Selected quad for the lemma: soul_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
soul_n	believe_v	heart_n	lord_n	3,740	5	3.8388	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A46916	Strength in Weakness or The burning bush not consumed Being an answer (formerly published under this title) to two letters written by James Naylor. To which is now added several other papers written since by the same hand (whereof one is intituled, The secret shootings of the wicked reproved.) With a reply thereunto, as also to the rest respectively. By J.J. Published at the request of some, for the satisfaction of others: and tendred to the serious perusall of the impartiall and un-prejudic'd reader.	Jackson, John, fl. 1651-1657.; Naylor, James, 1617?-1660. Secret shooting of the wicked, reproved.	1655 (1655)	Wing J78B; ESTC R216982	27,934	42

Strength in VVeakness OR The Burning Bush not Consumed Being an Answer formerly published under this Title to two Letters written by James Naylor To which is now added several other Papers written since by the same hand whereof one is Intituled The secret shootings of the wicked Reproved With a Reply thereunto as also to the rest respectively By J. J. Published at the request of some for the satisfaction of others and tendred to the serious perusall of the Impartiall and un-prejudic'd Reader Judge not according to appearance but Judge Righteous Judgement For With what measure ye meat it shal be measured to you again London Printed by J. Macock 1655. The Publisher to the READER FRiend before thou readest the insuing Letters mayst thou be advertised touching the occasion of their Publication This daughter of Abraham who is the Subject having been visited by many of the Persons distinguished and commonly known by the name of the Northern people at sundry times and in sundry manner of waies which occasioned as in her self much inquiry accompanied with many Prayers and Soul-searchings not without great and sore temptations from that terrible Adversary who was not wanting to help on the Affliction to the utmost which conflict was repeated and renewed as oft as opportunity was given by her new Visitors and hath produced in many persons whose eyes were fastned upon her much thinking and some speakings what is or would be the issue hereof having this opportunity of knowledge under her own hand I thought it was not sufficient for me to know how it stood with her Soul after all those bitter assaults and contests which she hath sustained by her Adversary and Enemy of her Peace both within her and without her but that those also who desire satisfaction herein may inform themselves hereby this is one reason why thou hast this trouble given thee but chiefly and above all that it might be testified to Sons and Daughters to small and great that notwithstanding all her Exercises and Tryals which have not been small yet her Bow is caused to abide in strength to the glory and praise of him on whom it is given her to beleeve and this is necessary to be known by those who desire to know it Touching the Letters themselves I wil not at this time say any thing but leave it to the most wise and holy God to direct the wife in heart to codsider them Farewel To her hand who is the Wife of James Noel these deliver FRiend a Seed is in thee which I own which hath kept thee tender in a measure of the fear for whose sake some openings of the Lords love thou hast had by which some hope thou hast had of the presence of the Father of love which hope was given for staying the mind till the light of the Covenant should appear to lead thee into the Covenant him to know and his face to see which is eternal life this was manifest in the time of thy tenderness to stay thy mind on him till the time appointed that the door of the Inheritance should be opened whereat to enter but in the mean time the fear being lost another principle hath catcht the hope into the comprehension and hath led thee out into the visible expectations of a thing to come so that instead of growing into that measure thou hadst till the day thou hast lost that which thou sometimes had and knows not where to come to it again thy imaginations being got betwixt which ever shut up the Kingdom and now thou stands a far off when thou should enter and not being joyned to that spirit which is able to try all things and hold onely to that which is good thou art afraid to be deceived yet hast thou not that which thy soul longs after to be deceived on but that which hath deceived thee puts thee in fear and this thou should see didst thou take Counsel where thy hope was first awakened and this I say to thee in the word of the Lord that Covenant must be broken to which thou art now joyned before ever thou see his presence whom thy soul longs after though there be nothing by that spirit that n●w rules in thee more feared and this that in thy conscience which is my witness thou shalt confess too at that day when the Book is opened A Lover of thy Soul James Naylor For the hand of him who is called James Naylor these are FRiend your writing I have I trust seriously considered of I therefore do the more wonder how thou durst adventure upon one thou knew'st not to lay such a heavy charge as thou hast done on me whose face thou never sawest a seed thou ownest in me which thou affirmest kept me in a measure tender for whose sake thou sayest I received some openings of the Fathers love to this I answer I find no seed can keep from sin nor make known the Fathers love to poor sinners but Jesus Christ the Scriptures bare witness thereunto Iohn 1. 3. 9. Matth. 11. 