Selected quad for the lemma: scripture_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
scripture_n	according_a	good_a	work_n	2,582	5	5.8346	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A58143	Light sown for the righteous, and gladness for the upright in heart This is to go abroad among all people who are honest-hearted, especially amongst the inhabitants in Fourns Fells, in Lancashire, and among all who have known me after the flesh, that all honest people may see what I was in profession, and also what I now am by the grace of God. From him which hath come through great tribulations, who hath even left all for Christ, and hath not whereon to lay his head, but is forsaken of father and of mother, and of kinred also, even for the testimony of Jesus, and for the Word of God, whom the world calls, Thomas Rawlinson.	Rawlinson, Thomas.	1657 (1657)	Wing R369; ESTC R220567	29,951	42

bears witness against them that they are of their Father the Devil whose Works they do yet with their mouth and with their lips and tongue will profess that they love God who have the high swelling Words of hypocrisie so have a zeal without knowledge holding a profession of God in hypocrisie until the day of sudden destruction from God fall upon them for their Wickedness to sweep them all into the pit of blackness for ever who are Workers of iniquity both Priests and people All-along while I followed the Priests there was something in me of God I see though I knew it not which did witness against all unrighteousness did reprove me if I did but swear or tell a lye which did not speak peace to me in those things but I was judged by that of God in me when I did any unrighteous thing so stood condemned in my self when I had but an evil thought of doing Wrong which was sufficient to have preserved me from all evil if I had but been obedient but being ignorant of it what it was gave no heed unto it but went on in a Way that is not good so did not believe in the light though I had the light neither was obedient to the light though the light did convince me So I had no peace from God though in the World I had peace and with the VVorld was at peace yet in Christ I had no peace while I was of the VVorld for that of God in me cryed against me Desolation VVo and Misery for God seeth not as man neither canst thou hide thy self in secret and he not see thee So I came to see that notwithstanding all the shew in the flesh I had profest of knowing the Lord I was but a hypocrite when I came in deed and in truth to search try my ways honestly and to prove my self in truth and in plainness then I did see that I was out of the VVay of truth knew not the truth though I had the Words of truth in my mouth so was ignorant of God so the peace which I had did then flye away it was as it were but for a moment the Worlds peace which the greedy Priests speak unto the people that stop into their mouths they cry peace peace when there is no peace from God where the Lord hath not spoken peace so would heal the hurt of the daughter of my people saith the Lord sleightly who daub with untempered morter for from the Prophet even unto the Priest every one dealeth falsly and deceitfully and all are given to covetousness both Priests and people So whilest I followed the Priests I see that I was but a fair sayer made clean the outside of the Cup and the Platter and appeared righteous outwardly unto man as Neighbors and Friends ye know who knew me after the flesh That I was as touching the righteousness of the Law blameless and had a zeal for God though not according to knowledge by fair Words professing the Substance but had not the Evidence the Seal of the Spirit of God to my Spirit so being ignorant of Gods righteousness as I said before which is by the Faith of the Son of God knowing this That without righteousness no man can enter into the Kingdom of God so I went about to establish my own righteousness looking for a righteousness without me that I might appear righteous unto man being ignorant of the righteousness of faith which saith on this wise as it is written Say not in thy heart Who shall ascend into Heaven That is to bring Christ down from above or who shall descend into the deepe That is to bring Christ again from the dead But what saith it The Word is nigh thee even in thy mouth and in thy heart that thou mayest do it that is the Word of Faith which we preach said the Apostle who was a Minister of God But unto this Word I was not obedient while I followed the Priests neither knew I it though it was near for none of the Priests from the least even unto the chiefest did ever direct my mind unto the Word of Faith which is nigh in the mouth and in the heart to take heed unto as unto a light that shineth in a dark place until the day dawn and the day star arise in my heart So they are the false Prophets and Deceivers who is come in sheeps clothing making merchandise of souls for dishonest gain And these are they vvhich Christ said should come in the last dayes vvhich John saw was come in his dayes vvhich all the World vvondered after and that all the World is gone after them so they run yet never was sent of God to turn people from darkness to the light vvho divine for money and speak a Divination of their ovvn brain and not from the mouth of the Lord. So I sought to find the living among the dead vvhile I sought unto the Priests so followed a people which cannot profit and wandered from Mountain to Hill to find the living even from one sort of Priests and people unto another that had the greatest shew of godliness one sort said Lo here is Christ and another sort of professors said Lo here and glad would I with all my heart to have found him among them that I might come to find a rest for my weary soul but Christ I found not among any of them though I did find that some sort of professors could talk much more of Christ with their lips then others could do and had his Name in their mouth oftener then others having many good Words vvhereby they do beguile souls even with the enticing Words of mens Wisdom pretending much towards Christ but are as vain and wanton as they vvho have not so great a shew in Words towards Christ and though in Words they profess that they know him yet in Works they do deny him so are the greatest Deceivers of all vvho have the greatest shew of godliness when their Works are as bad and their lives too as them who have no shew of godlinesse at all for Christ said Ye shall know them by their fruits so vvhen I came to prove them and to try them by their fruits I did find them to be as bad as others vvho have not so great a shew of righteousness so it is not every one that saith Lord Lord nor proud boasters in another mans line of things made ready to their hand vvho steal their Words from their Neighbor that shall enter into life but he that doth the Will of God for they make themselves manifest that they are without God and without Christ as by their Fruits I knew them then to be deceitful Workers though vvith fair speeches and good Words they deceive the simple and so blinds the minds of them that believe not in the light And though I did like the chief Priests and the chief Professors Words then vvell so far as they was according to

