Selected quad for the lemma: duty_n
Text snippets containing the quad
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A65831
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Piety promoted by faithfulness manifested by several testimonies concerning that true servant of God Ann Whitehead.
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Whitehead, George, 1636?-1723.
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1686
(1686)
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Wing W1885; ESTC R19754
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32,467
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126
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her with the Kings Daughter all Glorious within her righteous Heart loved no false Coverings but still was labouring to keep Truth clear over all Deceit always incouraging all both Privately and Publickly to serve the Truth in their day with singleness of Heart and uprightness of Mind and where-ever she found the Lord was dishonoured by any and his Truth evil spoken of she spared not her self but with and in his Wisdom she dealt with such to bring them to a sight of their evil doing the Lord had surely a great regard unto her for her sincerity of Heart in his Service for I am one with many of the Lords People that can testifie of her unwearied pains and care in the Church of Christ like as Priscilla and Aquilla whom Paul calls fellow helpers in the Gospel so I know could many of the Lords Servants and Worthies call her in her day for the Lord was pleased to give large Gifts unto her because her Heart was right in his sight and her delight was to improve her Talent in her Lords Service laying aside all things else for the sake of that a true Mother in Israel indeed taking always due care for them that were in want of help inwardly or outwardly to the simple honest hearted she was truly tender and was as Eyes to the Blind and Legs to the Lame teaching them in the way of Life to the strait path where she had walked and travelled without fainting by the way I would not leave off without giving her her due in more things then these I have hinted but not being willing to be too large knowing that many were the Friends that loved her in her Life served according to their measure in the ever blessed Truth with her that would have the same privilidge in easing of their tender Hearts and broken Spirits as I have her dear and worthy Husbands loss is great indeed in his own particular but that I know his will is resigned to the will of the Lord I saw something of their pure Innocent parting upon her dying Pillow which I believe I shall not hastily forget as she Lived she Died an honourable esteem she had of him in her Life so had she to the Last with great desires that nothing upon her account might hinder his Service of us that were about her she took a dear and tender Farewel with a kind acceptance of our Care and Love to her which was but our reasonable Service and Duty for in her day the Lord gave her amongst us and she was a blessed Instrument and the Lord be good unto us and keep us in his holy fear that we may run the Race that he hath set before us and finish our Course with Joy as I am satisfied she hath done Amen Lord Jesus Amen From a Lover of the Truth and the Servants of it Mary Woolley The 25th of the 7th Month 1686. Bridget Ford HER TESTIMONY Concerning Ann Whitehead FInding my self not clear without casting in my Mite by way of Testimony for my dear esteemed and honoured Friend in the blessed Truth Ann Whitehead whom the Lord endued with Wisdom and made her a Mother in Israel and I can say I have seen her take the Weak by the hand and lead them on in the work of the Lord and she hath been comforted and refreshed when she felt any whom the Lord had made willing to put their hand to his Plow their shoulder to his Work she hath rejoyced in Spirit and praised the Lord on their account and like a nursing Mother did tender and cherish the Good and reprove the contrary she often visited the Widow and Fatherless and had compassion towards them sturring up other holy Women thereunto as also to clothe the Naked feed the Hungry and visit those that were in Prison what shall I say it was her delight to serve the Lord and his People she was a faithful Labourer in the Vinyard of our God and I am fully satisfied she hath finished that Work the Lord sent her to do with Joy and now it hath pleased him to gather her to himself where she rests from her Labours and her Works follow her and is crowned with a Crown of Glory everlasting Praises Honour and Dominion be given to our God henceforth and for evermore Amen London the 24th of the 7th Month 1686. Bridget Ford Charles Bathurst HIS TESTIMONY FOâ— Ann Whitehead AS for our dear Friend A. W. I have this short Testimony to bear concerning her She was a Person whom the Lord had endued with singular Wisdom and I have some time hard her say She sought the Lord from her Youth and followed the best of Men and best of Meanes according to the dispensation of those times But when the Lord was pleased to visit this Nation with the manifestation of his glorious Truth she was called in the Morning of that Day and followed the Lord fully through many Sufferings and various Exercises and still grew in the Truth so that she arrived to a high pitch of divine Knowledg whereby we may truly say Deborah like She became a Mother in Israel Her Agency and Usefulness in the Church cannot be better demonstrated then by the many Tears that followed her to the Grave and as she was filled with heavenly Wisdom so she increased in humane also and did not hide her Talent in a Napkin but spent her self in the Service of the Truth and was ready to communicate to any that stood in need of her grave Counsel and of this I know there are many Witnesses I can for my own part say I have often had occasion to resort to her to receive Advice from her in many matters of important weight and always found her Advice very successful and as she was thus serviceable to the Church in General and to many Members in Particular so she was very helpful to the Pooâ— and a frequent visiter of distressed Families I know not indeed wherein she was defective except it were to her self in spending her strength in continual service for the Truth till Nature hastned to its Center But I shall not further enlarge being filled with sorrow for the loss of so worthy a Friend but wish that we that remain behind may in our measure follovv her Footsteps in her vvorthy Actions knovving that novv she hath received a Revvard of all her Labours and is at rest vvith the Lord forever to vvhom be returned praises by a Member of his Church and People The 1st of the 6th Month 1686. Charles Bathurst Bridget Austill HER TESTIMONY Concerning Ann Whitehead A Short Testimony lives in my Heart and is weighty upon my Spirit concerning our dear and worthy Friend and dearly beloved of the Lord Ann Whitehead of whose savory Life and sweet innocent Conversation I was a Witness for a considerable terme of Years in all which time since the Lord in his everlasting Mercy brought me into acquaintance with himself and true nearness
