Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	apostle_n	faith_n	word_n	5,163	5	4.0959	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A86651	A lamentation for the scattered tribes, who are exiled into captivity, and are now mingled among the heathen, and are joyned to the oppressor, and refuses to return. Presented unto all the separated congregations, under what name or form soever, in love to the lost. Shewing, the difference betwixt them that were separated by the word of faith, and them who have separated themselves, in imitation from the letter: ... / By a servant of truth, and a friend to righteousness, who suffers with the seed, which is held in oppression, waiting and labouring for its return; called Francis Howgill.	Howgill, Francis, 1618-1669.	1656 (1656)	Wing H3170; Thomason E885_1; ESTC R204835	28,211	39

of the living God and they separated from the temple and left Circumcision and all those things of the first Priesthood which were commanded by God and out of the worlds ways fashion custom worships and came to see the worshipping in spirit and truth was that worship God required and the ground of their separation was not from any literal command or precept for all that was written there was flat against it but they which were Ministers of Christ which had believed in him preached him the substance and the measure of him and of his grace which was in them unto whom they preached and this was the Apostles witness in their hearts unto which they did commend themselves in the sight of God which is a great mystery and they are not Ministers of the letter but of the spirit Now in these few words before written with much more I could write compare your Ministry and your members gathered and you will see you differ in the ground in the first for your command you take from the letter and so are ministers of the letter and not of the spirit 2. Ye preach the letter for the word of faith which they did not as is playne in their own writings without adding 3. Them whom you gather it s but into conformity to the letter and to that which is visible which all this may be done in the will of man which is fallen from God and see if it be not so with you both Pastors and Members not witnesses of that word which they preached which did beget faith in them that received it and believed in it which faith was in them wrought by the power of God which gave them assurance and their assurance was in them and their hope in them brought in and wrought by the operation of the Spirit which the preaching of the letter sound or declaration only of that which was in them never workes assurance nor true faith nor hope And now consider where had your ground of the knowledge of God been and your Gospel and your faith and hope if you had not had the letter I speak not to upbraid you but to the light of Christ Jesus I speake which will let you see how far short you are and that you must come backe againe to the first principle and now you may see if it had been the same word or command it would have the same effects as it had and Change into it's own nature all that received it now see what Change is in you or not some of you yea many running back after the foot-steps of the priests preaching for hire and upholding the Idols Temple if you can get into them and in the costomes of the world nay most of you not come to yea and nay in your communication but one with the world in all or most of things differ only in words and names and your Gospel you have preached hath nor begotten such a faith as was in them that had the Gospel not to respect persons nor none dare own cleansing from sin in the body but calls that a delusion but the word and faith which they preached and received gave them victory over the world sin and death and by it's power made them more then conquerors and their hope purified their hearts but you cannot believe that ever you shall be made free from sin nor hath not hope in that and therefore are ignorant of the body of Christ you so much talk on which made them clean and free from sin Secondly your Doctrine is the same with the world your hope your faith your justification is all at a distance grounded upon the report of Christ dying at Ierusalem and of their report that knew him and believing this you call it faith and so are one with the faith and hope which the world hath for the report of Christs righteousness what he did suffer and wrought in the Saints if this be the ground of salvation then why have you separated from the world If you say Because the world hath not right to the Ordinances I say Doth not faith in Christ give Interest to all his ordinances And if this be onely your faith the world hath as good an Interest as you so why do you separate from them And so you shall see the matter is the same with the world of which your fellowships consists and the name of Christ is a great mystery which they were sent to baptize in who knew his name his name is not letters and syllables and using these this with the lips speaking over is not to baptize into his name And so friends in love I speak unto you There was such as separated themselves and were sensual and had not the spirit and so there was no difference betwixt them and the world for they are clouds without rayn