Selected quad for the lemma: power_n
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A29930
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The invisible power of God known in weakness with a Christian testimony of the experience and sufferings of Edward Brush, aged ninety one years / by him tenderly recommended to all moderate and well-inclined people.
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Brush, Edward.
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1695
(1695)
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Wing B5239; ESTC R31993
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13,618
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19
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to come out of Spiritual Babylon and deny the Spirit of the World and come to the Spirit of God for the Children of God are led by his Spirit and the reason why many are yet in Mystery Babylon is because the Blind lead the Blind and both remain in Death and Darkness through unbelief though the true Light now shineth in the Sons and Daughters of Men. Therefore I beseech all in the Love of God to hearken to the Council Christ gives in the 2. and 3. Chapter of the Revelation To hear what the Spirit saith and until you feel the Spirit of God to quicken your Souls and make them alive to God and open your understandings you are in Darkness not knowing what you say nor whereof you affirm in the Mysteries of God and Christ Jesus For our God hath appeared to his People in his Light and Grace and given us an understanding to know him that is True and we are in him that is True and by a living Faith are united in Spirit and are not of those that draw back to perdition by unbelief as some do but believe to the saving of our Souls and by Vertue of the Light of Christ revealed in us we feel a Spiritual Growth towards perfection And though the Enemy be near to assault and tempt and Transform himself like to an Angel of Light and calls good evil and evil good whereby in times past he deceived me to my great sorrow but by God's grace which was nigh to let me see the danger he gave me Power to Abstain from the appearance of that Evil of which I speak to God's Eternal Praise and where Sin abounded the grace of God did more abound and where grace abounds self is made of no reputation And it is God in Christ that works all in us and for us blessed for ever For when the Corrupt Nature bears sway in us such cannot stand in the Cross of Christ which is the Power of God to Salvation to save from Sin and to deny their own Wills and Affections and Fleshly Lusts that Wars against the Soul but they that wait on God in his own Light they see when good comes and may see the Enemy in all his Appearances and Temptations and by Gods grace resist the Devil who seeks to Devour that precious Seed of Life that God hath sowne in all you have Read of Four sorts of Ground but one good which is an honest and upright Heart to God in his Truth and brings forth good Fruit I cannot but remember that some of you that are now Professors were so about Sixty Years ago and it will do you no hurt to examine your selves and see whether you are grown nearer to God and Christ and what Fruit you bring forth I know you have a Form of Godliness examine whether you do not deny the Power thereof Are you not as formal as ever in the Worship of God whom you confess to be a pure Spirit Are your understandings made more Heavenly Or do you not keep up the Form without Life and Power which causes many to leave you And are not some of you Proud and Vain in your Dresses and Ignorant of Christ's appearing in your Souls and do you bring forth the Fruits of the Spirit as Love Joy Peace in believing c. or rather the Fruits of the Flesh whereby you cannot please God Let the witness of God in you answer You know that the Great and Glorious God in the beginning made Mankind the Chiefest of his Creation but you Read in Holy Writ Man fell from that pure State by disobedience and know that until he be Regenerate and Born again by the Word of Life and raised by Christ who is the Resurrection and Life Man is in a perishing Condition And it is the desire of my Soul that all People may come to witness the Power of his Resurrection in the inward Man which Destroys the works of the Devil and Sin which stands as a Wall of Separation betwixt Man and his Maker for God is Holy and of more pure Eyes than to behold Iniquity Therefore Fear and Dread before him who is the Living God that Changes not but the same Today as Yesterday and for Ever there is no God like unto him for he is a present help in the time of need and universal in his Love and Power Mighty to save all that believe in his Spiritual appearance Therefore all Friends and People every where let none go about to Diminish or Slight the appearance of Christ's Spirit and Power in the Soul of any Man or Men for God hath made me a living witness with many others it is our great Comfort in all streights and necessities Spiritual and Temporal But some that are now Wise in their own Eyes who were concerned formerly to appear for the Inward appearance of Christ with whom I had then Unity now their Love seems to be abated to that and they like the Foolish Galatians though they begun in the Spirit now seek to be made perfect by the Flesh that is in their Fleshly Carnal wisdom and Literal understanding wherein they are contending Conceiting themselves to know more than what has been manifested and made known to the Worthies and Elders in Spiritual Israel in this day of Light and Life wherein the Holy Unction is known which Teacheth us of all things for he that first descended who is the same that ascended and is Set on the Right Hand of the Throne of the Majesty in the Heavens he is our High Priest and Minister Heb. 8 and lives for ever to make intercession for us being the only Mediator between God and Men which they receive the benefit of who are truely Humbled in the sense of their own nothingness these do not exalt their own Fleshly Wisdom but stand in a Cross to their own will and are easily Entreated such Demonstrate the Fruit of the Spirit in Meekness Gentleness and Patience which carries a greater Evidence with it than any Testimony in words only And it is in vain to Preach from other Men Lines and speaks from the Letter only those things they do not Experience such Preaching doth not profit the People neither can they thereby be edified for the wisdom from below and Fleshly knowledge puffs up and vaunts it self but the Love of God Edifies And where the Truth bears sway in the Soul self is abased and made of no Reputation And the great and mighty God is making good his Promises that the People shall flow to his holy Mountain and flee like Doves to the Windows Isa 12.16 And the great and notable day of God is come wherein the the knowledge of God shall abound and cover the Earth as the Waters cover the Seas Therefore let every Soul be truly faithful to what they know and be willing and obedient such shall Eat the good of the Land as many do Experience magnified be the Name of our God saith my Soul which hath found
