Selected quad for the lemma: life_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
life_n	blood_n	body_n	flesh_n	14,336	5	7.2820	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A62877	True old light exalted above pretended new light, or, Treatise of Jesus Christ as He is the light which enlightens every one that comes into the world : against the sense both of the Quakers, Arminians, and other assertors of universal grace, whose light is proved to be darkness / delivered in nine sermons, by John Tombes, B.D., and commended to publick view by Mr. Richard Baxter.	Tombes, John, 1603?-1676.	1660 (1660)	Wing T1824; ESTC R21431	110,239	95

in the light of which they brag but in darknesse And so likewise they do in not coming to the light of the Scriptures taught by Preachers whom they contemptuously term Priests Herein also they shew themselves not to be children of the light in that they will not disclose plainly what they hold but hide their opinions in cloudy misty expressions and when by quistions put to them there is endeavour to find them out they shift in answering and fall to reviling In a word all that walk in hatred pride ignorance intemperance uncleannesse deceit and such like evils shew they are not in the light nor have communion with christ but abide in darknesse You that would approve your selves to be in Christ must cast away the works of darknesse and put upon you the armour of light and have no fellowship with the unfruitfull works of darknesse but reprove them rather Rom. 13. 12. Ephes. 5. 11. But of this more in that which follows Men coming into the world need Light from Christ. SERM. IV. Joh. 1. 9. That was the true light which lighteth every man that cometh into the world Sect. 1. The necessity of Christs Enlightening is asserted because of the blindnesse which is in all at birth COming into the world hath a double sense either entering on some action or businesse among men or shewing themselves among men and so false Prophets are said to come into the world or to go out into the world 1 Joh. 4. 1. And in this sense it is a truth that Christ coming into the world as a Prophet Joh. 6. 14. was the true light inlightening But I gave Reasons against this sense Serm. 1. Sect. 1. Or coming into the world is meant of humane birth in the same sense in which it is said that a man is born into the world Joh. 16 21. which I conceive meant by Christs going forth from the Father and coming into the world Joh. 16. 28. And his coming into the world Heb. 10. 5. Grotius it is true annot on Joh. 1. 9. argues from the distinction of being born and coming into the world Joh. 18. 37. that the coming into the world is still by shewing himself to the world But that is not cogent sith the same thing may be meant by two expressions But however it be meant when it is said of Christ that he came into the world yet here where it is said of man coming into the world must be meant of humane birth which seems most probable for the reasons given before and accordingly this point is thence deducible That every that comes into the world needs light from Christ. Which position is true 1. Because every man is born destitute of spiritual light in the things of God concerning his duty and the way of salvation 2. Because every man is liable to death and trouble and wrath and evil from God as he is born into the world and Christ came a light into the world to remove both these sorts of darkness and none else can do it The former of these is to be the more fully confimred because it overthrows the main position of the Quakers that every man hath a light within him sufficient to guide him so as that following it he may please God and be saved without the light of Scripture or preaching of publique Teachers And it also confirms the Doctrine of Original corruption and particular effectual converting grace against universal sufficient grace and power of freewill in the state man is in before conversion which Papists Arminians Socinians Freewillers maintain and the perfection and merit which after conversion Papists and Quakers do assert Sect. 2. Universal corruption at birth is proved from Joh 3. 6. I shall begin with the words of Christ Joh. 3. 6. That which is born of the flesh is flesh and that which is born of the Spirit is Spirit To understand the force of the argument from hence it is to be considered that Christ useth these words in his conference with Nicodemus as a reason of the necessity of new birth by water and the Spirit that a person may enter into the Kingdom of God The Kingdom of God meant Joh. 3. 3 5. is to be understood of the Kingdom of glory or that state of everlasting happinesse which none but those that are clean sincere and really holy shall ever be admitted to in which sense it is taken when conversion obedience humility and such like qualifications are prerequired to it and it annexed to them as Mat. 5. 3 10 20. 7. 21. 8. 11. 18. 3. 19. 14 23 24. 21. 31. Mark 9. 47. 10. 14 15 23 24 25. Luk. 6. 20. 13. 28 29. 18. 16 17 24 25. Act. 14. 22. 1 Cor. 6. 9 10. 15. 50. Gal. 5. 21. 2 Thes. 1. 5. 2 Tim. 4. 18. James 2. 5. 2 Pet. 1. 11. The visible Church doth admit into it many that are proud and impure in heart and therefore the qualifications of holinesse and purity here prerequired are not necessary for entrance into it Whence it follows that the new birth prerequired as necessary Joh. 5. 3 5. is of the inward man to that reall holinesse which is opposite to uncleannesse or unholinesse which was in the first birth and consequently when it is said That which is born of the flesh is flesh must be thus expounded impure and sinfull or vitious according to that sense which the term hath Gal. 5. 16 17 19 24. which is confirmed by the opposition in the other part of the verse That which is born of the Spirit is Spirit For as to be Spirit is meant of true and reall holinesse which is the genuine fruit and effect of being born of the Spirit so the being flesh which is the consequent of being born of the flesh that is by humane generation Joh. 1. 13. must be meant of sinfull and impure corruption They that expound it only of doing the actions of natural life without sin or of meer weakness without sinfulness such as was in Eve before she sinned reach not to the scope and force of Christs reason for in respect of these there 's no necessity of new birth for entrance into the kingdome of God A person may do the actions of a natural life and be weak without sin and yet not for that reason excluded out of the kingdome of God A person may be spirit and yet flesh in that sense that is weak and do the actions of a natural life whereas here he that is flesh is opposed to him that is spirit and therefore natural life or Infirmity without sin is not all that is meant by flesh there 's pravity and impurity of minde expressed by flesh as well as naturality or infirmity It is true by flesh and blood 1 Cor. 15. 50. which cannot inherit the kingdome of God is meant a humane body in its weakness and imperfection But thus in this life they that are born of the Spirit