the Scriptures of Truth yet I would not rest satisfied so but proved their Works and laboured to see vvhat lives they lived Whether their Words and their Works agreed in one yea or nay and vvhen I tryed both the chief Priests and the chiefest professors their Lives Works and Conversation I then saw that they are not vvhat they profest themselves to be so could not but for conscience-sake deny them For I saw them to be hypocrites lyars cozeners dissemblers how that a small thing vvould even easily provoke any of them to anger envy vvrath and malice and some to fighting being heady high-minded lovers of pleasures more then lovers of God So I could not but turn from them vvho have a Form of godliness but denies the power thereof as by their Fruits I know them For vvhosoever seeks to be justified by Christ and yet they themselves are found sinners is Christ therefore the Minister of sin God forbid For Christ comes to destroy the Works of the Devil he is manifest to take away sin for in him is no sin he that abibeth in Christ sinneth not So Friends and Neighbors see where ye all are doteing upon a people which cannot profit you at all nor help nor comfort but shall be a shame and a reproach And vvhen I vvas turned to the light of Christ J came to see the Priests deceit who will not that any of you should come to the light lest the people should see their Wickedness and so to turn from them And though both priests and professors have the Name of the Lord in their mouths and seems to take delight in drawing near to him with their lips yet their hearts are far from him So in vain they Worship God who live not the life of the Son of God but are alive unto sin For all whose VVords and Life and Conversation are not as becomes the Gospel of Christ are Hypocrites and falshearted ones whose VVords and VVorks are not one so are VVorkers of iniquity and doth not the truth both priests and people who live not unto Christ So when J had found out the wickedness of the priests and saw them so filthy J cryed out for sorrow being filled with sorrow and grief that J could not find a righteous man amongst them not one that could direct me into the right VVay nor was able to teach me the Knowledge of God though J ran from priest to priest and did write to several of the chiefest of them concerning my condition and have thought that the priests lips should preserve the peoples Knowledge and that the people should go unto them for Knowledge but miserable comforters are they all none of them could speak a VVord of Comfort to my soul so my weary soul did even mourn and cry out in pain for deliverance from under the power of death and hell and Satan So J found no way of deliverance while J followed the Priests though they cryed peace peace unto me and would perswade me to be in a good condition and the like so would have healed me deceitfully and would have daubed me with untempered morter crying peace peace where the Lord hath not spoken peace so my soul refused to be comforted by them and cryed out None but Christ None but Christ and yet there was none among them that could shew me where he is to be found So being weary in spirit J wandered with a sad heart and wounded spirit from priest to priest seeking rest for my weary soul but found none while J followed after them wo wo wo unto them may all people say that ever such priests was born who have made the hearts of the righteous sad by their lyes and by their lightness who stands up amongst the people pretending to teach them the way how that they may come to the Knowledge of God yet never was sent of God nor none of them unto this day that ever J knew of did ever direct people unto the right way to that of God in them where they might come to the Knowledge of God and so to know him whom to know is life eternal neither do they know it themselves so are not able to teach others nay they are so far from perswading people unto the good way that they stand up to resist it and set themselves against it Jf any who have found the right way and knows the Lord be moved of the Lord in bowels of compassion unto the people to go to the Steeplehouse to set before them the right way where God is to be found a way wherein they have found God the priests they cry to the people Away with them Deceivers Deceivers yet dares not stand to prove before the people who be the deceivers by plain Scripture so they are those which Christ said would neither enter into the Kingdom of God themselves nor will they suffer them that would to enter For that which may be known of God is manifest in them and God hath shewed it to them and blessed are they that are faithful Often-times J even wept bitterly when J considered these things and was even pressed to the ground with sorrow and heaviness when J could not find any satisfaction among no sort of people so fear surprised me pain took hold on me as upon a VVoman in travel trouble without and horror and wrath within for the wrath of God was revealed against me from heaven for disobedience to the pure light within me and J was even afraid of the judgements of God lest the Lord would cut me off and make me an example to all about me in that J continued so long following the priests after that he had shewed me how deceitful they all are and that no people should ever profit by them and that they are altogether useless Vessels in whom the Lord hath no pleasure but his wrath is against them and against all such who follow after them Yet after all this though the Lord had shewed them to me J was somewhat rebellious and did not turn from them immediately after J was convinc't of their wickedness and saw that they was never sent of God and yet would fain have continued following after them though J knew J could not profit by them and notwithstanding all that the Lord had shewed me concerning them because J knew that my Kinred according to the flesh would be sore set against me and rise up against me and that J should suffer much from them so J would faine have followed them to please my parents and so J began to distrust and question what the Lord had shewed me J then being at that time a stranger to the life of God so knew not the Lords voice neither did J understand him oftentimes vvhen he spoke unto me in the spirit being carnal yet the love of the Lord vvas so much tovvards me that he gave me not over to a reprobate mind neither did he deal vvith me according to my stubbornness

