Selected quad for the lemma: soul_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
soul_n	blood_n	life_n	lord_n	4,921	5	3.7317	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A89645	A little starre, giving some light into the counsels and purposes of God revealed in the Scriptures. Or A catechisme, wherein these ensuing principles. 1. What God is, and how he manifests himselfe. 2 Why he made the world and man. 3. Mans condition, what, 1. by creation. 2. By his fall. 3. By being restored by Jesus Christ. 4 The uses and ends of the law. 5. What the Gospell is. 6. Justification what it is. 7. Sanctification what, and how it is wrought. 8. What repentance is. 9. The use and ends of the Scriptures. 10. What true prayer is. 11. Baptisme, and the Lords Supper, why, and how used. 12. Generall redemption what, and how to be adjudged of. 13. Resurrection and judgement what. 14. Heaven and Hell what, in truth and misterie. All which are briefly by way of question and answer opened and explained. / By VVilliam Mason.	Mason, William, Anabaptist.	1653 (1653)	Wing M948; Thomason E1505_1; ESTC R208669	86,553	204

were willing to use all means and content to stoop to weak Faith and mean capacities so that they could winne any to Christ Q. But the Apostle Paul writing to the Corinthians tels them that he had received of the Lord that which he delivered unto them For having blamed them for their abuse of that Ordinance comes at length to certifie them in the true and right use thereof saying that the end of it was to shew forth the Lords death till he come And further shewes the danger of unworthy receiving and Gods hand already upon them for the same Doth it not hereby appear very plaine that the Lords Supper is used from Christs own command and is dangerous either to omit or else to receive the same unworthily A. True indeed the Apostle writes these very words to the Corinthians but withall he shewes the reason why he deals thus tenderly with thnm 1 Cor. 3. 1 2 3 4. because he could not speak unto them as Spirituall he could not speak unto them how they should enjoy Christ and be made one with him in the Spirit for they were yet babes and apprehended nothing of Christ but what was held forth unto them in visible demonstrations or outward and carnall ordinances I have fed you saith he with milk and not with meat for ye are not yet able to beare it for ye are in a great measure Carnal and walk not in the Spirit but according to man or as men Where the Apostle shews that there be degrees of attainments among the Saints There be Children and there be Men. 1 Cor. 14. 20. There be Saints that be in a great measure Carnal and there are Saints that be Spiritual The Apostle John in his 1 Epist 2. Cap. 12. 13 14. Verses speaks of three degrees of attainments Little Children Fathers and young Men. Little Children are such as are weak in Faith and under many feares and doubts Fathers are such as have attained to a higher degree of the knowledge of God in the mystery of Christ Young Men are they that know their Union with the Father in the Sonne and who also live in this Union and are carried forth in the strength of the same to overcome Sinne and Satan and the World c. Now these Corinthians were Children and therefore the Apostle feeds them with Milk Christ is very tender of his Lambs he will carry them in his bosome if they cannot goe he willead them by the hand if they cannot digest strong meat he hath Milk for them he will not suffer one of them to perish or to miscarry But Children are not alwayes Children they grow in time to be Men and then they put away childish things For while they are Children and use Milk they are unskilfull in the word of Righteousnesse or mistery of Christ But when they come to a full age then they are able to use strong meat or understand mysteries their sences being exercised to discern both good and evill Now to these Children the Apostle commends Christs practice to his Disciciples in their weak and sad estate saying that there by they might be put in mind of Christs death till he come Intimating thereby that though they were yet babes and carnal and so not able to apprehend their union with Christ in the Spirit yet the time would come that Christ should appear in their hearts in a more glorious manner and then they should see him and know him in the Spirit with farre more comfort delight and satisfaction than in or by any outward or fleshly Ordinances whatsoever And that this comming of Christ is so to be understood is plain from his own words when he telleth his Disciples That he will not drink any more of the fruit of the Vine untill the day that he drink it new with them in his Fathers Kingdome Where he declareth very plain that though now he condiscended to their weakness and gave them those visible elements as signes and pledges that his love was very great towards them in thus dying for them yet when the Kingdome of God should come or that he himself come into their hearts in the spirit or comforter which was fulfilled in the day of Pentecost then they should be enabled to know and apprehend the love of God in and through him more than by any outward observations Yea those heavenly joyes and spirituall consolations arising from the love of God in Christ Jesus shed abroad in the soul should be abundantly more full of delight and satissaction unto them than the drinking of Wine For his Love is better than Wine To dwell in the use of outward Ordinances to put us in mind