Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n
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A48409
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The life & death, travels and sufferings of Robert VVidders of Kellet in Lancashire who was one of the Lords worthies together with several testimonies of his neighbors and friends concerning him.
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1688
(1688)
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Wing L2019; ESTC R30948
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21,820
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30
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one Body of which Jesus Christ is head and that it might be presented without spot or wrinkle or any such thing unto God the Father He was a good example and adorned his profession with a good Conversation which is the substantial part of Religion He was one of the Valiants in Isruel whose Bow abode in strength and carried perfectly to the mark his Bow was bent against Hypocrifie and Deceit and Unrighteousness his Feet was shod with the preparation of the Gospel of Peace But prepared and ready to trample upon that which would have risen in opposition to the Life and power of Godliness though never so fair a shew he was of a good discerning and found in judgment his Countenance very amiable to those that were faithful to God and his Truth But terrible to the workers of Iniquity his deportment was Grace and Comely I had a reverent esteem of him in my Heart being one of the same Meeting with him he is often fresh in my remembrance for I have often been refreshed with his presence And altho his Body be removed from us yet his memorial lives with us and is worthy to be recorded to future Ages that by the Foot steps of the Flock of Christ's Companions many who make a true enquity after the beloved of their Soul may come into the fold of Rest and lay down their Heads in everlasting peace as he hath done when time here shall be no more Thomas Jackson Robert Hubbersty his Testimony concerning Robert Widders THis loving Testimony I have to bear for our ancient and well beloved Friend and Brother Robert Widders who indeed was a very Fatherly man amongst us for so I can truly call him in respect of his Godly care and unseâ—gned love he had unto the Lords Children and People for indeed he was one of the Lords Valiants who ventured his life freely for the Captain of his Salvation and was never weary nor fainted in his service that he required on him tho he went many times as with his life in his Hand to many Steeple-houses and spoke the word of the Lord faithfully both to Priests and People who often recieved great abuses from them and castings into Prisons But blessed be the Lord for ever more who gave him courage and boldness and made him of an undanted Spirit that he grew more and more valiant for the Lord and did bear the Burthen in the heat of the day and passed thorow great Sufferings both in Body Prisons and Goods for bearing his faithful Testimony to the Truth and for keeping his Conscience clear in the sight of God. But this good man indured all with great patience constancy and chearfulness Dear Robert the remembrance of thee refresheth my Soul for thou ever preferred the Lords business before thine own and was very faithful and valiant for him and never lost an Inch of Ground He was a Man of a quick sight spiritually of good discerning and sound judgment I speak my own experience of him and as I took his Counsel it always wrought to a good effect He was one that truly feared the Lord his delight was in obeying of him who taught him to live a Godly life in this evil World and hath made his latter end everlastingly blessed And now dear Robert thou hast been an upright man and hath followed the Lord fully and hath received the Answer of a good and faithful Servant and is entered into the joy of the Lord to reign with him in Glory out of the reach of all the Persecutors and greedy Informers But certainly the Lord will plead with them in Judgment who will reward all according to their deeds done in the Body and out of the Body be they good or evil Robert Hubbersty John Hudson his Testimony of Robert Widders THE Testimony that I have to bear for our dear Friend Robert Widders he was a Man of a Noble and discerning Spirit and very weighty in judgment he was tender of the young in the Truth and if any walked disorderly he was ready to labour with them for their good by exhorting them and would have dealt plainly with all people and would have said that was the purest love that dealt plainest and if any was weak and had a tenderness in them he was kind to such and would have admonished them to mind the Lord and he would give them strength over the Enemy yea he was a Man that was valiant for the Lord and his Truth as his life and Sufferings does demonstrate as by Imprisonments and spoiling of his Goods for Tithes and by the Informers But in them all still was noble and chearful and exhorting Friends to be faithful and trust the Lord with all who was a strength to me in the time of my Sufferings when the Informers followed us very hotly both week-days and other Meetings dear Robert was very constant tho weakly of Body and incouraged Friends to be faithful to the Lord and diligent to their Meetings and the Lord in mercy did strengthen us and made us willing to give up for his Name and Truth-sake and the Lord hath given us peace therein And tho dear Robert suffered much by the Tythe-mongers and Informers yet he was still Noble Patient and chearful who was so good an Example as is worthy to be had in Remembrance And tho he be removed outwardly to endless Rest with the Lord yet his Memorial of good Savour lives with us John Hudson The Testimony of John Beakbayne concerning Robert Widders THis Testimony I have to bear He was a man quick spirited and of a chearful Countenance and when the Messengers of the Truth came among us he was one with the first in these parts that received them and their Testimony which he hath faithfully kept and holden even to the last of his daies He was sharp in Reproof gentle in Admonition his Bow abode in strength he was as a sharp Sword to Deceit and Hypocrisie but as Balm and Oyl to help the Tender and afflicted in Spirit about spiritual things I being newly Convinced of the Truth he was ready to give good Advice to me and told me as concerning the Work of Truth That there was nothing got but through Judgment which then I knew little of but since hath found it the way to Life and Mercy I have been Prisoner with him several times at Lancaster and his chearful Countenance and good Example and Advice to Friends alwaies Ministred strength and comfort He was as an Elder and his presence was encouraging And tho he be gone as to the outward man yet his Life and Spirit is in our Remembrance His Sufferings were great yet he never did shrink what ever Storm or Tempest came but followed Christ Jesus his Captain through sufferings patiently and hath obtained an eternal Reward where the Spoilers cannot come John Beakbayne Robert Barrow his Testimony of Robert Widders O It is freshly in my mind the many comfortable daies and sexsons of Love