appeared wells but had no water in them seemed something but were but a show Freinds your foot-steps I know your ground I know and your compass and your measure yet I shall not glory over you nor boast my selfe against you but rather to informe your minde that you may not build upon a foundation which will moulder away and now boast not your selves in your Ordinances as water bread and wine which is but elementarie and was never but a signe and in the day of appearance of Christ the elements shall melt with fervent heat and while you stand here and have confidence in these things your sun will set in obscuritie and you shall know the old heavens and earth will pass away with a noyse which when you come to know and heare your hearts will fayle for fear for this I say to the highest of you If you build upon any thing or have confidence in any thing which stands in time and is on this side Eternity and the Being of beings your foundation will be swept away and night will come upon you and all your gathered in things and taken on and imitated will all fayle you Many more things I might write time would fayle me to utter but these few among many I have written that you may compare your selves with the Ministers of Christ then and the Gospel which they preached which were separate from the world in the ground and nature and if you see your selves in the light of Christ in your consciences not to be the same neither in matter nor maner let not a deceived heart lead you aside any longer Further I say they were sent out for the gathering in of the Saints some Apostles some Prophets some Pastors teachers yet all was by the spirit Now if you denie the command of the Spirit or cannot witness it but from the letter takes it up and talks of because the Scripture speakes of it then you are not that Ministry Again this end was the Ministry sent forth for for the perfecting of the Saints which it did which not one of you dare own not dare say your Ministry shall

brought forth in purity uprighteousness meekness temperance patience and the fruits of righteousness for it is not dead but the Just man lives by it and his works appeares in the world and is as a light but your faith which is dead talks of it and when you are viewed in the light no fruits of righteousness grow in you your hope and faith is vain and it will not save you from condemnation in the day of the Lord and because you finde written in the Scriptures that by the deedes of the law no flesh can be Justified therefore you would exclude the worke of grace and the righteousness of faith and the life of Christ which brings forth fruits and all faith is dead without works for as the body lives not but it moves and acts no more is faith living except it move and so you whose faith stands in words and in things taken on in the fallen wisdom which you read without you that faith is reprobate unto every good work and is vain for the living is not witnessed nor the dead raised in you to life nor the lost sheep found nor that which hath been driven away brought back but the earth yet closeth the blood and the earth in you covers the slain and the grave you see not opened nor the dead raised incorruptible and so you are unchanged but the corruptible lives and the mortal and draws you after it and is exalted and the head not known who is the life of men nor exalted and so he draws you not nor leads you not but you are led by your own wills and Another girds you not nor the gird of strength is not at all known but in words and so the old man is alive uncrucified with his deeds but his deeds are brought forth and so by your fruits you are known Concerning Hope and the difference betwixt true and false hope ANd to all sorts of professors I shall clear my conscience to you all and finish my testimony that I may dwell in peace with the Lord who hath commanded me to bear witness to his Name and his love also constrains me and in love to the seed of Israel who are bone of my bone and flesh of my flesh who are of the true Circumcision that they may come out of Captivitie from among the lying Inchanters and Sorcerers and Diviners where they have been long held Captive and the heritage of the Lord laid waste and therefore you whose hope is without you it 's vain whose hope stands without in these things which are weak as the Apostle said of the Law which made nothing persect because of the weakness and unprofitableness of it which stood in washings and signes of the true tabernacle they were yet they did not make perfect so I say unto you your bread and wine and water which were figures of a more heavenly thing they do make nothing perfect but the bringing in of a better hope Heb. 7. 18 19. and so while you have hope in any thing without you you stand in that which is Imperfect and Contends about that but looks not for the hope to be brought in by which you might draw near unto God Christ the hope the light and while this you own not to lead you the light you cannot draw near unto God but he will slay you and kill you notwithstanding all your words and all that walks in the light comes to see the hope brought in and this hope purifies the heart as Christ is pure and then by it and through it there is a drawing near unto God and an access to him with boldness for where the lively hope is there is no guilt then there is boldness and so you whose hope is in words without and not in you you forget God all that forgets the light forgets God your hope is the hope of the hypocrite which shall perish whose hope shall be cut off as a spiders web Job 8. 