Selected quad for the lemma: life_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
life_n	nourishment_n	virtue_n	wither_a	89	3	15.9397	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A53734	Two discourses concerning the Holy Spirit, and His work the one, Of the Spirit as a comforter, the other, As He is the author of spiritual gifts ... / by ... John Owen.	Owen, John, 1616-1683.; Mather, Nathanael, 1631-1697.; Owen, John, 1616-1683. Discourse of spiritual gifts.	1693 (1693)	Wing O818; ESTC R2819	174,342	306

fulness of him that filleth all in all Ephes. 1. 22 23. But this Church falls under a double Consideration First as it is Believing Secondly as it is Professing In the first respect absolutely it is invisible and as such is the peculiar subject of Saving Grace This is that Church which Christ loved and gave himself for it that he might sanctifie and cleanse it and present it unto himself a Glorious Church not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing but that it should be Holy and without Blemish Eph. 5. 26 27. This is the work of Saving Grace and by a participation thereof do Men become Members of this Church and not otherwise And hereby is the professing Church quickened and enabled unto Profession in an acceptable manner ●or the Elect receive Grace unto this end in this World that they may glorifie Christ and the Gospel in the Exercise of it Col. 1. 6. John 15. 8. But Gifts are bestowed on the professing Church to render it visible in such a way as whereby God is glorified Grace gives an invisible Life to the Church Gifts give it a visible Profession For hence doth the Church become Organical and disposed into that Order which is Beautiful and Comely Where any Church is Organized meerly by outward Rules perhaps of their own devising and makes Profession only in an attendance unto outward Order not following the leading of the Spirit in the Communication of his Gifts both as to Order and Discharge of the Duties of Profession it is but the Image of a Church wanting an animating Principle and Form That Profession which renders a Church visible according to the Mind of Christ is the orderly Exercise of the spiritual Gifts bestowed on it in a Conversation evidencing the invisible Principle of Saving Grace Now these Gifts are conferred on the Church in order unto the Edification of it self in Love Ephes. 4 16. as also the propagation of its Profession in the World as shall be declared afterwards Wherefore both of these sorts have in general the same end or are given by Christ unto the same purpose namely the Good and Benefit of the Church as they are respectively suited to promote them § 6. It may also be added that they agree herein that they have both the same respect unto the Bounty of Christ. Hence every Grace is a Gift that which is given and freely bestowed on them that have it Mat. 13. 11. Phil. 1. 29. And although on the other side every Gift be not a Grace yet proceeding from gracious Favour and Bounty they are so called Rom. 12. 6. Ephes. 4. 7. How in their due Exercise they are mutually helpful and assistant unto each other shall be declared afterwards § 7. SECONDLY We may consider wherein wherein the Difference lyes or doth consist which is between 〈◊〉 spiritual Gifts and sanctifying Graces And this may be seen in sundry Instances As 1. SAVING Graces are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Fruit or Fruits of the Spirit Gal. 5. 22. Ephes. 5. 9. Phil. 1. 11. Now Fruits proceed from an abiding Root and flock of whose Nature they do partake There must be a good Tree to bring forth good Fruit Mat. 12. 33. No external Watering or Applications unto the Earth will cause it to bring forth useful Fruits unless they are Roots from which they spring and are educed The Holy Spirit is as the Root unto these Fruits the Root which bears them and which they do not bear as Rom. 11. 18. Therefore in order of Nature is he given unto Men before the production of any of these Fruits Thereby are they ingrafted into the Olive are made such Branches in Christ the true Vine as derive Vital Juice Nourishment and Fructifying Vertue from him even by the Spirit So is he a Well of Water springing up unto Everlasting Life John 4. 14. He is a Spring in Believers and all saving Graces are but Waters arising from that Living overflowing Spring From him a Root or Spring as an internal Vertue Power or Principle do all these Fruits come To this end doth he dwell in them and abide with them according to the promise of our Lord Jesus Christ John 14. 17. Rom. 8. 11. 1 Cor. 3. 16. whereby the Lord Christ effecteth his purpose in ordaining his Disciples to bring forth Fruit that should remain John 15. 16. In the place of his Holy Residence he worketh these Effects freely according to his own will And there is nothing that hath the true Nature of saving Grace but what is so a Fruit of the Spirit We have not first these Graces and then by vertue of them receive the Spirit for whence should we have them of our selves but the Spirit bestowed on us worketh them in us and gives them a Spiritual Divine Nature in conformity unto his own § 8. With Gifts singly considered it is Otherwise They are indeed Works and Effects but not properly Fruits of the Spirit nor are any where so called They are effects of his operation upon Men not Fruits of his working in them And therefore many receive these Gifts who never receive the Spirit as to the principal ends for which he is promised They receive him not to sanctifie and make them Temples unto God though Metonymically with respect unto his outward Effects they may be said to be made partakers of him This renders them of a different Nature and kind from Saving Graces For whereas there is an Agreement and Coincidence between them in the respects before mentioned and whereas the Seat and Subject of them that is of Gifts absolutely and principally of Graces also is the Mind the difference of their Nature proceeds from the different manner of their Communication from the Holy Spirit § 9. Secondly Saving Grace proceeds from or is the effect and fruit of Electing Love This I have proved before in our Enquiry into the Nature of Holiness See it directly asserted Ephes. 