Selected quad for the lemma: death_n
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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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of God for ever and we parted And passing from Jamaico by Sea to the Ship it was in my Heart to breathe to God to preserve me safe to England and the answer of God's Spirit in my Heart was He would be sought unto Some-time after the Ship run upon Bohemia Sholes where we lost Anchor Cables and Plummet and in the Night-season I was constrained to break forth into Prayer so that all in the Ship heard me and the Wind Turning the Ship and Passengers were preserved and the Lord my God was with me all that Voyage and brought be safe to London the First Day of the Third Month 1660. A Coppy of a Letter formerly sent to Friends in Jamacio MY dear Friends Breathren Sisters I salute you all in the Truth and in a pure remembrance of our Heavenly Father's Love which my Soul with yours was made partaker of when present with you is never to be forgotten and in the renewedness thereof my Soul hath been refreshed and at present is my Spirit rejoycing in Christ Jesus who is a Fountain of Light and Life to all that believe and obey his holy Spirit 's leadings And I having obtained Mercy from the Lord it is in my mind in a few lines to visit the Seed of Life in you breathing to the God of our Salvation that we may be preserved together in the Holy and Blessed Union and pure Fellowship with God and one another in his Everlasting Truth which we have long made Profession of O how doth it greatly Concern you and I and every particular of us to Answer the Loving kindness of our God and Father that his Light that in measure hath Enlightened us and opened our understandings in the Mysteries of his Kingdom may shine forth in our Lives and Conversations to the Men of this Generation with whom we converse that we may shew forth the Vertue of his Light and Life freely given to us in Christ Jesus to the Praise of the Name of God who made us for a purpose of his own Glory and that you with me may have an understanding that a measure of Light is given to every one to profit with For our God hath not been wanting to us but hath given his Spirit to help our Infirmities for of our selves we can do nothing that is Acceptable in his Sight but he hath blessed us with Spiritual Blessings that our Souls may thrive in his Grace and Truth that comes by Christ who is the Wisdom and Power of God to all that truly Believe and Wait diligently in his Light and Spirit such do witness him to be revealed in them to give Life and Comfort to their Immortal Souls and they that in the Living Faith abide shall obtain Victory over the World's Spirit Within and Without but if we Suffer our Minds to wander from God after the fading things of this World that will bring Death and Darkness over your Minds again and the Spirit of this World will dceivee you as he did Eve by drawing her mind to look out and Eat of that which God had forbidden her therefore 't is my hearty desire to God that you and I watch diligently against the Enemy of our Souls who works in a Mystery to deceive and will appear as an Angel of Light as he did to me to my sorrow for the Devil knew where to lay his bait in tempting me and telling me it was good but when the Light began to shine in my Heart I found it to be as contrary to God as Darkness is to Light and my Soul Magnifies the Lord's Power over the Spirit and Power of Darkness Therefore dear Friends suffer the word of Exhortation through your Weak and Aged Brother who has long been Travelling towards Sion in that way of Truth which leads to Rest and Peace and in a hearty desire that you all may be found in a Spiritual Travail and witness a Spiritual Growth in Christ and be renewed in the Spirit of your mind for he is come near to Judge both Quick and Dead and they are Blessed that do put on the Armour of Light and are bringing forth fruits of Righteousness before God and Man they witness the Comfort thereof in themselves And if any among you hath a Form of Truth without the Power such are Spiritually Dead and Christ said Ye shall know them by their Fruits And you that are quickned to God and have passed from death to life are witness of those things for Light makes manifest and expels Darkness which deadens the Soul to God and clouds the Understanding in the Mysteries of his Kingdom O my dear Friends let us Joyn to the measure of Light in our Souls to know how it stands betwixt God and our Souls for according to his promise he will search Jerusalem as with Candles Therefore let all arise from the Dead that Christ may give you Light and if you are Risen with Christ mind Heavenly things And it doth nearly concern us that we believe and pray in the Faith of God's Elect to do his will on Earth as it is done in Heaven And as the living Members of the Natural Body are ready to help each other so much more will the living Members of the Mystical Body of which Christ is Head mutually Love each other Condescend Sympathize and Help the Weak and forbear one another And if any be overtaken in a fault you that are strong and Spiritual to restore such an one in the Spirit of meekness is precious and such a Spirit doth well become the Children of Light in this Day of God's Spiritual appearance which is broken forth in Spirit and Power within to Judge and Purge out of his People all that is contrary to his mind and Holy will Therefore dear Friends let us all wait to feel his Judgments upon the Transgressing Nature and this is our Father's Love to bring us into Conformity to his Son Christ Jesus And blessed is that Eye that Sees and Understands these things nothing shall Separate their Souls from the Love of God that which is near and dear as a Right Hand or Right Eye must be parted with yea even Life it self if Required which brings to my mind the preserving Arm and Power of my God both at Sea and Land in my going abroad and in my returning home again and to this Day he hath given me Health and Life Spiritually and Enabled me thus to write unto you being above Ninety Years of Age tho' with a shaking hand I beseech you to Receive these Lines in the Love of God manifested through this weak Vessel for the good of your Souls for with Longing desires I have some Years waited for strength thus to signifie the unchangeable Love of God who brought me thither where I felt your love to God his Truth and me also and have often thought of the Lord's Servant John who was Banisht into the Isle of Patmos where the Mystery of God was Gloriously Revealed unto him
