Selected quad for the lemma: fire_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
fire_n	nature_n	spirit_n	water_n	2,472	5	6.4022	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A37046	The law unsealed: or, A practical exposition of the Ten Commandments With a resolution of several momentous questions and cases of conscience. By the learned, laborious, faithful servant of Jesus Christ, Mr. James Durham, late minister of the Gospel at Glasgow.; Practical exposition of the X. Commandments.	Durham, James, 1622-1658.; Owen, John, 1616-1683.; Jenkyn, William, 1613-1685.	1676 (1676)	Wing D2817; ESTC R215306	402,791	322

what is forbidden in this Commandment and how we break it in our ordinary practise Then 3. Open the Reasons that are annexed Concerning Images two things are to be enquired 1 If no Image be lawful and if any be lawful what these be 2. If any use especially religious of Images be lawful and if adoration of any kind ●e to be given to them We say for Answer 1. That making of Pictures of Creatures which are visible or may be comprehended or historical phansies to speak so such as the senses and elements use to be holden forth by which are rather Hieroglyphicks then real Pictures these I say are not simply unlawful but are so when they are abused so Solomon made Images of Lions for his use and thus the gift of engraving and painting as well as others which God hath given to men may be made use of when as hath been said it is not abused As 1. When such Pictures are obscene and filthy and against Christian modesty to behold such break this Commandment but more especially the seventh because as filthy communication doth pollute the ears so do they the eyes 2. When men become prodigal in their bestowing either too much time or too much expence on them 3. When they dote too much on them by curiosity and many other wayes they may be abused but especially in the fourth place if they be abused to any religious use then they become unlawful as afterward shall be cleared 2. Though making of Images simply be not unlawful and discharged by this Commandment yet thereby every representation of God who is the Object to be worshipped and every Image religiously made use of in worship is condemned though civil and political Images and Statues which are used as ornaments or badges of honour or remembrance●s of some fact c. be not condemned 1. Because such Images cannot but beget carnal thoughts of God as Acts 6 29. contrary to this Commandment 2. Because God discovered himself Deut. 4 15 16 c. by no likeness but only by his Word that they might have no ground of likening him to any thing 3. Because it is impossible to get a bodily likeness to set him out by who is a Spirit and an infinite Spirit so then every such image must be derogatory to God as turning the Glory of the invisible God to the Shape of some visible and corruptible Creature which is condemned Rom. 1. 22 23. for every Image supposeth some likeness Now there can be no conceivable or imaginable likeness betwixt God and any thing that we can invent therefore it is said by the Lord Isai 40. 8. To whom will ye liken God or what likeness will ye compare unto him where it seemeth it was no Idol but God they aimed to represent by their Images which was the fault condemned vers 25. As also when we cannot conceive of God and of the Mysteries of the Trinity and Incarnation as we ought what presumption must it be to paint them Therefore upon these Grounds 1. We simply condemn any delineating of God or the Godhead or Trinity such as some have upon their buildings or books like ● Sun shining with beams and the Lords Name Jehova in it or any other way this is most abominable to see and a hainous wronging of Gods Majesty 2. All representing of the Persons as distinct as to set out the Father personally considered by the Image of an old man as if he were a creature the Son under the Image of a Lamb or young man the Holy Ghost under the Image of a Dove all which wrongeth the God head exceedingly and although the Son was and is Man having taken on him that nature and united it to his God head yet he is not a meer m●n therefore that image which only holdeth forth one nature and looketh like any man in the World cannot be the representation of that Person which i● God and man And if it ●e said m●ns soul cannot be painted but his body may and yet that picture representeth a man I answer it doth so because he has but one Nature and what representeth that representeth the person but it is not so with Christ his Godhead is not a distinct part of the humane Nature as the soul of man is which 〈◊〉 necessarily supposed in every living man but a distinct nature only united with the manhood in that one person Christ who has no fellow therefore what representet● him must not represent a man only but must represent Christ Immanuel God man otherwise it is not his Image beside there is no warrant for representing him in hi● Manhood nor any colourable possibility of it but as men fancy and shall that be called Christs portraiture would that be called any other mans portraiture whic● were drawn at mens pleasure without regard to the pa●ern again there is no use o● it for either that Image behoved to have but common estimation with other Images and that would wrong Christ or a peculiar respect and reverence and so it sinneth against this