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
A56801	A beam of divine glory, or, The unchangeableness of God opened, vindicated, and improved : whereunto is added, The soul's rest in God / by Edward Pearse ; to which is prefixed the author's last letter, written in the time of his sickness to some peculiar friends.	Pearse, Edward, 1633?-1674?	1674 (1674)	Wing P970; ESTC R32172	116,330	239

the Nature or Life of the Soul they are carnal sensible things and so are suitable to the flesh and sensual part and are pleasing to it but they have nothing suitable in them to an immortal Spirit nothing that an eternal Soul can feed upon the Body may as soon feed upon Air and Ashes as the Soul upon Creatures But now in God there is that Good that is every way suitable to the Soul to the Nature Life and Wants of the Soul the Soul is of a Spiritual Nature and God is a Spiritual Good God is a Spirit Joh. 4.24 The Soul is of a vast capacity 't is next to Infiniteness in its capacity and desires and God is a vast and comprehensive Good having as has been shewn all good in him Without suitableness in the Object to the faculty there can be no Rest Would you have an original independent Good such a Good is God Dulcius ex ipso fonte petuntur aquoe Waters drink most pleasantly at the Fountain-head In God you have all Good all Sweet all Comfort at the Fountain-head Hence he is said to be a Fountain of Living Waters and the Creatures broken Cisterns Jer. 2.13 the Fountain has all in and from it self but Cisterns you know have no more than is put into them all that Good that is in God he has it in and from himself but the Creatures yea the best of Creatures Angels themselves not excepted have no more than he puts into them Now how much is the Fountain to be preferred before a Cistern Would you have a pure and an unmixed Good Gold that has no Dross Wine that has no Water in it such a Good is God God is light and in him there is no darkness at all 1 Joh. 1.5 All things on this side God have their mixtures they have a dark as well as a bright side all this Wine is mixt with Wormwood this Gold with Dross Who of us did ever meet with the Creature-Injoyment that had not many allayes the sweetest Rose has its prickles and the rarest Beauty its spots among the Creatures but now God is every way a pure and an unmixed Good he is all Light Life Love Holiness and the like Would you have a sweet and satisfying Good Such a Good is God yea indeed there is infinite sweetness and satisfaction to be found in him he can infinitely delight ravish solace and satisfy the Soul for ever O how sweet how satisfying are the Sights of God the Tastes and Descents of his Love what an Heaven does one sight of God one descent of his Love make in the Soul David casting his eye upon God as his in Covenant is even ravished with it and cryes out the lines are fallen to me in pleasant places I have a goodly Heritage Psal 16.5 6. and elsewhere we read of Pleasures of Rivers of Pleasures of Satisfaction of abundance of Satisfaction and all as that which Souls do or may find in God and communion with God Psal 36.8 and David over and over tells you of Sweetness and Satisfaction and Satisfaction as with Marrow and Fatness in but the very thoughts and meditation of God Psal 63.5 6. and Aug. I remember speaking of God and to him often breaks out into such language as this O my God my Life Deus meus Vita mea Dulcedo mea c. my Sweetness O Sirs holy Souls who live in Communion with God will tell you that there is no sweetness like that in God no Love like his Love no Comforts like his Comforts They will tell you that one sight of God one sensible token of his presence in the Soul has more solace and sweetness in it than al the delights of this world yea than many Worlds and they accordingly chuse and desire it Oh how sweet is it to be led into the Banquetting House by Christ and there have the Banner of his Love displayed over us and Flagons of that Wine poured out unto us How sweet is it to have one sight of the King in his beauty how much more to walk and converse with him in his Galleryes How sweet is it with God in his Sanctuary and have him revealing Himself his Love his Beauty his Glory to us O taste and see how good the Lord is Would you have a sure eternal and unchangeable Good a Good that never fades failes nor has any period such a Good is God and God alone From everlasting to everlasting be is God Psal 90.2 But this has been sufficiently spoken to elsewhere Well you see what a blessed Rest God is for Souls Why then should we ever think of looking out any where else for Rest O wretched hearts of ours that will leave this God and go out to a vain World and dying Creatures for Rest and Happiness In a word if God has all that in him which thou needest or art capable of to give thee Rest and Happiness than retire solely to him for it Now what dost thou want or what art thou capable of to give thee Rest and Happiness Dost