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B10044 A testimony concerning the life and death of William Sixmith, being sent with the following matter to London, in order to be made publick. Sixmith, William, 1655 or 6-1677.; Sixmith, Bryan, d. 1679. 1678 (1678) Wing S3923B; ESTC R184261 13,685 28

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Honour and Renown To have it stay'd and fi●t in the true Joy It s after this my panting Soul doth Cry To have it gather'd out of Earthly Things And have it plac'd in that where true Contentment Springs My Eye beholds the place where I would Be I would enjoy the same as well as See But I this Scripture do witness Fulfilling The Flesh is Weak but ah the Spirit 's Willing Which makes me breath unto the Lord that I May conquer that which doth me so Annoy That I might with the Apostle Paul thus Say Not I that live but Christ that lives in Me. Here is the perfect holy Christian's State In which the Lord did Adam first Create For he created was to live to Him Not to the Flesh but to live without Sin O! if that he had kept that holy Station In which the Lord plac'd him in the Creation He had partook of that great Mystery In which consisteth true Felicity W. S. A Letter of William Sixmith to J. D. John Dunbabin I Do acknowledge thy Kindness in lending me John Cheyney's Book for when I heard of it I had a desire of reading it but they were kept so close that I could not procure one of Ten Days after they came down and when I got one it was but for two or three Hours and that on the Market day but ● now have perused most of it especially the Praemonition to the Reader and the Inspection c. as he calls them It hath been my Desire to try all things and hold fast that which is good So the Truth in his Book I assent to but by his Writings I perceive a Spirit of Persecution to lodge in his Heart incensing the Civil Magistrate against us Grudging our Prosperity even striving to Besmeer us which manifests him to be no Minister of Christ neither ruled nor guided by his Spirit and from an Envious Lying Spirit do his Works proceed and he beholds us with an Evil Prejudicial Eye which always looks asquint As for his Praemonition it s stuffed with seven Notorious Falshoods which he can never prove more properly belonging to himself than to the Quakers from which I believe he cannot easily clear himself His other Work being chiefly to speak Evil of the Light of Christ Jesus even the Illumination of God's holy Spirit calling it Dagon an Idol a Blind and Deceitful Guide making it guilty of all sins of Omission and Commission comparing it to a Drunken Coach-man saying There is never a Soul in Hell but may blame the Light within with a great deal more Wicked Ungodly Speeches though in Contradiction of the same he saith in his Book called Two Sermons of Hypocrisie c. page 233. where thou mayst read him praising the Light calling it The Excellency of the Man saying The vilest man by reason of this is of more price than all the World which makes the Soul of man Superlatively pretious by this it is capable to live Everlastingly in Heaven or in Hell To speak against this Light simply as such is to speak against God the Author of it and to undermine all Religion Now let any moderate Person seriously consider whether he hath not Indicted himself and is found guilty of Blasphemy for Blasphemy signifies to Reproach Revile or speak Evil of And is it not before apparent that he hath Reproached Reviled and spoken Evil of the Light and so is condemned out of his own Mouth to have spoken against God the Author of it and to undermine all Religion In page 100. of the same Book he gives a very large Testimony for us saying There is that in your Bosoms more than Ten Thousand Witnesses Now by the Mouth of two or three Witnesses every thing is confirmed but this he confesseth more than Ten Thousand Surely this then may be believed and approved In these same two pages before quoted he hath said that which Overthrows all his Works And in this pag. 100. beareth a very large Testimony to the Quakers Doctrine which for bevity I transcribe not but desire thee seriously to peruse it In his Advice to the Quakers pag. 218. he entreats them To be earnest in Prayer and not to tarry till the Spirit move to Prayer but when we have time and place convenient to provoke themselves to Prayer c. So he would have them take his Advice contrary to the Apostle's Exhortation Praying always with all Prayer and Supplication in the Spirit Ephes 6.18 Also it s absolutely contrary to that positive Assertion of the holy Man in Rom. 8.26 We know not what to pray for as we ought but the Spirit it self maketh Intercession for us So it s not in him that wills nor in him that runs for the Lord heareth his own Spirit and another Spirit he will not hear Not that I thus write that I disown Prayer for the Prayers of the Faithful avail much and they know the Lord preparing the Evening and Morning Sacrifice and so in his own time offer it up unto him which he doth hear and answer and these Prayers are amongst us both in publick and in private though he wickedly says contrary And though he insinuates in pag. 241. That this Light was never intended to be sufficient of it self to Salvation yet the Scripture saith that which was given for a Light was given for Salvation to the Ends of the Earth Isa 49.6 Mat. 13.47 As for his asserting The Light goes down with the Soul