Selected quad for the lemma: love_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
love_n	death_n	life_n	world_n	5,607	5	4.5010	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A90861	Innocencie appearing, through the dark mists of pretended guilt. Or, A full and true narration of the unjust and illegal proceedings of the commissioners of Berks, (for ejecting scandalous and insufficient ministers) against John Pordage of Bradfield in the same county. In which he is justly vindicated from the unjust and horrid aspersions of blasphemy, divelism or necromancie, scandal in his life, and all things else falsly objected against him by his enemies. Published for the clearing of truth, and the detecting of malice and subtilty, and for the prevention of all mispprehensions that may be caused by any scandalous pamphlets, and false relations of the proceedings in his case. As likewise for the information of all sober-minded Christians touching his judgement in many things of high concernment, and particularly concerning chastity, virginity, apparitions of spirits, visions, communion with the holy angels, the invisible worlds, magistracy, &c. / Written by the said John Pordage.	Pordage, John, 1607-1681.	1655 (1655)	Wing P2967; Thomason E1068_7; ESTC R210422	152,492	125

tincture besides that quickning vertue which by them was communicated and insinuated into the spirits of our outward bodies which like a Cordial had been able to have renewed the strength of our languishing nature 4. Our sense or faculty of tasting was very pleasantly entertained with those invisible dews which were sweeter then hony or the hony-comb and therefore deserve to be called the Dews of Heaven with which instead of food we were many times wonderfully refreshed 5. In relation to the sense of spiritual contaction that was also delighted with its heavenly objects for none can utter that pleasing impression which the burning tincture of this Light World afforded us coming like a hot cordial into the center of our spirits being sensibly felt in the inward parts so as to cause much joy and heavenly pleasure which penetrated thorow our souls giving us occasion to bless praise and magnifie the Lord. Thus for the space of three weeks or a month were we exercised inwardly and outwardly thorow that great conflict which was betwixt those two worlds and their inhabitants the dark world sometimes afflicting us with dreadful shapes abominable smells loathsom tastes with other operations of the evil Angels The light world at other times opening and relieving us with odoriferous perfumes most sweet dews glorious visions and Angelical harmony which the Lord favoured us with to shevv his extraordinary love in thus succouring us in extraordinary exercises and tryals Thus much for those tvvo internal vvorlds spread throughout the visible vvorld in vvhich the evil and good Angels are more immediately then in this visible air to vvhich they cannot be commensurate by reason of their spiritual natures each of them abiding in their distinct principle the one sort being in joy the other being in torment the one in light the other in darkness according to the Scripture But besides these tvvo vvorlds vve had an opening of the eternal vvorld called in Scripture the k 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Heb 2. 5. vvorld to come from the futurity of its full and clear manifestation and a precursory entrance l 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Heb. 10. 19. into the most holy place by a divine transportation into the glory of the Majesty agreeable to that of John 17. 24. Father I will that they also whom thou hast given me be with me where I am that they may behold my glory which thou hast given me c. Here vvere seen heard and selt the unutterable misteries of that kingdom which are not yet to be m 2 Cor. 12. 4. Where it s said that in Paradise Paul heard 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Things or words not to be worded or uttered which it is not lawful for a man to speak divulged in regard of the pride ignorance prejudice and envy of many in the world being reserved for those humble gracious spirits which are waiting in silence for the second coming of the Son of Man Part. 3. But now it is time to come to the third particular which was the effects and impressions left upon our spirits by these wonderful exercises and manifestations After this we began more cleerly to see that straight and narrow way which leads to Life Eternal which we call the Virgin life or the life of purity and righteousness in its perfection being the life of fixed love In any thing short of which The perfection of the Virgin life cannot consist So that meerly to abstain from the concupiscible lustings of Venus under the spirit of this great world is but the life of outward Chastity and but a particular branch of the other For the Virgin life is not attained till the Will of the soul is brought through death to be so passive as to will desire and act nothing but what the Essential essence of love wills moves and acts thorow it for till then the soul cannot be a pure Virgin nor live without all desire lust and imagination which must all cease before the pure life of God can come to be all in all 2. This life of Virginity was placed fore-right as to the inward eye of the minde being that mark of persecution at which we were to aym in our pressing toward the Resurrection of the dead To this Wisdom that eternal virgin Prov. 8. 