Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	believe_v	faith_n	heart_n	7,913	5	5.2011	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A54065	Some things of great weight and concernment to all briefly opened, and held forth from a true sense and understanding, for the healing of the ruines and breaches, which the enemy of mankind hath made in mans souls, as 1. Some assertions concerning the principle and way of life, 2. Some further directions to Christ, the principle and fountain of life, 3. The end of Christ's manifestation, His Salvation, and whom He saves, 4. Three questions answered concerning justification, 5. Of the pure, constant, eternal, unchangeable nature of God's Truth / written in the time of my confinement in Alisbury when love was working in me, and the life of God in me travelling and wrestling with the Lord for the salvation of others, Isaac Penington.	Penington, Isaac, 1616-1679.	1667 (1667)	Wing P1204; ESTC R14964	13,989	22

doth not rightly hope and without the true Knowledg the right Faith and Hope how can any man be saved Therefore awake awake O weary thirsty souls Come to the spring of Life come to the living Waters Become little that ye may learn of Christ wait to have your eyes anointed that ye may see him and your hearts opened that ye may know and receive him O wait for the manifestation of this Seed in you be abased before him joyn to him receive his checks receive mourning and repentance from him wait for the Light and Faith that he gives and the Power that issues from his Throne and ye shall find him the bruiser of the Serpent head which none else is able to do and the breaker of the bond of Iniquity which keeps down the Just and lets the Unjust at liberty till he dissolve it And this is sufficient to manifest against all the disputes of the mind that this is He and no other by his doing that which none else can do This demonstration he gave to the Jews in flesh in his appearance in flesh and this demonstration he giveth now to the Jews in Spirit in his appearance in Spirit whereby he satisfieth their hearts and putteth them out of doubt that it is he And we must profess to the world as our hearts are drawn and guided by the Lord to give forth the testimony we have received of him that we look not yea we cannot look for another Whom should we look for besides the Lamb besides the Word which was in the beginning besides him who is one with the Father and hath the Eternal Life Wisdom Righteousness and Power of the Father and manifesteth it in us We look for indeed more of the same and the more universal and powerful breaking of it forth but another thing another Christ another Life Spirit Power c. we cannot look for And this we further testifie that whoever receives this Testimony in the truth and uprightness of his heart waiting on that which discovers sin to him and in simplicity joyning and giving up thereto and walking with him in forsaking the evil and cleaving to the good in the faith of him and of his power he shall witness the same thing with us and all the reasonings imaginations and strong holds of his mind shall be battered down and come to nothing before the vertue power and life of him who thus is pleased to appear and manifest himself after the Apostacy even as he did before even in an inward Principle an inward Seed an inward Light an inward Life an inward Word an inward Power And Friends and People mark in your minds and learn to put a right difference betwen that which stumbles you and that which draws and convinces you What makes any of you own Truth at any time is it not an inward lively powerful touch and demonstration of Gods Spirit what makes you afterwards doubt and question is it not another thing of a different nature from this is it not a subtil reasoning whereby the enemy twines into your spirits and begets first a doubt concerning then a prejudice and at last a great strength against that which before ye had some sence of and some unity with in the teachings and quickenings of the Spirit of the Lord. And what spirit is it in you that thus worketh in your minds and whither doth he lead you by these workings and subtile reasonings Oh that ye might see Oh that ye might feel the snare and know with us the Preserver there-from for we have met with much of this and had we not been helped by the Lord and given up to him we had been entangled to this very day as ye are And he that hath helped us waits to be gracious to you and O that you would not reject his help that he might deliver you also that ye also might bless his Name in feeling the benefit and joy of his preservation And this is written in true bowels and tender yearning love that ye might be a little stirred up to wait to know the Fathers house and might feed on the bread which abounds therein and drink of the waters which makes fresh and living to God and be clothed with the raiment which the Master of the family gives to his Spouse Children and Servants The end of Christs Manifestation his Salvation and whom he saves CHRIST came and is manifested in the hearts of those that receive him to destroy the works of the Devil and to set the soul free from sin and whom he maketh free are free indeed Is the Liberty which the Son giveth inferiour in this Life in its kind to the captivity and bondage of the Enemy in its kind