14 and all your hope which doth not purifie the heart and give you victory over sin dayly is the hope of the wicked Job 11 20 but the eyes of the wicked shall faile and they shall not escape and their hope shall be as the giving up of the ghost True faith how it is wrought and what it is in it 's effects and operations NOw concerning faith it is begotten in the heart of man by preaching of the eternal Word which word is nigh in the mouth and in the heart and all that comes to hearken to the word which is pure and receive it and believe in it comes to see faith revealed by which they draw near unto God and this is begotten by the word of faith which is the word of Christ which word is spirit and life to all that receive it and by it is the mountains removed and sin overcome and victory witnessed over sin Mat. 17. 20. and this faith is pure and leads into purity it is the gift of God and leads all towards God that hath it and it is perfect and all that stands in it comes to have the will of God perfected in them and that which is imperfect comes to be done away and the Just lives by it Heb. 2. 4. and in it and by it and through it is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith Rom. 1. 17. and all that do witness the birth which is from above which is borne of God which sins not faith is the life of this birth which is Just and the Son of God lives by it who doth the will of God as it is written The life that I now live is by the faith of the Son of God and all who hath it and believes in this shall never die for by it is translation witnessed from sin and death and condemnation into the Immortal life and by it is Gods righteousness revealed and well pleased is he with all who walk in it and where this is not his wrath and displeasure arises and all who stands in the least measure of it is perfect and comes to be free from sin for it brings and reveales the righteousness of God which Justifies Sanctifies and Mortifies even the righteousness of God which takes away sin and purges the heart from all filthyness both of flesh and Spirit and thus remission of sins comes to be witnessed and man Justified by the righteousness of Christ which is the righteousness of faith wrought in the Creature by the eternal Spirit and word which is one and thus assurance comes to be made manifest for it bears witness and is the true evidence of the everlasting substance which is brought in and sin and self and all Iniquity comes to be seen and revealed judged and Condemned and cast out and Gods righteousness comes to be the life of a believer even the life of Christ which is immortal by which man comes to be redeemed and purchased unto God and not his own but becomes servant to him and

nor never did and so not the same nor hath not the same operation and so is not the same faith nor word which they preached And now to you who are called Members in all separated societies and yet in Babylon and Egypt spiritually so called where the seed is held in captivity I say Come forth of her and returne to your Maker from whence you are erred and cast off your garments of selfe-righteousness and those coverings you hid your selves under must all be rent they will wax old yea your heaven shall wax old as a garment and your stars will fall and your towers will be demolished and all your buildings will fall and your strength will fayle and Egypt cannot save you Why gad you abroad why trim you your selves with the Saints words when you are ignorant of the life return return to him that is the first love and the first-borne of every creature who is the light of the world which light will show you backe againe is the way from off the mountains of leanness and poverty where you feed upon wind and huskes and now returne home to within sweep your houses all the groat is there the little leaven is there the graine of mustard-seed you will see which the kingdom of God is like and you will see from whence you have erred from the true Shepherd Christ the light of the world who hath enlightened you with his light which light will show you sin and let you see what rules in the mind and heart which light will let you see the way out of the world and will judge sin in you and bind it and give you power over it this is the true shepherd and if you say you love him manifest your love unto him by following his light revealed in you which leads into the true separation from sin unto the Lord to see his presence neer you who will guide you with his eye the light is the eye of the body and here you will see your Teacher not removed into a corner but present when you are upon your beds and about your labor convincing instructing leading correcting judging giving peace to all that love and follow him Therefore haste I say come away while the Lord is near and at hand while his grace shines with you and he waits and hath waited long to be gratious and you have kept him out so long his lockes is bedewed with the drops of the night his Spirit