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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	bring_v	day_n	lord_n	1,882	5	3.6758	3	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A50608	The Memory of that servant of God, John Story, revived shewing what manner of man he was from his youth to his grave, by the testimonies of several friends, to whom he was well known, and by whom, for his work sake in the truth, he was greatly beloved : to which is adjoyned something written by him, &c., in his latter years, wherein his judgment is shewn concerning some particular things, and his great desires for love, unity, concord, and peace in the church of Christ.	Wilkinson, John, d. ca. 1683. Brief relation concerning the life and death of John Story.	1688 (1688)	Wing M1702; ESTC R19789	42,298	47

sought after When he heard such Doctrine Viz. Have an Eye to the Brethren it seemed strange and new not like Truth as the proceedings about Outward Orders did remembring the Doctrine before was Look unto the Lord and eye him and The Wisemans Eye is in his Head Spiritually meaning in Christ However what was meant by having an Eye to the Brethren they best know who have used it but John Story in his Life had a great Dislike of it doubting to what it would grow he profest not much discerning in making an outward shew with his Eyes but he had a pure discerning with the Light of the Spirit in the Elect Estate in Christ Satan transformed into an Angel of Light nor his Ministers appearing as the Ministers of Righteousness could not deceive him nor feigned Flattery nor Sheeps Cloathing hide the Ravening Wolf from his Sight nor make him conclude with Threatnings that false Accusations and unrighteous Judgment was of the Lamb's Nature truly the worth of such a Minister of Truth cannot be equalled with outward Treasure and such sent of God is a Blessing to a Kingdom or a Nation but being rejected and opposed will surely bring a Curse but no Disturbers could move him but in all his Sufferings God endued him with Patience though many times in great weakness of Body and often in appearance nigh unto Death But the Prophecy of the badness of his Life in 1676 is now proved as false as Solomon Eccles Prophecy is of the Time of his Death for some years after that God gave him Strength and carryed him hundreds of Miles in his Service afterwards he was very weak at which time a Friend a Doctor George Walker came to visit him and I heard him say He was near gone to all outward Appearance unless God had some further Work for him to do And indeed the Almighty into whose Hand he was committed raised him up again and carryed him South and West Strengthening and Comforting the Brethren till his Testimony was finished in those Parts whose loss is great and Cause of sorrowing that they shall see his Face no more for the Lord brought him to Westmoreland his Native Country where he was received with great Gladness for the Lords Power and Presence was with him to the great Refreshment of the truly Righteous and on a first-First-day at a Meeting in Kendal cleared his Conscience in Testimony to the Antient Truth in which his Doctrine was wonderful weighty and his Experience very great He was but young as to number of years between fourty and fifty but he fulfilled a great time if Wisdom be Gray-hair and undefiled Life old Age he was weak of Body about two weeks not able to go abroad but little complained of Sickness the gentle Dealings of the Lord was wonderful to him and brought many to remember his meek Behaviour and Neighbours said he lived well and was like to dye well he was like an innocent Lamb opened not his mouth to complain the merciful Dealings of God unto him at all times filled him with a great sense of Joy and true content having assurance to rest with him the Fountain of Life and Fulness which through but a measure of his Spirit such Heavenly Joy and true Content cometh And he seeing his Testimony and Time on Earth was finished his great Love he signified to all Friends in Truth while he had Strength to speak desiring God to preserve them in it to the End and lay silent a pritty while moving his hands as I took it while with him in a sense of Rest and Heavenly Praise after that I had not been two hours from him which was on urgent occasion till word came to me he was Departed So much concerning his Innocent Life and part of Trouble he met with for his Testimony to Truth his Meekness and Content and Assurance of Eternal Felicity as duely observed about the manner of his Departure by John Wilkingson POSTSCRIPT I Have this farther to add that John Story is gone to his Rest whose Testimony when God Revealed his Son in him was given in Gods power and would have sitten in Silence without he Revealed the Word of Life and to all unprejudiced hearers that thirsted after Righteousness and that Knowledg and Power that leadeth to Happiness his Doctrine dropt as the Rain that Refresheth the tender Grass to all thristy and longing souls to their great refreshment and consolation and my Counsel to all opposers of the Ministers of Truth is that they cease for time to come and