thou want and desire Life With God is the Fountain of Life Psal 36.9 Dost thou want Peace God is the God of Peace Rom. 16.20 and frequently elsewhere is he so called Dost thou want pardon he is the God of pardons so the words are in the Psalms when he is said to be ready to forgive and you know he has promised to pardon iniquity transgression and sin sins of all sorts and sizes all degrees and aggravations if Souls come to him Heb. 8.12 Dost thou want Grace he is the God of all Grace 1 Pet. 5.10 Dost thou want comfort he is the God of all Consalation Dost thou want Mercy he is the Father of Mercies 2 Cor. 1.3 Dost thou want strength strength to do to suffer to live to die he is the Lord Jehovah with whom is everlasting Strength Isa 26.4 Dost thou want Joy in his presence is fulness of Joy Psal 16.11 Dost thou want Salvation Salvation Temporal Salvation Eternal ●e is the God of Salvation and as such the Church glories in him Psal 68.20 Thus no Rest ●●ke that in God Souls need not look elsewhere for Rest and Happiness for there is all in God alone 4. Consider what a restless World you live in ●nd what a troublesom time you are fallen upon The more restless this World is and the more troublesom the times are which we are fal●●n upon the more we are concerned to take up our Rest in God Now certainly the World was scarce ever more restless nor the times mo●● troublesom than now In Zech. 1.11 we rea● of a time when the whole World was at Rest excepting only the Church of God but 't is eve● quite contrary now for now the whole World Church and all are in a restless troublesom state We see and hear of little but Wars and rumours of Wars and as 't was of old destruction upon destruction is cryed and what and when the end

God is unchangeable in all the special saving Fruits and Effects of his Love to his People Rom. 11.29 the Gifts and Calling of God are without repentance that is the Gifts of his effectual Calling or his saving Gifts such as effectual Calling and the like shall never be repented of never be recalled or reversed by him as they who receive those Gifts will have no cause to repent but to rejoice in them for ever so God who gives them will not repent that he gave them to them God gives Christ he gives Grace he gives Peace he gives Pardon he gives Righteousness he gives Salvation he gives eternal Life to his People and all out of his love to them and he never recalls or reverses these Fruits and Effects of Love You have another full Text for this Jam. 1.17 Every good and every perfect Gift is from Above and cometh down from the Father of Lights with whom is no variableness nor shadow of turning Mark haveing spoken of the perfect gifts of God presently he adds with whom is no variableness as if he should say as all good and saving Gifts come from God so he is unchangeable in all Indeed there are common Gifts and Gifts of a meer outward Calling which God out of a common love and bounty gives to men and these many times he recalls they not improving them so the Talent was taken from the slothfull Servant Mat. 25.28 and you know what Christ speaks immediately thereupon v. 29. Vnto every one that hath shall be given and he shall have abundance but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath Pray observe To him that hath shall be given that is who ever God hath bestowed Gifts and Talents upon and he improves them for God and his own Salvation he shall have more Gifts and more Talents he shall have an abundant encrease of these things But from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath Here seems to be a contradiction Him that hath not and yet what he has the meaning in short is this That when God bestowes such and such Gifts and Talents upon a person to be imployed for his Glory and he does not so imploy them he does not rightly use and improve them what God hath bestowed upon him shall be taken away But 't is otherwise with the saving Gifts and Fruits of God's special Love these God never recalls which is a sweet contemplation Soul Hath God bestowed some of his saving Gifts upon thee then they are thine for ever Has he given thee his Christ he will never repent of it never call him back again but sweet Jesus is thine for ever Has he given thee his Spirit He will never repent of it nor will he ever recall this blessed Gift from thee the holy good and glorious Spirit is thine for ever Has he given thee a new and spiritual Life Has he given thee Grace Pardon Righteousness Justification and the like He will never repent of it all these are thine for ever O how sweet is this to contemplate thou mayest sit down and say Christ is mine the Comforter is mine Life Peace Pardon Righteousness Salvation are all mine and that for ever 3. God is unchangeable in the real designs and workings of his Love I say real though not sensible God's Love to his People may be suspended and interrupted as to the sensible influences and manifestations thereof but yet