are flesh whereas Christ saith he that is now born of the Spirit is Spirit and the new birth which makes us no longer flesh and blood in that sense is not the birth of water and of the Spirit mentioned Joh. 3. 5. but the power of God by which he will raise us up 1 Cor. 6. 14. the birth of water and of the Spirit Ioh. 3. 3. 5 6. is here in this life the other is not till the resurrection therefore the same is not meant by flesh and bloud 1 Cor. 15. 50. And flesh Ioh 3. 6. but in the one place that weakness is meant which is removed by the power of God and the voice of Christ at his coming to judgement the other that sinfull blindeness ignorance concupiscence which is consequent on humane generation and is removed by the preaching of the Gospel made effectual by the Spirit of God Whence I argue If that which is born of the flesh by humane generation be flesh that is corrupt ignorant depraved with proneness to errour and evil concupiscence so as that it must be born again of water and the Spirit afore it can enter into the kingdome of God then every man that cometh into the world by meer hnmane generation is void of light to guide him in his way to God and to salvation untill Christ enlighten him But the antecedent is true as hath been shewed by opening the Text Joh. 3. 6. therefore also the consequent Sect. 3. Vacuity of light without Christ enligtening is proved from Rom. 8. 7 8. Rom. 3. 9 10 11 23. 1 Cor. 2. 14. Mar. 7. 21. Iam. 1. 14. The same thing is further proved from the words of Paul Rom. 8. 7 8. Because the carnal minde or minding of the flesh is enmity against God for it is not subject to the Law of God neither indeed can be so then they that are in the flesh cannot please God In which speech the Apostle assignes the reason why the minding of the flesh is death Now by flesh is to be understood the sinfull pravity that is in man for neither meer natural weakness such as was in Adam and Eve afore they sinned nor the doing of natural actions without sin nor the minding of these are enmity against God or death or impossible to be subject to Gods Law But the minding of the innate pravity whose works are set down Gal. 5. 19. Now such are all that are not in the Spirit ver 9. and that by birth Joh. 3. 6. Therefore all that come into the world are flesh and till they be in the Spirit are void of that light which might bring them in subjection to the Law of God and so need Christs enlightening The same may be further confirmed from the allegation of the Apostle Rom. 3. 9 10 11 12. where to prove that all both Jews and Gentiles are under sin it is alleadged out of Psalmes the 14. and 53. that it is written there is none righteous no not one there is none that understandeth there is none that seeketh after God they are all gone out of the way they are altogether become unprofitable there is none that doth good no not one which cannot be true if understood without limitation sith then the Scriptures should be false that say that Noah was a righteous man and walked with God Abraham was one that God himself testified of to have feared him Abel obtained testimony that he was righteous God testifying of his gifts Heb. 11. 4. Of David God said I have found David the son of Jesse a man after mine own heart which shall fullfill all my will Act. 13. 22. Therefore it must be understood of all afore they are enlightned and converted and so proves that all without exception are void of saving light till Christ do enlighten them and being universal is to be conceived to be from their humane generation If any say that many of the things there said as that with their tongues they have used deceit their mouth is full of cursing and bitterness ver 13 14 c. cannot be said of Infants it is granted in respect of the actual practice yet in respect of their disposition inclination and aptitude to commit them they may which is further urged from ver 23. where he concludes that all have sinned and are come short of the glory of God Hereto I shall adjoyn the speech of Paul 1 Cor. 2. 14. where he saith that the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God for they are foolishness to him neither can he know them because they are spiritually discerned In which speech he expresly makes natural men not only non-intelligent of the things of God afore they have the Spirit of God by whom Christ enlighteneth but also uncapable of knowing them because they are discerned spiritually that is by the Spirit All the difficulty is who is meant by the natural man There are that understand by it not every man that is unregenerate but the most sensual and such as are guided by their senses altogether But the Text opposeth the natural man to the spiritual and makes all the inability to be from the defect of the Spirit of God and therefore understands the most rational man by the natural man if he want the Spirit of God Nor is the conceit of him that by natural man understands the weak Christian and by spiritual the strong Christian opposed to babes in Christ 1 Cor. 3. 1. right For though the Apostle saith he could not speak unto them as spiritual but as to carnal to babes in Christ yet doth he neither make babes in Christ an equipollent term to carnal as all one with it or deny babes in Christ to be spiritual But as the Apostle saith Rom. 7. 14. be was carnal though he were a strong man in Christ because he was in part carnal his flesh did sometimes draw him to fin against his will so babes in Christ may be spiritual and yet carnal in part by reason whereof he could not speak to them under the fin of contentions as to spiritual persons but as to carnal But that the term 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 notes a natural man or one that hath no more then his own soul to guide him is besides the reasons in the Text made more probable by Jam. 3. 15. where to the wisdome from above is opposed that from the earth from the soul from the Devil Iude 19. Soalary men are described such as have not the Spirit in neither place is the word fitly rendered sensual But were it yeelded that 1 Cor. 2. 14. the word translated natural man signifie a weak Christian sure it followes if a weak Christian cannot know the things of the Spirit of God without Christs enlightening much less a man not so much as a babe in Christ Yea the Apostle faith 2 Cor. 3. 5. he was not sufficient of himself to think any thing as of himself But besides these Texts when our Saviour