of Christs death is with Mary to stand weeping at the sepulcher when Christ is risen and gone and deserves justly that reproof which she met with in so doing Why seek ye the living among the dead And for that the Apostle tells them the danger of unworthy receiving he seems hereby to rebuke them for or to warn them of two great faults herein the which are also very common among them that rest in outward Ordinances either they make Idols of them and think to attain something by the use of them or else they use them carelesly hand over head not considering what they go about but meerly for custome and so prophane the same For which saith the Apostle God is displeased And indeed this Bread and Cup was as well to teach them their fellowship with Christ in suffering as to put them in mind of his death Ye shall indeed drink of my Cup. And if we suffer with him we shall raigne with him Q. But our Saviour Christ tells the Jews that except they eat the flesh of the Sonne of man and drink his bloud they have no life in them And that whoso eateth his flesh and drinketh his bloud hath eternall life for his flesh is meat indeed and his bloud is drink indeed and whosoever eat thereof shall live for ever Doth it not hence appear that in the partaking of this ordinance of the Lords Supper that the Souls of true believers are nourished and fed up to eternall life A. True indeed our Saviour speaks these words to the Jewes but that he doth not mean nor intend the eating and drinking of Bread and Wine is plainly declared in the same Chapter at the 28 Verse the people aske him What they should do that they might work the works of God He answers them That the work of God is to believe on him whom he hath sent But being carnal and led by sence require a sign saying What sign shewest thou that we may believe For our Fathers under Moses in the desart did eat Manna even bread from heaven and therefore they had reason to harken to Moses But if thou shew no sign nor work no great work why should we hearken to

Gods love in the soul apprehended by faith and is a fruit of faith There is a worldly sorrow which causeth or worketh death being wrought by the apprehension of death or punishment and this is in wicked and unregenerate men fear of death drives them to a kind of repentance yea and the Saints sometimes having attained but a small measure of the apprehension of Gods love in Jesus Christ being under a spirit of bondage and looking upon God as he manifested himself upon Sinai are so filled with fear and terror which causeth abundance of sorrow even mourning and grieving exceedingly because they can grieve no more and that meerly upon this ground that if their sorrow were in any good measure answerable to their sin then they hope that God will pardon them apprehending in themselves and being told so by others that if they doe not soundly repent mourn and grieve for their sinnes heartily and seriously confesse them with a resolution to leave and forsake them that God would not nay could not pardon them and all this from mis-understanding of Scripture as he that hideth his sinne shall not prosper but he that confesseth and forsaketh them shall find mercy and if we confesse our sinnes he is faithfull and just to forgive c. concluding from the very letter of these Scriptures not having the true meaning thereof explained unto them that unlesse they first grieve and mourn and confesse God will not pardon and so goe heavily under this burthen for want of better information but true repentance which is repentance indeed doth not proceed from a bare hope of pardon but from sence of pardon already apprehended for as no man can believe his justification until God hath revealed it to him by Jesus so neither can any man repent truly and indeed untill he first understand and believe that God for Christs sake hath forgiven him all his trespasses And this repentance is called a repentance unto life or a repentance flowing from life or evidencing life and life which is Christ is very desireable unto all them who have but the least sence or taste of it and it is also active wheresoever it is and puts men upon all enquiries what must we doe that we may have life those Converts in the Acts had but a little before been very forward in the crucifying of Christ and denied him in the presence of Pilate when he was determined to let him goe Yet now when they hear the Apostles preach remission of sinnes in his name and that there is no other name given under heaven whereby they must be saved but the name Jesus onely and that God hath advanced him on high and given him all power to bring all those to life and salvation that desist from their evill wayes and believe in his name Now when they heard this they were pricked in their hearts now Christ who is life began to stirre or act a little in their hearts and now what shall we doe men and brethren that we may have and enjoy more life To whom the Apostle answered repent not that repentance doth purchase pardon but if yee doe indeed believe in Jesus and if he be come into your soules then yee can repent indeed and by your true and sound repentance yee may be assured that your sinnes are forgiven for yee shall receive the gift of the holy Ghost which shall seal the same unto you and it is further said that the same day there were added three thousand soules And for that which the Apostle John saith If we confesse our sinnes he is faithfull and just to forgive c. The Apostle seemes in this place to