Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	body_n	reason_n	soul_n	9,368	5	5.4761	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A43115	The Quaker converted; or the experimental knowledg of Jesus Christ crucified, in opposition to the principles of the Quakers, declared in a narrative of the conversion of one in Hartfordshire, who was for some years of their faith and principle, and inclined unto them. The manner how he was wrought off from them by the Lord. And several dealings of Christ with his spirit afterwards. With some things annexed for detection of their errors and delusions, and prevention of the growth thereof. Written by himself in his own words and phrases. Likewise an epistle dedicatory by W. Haworth, minister of the gospel at Hartford.	Dimsdale, William.; Haworth, William.	1690 (1690)	Wing H1196A; ESTC R43046	28,241	35

bred some trouble in me yet all these things were retained in mine own Breast For I made known my Condition to no one because I would not be perswaded to do any thing but what I was fully perswaded of in my own Heart Now about the time of my being free from my Master Mr. Haworth's coming to Hartford was ordered to be and having heard of his boldness in what he did profess which the Quakers did commend him for I was desirous to hear him and through a Fellow-Servant of mine which had been there and told me the Passages the next day I went with him to hear but when I came away I concluded I had heard a strange Doctrine and in a strange manner it was preached I cannot call to mind what it was notwithstanding I went again having this in my thoughts all along that I would prove this way according as I had liberty from that Passage before-mentioned and to return to them which I did believe were the People of the Lord But I had some affection for his Preaching because he did open the Scriptures which I had a desire to know and he did preach often-times to convince of Sin and deliverance by Faith in Christ But I did apprehend that he did mean that Light within me which did reprove me for Sin only he did not speak in so plain a manner as the Quakers did but I thought he did it through Ignorance and was willing to bear with that for I had better thoughts of him than to preach a Doctrine that leadeth to looseness having that apprehension of the Doctrine of Christ making Satisfaction for all my Sins by his Death at Jerusalem But as I went on I had many ups and downs concerning him and my Heart was many times in one place and my Body in another and had many such reasonings as these in me saying What shall I stay any longer here When he spake that which my Spirit could not relish and here are but few in this Assembly that live as they ought to do And if there cometh a time of Persecution most of them will be dispersed But the Quakers they stand through all as the Apostles did therefore they are the People of the Lord. But on the other hand I had such reasonings as these Notwithstanding most of these are a loose and wanton People and a proud People which adorn their Bodies more than their Souls and may be Righteous if they will if they would but obey the Voice of the Lord which calleth to them in their inward Parts Though this is not a Rule for me to do as they yet I will follow that which reproveth me for Sin and I will see the bottom of their Ways that I may stand the more boldly against them in the time to come having liberty from the place forementionened to prove all things And he did preach many things which did agree with my Spirit Amongst the rest he fell upon these words Luke 3.16 He shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with Fire Which word Fire was a strange word to me but as he opened it it was plain to me that the Spirit did operate after the manner of Fire which is by Light and Heat which I shall speak a little of First As to Light The Spirit maketh known Sin when it cometh which was not seen before As the shining of the Sun through a Crack into a dark Room we may behold every small Dust within that compass so in this case it openeth dark Mysteries unto us And as to Heat as the Fire softeneth the hard Iron so doth the Spirit soften our hard Hearts and as it bringeth or changeth Iron into its own Image so doth the Spirit change us into its Image and as the Wood is consumed so doth it waste and consume our going on in Sin and in like manner to Purification with several others which things I much liked concluding I had experienced these things upon my own Spirit and concluded he did speak in a more plain way than he had done before From whence arose this reasoning in me when he spake things which I could not apprehend it may be it is through my Ignorance because I do not see that which he seeth though sometimes I was ready to set them down for false Doctrines And when I thought of going to the Quakers these things which I did not like among them kept me back having not ground in my self for to do them of which Silent-Meetings was the Chief putting off my Hat was another for when I met with one Friend or other if I saluted him with my Hat I knew not that I did offend God any more than if I did it not but yet I concluded That though I could not agree with them in all things yet I ought to be with them that would be faithful to the Lord and