Which of them is stronger the Enemy to enthrall or the Lord Jesus Christ to set free from his Thraldom Yes the Lord Jesus Christ the Captain of our Salvation the mighty Saviour who is more able to save than the Enemy to destroy delivereth his Israel out of the hands of their Enemies and so mightily and powerfully delivereth them that they are able in the power of his Might to serve him without fear of them any more in holiness and righteousness before him all the dayes of their life It is true there is a state of darkness sin and death wherein Satan reigns and there is a state of weakness wherein Satan much prevails if the watch be not strictly kept to him who is the everlasting strength and there is a state of fighting and groaning under the body of sin and death and crying out who shall deliver from it But there is also a state of growth in the Life and of Victory through the Life over that which captiv'd and caused to cry out There is a treading down of Satan under the feet by the God of Peace insomuch as not only the Elders but the very young-men in Christ overcome and triumph over him feeling the enterance ministred to them abundantly into the everlasting Kingdom into which no unclean thing can enter Oh! wonderful is the travel to the holy Rest of the pure Life Happy are they that meet with the true Leader and faithfully follow him till they have travelled through and overcome all that stands in their way for to them and to them alone is the promise of the possession of the everlasting Inheritance and such find and feel the Lord to be their God indeed and themselves to be his Children brought forth in his holy Life and Nature which to feel in truth and certain knowledge is more than tongue can utter Christ saves only those that come unto him and believe in him and so are born of his Spirit by the faith and through the strength and vertue of his Spirit overcome the wicked one his works snares and temptations in their hearts And these feel in themselves the Root of his Life the holy Seed of his Kingdom springing up in them into which they are ingrafted and become one with

SOME THINGS of GREAT WEIGHT and Concernment to All Briefly opened and held forth from a true sense and understanding for the healing of the Ruines and Breaches which the Enemy of Mankind hath made in Mens souls AS 1. Some Assertions concerning the Principle and Way of Life 2. Some further Directions to CHRIST the Principle and Fountain of Life 3. The End of Christ's Manifestation his Salvation and whom he saves 4. Three Questions answered concerning Justification 5. Of the pure constant eternal unchangeable Nature of God's Truth Written in the time of my Confinement in Alisbury when Love was working in me and the Life of God in me travelling and wrestling with the Lord for the Salvation of others ISAAC PENINGTON London Printed in the Year 1667. Some Assertions concerning the Principle and Way of Life THat it is a great and hard matter to come into a capacity of knowing and receiving the Truth It is no hard matter to take up any Religion that a man finds in the World To reade Scriptures to believe what a man finds related there according to his understanding of them yea to believe that he hath the Light and help of the Spirit in his reading and understanding to apply himself also to practise and observe what he finds therein required and to aime at Holiness c. This is no hard matter every man that is serious and seeks religion of any kind but in the weight of a mans spirit may go thus far But all this administers not the true capacity but he that meets with it must go further then thus 2. That which gives the true capacity is a Principle of Life from God and there alone and no where else can man meet with it and receive it This principle is the Seed of the Kingdom or Heavenly Leaven with which the mind must be in some measure leavened ere it can come into a true capacity of understanding and receiveing the truth And in this Leaven must it abide and grow up if it abide and grow in the true knowledg c. 3. That from this principle and in this principle not only the true Light and Knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ and all Spiritual things is given and received but also the true Faith the true Love the true Sanctification the true Justification the true Peace the true Joy c. And what of these is not received and held here is not of the Truth but a garment of mens own forming and not the covering of the Spirit 4. That the Spirit himself sows this principle and is received in this principle And he that receives this principle and is born of this principle receives and is born of the Spirit and he that receives it not nor is born of it neither hath received nor is born of the Spirit but is but in the imagination and self-conceit about the things of God but is not in the truth as it is in Jesus 5. That in this Principle the new Covenant is made with the soul and entred into and he that receives this principle from the hand of God receives Life and enters into the Covenant of Life and feels the pure fear wherein God cleanseth the heart and whereby he keeps the heart clean and feels the Laws of God daily writing there by the finger of Gods Spirit and feels the power and sence of the Spirit to teach and cause obedience so that the yoke which is hard to the