deal with two sorts of men The one sort are very high in notion and opinion and think themselves to be the men that are in Christ and have fellowship with the Father in the Son and yet notwithstanding they walk contrary to him in their practice nay saith the Apostle that cannot be for God is light and with him is no darknesse at all God is a holy and righteous God and will doe neither can he doe any thing but what is most pure and just and if any say that they have fellowship or communion with him and yet are not conformable to him in holinesse and righteousnesse they lie and doe not the truth and if they say as many doe that they have no sin Christ hath finished transgression and made an end of sin in them so that let them doe what they will they cannot sin they deceive themselves saith he their deceived heart hath turned them aside and there is no truth in them The other sort are such as in whom Christ is revealed but yet in a low degree and these are still in feares and doubts and would gladly know how they may be assured in some comfortable measure of the favour of God and of the pardon of their sins To these he answers If yee walk in the light as he is in the light c. God is a holy God a most pure Spirit with whom is no iniquity and if he by appearing in your soules hath wrought you to a love of purity and holinesse and also to a loathing of all sin and wickednesse then yee may be sure yee have fellowship with him and the bloud of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth you from all sin But if they further say as many a poor soul doth yea but we find that sin is not dead in us but lively and corruptions strong a Law in the members leading us into captivity the good that we would doe we doe not the evill which we would not doe that we doe The Apostle answers your condition is good if God by his Spirit in you hath brought you to see and confesse this yee need not be discouraged for God is a faithful God he never begins a good work but he will perfect it he hath already pardoned your sinnes and he will more and more assure your hearts thereof by cleansing you by degrees from all your corruptions Q. If justification and remission of sinnes be free without any condition desert or desire on our part why then doth our Saviour teach us to pray for it saying forgive our debts And if men be justified and their sinnes be forgiven before they repent then what need have men to repent at all A. Although justification and remission of sinnes be free and undeserved yet it is not presently revealed to the soul so soon as men believe but it is brought home to the soul a little at once by degrees according as they are enabled to believe neither doth the Lord discover himself in his love to all in a like measure for it pleaseth him divers times to suffer many of his dear ones to sit a great while in darknesse and to see but a very little light and to have but a small measure of the comfortable

cleanse from all sin for saith he If we say that we have no sin we deceive our selves and the truth is not in us But if we see our sinnes and confesse that we are sinners his promise is to forgive and to cleanse us from all unrighteousnesse And these things I write unto you to warn you that yee sin not yet neverthelesse if yee be overtaken as who is not be not discouraged for we have an Advocate with the Father even Jesus Christ who is perfectly righteous and he is the propitiation for our sinnes and not for ours onely who are Jewes but for all them that thus have fellowship with him among the Gentiles also in all Nations throughout the whole world And that this Scripture is thus to be understood the Apostle Paul shewes plainly Col. 3. 10 11. Where saith he there is neither Greek nor Jew Circumcision nor Vncircumcision Barbarian Scythian Bond nor Free but Christ is all and in all he doth not mean that Jewes and Greeks c. are all one and Christ is in them all as to every particular person among all these but onely those among them who in the verses before had put off the old man and had put on the new namely such as had mortified their earthly members fornication uncleannesse inordinate affections c. in the 5. vers and had put off anger wrath malice blasphemy filthy communication c. in the 8. vers which were the deeds of the old man and who also were renewed in knowledge according to the Image of God which is Christ the new man in wisdome righteousnesse and true holinesse c vers 10. Among these saith he there is no difference though some of one nation and some of another some bond and some free for they are all one in Christ and he is all to them and all in them Q. But doth not the Prophet Isaiah say That he meaning Christ was wounded for our transgressions and by his stripes we are healed And all we like sheep have gone astray and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all even all without exception And that he made his grave with the wicked and with the rich in his death Whereby it appeares that his death was an undertaking for all good and bad wicked rich men that saw no need of him Where then is the difference Or how can God be said to respect persons A. The Prophet in the former chapter had largely declared what joyfull and glorious dayes should be in the time of the Gospel and exhorted them to rejoyce in the consideration of the same yea and to account the feet of them beautiful that should bring them such good newes And under the Type of the captivity of Babylon whether they should