to come out of Spiritual Babylon and deny the Spirit of the World and come to the Spirit of God for the Children of God are led by his Spirit and the reason why many are yet in Mystery Babylon is because the Blind lead the Blind and both remain in Death and Darkness through unbelief though the true Light now shineth in the Sons and Daughters of Men. Therefore I beseech all in the Love of God to hearken to the Council Christ gives in the 2. and 3. Chapter of the Revelation To hear what the Spirit saith and until you feel the Spirit of God to quicken your Souls and make them alive to God and open your understandings you are in Darkness not knowing what you say nor whereof you affirm in the Mysteries of God and Christ Jesus For our God hath appeared to his People in his Light and Grace and given us an understanding to know him that is True and we are in him that is True and by a living Faith are united in Spirit and are not of those that draw back to perdition by unbelief as some do but believe to the saving of our Souls and by Vertue of the Light of Christ revealed in us we feel a Spiritual Growth towards perfection And though the Enemy be near to assault and tempt and Transform himself like to an Angel of Light and calls good evil and evil good whereby in times past he deceived me to my great sorrow but by God's grace which was nigh to let me see the danger he gave me Power to Abstain from the appearance of that Evil of which I speak to God's Eternal Praise and where Sin abounded the grace of God did more abound and where grace abounds self is made of no reputation And it is God in Christ that works all in us and for us blessed for ever For when the Corrupt Nature bears sway in us such cannot stand in the Cross of Christ which is the Power of God to Salvation to save from Sin and to deny their own Wills and Affections and Fleshly Lusts that Wars against the Soul but they that wait on God in his own Light they see when good comes and may see the Enemy in all his Appearances and Temptations and by Gods grace resist the Devil who seeks to Devour that precious Seed of Life that God hath sowne in all you have Read of Four sorts of Ground but one good which is an honest and upright Heart to God in his Truth and brings forth good Fruit I cannot but remember that some of you that are now Professors were so about Sixty Years ago and it will do you no hurt to examine your selves and see whether you are grown nearer to God and Christ and what Fruit you bring forth I know you have a Form of Godliness examine whether you do not deny the Power thereof Are you not as formal as ever in the Worship of God whom you confess to be a pure Spirit Are your understandings made more Heavenly Or do you not keep up the Form without Life and Power which causes many to leave you And are not some of you Proud and Vain in your Dresses and Ignorant of Christ's appearing in your Souls and do you bring forth the Fruits of the Spirit as Love Joy Peace in believing c. or rather the Fruits of the Flesh whereby you cannot please God Let the witness of God in you answer You know that the Great and Glorious God in the beginning made Mankind the Chiefest of his Creation but you Read in Holy Writ Man fell from that pure State by disobedience and know that until he be Regenerate and Born again by the Word of Life and raised by Christ who is the Resurrection and Life Man is in a perishing Condition And it is the desire of my Soul that all People may come to witness the Power of his Resurrection in the inward Man which Destroys the works of the Devil and Sin which stands as a Wall of Separation betwixt Man and his Maker for God is Holy and of more pure Eyes than to behold Iniquity Therefore Fear and Dread before him who is the Living God that Changes not but the same Today as Yesterday and for Ever there is no God like unto him for he is a present help in the time of need and universal in his Love and Power Mighty to save all that believe in his Spiritual appearance Therefore all Friends and People every where let none go about to Diminish or Slight the appearance of Christ's Spirit and Power in the Soul of any Man or Men for God hath made me a living witness with many others it is our great Comfort in all streights and necessities Spiritual and Temporal But some that are now Wise in their own Eyes who were concerned formerly to appear for the Inward appearance of Christ with whom I had then Unity now their Love seems to be abated to that and they like the Foolish Galatians though they begun in the Spirit now seek to be made perfect by the Flesh that is in their Fleshly Carnal wisdom and Literal understanding wherein they are contending Conceiting themselves to know more than what has been manifested and made known to the Worthies and Elders in Spiritual Israel in this day of Light and Life wherein the Holy Unction is known which Teacheth us of all things for he that first descended who is the same that ascended and is Set on the Right Hand of the Throne of the Majesty in the Heavens he is our High Priest and Minister Heb. 8 and lives for ever to make intercession for us being the only Mediator between God and Men which they receive the benefit of who are truely Humbled in the sense of their own nothingness these do not exalt their own Fleshly Wisdom but stand in a Cross to their own will and are easily Entreated such Demonstrate the Fruit of the Spirit in Meekness Gentleness and Patience which carries a greater Evidence with it than any Testimony in words only And it is in vain to Preach from other Men Lines and speaks from the Letter only those things they do not Experience such Preaching doth not profit the People neither can they thereby be edified for the wisdom from below and Fleshly knowledge puffs up and vaunts it self but the Love of God Edifies And where the Truth bears sway in the Soul self is abased and made of no Reputation And the great and mighty God is making good his Promises that the People shall flow to his holy Mountain and flee like Doves to the Windows Isa 12.16 And the great and notable day of God is come wherein the the knowledge of God shall abound and cover the Earth as the Waters cover the Seas Therefore let every Soul be truly faithful to what they know and be willing and obedient such shall Eat the good of the Land as many do Experience magnified be the Name of our God saith my Soul which hath found