Commandment that forbiddeth all religious reverence to Images but he being God and so the object of Worship we must either divide his Natures or say that Image or picture representeth not Christ Again as to what may be objected from the Lords appearing sometimes in the likeness of a man or the Spirits descending as a Dove or as cloven tongues of fire It i● answered 1. There is a great difference betwixt a sign of the Spirits presence and a representation of the Spirit 2. Betwixt what representeth the Spirit as he is one of the Persons of the blessed Trinity and what resembleth some gift of his The similitude o● a Dove descending upon Christ was to show his taking up his residence in him an● furnishing him with gifts and graces and particularly holy simplicity and meeknes● without measure and so his appearing in cloven tongues was to shew his communicating the gift of Tongues to the Apostles 3. Neither is there any warrant for drawing him in these shapes more then to look on every living Dove as representing him and the like may be said of Gods appearing sometimes in humane likeness it was but that men might have some visible help to discern something of Gods presence but not to give any representation of him and these bodies were but for a time assumed as a praeludie and fore-running evidence of the Sons being to become man From this ground also it would seem that painting of Angels might be condemned as a thing impossible they being Spirits which no corporal thing can represent besid● that the representing of them has some hazard with it and for those cherubims that were made by Gods direction under the Old Testament they were rather some Embleme of the nature and service of Angels as being full of zeal and alwayes as it were upon wing ready to obey Gods will then any likeness of themselves and it s hardly possible to fancy representations

to the imagining of some thing which is not as an addition to our good which supposeth discontent with what we have 4. We take in here such Concupiscence as though it approveth not unlawful means to prosecute its inordinate designs yet it is too eager in the pursuit and discontent when it falleth short as for instance when Achab would buy Naboths Vineyard and pay for it or a man would marry such a woman lawfully supposing she were free and there were consent of parties c. the one is not stealing nor the other adultery yet both of them suppose a discontent when the desire of having is too eager and when there is an inordinateness in the affection or desire after it as when one cometh thus peremptorily to desire to have such a thing or to wish that such a thing were I would fain have this or that O that this or that were even as David longed for a drink of the Well of Bethlehem In a word we take in all that is opposite to or inconsistent with satisfaction in our own lot and love to our Neighbour under which this Command as the rest is comprehended Rom. 13. 9. even the least ●●●●ngs of any thing tending that way or that inclineth to discontentment in our selves It is true every desire to have something added to our lot or amended in it it not to be condemned but when it is inordinate as 1. when the thing is not needful 2. when the desire is too eager 3. when the thing too much affecteth and even discontenteth till it be effected and done Now this being the scope and sum of this Command it may be gathered of how broad and vast extent the breaches of it are Is there one hour wherein there are not multitudes of these evil thoughts flowing running and roving through the heart Ah! what discontents with providences grudgings vain wishings c. are there and although all these as they reflect on God are against the first Command yet as they imply discontment in us with our lot or as they are risings of heart to evil though wrestled against and wherein the Spiritgetteth the victory they are against this Command so that not only vain Imaginations that are formed with delight but even those that are scarce suffered to breath yet having once a being are against this Command and sinful For 1. they break a Law and are disconformed to that which we should be 2. In Paul Rom. 7. who yet gave not way to these they are called sin and the body of death 3. He wrestleth against them and cryeth out under them desiring to be quit of them verse 24. now if they were only penal such out-cries and complaints were not so like him whom a complication of sharpest afflictions could never make once to groan but this body of death made him to cry out 4. They lust against and oppose the Spirit G●l 5. 