Selected quad for the lemma: love_n
Text snippets containing the quad
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A51587
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A testimony against periwigs and periwig making, and playing on instruments of musick among Christians or any other in the days of the gospel being several reasons against those things / by one who for good conscience sake hath denyed and forsaken them, John Mulliner.
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Mulliner, John.
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1677
(1677)
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Wing M3059; ESTC R31060
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19,265
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24
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end of the Law for Righteousness sake to every one that believeth Rom. 10.4 saith Swear not at all but let your Yea be Yea and your Nay be Nay Mat. 5.34 And James saith Above all things my Brethren swear not Jam. 5.12 And now you can make some by your Law pay for swearing and others have got money by swearing and others you would force contrary to the Command of Christ and their Conscience to swear and because they would not swear they have been imprisoned some until death and I pray you do but see what Confusion here is amongst you Much more might be said from several Places of the holy Sc iptures as to the pressing of you to a holy godly living but many o you will not but even Hate to be reformed I verily think there may be some that are tender hearted that have a Love for God but yet to leave all the Glory and Vanities of the world and deny themselves to Follow him appears to them very hard but this you must do fever you know Peace with God And as sure as ever the Scriptures declare of it for as Christ said He that loveth any thing more then me is not worthy of me For verily I do look upon it to be man's greatest Happiness and Felicity to be a true Servant of Gold and the most Honourablest Title in the VVorld to be a true Christian for their Name is had in everlasting Remembrance when the Name of the wicked shall not and therefore let them mock and scorn if they will the day will come that God will clear the Innocency of his people and think not that it is impossible to know God as his People did formerly when it was said that they Did taste and see how good the Lord was and they Tasted and Handled of the Good Word of Life And do not think it is enough to believe as Your Church believes and because your Ancesto s went in this way you may and what should you trouble your selves any further and truly if I could have been satisfied here my self I would willingly have went along with you but I could not though many times with Tears I have cryed to God and said why cannot I be satisfied to do as such who are esteemed wise understanding men that I must separate from them and become a Scoff and a Scorn to them but blessed be God he hath made known himself spiritually to a little Remnant who have followed him through the great Tribulations and blessed be his Name for ever he hath confirmed the Truth of it to this poor People under his hand and seal as it were by his eternal Spirit so that they do taste and handle of this good VVord of Life as they keep faithful to him in what they know for no more God requires of me nor you for if it but one Talent if we keep faithful and improve it it was said Well done faithful Servant thou hast been faithful in a little I will make thee Ruler over much enter thou into the Joy of the Lâ—rd So it is Unfaithfulness to God as is cursed in the inward parts The Lord give you an Understanding of these things is my earnest Desire for God is my witness I have no ill will to any of you but my earnest Desire is for you as for my own self to pray and beseech you to be reconciled to God and not to grieve and quench his Holy Spirit in your Consciences by living in known sin and transgression for who ever they be that will not accept of Mercy they must expect Judgment for God is Just and Righteous in all his wayes and he will and hath been clear of the Blood of all People in aâ—l Ages and Generations that are gone And therefore for the Lord's sake and our own souls sake let us not slight Christ's spiritual Appearance in our Conscience but be perswaded to let him have the whole Heart for it is an inside work And whoever he be if he hath never so eloquent a Declaration at preaching let him profess what he will if it be the Truth it self let him preach and pray sing Psalms and Hymns if they be not spirtual they are as if they cut of a Dog's Neck and as sounding Brass and tinkling Cymbal in the sight of God and no Profit in them at all So this is my Testimony for God that he doth appear as he is Spiritualy and doâ—h more and more appear by the Light of his Son Christ Jesus in the Heâ—rts of this poor scorned People called Quakers as sure as ever Christ did appear Personally upon the Earth to his Disciples according to the Holy Scriptures of Truth And therefore slighâ— not this spiritual Appearance of Christ I beseech you that which condemns you for sin in your Consciences as you tenâ—eâ— the welfare of your immortal souls and though this come from a simple Instrument yet I would intreat you to bear with me for it is in Love to you all And before ever I set Pen to paper to write this I have in the very secret