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A29930
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The invisible power of God known in weakness with a Christian testimony of the experience and sufferings of Edward Brush, aged ninety one years / by him tenderly recommended to all moderate and well-inclined people.
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Brush, Edward.
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1695
(1695)
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Wing B5239; ESTC R31993
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13,618
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19
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the comfort of meeting with his People commonly called Quakers to wait on God Forty Years by-past and such that wait on God in Sincerity and Uprightness of Heart according to God's promise shall renew their strength for the Power and Presence of God is near to help such against all opposition whatsoever But there are many People that Content themselves with a bare reading the Scriptures of Truth but do not know that Spirit that gave them forth therefore such greatly need to wait on God to be inspired by the same Spirit that you may understand them for Christ said to the Jews you read the Scriptures for in them you think to have Eternal Life for they Testifie of Christ but he blames them for not coming to him in whom is Life and with sorrow I tell you that Life is wanting among many that make a large Profession of Christ in words yet slight and reject the Spirit 's Teachings such my Soul pities and I Pray God to rend the Vail of Darkness that is over their Minds who think themselves good Christians because they have a form of Religion and speak good words in their own wills and Practice quite contrary I accuse none but let all be cautioned lest they are found false witnesses for one speaks in the Light and Life of Truth but the other speaks by Immaginations And some outside Professors that love the praise of Men and would be thought somebody in Religion are but Lukewarm neither Hot nor Cold such the holy God doth Abominate except they come to believe and walk more Sincerely for God loves Truth in the Heart both of Male and Female And the Holy Glorious God hath Visited my Soul and hath shewed me that as little David with his Sling and Stone out of the Brook slew great Goliah that defied Israel and those that took part with him were scattered even so the mighty God by his Invisible Arm of Power will scatter all Feigned shews of Religion without Life and cause them to Vanish like smoke for which my Soul magnifies the Glorious Name of our God in Covenant with his People And now I beseech all that in any measure have tasted of the Love of God to be still incouraged to wait on God in Spirit and in the Faith of God's Elect which Purifies the Heart and Pray to God in Sincerity for Life and Salvation which is only to be had through Faith in Christ Jesus Therefore let all People Dread and Fear the All-seeing and Heart-searching God both of Professors and Profane and consider how it stands betwixt your Souls and God and Examine with the Light of Christ in your Consciences whether Christ be Revealed in you without which none can have Acceptance with God nor Worship God aright in Spirit and in Truth And my Soul's desire is that you do not neglect the Day of your Visitation till it be two late And in tender Love to your Immortal Souls I conclude this weighty matter who truly loves your Souls as mine own Edward Brush AND now dear Friends and People having through some Difficulty and Weakness born my Testimony to the Truth remains upon my mind in a sense of the Love of God to mention what followeth how that from my Childhood my mind was inclined to Religion and the Professors of it above Eighty Years ago and I can say as Jacob did when he built an Altar at Bethel that God was with me though I knew it not And I can do no less than admire the goodness of God in putting his Fear into my Inward parts that I durst not be so Wanton and Foolish as many other Children were When I was but Ten Years Old then I dwelt with a zealous Man called a Puritan who was persecuted for Religion and in that day I read the Scriptures with delight and was many times broken into Tears and did learn good part of a Book called The Doctrine of the Bible by heart And about Twelve Years of Age I came up to London and served Eight Years of Nine by Indenture and was tender in my Spirit towards God and my Master Dyed of the Plague in the Year 1625. and I purchased the Ninth Year but did not so well improve my time as I ought which when I came to consider caused sorrow to enter my Soul and my Countenance was changed and I was exercised Inwardly because of outward straits but God made use thereof to Humble me and the word sounded in me that God would Humble me that he might do me good in the latter end and still my mind was exercised about Religion and I kept House and Servants Twelve Years before I took a Wife and the Fear of God in my Soul preserved me from gross Evils And now I may say something concerning my Suffering and Banishment Richard Brown in 1660 or 1661. then Mayor of London sent me to Newgate only for keeping my Hatt on before him and there kept me Six or Seven Weeks without Mittemus and in that time the Power of God in me prepared me for greater Sufferings by Banishments but because my dear Wife was very Tender I kept my Thoughts from her and afterward I was carried to the Sessions and was Sentanced to Banishment for Seven Years but soon after was called to the Bar again and the Bible was offered me to Swear I told the Court of the old saying That those that did Swear would Lie Then the Judge said if I would leave going to the Quakers Meeting the Sentance should be revoked I answered that was against my Life So Alderman Fredrick then upon the Bench and Mayor Elect did moderate the Judge But I was sent again to Newgate And next Morning Hurried with Two more by VVater to Gravesend and many Friends came to take leave of me which afterward returned to London with my beloved Wife Sarah and our Son Isaac and the Ship sailed away towards the place intended And though the Ship was Leaky and wet my Bed so that I thought she might Sink yet my mind was sweetly resigned to Dye in the Sea because my Suffering was for Truth and that did uphold me and all thoughts of outward things came not into my mind but I was in Peace and Comfort all the Voyage and in good health and to God's Eternal Praise I did arrive safely in Jamaico the Fourth Month called June 1665. And in a few Days after the Governour sent for me to his House and did offer that if I would give Bond of Two Hundred Pounds I should have my Liberty in the Island which I refused because I was the Lord's Freeman And after a while the Governour received an Express from King Charles the Second to send me home to England And to God's Praise I still speak and do testify that it is a Precious thing to forsake all for God and his Truth And I now remember the last words I spoke in Jamaico to Jane Hilyar was these That Holiness becometh the House