17. and so are against the Law of God Rom. 7. and tend to obedience to the Law of Sin and further the execution of its decrees 5. These are of the nature of Original sin and a branch growing of that root and so what is born of the flesh is flesh the branch must be of the nature of the root if the tree be corrupt the fruit must be so 6. These make way for other sins and keep the door open for temptations to grosser evils and give the Devil access to blow up the fire 7. They keep out many good motions and obstruct many duties and indispose for them 8. They mart communion with God who should have the ●ll of the soul heart and mind and sure if he had his due there would be no place for these as there will be none for them among the spirits of the just men made perfect 9. These sinful risings in the heart are a great burthen to a tender walker who groaneth under that habitual lightness and vanity of his mind in the gaddings whorings and departings of it from God for because of it he cannot get his whole delight u●interruptedly set on him and though he delighteth in the Law of God after the inner m●n yet he cannot win up to full conformity to it in his practise or when he would and resolveth to do good yet ere he wit as it were ill is present with him and his heart is away and on the pursuit of one foolish ●oy and vainity or another 10. Paul speaking of these lustful stirrings of the heart doth make it evident Rom. 7. throughout the Chapter that this Command speaketh of such Lusts which he had not known except the Law had said thou shalt not lust Now men naturally know that inward assent to sin even before it be acted is sinful yea Paul knew he had such things as these corrupt motions in him but he knew not that they were sinful but from the Law and that after its spiritual meaning was made known to him and from this it is that such who are regenerate see more sins in themselves then ever they did while unregenerate not simply because they have more but now having the spirit and a contrary principle with in they discern that to be sinful which they took no notice of as such formerly 11. The frequency of this sin of inordinacy in the first stirrings and motions of the heart is no little aggravation of it for what hour of a mans life when waking yea even when asleep in dreaming a man may be guilty of it as Rivet upon this Command acknowledgeth or half an hour is free of it Is ever the mind quiet and doth it not often yield consent to these motions and how few good purposes are often followed forth Alace but seldome 12. The extent of it is great one may sin this way in reference to all the Commands yea to as many objects as his Neighbour or himself hath things of which they have the possession yea to Imaginations about things that have no being nor it may be possibility of being but are meet Chimera's 13. The occasions of it and snares to it are rife and frequent nothing we see but readily it doth as fire inflame this Lust so that we have need continually as it were to cast water on it yea what thing is there that is in it self lovely and desirable we hea● or read of that we are not ready inordinately to be stirred towards the desiring of it 14. Its pretexts and cloaks to hide it self are many and sometimes specious so that men are seldom challenged for it if it come not to the length of being consented to or at least of a delectation How often are there wishes in our mouths and oftner in our hearts that break this Commandment which we observe not especially if they be for knowledge or some good thing in another or some good thing done by another which commendeth him for then O if we had it or O if we had done it is often the language of the heart

ground upon this ground because they are not then in a capacity to use and exercise their reason but that they are in this case as mad distracted o● frantick men I desire to be sober in speaking to this yet I shall adventure to speak my mind a little about it with the reasons of it And 1. we say there is a great difference betwixt sleeping dreaming men and mad-men 1. Because madness is wholly in it self penal and is a disease following sinful man as other diseases but so it cannot be said of such dreaming for as sleep was natural there being before Adams Fall a Day and a Night as well as now and there being an instance then of Adams sleeping so must dreaming be being procured by the restlesness of the Fancy and the roving of the Imaginations which is some way natural but that men dream of such subjects or that their dreams are of such a nature as filthy or prophaine seems clearly to follow sin which dreaming simply doth not and therefore man is not so passive in this as in madness 2. Because in dreams men have more use of Reason then in madness though as the School-men say that use be imperfect yet as they grant and Experience confirmeth it and Augustine lib. 10. Confess● acknowledgeth it in himself their may reason and debate in sleep yea sometimes reject some motions and though dreaming yet not give consent unto them and that upon reasons which at other times possibly they will imbrace Hence is it that there is a sort of sutableness and likeness betwixt mens dreamings and their rational actings when walking children and mad men or men in a distemper having more foolishnese and less reason in dreams then these who have more use of reason but wise men in a distraction and natural fools have no such difference then Beside we conceive that dreaming is more proper to reasonable men then Beasts and to men that have exercise of reason then to children but madness may be in all 3. Because a mans former carriage in moral things hath much more influence on his dreams when he has clear use of reason then it can be said to have upon him when in madness as to the things committed by him in it 4. Neither is it without some weight that under the Law Levit. 15. Deut. 23. 