1. 3 4. 2 Thes. 2. 13. Acts 2 41. Chap. 13. 48. Whom God graciously chuseth and designeth unto Eternal Life them he prepares for it by the Communication of the Means which are necessary unto that end Rom. 8. 28 29 30. Hereof Sanctification or the Communication of saving Grace is comprehensive for we are chosen unto Salvation through the Sanctification of the Spirit 2 Thes. 2. 13. For this is that whereby we are made meet for the Inheritance of the Saints in Light Col. 1. 12. The End of God in Election is the Sonship and Salvation of the Elect unto the praise of the Glory of his Grace Ephes. 1. 5 6. And this cannot be unless his Image be renewed in them in Holiness or Saving Graces These therefore he works in them in pursuit of his Eternal purpose therein But Gifts on the other hand which are no more but so and where they are solitary or alone are only the Effects of a temporary Election Thus God chuseth some Men into some Office in the Church or unto some

his Goodness Kindness and Love AND the Consideration of these things belongs unto us It is our Wisdom and Duty to consider as well the Ways and Degrees of the Spirit 's Departure from provoking Sinners as those of his approach unto us with Love and Grace THESE latter have been much considered by many as to all his great Works towards us and that unto the great Advantage and Edification of those concerned in them For thence have they learned both their own State and Condition as also what particular Duties they were on all Occasions to apply themselves unto as in part we have manifested before in our Discourses about Regeneration and Sanctification AND it is of no less Concernment unto us to consider aright the Ways and Degrees of his departure which are expressed to give us that Godly Fear and Reverence wherewith we ought to consider and observe Him David on his Sin feared nothing more than that God would take his Holy Spirit from him Psal. 51. 11. And the fear hereof should influence us into the utmost Care and Diligence against Sin For although he should not utterly forsake us which as to those who are true Believers is contrary to the Tenor Promise and Grace of the New Covenant yet he may so withdraw his Presence from us as that we may spend the Remainder of our days in Trouble and our years in Darkness and Sorrow Let him therefore that thinketh he standeth on this account also take heed lest he fall And as for them with whom he is as it were but in the Entrance of his Work producing such Effects in their Minds as being followed and attended unto might have a Saving Event he may upon their Provocations utterly forsake them in the Way and by the Degrees before mentioned It is therefore the Duty of all to serve him with Fear and Trembling on this account And SECONDLY It is so to take heed of the very Entrances of the Course described Have there been such Evils in any of us as wherein it is evident that the Spirit is grieved as we love our Souls we are to take Care that we do not vex him by a continuance in them And if we do not diligently and speedily recover our selves from the first the second will ensue Hath he been grieved by our negligence in or of Duties by our Indulgence unto any Lust by Compliance with or Conformity to the World let not our continuance in so doing make it his Vexation Remember that whilst he is but grieved he continues to supply us with all due means for our Healing and Recovery He will do so also when he is yet vexed But he will do it with such a mixture of Anger and Displeasure as shall make us know that what we have done is an evil thing and a bitter But have any proceeded further and continued long thus to vex him and have refused his Instructions when accompanied it may be with sore Afflictions or inward Distresses that have been evident Tokens of his Displeasure let men Souls rouze up themselves to lay hold on him for he is ready to depart it may be for ever And THIRDLY We may do well to consider much the Miserable Condition of those who are thus utterly forsaken by him When we see a Man who hath lived in a plentiful and flourishing Condition brought to Extream Penury and Want seeking his Bread in Rags from Door to Door the Spectacle is sad although we know he brought this Misery on himself by Profuseness or Debauchery of Life But how sad is it to think of a Man whom it may be we knew to have had a great Light and Conviction to have made an amiable Profession to have been adorned with sundry useful Spiritual Gifts and had in estimation on this account now to be despoiled of all his Ornaments to have lost Light and Life and Gifts and Profession and to lye as a poor withered Branch on the Dunghill of the World And the sadness hereof will be encreased when we shall consider not only that the Spirit of God is departed from him but also is become his Enemy and Fights against him whereby he is devoted unto irrecoverable Ruin ERRATA Page 101. line ult dele The End of the First Part in the Title-page following blot out Being the Second Part of in some of the Titles blot out the s at VVorks p. 105. l. 3. blot out Part II.