be carried and from whence they should certainly return he prophecieth of their deliverance from the spiritual bondage and thraldome of sin by Jesus Christ who should both deal prudently and also prosper in his designes and though he should appear in a very despicable form as to men and his visage should be marred through sufferings yet he should be exalted and be very high and sprinckle many Nations with his bloud c. But who saith the Prophet will believe this report or to whom shall this arm or power of the Lord even Christ be revealed Why what was the reason Because the people should be very high in expectation and look for such a Christ as should even like David defend them from outward enemies warre and captivity But it was the pleasure of God that Christ should grow up by degrees as a tender plant n otregarded and as a root out of a dry ground which no man looks after to have no beauty or comliness that we should desire him A man of sorrows and griefes from whom all men should hide their saces yet surely saith he he hath borne our griefes and carried our sorrowes he was wounded for our transgressions the chastisement of our peace was upon him and with his stripes we are healed All we like Sheep have gone astray and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all c. But who are they that the Prophet is now speaking to Or who doth he here speak of Is he not speaking to Israel a people whom God did own above all people in the world and whom by an outward choice he had brought near to himself above all Nations whatsoever Yea and moreover was not Israel after the flesh a type of Israel in the spirit for all were not Israel in the spirit which which were so in the flesh Yea and the Prophet often calls them Zion and Jerusalem which doth usually signifie the Saints and Believers in the dayes of the Gospel and in speaking to these he doth figuratively speak of all the Saints who should believe in Christ Now Christ hath for these born and endured sorrowes and griefes for their transgressions was he wounded and his chastisement was their peace and they were healed by his stripes These were his lost sheep of the house of Israel which were gone astray and turned after their own wayes and that they might be reduced and brought home again the Lord said all their iniquities upon him With these he was content to make his grave though they were wicked in themselves that so he might be their righteousnesse and make them righteous in himself yea he emptied himself and lay down in death that they who were rich and full in their own apprehensions might empty themselves lie down in shame and receive of his fulnesse for these did the Lord bruise him and for these was his soul made an offering And to what end was all this That he might see his seed that he might thereby redeem a people from all iniquity and conform them to himself in all holinesse and so present them to the Father in himself spotlesse and blamelesse for this was the good pleasure of the Lord and it was prosperous in the hand of Christ for he did it effectually Yea Christ did prolong his dayes though he died as to the flesh and saw the travell of his soul and the fruit of his sufferings and was satisfied in the same for his bloud was not shed in vain for by his righteousnesse many not all were justified because he bare or suffered for their iniquities therefore God hath exalted him and made him glorious because he poured out his soul to death and bear the sinnes of not all but many Thus this Scripture being duly weighed all men may hence judge whether the Lord by the Prophet intends a general redemption of all without exception or of a peculiar people even mystical Israel whom he hath adopted to himself in Jesus Christ for Sonnes and Daughters for though the Lord be no respecter of persons as to any outward appearance he regards not

partly outward the inward part of the Covenant which was Christ was clouded and very dark as was said before and very little notice taken of it by the greatest part of them But the outward part of it was very plain and easie and they all knew it very well and acted generally according unto it and minded earthly Canaan long life and outward prosperity therein more than heavenly Canaan or the sweet and comfortable enjoyment of God in the lively apprehension of his love and favour But now Christ who indeed is the new Covenant for he is the substance of all those former Covenants being come and having acted his part in the flesh is now revealed in the Spirit for he is that Spirit or power of Gods infinite love proceeding eternally from the Father upon the Son and from the Son upon the Saints and into their hearts and now the Saints look not for Christ in outward observations but in inward and spiritual demonstrations of infinite love shed abroad in their hearts whereby they are transformed and conformed unto Christ their head more and more Neither doe the Saints now look to any outward Covenant for there is no promise made unto them of any outward or temporal things but with persecution and that they shall be contented with their conditions But the Saints look unto Jesus who is the author and finisher of their faith and count it all joy when they are accounted worthy to suffer rebuke for his name And this is the true reason why the Saints walk with God so chearfully and joyfully because they clearly see that they are not justified by or for any work or merit or worth of their own but meerly by the free grace