walk in his Commandments these with many more after trial of this way And as I went on I met with a Passage Ephes 5.4 Foolish talking and jesting And Mat. 12.36 Ye shall give an account for every idle Word and the Light in me assented to it that I ought not to do so And when I was reproved for it I was obedient and by Obedience was delivered from such Sins from whence I became of sew words And being lifted up in my Spirit to see round me how I should dispose of my self for the time to come that I might be delivered from the Snare of Sin then I beheld the Actions between Husband and Wife in Families which are Envy Strife Malice that if a Father corrected his Child the Mother was ready to be offended And there was scarce one in an hundred which lived as he ought therefore it was not good for me to be in that State I beheld the Actions between Man and Man in Trading and behold Cozening Cheating Defrauding one another and at the lowest many foolish idle Words and it was not good for me to be in their Condition Shall I continue as I am a Servant but what is here Discontent Masters will think Servants may do more than they do and blame them for that they cannot help and Anger will arise therefore it is not good for me to be here Then I brake out in my Spirit Would God it was my portion to live in a Cave of the Earth and to have society with no Man my Food to be the Fruit of the Hedges and the Fowls of the Air the wild Creatures of the Earth such as I could get my Drink the Water of the Brooks then should I be srce from all these things not that I was entangled with any at that time and I think as I was at that time I could be contented with that State I was in Not long after I had this Thought or Suggestion in me If it pleased God to take me out of the World at this very moment I have not one Sin to answer for And I queried with my self

The Quaker Converted OR The Experimental Knowledg of Jesus Christ Crucisied In opposition to the Principles of the Quakers declared In a Narrative of the Conversion of one in Hartfordshire who was for some Years of their Faith and Principle and inclined unto them The manner how he was wrought off from them by the Lord. And several dealings of Christ with his Spirit afterwards With some things annexed for detection of their Errors and Delusions and prevention of the growth thereof Written by Himself in his own Words and Phrases Likewise an Epistle Dedicatory by W. HAWORTH Minister of the Gospel at Hartford John 5.39 Search the Scriptures They are they which testify of me Mat. 24.24 For there shall arise false Christs and false Prophets and shew great Signs and Wonders insomuch that if it were possible they shall deceive the very Elect. John 4.22 Ye worship ye know not what we know what we worship for Salvation is of the Jews Acts. 2.30 Therefore David being a Prophet and knowing that God bad sworn with an Oath to him that of the Fruit of his Loins according to the Flesh he would raise up Christ to sit on his Throne 31. Spake of the Resurrection of Christ 30. Therefore let all the House of Israel know assuredly that God hath made that same Jesus whom ye have crucified both Lord and Christ Ch. 5.31 Him hath God exalted with his right Hand to be a Prince and a Saviour for to give Repentance to Israel and forgiveness of Sins John 15.26 When the Comforter is come be shall testify of me Ch. 16.14 He shall glorify me for be shall receive of mine and shall shew it unto you 1 Joh. 4.2 Hereby know ye the Spirit of God every Spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the Flesh is of God Heb. 9.28 Christ was once offered to bear the Sins of many Ch. 10. 12. This MAN after he had offered one Sacrifice for Sins for ever sat down on the right Hand of God Act 13.39 And by him all that believe are justified from all things from which ye could not be justified by the Law of Moses 〈◊〉 3.28 Therefore we conclude that a Man is justified by Faith without the Deeds of the Law Read likewise Rom. 10.4 Ch. 4.25 2 Cor. 5.21.1 Cor. 1.30 Act. 23.48 London Printed for J. Robinson at the Golden-Lion in Paul's Church-Yard 1690. The Epistle Dedicatory To the Church of Christ at Hartford Well-beloved in the Lord. IN this Relation which follows you may see some of the Quakers rotten Opinions You may remember how joyful we were when the Lord cast this Young-man unexpectedly amongst us how our hearts were refreshed in the speaking forth of these ensuing things And whereas we had mourned that some had gone out from our Meetings to them in this one instance the Lord hath abundantly made it up to us let Christ have the glory None of those that went out from us were properly of us had received the Gospel that we believe No it 's not possible for any to receive it truly and forsake it But this young Man was fully of their Way Spirit Faith and Principle as any may see by reading this little Book Though he made not such an open Profession as others of them yet went farther than most of them towards that which they call Perfection yea he was as Luther said of himself before his Conversion an honest Monk so an honest Quaker true to his perswasion I have thought it meet by the advice of my worthy Brethren in the Ministry to expose this Narrative to the open view although the meanness of the Person 's