Repent and let no more slanderers have place to beget prejudice in you but let the Truth you profess be your defence against it And with your own measures savour for your selves least you be led in a false belief by men that love and lust to rule under pretence of Gods motion and unbrotherly proceedings under pretence of Church Power be slow in speaking without certain knowledge especially evil of anytill your own experence with Truth prove it to you through your exact tryal least you be lead by Men into a false Faith to speak evil of true Believers and condemn them to be of a wrong spirit whom God Justifieth and if this counsel had been followed and was the Doctrine of Truth in the begining to your own to your own the difference among Friends had been kept in a narrow compass and but a few concerned that caused difference and the things but Temporal which Spiritual Weapons would soon have conquered and overcome and Truth Peace and stablity would have abounded then high places with spiritual wickedness had not been assumed but when temporal things hath Religion placed in them which only springs form the Fountain of Life this dishonours God who is the Author of all true Religion And makes it a shelter for the greatest Hypocrites and even a Cage for all unclean Birds to Chatter against the Righteous that receive the Word of Truth and both live and practice as their Measures of God Requireth and agreeable to the Scriptures of holy Men who are gon to their Rest where neither false Witness nor unrighteous Judgment can take away their Inheritance I. W. Something taken out of a Letter from George Dodgson to a friend bearing date the twenty seventh of the ninth Month 1681. concerning the departure of John Story THat which I have to communicate to thee and Friends and which is to the Sadening and Sorrow of many hearts is the departure of our Dear Brother I. S. who in much peace and quiet departed this Life the last third day having no sense of Paine upon him to the apprehension of Friends but even as though he had Slumbered very Quietly breathed his last He had been out of health about fourteen dayes before but not very likely for Death till about four dayes before he dyed when the Distemper and Weakness seized more fully upon him He was Intrerred very honourably a great many People being there present both of Friends and of

to the Strengthening and Comforting the Weak and Feeble of the Flock whom he had Laboured and Travelled for and also to the stopping the Mouths of all Gainsayers whose Opposition at that day was very great Much could I speak and that within the compass of my own knowledge to the particulars of many Sufferings by way of Imprisonment and other Dangers and Jeopardies that he was often in in his Masters Work and Service which I shall here omit and that because I would rather straiten my self than be tedious to the Reader when that is said I have this further to add which I cannot be clear to omit or pass by Viz. That he was always a very plain hearted Man in plainness speaking the Truth to the Face and never could endure either in himself or others Whispering or Backbiting but would sharply reprove it whereever he found it and furthermore all Outward Shews Formalities Jestures or Deportments whatsoever that was by the Creature brought forth in the Likeness or Imitation of the true Power without the Powers bringing forth thereof his Righteous Soul always abhorred And for the Confirmation thereof one thing amongst many I well remember that whereas there was a Day of shaking the Outward Body by the stirrings of the true Power some in imitation thereof as I have observed in his Presence in their own Strength have imitated the like which he would in the Integrity of his Soul Judge saying Away with Deceit and such like words exhorting and advising all to be plain hearted and that they should be what they appear'd to be by the Grace of God and not otherwise And so remaining from time to time as a Man not subject to change his way holding forth his Testimony in Faithfulness to God not only against prophane and sinful Actions but also against all Formalities set up by Man though under pretence of the Motion of the true Power advising the Creature to be inward to God and there to wait to know the true Power it self to bring forth a Form through every man whereby they might have the certain Sense and Knowledge how to do and perform the thing well pleasing to their heavenly Father that thereby they might in the end be accepted of him he was not a Man of Shadows but for the Substantial Part of Religion and to his last I very well remember his Discourse run much after this manner That they were the only Blessed People and for evermore happy who had received the Knowledge of the right Spirit if so be they continued to wait and walk therein to the end of their Days because it is they that remain in well doing unto the end that shall be Crowned Unto which End it is my Faith and Belief in God he hath attained and is now entred into the Joys of that Heavenly Kingdom out of the reach of all envious and clamorous Tongues where the wicked cease from troubling and the weary be at rest there the Prisoners rest together they hear not the voice of the Oppressor the Small and great are there and the Servant is free from his Master And he having been serviceable in the Hand of the Lord and Instrumental to Convert many Souls to God doth and must shine as a Star in the Firmament of God So having eased my Mind by writing these few Lines before exprest concerning this my dear Friend of whom I do assure the Reader I had as certain a knowledge as the very import of the words will bear and forasmuch as the Harvest yet remains great and the true Labourers therein are but few what further shall I say but with this to conclude Viz. Let us cry mightily to the great Lord of the Harvest to pour forth a double portion of his Spirit upon some worthy Instrument as he did upon Elisha to Succeed him in that Work and Service J. M. The Testimony of Robert Arch. FRiends unto all you do I write who have in any measure secretly or openly vilifyed and reproached that Servant of the Lord J. S. or have had any hand in the hindring of him in his bearing a faithful Testimony to the Truth of which he was an Able Minister in publishing the Gospel of Christ and have endeavoured to the utmost of your Power to stop and hinder him in his Declaration and Travel amongst the People of God by evil Surmisings and false Reports and Accusations have raised a Prejudice in the Hearts of People against him without any just Cause on his part given that I know of Consider O Friends What is the Cause that ye have so done Have ye known him to be a Man of an ill Life or a bad Conversation Or hath he committed any Evil or Sinned or Transgressed against God his Truth or People that ye have so hated him Or hath he been one that hath Preached any False Doctrine or held any Principles contrary to Truth Or did he bring in any Innovations amongst the People of God or build again any of those things that he hath by his Ministry destroyed in others If he hath done none of those things nor committed any Personal Trespass against you as some of you have confessed what then was the cause of your Envy and hating of him Was it because he would not bow down nor Worship any other God than the God of Israel Or was it because he would not submit to some Outward Orders Prescriptions or Rules prescribed by Fall'n Man If this be the Cause then do not you Condemn your selves in Judging of him For what People in this latter Age have laboured and Travelled more than some of you have done to bring People out of the Practice and Observation of Outward Things which they called The Ordinances of Christ some of which the Saints in Times past did Practice and perform for a Time as the Scripture maketh mention and also from the many Forms Decrees and Orders that the Professors have been jangling about and Persecuting one another counting it all but Dung and Dross in comparison of the Grace of God or Light of Christ which was held forth to be sufficient to lead unto Salvation and in the Light we were directed to wait upon God to know his Mind and Will to act and do in Outward Things as God should direct us by his Good Spirit And have you not look't upon all those Outward Orders Prescriptions and Ordinances as the Outward Court of the Temple that was given unto the Gentiles to tread under Foot and yet now after all these large Declarations and Testimonies against those Outward Things for you to incourage the Setting up such Things and not only so but to Judge and Condemn others for not Conforming unto your Outward Orders Censuring Friends out of Vnity that do not practice them which is the greatest Penalty that you can inflict for want of Outward Power as if the Saints Unity stood in the Practice and Performance of those Outward Orders Oh! Friends consider of these

I have had with this my dear Friend in which I have often admired the goodness of God who afforded us such good Opportunities wherein my heart hath many times been overcome and rejoyced in a sense of the feeling of the dissolving and tendering Power and living Presence of the Lord God who assisted him with his heavenly wisdom and strength and the testimony of Truth often opened through him reaching and extending unto many states and conditions even as the still Sowres that descended upon the tender Grass in its due season for which my Soul hath blessed the Lord on his behalf many a season and which was and is the only ground and cause of my Love to him and all the Lords faithful Servants whom I cannot but truly esteem for the Truths sake and account worthy of double Honour and I have often thought that if we should not truly love and esteem of such in the Truth it might be just with the Lord to let us know the want of them and to Suffer a Famine of the Word and a Cloud of Ignorance and Darkness again to overspread the Earth which I desire the Lord may in his Mercy prevent and that more faithful Instruments and living Witnesses for his blessed Name and Truth in the room and stead of them that are gone to their Rest may yet be raised up and that many may yet be gathered unto God for the Comfort and Encouragement of the