Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n
Text snippets containing the quad
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A62057
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A testimony for the Lord by John Swinton.
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Swinton, John, 1621?-1679.
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1663
(1663)
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Wing S6287; ESTC R6468
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3,405
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8
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A TESTIMONY FOR THE LORD BY John Swinton To all the World to whom these shall come Greeting KNow ye that the despised contemned reproached People called Quakers are of God and that the whole World lies in wickedness that are not in Union with that which is their Life the one thing necessary to be contended for minded heeded loved obeyed followed submitted to known acknowledged even the Kingdom of God the Spirit the Light within the measure of the Manifestation given to profit withal what is to be Known of God so as to be retained In whom the fear and love of the living God as he is known a God near at hand his righteousness brought near is uppermost in their inward parts exercising a Conscience according to their measure free and void of offence towards God and man in all things even in those things wherein the exactest observer from without cannot charge them and so are sincere streight simple and single in the spirits of their minds they being in Union with the Spirit of Truth it leads them into all Truth and the love of true things Now Friends who ever are in Union with the Spirit in whom the Life of God is in a measure in the dominion and according to the measure of the manifestation of it are simple and faithful to what they know the fear of the living God that maketh the heart clean having in a measure taken place in them We have a bosom for such though the day be not so far opened in them as clearly to give them the understanding of all things that in due time they may come to know as the night from the day shall come to a clear separation in them out of the mixture Men from Trees Friends from Enemies at home and abroad And though such know not clearly what to attribute their strength to their standing that whereunto they have attained and so may be ready to give away their strength not distinctly knowing the hand that leadeth feedeth preserveth and so may be ready to give the glory to another in words thorow tâ—â— darkness and confusion not yet dispelled Yet notwithstanding who are in the Spirit of discerning in the feeling Life and know Subjection thereto feeling the simplicity at bottom the Seed that breaths towards the living God that groans to be delivered from all yoaks and bonds For such I say they can have a bosom a tenderness and are to be exercised in much patience love and forbearance even though such as through the weakness that may lie near and the prejudices that the enemy there-thorow may have gotten an entrance by cannot own the Quakers their Practises and Principles nor that one Principle which is indeed their All The Light within As they in the mixture thorow the darkness still in them do understand them or it For this know all of you that the Quakers Life is not in Forms nor Words nor Practises nor Notions nor Comprehensions nor Attainments abstracted from out from the Spirit the Light the Life the Substance the eternal living Word which is indeed their All and the Sum of their Religion without which they are nothing but ready to dye and faint and wither the Power Presence and Dominion of the living God in them being the Sum of all And though they be found in Forms in Words in Actions in Notions as they may be accounted in Comprehensions in Attainments They deny they disown all such as the Life the Power is not the Original of in opening and leading into and preserving therein so as they are to die to all these things The Life the Power to come over all and these to be no otherwayes minded owned stood in but in the leadings of the Life and in obedience thereunto so that all these things or any of them in a way of imitation entred into out of the Life is disowned or though entred into in a measure of the simplicity and leadings of the Power yet the mind falling short of the Mark the Substance found in the Form in the exactest Form of sound Words and Practises out from the Power erred therefrom is disowned by that People So that though they can own these things in their place and the testimony thereof being that of the day in which the leadings of the innocent Life the Children of the Family are led in cross to the Wisdom and Spirit of this World that doth and shall come to nought yet their Union can onely be with them as they are found in Union with the Life that in the Power and Dominion in them they holding fast the Head else nothing but a dead Carcass J. S. Friends Know the Day is dawned the Spirit is felt and witnessed that giveth a sound a certain a clear a thorow understanding of spirits of things that differ So that nothing can be hid in this day that is come and coming with power and great glory Oh! where will the Hypocrite hide his head and where may the Sinner appear Oh! the misery the anguish the desolation the sorrow of the mind in this day joyned glewed to Idols of Flesh or Spirit Blessed blessed are the sincere in heart for such are will be ready to give up the enemy to hide nothing Deliverance Preservation to be set Free and kept Free for ever being the Mark the Prize they aim at Ah! blessed is that People whose God the Lord is who dwell abide in the Light that maketh manifest and whose covering is in the presence from which nothing can be hid J. S. The Sum of the Quakers Religion is no more nor no less than this That there is no Salvation without being born again without the New Birth no entring into the Kingdom and who are so born are led by the Spirit So to know feel possess this Birth walk by this Rule only is the Sum of all Friends You who are looking abroad in this day to the Hills and the Mountains to cover you As also you that look for Changes and Revolutions Can ye be hid in this day Can ye be delivered while your Mallady your Disease that which diseaseth you lies wholly onely inward Can any thing cover you from the presence of the Lamb whom you have offended burdened pierced Can any thing relieve you from your Bonds your Oppressors but he whom you have oppressed and pierced Oh! that you could consider this in this your day that you might mourn bitterly and come under judgement that a covering you might know that is large is not too narrow and Victory Redemption Deliverance you might witness from all your Enemies to serve the Living God in the Newness of the Spirit without fear For while you are not in the Blessing that to which the Blessings belong what can coverings deliverances prove but a Snare a Curse to you plague you and seal up your judgement yet more And this know all of you and it is the Word of the Lord to all of you that look out in this day under what Form or Denomination soever you be That which looks out in you in this day is for the Fire and who ever thinks to be covered preserved delivered by any covering any arm but that of the Spirit and of the Lord onely that mind shall suffer loss they shall be filled with confusion and disappointment and death and wo and misery and desolation and anguish to such as shall tenatiously adhere thereon they shall be abundantly filled with the Fruit of their own way till they reel and stagger fall and never rise again and that which is shall be a covering a deliverance to the poor shall be their Curse their Torment their Vexation and Disappointment for ever This is the Word of the Lord God to all He that hath an ear to hear let him hear yea it is so whether you will hear or forbear Rejoyce ye Lambs ye little ones ye single-hearted whose Portion the Lord God is you know the Covering you witness the Deliverance you see the day of Gladness and Rejoycing The Valley of Achor for a door of Hope is given you you sing in the valley you see through the Clouds you are where none can annoy you Dear Loves keep you there for ever and look not out and dwell on the peace the Liberty the Freedom none can take from you J. S. A Lamentation a lamentation a lamentation in the Life over the Seed the oppressed Seed Oh oh how shall Jacob arise for he is small Oh! how shall Jacob arise for he is small and the Mountains and Hills are high and weighty and the Rubbish the rubbish the rubbish is great Put on put on thy strength O Arm of the Lord that the Mountains may flow down at thy presence and the little Hills may flock together and thy Mountain may arise stand over shew it self over all Verily verily verily it shall do so the Mouth of the Lord of Hosts hath spoken it I have heard it once often and again the whole the whole the whole earth shall not hinder it verily the whole earth shall not hinder it if any thing could though it may for a season let it should be the devisions of Reuben but nothing shall hinder the time the set time is come the rubbish the rubbish shall be removed the Glory shall arise flow down show it self over all and that which will not bow shall be broken with an everlasting perpetual breach the mouth of the Lord of Hosts hath spoken it yea verily he hath spoken it and will perform it in due time J. S. THE END