even then 't is active and really at work for them however the outward dispensation may vary now smile then frown now lift up then cast down now fill then empty now form light then create darkness yet in all still he goes on in one even constant tenure of love towards them in all his love is at work for them and towards them and he intends and designs them as much love in one as in the other and accordingly first or last effects and accomplishes it and this is but agreeable to his Covenant with them and promise to them Jer. 32.40 I 'le make sayes he to his People an Everlasting Covenant with you never to turn away from you to do you good And All things shall work together for good to them that Love God Rom. 8.28 Whatever God does with us however he seems to carry it towards us yet stil he is doing us good and acting his love towards us We as an Holy Man speaks are apt to think that God shews us love when he doth some great thing for us but faith he God is alwayes acting out his Love towards us when he frowns as well as when he smiles when he withdraws as well as when he approaches to us In a word Soul whatever God does there is love in it and he designs thee love and good by it Does he smile give fill keep alive draw near to thee In all there is love his special love works and runs through all or does he frown take empty kill hide his face In all this there is love yea the the same special love of his works in all and runs through all God is acting out his Love to thee in the one as well as in the other O how sweet is this Death to the People of God comes from the same Fountain of Love in God's heart that Life does CHAP. IV. Which gives an account why or whence it is that God is Unchangeable THat God is unchangeable as also wherein you have already seen That which falls next under consideration is to shew whence it is that God is indeed thus unchangeable or if you will what Basis and Foundation the unchangeableness of God is built upon 't is built upon a three-fold Basis or Foundation 1. The infinite purity and simplicity of his Nature 2. The infinite excellency and Perfection of his Being 3. The infinite extent and compass of his Wisdom 1. The unchangeableness of God is built upon or springs from the infinite purity and simplicity o●●●s Nature God my Beloved is a most pur●●●st He is a Spirit an Infinite Spirit Joh. ●●●4 and so an infinitely pure simple unco●●●unded Being and therefore unchangeable God says a learned Man is a most simply and perfectly pure Act Deus est simplissimè perfectissimè purus actus omnis compositionis expers ideoque nec dissolvi nec corrumpi nec senescere potest Sca. free from all composition and therefore cannot possibly be dissolved corrupted or wax old and decay And Austin I remember founds God's unchangeableness upon this ground or Basis * Tu solus es Deus id quod neque in melius neque in deterius commutari potest quia solus simpliciter es Aug. Thou only art God sayes he and canst not be changed either into a better or worse Being than what thou art because thou art a most pure and simple Being Men and so other Creatures have their mixtures and compositions they are compounded and made up of different Elements Qualities

doctrinal Corollaries or Deductions from the consideration of God's Unchangeableness HAving thus far asserted opened and vindicated the Unchangeableness of God our next work shall be to deduce some useful Corollaries or Conclusions thence and indeed many things of weight and very momentous to us may be drawn from what has been said As 1. See here the Glorious Excellency and Perfection of God and that he is infinitely distinguisht from all the creatures in Dignity and Glory God my Beloved is every way above and distinguisht from the creatures He is the excellent Glory 2 Pet. 1.17 and there is hardly any thing wherein his Glorious Excellency and Perfection does more brightly illustriously and transcendently appear and shine forth than in his Unchangeableness The Creatures are all changeable one way or other the Heavens and the Earth with all the furniture of the one and the other are changeable they shall perish yea all of them shall wax old like a Garment and be changed as a Vesture Psal 102.26 The day is coming wherein all these shall be dissolved 2 Pet. 3.10 11. Men also they are changeable they indeed are Changeableness it self as it were they are changeable in their Nature and changeable in their Condition changeable in their Spirits and changeable in their Wayes changeable in their Counsels and changeable in their Comforts changeable in all they are unstable as water as 't is said of Reuben Gen. 49.4 Great Men are changeable Psal 62.9 Yea good Men are changeable the best Men are changeable the best Men at their best in this world are changeable Verily every man at his best estate is altogether vanity that is subject to change Psal 39.5 Men are not to day what they were yesterday nor will they be to morrow what