from amongst the Sons of men to bear his Name among the Heathen in truth and righteousness according to my measure who hath given me life in the blood of the everlasting Covenant of Light and Peace who hath pluckt my Feet out of the myre and clay and hath set them in a plain Way that I may for ever walk in the Light of the Lord where no occasion of stumbling is But now Friends Where is all your love ye had towards me Is it all lost and gone Doe ye not love the World and few the things of Jesus Christ for they that love the World hath not the love of God in them And since it pleased God to reveal his Son in me who hath chosen me and called me by his grace out from my Fathers House from my Kinred also do not even many of you hate me without a cause and even scorns me and even wags your heads at me and gazes upon me and saith Lo this is he and some sayes that they pitty me and are sorry for me that I should choose a Way that is so contemptible and despised amongst men Friends To the Light of Christ in all your consciences I speak What evil have I done since I owned Christ Jesus my everlasting Light to be my Teacher whereof I may be ashamed Convince me Is it an unrighteous thing with you to choose to follow that which is good in the sight of God and of all honest men even to follovv after righteousness and truth and to turn from darkness unto the light and from the power of Satan unto God And vvas not the Way of God alvvaies despised and rejected of men even Christ Jesus the Light the Way the Truth and the Life Have ye never read that the Stone vvhich the Builders rejected and despised that the same is become the Head of the corner A man of sorrovvs despised and rejected of men and how that Herod and his mighty men of VVar set him at nought So it is possible that that which is highly esteemed amongst men may be abomination in the sight of God and that which is chiefly despised amongst men and set at nought with them may be chiefly owned and highly estemed with God and precious For my wayes are not as your wayes neither are your wayes as my wayes saith the Lord So it is plain That whosoever will live godly in Christ Jesus must suffer persecution and must be hated of all men For whosoever departs from iniquity makes himself a prey to the Heathen and becomes a reproach and a by-word among the people for righteousness sake So ye that say ye pitty me and are sorry for me this I say Be not troubled for me but pitty your selves your children so weep not for me because my Father according to the flesh hath shut his doors against me who hath despised and forsaken his ovvn child contrary to nature as one not worthy to inhabit under his roof who may be ashamed of his profession a hard hearted man even without natural affections who hath exceeded the Heathen vvho knovv not God in his rage and cruelty I pray God that it may not be laid to his charge For my part I am vvilling to suffer the loss of all things if the will of God be so rather then to turn from the righteous vvay of the Lord my God choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God then to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season now when I am come to years And now if God should even deal with him who is my natural Father according as he hath dealt with me as to shut him out of his Kingdom for ever vvere it not just and equal but far be it from me to desire any mans destruction but rather desires that the thoughts of his heart may be forgiven him that he might come to repentance but truly this I know from the Lord that if he come not to repentance that vvhat he hath done against me he shall find it heavy in the dreadful day of the Lords Vengeance when he comes to revvard him according unto his VVorks Truly when I think of this my soul even mourns and vveeps for him vvho now Dives-like is feeding upon his many dishes and hath forgotten God that made him for I told him before that he put me from him That I was willing to abide with him and to serve him faithfully as it becomes a Son to honor his Father and said that it was fitting for him to suffer me to stay with him in his House until such times as he could find any unfaithfulness in me in what things as he should please to commit unto my care and then he might after that he could convince me of unfaithfulness have some ground of cause why he would put me from him but to put me away without cause for a thing of nought this is a thing altogether unjust contrary to all reason and equity And as for any part of disobedience on my part towards him I know of none unless refusing to follow after the Priests as he would have had me and I told him that I could not find any profit by them and why would he therefore have me to follow after a people that cannot profit For God hath said That they shall not profit the people at all And this shall all people find true by woful experience That they shall never profit by them while they follow them for I would as gladly have profited by them as any if it had been possible but the Priests being a covetous wicked lying people a generation of Vipers who never was sent of God how should they therefore profit the people at all as by the Scriptures of truth I can prove them to be lyars and deceivers all out of the Doctrine of Christ and of the Apostles and it is not requisite that we should follow lyars and deceivers and blind guides so I could not but turn from them when I saw their wickedness and lying against God and so in this thing it was better for me to obey God rather then my parents according to the flesh it being a matter of conscience towards God and it had been but fitting I should have had my liberty of conscience towards God to worship but my natural Father would not suffer me to have this liberty but hath shut his doors against me and hath put me from him upon this account For not following the Priests any longer So hath he not even hated me without cause when as both before he put me away and since I have proved the Priests to be lyars and deceivers according to the Scriptures therefore hath he not herein exceeded the Heathen for a hard-hearted man against his own child let all honest men judge for the very first day I went unto a meeting of the people of God the same day at night I returned again unto my Fathers House and the doors was shut against