Selected quad for the lemma: death_n
Text snippets containing the quad
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A54069
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To all such as complain that they want power, not applying themselves to yeild [sic] subjection to what of God is made manifest in them, upon a pretence of waiting for power so to do
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Penington, Isaac, 1616-1679.
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1661
(1661)
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Wing P1209; ESTC R22405
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15,125
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18
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To all such as Complain that they want Power not applying themselves to yeild subjection to what of God is made manifest in them upon a pretence of waiting for Power so to do THe Lord God of eternal power who made Man in his own Image he stretcheth forth his Arm to save and redeem his lost Creature It is his power alone that effecteth the work of Redemption He quickneth man who is dead in Trespasses and Sins He keepeth alive and leadeth on the quickned soul in the path of Life He conquereth scattereth and subdueth all the enemies round about the Soul even all the losts corruptions and temptations which lead unto and entangle in Perdition Yet the Lord God requireth somewhat of the man whom he saveth without which being found in man and returned to him from man he saveth him not Quest What doth he require of Man Answ He requireth of Man Repentance Faith and Obedience That he should turn at his Call from the Darkness to the Light that he should trust in and cleave to the Light but believe the spirit of Darkness no more and lastly that he should obey the Light follow the Light walk in the footsteps of the living towards the Land of Light work the Works of God in the Light Quest How can Man do this Answ Of himself he cannot But being touched being quickned by the Eternal Power being turned by a secret vertue and stirring of life in his Heart then he can turn towards that which turneth him Being drawn by the Life by the Power he can follow after the Life and after the Power Finding the sweetness of the Living Vine and his soul made alive by the Sap of the Vine his heart can now cleave to and abide in the Vine and bring forth the Fruit of the living faith and obedience to the Husband-man who daily dresseth the Heart that waiteth in the Living Principle for further life from the Fountain that it may bring forth the fruits of Life more and more Now mark Is it possible for any man to come to the Eternal Rest that travels not the Path Or is there any Path but the repentance faith and obedience of the Living Spirit even of the Child begotten by the Eternal Power who is taught by its Father to abide and walk in the Life and in the Power God putteth forth his Hand all the day long to fetch home lost man He hath given him a Talent a living Talent which is able to work man into the life and to bring forth the fruits of life in man Man overlooks the Talent joyns not his heart to it brings not forth the fruits of Life to the giver but cries he wants power and what is he what can he do can he cleanse his own heart can he kill his corruptions can he quicken himself c. Now mark again There are several dispensations of God to mankind in all which man of himself falls short of the Life of the Power of the Glory an comes under Condemnation God layes the blame on man for not hearkning for not believing for not walking with him Man layes the blame on God and says he wants power Look on him who is not obedient to the light which he cannot but confess to shine in his heart and often to reprove him ask him why he doth not obey it is not this his plea that he wants power Now let men consider will this stand before the Throne of God This is the condemnation that men do not believe the Light of Life do not obey the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ do not trust and follow the Light which would lead them to Life but trust and follow the darkness which leads into death and into everlasting Condemnation Their plea is they want power so to do Is this true I confess the power doth not so flow forth to man as man expects it but the power of life works man out of death in a mistery and begins in him as weakness There is all the strength all the power of the enemy against the work of God in the heart There is but a little thing like a grain of mustard-seed a weak thing a foolish thing even that which is not to man's eye to overcome all this and yet in this is the power And here is the great deceit of man He looks for a great manifest power in or upon him to begin with and doth not see how the power is in the little weak stirings of life in the heart in the rising up of somewhat against the mighty strength of corruption in him which he turning towards cleaving to and wa 〈…〉 upon the Lord in the strength of the Lord will be made 〈…〉 a 〈…〉 in its seas and he will be drawn nearer and nearer to the Lord and his enemies be overcome and fall he knows not how But he that waits for such a mighty appearance of power at first looking so to begin and after that manner to be preserved and carried on can never in this capacity so much as walk in the path Eternal nor is not in the way of receiving the power which springs up as weakness and leads on and overcomes enemies in a mysterions way of working and not in such a manifest and direct way of conquest as man's wisdom expects The seed of the kingdom is sown man knows not how even by a sound of the Eternal Spirit which he is not a fit Judge of and it grows up he knows not how and the power appears and works in it in away that he is not aware of He looks for the Kingdom the Power and the Life in a way of his observation answerable to the thoughts and expectations of his heart But thus it never comes but in the way of its own eternal motion it springs in the hearts of many and they overlook the thing and turn from it daily not knowing its proper way of appearance but expecting it some other way And thus the enemy holds them in the bands of death and they are captives in the strange land refusing the Prince of Life in his daily offers of Life because they look not for him thus but after another way and manner And till this eye of observation be put out in them they can never clearly see the appearance of the Saviour to them not feel the efficacy of his saving of them from that from which none but he can deliver Now for the sakes of such as are single-hearted and yet withheld from the enjoyment of the Life of God and of his pure Power through away of wrong expecting it I shall say a little concerning the operation of the power in quickning and leading on the quickned soul as also concerning the way of its springing up in the heart and the necessity of this way I my self was long withheld from obedience to the Light Eternal in its low appearance of discovering and convincing of sin through this very deceit believing that my