20. 23. as a leading star invited us calling to follow her in the way of Circumcision Resignation and the Cross in the way of total self-denyal and forsaking of all for her sake in the way of annihilation and conformity to Christs death By which we saw undoubtedly we should come to Christs Resurrection Ascension Glorification and Fixation in the love of the Holy Ghost the third and last dispensation Here we cleerly saw the danger of looking back to the external world and of putting out our imaginations into the inward world or the kingdom of the Dragon or of resting in the openings and delights of the inward light world For by turning back into the delights of the senses we saw the soul would become beastial by turning to the left hand and imagining into the kingdom of the Dragon in awakening the fire of wrath and subtilty divelish and dangerously wicked by turning to the right hand in imagining into and taking too much complacency in the visions illuminations tinctures and Enthusiasms of the light world we saw the soul might become elevated into self-conceit and tinctured with pride and be in danger of neglecting that death of the Cross which is the onely safe path into eternal rest and Fixation Here then we were shewed that the way which lead up to the virginessence The new Jerusalem was strait and narrow as upon the breadth of an hair so that we were to turn no way either on the right or left hand but stand without lust with our eys fixed upon the Being of love pressing forward after fixation in the external house of God there to become immoveable pillars no more to go out but there always to bear the name of God and the name of the City of God which is the new Jerusalem And now for the space of this four years ever since the time of these great manifestations we by the Grace of God have enjoyed the exercise of our spiritual senses which never since have been shut neither ever will be except thorow voluntary transgression and disobedience we apostatise and run back into the earthly nature or turn aside to center in something short of the pure life of virginity which calls us from the external thorow the internal into the Eternal world which is that kingdom prepared for us from the beginning of the world 3. But thirdly after the extraordinary time of Grace and Mercy to us we enjoyed not onely a clear leading convicting light upon our understandings but likewise received from the Lord a stamp and strong impression of power moving our Wills to follow this light through the death of all things to come up into the perfect life and image of

to make a soul question Gods love and to bring it out of a blessed spiritual enjoyment of God into slavish fear and disturbance Art 7. That he might say any thing to the men of the world 1. Part. Ans I answer to the best of my remembrance I never uttered any such unchristian Maxim much less ever held it as my judgement and I confidently believe there is no one on the earth that dare witness it with an Oath 2 Part. Ans I know very well that Mr. Fowler hath been if not the author yet the reporter of my holding this monstrous Tenent for he hath confidently averred and often insinuated into some of the Gentry of this County and into his own Proselytes that I am a Familist and that it is my principle to say or unsay any thing that may make to my own advantage which God knows is a sad scandal and a monstrous untruth and clearly appears to those who know the integrity of my Principles and conversation to be a blur cast upon me from the contrivance of subtile Machiavillian Policy to prejudice all I say or answer to those horrid things objected against me For if this be once setled in those who are my Judges it is vain for me to answer deny or avow any thing But the Lord forgive my adversary for this his unchristian dealing and grant he may repent of it before he comes to give up his last account before the great Tribunal of Christ Art 8. That I asserted I knew nothing to the contrary but that a man might company with more then one woman being taxed for keeping carnal company with a woman in London Ans I never kept scandalous company with any woman in London neither was I ever taxed for any such thing except once by Mistriss Grip who I believe is the Witnesse against me and that upon this occasion At the time I had my former conference with her the heat of her passion being over she told me that I was also taxed for keeping of carnal company with a woman in London I replyed I am a man born to all kind of sufferings and told her that she saw and knew the manner of my conversation asking her whether she believed it and she answered No truely and then I solemnly protested the contrary And this was all the taxing I ever had from any one at which time I was earnest with Mrs. Grip to discover to me from whom she heard it but she put me off telling me she did not believe it and that she would tell me some other time But from that long discourse I had with her fearing as I said before she was deeply tinctured with the Principles of Antinomianism and not knowing whether she might not be tainted