into Hell and being turned into a Self-tormenting Light he can bring no Scripture to prove it for we read that the Talent the sloathful Servant had given him was commanded to be taken from him before that dismal Sentence Cast him into utter Darkness was pronounced against him Mat. 25.8 He owns this Light within should be man's Guide and is charged to watch over the Soul but doth not see his Book Skirmish pag. 13 c. Now where in Scripture doth any read that God gives any other Guide any other Leader to Mankind universally but Christ Jesus Oh that he would consider what he hath belched forth against the Son of God! For this I am certain of that the Quakers preach no other Light then Christ Jesus the Light of the World John 8 1● no other Spirit then the Spirit of God a Measure or Manifestation of which is given to every one to profit withal 1 Cor. 12.7 no other Grace then that which is in Christ Jesus 2 Tim. 2.1 and hath appeared to all men Tit. 2.11 He hath not brought one Scripture that will favour these gross ●ssertions of his before cited he thinks Mat. 6.22 23. makes something to his purpose which I shall transcribe The Light of the Body is the Eye if therefore thy Eye be single thy whole Body shall be full of Light but if thine Eye be Evil thy whole Body shall be full of Darkness if therefore the Light that is in thee be Darkness how great is that Darkness From this Scripture he cannot make the Illumination of God's Spirit Darkness for Christ here speaketh of the Single Eye and the Evil Eye for as it is written in Eccless 2.14 The Wise Man's Eyes are in his Head c. but the Fool 's are in the Ends of the Earth Prov. 17.24 There is a Single Eye the Wise Man's Eye which is in Christ the Head and the Evil Eye the Fool 's Eye which is Darkness and is in the Ends of the Earth So there is a Distinction to be made betwixt the Eye and that which opens or illuminates the Eye which is the Spirit of God and that which darkens and blinds the Eye which is the Spirit of this World But J C. is in Confusion and call Evil Good and Good Evil Light Darkness and Darknes Light and plainly appears to be one of Babel's Builders who know not Scripture-Expressions or else quarrels with them because the Quakers use them witness his Cavil at the word Measure saying God cannot be cut into Measures Shreds or Pieces when it s a word the Apostle Paul much useth look Ephes 4.7 13. But unto us is given Grace according to the Measure of the Gif● of Christ Till we all come in the Vn●ty of the Faith and of the Knowledge of the Son of God unto a perfect Man unto the Measure of the Stature of the Fulness of Christ Also John the Baptist speaking of Christ saith God giveth not the Spirit by Measure unto him John 3 3● plainly implying that to others be giveth his Spirit by Measure 2 Cor. 10.13 14 15. Ephes 4.16 And J. C. must either confess that he hath not the Spirit of God or that he hath it by Measure or else in Fulness which we read of none but Christ that had which if he affirm he makes himself equal with Christ if he hath not the Spirit he is none of his if ●e owns it by Measure ●e owns the Quakers Doctrine So under some of these censures he must needs fall Read Rom. 13.3 with the other Scriptures which I forbear writing at large J. C. i●to be pitied if what he hath written be through ignorance and blind zeal and I wish that he hath not gone contrary to Knowledge and that the Lord may open his Understanding and of all that are simply led astray by him for it is my Belief that what he hath written against the Light will be more heavy than a Milstone in the Day the Lord calls him to an Account O! that he could Repent and consider For it s the Life of God which is the Light of men which shines in Darkness and the Darkness comprehends it not John 1.4 5. This is the Stone which J. C. rejects which is become the Head of our Corner This is the Stone of Stumbling and Rock of Offence to J. C. which is become to us Elect and Pretious and the very Rock of Salvation Is he not in the Saints the Hope of Glory a Comforter a Saviour And in the Wicked a Judge a Condemner I cannot but Admire that he should withstand such Sound Doctrine which the holy Scriptures do so fully declare But no We●pon that is formed can prosper against them that have on the Armour of Light William Sixmith Warrington the 23d of the 1st Moneth 1677. THE END Swarthmore Hall FRIENDS HISTORICAL LIBRARY SWARTHMORE COLLEGE PENNSYLVANIA
of saving Grace Whilst they in Wickedness to men preach Peace When Scripture without Spirit a dead Letter Without the same it maketh no man Better The Letter kills the Spirit giveth Life This as come to redeemeth out of Strise This is the Supream Rule who walk Hereby Men's Meanings of the Scriptures they can Try For none the things of God do truly Know Put as his Spirit doth reveal and Show Some would God's Love unto a few Confine And Reprobate the rest and so in Fine Quite pass them by in that most sad Condition Where no Recovery is to wit Perdition Soothing the other in that Confidence They ne're shall fall from Grace O vain Pretence Saying Whom God once loves he loves Forever Although they sin yet he for sakes them Never When God of one Blood hath made all Mankind And he so loved the World that he Resign'd His Son to reconcile them all if They Truly believe in him who is the Way For Christ hath tasted Death for every Man For he through Death destroy'd Death's Power for Man