent changes of state she hath and is to passe through which are as so many outer courts leading her to the Kings Pallace or as lodging-places provided to receive the Kings daughter before she be brought in to the King The first step or change The first step or change of state was when the Lord took down his spiritual Temple and sent it into caprivity under spiritual Babylon that she should be there for a time times and half a time or 1260 dayes which came to passe when the Mysterie of iniquity entered into the Temple of the Lord and many did fall away from the pure faith and truth as it is in Jesus in the morning or first times of the Gospel the Lord Jesus did by his own and the Ministry of his Apostles espouse many from amongst Jews and Gentiles as a chast virgin