with some notions of Rantism which at that time were every where frequently discourst of I took this occasion to try her telling her as near as I remember that there were som that affirm'd they knew nothing to the contrary but that a man might company with more then one woman but to speak the truth she let it fall without seeming to approve of any such thing And this I solemnly avow to be the truth as near as I can remember And I believe Mrs. Grip dare not swear that I maintained any such thing as my judgement or produced one Scripture or Argument to defend it I profess to the whole world in the presence of that eye that seeth through all hearts that all such loose principles which turn the grace of God into wantonness and that run opposite to the Laws of Morality Civility Modesty and Sobriety or that any waies indulge wantonness and lasciviousness are as inconsistent with my Principles as heaven and hell light and darkness are opposite one to another which will one day clearly appear to the world whatever I am now thought of Art 9. That he hath frequent and familiar converse with Angels Ans As this Article is presented in general terms without expressing whether the Communion be visible or invisible I do not see how it can touch me though my enemies were my Judges because every true Christian hath frequent communion or converse with Angels as you may see solidly and clearly proved from Scripture by the Lord Lawrence one very learned and pious now President of the Lord Protectors Councel in his Book Entituled Our Communion and Warr with Angels Art 10 11 12 13. Concerning the Vision of a Dragon and the Apparition of Spirits Ans 1. I may deny these four Articles as they are taken together and expressed in those terms and in that manner in which they are set down in my accusation for I believe none dare swear the measures and teeth of the Dragon with the appearance of my own Angel c. without the crime of perjury Ans 2. I will not confess any Apparitions in particular till they be proved lest I should seem to accuse my self they being brought in as a crime against me and as instruments to condemn me Yet in general I acknowledge that some four years since there were many strange and wonderfull apparitions seen in my house But what can these in justice amount to though attested by oath and confessed particularly by my self when brought before those who profess themselves Christians and acquainted with the History of the holy Scriptures Pray was not Iob a pious sincere and eminent righteous man yet how was he scared with Dreams and terrified through Visions cap. 7. v. 14. Did not Zachariah the Prophet Rev. 3. see Satan standing at the right hand of Iostuah to resist him Did not Iohn ver 12. in a vision behold a great red Dragon that made Warr against Michael and the holy Angels And was not Christ himself tempted of the Devil by voyce and visions Mat. 4. 6. 8. Now the servant is not greater then the Lord Iohn 15. 20. and therefore not exempted from the like attempts of the Devil I beseech you consider whether this earth be not the place where the Devil walks up and down seeking whom he may devour How then can Bradfield or any other place be exempted from his appearing when God permits and may not all this be for the manifesting of his Glory Goodness and Power And who can tell whose Family may be next exposed by Gods permission to be tryed and proved by the representations of Satan And I desire you seriously to consider how any such apparitions raised by the Devil and permitted by God for his own glory argue me either scandalous ignorant or insufficient Surely it rather argues that he hath blest me with a strong faith in that he permitted such great tryals and made me instrumental to overcome them by prayer and fasting If it can be proved that I ever so much as looked toward the unlawfull Art of Black Magick or that any evil Spirits were raised up by any compact of mine explicite or implicite or that those evil apparitions were subdued and overcome by

my relating to some that were wise and knowing what I heard from another with much grief to my soul makes me any way culpable or guilty Art 3. That the bloud of Christ was not meritorious of any mans salvation Ans I call heaven and earch to witness that such thoughts never entred into my soul nor did such words ever come out of my mouth For my judgement ever hath been and still is that the bloud of Christ is satisfying reconciling cleansing bloud that it is interceding redeeming meriting bloud in relation to all those who through faith and patience come to inherit eternal life Art 4. That it was a poor thing to live upon the bloud of Christ and fetching it over again in a contemptuous kind of speaking Pish said he thou art a babe thou knowst nothing to live upon the bloud of Christ is a poor thing 1. Part. Ans I acknowledg that about four years since such expressions were uttered by me to one Mrs. Grip but without any such intent as may be supposed by my accusers and not with that circumstantial aggravation of repeating it in a contemptuous manner which is but a supposition of my adversary and cannot be attested by an Oath without this Witness pretends infallibly to know my thoughts and purposes 2. Part. Ans Again this being spoken to a particular person on