Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	captivity_n	creature_n	point_a	40	3	16.0827	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A90389	An eccho from the great deep: containing further inward openings, concerning divers other things, upon some whereof the principles and practises of the mad folks do much depend. As also the life, hope, safety and happiness of the seed of God, is pointed at; which through many dark, dismall, untrodden paths and passages (as particularly through an unthought of death and captivity) they shall at length be led unto. / Through Isaac Pennington (junior) Esq;.	Penington, Isaac, 1616-1679.	1650 (1650)	Wing P1163; Thomason E618_1; ESTC R206346	113,201	142

thing else Man thinks now he can attain any thing there is nothing either in Heaven above or Earth beneath but he can understand in his proportion according to what of it is represented to him and according as he bends and applies himself to take in the knowledg of it but the bryars and the thorns of the wilderness will teach him otherwise When he is throughly brayed in the mortar though his folly will not depart from him yet his conceit of his wisdom will fall And what will then become of the life in him What would become of the life of the Creature if there were no Sun Where will be his knowledg of good and evil wherewith he doth now so lift up himself judging justifying or condemning as he pleaseth How will he resist his enemies or turn towards his friends when he cannot see or distinguish either Ah poor man poor Christian How doth my spirit bewail that dreadful captivity which thou dost not so much as dream of yet must drink deep of There is no avoyding it it is the Lords interest to put out thy light to put out thy life and it must not be spared There is a double Captivity hastening hastening coming on apace very swiftly though man may account the Lords haste slackness A captivity of the whole Creation a captivity of all Creation a captivity of the old Creature a captivity of the new Creature a captivity of the seed of man a captivity of the seed of God a captivity of the flesh a captivity of the spirit a captivity of the old creaturely life of the reason wisdom understanding of the creature a captivity of the new regenerate life of the life of God sown in the creature I shall onely give a glance at the latter of these because it is here pointed at and is first to take place for God will begin with his people God shall judg his people Judgment must begin at the house of God and the other captivity the captivity of the Creature may go hand in hand with this in them so that their whole captivity perhaps may be wholly ended before God begins with the world They shall lift up their heads because their redemption draweth nigh when destruction is but coming upon others God will say to them Arise shine thy light is come the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee when he is but raising the cloud of darkness yea of gross darkness to cover the earth and the people of the earth with But as they must rise before the world so they must dye before the world they must dye while man remains alive that they may live when death issueth forth to seize upon man And as their Life and Resurrection is far more excellent then ever man can attain to so is their Death and Captivity far more bitter To touch a little at it There is a captivity a great captivity which the spiritual life is subject unto before it entereth into perfect rest Whether this shall befall any in the body or out of the body I know not God knoweth for I know not the way of the spirit in the body nor the way of the spirit out of the body Yet Paul seemeth expresly to affirm concerning some that they should be saved in the Day of the Lord which is the proper time of Salvation yet so as by fire Their works should not be able to endure the fire many of them but should be burnt up yet they themselves notwithstanding their loss by the burning up of their works should be saved yet not perhaps as they think but so as by fire The Soul must be purified throughly purified perfectly purified before it enjoy God it must pass through the fire and if it be not able to endure the fire it cannot but suffer by it both pain and loss Sin may be taken away by imputation but the work of renovation is not so either begun or perfected but by often casting into the fire and by often molding in the fire where the very powers of life are melted and transformed by several steps and degrees into perfection and the process and growth into life is still according to the force and degree of death I have nothing to say concerning a place of Purgatory which the Papists speak of but in this I know not how to be otherwise minded but that the Soul must be throughly purged of all its dross before it enter into perfect union and communion with God and the Apostle seemeth to intimate that some shall not be so purged until the Day of the Lord which is the proper time for the letting out of that fire for the tryal of all things And when the Tryal is then must needs the suffering be of that which is not able to bear the Tryal although in the result it should be saved he himself shall be saved yet so as by fire 1 Cor. 3.15 If