27. him once received is the onely true door of entrance and onely new Covenant-keeper and in those onely is and doth Christ Jesus make known himself unto and they alone which have so known him can truly bear testimony of this Truth your catching principle I let passe not knowing it by that name what thou meanest but in the holy fear of my God rejoyce in this that I am kept by the Power of God through Faith unto Salvation yet nevertheless am still kept groaning waiting for the Adoption to wit the redemption of my body and so through Grace can this day testifie the gracious preservation my heavenly Father doth dayly visit me with a teaching leading power of his holy spirit whereby I find my self in the Kingdom of Grace not shut out as thou sayest by my comprehension nor vain imagination having received Union with that holy spirit in my measure do daily take counsel and try first my own deceivings which are within me and those also which are without which causeth me to turn away from so many who profess they are sent Messengers from the Lord great cause have I to take carefull heed from being deceived and fear it also when my onely fore-seeing Lord Jesus did so strictly forewarn and fore-tell what should come to pass in the last days Matth. 24. The good Lord I beleeve assuredly wil as he hath faithfully promised to my Soul break every yoak of sinfull Covenant in me 't is no grief of heart but true joy yea wonderfully more then my Pen at this season can express to feel and finde the increase of his grace in my soul with his peace which passeth mans understanding yea even thy deep censures for thy appealing to my awakened conscience I make my appeal already to him who alone is the alone Judge between thee and me that I know not any of thy charges to be true thou hast sent me written in thy Letter if now thou

things spoken by both parties are reconcileable and that there is no lye to be devided between us nor applyed to either of us for that her soul was in bitterness and conflict at thy charge layd upon her 't is evident which sent her to him who alone knows how to deliver his sons and daughters when they fly and cry unto him and before her answer was returned to thee was heard in what she feared The strength of Israel was prevailed with and it was said unto her soul I will set him at liberty from him that puffeth at him thus of weak was made strong by the arm of the mighty God of Iacob who had set her above thy charge and therefore well might she say at the sending the Answer to thee I am no way troubled at thy continued charges thus hast thou this filth wiped off and needest not be troubled except it be that thou hast spoken unadvisedly with thy lips in accusing the innocent Reprover Onely I shall let thee see in a few words what a body of confusion is in this daughter thou art boasting of She saies she knows her self assuredly to be in the Kingdom of God yet still kept groaning for Adoption Reply Hast thou fairly and honestly recited passages or hast thou not injured the truth in this thy recital shouldst not thou have used her own words when thou sayst she sayes Thou shouldst have said the Kingdom of Grace for so saith the Letter And hast thou not left out a material sentence which manifestly alters the case and makes it speak another thing then is intended the words in the Letter are these Yet nevertheless am still kept groaning waiting for the Adoption to wit the redemption of my body Which last clause thou hast wholly omitted which is the explanation of the former and may not be read without it Was it not an aggravation of the fault in the Tempter to pretend Scripture to back his temptation with an omission of a material part of a sentence Mat. 4. 6. I will not apply it perhaps thou mightst do it ignorantly not willingly however at best it was not fair to say no more 2. But why should it seem to thee a thing incredible and be branded with so much contempt that a son or daughter of God who hath received the spirit of Adoption of Sonship and translated into the kingdom of the dear Son of Love the Lord Jesus that such should groan within themselves waiting for the Adoption to wit the Redemption of their body Hast thou never heard of a company of Redeemed ones who were delivered from the power of darkness and translated into the kingdom of the dear son of the Fathers love in whom they have redemption through his blood the forgiveness of sins Yet even these redeemed ones these that are thus translated into the kingdom of his dear son are advised to take heed of being spoyled through Philosophy and vain deceit after the tradition of men after the rudiments of the world and not after Christ These are further exhorted to mortifie their members which are upon the earth to put off anger and to put on bowels of mercy and above all to put on Love which is the bond of Perfectness There is all this and much more to be found in that Letter or Estle written by Paul to the Colossians who also testifies it was his own case as appears in the eighth of the Romans where notwithstanding that the Law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus had made him free from the Law of sin and death verse the second and that he and the beleeving Romans had the witness in themselves the spirit it self bearing witness with their spirits that they were the children of God and had received the spirit of Adoption whereby they did cry Abba Father Yet nevertheless this holy and blessed witness of Jesus Paul himself and others with him notwithstanding they had received the spirit of Adoption and all that is above mentioned yet account it but as a first fruits of the spirit and groan within themselves waiting for the Adoption to wit the Redemption of the body these were those who were heirs of God and joynt heirs with Christ who nevertheless waited for the Adoption in the sence mentioned before here is no cover no gloss no interpretation no meanings but plain testimonie of Scripture to which agrees that which is witnessed of the condition of other Saints of God who although they were translated into the kingdom of the dear son yet had somthing still to be subdued and mortified and were to cleanse themselves from all pollution or filthiness both of flesh and spirit perfecting holyness in the fear of God These things considered I hope thou wilt see cause to cease to condemn the generation of the righteous because they dare not say they are perfect though notwithstanding through the strength of Christ they are going on to perfection striving against sin watching against it and warring against it and assured in their measure that they shall one day be more then conquerors through him that loves them who both teacheth their hands to fight and their fingers to war and what else meanes those words of this friend whom thou dost charge with obstinate wickedness who saith in these words following Through Grace I can testifie the gracious preservation my heavenly father doth daily visit me with a teaching leading power of his holy spirit whereby I finde my self in the kingdom of Grace not shut out as thou sayest by my comprehension nor vain imagination having received union with that holy spirit in my measure do daily take counsel and try first my own deceivings which are within me and those also which are without which causeth me to turn away from so many who professe they are sent messengers from the Lord The good Lord I beleeve assuredly will as he hath faithfully promised to my soul break every yoke of sinful covenant within me it is no grief of heart but true joy yea wonderfully more then my pen at this season can express to feel and find the increase of his grace in my soul with his peace which passeth mans understanding yea even thy deep censures This may suffice to clear away that body of confusion at which thou art so causelesly offended and so grossy stumblest Reprover And had she known the kingdom of God in her she had never wondred how I-durst adventure to write to one whose face I had not seen as she doth in her Paper and saies she consider whether ever the Apostles or Prophets thou art like herein Art thou not still out of the way wouldst thou bear it from another see if thou hast not again varied the case much and judge if it be fair Doth the Letter say she wondered how thou durst adventure to writt to one whose face thou hadst not seen or doth it not say I therefore doe the more wonder how thou durst adventure upon one thou knowest not

hast thus written by revelation to me or by information from others consider from whence it commeth I say consider whether either the Apostles or the Prophets thou art like unto herein I know it to be no evill but my duty to wait for the injoyment of all that is fore-told in the holy Scriptures Oh my soul wait thou on God for my expectation is from him leave me to the Lords Tryal So do I freely leave thee not having faith to follow thee nor thy friends yet to manifest love to thee and thy friends for thy Soul at the Throne of Grace and all other outward expressions of Love for thee and thy friends as in my measure I am able through Christ The 16th of the 4th Moneth 1655. Mary Noel To Mary Noel deliver these FRiend had I known thee no other way but by sight or hearing or any outward appearance I durst not have writ on to thee nor owned a Seed in thee nor do I appear to that in thee which so judges my witness is that in thee that never changeth which shall confess what I have writ to be from the Eternal Unity and Love to thy soul which another principal calls a heavy charge yet art thou made to confess it in thy Letter If thou didst but see it who art yet groaning and waiting for Adoption and yet says thou art in the Kingdom truly friend thou knowst not what it is to be in the Kingdom none are there but Sons yet canst thou not bear it that it should be called comprehensions though it be sound and not stattering as for those Christ Iesus foretold to come in the last days they are come and in the world have been many hundred years and their fruits do make them manifest as he hath spoken and were thou joyned to that seed thou talk'st on thou should know them and avoyd them not because they are messengers sent of the Lord but be ause they run unsent and those are enemies to such are sent and was ever and whereas thou says thou knows not any one thing true that I writ to thee I say if thou hadst known it then should I not have been moved to write to thee of it But for thy sake who knows not who hast not him whom thy soul longs after which is the sum of my writing which thou denies calling God to iudge between us and yet confesses thou art waiting for Adoption and Redemption which if thou had it why shouldst thou wait for it as that of God in thy conscience shall witness when thou shalt cease to put the Iudge a far off thee for that Wisdom could never own Apostles nor Prophets yet was they manifest to every mans conscience in the sight of God and i● thou read me in that which is meek and longs after Christ Iesus then the harsh nature will be judged and thou wilt see that plainness is pure love till then I must bear the reproach of the world and looks for no other from all whom I have to deal with knowing that my Message is against the will of all men I. N. For the hands of James Naylor FRiend I am no way troubled at thy continual charges but do assuredly know in whom I have beleeved and certain knowledge I have received of my spiritual Son-ship in Christ Jesus and by this holy Union with