Selected quad for the lemma: nature_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
nature_n	body_n	soul_n	spirit_n	15,742	5	5.7619	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A08025	Iacob's ladder consisting of fifteene degrees or ascents to the knowledge of God by the consideration of his creatures and attributes.; De ascensione mentis in Deum per scalas rerum creatorum opusculum. English	Bellarmino, Roberto Francesco Romolo, Saint, 1542-1621.; Isaacson, Henry, 1581-1654, attributed name.; H. I., fl. 1638.; Marshall, William, fl. 1617-1650, engraver.	1638 (1638)	STC 1839.5; ESTC S122555	138,468	472

a resemblance with GOD his Creator that I know not whether a Man may ascend with more facility to the knowledge of GOD any other way then by the consideration of his owne soule And therefore man is inexcusable if he have not knowledge of him seeing he may attaine to it Gods grace assisting without difficulty by knowing his owne soule First then Mans soule is a spirit for so doe the holy Fathers expound those words in Genesis And the LORD formed Man of the dust of the ground and breathed into his nosthrils the breath of life and Man became a living soule and that of Tobias Command my spirit to be taken from me and that of the Preacher Then shall the dust returne to the earth as it was and the spirit shall returne to GOD that gave it For although the word spirit agreeth to the wind also of which it is said in the Gospel Spiritus spirat ubi vult The wind bloweth where it listeth and in the Psalmes Spiritus procellarum as S. Ierome Wind and storme as our translation yet without doubt that spirit the wind is a most thinne body which for its great subtilty and raritie doth more imitate and resemble the spirituall nature then any other body But the soule of man is properly a spirit not a body neither is it produced or made of any matter but is immediately created by GOD. And here begins the excellencie of the soule in the resemblance to GOD for GOD is a spirit as our Saviour saith and they which worship him must worship him in spirit and truth But though GOD be a spirit and mans soule be a spirit also yet GOD is a spirit uncreated and the Creator and mans but a spirit created by which it followes that there is a great disproportion betweene the spirit which is the soule and the spirit which is GOD. And in this respect how greatly may the soule rejoyce that it is in the kind of a spirituall substance and so of a higher and more noble nature then heaven or the Starres and againe it should be the more humble and obedient to GOD because it was made of nothing and of it selfe is nothing Againe the soule of man because it is a simple spirit is also immortall for it hath nothing in it from whence it may be divided or severed And in this regard how much may it boast above the soules of bruit animals which die with their bodies and so behold and admire the great excellencie of the creator who is not onely immortall but everlasting For the soule of man sometime was not and came to a being by the onely will of GOD and by the will of the same GOD may againe be reduced to nothing although in it selfe it have no beginning of corruption therfore truly said the Apostle of GOD Who onely hath immortality for he onely cannot be dissolved neither by force chance or ought else because it is his property to be he is life it selfe and the fountaine of being and life Thirdly mans soule is endued with the light of understanding for it is not onely able to know and distinguish of colours tasts smells and sounds heate cold hard soft and other things of the like kind which are plaine to the sences of the body but is able to judge of substantialls and of things singular and universall and knoweth not onely things present but can conjecture at things to come transcends the heavens dives into the deep searches effects from causes and from effects hath recourse to causes Lastly by the eye of the mind it comes to the knowledge of GOD himselfe which dwelleth in inaccessible light and this is the light of which Saint John speakes This was the true light which enlightneth every man that cometh into the World which David calls the light of Gods countenance Of the light of the understanding the same Kingly Prophet saith Be ye not like to horse and mule who have no understanding Certainely this is a great priviledge and dignity of the soule by which man becomes like to GOD and unlike the beasts and by this a man may also conjecture of the excellent sublimity of his cre●●●● for though the soule of man be endued with this light of understanding yet GOD is the light and understanding The so●l● as is said runnes from causes to effects and againe from effects to causes and therby hunts as it were with great labour to attain this knowledge but GOD with one aspect and at the first sight knoweth all things The soule understandeth those things which are so that his knowledge depends upon things GOD by his understanding bringeth to passe that things are so that the existence or being of things depends upon his