to meet her at Kingston at the House of John Feilders where we had a Meeting on the first day of the Week and the Lord was pleased to seaze so upon me by his everlasting power through her Ministry that the operation thereof did so open my understanding and confirm me in the blessed Truth that I could set to my seal that it was the true and the living way and the way wherein no Soul could ever be deceived which day is never to be forgotten with me amongst the many other days of the Lords tender Visitations to my poor Soul in the days of my Distress and after I came more acquainted with this my dear Friend seeing her Faithfulness and Uprightness in the Church of God and her great care she had of the Servants of the Lord it did incline my Heart more and more unto her blessed be the Name of the Lord who hath quickened and made alive unto himself and hath made us near and dear one unto another and hath knit and tyed and bundled up and hath united us together in that one Spirit which is the bond of our Peace where there is no Rent nor Division but all one in Christ Jesus our Lord. And this is my Testimony further to her Ministry that it was living and true and she was one that never would go beyond the gift of the Spirit but always would return into that blessed Power that gave it forth which was very pretious to all that heard her and I can truly say that my Soul hath been many a time truly refreshed by her and in her and my Heart hath been made right glad for the which I bless and praise the Name of the Lord forever who is worthy saith my Soul She was a true and faithful Woman to the Lord and to his Truth and had a Testimony in her Heart against all things that would make a seperation therein and I can truly say it was very hard for me to part from her because of her worthiness and the want of her in the Church and Family of God and especially in our blessed Woman's Meetings where she was made very serviceable beyond many others through the gift the Lord had given her but considering the work is the Lords and he is alsufficient to carry it on to raise up other Instruments in her place the consideration thereof is a satisfaction to me and many more of my dear Friends and Sisters in the Truth and now she is ceast from her Labours and Sufferings and is at rest with the Lord who is her reward for all but tho she is gone her Spirit lives in the Hearts of the upright forever There is one remarkable thing brought to my mind which was the last Testimony of this our dear and wel-beloved Friend Ann Whitehead at a Meeting at the Bull Mouth a few Weeks before she departed this Life first signifying ' to Friends how she came to the Meeting in much weakness to be refreshed among us but withal declared how she was burdened to see the vanity of the minds of some professing the Truth and so she went on Exhorting and Admonishing and Testifying against Pride and Vanity which she saw among some young People that came among Friends So it is the desire of my Heart to the Lord that this her Testimony might not be forgotten but have a living impression upon the Spirits of all those whom it concerns and in that love which desires the good of all I rest Your Friend and Sister in the blessed Truth ihat sets free Mary Elson Margaret Meekings HER TESTIMONY Concerning Ann Whitehead IF any surely I have cause to bring in my Testimony for my dear Friend Ann Whitehead who was my antient Acquaintance both before and since she knew the Truth she being girded before by him she did not know not to trust in earthly Riches but did then with prudence and much tenderness do her duty far exceeding any I knew in that day and since she has been convinced of the ever blessed Truth which thorow many tryals and difficulties and great exercises she has passed thorow to walk therein a very useful Instrument in variety of â—â—â—vices in the work of the Lord she hath been by his assisting power who endowed her with much Wisdom and sound Knowledge to give Counsel and Advice to the Simple and much freeness to help the Helpless both with inward and outward Comforts and when in the outward she lived well of her own in the beginning she then gave up all to suffer and serve the Truth Oh her Value and many Vertues I want words to express what she was to me to many more that truly knew her so that her blessed footsteps I desire to walk in all my appointed time that as she did I may lay down my Head in Peace who I am well satisfied is gathered into that bosom of Love where Joy and Felicity endures for evermore Margaret Meekings A TESTIMONY Concerning Our antient and dear Friend Ann Whitehead THE one Eternal God besides whom there is none has in these last days manifested himself Emanuel God with us and in us of a Truth and all that into the new Covenant are gathered and there abide have his Teachings and feel his Presence and in the eating of the Bread that comes down from God discerns the Body whereof Christ Jesus is head and know the Communion and everlasting Union with God and all Saints so when any are removed or fallen asleep laying down their earthly Tabernacles our fellowship in Spirit ceases not nor do we sorrow as those without hope but can with Joy remember and make mention of those that Lived and Dyed in the holy Faith not speaking the praise of the Dead but of the Living as this our dear Sister Ann Whitehead who wrought in God and her Works follow her I knew her enterance was at the straight Gate and had no sooner the sight of the Pearl of great Price but was willing to sell all for it so put away that which was delightful to her tho her own Wotks highly priced by others yet least there should be an Idol in them were thrown in the Fire by her yea all that she thought would stop her in her Enterance or hinder her walking in the narrow Way yea her Relations whom she had manifested much kindness to yet being contrary to Truth she seperated from and thus having cast off that which pressed down she was not Idle but testified of the Truth in City and Country as called of God and she manifested that she was in the true Faith for it worked by Love I am a Witness thereof with many more Before the Womens Meeting was settled she went visiting the young convinced both Rich and Poor Counseling and Exhorting as was needful and supplying the Poor and stirring up others thereto and watching with those that were Sick and comforting the Parents with their dying Children yea helpful in many States and had