Education and the little time he hath had for proficiency in the knowledg of the Gospel might discourage in this matter on the one hand yet on the other hand the profit that we hope may be reaped through the Lord's Blessing by many especially at Hartford in the reading of it both as to the reducing some from them and preventing some staggering ones confirming also others in the Faith of the Gospel hath prevailed with me to print it And indeed Instances of this nature are so famous and rare VIZ. For any to be recovered from this Betwitching and this Instance none of the least that I could in Conscience do no other This withal being an experience that the Lord in rich Mercy gave him I hope will take the deeper impression upon the Minds of People For my own part I see such clear distinct sound Gospel knowledg in it that I dare say confidently it is no other than the Finger the eminent Finger of God upon his dear elect Child And the more remarkable is it in that be was a stranger to us all conversed with none of us most of these things were taught him alone in the reading of the Scriptures Flesh and Blood hath not revealed this to thee may we truly say but our Father which is in Heaven the Spirit of Wisdom and Revelation in the Mystery of the Father and the Son hath been upon him O that every one of you my dear Brethren and every one in Hartford had the knowledg of Christ thus distinctly formed in you till which thing be the Soul of him to whom Christ hath committed you as his charge shall travail in birth and be in pain Blessing the Lord that his poor Labours have not altogether been in vain as to this matter O that it might please Christ to direct my faithful Brethren in the Ministry in their respective places where they are cast in the Countreys to open and insist more on the great New-Testament fundamental Truths in the Blood of Christ My daily Prayer to Christ is that we all may he made able Ministers of the New-Testament We have but Law and Gospel to preach let us keep them distinctly in their places the Law for the knowledg and conviction of Sin yea of first evil Motions to be sin The Law is spiritual Rom. 7. and requires perfect and perpetual Obedience of every one that will be justified by it and admits of no Repentance at all in case of any failure Now the Law is weak through the flesh Rom. 8. Man is breaking it every moment by his crooked thoughts this would let a Man see his Sins to be mountanous and innumerable and so bring down every high thought and lay him low giving him to see the need of the Righteousness of another not being able to answer the requirements of the Law thus the Law is our Schoolmaster to Christ Then the Gospel the Balm of the Doctrine of the free Justification of a Sinner in the Blood of Christ for the Wound this Oile to be poured into the Gashes of Conscience how would it Heal Settle Confirm Comfort and the Soul thus finding a Saviour and Sweetness in Christ this would be as new Wine and be would soon discern all poisonous drinks Whoever bath tasted that the Lord is Gracious never takes up with the Quakers Christ

more diligence and pains in going up and down the dark Countries taking Examples from these Foxes who with unwearied travel compass Sea and Land spoiling the Vines that have tender Grapes many a young Lamb is torn by them My Brethren Let us be greatly encouraged in this Instance waiting upon the same Spirit in reducing others to the Faith in the same manner And let me engage you Night and Day to pray to Christ for the poor Town of Hartford which now for a long time hath a been a Nest of Error where Satan hath had his Seat that now having begun to fall he might fall as Lightning from Heaven It 's matter of Grief to us as you kuow that many in the Town that made a fair shew once have turned their Backs upon us and sunk into Formality discouraging of us all they can The Lord give them Repentance unto Life Others the same in Faith with us through Childishness make a Schism in smaller matters Controversial but most of all that these Seducers have caught so many simple Hearts in their Nets and keep them in perfect Popish Slavery and Bondage O let your Cry go up to Heaven for them some of his Elect peradventure may be among them My Bowels my Bowels for that dark divided Town of Hartford O cry and pray That as He hath now in Mercy built us a Tabernacle there the residue of the People might seek after the Lord and the Quakers be undeceived As for you my Brethren let me exhort you to stedsastness in the Faith you have received and yet more Zeal and Boldness for the Truth We have to do with a very impudent Enemy yet remember and believe it Stronger is he that is with us than those that are against us O let not those poor deluded Ones that have trod under-foot the Blood of Christ and so left themselves no more Sacrifice for Sin to trust unto let them not out-strip you in their Zeal they have but not according to knowledg And be you not afraid of them tho you be but a very little Flock and they swarm as Locusts about you As High as Heaven is above the Earth so far is that Spirit of the Faith of Jesus in you above the Spirit of Antichrist that is in them And yet a little while and Christ shall bruise Satan under your Feet Amen Hold on your way grow stronger and stronger