shall not always strive that that checks and strives against sin is it in love follow it let it lye in your bosome day and night make it your companion I pitie you I pitie you my bowells is troubled for you I am payned for the seeds sake therefore all sleight not this love quench not the Spirit put not that which reproves sin away owne it that sin may be seene and the man of sin may be revealed by the brightness of Christ whose coming is as the light shines from east into the west discovers all darke pathes and the twining of the serpent and the crooked wayes of the old Dragon by this light and thus if you wait you will see the day revealed in you which the Scripture speaks of which shall declare all things and make manifest the hidden things of Esau who hunts abroad and is a man of the field whose minde is a broad And you whose mindes are a broad hunting after savory meat to please the flesh withall you are of his birth you will be laid wast and the mount in which you dwelt Therefore all prize your time and your visitation if you will returne come that he may heale your backsliding and receive you if you resist the light misery will be your end and you will lie down in sorrow This have I written in love to all your soules who am one who did drinke of the Cup of fornication and have drunke of the Cup of indignation but now drinkes the Cup of salvation where sorrow and tears is fled away and yet am a man of sorrows and well acquainted with griefe and suffers with the seed and travels that it may be brought forth of captivity called by the world F. H. The difference shewn betwixt them that learne of Christ and are taught of him and them that follows the principal of darkness that leads into Error HE that stumbles at the light stumbles at the door and his minde is erred from the truth and he followes his owe will and walks after the imaginations of his own heart without a Law or a guide to his feet and so falls into snares and temptations and into the noison lusts which doth hurt and annoy the Spirit of grace which should lead and guide man up to God out of the fall and transgression He that sees not with the light he is blind for the light is the eye of the body and makes manifest the light of the body which cleanseth from sin and leads to the body where Christ is the head where the unitie stands in one by which all comes to be united by one who is the light and life of men and comes to the one baptism and all who waits in the light that is pure comes to know the name of the Father and the Son which is one and here is the one baptisme seen and received and all that comes to be baptized into his Name comes to be baptized into his nature and comes to see the word which was in the begininng and there is no other name but the word which sanctifies and washes so all that knows not this Baptism nor this Word nor this Name knows not salvation from sin but lives in the reasonings and Imaginations and knows not that water which is the gift of Christ nor the Spirit which is given to every one to profit withall of which a man must be born of else he cannot enter into the kingdom of God and all who denies the light wherewith Christ hath enlightened every one withal denies the gift of God which leads to repentance and so lives in sin Repentance is the gift of God and this is the gift of the Father which was promised the light of the world and all that receives not and believe not in the light they are in the old nature and he that is not born of the light is not born of God for God is light he that is not born of the light knowes not the Virgins womb where the Man-childe is borne and conceived nor the day of Christ nor cannot discerne his coming but lookes for signes and outward observations Lo here and there in the outward and are in the unbeliefe nor discernes not the Kingdom where Christ reignes which is not of this world all things that are outward are of this world and who live in them and have their hearts exercised in them knows not that which leads to before the world and to the end of the world and knows not the true

and faithfull witness the beginning of the Creation of God and all that waits in the light waits not in the grace of God but waits in that which turnes the grace into wantonness there Christ suffers and is denied and another is owned and learned of and another teacher and where the grace of God is not taught and learned of ungodlyness is not denied but ungodlyness is denied where the grace teacheth and where another thing is hearkened unto and learned of that which is not like God is learned and deceipt is brought forth and the Childe of fornication which must not inherit and all who learne of this nature they are blind and Ignorant of the will of God and so knows not the Doctrine of Christ but their eyes is without in the world where the false prophets are gone out into the world and there is the Errors and the Sects and the judgments which are many and the opinions which are out of the unitie and their vaine Imaginations and vaine thoughts lodges in the heart and there the light of Christ is not known but the woman speakes which ought to learn in silence who was first in the transgression And all you that put the letter for the light are blind and calls it the Word