Christ Jesus my head have been by him taught many years past to try the publick Teachers of this Nation with those private also who have held forth themselves to be sent Messengers from Christ Jesus and by his holy spirit to which I am united am taught to turn from them and from thee also who hast run before thou wast sent with this false message to me assuredly knowing my self to be in the Kingdom though men and Devils say never so much to the contrary my assurance wherof I speak came not by them therefore they cannot take it from me I am not afraid to declare what the Lord hath done for my soul before the faces of thousands If I knew it were my duty this with holy confidence do I know and lift up my head with joy when the fire shall try and doth already every mans work of what sort it is So I leave thee to him who is the onely righteous Judge between thee and me desiring thee no more to write unto me for I am taught to turn from thee as I already have done from others yet remaining to manifest Duties of love to thee and thy friends through the strength of my Christ as need is offere● Mary Noel The Secret Shooting of the wicked reproved Or a word to the nameless Publisher of that he calls Strength in weakness or the burning Bush NOw is the living God visiting his people and gathering his seed out of Babylon and Egypt and hath called out his servants and sent them to these strange Kings with his Message to bring out to light that which hath been kept in prison whereat Pharaoh is exceedingly troubled and the King of Babylons Posts meet one another with this cry Our Kingdome is taken at one end the Sea rages and all that have treasures in Ships are gathered to stand up for their God and their King to keep in bondage But from him that sits upon the seat of iniquity to the Magitians that use the inchantments to deceive withal yea and upon all that beleive them shall the hand of the Lord be to make Babylon desolate and to dash her children against the stones which lie in the streets thereof which all the builders refuse This is the Lords doing and wo to him that doth resist him who hath sent his Word to strange Nations and to people of dark understandings whether they will hear or for bear And thou amongst the rest who calls thy self the publisher of what I write to James Nowell's Wife but conceals thy name as one ashamed of his vision saying in thy practice Smite him secretly as the B●ckbiters and Whisperers of old ever did stirring up prejudice in the minds of people and making them evil affected against the truth so dost thou against the movings and Messages of the living God in his servants rendring them under the names of sore Temptations terrible Adversaries bitter Assaults of the enemy and such like corrupt words thou uses to inform the Reader withal before he read the Letters and when thou hast cast out thy venom against the truth of the Lord then thou covers thy self with feigned words saying I leave it to the most wise and holy God to direct the wise in heart to consider them Oh thou full of all subtilty was not God able to direct the wise without thy forestalling slanderous opinions how hast thou helped God or any wise man herein hadst thou Printed them both and been silent then thou hadst left it to God indeed and I should have been silent also hast thou dealt moderately herein or as thou wouldst be done unto

if I had only said thy answer was not satisfactory and had not shewed thee wherein I had said therein that which signifies nothing or were not my spirit free that what hath been spoken in secret might be published upon the house top I mean that what hath been transacted privately and personally between thee and me in relation thereunto might be publikely manifested before not only the least but any or all the children of the light that they might impartially give evidence to the plainness or obscurity which will appear to be in the same I sa● were it not thus with me I should have as little satisfaction in my self as I have declared to have had in these Answers of thine And to give the assurance that it 's not in my heart to ensnare thee or force my ends from thee or seek any advantage to Blaspheme the truth as they who resisted Christ all which are hints of great reflection I am upon this score resolved in the power of the Lord not to be easily drawn to this kinde of personal entercourse any further only for the present let me say I am far from desiring that thou shouldest feed what 's appointed for famishing or that that which is for fire or death should scape it let it be far from me let that which is for burning be burnt for famishing be famished for death let it not live but all this in the power of the Lord and by the fire of his kindling whose fire shall surely try the work of what sort it is not mans day but Gods must silence and satisfie Thou sayest ther● is not any thing in my letters lies upon thee wherein thou hast not dealt plainly with me in before the Lord c. only one thing which I have twice demanded of thee to which of the Apostles or Prophets thou w●rt like c. I remember not in what terms this demand was made by me in either of my letters neither will the letters themselves shew any such demand of mine But is there only one thing demanded of thee Is there not another beside that one thing as much and as oft demanded as the former I spare to repeat it a third time its visible to every eye that peruseth the Papers that there hath been no plainness manifested therein nor the thing it self so much as taken notice of though thou hast been twice reminded thereof And as for that one thing touching which thou givest particular Proof after twice minding thee thereof though not demanding it of thee when I consider what thou art to prove and compare it with the proofs I find not that said which thou produces them to bear witness unto The words under consideration are these viz. I therefore do the more wonder how thou durst adventure upon one thou knowest not to lay such an heavy charge as thou hast done on me whose face thou never sawest if now thou hast thus written by revelation to me or by information from others consider from whence it cometh I say consider whether either the Apostles or Prophets thou art like herein For Proof of this thy practice viz. of laying an heavy charge on one thou never knewest nor sawest and that by writing thou producest an example of each one Prophet Ieremiah 27. and one Apostle Col. 2. 