knowledge The soule doth but conjecture of things to come GOD beholds all things past and to come as perspicuously and plainely as if they were present The soule wants many things to exercise the office of its understanding as the object forme fancie and the like GOD wants nothing for essence it selfe is his all things even his owne essence is his understanding Lastly the soule whi●e it is in the body neither seeth GOD the Angels nor it selfe nor any substance though corporeall properly and is deceived in many things is ignorant in many of many things he hath but an opinion and of few things the true knowledge but GOD is ignorant of nothing thinks nothing is never deceived never erreth All things are naked and opened c. Therefore if Man hath such an opinion and esteemeth so much of his knowledge as that according to the Apostle his knowledge puffe him up how much ought he to admire the knowledge of his Creator to whose if mans be compared it is no knowledge but ignorance There is also another kind of knowledge in the soule of Man which consists not in speculation but in action from whence it cometh that there are so many Bookes of Philosophers which treat if vices and vertues so many Lawes of Princes Lawyers and others so many institutions to acquire the art of living well In which appe●●eth mans admirable light of reason by which alone he differs farre from beasts in excellencie but all this is nothing to the eternall Law which is powerfull in the mind of the Creator from whence as from a most plentifull fountaine all other Lawes flow and are derived for there is one Law giver and Iudge which is GOD as St. Iames tells us He is Truth Justice and Wisedome By whom Kings raigne and Princes decree Iustice So that we shall never find out the Art of living well and happily till we come to the Schoole of CHRIST who is the true and onely Master by whose word and example we shall learne that righteousnesse which exceeds the righteousnes of the Scribes and Pharisees yea and of Philosophers too whose end is love out of a pure heart and of a good conscience and

fight with an armie and overcome and kill at one time 185000. as in the case of the Assyrian army If then an Angell can doe these things what can the LORD of Angels doe Certainly he which made all things of nothing can againe reduce all things to nothing A mans mind also by the Art of painting and graving with labour and industry can make mens counterfeits and represent them so to the life that they may be thought to live and breath the Angels without labour hands or instruments in a moment of time can so apt and fit to themselves a body out of the elements that by wisemen it shal be conceived to be a humane body that shall walke speake eate drinke be touched felt and washed So Abraham prepared meat for the Angels and washed their feet and his nephew Lot received Angels as pilgrimes into his house and the Angel Raphael accompanied young Tobias many dayes walking speaking eating and drinking as if he had beene a true and reall man yet he being to leave him said I seemed to eate and drinke with you but I did neither eate nor drinke but you did see a vision and presently vanisht out of their sight Certainely it is a great and admirable power to assume a body presently which shall seeme to differ noth●ng from a humane and living body and to dissolve it at pleasure as sodainely so that no signe of it shall remaine Now if the power of Angels be so great and wonderfull how great is the power of the Creator of Angels who hath given this and what power he pleaseth As the knowledge of Angels and men being compared with the knowledge of GOD is but ignorance and as the righteousnesse of Angels and men compared with the righteousnesse of GOD is unrighteousnesse so all the power of Angels and men compared with the power of GOD is weaknesse and therefore GOD is truely called onely wise onely good and onely mighty 4. Lastly if we consider the place of Angels and the place of men we shall finde also in this respect that man or the soule of man is not onely little lesse but much lesse the Angels For GOD hath given to the soule of man a place in earth but to the Angels a place in heaven in his owne Palace All the whole heavens are the Lords the earth hath he given to the sons of men Hence it is that our Saviour calleth them the Angels of heaven and in anoth●r place Joy shal be in heaven for one sinner that converteth and a little after There is joy in the presence of the Angels of GOD for one sinner that converteth Againe GOD hath so bound the soule to the body as that without the one the other cannot move but GOD hath not tyed the Angels to any body but hath given them power to passe from heaven to earth and from the earth to heaven whensoever they will and that speedily so that an Angel b● the dignity of his nature being neerest to GOD by his subtility also after a sort imitateth the omnipresence of GOD. For GOD is alwaies every where by the immensity of his nature neither needs hee change of place seeing he is every where and an Angell by the