and love of God in and for the righteousnesse of Christ Jesus who is the Lord our righteousnesse both unto justification and also unto sanctification Q. What is justification Or how may sinfull men be said to be justified or made righteous before God A. Justification is an act of Gods free grace and love whereby he through the redemption that is in Jesus Christ hath freely forgiven the sinnes of all his elect and accepts of them in him as perfectly just and righteous But more plainly Justification is that whereby God himself is pleased to condiscend and to cloath himself with our flesh and in our nature and our flesh to fulfill all the righteousnesse of the Law for us and also to subject himself in the flesh to death and curse hereby paying all our debts and satisfying divine Justice on our behalf and so became our righteousnesse for justification All which he hath done freely without any desert or desire on our part Q. But doth not the Scripture say that we are justified by faith What is faith And how are we justified by the same A. There be in Scripture divers kinds of faith mentioned by reason whereof many think that they believe to justification and are deceived for justification is free on Gods part and without any condition at all on our part for if faith were a condition of our justification then it were not free justification being an act of God in his eternal counsell and purpose before the world began if faith were a condition thereof then are we justified for some fore-seen grace in us and not freely by his grace Now faith is neither a meanes nor yet any condition of justification but rather an evidence or demonstration thereof for true faith is that whereby we close with God in the promise of life and salvation in and by Jesus Christ Now this faith is not in us by nature but is wrought in the heart by the manifestation of God in the soul When the Lord is pleased to reveal Christ in the soul and to discover to the same that he is well pleased with him in Jesus and that he hath freely forgiven all his sinnes meerly for the merit and righteousnesse of Jesus and that now he accepts of him as righteous in his beloved Son and that in Christ he hath adopted him to himself to be his Son now when the soul apprehends this then it is thereby enabled to believe it and rests upon it And thus true faith doth not act in the workes of justification but onely believes it when it is revealed in the soul and then believing hath peace with God and can look upon him with comfort and can joy in him in all tribulations Now no man can believe in Jesus Christ untill he be revealed unto him by the Father and according to the measure or degrees whereby God is pleased to discover himself to any man so he can believe or confide in him more or lesse so that it is plain that faith is no meanes or condition of our justification but by faith we believe it and rest confidently assured of it when it is revealed and so have joy and peace in believing Q. But doth not the Scripture say that Abraham was justified by works what say you then of good workes as prayer reading and hearing the word repentance and all other duties of piety and charity are not they required as good meanes of our justification A. The scope of that Scripture is not to declare that Abraham did act any thing in the work of justification for it is said that Abraham believed God and it was accounted to him for righteousnesse and those good works whereby Abraham is said to be justified doe rather declare him to believe and his faith to be a live than any way to act in the matter of justification For faith as is said before doth not justifie but believes it and applies it true faith works by love and shewes what house it comes of by actions of piety and mercy There is a faith which is dead it being nothing else but a perswasion of a carnal heart which is deceitfull and of this many men brag and boast and cry religion religion but they doe not walk in love neither toward God nor men and this faith profiteth nothing or profitable to no man and is no better than the faith of Devils But true faith where it is indeed it proceeds from a holy seed being begotten by the manifestation or discovery of God in the soul and hath for its ground a word of promise not onely without but especially within and is reall and not in imagination so also it acts like it self and is profitable every way First toward God it gives him the glory of all his wisdome power justice mercy and goodnesse when men can say indeed In the Lord have I righteousnesse and in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength when a man can say now I live yet not I but Christ lives in me yea I can doe all things be any thing suffer any thing through Christ that strengthens me I can be abased and I

