Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n
Text snippets containing the quad
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A80724
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A general-epistle to the Christian churches. To be spread abroad amongst all professing Christianity; for a vvarning to same, and an incouragement to others.
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Cox, John.
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1683
(1683)
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Wing C6701C; ESTC R171576
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5,990
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9
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way of Corah Dathan and Abiram that resist the Truth and lay occasions of stumbling and Offences before the Weak causing the Offence of the Cross to cease ye that render Reviling for Reviling ye despiteful venemous Bespatterers of one another to the Shame and Scorn of the World You manifest what generation you are of you Intruders that have not the Wedding Garment on but the Rags of Self-conceitedness and swelling Thoughts and abounding of your own naughty unmortified Wisdom carnal sensual and devilish the Lord is a swift Witness against you all you Renters and Sowers of Discord Whisperers Tale-bearers and Baeckbiters Disturbers of Societies Families Nations Kingdoms Princes and People the Lord will root you out and take away your false Covering of pretended Religion and you shall be a hissing to all People But all that love the Lord and all that seek his Face and love his Appearance and that nothing whatever the pretence be can content or cause you to take up a Rest short of the Lords comfortable inwardly refreshing Soul-satisfying Presence who only speaks Peace to his People that they turn not again to Folly Oh! dear Brethren those words of the Messiah are often as an Alarm sounded in my Ears When the Son of Man comes shall he find Faith upon the Earth I tell you Nay Oh! how much talk to little purpose How much Profession and how little Faith in the World Therefore awake to Righteousness all you that sleep that Christ may give you Life and be not slothful and negligent saying in heart The Lord delays his coming and a heart of Unbelief enter you take heed of a Spirit of Sleep and Slumber or of easiness to joyn and comply with the Spirit of this World through Discontentedness Oh! whether can you go Have you not heard him to speak to your Souls whil'st your hearts melted within you at his Love and Glory that has the words of Eternal Life therefore draw near to the Lord and he will come that shall come and will not tarry yet a little while and Satan shall be trodden under foot Be not dismay'd these things happening are not Temptations otherwise than what in some respect have come for a Tryal amongst all God's People as ye may read in Christ's words which warned his Disciples against those that cry Lo here and Lo there bidding his not to go forth and the Apostles in their Epistles speaking of Intruders and as there were False Prophets amongst the Jewish-Church so should there be False Teachers amongst them which unawares should bring in damnable Doctrine denying the Lord that bought them Now this was spoken of those that erring from the Spirit the Comforter and Leader into all Truth should set up the Form of Godliness denying the Power And here hath been the Apostacy amongst the JEWS and CHRISTIANS the one and the other falling to Idolatry under a Pretence of God's Worship and owning Christ but denying the Sufficiency of his Spiritual and Inward Government have set up their own Inventions and Commandments and then have imposed Conformity and Uniformity thereunto then there hath been produced amongst all such People Strife Hatred Scorn Wrath Malice Revenge Fury Disdain c. and who got the Carnal Weapon Bodily Persecution over all the rest And thus the Mystery Babylon the Mother of Harlots and abomination of the whole Earth has wrought and High and Low Rich and Poor have been made drunk and quarrelsome with the Cup of her Fornications as Satan transformed and intruding amongst the Sons of God in his transformed unreforming Ministers hath exalted himself in the Temple of God over all that may be called God pretending to give Rules and Laws to the People in Spiritual Things how to walk and then his Kingdom in the Mistery in Pride Lordliness and Flattery Presumptuousness High-mindedness c. hath again gone forward therefore where-ever this shall be it is naught and the time of its stately Reign is drawing near unto an end for the Lord of the Vineyard will come himself and will gather his into the Divine Unity which all the Righteous in all Ages have waited for and in Faith see it afar off and rested in hope together with us to be made intire compleat and perfected in him who is the Resurrection and Life Eternal But Oh! you distressed and not forsaken you afflicted but never forgotten of the Lord you Children of Zion for whom the Lord is on his way you that have no helper in the Earth but for your