we observe mens departure out of the body there are few seem so purged but that they have still need of the fire How far that Thief was changed upon the Cross or what is wrought in men at the point of death or what becomes of them immediately after I have nothing to say concerning yet the general apprehension of such an immediate entering into perfect rest would not to me carry sufficient clearness if I should go about to scan things as a man But to let that pass There is I say a great captivity for the spiritual life to be tryed in and by to the purpose before it be entrusted with Rest before it be admitted into the possession of perfect and unchangeable Rest There may be an entering into the Land of Canaan yea a setling in and an enjoying of it and yet after that a going into captivity We who beleeve have entered into Rest Paul deeply entered and yet here is a kinde of captivity afterwards he was buffeted by a messenger from Satan and his spirit very restless under it And though his be but a type or taste of the captivity not the captivity it self yet it may serve to point at it The Jews were Types of the true Israel Canaan a Type of their Rest and the captivities of the Jews Types of the captivities of their spirits To have a spirit wounded is very bitter what is it to have a spirit in captivity where it is continually wounding nothing but wounded at the pleasure of its greatest enemy There are two things in this Captivity pointed at here as in a figure The nature of it and the helplessness of the spirit under it 1. The nature of it which consists in a subjection to the Devil The person who was delivered from him snatched out of his Kingdom set free from his yoke of Tyranny seated in its own land is thrust out of its own land and put into the hands of the Devil again he is brought back to Egypt concerning which it was said unto him that he should return no more

writing its own in stead thereof It sets the creature at the greatest distance from God it turns the heart of God most from the creature God can only have communion with the creature in its low estate it must be nothing when he who is all fills it and dwells fully in it So much as the creature strives to be desires to be it turns from God God is all where he is himself and appears as all where he appears as himself and he cannot fully be not fully appear in that creature that is or that appears any thing The proud he beholds afar off but he maketh his habitation with the humble he lives there he dwells there and the humble may walk converse have full and free communion with him humble thy self to walk with thy God It were better for the creature never to see or enjoy any thing of God then to be lifted up by it and if I might have mine own choyce I would never have any discovery of God further then I were first enabled by him to bear it 3. The Remedy of this danger which hath a very proper appellation here it is called a thorn to the flesh somewhat to prick and make the flesh sensible of its weakness and so to abate and asswage its swelling Flesh is the weak part a thorn is that which is very painful and irksom to the flesh Visions and Revelations they lift up the flesh cause it to forget it self raise it up in its own eyes and thoughts as if it were no longer flesh but spirit no longer weakness but strength surrounded with the Life Glory and Perfection of God which these give some taste and sense of so that the poor creature begins now to perk up above all other things beholding them far beneath it self they lying in a dungeon of darkness horror weakness filthiness corruption death whereas it is scituated in the light of the Lord dwelling with him in the Land of the living But now when a thorn is thrust into the flesh making it ake and smart and all its Visions and Revelations can neither help to pluck out this thorn nor take away the smart of it it begins to feel and know it self again it finds it self not to be what it took it self to be not to be where it was not so full not so glorious not so safe It thought it self above all these things above the reach above the sense of these things but now by this it sensibly perceives that it is still a weak frail creature in a weak frail state This lets the wind out of the bladder and so its swelling falls by degrees There is no better physick in such a state and it is the skill and kindness of the Physician to administer it to the Patient though against his mind Paul here calls it a gift there was given me a thorn to the flesh indeed it was a gift a kind gift a needful gift a seasonable g ft. Paul if he might have had his own choyce would have had more Revelations still but he who knew the present state of Paul knew what to give him and however he looked upon it at present yet afterwards when he came to understand himself he could not but see and acknowledg it to be a gift The captivity of our life that pain bondage heaviness of spirit death which we are so apt to complain of is a gift which our life in this state wherein it is needs if need be ye suffer heaviness through manifold temptations 1 Pet. 1.6 it cannot otherwise enjoy it self it cannot otherwise be rid of that enemy which is still surprizing it in its enjoyments The particular thorn