transgressing nature alienated from the Life and Power is easy and as I may say natural to him that is born of this nature For being dead with Christ and risen with Christ and changed into the nature of Christ by the principle which is of him through the Power and Spirit of Christ which worketh therein he can say as Christ did when the Lord cals him to any thing Loe I come t is my meat and drink yea my great delight to do thy will O God yea thy Law is written in the midst of my bowels 6. Among those who are gathered into this Principle and abide in the Sence Light and Life of this Principle there is great love and unity They are of one mind of one heart of one soul of one spirit of one life gathered into one demonstration of truth and there is no jarriug no doubting no dissenting c. All this is out in the world in the earthly wisdom in the earthly professions and walkings but it is excluded the Principle of Truth and them that are gathered into and abide therin 7. That all that are not gathered into nor walk nor live in this Principle they are yet in the darkness and error from the pure power of God and stand and walk in slippery places and though their way may seem very right and their estate and condition sure as to God-wards in their own eyes and judgment yet is not really so but they are but in a dream concerning the Truth not in the Truth it self which how strange soever it may seem to them at present to be affirmed concerning them yet they shall certainly feel to be so when the Lord by his powerful voice and bright appearance of his Spirit awaketh them For many things go for truth now with men in the dark which will vanish like smoak before the light of the day and then that only which is Truth indeed shall have the glory and praise of being accounted so and then what will become of those who have mistook about Truth and are not clothed with the pure Wedding-Garment the spotless life and righteousness of the Son but only with that which they have accounted so 8. That to those that see in the light of this Principle the Mountain of the Lords house is discovered and those that abide and grow up therein they know and experience it established above all Mountains and exalted abve all Hils all earthly Knowledg earthly Religions earthly Ways earthly Worships earthly Spirits and Minds c. in their greatest exaltations and glory being far beneath it And here the feast of fat things and Wines on the lees well refined even the fruit of the Vine which gladdeth and refresheth the very heart of God is fed and partaked of by those that dwel here For the Father and the Son and the Spirit is here revealed in the holy House and Tabernacles which are built here and here they make their feast bringing forth the riches of their Nature Spirit and pretious Life on which they feed with the soul and give unto the soul favour and ability to feed with them in which food there is the life strength righteousness and joy of the Kingdome given forth and received 9. That in the heart which discovers iniquity reproveth it witnesseth against it striveth with the mind to turn it from it and to wait for life and power from on high that is this very principle In that is the Divine Nature even the nature of Gods Spirit which was always

against sin and ever will so be and in all its appearances testifieth against it and in love to the creature striveth with the creature to convince it of that in it which is contrary to God and to draw it to that strength and divine vertue which stoppeth it beateth it back and worketh it out of the mind and nature of the creature as it can get entrance and is harkned and subjected to For there is no Salvation but by the Cross and Yoke of our Lord Jesus Christ for in that is the power to crucifie the affections and lusts which lead into sin and death and will not cease to tempt and lead aside till the soul be gathered into unity with that and become subject to that which is contrary to them So that this is the main thing in Religion even to know Christ revealed in the soul as a Standard against corruption and to be gathered under his Banner which is the Cross or that living Principle in the heart which resisteth the corrupt principle and he that is gathered hither and continueth faithfully fighting here shall receive mercy help and strength from on high in every time of need 10. That the true and certain way of knowledg of the things of God is in the faith and obedience of this Principle It is not by reasoning considering things in the mind after the māner of men that a man comes to know spiritual things but they are spiritually revealed by God after a spiritual manner to the Believer to the Obeyer and they are revealed to him in his believing in his obeying in his waiting in his holy fearing in his distrusting of himself and feeling his own insufficiency either to attain them or retain them but as the Lord God makes them manifest in him and preserves him in the sense of them He that doth my Will shall know of my Doctrine saith Christ This is the way Wouldst thou know what God requires of thee what this or that is which appears in this or that sort as Truth whether it be so or no Mind this Principle in thee mind the pure the holy Light inward touches and leadings of this pure Divine Principle that will make manifest to thee whatever is fit for