Lords People in this Age and the Ages to come Much more I might say concerning this faithful Servant of God according to my knowledge but herein I have satisfaction believing he is now at Rest and out of all his Troubles and Exercises which in this world he had his share of and through Death hath obtained a Crown and Kingdom that is Everlasting where all Tears are wiped away and Sorrow and Sighing comes to an End Oh that we who are left behind may not content our selves that this our dear Friend live well and is entered into everlasting felicity but may follow the Example of this and all the rest of our dear Brethren which are gon before in all faithfulness and circumspect walking serving the Lord in sincerity and holy Conversation keeping to the Word of his Grace and Truth through which we may overcome all Corruptions receive and possess the Recompence of endless Peace Joy and Happiness when time in this fading World comes to an end that God over all may be glorified who alone is worthy to be Feared and Praised for ever and evermore B. C. Reading the 15th of the 10th Month 8681. Leonard Keep 's Testimony SInce I heard there would be something Printed concerning our dear Friend J. S. it was with me this 15 th of the 12 th Month 1682 to give in this short Testimony concerning him He was a Man of Peace and instrumental in the Hand of the Lord for the turning many to Righteousness he desired the good of all People and I believe is now entered into Rest and Peace with the Lord where all Tears will be wiped away and Longsuffering come to an end notwithstanding Blindness hath happned to many in this Age that they could not see him to be so by reason of the Enmity and Prejudice that have entred their minds more through the Instigation I believe of others than from any deportment that appeared by him I have been in his Company often both in Meetings and out of Meetings and am an Eye and Ear-witness of what is here writ I have often heard him put a more favourable Construction upon his Opposers actions than I believe they could put themselves I have heard him openly opposed and charged falsly and when he hath called for Proof of what hath been said there hath nothing been made appear but at the last shift have referred Friends to the 44 Articles of London M. C. may remember this And I have heard him spoke over when he hath had a concern to the Meeting and had begun to speak first as many may remember which I must needs say was not practised amongst us in the beginning nor was it so in the Primitive times for then all might speak one by one that had any thing upon them as a concern to the People but these things hath happened amongst us in these latter times since some have been apt to pin their Faith on other folks Sleeves and then may speak words as they would have them or else their own and it hath been said it is the Word of the Lord when time hath manifested it to be otherwise So many are kindling a fire of their own and warming themselves by the sparks thereof whose Portion will be such as they had formerly that were so doing unless they repent they must lye down in sorrow God Almighty if it be thy will give to all that have been Opposers of him a sight of what they have been and are yet a doing that so they may say as it was once said Let the time past be sufficient and that for time to come they may do so no more And whatever any may think I have nothing but good will to all men L. K. Thomas Curtis's Testimony who at some time was his Companion in his Travels AS it was said by David concerning Jonathan after his Death so can I in Truth say touching my antient Friend and Brother in the Truth John Story Viz. Very pleasant hast thou been unto me and dear John although thy Body be turned to the Dust yet thy Name liveth now thou art dead and the memorial of thy Faithfulness remains amongst thy Brethren thy Portion is with the Righteous who shall be had in Everlasting Remembrance and shall continue as an everlasting Foundation time shall declare the Meekness of thy Nature and that Gentleness that was in thee towards the Flock of God for in the Lamb-like Nature didst thou come amongst us and as a Lamb among Wolves so was thy Carriage Wisdom went before thee and Vnderstanding was thy Guide So that when first I saw thy Face thou wast to me a Messenger of God and though thou met with many under various Forms opposing each other yet how carefully didst thou instruct them and with great diligence helped th●ir Weakness and such was thy Carriage after a sweet manner that I soon saw a Door of Hope opened by the Lord for the Relief of many and although thou wast but a Lad because of thy tender Years yet such Gravity did appear in thee as made both Old and Young to love thee and thy Testimony was not from Man neither wast thou sent by any Born after the Flesh but thy Testimony was from Heaven and it did accomplish the Work that the Lord sent thee for and thy Doctrine dropt as the Dew upon the Tender-hearted and surely the Spirit of the Lord was upon thee and the Meek and Quiet Spirit was in thee which ever was and still is of great price with the Lord and thou