swiftnesse of his motion so easily passeth from place to place and exhibits his presence so easily to all places that in a manner he seemes to be every where If then thou wilt give eare to the LORD of Angels there will be no cause why thou shouldst envie the Angels or their high place or swift motion for not onely thy soule when it shal be loosened from thy body shall be equall with them but also when thy soule shall returne to thy body which Christ shall fashion like to his glorious body with that body thou shalt possesse heaven as thy proper mansion and that body being made a spirituall body it shal be there continually without labour and wearinesse where thy soule will and commands it Thy Lord God will not faile thee in his promise In my Fathers house are many mansions and I goe to prepare a place for you and I will that they be with me where I am c. but where Christ is and what body he hath we know for we confesse every day and say the third day he arose from the dead and ascended into heaven and we know also that his body after his resurrection used to enter to his Disciples the doores being shut and when he left them it was not by walking away but vanishing that is he conveighed his body with so speedy motion from place to place as if he had bin a spirit and not a body But if thou aspire to that place it is necessary that thou first conforme thy selfe to him here thy body to the body of Christs humility and so it will come to passe that Christ will fashion thy body like to his glorious body Againe thou must follow his footsteps for Christ suffered for you leaving you an e●sample that you should follow his steps and what are they St. Peter answers in the next verses That did no sinne neither was there any guile found in his mouth Who when he was reviled reviled not againe when he suffered he threatned not These are the two steps to tract him by from which if thou errest thou hast lost thy way and shalt never come to thy Countrey 1 Thou must doe no evill but suffer and 2dly Thou must doe good and expect none here againe and which is the summe of all thou must love thy neighbour for Gods sake with the true and pure love of amity and not of concupiscence freely not for the retribution of man being contented with Gods recompence which exceedeth all proportion and measure 2 We come now to speake of the dignity of Angels according to grace And in this respect it may be truly also said that God made man little lesse and more then little lesse then the Angels For in the beginning GOD so created every Angell that together with their nature he infused grace as St. Augustine testifies Sooneafter they which cleaved to GOD by love were crowned with glory and blessednesse and they which rebelled and were reprobate fell Therefore their pilgrimage must needs be short and their mansion everlasting if we may call that short distance betweene their creaation and blessednesse a pilgrimage We men in our creation received also grace with our nature but it was in our first parent not in our selves and therefore he falling we all fell In whom all men have sinned as St. Paul saith although by the Mediator of GOD and Man CHRIST IESUS we are reconciled to GOD yet we are condemned to a long banishment and while we are in this body we wander from God for we walke by Faith and not by sight and that which much grieveth good men and those who desire their Countrey is that in the meane time they

they had head heart externall and internall senses and after their manner wisedome and judgement though very unperfect Lastly who could thinke or imagine that in them and other little creatures there should be so great power to pierce into living flesh that not onely they become troublesome to men but that Elephants and Lyons should bee terrified by Gnats and Flyes Great therefore is the Lord and great is his wisedome as in the greatest so in the least of things If that great Prince of Physicians Galen though a heathen admiring the workemanship of GOD brake out into the praise of the Creator what oughtest thou to doe ô Christian who beleevest that he not onely created the bodies of men and other animals but the Heaven Starres Angels and immortall minds of men by his wonderfull wisedome Now the length of this practicall wisedome appeareth in the preservation of things as the latitude in the creation and indeed the great and admirable wisedome of GOD is plainely seene in the preservation and continuance of things created especially of those which are corruptible 1. And truely first if a man would consider in what manner GOD nourisheth and increaseth herbs plants animals endued with life and the bodies of men themselves to preserve them as long as may be it would so astonish him that he could not sufficiently admire Gods wisedome herein for by earth and water he nourisheth herbs and plants and causeth nutriment to passe from the roots to the bodies from the bodies to the boughes from thence to the leaves and fruit in a most admirable manner so also by herbs and fruit and the flesh of creatures he nourisheth other