Selected quad for the lemma: mercy_n
Text snippets containing the quad
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A49839
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Something concerning my convincement of God's truth the way, work & manner thereof.
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Laythes, Thomas, d. 1701.
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1691
(1691)
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Wing L754; ESTC R24138
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4,012
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7
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Something Concerning my Convincement OF GOD'S TRUTH THE Way Work Manner thereof MANY Years I spent in the World before I was much convinced of the evil of many things I then did living in Pride and Pleasure and satisfying my vain Mind therein not much seeking or desiring after the things of God having little of any Form or Profession of Godliness and much less of the Power thereof and herein I may still admire the great Mercy of God in that he did not cut me off in this time of my Sin and Transgression but gave me time to Repent And this was my State and Condition for many Years till about the Year 1â—55 I begun to take notice of some Professors about Keswicke in Cumberland and looking upon them as more like to be the People of God then those I had formerly been amongst I frequented their Meetings and walked with them after the stricâ—est manner for about four Years in all thing pertaining to Religion and Worship as I was then perswaded yet towards the latter end of that time I felt my Spirit much dissatisfied as to Religion and Worship in many things which we then practised and the more I thought and pondered in my Mind thereupon the more did my dissatisfaction grow upon me insomuch that at length I did question both that Ministry and Worship which we then owned whether it was the true Ministry and Worship or not and all those our Religious Practices whether God would accept of them or not being done as I then feared out of that Spirit which gives acceptance with the Lord and so but wil-worship and though we had the form of Godliness yet I doubted whether we had the true power or no being not redeemed out of the Spirit of the World but still living in the Forms Fashions and Customs thereof being much perswaded in my Heart that there was a People nearer the Lord then we were and did enjoy more of his Power and Presence then we did and thus my Heart and Mind did with-draw from that People more and more and enclined much after them People call'd Quakers and the more I did observe and take notice of them and their Behaviour Life and Conversation the more did my Love and good desires grow and encrease unto them being much perswaded in my Heart that they were the People of God though I had little discourse with any of them or ever been at any of their Meetings but often when I read the Scriptures and the Saints Conditions there recorded I thought in my Heart they were likest the People there spoken of and then my Spirit travelled to be with them though very unwilling to leave those People that I had so long been in Fellowship with And thus I travelled under great weight and pressure of Spirit for many Days Weeks Months if not Years sometimes secretly saying in my Heart I had rather die with this People meaning the Professors then leave them if I could believe that God would accept of what we did and great was that Love and Affection I had for natural Relations And this was my State and Condition a long time being unwilling to give up in answer to Gods requirings and deny self and take up the Cross vvhich made my Travel both longer and harder which at length the Professors perceiving thinking that I was like to leave them endeavoured to keep me amongst them as long as they could and did use their best Arguments to that effect sometimes in Love and otherwise in telling what great danger there was in joyning with such a People as were deluded as they would say but when they did see that all they could do would not prevail then they begun to threaten me with Excommunication telling me of the fearful and horrid Sentence thereof which afterwards they proceeded unto pronouncing the Sentence of Excommunication as they call'd it but Mark this was not done until they were without any hope of my continuing with them and then they would pretend to cast me out from amongst them when they could keep me no longer and when James Cave their Pastor so call'd had pronounced Sentence against me he spoke to one Richard Waterson call'd a Deacon to put me forth from amongst them where they were met which he did accordingly but what hath befaln him since and for what cause is best known unto the Lord alone I wish he may be sensible of his own Condition repent of his Sins and find Mercy with the Lord And herein I witness Christs Words fulfilled Blessed are ye when men shall hate you and when they shall seperate you from their Company and shall reproach you and cast out your Names as evil for the Son of mans sake Rejoyce you in that day and leap for Joy for behold your Reward is great in Heaven for in the like manner did their Fathers unto the Prophets Luke 6.22 23. And how feelingly have I witnessed that Scripture fulfilled Isa 66.5 Here the Word of the Lord ye that tremble at his Word your Brethren that hated you that cast you out for my Names sake said let the Lord be glorified but he shall appear to your joy and they shall be ashamed And sure this was my Condition in that day Yet after all this greatly was I exercised being several times moved to go to their places of Worship where James Cave was and that in much weakness of Body having neither eaten Bread nor any other Food unless a little Water sometimes for many days And at one of their Chappels I did warn James Cave not to go away and leave that People which he had professed himself Pastor to nor when Sufferings were like to come on laying several things before him which might draw him from them 1st Fear of Persecution and Sufferings 2dly Doubting of Maintenance according to his mind 3dly The perswasion of natural Friends and Relations as to Wife and others Yet notwithstanding all this not long after he went away and left that People for many Years whether they would stand or fall and soon after they gave over their accustomed Meetings and fell away And at another time I declared Christs Words to James Cave in another of their Chappels before the Auditors Mat. 7.24.25 26 and 27. Speaking of the Wise man that built his House upon a Rock and the Rain descended and the Floods came and the Winds blew and beat upon that House and it fell not for it was founded upon a Rock But the foolish man built his House upon the Sand and the Rain descended and the Floods came and the Winds blew and beat upon that House and it fell and great was the fall of it And it is plain and evident what their Building was upon which if it had been upon a Rock doubtless would have stood but being upon the Sand is fallen ruinate and not visible therefore let see what they build upon for it is that Church built up the Rock against which