Selected quad for the lemma: peace_n
Text snippets containing the quad
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A94774
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An Epistle of tender love to all friends that are tender hearted, who are tender of the honour of God, and seek the glory of his worthy name, and the prosperity of his precious truth, and the peace and unity of the church of Christ in this his blessed day.
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Townsend, Theophila.
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1690
(1690)
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Wing T1988; ESTC R185412
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5,805
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2
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inward Sense as not sufficient to try Spirits by but you that are Members of that Body of which Christ is Head are seasoned with his Grace and know the Inspiration of the Almighty to give you an understanding and you have an inward Sense by that Spirit which searcheth all things yea the deep things of God and by this inward Sense you are able to try Spirits whether they are of God or not and this gives you to see over the Devil and his Instruments and Authority to judge them and deny them as moved so to do so dear Children and chosen of the Lord keep your Dominion in the Truth and hold fast that which you have received of God that none take your Crown which the Lord your God hath laid up in store for all his Saints and sanctified in Christ Jesus that are faithful unto the death they shall have a Crown of Life and as one said in his day to the Primitive Christians so say I to you take heed that none spoil you with Philosophy and vain Deceit or sensual Wisdom and fair Pretences from false Brethren which may have a shew of Humility in Will-worship not holding Christ the Head unto which every Member is joyntly knit from such turn away and cleave to the Lord with your whole Heart and hold fast the hope of the Gospel unto the End that your Bow may abide in strength and the Lord fill your Quivers with pollished Arrows that you may shoot at Babylon the Mother of Confusion and wound her to the Heart and spare not her Merchants for they must weep and mourn for the Day of the Lord will overtake them therefore put on Strength and Courage and stand in that Power that will make you victorious over all Zion's Enemies both within and without then shall Zion's Children rejoyce in the Lord the God of all our Mercies and sing high Praises with Glory and Hononour to his Honourable Name and glorious Power because of his goodness and matchless Mercies unto us for he is a showring down of his spiritual Blessings and living Mercies to the gladding of the Hearts of his People for this is the Portion of the Righteous therefore lift up your Heads the chosen of the Lord and rejoice in the God of your Salvation who hath promised to create Jerusalem a Rejoycer and her People a Joy and he is fulfilling the same in the Hearts of Zion's Children pure Praise to his worthy Name for evermore so let none of these Contenders trouble you with their printing this unsavory Memorial for if they have no better Fruits to publish to the World than this Viz. their Contention with their Brethren and Dislike and Opposition to the good Order and Discipline of the Church of Christ their Memorial will not be blessed of the Lord for the hand of the Lord is against it and the Spirit that gave it forth for such a Memorial to be left to future Ages will never give them cause to call them blessed that are the Authors thereof for it 's not the Glad-tidings of good things but sad Tidings to the upright in Heart to hear that such as were once enlightened should so far lose their understanding as to say the way of Convincement is almost stopt and should be so covered with Darkness as to publish themselves to the World so in opposâ—â—â—â—◠〈◊〉 their Brethren as to give them cause to judge and deny them and turn from them what shall I say the Lord will bring distress upon them and upon all that joyn with them if they repent not for their unsavory Memorial cannot cover them from the All-seeing Eye of the Lord for he beholds all their doings and takes notice of it and will plead with them but thanks be to God a Remnant the Lord hath kept open and tender they see that Christ the Light Life and who is the way of convincing he is not stopt in the tender hearted neither can their jangling stop the Work of the Lord for Truth prospers in the Earth and gets ground and many are convinced of late up and down by the Light and Spirit of Truth Praises to the Lord our God over all who is adding to his Church daily such as shall be saved therefore ye Children of the Light and of the Day of God's Love keep your Lamps trimmed and furnished with the heavenly Oil that you may enter in with the Bridegroom into the marriage Chamber when the foolish are shut out then will you be filled with the heavenly Treasure and the Well-spring of Eternal Life will sweetly flow into your tender Bosoms for the Lord is the Portion of your Cup and the Lot of your Inheritance and will be forever as your Eye is unto him to whom I commit you and recommend you with true Breathings to the God of my Life that he will preserve and keep you in a holy and harmless Life low in his fear that preserves you out of the Snares of Death for ever that so to the Praise of his Grace and to the Glory of his Power who is over all God blessed forever you may live and out-live all Contentions in the Sense of that Life that was before Death and Contention was so as you abide in the Light Life and Power of God and walk in the way of Holiness this is the way to keep all in the Unity of the true Faith and holy Spirit of Truth which is the Bond of true Peace and watch over one another for good and live in love one with another for by this shall all Men know that you are my Disciples said Christ if you love one another and keep down all Sperfluity I intreat you for the Lord's sake in your Families and train up your Chidren in the fear of the Lord as becomes the Truth in that which is comly and commendable and be you such good Patterns unto them that they following your Example of Holiness may prevent such as watch over you for evil and rejoyces to see it that they may spread it abroad to the Dishonour of Truth and cause the uncircumcised to rejoyce as you may see how false Brethren print and publish things to the Nation to defame the Truth and those that profess it as in their printed memorial may be seen what reviling and reproachful bitter words they have vented against Friends and are complaining of reflections from them and are judging Friends for that which they are in the Practice of and so condemn themselves and yet pretend they seek for Peace and Reconciliation and bring forth such Fruits to maintain Contention at the same time all in one sheet of Paper so their Works contradict their Pretences but dear Friends do you study to be quiet and mind the Lord's Business in your Men and Womens Meetings and do your endeavours to discharge your Consciences in all things towards God and Man and take heed of giving place to any thing that would make the Offence of the Cross to cease but stand as Pillars in the House of God and go no more forth and help to bear the Burthens of the weak and take them by the hand and encourage young People to come to their Meetings such as are tender and of a good Life that they may learn so that your Off-spring may succeed you in the Work and Service of the Lord and may act for God when you are in your Graves notwithstanding they deny them that Liberty and heed not the blind Comparison of Gehazi you that are Members of those Meetings run not for covetous Ends as he did but are willing to succour and relieve such as are in distress which proves their Comparison frivolous and vain like the rest of their Works who pretend they have been greatly concerned and striving to make up the breach but they do not strive lawfully and so are disappointed of their expectation and are like so to be till they repent and turn to the Lord and cease from Contention and Opposition and be reconciled to their Brethren If they do in reality desire to make up the breach this is the way for them to come into Unity and Fellowship again with their Brethren and then they may offer their Gift and find acceptance with the Lord and his People as in Times past but if they will not return but still stand in Opposition the fault is in themselves and they must bear their own Burthen but be not you disquieted at them but pity them and be ready to do them goo if you can but do you stand fast and keep your Habitation in the precious Truth unto the End that God over all may have the Honour and the Glory and the Praise for he alone is worthy both now and forever more saith your true Friend and Sister in the Fellowship of the Gospel in which I conclude desiring you not to strive with them but keep to the peaceable Truth Theophila Townsend Cirencester the 12 th of the 3 d. Month 1690 ISAIAH LII 7. How beautiful upon the Mountains are the Feet of him that bringeth glad-Glad-tidings of good things and publisheth Peace and Salvation and saith to Zion thy God Reigneth Let this Epistle be read among Friends in their Meetings as they in the Wisdom of God shall see a Service for it London Printed for Thomas Northcott in George-Yard in Lombard-street 1690.