for us and is gone into heaven there to appear in the presence of God for us And why then are we commanded to pray to the Father in the name of Christ A. Christ is indeed at the right hand of God that is the Lord hath advanced him into his own glory and given him his own power and authority even all power in heaven and earth for God doth not manifest himself in any wise unto the Saints or bestow any thing upon them but in and by Jesus Christ neither can or doe the Saints enjoy God or have any true fellowship with him but in and through Christ so that whatsoever is done in heaven or in earth Christ is the doer of it now Christ dwells in the Saints by his Spirit which is the power of his love proceeding infinitely from the Father unto the Son and from Christ into the Saints and by this Spirit or power of love he quickens them up to prayer and not onely so but also frames and endites their prayers in them according to the will of the Father and so they become acceptable to him for whatsoever Christ doth is well pleasing to God for the Father loveth the Son and the Saints being united to Christ and made one with God in him are hereby brought into the love and favour of God through him And thus he is in heaven appearing in the presence of God for us And for that we are to pray to the Father in the name of Christ it is not meant that we must often use or repeat the name of Christ or in word beg or crave any thing at the hand of God for Christs sake for so a wicked carnal wretch may doe but to pray to the Father in the name of Christ is to pour forth the soul unto the Father in the power and intercession of the Son for God looks not at any thing in all this world but Christ men may be high in gifts and notions and may make admirable prayers for words and sentences and also for method and form but if Christ be not there and if the prayer goe not forth in the Spirit and power of Jesus Christ then the Lord regards it not but loaths it and casts it away as abominable To pray then in the name of Christ is when the soul goeth forth into the armes of Gods love by the Spirit and power of the Lord Jesus who is the Son of his love Q. Seeing that men of themselves cannot pray aright and that the Lord to whom we are to pray knowes our wants before we pray What need have we then to pray A. As men cannot pray of themselves so neither can they live of themselves for the life which the Saints now live in the flesh is not by any power of their own but by the power of Christ living in them so that there is not onely a necessity of life in them in whom Christ lives who is the life but an impossibility of not living In like manner though men cannot pray acceptably by their own power or worth yet if Christ who is the mediator and intercessor live in them there is not onely a necessity of praying but it is altogether impossible that they should not pray Christ being in their hearts the Spirit of supplication and of adoption causing them to cry Abba Father Yea in him they have accesse with boldnesse unto the throne of grace And though the Lord doe know our wants yet he hath commanded us to pray ask and yee shall have c. And yee fight and warre and have not because yee ask not The Lord would have his people to rejoyce but they must pray ask and yee shall receive that your joy may be full Now although the Lord command us to pray he doth not intend that we should make Idols of our prayers and think that we receive for our praying but he doth it that we may know and consider on whom our joy our happinesse yea our very life dependeth and also that he may have the honour and glory of all his goodnesse when we in asking acknowledge him to be the giver of all and that we receive all of grace and not of debt and then it occasions much thankfulnesse when we return him the praise of all his love and bounty and live in the use of his mercies to his praise Q. But is not the Lord said to be an unchangeable God with whom is not the least shaddow of turning and if he have determined to bestow any favour or mercy he will doe it without our prayers and if he have not determined us any good to what purpose should we pray seeing by the same we cannot alter nor change his mind A. Although the Lord be altogether unchangeable and unalterable in his purposes and determinations yet he would have his children make known to him their needs by their requests neither is there the least shadow of change in him when he bestowes mercies and blessings upon them in answer to their prayers for whatsoever good thing he purposeth to his children yet before he bestow it upon them he usually stirreth up their hearts to pray for the same Now the Lord whatever he gives to the Saints he gives it them in Christ and what the Saints pray for they request and beg the same in the Spirit and intercession of Christ for he is the way by which the Lord comes down to us in all good and he is the way also by which we goe up to God in prayer and thanksgiving Now as it is impossible that God should alter his determinations in bestowing of mercies so also is it that the Saints should not pray for blessings and favours being quickened up thereto by the Spirit of Christ living in them so then God is not changed but the change is in the Saints for many times when God entends a blessing his children are not fit to receive the same then he by that Spirit of adoption quickens them up to pray and yet delaies them that by the continual use of this heavenly exercise and by the spirit of judgement and burning their corruptions may be consumed and destroyed and their hearts brought into a more holy and humble frame and they at length by this meanes made fit to receive the mercy Q. If men cannot pray unill they be moved or quickened thereunto by the Spirit how then shall it be known when the Spirit moves or which or when is the most convenient and fittest time for prayer A. That no man is able of himself without the help of the Spirit to make any prayer acceptable to God hath been already shewed prayer being a work of that Spirit of adoption called the Spirit of the Son and is nothing else but an effect of that power in the Son given unto him by the Father men may use