of my soul desired that I might have lain in a Cave in the ground and have cried out these few dayes I have here upon the Earth to the Lord rather then I would have appeared so openly amongst you but I could not be clear till I had signified my mind to you and so I do appeal to the Principle of God in all your Consciences I being one that have had my being amongst you almost all my dayes what damnable Practice or Principle have any of you seen by me that makes you talk at this rate Except you call this damnable which checks and reproves you when you do not well and which of you all dare to say he hath it not in him which is the great Love of God unto Mankind which doth either excuse or accuse if they do good or evil and this is that Witness that God hath not left himself without in the hearts of all Mankind And certainly if there had been any thing in your Teachers Doctrines Reasons Uses and Applications if Crying and Tears Sighs and Groans would afforded me any Comfort in them the Lord would have satisfied me in them but I could not get Peace in them though the Lord knows it was my daily Prayers from a Child to be satisfied And therefore having dealt plainly wtih you and having told you how it was with me from my Childhood do you think that I am deluded and do you think that I with many more that have known this spiritual Travel will be scoffed and scorned out of this experienced Principle of God in our Consciences my God be blessed we know better things And though you may Goliah like come in defiance against this Host of the Living God yet be it known to you You are but men and not Gods and though we are but poor Striplings and simple Mecanick poor Tradesmen and some coming from their flocks and
herds We do not encounter with you with Swords or Spears but in the Name of the Lord we go on and here the Lord hath given strength and patience to suffer whatever hath come upon his poor People for the trial of their Faith So that They are more then Conquerers through him that hath loved them as above twenty Years Experience can witness since the Lord first brought them forth out of this Northern Part of this Nation and this is that Lamb's Spirit in which we war of which God hath said Shall have the Victory And do not think t is Excommunication or rending our Goods from us or Banishment or any other thing that shall be ever able To separate us from the Love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord And if Christ be not In Vs we are Reprobates and if it were not that this Principle of God were in us and if we did not know and enjoy something that was above this world we were of all people as the Scripture saith Of all men in the World the most miserable For indeed the Case is God's as we are concerned in and if he doth not carry it on in us we cannot go any further and this is that City that God hath set on a Hill which cannot he hid For alas Our Profession is as empty as any Profession if we find not this Principle of God in our Consciences to prosper which teacheth us to deny all Ungodliness and if it be but a Sigh or a Groan a Cry or a Tear that cometh from an Honest Heart God hath regard to it for alas though there may be tricks that men may shufle or cut one with another we cannot deal so with this Alseeing God with whom we have to do for alas without God we can do nothing therefore it is to this Principle in your Consciences I direct you for no further then you find me plead for God no longer own me My Neighbours and Acquaintance of this Town of Northampton I pray you do you but a little consider what Condition were you in suddenly after this Judgment of God that was amongst us by Fire at which time we met one another several with Tears in their Eyes telling one another of their Losses by this sad Judgment Oh what a tender Frame of Spirit were many of you in then O that you had kept to that and it would have been greatly for your good for then you would have gone forward in that which is good till you had found Reconciliation and Establishment with your Maker and you would have remembred his Judgments and Mercy have spoken of them to his Praise but how little is this minded now So that many live as if there were no God! To hear the great Abominations that are committed in your streets is a greif to he upright now as such things were a grief to the upright in all ages Oh that these things may be considered laid to heart amended therefore it be too late for our days are swiftly passing over as a Weavers Shuttle and as a tale that is told The Lord grant that unto this Humble tender Frame of Spirit you may come and not let those former Afflictions slip out of your Remembrance for God hath promised he will Not break the bruised Reed nor quench the smoaking Flax but if your Sins were as Scarlet he would make them as wooll if as Crimson he would make them as Snow and this is the Lord 's doing and it is marvelous in our Eye and this is that humble way that my soul hath found Favour with him and for ever my soul shall praise him And I know not how few my dayes may be amongst you yet this is my Testimony and my Belief concerning this People those of them as are faithful I could wish I could say so for all as are called so that they are the People of God So whether you will be reconciled to this Princip e of God in your Conscience or no I am clear in my self concerning you Who am a Well-wisher to your immortal Souls John Mulliner THE END