quit your selves like Men walk in Wisdom and in Love keep the Unity of the Spirit abound yet more and more in all Judgment and Experience Jesus Christ is amongst us as we all can witness in his Institutions that are so much despised by this dark People He walketh among the Golden Candlesticks We see a Glory in a crucified Jesus though they see no Beauty or Comeliness in Him for which they should desire Him We eat his Flesh and drink his Blood He dwelleth in us and we in Him We have both Christ within and without we have both Word and Spirit and so we have the better of them that divide these Let us with one Shoulder carry on Christ's Interest in that place and Christ will add to us such as shall be saved and he will build us up and finish that good Work that He hath begun among us and he will throw all Babels down to the Ground and not leave one Stone upon another There begins to be a Confusion amongst them already wait a while Dagon will fall before the Ark. I testify from the Lord having tried this People many a time and in the Light of the Spirit of Christ to my utmost being willing to receive any Truth from any hand that the Quakers Spirit is A Spirit of Delusion and their Doctrine is Antichristian in diametrical opposition to the Doctrine delivered by the Apostles of Jesus Christ I testify in the Lord and I have with me herein the concurrence of many ten thousand faithful Ones in the Land That if ever Satan transform'd himself into an Angel of Light it is in this People coming forth with such a fair pretence of strict Mortisication and Self-denial speaking of Light Spirit and Power therefore let all rake head and beware of them O how dreadful to deny the Manhood of Christ the Holy Scriptures save only what they think serves their turns to be Saviours to themselves to say Christ came and died in vain and to no purpose c. which necessarily follows upon their Doctrine My Soul weeps in secret to remember what a dumpish dark sowr Pharisaical confused slavish Spirit we have found some in whom they have lately caught and yet withal infinitely proud and self conceited the Lord have Mercy upon them I now recommend these following Lines to you keep them by you as a Treasure they are rich Spoils obtained in a Spiritual Warfare and dedicated to you a Temple of the Lord. In this you have the Doctrines which I who am the least have been preaching to you taught me by the Holy Ghost through manifold Tossings Trials Temptations Desertions Sadnesses Buffettings wherewithal I have been exercised these Fifteen Years the Lord is my Witness And I am willing and ready through the Grace of Christ to seal them with my Blood against all Adversaries whatsoever It comforts me that I can say I have preached none other things than what is written by the Prophets and Apostles and how pleasant as here you see when the Spirit of Truth in one ecchoes to the Spirit it self in another It is the self-same Spirit that worketh these things in us and for us all 1 Cor. 12. In this you have 1. the Spirituality of the Law of God spoken of 2. Our Weakness to keep the Law 3. God's insinite Wisdom and Goodness to provide a Surety in our room 4. Christ's great Love in undertaking 5. Man's great blindness by Nature cannot see this of himself 6. His backwardness to receive this Righteousness till he be brought to utter distress as the Prodigal was 7. His proneness to be his own Saviour 8. God's distinguishing Love and Grace in enlightning his and revealing Truth to them by his Spirit drawing of them 9. The blessed Fruits of Faith viz. Peace and Joy and Love to Christ 10. The ineffectualness of any other thing but Faith on Christ to bring the Soul to rest 11. How the Light within every One and Obedience thereunto will not do it 12. You may see herein the benefit of reading the Holy Scriptures 13. You may see that the Doctrine of Free Grace is not a Doctrine tending to Licentiousness but Holiness 14. Yet it excludes all manner of Works in the point of Justification 15. Tho Compleatness of Justification viz. from all Sin These with more that might be enumerated And now I will boldly say The Gates of Hell Power and Policy thereof shall never prevail against these Truths Notwithstanding the rage and subtilty of Adversaries we will say Tho an Host encamp against the Church Isa 37.22 The Virgin Daughter

lingering Desires to Evil that dwelt in me which would have led me to Evil which Desires I could not be delivered from any manner of Way which was the Cause of my Grief and Sorrow some considerable time until the Lord opened mine Eyes and shewed me Salvation by a Person wholly without me which Person is Jesus Christ whose Righteousness being imputed unto me and accounted as mine own that Righteousness being every way compleat he having fulfilled the Law of God in every respect by submitting unto this and accepting of this as my own I had Peace of Conscience which no otherways I could attain to Now by the light which every Man hath saw I no Beauty in this But by a Light which every Man hath not did I see a Beauty in this From whence I may conclude what that Light which every Man hath is for every Man in Reason seeth not a Beauty in this Righteousness Quest Had I not Joy and Peace and Quietness in my Spirit when I was obedient to that Light in me