A03604:142
The souls exaltation A treatiseThe soules exaltation A treatise
The souls exaltation A treatise containing the souls union with Christ, on I Cor. 6. 17. The souls benefit from union with Christ, on I Cor. 1. 30. The souls justification, on 2 Cor. 5. 21. By T.H.The soules exaltation A treatise containing the soules union with Christ, on I Cor. 6. 17. The soules benefit from vnion with Christ, on I Cor. 1. 30. The soules justification, on 2 Cor. 5. 21. By T.H.
London: printed by John Haviland for Andrew Crooke, 1638London: printed by Iohn Haviland for Andrew Crooke, 1638
Title page typeset from the transcription.
THE SOULS BENEFIT from Union with CHRIST.THE SOVLES BENEFIT from Vnion with CHRIST.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
he doth not say, his sap shall not wither, but his leaf shall not wither, not only that gracious disposition of heart which is wrought shall never decay in the Saints of God, but a zealous profession shall never decay in conclusion; how ever a tree be nipped with the cold and frost, yet in conclusion it will bud forth again: so the sap of grace that Christ works in us, and conveyeth to us, being planted by the fountain of the Lord Jesus in the midst of persecution and fiery trial, they shall grow humble, and meek, and holy in despite of what can befall them, for a Christian is not conquered when he loseth his life, but ⟨p. 75⟩when he loseth his grace; as take a man that is led into captivity, into Turkey, into Algeir, or the like, the aim of him that takes him, is not to take away his life, but to make him deny his colours and commander, and if he can make him do this, then he conquers him, but if he dye under the hand of the tyrant, if he be more able to stand for his commander and country, than he is to drive him from it, if he can bear misery better than he can inflict it, then he is not conquered, but conquers; so it is here, a Saint of God is never mastered, before his patience be mastered, and his holiness crushed; but when a man is more able to bear misery, than the enemy to lay misery upon him, if his patience hold, and his courage hold, and his uprightness hold, he is not conquered in this case, but he is a conqueror: therefore the place is excellent, Isaiah 58.8. see how the Lord preserves his people, he is said to be the whole army of his servants, (however there be many storms, yet the rivers of water make glad the people of God) the text saith, Thy righteousness shall go before thee, and the glory of the Lord shall be thy rearward; (when a man doth walk uprightly and sincerely, we must presume, that a man is in a combat, for why doth he speak of the rearward else) there are two parts in a battle; first, the vaunt-guard, which is the former part of the battle; Secondly, the rear- ward, which is the hinder part of the battle; now Christ is both these, you shall have enemies before you in the vaunt-guard, and you shall have enemies behind you to smite you in ⟨p. 76⟩the rear-ward, now righteousness shall go before thee, that is the vaunt-guard;
he doth not say, his sap shall not wither, but his leafe shall not wither, not onely that gracious disposition of heart which is wrought shall never decay in the Saints of God, but a zealous profession shall never decay in conclusion; how ever a tree be nipt with the cold and frost, yet in conclusion it will bud forth againe: so the sap of grace that Christ workes in us, and conveyeth to us, being planted by the fountaine of the Lord Jesus in the midst of persecution and fiery triall, they shall grow humble, and meeke, and holy in despight of what can befall them, for a Christian is not conquered when hee loseth his life, but