to the flesh here bestowed on Paul was a messenger of Satan to buffet him To bring him down Satan is let loose upon him who when he hath his Commission will quickly make the flesh feel it self what it is To bring him down yet more Satan deals with him by a messenger as if notwithstanding all his height he scorned to deal with him himself and this messenger handles him in a most disgraceful way buffets him and Paul lieth open to him not knowing which way to help himself but is fain to receive blow after blow from him as he gives them him This was a thorn to the flesh indeed a very sharp thorn He who knoweth what it is to be wrapt up into the might and power of the Lord cannot at that time fear the powers of darkness dares challenge the very Prince of darkness with all his force and stratagems to do his worst and cannot suspect the least prejudice from him Now for this person who knoweth the sweetness of this strength to be wholly stripped of it have his enemy let loose upon him be left to the weakness of his own flesh be laid open to receive and feel the smart of every blow that Satan pleaseth to give him and that not by himself but by a messenger as if he scorned to put his own strength to it this is a grievous thorn to the flesh this pricketh very sharply the weak the fleshly part and by its continuance allayeth and letteth out that swelling and puffing wherewith it was lifted up by those Revelations and Inlets of the Life Glory and Power of God which were bestowed not on it but on the spiritual part It is the flesh that is lifted up and were it not for the fleshly part the spirit would as willingly lie low as be exalted yea in some respect rather for it desireth not to be exalted but to lie low it desireth to have the Lord alone exalted it would not be any thing it would not appear any thing it would not own any thing but have the Lord alone be appear be known So far would it live as the Lord liveth in it so far would it shine as the Lord pleaseth to shine in it and no further And the sufferings of the spirit are with and because of the flesh and to this intent to free and deliver it from the infirmity bondage and corruption which cleaveth close to the flesh and is ready still to annoy it by reason of its present conjunction with the flesh The spirit and the flesh are so incorporated one within the other yet unmixed that whatsoever is done to the one the other also partakes of as suppose like two trees whose root body boughs branches leaves and fruit were entwisted within one another yet still retaining their own property and distinction You cannot feed the spirit but the flesh also will suck in and partake of the sweetness thereof and be nourished and grow thereby you cannot feed the flesh but the spirit tasts and is made sick by the poyson for such is the food of the flesh unto the spirit no other then poyson You cannot smite the flesh but you also wound the spirit and if you go about to heal the spirit the flesh will also partake of it and gather strength and freshness by it If

the flesh be thrown into the furnace the spirit goes with it and is burnt and melted in the fire as well as it Therefore all the life the spirit gains possesses pleases it self with it must part with again and must dye a bitter death with the flesh that it may be quite rid of the flesh all its life must sink back into its principle and lie there as if it were dead while the flesh is truly mortified and slain for ever And if it were not of an excellent nature if it could not bear the force of that fire which kills and burns up the flesh it would also be slain and consumed with the flesh if it were not pure gold it could not but waste and perish in the heat of that furnace which is still consuming and at last when it is heated hot enough will quite devour all fleshly dross whatsoever that is cast into it 4. The restlesness of the spirit under this Remedy For this thing I be sought the Lord thrice that it might depart from me He useth the best means with the utmost vigour to get rid of it Nothing more effectual then prayer then fervent prayer then constant prayer We have no strength of our own our strength lies in God faith and prayer or faith in prayer is our readiest and surest way of recourse to him for it Paul prayeth once yea again and again and fain he would be heard and mark the earnestness of his spirit that it might depart from me He doth not pray for strength to bear it for submission to the Will of God for spiritual benefit and advantage by it No nothing will serve his turn but to have it taken away to have it removed to have it depart the pain the shame is so great that he can by no means be content to lie under it This is such physick as we would never take if we might chuse it maketh us so sick that we would rather be without health then come by it this way If this remedy were not forced upon us this sickness would always remain with us 5. The support of the Soul under this restlessness the Cordial that is of most force to refresh the spirits under the violent workings of this physick which make the spirits very faint and bring the Soul very low My Grace is sufficient for thee The Grace of God the good will of God revealed to tasted by the Soul is able to