10. Sacrifices and Washing were appointed for some sins committed in sleep and dreaming whatever they be in themselves which were not appointed for the sins of such as were frantick All which put together and duly considered we cannot look upon sins I mean things otherwise unlawful in dreaming and sins in distraction as equal Yet secondly there be some things that we willingly grant in this matter As 1. That we do not comprehend under these sinful dreams every passing transient thought or motion in sleep which has meerly an idleness and unprofitableness with it which though it might possibly be siuful in men waking when they should aim in the least thought at something edifying yet we think dreams that are meerly so to say negative that is not sinful on the matter are not to be accounted sins nay not yet sins historically as it were objected to the fancy or only objectively proposed I say they are not sinful because mans fancy at such a time is open to such Representations and cannot hold them out especially seeing they may possibly be carried in by the Devil who certainly waits these times but there are other sinful dreams such as that spoken of Levit. 15. through occasion of which there is effusion of seed rising in passion delighting in revenge it may be as we have heard to the committing of some act such have as it were a more diliberate consent with them and sometimes delight yea sometimes external motion of the body endeavouring the accomplishments of its desires in all which it seems hard to say that a man is passive only and when the subject of the dreams are such things as a natural Conscience will scare and tremble at it is of these we speak 2. We conceive there is a great difference as to degrees of sinfulness betwixt such sinful motions desires delectations c. that are in a waking man and the same in one a sleep the guilt is much less by many degrees in the one then in the other 3. A difference is to be made betwixt gross sins objectively represented to the fancy in sleep and the same sins which are not only sorepresented but also have more setled motions following thereon 4. There is a difference also betwixt distempered men in their dreams of this kind and men who are sober and well at themselves yet we cannot but incline to think that there is some guilty that may and ought to be repented of in such dreams and so that men may in their sleep sin against these holy Commandments seeing that in many dreams as in many words there are divers even sinful vanities Eccles 5. 7. This Truth is something clear from the grounds already laid down but we shall for further clearing and confirming of it and these following Arguments The first is this 1. That tickling delight as an evil against the Law of God is a fruit of original sin which sin infects all our imaginations and make them evil Genes 6. 5. yea they are the flowings out of habitual lust which is now natural to us and if they be a Fruit of that Tree or a Daughter of that Mother must they not be of the same nature and so sinful and that they must flow from Original sin may thus be made out That none can imagine such dreams to have been incident to Adam in the state of Innocency while all was pure even though sleep and dreams were natural to him And this may be confirmed from that one Maxime of the School-men that Adams Innocency was capable of no deception nor of any thing which might make him sad either sleeping or waking but such dreams certainly imply both If it be said such dreams may be from an external cause as the Devils objecting such and such things to men in sleep I answer I grant in part it may be so but 1. Though he object them to us sleeping as well as waking yet it is we that entertain these objected Representations it is we that delight in them and move by them though tempted thereto by him we may say he is Father and as it is Acts 5. 3. he filleth the heart and furnisheth fewel but we are the Mother I say it is our corruption that bringeth forth and can any say that if there were no corruption within us that these would be so entertained 2. Though they come from him as an external cause yet considering that our nature is inclined to such things so that Powder or Flax taketh no sooner with Fire cast into them then our corrupt nature doth with these temptations Is it possible to imagine that a Dart of temptation should be thrown in

and not at least awake and stir the savour of corruptions Indeed pure Nature in our blessed Lord who was without Original sin was like water presently to quench all such Fiery Darts 3. If they come from the Devil to what end can he object them to men it must either be because they are sinful that being his aim to defile them thereby and draw them to sin or because they are troublesome and heavy to men he having delight also in mens misery but such dreams are no way weighty and troublesome to the most part of men that therefore is not his aim nor would they be so much burdensome to others were it not from their apprehension of guilt under them and therefore Satans aim must be thereby to defile men with sin 2. Argument which confirmeth the former and let us consider it with reverence our blessed Lord Jesus was made in all things like unto us except sin none of the fruits of original sin which are sinful are to be found in him and yet I suppose none can without horrour imagine such dreams to have been incident to him or that his absolute Holiness was capable of them He is the only instance of one free from original sin yet may he be supposed lyable to any other penal thing excepting 1. What implies sin 2. What implies