1. compared with 4. 16. upon the perusal of which examples its very apparent not to me onely but to any person that is impartial that these examples are not parallel to the case in hand for Ieremy though he by the command of the Lord did deliver a message touching the purpose of God in subjecting the Nations to the yoke of the King of Babylon yet this message is delivered by word of mouth to the Messengers which came from those Kings to Ierusalem ver. 4. there is not a word of any writing much less of laying any charge of sin upon them and touching that of Col. 2. 1. he that reads shall find much of consolation exhortation and confirmation but the thing in question namely laying an heavy charge on them he never knew nor saw in the flesh this is not found in the place aforesaid nay the contrary was his practice 1 Cor. 11. 18. 22. I hear that there be divisions amongst you and I partly beleeve it what shall I say to you shall I praise you in this I praise you not For we hear there are some which walk among you disorderly working not at all but are busie bodies Thes. 2. 3. 11. 12. together with that in the 1 Cor. 5. 1. it is commonly reported and 1 Cor. 1. 11. for it hath been declared to me of you my brethren by them of the house of Cloe that there are contentions among you thus hee reproves and lays his charge upon persons of whom he had certain knowledge either by sight or information nor may that passage of Gods dealing with Sodom be omitted Gen 18. 21. of which there hath been a remembrance before so that though there may be a writing to persons under a general consideration yea though they be such whose faces we have not seen in the flesh yet when we lay a charge of sin upon persons they ought to be known under the Considerations above-mentioned by personal knowledge or true informations as in the example before Touching the answering the Queries sent me I abide in the same mind still touching the fruitlesseness thereof in all appearance as to me For to strike off a persons legs and then bid him go is not fair to conclude a person blind and then to try how hee can see is the same this is the case between thee and me as in my last I hinted this is the whole of what I have to say to this matter and the last that Pintend to trouble thee with here about the dear and tender Lord bring every hidden thing to light that whatsoever is dark and lies covered under vails either not being truly or fully understood may be unvailed and unmarked that the simplicity of the truth may nakedly appear to bee as it indeed is in Jesus So prayeth thy friend and he that tenders thy Soul The 12th of the 6th Moneth 1655. I. I. FRiend is this the end of thy long profession and all thy knowledge of the living God and his unsearchable ways That it 's become a strange thing to thee and not to be beleeved that he should send out his message in word or writing with but personal knowledge or information of men Is this the living God who fils heaven and earth with his presence whom thou would limit is his Sons and Daughters Or wilt thou instruct him or teach him a way to send his will to his creatures Or else thou wilt question it Hast thou learned this of him let that in thy conscience judge which will shew thee that thou art up in the comprehending nature to which the wayes of God be as much hid now as ever And the earth thou art without faith now at his coming who canst not beleeve in the light of the world unlesse thou canst comprehend it which darkness never could who art preaching thy unbelief who art an unbeliever yet art set up for a teacher but out of the light wherein the faith is received which believes in the invisible teacher Friend thy Crown thou must lay down at his feet who is the light of the world who hath a witness in thee for himself which is love to thy soul it thou canst receive it and of thy blood I am clear at that day J. N. IN lieu of a Reply to the foregoing Paper I desire the Reader that is not pre-engaged or partial to compare it with what went before and try whether there be any such thing said as might circumscribe or limit the most high and holy God in his Message to personal knowledge or information of men for are not all things naked and bare before him and who may say to God what dost thou but to shew by president what hath been done by and towards the Sons of men and to evidence how unparalel the examples produced were to the thing in question and for which they were produc'd viz. the laying an heavy charge on a person unknown or unseen by a man such an one as subscribes himself I. N this was the case in debate and to this were the examples produced or nothing touching the residue of what is contained therein I submit it with what hath been hitherto said to him who better knows what is in man then man The seventeenth of the sixth month 1655. J. J. The End Rev. 14. 6 Rev. 18. 1 Gen. 18. 2 Prov. 25. 14 Reader it is this passage viz The Redemption of my body