Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n
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A47207
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A testimony against gaming, musick, dancing, singing, swearing and people calling upon God to damn them: commended to the consciences of all people in the sight of God, but more especially to those who keep publick-houses.
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Kelsall, John.
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1682
(1682)
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Wing K246A; ESTC R218586
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3,632
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1
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A TESTIMONY AGAINST Gaming Musick Dancing Singing Swearing AND People calling upon God to Damn them Commended to the Consciences of all People in the sight of God But more especially to those who keep Publick-Houses First SEE that you suffer none to play at any sort of Game in your houses viz. Cards Dice Tables Shuffle-board and the like for in so doing you will displease the Lord and may cause him to bring a Blast upon all your undertakings But on the contrary reprove and admonish such in Gods fear for it never was the Practice of Gods People in the primitive times to game away their precious time which the Lord gave them to work out their own Salvation in neither is it the Practice of them that are Christians indeed in this day though the Nominal Christians may plead for it Therefore you that know the Life of true Christianity bear your testimonies against Gaming faithfully for it is as it were a piece of Witchcraft for when mens hearts and minds are exercised in it they are even overcome by the same and so are serving the Enemy of their own immortal Souls with all their strength and the fear of the Lord is not before their Eyes for when their hearts and minds are exercised in their Games it is as it were their Godd and often times tends to Quarrelling Fighting and Bloodshed It is therefore good for all that are Christians in deed and in truth to bear your Testimonies against Gaming for this is certainly true that the Lord and his Truth is dishonoured by admitting People to game in your Houses Therefore be careful in bringing Honour to God by bearing your Testimonies for him and his Truth against that that is displeasing unto the Lord and hurtful unto your own poor Souls Secondly See that you suffer none to play upon any sort of Musick nor any to Dance Sing or Swear in your houses but bear your Testimonies against such things both by reproving them in Gods fear and love and in obstructing the same for they are all displeasing in the sight of the Lord and may cause his Judgments to come upon your Houses and Families Therfore to prevent the same from coming upon you live up to that Gift which the Lord hath given you that you may stand in your paces and bear a Testimony for the Lord and his Truth in your Day Age and Generation then will the Lord bless and prosper you both inwardly and outwardly and in all that you undertake and all that do rejoyce let them Rejoyce in the Lord. Musick is a thing that stealeth the hearts of them that play upon it or adhere unto it from the Lord and tends to raise up a light airy frothy wanton Mind for they that live in Pleasures are dead while they live and they that live wantonly kill the just for when mens hearts and minds are exercised by it they remember not the Lord that made them and all Mankind for a purpose of his own Glory but spend away their precious time in that which the Lord by his Prophet Amos bore Testimony against as you may read in th 6th Chapter of the Prophecy of that Prophet in which he pronounceth a Wo unto them that chaunt unto the Viol and invent unto themselves Instruments of Musick like unto David Do such Remember their Creator in the dayes of their Youth No they have rather forgotten their Maker which would be their Saviour if they would come to be saved by him from their perishing fading Vanities which God and his People are against Singing and Dancing are of the same Root and Ground with Gaming and Musick c. all which proceed from that seed which the Enemy of Man and Womans Salvation hath sown in the hearts of the Children of Disobedience which enemy is the Devil who walks about seeking whom he may devour And such who let lose their hearts minds and affections after those things persuing and following with greediness after the same are making an Idol of them and do desire more after them than they do after the knowledge of God whom to know is Life Eternal and so hereby God who alone ought to be sought after and bowed down unto is robbed of that which is his right even the Praise the Honour and the Glory of his Name which ought to be given unto him from every reasonable Creature that he hath made by his mighty Power for it is the incumbant duty of all Mankind to serve the Lord above all things even with all their Souls and all their Might and not run into fading Vanities which perish in the using and which bring Tribulation Anguish and Wrath upon all that are found in them for God will not be mocked such as every man sows such they must reap from