they are to day yea Men are to day and to morrow they are not so changeable are they Yea the Angels the Blessed Angels themselves are changeable God puts no trust in his Saints and his Angels he charges with folly Job 4.18 that is with possible though not actual folly with change and folly in their Nature though not in their Condition there is my Beloved a peccability in the very Angels I mean in their Nature The best of Creatures in themselves are subject to the worst of changes the glorious Angels are in their Nature capable of sinning indeed in their Condition they are not being confirmed in both all Holiness and all Happiness by the grace of the Second Covenant but in their Nature they are Hence that saying of one of the School-men Cuicunque Creaturae hoc convenit ut peccare non possit hoc habet ex dono gratiae non ex conditione naturae Aquin. Whatever Creature there is that is impeccable and cannot sin he has not this from himself or in his Nature but from the Gift of free Grace Thus all the Creatures are changeable but God is unchangeable he is for ever the same And O how glorious does this speak him to be And how does it distinguish him from all the Creatures in Perfection and Glory The truth is this is a glorious Excellency and Perfection in it self and this puts a lustre and glory upon the Excellencies Perfections of God for this as one speaks is an Attribute which like the silken string through the Chain of Pearl runs through all the rest and puts a glory upon all God's Holiness would not be half so glorious were it not unchangeable Holiness his Love would not be half so sweet were it not unchangeable Love his Justice and Wrath would not be half so terrible were it not unchangeable Justice and Wrath Indeed what were any of all his Attributes in comparison were they not unchangeable O! let us learn to see and adore God in this glorious Excellency and Perfection of his 2. From the consideration of God's Unchangeableness we conclude the transcendent excellency of Spiritual Things beyond Carnal Heavenly things beyond Earthly and accordingly we should prize and pursue the one and the other This take for an eternal Rule That the nearer things come to God and the more they resemble him and partake of him the more excellent and desirable they are Indeed as God is the Fountain so he is the Measure and Standard of all true Worth and Excellency and here is nothing that has any real worth or excellency in it any further then it resembles him and partakes of him Now what things do most resemble God and partake of God are they Spiritual or Carnal Heavenly or Earthly surely Spiritual and Heavenly Things God is unchangeable and so in their kind are these as for Carnal and Earthly things they are fading and changeable the best of them are Treasures which moth and rust doth corrupt and which Theives do break through and steal Mat. 6.19 They are all fadeing dying transient things The World passeth away sayes Saint John 1 Joh. 2.17 that is fleeting and perishing 'T is a good Observation which Calvin has upon these words * Quia in mundo nihil est nisi caducum et quasi momentaneum ex eo colligit quam male misere sibi consulant qui hic sibi faelicitatem constituunt praesertim quum al beatam aeternae vitae gloriam nos Deus vocet Calv. Because sayes he in the World there is nothing but what is fading and as it were but for a moment the Apostle thence concludes how ill they consult and provide for themselves who carve out to themselves their happiness here especially when God calls us to the blessed Glory of eternal Life and 't is as if he should say The true happiness which God offers to his Children is eternal and therefore most unworthy is it in us to incumber our selves with this World which together with all its good things will anon vanish away Pray let us lay this Observation to heart The world passeth away that is Riches Honours and Pleasures they all fade and change are short-lived Alas how soon many times do Riches change into Poverty Pleasure into Pain Honour into Disgrace and Contempt Friends into Enemies Fulness into Want there is no stability in any of these things they are subject to change every moment but now Spiritual and Heavenly Things they are lasting and durable they are Treasures which neither moth nor rust doth corrupt nor can Theives break through and steal them Mat. 6.20 The Riches of this World are uncertain Riches vanishing disappearing Riches 1 Tim. 6.17 but the Riches of Heaven and the Covenant of God's Love are certain durable and abiding Riches Grace is a durable Thing the Righteousness of Christ is a durable unchangeable Thing Pardon Justification Acceptation with God through that Righteousness are durable Things Union and Communion with God through Christ these are unchangeable these live and last for ever where attained and being so they do come nearer God they more resemble him and partake more of him than Carnal and Earthly Things do and so are