is the Door of entrance into Heaven Therefore I beseech all Professors and Prophaness not to content themselves with shadows any longer but come to believe in Christ Jesus the Substance the Light the Life the Door the Way the Truth and all that truly believe in him for Life and Salvation they come to an inward Injoyment of him and feed on him who is the Bread of Life which Nourishes their Souls up to Eternal Life and it is the Experience of a Remnant that until you all come to retire your minds inward to the Grace and Spirit of God there can be no spiritual Growth Heaven-ward yet there may be a Literal knowledge of God but that is not saving because the letter kills but it is the Spirit that gives Life to the Soul And it is my rejoycing in God though in time of Ignorance I went astray and then my Soul did mourn before the Lord that through the Grace and Mercy of God my Soul is come to know my Teacher within that Teacheth me to Profit giving me an understanding in the Mystery of Godliness for great is the Mystery of Godliness God manifest in the Flesh as the Scriptures Testifies Forms of Religion without Life do not profit and I have often considered how few in my Native Country of England who made great Profession of Religion and think themselves good Christians know little of the Life and Power of Godliness and though they say the Scripture is their Rule yet walks much Contrary to Gods Command therein and are far short of being Real Christians walking in Darkness not knowing whither they go I speak not this to reflect upon any but to Caution all to examine their selves and see how it is betwixt God and their Souls for the Light clearly shews such do not do the will of God nor do they Consider their later End and that the All-seeing God is nigh to Judge who will Judge both quick and dead who is Striving by his Spirit Immediately and by his Spirit Instrumentally in his Servants and Messengers which God hath sent forth to warn all to repent and to believe in the Light Christ Jesus Therefore let the pure mind in all be stired up and let all be awakened out of their Spiritual Slumber in Sin and awake to Righteousness and let the time past be sufficient that hath been spent in Vanity and Redeem your time and turn to the Lord by true and unfeigned Repentance for he or she that regards Iniquity in their Hearts the Lord will not hear their Prayers Therefore it concerns all to wait upon God that he may give you Repentance unto Life for true Repentance God's gift and they are blessed that are truely Humbled under the mighty Hand of God in the sense of their Sins 'T is not every one that says Lord Lord but he that doth the will of God is Justified And the truely Penitent mind is in a Praying Frame and and there is a Praying continually by those that believe in the Light of Christ and Christ ever lives to make intercession to God for us and the faithful and obedient shall Eat the good of the Land and they Worship God in Spirit and have no confidence in the Flesh but rejoyce in Christ Jesus and are made New Creatures and have put off the Old Man with his Deeds And I must needs say my Soul is still in Travel that all People may have their minds on Heavenly things and make your calling and Election sure and while they have time to prize it for none can promise to themselves one day You are often saying We must all Dye but I would have you reflect upon your selves and see whether you believe in Christ that Enlightens all that comes into the World And whether you bring your Deeds to the Light and know them wrought in God for the Light of Christ will give righteous Judgment whether they be wrought in God And we must all give Account to God and receive a Just Reward according to our doings Therefore deal faithful with your own Souls and see what is the Frame of your Spirit and consider your ways and doings And know that he or she that Bridles not their Tongues all their Religion is Vain Therefore it is my Soul's desire that you believe in Christ and come to partake of his Divine Nature that so you may know Christ in you the Hope of your glory for if you know not this you are in a Reprobate State And therefore let all be deeply concerned to lay hold of Eternal Life and know Christ dwell in your Hearts by true Faith that stands in the Power of God for it is not the Traditional Faith nor Historical Faith of Man's making will stand you instead in a Dying Hour but the true and living Faith which saves is wrought in the Soul by the Spirit of God Therefore my Tender desire is that all may retire inward to the gift of God's Grace and Spirit because what is to be known of God is manifest within 1 Rom. 19. and my Soul with many more doth witness the same and the day is come in which God hath fulfilled his promise and poured out his Spirit upon many Sons and Daughters and they Prophesie Joel 2.29 And God hath raised many Sons and Daughters Servants and Handmaids to Preach the Everlasting Gospel again in this later Age of the World and Endued them with Wisdom from above and given them knowledge in the Mysterys of his Eternal Kingdom and in measure hath made my Soul Partaker of his Love in Christ Jesus and of his Spiritual Appearance in the Inward Man And to the Praise of God I can say the grace of God hath so Qualified my Soul by its secret Teachings within that when the Ministers and Messengers of God came out of the North and elsewhere to Preach the Gospel of Glad-Tidings to the Poor about Forty Years by-past what was Preached in me was openly Preached as on the House-Top in the Quakers Meetings and my Soul did Cleave to them and Readily embraced the Gospel which is God's Power to Salvation in all that believe and which hath been Life to my Soul ever since and my Soul was brought near and into Acquaintance with God and his Messengers were Instruments in God's Hand to open the way of Life to me all Praises be given to God through Christ Jesus And now Life is with them who truly Preach to the Spirits yet in Prison amongst the Children of Men to deliver them that are in Bondage and the Presence of God with them hath caused many to incline to God's Spirit 's Teaching For the great God that made Heaven and Earth is setting up his Kingdom in the Hearts and Spirits of his People that believe and is Calling to come to his Holy Mountain and for ever blessed are all they that hearken to his Heavenly Voice in their Souls And my Soul's desire is that both Priests and People would consider in themselves