The Wicked's Death the Lord doth not Desire But that he turn from Sin he doth Require He that committeth sin doth fall from Grace And in committing it he breaks his Peace Grace joyns not with him in his sinful Deed Grace doth reprove him if he will take Heed Grace takes no part with Man when he doth Sin Man disobeys it when he falls Therein When Man acts that which doth polute the Mind He over-runs Grace and leaveth Grace Behind This is the Word behind that shews the Way That calls Walk here whenas men go Astray Grace truly leads its Grace that should Conduct This is man's Guide and this would man Instruct If man Resist not and gain say the Same In perfect Holiness 't would man Retain For as 't was said My Grace sufficient is They that obey it cannot walk amiss W. S. 1674. REmember thy Creator in thy Youth And let thy Mind be still inclin'd to Truth Which when thou findst be sure thou it Obey And 't will conduct and guide thee in the Way That will thee lead unto Eternal Life And bring thee out of Enmity and Strife 'T is as a Light shining in a dark place Until the Day dawn and Day-light Encrease This is the chief Pearl therefore do it Prize Do not this Burden but let it Arise For all that 's contrary Truth alone must Judge Which will not suffer sin in thee to Lodge For this will seperate all Good from Evil And also quench the Arrows of the Devil When thou in Trouble art then hither Fly And thou will find it a chief Remedy Let not time slip but see that thou Obey Its Counsel alwayes whilst thou hast a Day Keep the Watch. A Watchful State is the most blessed State To wait on him that did all Men Create To feel feel him working in the inward Part Searching and trying all things in the Heart Binding the Strong Man that the House did Keep Spoiling his Goods casting him out to Sweep Each Corner and to make the whole Heart Clean That none of his old Dregs therein Remain And then when it is purg'd and cleans'd from Sin O! then it s his good will to dwell Therein That he may lead and guide the Soul Aright And then to walk therein he takes Delight So that I say it is a blessed State To wait on him that did their Souls Create To feel him working in his mighty Power Resisting Satan in the tempting Hour For all that wait on him feel his Protection And in the stilness feel him give Direction Reproving and Chastizing all that 's nought Not in Deeds only but in Words and Thought And such are those he seeks to worship Him That do not yield to any thing that 's Sin But when the Tempter comes them for to Try Unto the blessed Spirit still they Fly For he 's a Tower a Shield a Fence to Those That wait still in his Spirit to Oppose The Eneny which as a Roa●●●g Lion Would those devour that tra●●●● towards Sion So if the Watch be kept they cannot Stray Nor to the Tempter will they be a Prey But if the Watch be down Temptations Com And by the Tempter they are Over-run W. S. 3d Moneth 1675. To the Sinner REnew thy Grief O man renew thy Care Lift up thy Voice aloud and do not spare For to bewail thy precious time Mispent O! cry and cease not O Lament Lament O! let the Eccho of thy Voice Rebound And let the Nations with thy Mourning Sound For sad's thy state and miserable Wo Doth thee attend although thou dost not Know How suddenly it hastens on thy Head Thy Heart being har●ned and thy dull Mind fed With airy Vanities and lustful Pleasures Such fading F●ncies are thy only Treasures Therefore Repent whilst thou hast yet a Day For it is ready to be past Away W. S. Contemplation O How delectable is Contemplation It far surpasseth all vain Recreation It s more delightsome far than all vain Toys And far excelleth all base worldly Joys For here the Soul doth true Contentment Find Here here alone 's true Solace to the Mind Although it feel the Judgment poured Down Yet in the same there is a sight of th' Crown That those enjoy that persevere to th' End They in the Judgment feel the Vail to Rend And th' Understanding so to open Clear Where God's great Mysteries to them Appear For he doth purifie and doth make Clean His Children dear and in his Way doth Train Them in that Path which pleasant is to Him Whose Bodies are his Temples cleans'd from Sin It s those who by true Contemplation Find Retiring in wardly a Stay to th' Mind W. S. SHall Life or Death things present or to Come Again intangle again Overcome Religious Persons who are Sojourning After Cannan's Land and Travelling Heaven-wards Or shall any fading Joy Grasp so the Mind as it should not Rely And fixed be on Christ their Strength and Stay No no for he 's the true and living Way Darkness and Death subdued are by Him Youth 's here depending overcome their Sin Ever blessed are they who in Christ Abide They happy are and rest Unterrify'd W. S. 1677. Loss of Time VVHat bitter Lamentation shall I Make Or what Bewailing Speeches shall I Take Now to deplore my Time I have Mispent O Dear Heart why O! why was I Content Thus thus to let it slip and slide Away Not truly it regarding day by Day O! how am I ensnared in Vanity And plunged deep into Iniquity For want of keeping up a daily Watch The Enemy away my Mind doth Snatch Hurrying it into Terrestrial Things Which Anguish Sorrow Grief and Trouble Brings But as the Watch is kept O! I feel Power Which doth preserve me in the Tempting Hour Great God of Heaven and Earth keep thou my Watch And then no Hurt unto my Soul can Reach O! thou Preserver of a panting Soul To thee