and the Gospel you are not knowing the Scripture nor the power of God for the word of God is the power of God which is immortal and eternal and all that which is visible stands in time and cannot lead to know him which was before time in the beginning and so all you who are in your earthly carnal minds Imagining a Rule without you and a word without you you have not learned of him who is entered with the veil you are hunting upon the wild mountains and forests and knows not the voyce of the true Shepherd who saith learn of me whose word is nigh thee in thy mouth and in thy heart and thou that hath not hearkned unto this a separation thou never didst see but darkness is upon the face of the deep and the Word of God is not known by which the heavens and the earth was made and all things therein are upholden by the word of his power which word of power is seen by them whose mindes are turned within and there the thoughts and intents of the heart is by it discerned and seen which word is quick and powerful and discernes the secrets of mans heart and is as a hammer to break the rocks and the hard hearts and this is immediate and eternal and all who knows not this your carnal minde stands wholly in your and your hard hearts is unbroken and the mountaines is unlevelled and you walke in the crooked ways of the old serpent in subtiltie and deceipt and stands covered before the Lord and the straight paths of righteousness you have not known Therefore awake out of deceipt and security all sorts of people where you have been making your rest in the lap of the adulterer and have drunken of the wine of fornication and of the old drags of unrighteousness whereby the whole man is in flamed and the whole course of Nature is set on the fire of hell and filth and abomination lodges in the heart and you talke of the word of God and of the law of God and of the new covenant and yet never see any thing in you which you can own to guide you which is contrary to your wills which is the will of God All sorts of professors whether Presbyters Independents Bapists or of what name soever you are called by who sayes you are separated let me ask this What are you separated from and what separated you If you deny the sufficiency of the Spirits teaching alone and it to be the rule and alone guide unto God who is separated from sinners and behold them a far off I say you who cannot own that which shews you your vain minds and vain thoughts and that discerns the thoughts if you cannot own this the word of God you never knew nor the Law written in your hearts nor the word of separation and all are in your imaginations and vain conceivings in your fleshly minds here and there setting up an Image raised from a dead letter and founded on your earthly Imaginations and they stands in the vallies of vain hopes and there is no life in nothing you worship and set up neither sight nor hearing and every one of you worship a dead thing and that which makes not the comers thereunto perfect but you are all pleading for imperfection and sin in the body and all joyne together to oppose the life and power of God which the Saints ought to press after and they that stand in the counsel doth obtain victory and witness of his righteousness which is perfect Are you not many of you turning into the old Bishops road who would tie all unto their Idols temple or parish-Church so called and are not you many of you going about to stop all from hearing any but you under payn of Excommunication Oh the gross darkness you are led in and the wilful blindness who have taken up your rest in that which is carnal and without where all the hypocrites may come verily I say unto you your rest will be but as the leaning upon a bowed wall or as a reed of Egypt for the ground of iniquitie stands whole and the whole body of darkness is not removed the earth is whole the fallow ground is not plowed up thornes and briers and fruitless trees which cumbers the ground of the Lord is not cut down and so the works of condemnation you are none of you brought from under but selfe stands and your wills is alive which is at enmitie against God only talking of a Christ at a distance and his righteousness as far from you as betwixt earth and heaven and here is your Justification applying this unto your selves while you are disobedient to the grace of God in you this is your fayth and your rest and this fayth all the world hath and this hope but this fayth cannot justifie nor not one of you hath assurance who hath but this who doth not witness Gods righteousness brought forth in you which is wrought by the word of fayth which is incorruptible which justifies and gives assurance and is witnessed through the death of the Cross And therefore I cannot forbear but to declare your Ignorance and shew you your deceipt you ly in and your ragged veiles you hide your selves under for I know your peace you have is that which will not last and therefore be not secure and careless nor obstinate but lay down your Crowns at his feet and come out of your ease and rest and fleshly exaltation puffed up by the wisdom of the flesh and that which you have gathered in and not witnesses of the same wrought in you all for the fire yet a little while and time shall be no longer for the end of time