refresh and support it under sense of the greatest misery There are two things of very great efficacy in it 1. There is a taste of sweetness at present which doth secretly relieve refresh revive the spirit He who ever knew God let him at any time taste the favour and love of God though in the lowest darkest deadest most oppressed state he can be in he cannot but find a secret touch of life in it in thy favour is life yea thy loving-kindness is better then life it is better to taste the sweetness the kindness the love of God in the most bitter pangs of death then to enjoy the sweetest touches and motions of life in ones own spirit 2. There is an assurance of a good issue and of all this tending that way He who sees the Grace of God the vertue of its nature its skill and efficacy in operation will see his physick administred to him from that Grace and working by that Grace He sees no more the temptations of the Devil in the Devils hand or his own sins in his own hand doing him mischief but in Gods hand doing him good He sees his own weakness not any longer his snare but his advantage making way to rid him of his weakness and to give him full possession of the strength of God for my strength is made perfect in weakness The strength of God is not made perfect in the discovery of it self to the creature in the creature for the creature till the creature be made perfectly weak While there is any strength left in the creature there is some room left there which the strength of God doth not fill the strength of God may be there but not all his strength the strength of God may act there but not perfectly The strength of God can never do that it hath to do for the Soul to perfect it before the Soul be first made perfectly weak and then the strength of God will soon be perfected when the Soul is brought to perfect weakness When we are brought into perfect captivity and perfectly weakened in captivity so that there is nothing left nothing remaining nothing visible to be delivered but the whole life of the spirit is perfectly dryed up and lost even for ever then is there nothing to hinder the breaking forth of perfect deliverance 6. The exultation of the spirit from the sense and experience of the good that the Grace of God works for it by these it can hereafter sport with misery play with death laugh while it is in the very jaws of destruction Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities I will not be so ashamed of my weakness now I know what it is and whither it tends but I will glory in it I will rejoyce in mine own inability to withstand temptations to keep back the breaking forth of any corruption in me to secure my self from the meanest messenger of Satan and I will not do it as a forced thing but most gladly it shall be a free motion of my spirit that which it shall most freely give it self up to namely to rejoyce in and because of its weakness most gladly therefore c. Yea I will rather do it I will chuse to rejoyce and glory in them before I would do it in Revelations I like them better they tend to bring me nearer to that which my spirit longs after whereas Revelations tend to set me further from it That the Power of Christ may rest upon me My life my happiness lies in enjoying the Power of Christ Revelations tend to strip me of it but weaknesses tend to possess me of it yea to cause it to rest upon me not only to seize upon me but to abide with me Our weaknesses are not only to fit us for some more vigorous aid and assistance from God but for the inhabitation of God there will he dwell thither shall the Power of Christ resort and there shall it rest Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities I will never be so unwilling to be weakened again Since I knew the meaning of it I cannot but take pleasure in it It is my delight to be made weak to be thrown down to be reproached to be bemired in my own filth I could not endure shame immediately after my Revelations but now I can please my self to behold mine own shame Yea I love to be brought to necessities to distresses that I know not which way to turn my self for all this is for Christs sake to give him more hold of

thither He is bound and carryed into Babylon yea beyond Babylon there is a Captivity beyond Babylon I will carry you beyond Babylon In this Subjection there are divers things considerable which discover it to be very hard and bitter 1. There is the weakening of this life the drying up of the life of the spirit When we lie under the influences of God this life is quickened revived and cherished but when we are in the Devils prison layd in bonds by him he nips this life blows upon it doth as much as he can to extinguish it And how bitter how painful is it to a spiritual man to finde his spiritual life dying and decaying 2. The stopping the course of it And this were death it self if there were no more added to have the activity of this life choked it being so full of motion and so active in every motion The whole current of this life is stopped it can do nothing that it would it wants its light it wants its strength it wants that which was wont to set it agoing it wants oyl In this Captivity the night is come wherein none can work Spiritual actions and motions are of a