thee in thy present state to know and thou art not to desire more but as a child to rest contented with that proportion of knowledge and strength which the wise and tender Father judgeth fit for thee and as thy state groweth capable of more he will not fail to administer to thee And what he giveth thee is good seasonable and proper for thee which thou mayest safely feed upon and enjoy in the sense and fear of him But if thou press after what he would not as yet have thee know thou entrest into the will and wisdom of the flesh and there are the disputes discontents murmurings and ill tempers and dispositions of the mind which there will increase and grow upon thee to thy hurt 11. That the mind that is gathered here will find great opposition both within and without insomuch as he shall not easily pass from out of the kingdom of darkness into the Kingdom of the dear Son but through many tryals temptations oppositions and dangers many wayes for turning the back on the kingdom of darkness by joyning to the Principle of Life in hearkning and subjecting to the light thereof hereupon the powers of darkness both within and without bestir themselves to hinder the souls progress and to bring it back again into subjection under the will and wisdom of the flesh O how doth the will and wisdom strive within in a mans own bosome What risings of the Impure are felt against the Pure What secret and subtil reasonings to ensnare and entangle the mind and if they cannot draw the soul back from the Lord and the Living-Path then they strive to vex afflict and torment it There is none knows what is felt inwardly by the followers of the Lamb but those that travel with him in the Living-Path they are often sensible of what they meet with in their travels and how hard it is to abide in the path of Salvation insomuch as they understand the truth of that saying If the Righteous scarcely be saved It is scarcely indeed so subtile so strong such a many holds so many stratagems hath the subtile twining crooked piercing Leviathan to ensnare perplex over-run and entangle them with And then outwardly the same flesh the same earthly spirit and wisdom the same crooked hellish will is striving in men without also to bear down and subject the pure Principle in them who are born of God to their devices and institutions decrees wayes customs c. which are of the will and wisdom of the flesh So that as the Apostle said through much tribulation is the entrance of the soul into the heavenly Kingdom and there is no avoiding the many tribulations but by turning aside out of the way which though thereby the flesh get ease for a time it will be to the greater loss and sorrow in the end For the spirit of the world the wisdom of the world the nature religion worship and whole course of the world is contrary to the way of the pure Wisdom and Spirit of God and useth it as its enemy where ever it findeth it and they that will not bow to the spirit wisdom and way of the world must feel the force of its beastly claws For is it not a beastly thing even far beneath the nature of a man to persecute that which is good to hurt reproach and pursue the innocent life of the Lamb and yet this is that which the spirit of the world which is not of God but wise and seemingly just and righteous in another wisdom nature and principle always hath done still doth and will do to the end 12. That there is a glorious Crown prepared for all those who are gathered to the Lamb in this Principle and abide with him faithfull therein to the end hearing his Voice believing the demonstration of his Spirit obeying him in all his motions and requirings undergoing every yoke which is appointed by him to yoke down the fleshly nature and mind and taking up every Crosse of every kind in meekness patience and fear And there is not only a Crown laid up for them at last but the Power of the Lord God is nigh unto them to work all in them to bear them up through and over all and to keep them to and in that Principle whereby and whereinto his tender Mercy and powerful Arm gathered them For as the Power of the Lord began the work for there could never any heart be gathered from under the power of darkness to the Light which leads out of it but by the Power of the Lord for the powers of darkness stand between and would hold and keep their own did not a greater Power appear and put forth it self for the soul against them I say as

the Power of the Lord began the work so the same Power alone is able to go on with it and perfect it and it will go with it and perfect it upon the same terms it began and no other How were the terms at first but on a giving up of the soul in the faith to the Lord in the sense of his love and goodness and mercy touching and drawing and making willing And how is the standing but in the same giving up still in abiding with the Lord in hearkning to the voice of the Lord in waiting for the wisdom and counsel of the Lord But if any man draw back from this if he despise the Spirit and his motions and counsels and hearken to the voice of a contrary spirit believing and following it like the Angels that fell he departeth from his place and habitation which he had in the drawings life and power of God and is not to God what he was before nor is God to him what he was before but the Lord who loved him before and delighted