divine Justice who renders unto every man according unto his deeds without respect of Persons Some that delight in Musick may object That David and others of the People of God did play upon Instruments of Musick Answer David and others who were faithful to God did not play upon Instruments of Musick to stir up raise and elivate a vain sinful unclean Mind in themselves or any other but their playing upon and use of Instruments of Musick being under the Shadowy dispensation of the Law what they did herein they did it unto the Lord. The Priests under the Law had a command to sound Trumpets which was a sort of Musick and David and others made use of other Instruments as the Flute Harp and Symbal and this they did in honour and praise to the Lord and not to stir up a vain wanton light airy fleshly and ungodly Mind as it may be seen in the Scriptures of Truth Again some may plead for Dancing because David danced before the Ark. Answ This Dancing was in the time of the Law and was a token of his rejoycing because of the Ark of God which was brought back out of the Philistians Land who were Enemies to God and his People This Dancing was not like the Dancing of the vain wanton and prophane Persons of our Age nor yet like the Dancing of Herodias's Daughter who danced before King Herod who after she had danced demanded the Head of the Man of God John the Baptist and had it being thereunto instructed by her malicious Mother As concerning Singing and Rejoycing true Singing and Rejoycing the Lord God did own under the Law which was Shadowy and stood in many carnal Ordinances which were to continue until the time of Reformation as saith the Apostle Heb. 9.10 which time is the Time of the Gospel which is come Again God did and doth own Singing in the Spirit under the dispensation of the Gospel but the Singers that God doth own under the Gospel dispensation are those who are first taught by him to Mourn for Repent of forsake their Sins such who are led by the Spirit of the Lord to mourn for repent of and forsake their Sins in the same Spirit they may Sing as it moves and leads them The Apostle Paul said I will Sing with the Spirit and with Vnderstanding 1 Cor. 14.15 And it is written Isa 35.10 The Redeemed of the Lord shall return to Sion with Songs of Deliverance And it is written Rev. 15.3 They that were Redeemed from the Earth sang the Song of Moses and the Lamb. And Wise Solomon said Eccles 7.2 3. Sorrow is better than Laughter and its better to go into the House of Mourning than into the House of Mirth Mourning in the unregenerate in the sence of their Sins is better than Laughter and Singing And God will turn the Songs of the Wicked into Mourning Amos 8.10 And Christ said Mat. 12.36 Every Idle Word that men shall speak they shall give an Account thereof in the day of Judgment And the Apostle James saith Who among you seem to be Religious and bridleth not his Tongue but deceiveth his own Heart this mans Religion is vain James 1.26 Observe that Nebuchadnezar the Heathen King and his company of Idolaters had Musick viz. the Sound of the Cornet Flute Harp Sacbut Psaltery and Dulsimer and all kinds of Musick when they worshipped the Golden Image that he had set up These were they which cast the three Children into the fiery Furnace This their Musick and Rejoycing was Wicked and Ungodly Again observe the Apostle said unto the true Christians Be ye not drunk with Wine wherein is Excess but be filled with the Spirit speaking to your selves in Psalms and Hymns and Spiritual Songs Singing and making Melody in your Hearts to the Lord Ephes 5.19 Also Swearing and calling upon God to Damn them and Blaspheming the pure holy and undefiled Name of God proceeds even from the same Root that Gaming Musick Singing and Dancing do arise and spring from Therefore let none who are found in any of these things to wit in Swearing Damning Cursing and Blaspheming the Name of the Lord think to escape Gods Righteous Judgments for it is written The Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his Name in Vain And the Lord complains by the Prophet Jeremiah saying Because of Swearing the Land Mourneth Jer. 23.10 Therefore all you that are concerned as Witnesses for God see that you bear your Testimonies against these things that the Lord may bless you and prosper you in all your Undertakings that the Praise and Honour which is his due he may receive from you and you from him a Crown of Glory which fadeth not away when time here shall be no more John Kelsall LEt all consider Israel of old who when they forgot God who had wrought mighty Deliverance for them how they ran into Feasting and Dancing as it is written They sate down to Eat and to Drink and rose up to Play and danced about the Golden Calf which they had set up But it was a dismal Dance unto them for several Thousands of them were destroyed in one day Exod. 32.6 19 27. And every one that Sweareth shall be cut off c. Zach. 5.3 By Swearing and Lying and Killing and Stealing and committing Adultery they break out and Blood toucheth Blood Hosea 4.2 If the Righteous scarcely shall be saved where shall the Wicked and Vngodly appear 1 Pet. 4.18 LONDON Printed and Sold by Andrew Sowle at the Crooked-Billet in Holloway-Lane in Shoreditch 1682.