Selected quad for the lemma: act_n
Text snippets containing the quad
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Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) |
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A40177
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An epistle for friends for them to read
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Fox, George, 1624-1691.
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1679
(1679)
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Wing F1811; ESTC R43174
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12,546
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19
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by the Word of God that lives and abides and endures forever which Word is a Word of Order And David saith The Steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord and he delights in his Way I have been young and now am old yet I have not seen the Righteous forsaken nor his Seed begging Bread He is ever merciful and lendeth and his Seed is blessed Psal 37. Here you may see how the Lord delights in him and them that walk in the Steps the Lord orders them with his Word And him that orders his Conversation aright shall see the Salvation of God Psalm 49. And this Order must be in the Light which is the Life in Christ the Saviour And the Apostle Paul after he had spoken many things to the Corinthians he said The rest will I set in Order when I come 1 Cor. 11. And he saith concerning the Collections for the Saints in 1 Cor. 16. As I have given Order to the Churches of Galatia even so do ye to wit the Corinthians So they were to practise the same Order which were the Believers in Christ which the Apostle in the Power of Christ had given to them For the Apostles had the Wisdom of God which he had ordained before the World unto the Glory of his People then and now also 1 Cor. 2. And the Order that the Apostle did give to the Churches of the Galatians and the Corinthians was That upon the First Day of the Week every one of them lay by him in store as God had prospered him c. And in Acts 14. When they had Ordained Elders in every Church and had prayed they commended them to the Lord on whom they had believed confirming the Souls of the Disciples c. and exhorting them to continue in the Faith and that they might pass thorow much Tribulation to enter into the Kingdom of God And as Paul and others with him went through the Cities they delivered them the Decrees for to keep that were Ordained of the Apostles and Elders which were at Jerusalem and so were the Churches established in the Faith and increased in Number daily Acts 16. And the Occasion of these Decrees was because some men that went from Judea taught the Brethren saying Except ye be Circumcised after the Manner of Moses ye cannot be saved Acts 15. And these Decrees were to stop such Preachers For the Apostles and Elders said Forasmuch as we have heard that certain which went out from us have troubled you with words subverting your Souls saying Ye must be Circumcised and Keep the Law to whom we gave no such Commandment Now it is clear the Apostles and Elders gave these Teachers no such Commandment to preach such Doctrine to trouble the Churches And the Apostle Paul after he had spent some time at Caesaria and Antioch he went over all the Country of Asia and Phrygia in Order strengthning all the Disciples Acts 18. So you may see how they were a Comfort one to another And the Apostle writes to Titus Chap. 1. For this Cause I have left thee in Creete that thou shouldst set in Order the things that are wanting and Ordain Elders in every City as I have appointed thee So here Titus in the Spirit of God did observe that which Paul in the Power of Christ did exhort him to But such as are against the Order and Practice in the Light and Gospel cannot Order their Speeches by reason of Darkness And the Apostle saith in Col. 2. Though I be absent in the Flesh yet am I with you in the Spirit joying and beholding your Order and steadfastness of your Faith in Christ As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord so walk ye in him Here the Apostle rejoyced in the Order that kept them in the Faith and Stedfastness in Christ Jesus Therefore the Apostle saith Every man in his own Order Christ the First Fruits c. For in Adam all dyed even so in Christ shall all be made alive And they that be alive in Christ Jesus are in his Order of Life and Light and in his Gospel the Power of God And the Apostle saith in 1 Cor. 14.40 Let all things be done Decently and in Order And the Heavens and the Earth and all things therein are Governed and Ordered by the Lord in his Power and Wisdom and all God's holy Angels are Governed and Ordered by God and all God's Children and People are Governed and Ordered by God and Christ in his Light and Spirit and Grace and Truth and Power Gospel and Word of Life And the Lord hath set apart him and them that are Godly for himself Psalm 4. And God hath Ordained his Arrows against the Persecutors Psalm 7. And it ought to be the Practice of all the true Christians now that are in the same Power and Spirit as the Apostles were in to let all things be done Decently and in Order in the New Covenant of Light Life and Grace to the Glory of the Great God who is over all and orders all things to his Glory Amen G. F. AND now Friends you who are called into this glorious Liberty of the Sons of God stand fast in it And as the Apostle saith Brethren ye have been called unto Liberty only use it not for an Occasion to the Flesh but in Love serve one another Gal. 5. As free not using your Liberty for a Cloak of Maliciousness but as the Servants of God 1 Pet. 2. For there were some who while they promised themselves Liberty they themselves were Servants of Corruptions such were like the Dog and the Sow biting and renting and vomiting and wallowing in the Mire and as bad as the Synagogue of the Libertines that turned against Stephen 2 Pet. 2. and Acts 7. And therefore the Apostle was careful of the Churches Liberty in Christ when he said But take heed lest this Liberty of yours become a Stumbling-block to them that are Weak c. 1 Cor. 8. For the Apostle was so careful and tender that he would not have his true Liberty judged of another man's Conscience c. as you may see more at large in 1 Cor. 10. And the Apostle said False Brethren came unawares privily to spy out their Liberty which they had in Christ Jesus that they might bring them into Bondage to whom we gave place by Subjection no not for an Hour that the Truth of the Gospel might continue with you to wit the Galatians Gal. 2. And therefore he exhorts them to stand fast in that Liberty wherewith Christ Jesus hath made them free c. which is the Duty of all true Christians now for to stand fast in that heavenly glorious Liberty which Christ the heavenly and spiritual man the Second Adam makes them free in and in this they will all have Salt and Savour in themselves to discern between the true Liberty and Freedom and the false and know how to use their holy and spiritual Liberty and Freedom in Christ Jesus to the Praise and Glory of God So Friends The Lord God Almighty preserve you all in the Heavenly Order of Christ Jesus in his holy Seed Life Power and Spirit that all may live and walk in it to the Praise and Glory and Honour of God and Christ Amen The 3d of the 9th Moneth 1679. G. F. THE END