a particular occasion might be true if the circumstances of the discourse were accordingly added though as here presented it seems very monstrous 3. Part. Ans Therefore to make things clear I shall here insert some particular circumstances which may present this Article though in a new yet true face I coming to Mrs. Grips house she took me into a private room to have some conference with me alone where she brake forth into a violent passion of tears weeping and wringing her hands and pouring sorth bitter complaints and invectives against Mr. Fowler as that he was a graceless man a Lyer a Slanderer not worthy to come up into a Pulpit or to have the name of a Minister of Christ with other such bitter expressions The cause of which was as she then told me Mr. Fowlers reporting about that she then lived in Adultery and after her passion was somewhat allayed she brake forth into these or such like expressions of high assurance Christ hath loved me and dyed for me and justified me by his bloud from all guilt of sin I am an elect person a justified person and what is this Fowler to charge sin upon me These and other expressions fell from her to this purpose from some of which I feared she was drenched with Antinomianism and told her more then once it was a poor thing to live upon the bloud of Christ and to look so much upon that except she had the nature of Christ and the Spirit of Christ asking her where was the meekness of Christ and the patience of Christ to suffer as an innocent lamb quietly but still she crying out she lived on the bloud of Christ I told her it was a poor thing to be thus exalted with notions of the bloud of Christ without mentioning sanctification and those holy graces which flow from Christs nature dwelling in the soul Now by these expressions of mine my scope was to make Mrs. Grip see the necessity of sanctification and of a pure and holy life and not to make void the blessed effect of the bloud of Christ applyed according to the mind of God and the true meaning of the Scripture And now having related the circumstances as near as I can remember I believe a sober and knowing Christian will not judge me either scandalous or ignorant for these expressions Art 5. That one speaking to me of the glorious persons in the Trinity I replyed pish there is no such thing as persons in Trinity 1. Part. Ans I doe here profess and avow from the sincerity of my heart That I believe the Trinity of persons as an Article of my faith viz. That there are three persons distinct from each other the person of the Father the person of the Son the person of the Holy Ghost yet not so as to prejudice the unity in essence and I so believe the unity as not to confound the Trinity of persons 2. Part. Ans I never uttered such expressions in that way as to give any just ground of suspition of my denying the Trinity But I remember about four years since being before the Committee of Berks Mr. Fowler or Mr. Gilbert I remember not which desired the Committee to give them liberty to ask me two or three questions amongst the rest they asked me whether there were three persons in the Deity I answered them I believed the Trinity as it is recorded in 1 John 5 7 There are three that bear record in heaven the Father the Word and the Holy Ghost Thus you see I believe the Trinity But doe you believe the Trinity of persons said they I replyed I find not the term Persons in the Text but to put you out of doubt I do not stumble at the word Person And this afterward I told to the above-mentioned Mrs. Grip in a private conference some years since to whom I affirmed that I found no such expressions as persons in Trinity in the Scripture and that the word Person being a School-term was very difficult to be apprehended by common capacities but I never spake thus to prejudice the true notion of the persons in the sacred Trinity which I do cordially believe but only to shew that ordinary Christians should not be too curious in prying into that deep mystery of the three persons in the Trinity but rather content themselves with what the Scripture plainly affirms of the Father Son and Holy Ghost as distinct yet one But to conclude this Answer pray consider what hard measure it is thus to pick a broken sentence out of a long discourse and so to accuse one without relating the circumstances which might serve to clear what otherwise may seem very strange to prejudiced persons Art 6. That it was a weakness to be troubled for sin Ans I do not remember that any such expression as this ever dropped from my mouth either publiquely or privately and I am perswaded that none one dare assert it with an oath which if they did would not make much to the purpose for with a charitable qualification it might thus be made forth That 't is a weakness for one to be troubled for sin who hath the assurance of Gods love his sin pardoned his person justified sanctified and his will converted from and crucified to sin for such a one should be triumphing in the power of faith and love enjoying sweet heavenly communion with God and saying O death where is thy sting and there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus who walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit Whereas trouble for sin thus pardoned and mortified may be an engine of Satan