by Thomas Goall Justice upon the Iuformation of Richard Gibson and Thomas Lucas aforesaid Constables and Robert Robinson Warden And the 10th day of the 9th Month came the said Officers and took Goods from Robert Widders worth 9 s. 6 d. And again Robert Widders for having a peaceable Meeting at his House the 26th of the 8th Month 1684. was fined the second time 20 l. for his House by the said Robert Bindless Justice upon the Information of the said Rich. Gibson and George Eskrigge both of Over Kellet which George Eskrigge said it was against his will. And the 20th day of the 10th Month came the said Richard Gibson Black-smith and Thomas Lucas Constables and Robert Robinson Warden by Warrant from the said Justice Bindless and rifled the House of Robert Widders shot back locks and pulled out staples of Doors and Arkes altho they were told what was in them and that it was not according to the Act and then took Goods worth 10 l. 5 s. so let it fall Robert Widders for being at a Meeting at John Bachouse of Yelland the 14th of the 10th Month 1684. was fined 10 s. by the said Justice Bindless upon the Information of John Smith Constable and Thomas Watson Warden both of the said Yelland had Goods taken from him worth 10 s. by the said Richard Gibson Thomas Lucas and Robert Robinson all of Over Kellet aforesaid the 20th day of the 10th Month 1684. Thus the sufferings of Robert Widders that Noble Innocent Sufferer and Faithful Servant and Witness for the Lord God may be seen in short  l. s. d. His Suffering for Tithes 143 11 00 His Sufferings for Sunday Shillings 00 10 00 His Sufferings for Meetings 37 18 02 Total 181 19 02 And likewise his suffering Imprisonment for the Testimony of the Truth and keeping his Couscience clear was once at Carliste and several times at Laneaster which particularly are not here set down And of his going to Steeple-houses and sometimes of his speaking to Priests and People and warning them to repent here is twelve particularly set down besides divers others in the Bishoprick or else where not here inserted Likewise Râ—bert Widders writ many Letters when he was in America and from divers other parts where he was in the Service of the Lord he writ to his Relations and Friends of his Love to them with good Advice and Counsel with seasonable Exhortations To be Faithful and Noble and Valiant for God and his Truth over all Gain-sayers For Truth will stand and Remain when all Hypocrisie and deceit will fail and come to an end Tho all his Writings particularly are not here set down But here are several Writings and Testimonies concerning this true and Noble Man for God in his day Robert Widders And of his Spirit Gists and Service in the Church of God of which Christ Jesus is the holy eternal head from several Friends as may be seen here following The Tâ—stimony of Jane Widders concerning her dear Husband Robert Widders THis Testimony I have to give for my dear and truly loving Husband That his Love was true and sincere to God and for the prosperity of his blessed Truth was zealous He was a man ever since it pleased God to joyn him and me together as Man and Wife that was inclining to seek after the Lord. And in the time of his outward profession was zealous and honest according to what he then knew till it pleased the Lord thorough the Testimony and direction of his faithful Servant and Minister G. F. To turn his mind from Darkness to the Light of Christ within who through believing obeying Christ and the Light of Life and taking up the Cross to self came to witness true peace with God and so receiving the Truth in the Love of it he became a companion of them that suffered for the Truth He was so faithful to God and true for the good of his Soul that he would have been loath to have fled the Cross for any outward advantage Oh the integrity of his Spirit and heart I might speak much of the same But it is known to God and I hope to many faithful Brethren and Sisters in the Lord whom he hath left behind under the exercise of this transitory world Oh! it is the Cry and breathing of my Soul unto God that he would preserve me in faithfulness as he hath done my deat Husband to the end of my daies and finishing my Course here During the time of his weakness of Body he was kept by the Lords Power in a sweet and precious frame of mind and patientness of Spirit as one that had Resigned himself up into the Will of God and many precious Scriptures passed thorow him in that time as one that might in Truth declare what God had done for his Soul as that of the Prophet where he saith The Lord will comfort Zion and repair her decayed places making her Desart as a Paradice and her Wilderness as the Garden of the Lord Mirth and Joy shall be found there Thanksgiving and the voice of Praise And again that of the Prophet where he saith The work or fruit of Righteousness shall be Peace and the effect of Righteousness quietness and assurance for ever He would often have said his heart was filled with the Love of God and that there was nothing betwixt him and the Lord. Thou hast taught me the way of Life and makest me full of Joy with thy Countenance And seeing it is the will of God to take my dear Husband unto himself to rest with him in eternal Glory who was a dear and tender Husband unto me Oh that I in a holy submission to his blessed will may be given up desiring in all things to be made conformable to his heavenly mind who alone is worthy to be seared served worshipped and bowed unto who is God over all blessed for ever Amen Jane Widders Thomas Widders his Testimony concerning his dear and tender Father Robert Widders THis Testimony I have to bear concerning my dear and Loving Father who is Deceased for whom I ever had a Reverent esteem and that upon a double account First as he was a tender natural Father unto me Secondly as he was an Example of a holy Life and Conversation and good Advice and Counsel to me Also he was sincere and zealous for the propagation of the Name and Truth of God in his Day which I know by true experience was the desire of his heart that all who took upon them the profession of the holy Name of Jesus might walk answerable to the same by taking heed to the manifestation of the Spirit and the appearances of the Grace of God given them for that end that they might live up in obedience to the same He had likewise a large share of the sufferings of the People of God in his Day and Age and did bear his Testimony Faithful for Christ Jesus whom he witnessed to be come the High Priest