Selected quad for the lemma: book_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
book_n	lord_n	name_n	write_v	5,698	5	5.8489	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A26199	The suffering condition of the servants of the Lord at this day vindicated and some reasons given why the people called Quakers do own the doctrine of Christ, to continue in it, and to meet together in the name and fear of the Lord, to wait upon him, and worship him in spirit and truth, not withstanding they meet with sufferings in this present time for so doing : Bristol, the 6th month, 1662 / John Audland.	Audland, John, 1630-1664.	1662 (1662)	Wing A4198; ESTC R22605	21,740	31

in the power of the Lord our God we may war a good Warfare and finish our course with joy And verily this is a matter of great weight unto us even to have our hearts exercised towards the Lord in obedience to his Will in what he requireth of us that we may have a Conscience void of offence towards him And so the day of the Lord God being come and his Eternal Power made known in many hearts by which many are raised to serve him and obey him yea to worship him according to his own Will and the leadings of his good Spirit We are even constrained by the Power of the Lord to meet together in his Name and Fear to wait upon him and to worship him and also to exhort one another in his holy Power as the Spirit of the Lord directs yea and so much the more as the day appeareth And this we find also to be according to the Scriptures of Truth and practice of the Servants of the Lord in former dayes who did not forsake the assmebling of themselves together but met often and sometime in one place and sometime in another as they were directed in the fear of the Lord And they that feared the Lord spake often one unto another and the Lord hearkened and heard it and a Book of Remembrance was written for them that feared the Lord and that thought upon his Name And they shall be mine saith the Lord in the day that I make up my Jewels and I will spare them as a man spareth his own Son that serveth him And this was in a time when the proud were called happy and they that wrought wickedness were set up and they that tempted God were delivered yet even in such a time did they that feared the Lord speak often together and also in the time when the Gospel of Christ was published by the Apostles and Ministers of Jesus many were brought into the obedience of the truth and were gathered from the Jews Worship and way of service and they to wit the Jews could plead more iustly for the Antiquity of their way of Worship and their order in their Worship than many who this day profess themselves to be Christians and a reformed Church and in that time did they meet together sometime in a Chamber sometime in an house and sometime in an upper room as the Lord directed them and as they had opportunities and gathered Churches which met at Houses and waited upon the Lord and exhorted one another and might all speak one by one as the Spirit of the Lord lead them that all might hear and all be comforted And we do not read that the Jews made a Law or the Romans either who at that time had the Principality that they should not meet above four together or if they met five or above they should be fined Indeed the Jews who believed not were bad enough and persecuted the Saints from City and halled out of Houses they that professed the Name of Jesus and sometime scourged them but they are evil examples to be followed and it's pitty that any who profess themselves Christians should do the like to any that meet together in the fear of the Lord to serve him and walk peaceably in godliness and fear And why may not more than four meet together lawfully to worship God in the account of God and all just men Why may not ten Yea and why may not a bundred and more 〈◊〉 Provided still it be to worship God and serve him And why may not also some come in amongst them who are unbelievers that are ignorant of the way of truth that they may come to hear and learn and be convinced of all and go away and confess that God is there of a truth and if there be more that come upon the same account it is also approved Sure that was a great concourse of people when the Disciples were met in one place where three thousand were pricked to the heart at one time Had it been justifiable in the Jews at that time to hinder such gatherings of people together or such Speakers as were who spake as the Spirit of the Lord gave them utterance The Jews were very angry with them and commanded them to speak no more in the Name of Jesus but they obeyed God rather than man and spoke boldly the Word of the Lord and the Lord was with them yea and filled their hearts with joy and comfort though sometime they were put in the Stocks and sometime in Prison So we do verily find both by the Testimony of the Spirit of God in our hearts and also by the Testimony of the Scriptures That our meeting together to worship the Lord and to wait upon him is according to the mind of God and also to the practise of the Saints in former dayes and although we be of the suffering-side as the Saints were in times past yet we are content in the will of the Lord to give up unto him in all these things And surely if they that causeth us to suffer did but diligently mind and consider their way and weapons which they go on in and war with they may find themselves to be on the persecuting side and see the Saints did not so neither war with such weapons for the Saints weapons were not carnal but spiritual and mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds for 't is the spiritual Weapons that can and doth conquer the man of sin within and can subdue every high thought and imagination and bring under whatsoever is contrary to the Will of God 'T is the Eternal Word of the everlasting God that is quick and powerful sharper than any two-edged sword which divides within where no carnal Weapon can divide And if any think we be not in the way of the Lord let them come forth with spiritual Weapons or with the best they have laying aside all carnal Weapons Club and Staffe force and compulsion for that will never overcome a spiritual Enemy it may kill outwardly but cannot kill spiritual wickedness and coming forth with these Weapons this is like men that profess Christianity and would be far more comely amongst the sober and honest-bearted people and far more like to the Saints then halling out of houses by force with carnal weapons and casting into prison for no other thing but owning the Doctrine of Christ and meeting together to worship God And then this be offered as the prevailing Argument There is a Law made lately that will not allow you and if you do we must fine you or we must take your Goods or commit you to prison or cause you to forfeit your Estates Therefore we charge you give over if not we must proceed against you and break your Meetings with carnal Weapons Oh! where is the spiritual Weapons the power to convince gain-sayers Gospel-Ministers that went forth without Club or staff for say we convince our Consciences or else we dare