curious nature requiring much skill care accurateness requiring a great deal of pure clear light how can they be wrought in the night They require strength how can the Soul effect them in so great weakness as its Captivity exposeth it unto They require liberty how can the Soul set about them in bonds Nor will the Devil suffer any such works of Light Life and Liberty to be wrought in his Kingdom If we would sing the Lords Song in a strange Land he would not permit it He is Master over us in our Captivity he hath our spirit so bound with his chain that we can stir no whither do nothing without his leave I tell you Sirs it is as impossible to beleeve to hope to wait to rejoyce in God nay to submit to God in this Captivity as it is for the man who was never yet brought out of his Kingdom Life wholly shut up cannot at all stir abroad Life wholly bound up can no more act then Death it self then that which never was nor ever knew life 'T is true there are Captivities wherein these things may be done but I speak now of the great Captivity and of the depth of that Captivity too for both at the going in and upon the coming out some of these things may perhaps be possible 3. There is the drawing forth of the person into contrary ways and acts of death He is not onely hindered from doing what he would but he is made to do what he would not He is not onely forcibly kept from serving his own Liege Lord but he is made to serve the Devil who delights to put him upon such motions as are most contrary to his former life and to his present most inward spiritual nature He is a perfect Tyrant will still be putting his slave to that which may be most irksom to him and which may most manifest his own dominion over him And here I could relate some strange things which I have heard of one that hath felt how in the time of his Captivity he never resolved against any thing nor strongly desired to avoyd any thing but he was sure to be forced into it and found this his greatest relief and safety to lie perfectly open to all manner of weakness 4. There is hard usage under all this buffetings blows sharp strokes upon the spirit He deals like the Turks with their Gally-slaves beats them whether they work or no He useth all manner of Tyranny towards them is not pleased with any thing they can do but hateth them perfectly and doth them all the mischief he can because of that life in them which still lives in the root and shall break forth again in branches leaves and fruit for all this Indeed he who was never out of his clutches may have some fair quarter from his hands but he who is brought back again with the life in him must expect to feel the utmost that his malice is suffered to do unless he will yeeld as many shall and extremity will much urge all and over-bear the strongest resolutions of standing out and come under his banner and then he shall have light enough and strength enough and pleasure enough in his service but this they cannot do because their nature steereth them otherwise and therefore must undergo the brunt II. The spirits helplessness under it or the ineffectualness of all means that can be used towards Redemption or towards mitigation of the rigor of this Captivity there is a taste of that here too for this I prayed thrice Paul used all his strength in prayer all his interest in God but it would not avail he must bear these buffetings So is it in this Captivity it must have its course pray never so hard the cup will neither pass from you nor so much as one drop be abated It is not possible for this cup or the least portion of it to pass from the dearest ones of God This is Christs cup he drank all his share and every one must drink all theirs And the physick as it is very strong so it will make them very sick perfectly restless and helpless Christ was so he knew not which way to turn him He knew none but God could help him and he could not reach him nor make any prayer come neer him O my God saith he I cry in the day time but thou hearest not and in the night season and there is no silence to me And it will make every one though the life of Christ be in them sick restless helpless as it did Christ The Soul cannot tell which way to turn in any one motion for the least ease all the time of its Captivity Run to the Scriptures run to Experiences think of the Nature of God its Interest in God c. all is dead all is dark all is confounded there is nothing now can be looked upon but as it is represented in the Kingdom of Darkness as it is poysoned by the Devil and so tends but further to poyson and torment the Soul And the more it thinks on these the more it feeds on these the more it seeks relief from these the more it sucks in that which still administers fresh anguish and death unto it If it be never so hungry it can come at no food if it be never so thirsty it can come at no drink except vineger and gall not one crumb of the bread of life not one drop of the water of life is to be heard of here This is not the place for life either to live or act in nay there is nothing is an occasion of greater Torment to the Soul in the time of this Captivity then its striving to live and move spiritually as to beleeve love pray hope wait or the like For hereby 1. It occasions a