which reproved me for Sin And doth not the Scripture say The Kingdom of God is Righteousness and Peace and Joy in the Holy Ghost Wherein do they differ then Answ I had a Joy and a Peace and a Comfort in both states But the Joy of the first was not so great as the Joy of the Second For as Israel was in Egypt under hard tasks Exod. 5. And so long as they fulfilled their Tasks doubtless they had Joy and Peace and Quiet which when they did not fulfil they were beaten But doubtless they had more Joy and Peace when they were brought into Canaan where the Tasks were not laid upon them So was it with me So long as I did obey that which did reprove me for Sin I had peace and quiet judging my Condition happy But I found a greater Joy and Peace when I saw Salvation by the Righteousness of Christ without me being a more compleat and surer Righteousness than that wrought in me being hereby delivered from Fear of Miscarriages to the loss of my Salvation Quest Was there not a Power when I obeyed the Light reproving me for Sin which did deliver me from sinning and gave me Strength to do that which was good and right and just before God and Man and would carry me through Sufferings for it with Peace and Comfort if I submitted unto it according to that passage To as many as received him to them gave he Power to become the Sons of God Answ Yes There was a Power which did deliver me from sinning outwardly or doing any thing to wrong my Neighbour or telling Lies but choosed rather to suffer anger than to do it whereas if I had lied I might have been free from it it bore me up when I was hissed at for what I did to my Face saying These are the things which I must look for it was the portion of Christ when He walked upon the Earth and I must not wonder at it the Scriptuee saith it For it is enough for a Servant to be equal with his Lord But notwithstanding I met with a time when I could not have Peace of Conscience by that Power within me but by the powerful Work of God without me in preparing a Body which was perfectly holy to die for me to bear my Sins in my place in my room to free me from the Curse of the Law imputing his Righteousness unto me To as many as receive this gave he Power to become the Sons of God heing manifest to me in the Spirit at that time I mentioned before working Faith in me which Faith engageth to serve the Lord By this Faith I had Peace of Conscience this was the Power of God unto Salvation to my Soul according as it is written The Preaching of the Cross is to them that perish Foolishness but to them which are saved it is the Power of God 1 Cor. 1.18 Quest Do I despise that Light Knowledg or Conscience which reproveth Man for Sin in him and judg it not to be obeyed Answ No I believe it is the Duty of every one to walk in the Commandments of the Law of God and to keep a Conscience void of Offence according as it is written Holding Faith in a pure Conscience hoping to be found in the same my self Quest For what Ends do I desire to be found in Obedience to this Light Answ Because it is my Duty to God Not for Life but from a Principle of Life not for Salvation but because I have Salvation through Faith in Christ not that my Peace might be made but because my Peace is made already not that I might get into the Love of God but because I am in the Love of God through Faith in Christ who gave himself a Ransom to redeem me from the Curse of the Law He being made a Curse for me Friends To whom these few Lines may be presented written by the Hand of him who is Weak in Knowledg and of low Degree having done this at the request of my worthy Friends who thought it might be of use to those which might be in the like Trouble as I have been After the viewing of this many Censures do I expect perhaps it may be said by most I was no such Person as I have here exprest my self to be which if it be I matter not God knoweth the things I have been led through my Conscience also bearing me Witness to the things I have written and therefore leave it to the Souls in Christ to judg Perhaps it may be further said of me That I have written some things herein out of Envy and Malice To which I answer I have not written any thing herein out of Envy or Malice but for the relief of those that are in trouble if the Lord please to make it instrumental by his Spirit for that end Perhaps it may be said I could not attain to Joy and Peace and Comfort by Obedience to the Light reproving me for Sin seeing I walked not in all things as the Quakers did To which I answer I have seen one of them do that which another of them had not Freedom to do yet I believe he that did it had Peace in what he did because he saw no Evil in it why might not I have Peace and Joy in my Spirit though I did not walk in every Point as they did seeing I did that which I believed was good in the sight of God when I durst not do that which some of them did Perhaps it may be said This is nothing but an invented Story of mine own having picked up bere and there a word by Head-knowledg seeing I was not in open Profession with them which expect Salvation by Obedience to the Light in them To which I say Though I was not in open Profession with them yet was I of the same Faith and fought my Salvation the same way And as to taking hold of Words or inventing Stories I