is ready to faint by reason of the infirmities Sure I am none can be so weary but he takes care of them nor none so nigh fainting but he puts his Arm under their heads nor none can be so beset with enemies on every side but he will arise and scatter nor none so heavy laden and big with young but he takes notice of them and gently leads them and will not leave them behind unto the merciless Woolf because they are his own and his life is the price of their redemption and his blood of their ransome and if they be so young that they cannot go he carries them in his Armes and when they can feel nothing stirring after him his bowells earn after them so tender is this good Shepheard after all his Flock I can tell for I was as one that once went astray and wandered upon the barren Mountains and when I had wearied my self with wandring I went into the Wilderness and there I was torn as with briars and pricked as with thorns sometimes thinking this was the way and sometimes concluding that was the way and by and by concluding all was out of the way and then bitter mourning came upon me and weeping for want of the interpreter for when I sought to know what was the matter and where I was it was too hard for me then I thought I would venture on some way where it was most likely to find a lost God and I would pray with them that prayed and fast with them that faâ—ted and mourn with them that mourned if by any means I might come to rest but found it not until I came to see the candle lighted in my own house and my heart swept from all those thoughts and imaginations and willings and runnings and to die unto them all not heeding of them but watching against them lest I should let my mind go a whoring after them and here I dwelt for a time as in a desolate land uninhabited where I sate alone as a sparrow upon the house top and was hunted up and down like a partridge upon the mountaines and could rest no where but some lust or thought or other followed me at the heels and disquieted me night and day until I came to know him in whom was rest and no occasion of stumbling in whom the Devil hath no part and he became unto me as a kiding place from the storms and from the tempests then came my eyes to â—ee my Saviour and my sorrow to fly away and he became made unto me all in all my Wisdom my Righteousness and my Sanctification in whom I was and am compleat to the praise of the riches of his Grace and Goodness that endures for ever Therefore be not discouraged Oh! thou tossed as with tempests nor dismaied in thy self because thou seeâ—t such mighty hosts of enemies rising up against thee and besetting thee on every side for none was so beset and tried and tempted as the true Seed was who was a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief but be thou still in thy minde and let the Billowes pass over and Wave upon Wave and fret not thy self because of them neither be caâ—t down as if it should never be otherwise with thee sorrow comes at night but joy in the morning and the dayes of thy mourning shall be over and the accuser will God cast out for ever for therefore was I afflicted and not comforted and tempted and tried for this end that I might know how to speak a word in due season unto those who are tempted and afflicted as I once was as it was said unto me in that day when sorrow lay heavy upon me therefore be not disconsolated neither give heed unto the reasonings and disputings of to thy own heart nor the fears that arise therefrom but be strong in the Faith believing in the light which lets thee sâ—e them and his Grace thou wilt know to be sufficient for thee and his strength to be made perfect in thy weakness and so wilt thou rather glory in thy infirmities that his power may rest upon thee then in thy earnest desires to be rid of them for by these th ings thou wilt come to live in the Life of God and Joy in God and glory in Tribulation when thou hast learned in all conditions to be contented and through tryals and deep excercises is the way to learn this lesson These things in dear love to thee I have written being somewhat sensible of thy condition and the many snares thou art daily liable unto therefore watch that thou fall not into temptation and my God and Father keep thee in the Arms of his eternal love over all unto the end unto his Praise Amen John Crooke Some Queries to the strict and zealous Professors of this Age such as stick in the Letter but are strangers to the Life and Power to provoke them to Jealousie least the Heathen and Open Sinners out-strip them and enter into the Kingdom of the pure everlasting Light before them Query 1. WHether God since the Fall of Man from the purity and glory of his State doth truly and really desire the Salvation of all mankind and so would have them come to the knowledge of the Truth that they might believe it receive it walk in it and so obtain Salvation thereby or whether he would have only some few of them to receive it and be Saved and the rest to Perish Query 2. If God would have all men to be Saved and to come to the knowledge of the Truth which is the means of Salvation Then whether there is sufficient done by God to convey the knowledge of his Truth to all men so as they may come to the knowledge thereof and be saved or whether there is such a defect on Gods part that some men never had sufficient means to come so far to the knowledge of his Truth as that they might come into the way of Salvation thereby Query 3. Though God doth please to adde superabundant means in the Riches of his Grace towards some more than others as to the Jews under the Law and to the Disciples of Christ under the Gospel yet whether there is not so much light of the Spirit communicated to all as if followed might lead them out of the Darkness and from under the Power of it Query 4. Whether God be not so near to every man as that possibly he may seek after him and find him and if he do find him and his heart cleave to him whether it can possibly be but vertue should issue forth from God to draw him out of the alienation from him and out of the power of sin Death and Hell Query 5. Whether if a man feel God and cleave to God and begin to discern the streamings of light from him and follow the Lord therein Whether God will not accept this man therein and whether his Divine Light let into him being believed in and obeyed will not