in him to do him good hath now no pleasure in him he being turned from that which the Lord loveth and in which he hath determined and appointed to chuse love and own the children of men who as they are gathered thither are his children as they are gathered from thence into a contrary principle are the children of the wicked one And now what is of man in all this where is the man that can boast before the Lord who is thus saved He hath all from a Principle yea he is gathered into preserved in and abideth in this Principle by the Power goodness and mercy of the Lord. The Power begins the work in him the Power accompanies him the Power carries him through or he falls and miscarries There is no man can stand any longer here than he submits to and is upheld by the Power nor act nor suffer but as the Power acts in him and helps him to suffer Let the man that boasteth bring forth somewhat of his own if he can here Is the will at any time his own Doth not he that is spiritual and in the true sence always finde God to work in him to will when ever he willeth rightly and holily and if he cannot will of himself can he do any thing of himself can he beleive of himself pray of himself wait of himself resist enemies and temptations of himself nay so much as give a look to the Lord at any time of himself Indeed in the grace of the Lord and principle of his Life there is sufficiency and therein he that is joyned to the Lord and become one Spirit with him what can he not do here but that is as he is new-made in Christ and as Christ ariseth lives and acts in him which he that is in the true sence and feeling will still acknowledg not only in his words to men but in his heart and spirit before the Lord. Some further directions to Christ the Principle and Fountain of Life by way of Question and Answer Quest 1. VVHat is CHRIST Answ He is the Word of Eternal Life who is appointed of the Father to give life and who giveth life to them that receive him and obey his Gospel He is the Son of God the Wisdom of God the Power of God the Righteousness of God the Saviour and Salvation of God The peace the rest the joy the life of the soul The King the Priest the Prophet the Shepherd of the sheep The Way the Truth the Door the Vine the Olive-tree into which the living are gathered and engrafted And he is also an Hammer an Ax a Sword a Fire to the corrupt tree and fruit Quest 2. How is Christ known received and obeyed Ans As a seed as the seed of Life as the seed of the Kingdom as a Leaven as Salt as a little smal thing rising up in the heart against all that is great mighty As a branch out of a dry ground as a little child to lead which all the wisdom of man and flesh cannot but despise and therefore that must first be brought down in some measure in the heart before Christ can be owned in the heart and subiected to Quest 3. How is this Seed received Answ By feeling its vertues manifestations and operations in the heart and subjecting thereto Quest 4. What are its vertues manifestations and operations Answ They are all living and have all living and powerful effects upon the heart as they are let in They are all against darkness sin and death tending to discover it to turn the mind from it to lead out of the captivity power and reach of it and they are also all for God tending to prepare the heart for him and to bring it into union and covenant with him Quest 5. What is the first operation of the seed to the soul wherein it is to be waited for and closed with that the soul may come into the farther sence and feeling of it Answ It is according to the state of the soul which being in darkness sin and death it appears as a light to discover the darkness sin and death and to lead out of it to the redeeming power And then to them that thus receive it and wait upon it in the fear and humility which it gives and begets it appears as life quickning the soul and as power enabling it in some measure to live to God and to walk with him in the way to the Kingdom Quest 6. How comes this way to be hid from some that desire after the Lord and to know his Truth as it is in Jesus Answ From the subtilty of the enemy who blinds the eye which alone can see and stops the ear which alone can hear and hardens the heart which alone can understand and hath devices snares and baits and falle reasonings from Scriptures and from Experiences which any one that hearkens unto and is entangled and ensnared in is his captive and cannot be at liberty to see or know or embrace the Truth as it is but his heart is deceived about it and filled with prejudices against it Therefore such should wait for the true Circumcision that they might hearken to the Lord come out of the enemies snares and subtil devices and live 〈…〉 Isa 55. 1 2 3. Quest 7. But may not these be saved notwithstanding Ans There is no Salvation but in and by Christ Jesus and the Salvation is not to them that received a bite notion of him under the Law or another empty notion under the Profession of the Gospel but only to them that receive him as he was promised as the Holy Seed for in that alone is the Redemption freedom from sin and power of life felt and no where else So that he that hath not this knowledge of him hath not the true knowledg nor he that doth not so beleive in him doth not rightly beleive nor he that doth not so hope in him