Testimony-sake to the Lord are set as Butts to shoot at by the Proud and haughty of the Earth Ah! the Lord will espouse you in Righteousness and everlasting Loving Kindness to himself Be not dismay'd the day of your Redemption draws near lift up your heads and rejoyce for all tears shall be wiped away from your Eyes They that touch you touch the Apple of the Lord's Eye for which he will rebuke Nations and distress many People keep on your way in which the Lord hath called and led you by his Grace and Spirit to walk in love the Simplicity of the Gospel love one another unfeignedly bridle the tongue condiscend to them of low degree serve one another in love and without upbraiding have Salt in your selves to savour withal for great is the Mystery of Vngodliness but it has been well with the Upright in heart in all Ages and Generations when the Wise and Crafty have been taken in their own Snare The Wisdom of Men savours not the things of God and this intruding and getting place having Men's Persons in Admiration have bred disturbance and wise men so called have made work with opposition of Science falsly so called one against another troubling the Peace of the Lord's People and ought to be avoided and shun'd for it hath stumbled the weak Therefore eye the Lord and hold the Unity in the Spirit which Spirit of Truth is the bond of Perfection And all keep out of the ways of the World the Rock of our Salvation is the same which will not permit any of us to be tryed if we do abide in his Counsel further than what we he assisting shall be able to bear and all our troubles shall turn to our Good the Lord will turn the Wrath of Man to our Good Therefore hold fast what you have received of the Lord and let a Spirit of Mercy and Tenderness compass you about and of such as fall have Compassion making a difference for some are betrayed as a Bird in the snare of the Fowler unto whom the Lords tender Bowels are open and he will never forget the Love of their Youth but will pluck them as brands out of the Fire But that which is naught is naught and Flattery will not cover it for all it can turn and face about as the Camellon Ah! the Lord will gather the bruised and the Out casts of Israel Oh! my heart is glad I could shout for Joy in a sense of the Messiah entring upon his being proclaimed into Jerusalem though this was not known to the Wise of the Jewish-Church their eyes were for our good held Oh! what a day of gladness to all that wait for Salvation is a coming a day without Clouds to them that mourn now and have been afflicted for Righteousness sake with a day of unutterable and endless Rejoycing but to the World of Woe that for lying Vanities neglect so great Salvation c. Rejoyce O Daughter of Zion behold thy King cometh unto thee meek and sitting upon an Ass and a Colt the Foal of Ass So all look to him of whom the Brazen Serpent in the Wilderness was a Figure for the People having sinned and being bitten by Scorpions and dying of the wounds they were in great Fear and Distress and the Lord commanded Moses for he did only the Lord's Will to set the Serpent made in Brass upon a Pole on high that so all the whole Congregation of Israel might behold it And so it was that whosoever was bitten looking upon the brazen Serpent was immediately healed and dyed not so was Christ lifted up on a Tree or Cross and as Moses lift up the Serpent in the Wilderness Christ being thus lifted up will draw all men after him and whosoever looks upon him and believes in him they are cleansed and healed and delivered from the Old Serpent the Devil and all his Baits and Wildes can in no wise pluck them out of his hands that by his Light Spirit and Grace do believe in him they have Life Eternal through Faith in his Name and knows him in Spiritual Things now to rule over them and acknowledge him Law-giver unto them that brings them out of all Strife Wars Divisions and Sidings or making Parties in this World loving and seeking the good the present and eternal Welfare of all men from the King on the Throne to the poorest Person in his Kingdoms bearing Testimony in Practice and in Doctrine against all that shall do otherwise knowing the Earth is the Lord's and that by him Kings do reign Therefore let all approve themselves to the Lord and that of God in the Consciences of all men that we pass the time as Sojourners here in fear knowing that here we have no continuing City but that we seek one eternal in the Heavens whose Builder and Maker is God And that having a High Priest that is holy and harmless to make intercession for us a Prophet that continually by his Spirit teacheth us and a Spiritual King to reign in our Hearts and Consciences Let all take him for their Example who did not come to do his own Will but the Will of his Father that sent him unto whom the Father hath given all Power in Heaven and in Earth and hath said to all in the voice from the excellent Glory from the holy Mountain This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased hear ye him Little Children keep your selves from IDOLS Amen Written the 6th of the 7th Month 1683.