distempers and infirmities in the contemperature and constitution of his body from inward causes because he had no inward cause being free of sin as Adam before his Fall and therefore not naturally I mean from inward principles or necessity as we are subject to sickness or death 3. The third Argument is That men are often accessary to these sinful dreams themselves either 1. By excess disposing themselves to such inclinations or 2. By a loose mind that delights in following such things throughout the day in their more reasonable meditations and more determinate purposes it being ordinary that dreams follow much the constitution of the body or the habitual strain of our practise in which respect mens Callings or particular Imployments will run up and down before the Fancy in their sleep and so their sinful exercises also or 3. By not praying to God to guard against them and neglecting to press more after mortification for that end or 4. By not being suitably affected with them after they are past and gone In which cases even the School-men who are not the most rigid and tender Casuists will grant all things being considered sin to be ex consequenti in dreams and we suppose few fall in such dreams who may not in one circumstance or other read their accession to sin therein and though our frame and constitution be in it self natural yet that it should incline us sleeping or waking to any thing sinful that is and must be from corrupt nature seeing it clearly speaketh the inordinateness of our natural inclination 4. The fourth Argument is from the Law of Washings and Sacrificings for the sin of uncleanness in mens dreams when they pass seed in their sleep which seemeth to say thus much that both sleeping and waking men should be holy and although there be sacrifices and cleansings appointed for somethings that are not morally sinfull as the touching of a dead body having Leprosie c. yet simply to say so of the case in hand were hard For 1. If it be said there was no moral sinfulness in that kind of pollutions what then could these Sacrifices and Washings signifie If any say as they must say they looked to secret actings of original sin it doth confirm what we have said But 2. Is there in any such things as are not accounted sinful in themselves such a dependency upon or likeness to any Commandment as there is in that which is mentioned Levit. 15. to the seventh Commandment to which it seemeth to have a direct reference 5. The fifth Argument may be taken from the extent of the Law which reacheth to the whole man outward and inward soul heart mind and if to the whole man then why not to the fancy memory imagination c. And we are sure when Spirits are made perfectly comform to the Law of God there will not be found in them any such fancy imaginable as consistent with it Besides doth not this Law oblige and tye alwayes even sleeping men as we conceive are under the negative Precepts of it that is although they be not bound to pray and hear in their sleep yet they are bound not to Murder nor commit Adultery c. in their sleep and the more renewed and holy Christians are in their ordinary walk so are they in their dreams and even in this sanctified persons differ from unrenewed ones 6. The sixth Argument it this we suppose these grounds that prove involuntary lust in the first motions thereof and before they can come to consent to be sin will infer these motions in sleeping men of which we speak to be sinful also For 1. Though these motions of lust be involuntary and weaken not the deliberate use of Reason more then the other And 2. Though they be in the Regenerate wrestled against and not approved more then the other yet because these are not according to reason though not brought forth by it and not answerable to that simple purity and Angelick holiness which should be in man and it is hard to imagine the most passing motions of lust running never so swiftly through us not to leave behind them some dreg of defilement by reason of our corruption that sideth still in less or more with temptation which cannot be said of sins objected by the Tempter to our Lord and such lusts or motions of lust have still by the Orthodox according to Pauls Doctrine Rom. 7. been thought sinful upon the foresaid reasons and we see not but these same reasons will hold here Lastly we add that generally the Consciences of the Godly look on this kind of practises although committed in sleep with horrour and no reasoning or disputing will truly quiet them till they be humbled before God under them and yet they use not to be so troubled in other things that are meerly Ceremonial How doth Augustine complain of this yea confess and lament it Confess lib. 10. cap. 30. though elsewhere he accounts it no sin yet he crys out of it and that he thought it a mercy that he had not done what in sleep he consented to act reperimus nos non fecisse doleamus tamen quoquo modo in nobis factum suisse It grieves him that it should be any way done in him and he aggreadgeth it thus that he had not alwayes rejected these as sometimes he had done And do not the Godly sometimes in their sleep make opposition to these motions and how often do they in prayer wrestle against this evil and that as I conceive from another apprehension of it then simply because of any punishment or affliction that is in it for many things more afflicting