creatures and men themselves and causeth the aliment and nutriment to disperse into all the inward and outward parts of the body with such facility and sweetnesse that it may seeme incredible GOD deales herein as a skilfull and loving Physician that so prepares and fits his drugges as that they may be taken not onely easily but willingly too Our meats are without doubt medicines which unlesse they be often taken we cannot subsist And our loving and wise Physician GOD first of all giveth a good tast and relish to our meats that we may take them with delight then he hath given us great variety that we should not loath it Lastly by diverse alterations in the mouth stomack liver and heart he converts the meate into so subtile and thinne a juyce that without any paine it passeth through all the veynes and pores of the body and to all the parts of the flesh bones and nerves whether we sleepe or wake and without sense of it Philosophers admired the skill and art of nature when they saw and beheld these things but what cunning or art can there be in things inanimate and voyd of sense and reason It is not then the skill of nature but the wisedome of of the Creator who made nature and found out the meanes to doe these things that we ought to admire You may heare Christ the wisedome of GOD speaking in the Gospell Learne how the Lilies of the field doe grow they are not wearied neither spin and a little after If GOD so clothe the grasse of the field c. so that it is not the skill of nature but GOD that makes the Lillies growe and are so clothed as with garments so also the Apostle speakes of the nourishment and increase of living things Neither is he that planteth any thing nor he that watereth but GOD that giveth the increase And if the wisedome of GOD after so admirable a manner feeds nourisheth and preserveth the life of plants and creatures consider if thou canst how he feeds the minds of Angels and men in the eternall life for in earth here we are nourished with earthly food yet prepared by the divine wisedome but in heaven his wisedome is meate and drinke to those who live for ever O thou thrice blessed if thou couldst inwardly understand what this of the Apostle meanes That GOD shal be all in all that GOD the chiefe and infinite good should be food rayment and life and all things to all the Saints thou wouldst then Ioath all present and momentany things and onely relish and seeke after those things which are above But to proceed 2. This also is miraculous that GOD in the preserving and continuing of mans life hath given a continuall and long motion of the least things without wearinesse Men have laboured much and taken great paines in making a clocke in which the wheeles by the force of weights runne without intermission 24. houres what may we then think that the wisdome of GOD doth which causeth the nutritive power to worke in plants and creatures in a perpetuall motion while they live and that the lungs and arteryes should be moved in Man without intermission sometimes 70. yeares or more for of necessity they must move till death and therefore they being necessarily to move in some men 80. or 90. yeares yea 900. before the flood he that admires not this and sees not the wisedome of GOD hereby and worships him not for it certainly wants the light of reason and wisedome 3. Againe though the wisedome of GOD could have brought forth and preserved Herbs and Trees for the sustentation of all things without the labour of men and other creatures and without the help of the office of the Sun and other secondary causes yet would he use the office of those causes and the labour of men and other creatures because they should not consume their time in idlenesse but that all things should exercise their severall faculties and powers Besides GOD also would have some men to be rich others poore that every man might have occasion to live godly and be tyed together in the bond of love that the rich might exercise mercy and liberality the poore patience and humility the rich should need the poore mans labour in tilling the ground feeding his cattell and exercising severall Arts necessary for all the poore should want the rich-mans money to buy them food apparrell and other necessaries for the sustentation of his life and yet the poore hath no cause to complaine against the wisedome of GOD for he who knoweth and loveth all things and men gives unto every one that which hee foresees most profitable to obtaine everlasting life as Physicians prescribe fasting to some patients and to open a veyne to others they tolerate yea command flesh and wine to make them merry and revive their spirits And certainely there are many poore men which in the state of poverty intend those things which are necessary for their salvation who if they had bin rich would have perished eternally and though rich men may be saved if they studied to be rich in good workes and willingly impart with that which they received from God to communicate and not to hoord up yet it cannot be denyed but that the safest and plainest way to