Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	call_v	father_n	ghost_n	6,384	5	7.7916	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A47127	The benefit, advantage and glory of silent meetings both as it was found at the beginning, or first breaking forth of this clear manifestation of truth, and continues so to be found by all the faithful and upright in heart at this day / writ for the stirring up and encouraging of those more especially who are lately convinced unto the love of them, and diligent improving them unto those ends and uses for which they serve by George Keith.	Keith, George, 1639?-1716.; Crisp, Stephen, 1628-1692.	1687 (1687)	Wing K145; ESTC R29891	18,469	27

esteemed as their Glory became now their shame as namely their large Profession and Righteousness and way of Worship which stood in Dead and empty performances in the oldness of the Letter in which they had a Life and which had a Life in them also but it was the Life of Death which Reigned in them and do Reign in all from Adam unto Moses yea and whose Reign is not put down until Christ the Blessed Seed and Life be Witnessed raised and revealed in the Particular and so this Day of God brought Death and Darkness over all that false Life and Light which had Place in them formerly and stained all their false Beauty and Glory even all the Glory of Flesh or of the First-birth in all the Wisdom Counsel and Knowledge thereof and in all its thoughts and apprehensions of God and in all its Words and Works and Practices and Righteousness whereby it came to pass that these who seemed to have and had much Knowledge and understanding of God and Christ but it was according to the Flesh or First Birth began now to See and be Convicted that they were very Ignorant so as even to say surely I am more Bruitish then any Man and I have not the understanding of a Man in me and thus many who were Teachers of others for many years came to be Convinced that they had need to Learn the very first Principles of the Doctrine of Christ and so these who had stood in a long and Large Profession of Words and attained to great Abilities that Way in Doctrine Exhortation and Prayer c. Whether through Education or frequent Practice being come to a true and Living Sence and Convincement that it was all but Carnal and Fleshly or at best stood in a great Mixture having more of Flesh then Spirit in it and more of Death and Darkness then of Life and Light which is hurtful as aforesaid came to be gathered out of all that Bulk and heap of Words into the waiting Place in the Measure of the Light which had Convinced them and given them some Sence of their Conditions so to wait upon the Lord in his Light in all possible stilness and quietness and silence of Mind not only out of all outward Performances and Words but even out of all Thoughts and Apprehensions of God or Christ and all inward motions and Workings which had not the Light or Word or Spirit of God in their Hearts for the Rise and Spring and this they were brought unto through the Ministration aforesaid which pointed or directed them unto this place even silence both as to Words and Thoughts and that both apart and together by which Ministration also they were called to assemble or gather together in the Name of Christ whose Name is the Light the Wisdom and Power of God and the second Adam the quickning Spirit to wait together in this Silence So in this Name they were called and directed to assemble or gather together to wit in the Light Wisdom Power and quickning Spirit of God so they were not to come in their own Wisdom and Spirit or in the Wisdom and Spirit of the first Adam as to Meditate Teach or Pray or give Thanks in the Words which that Wisdom and Spirit did teach them for that had been to meet in the name of the first Adam and not in the Name of the second whose Name is the Light and the Life and the Power and Wisdom of God as aforesaid and so this Wisdom and Power and Name was to furnish them in all they did or spoke in their Meetings or Assemblies and to this the Apostle directed the Believers in his day that whatsoever they did in Word or Deed they should do it in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ if they Taught it should be in his Name to wit in his Light Life and Power and if they Prayed it should be in this and if they gave Thanks it should be in this and then the Words uttered or expressed by them should be Spirit and Life that would both reach unto God for a sweet Savour and Odour before him and also unto his Witness in the Heart of them who heard for what they spoke should not be the Word of Man but the Word of God Christ the Word the Light and the Life speaking in them and through them as Christ said unto the Disciples It is not you that speak but the Spirit of the Father that speaketh in you and according to this Paul said That no Man could call Jesus the Lord but by the Holy Ghost for the Name of the Lord is a living Name and so cannot be named but by the Power and Vertue of his own Life indeed a Man in his own natural Spirit may pronounce the Letter of the Name but the Letter is not the Name for the Name is the Word of God but the Letter is not the Word and so it is one thing to pronounce the Letter or Letters but for another to name or speak the Word of God yea or inwardly only to conceive in it the Mind or Heart which none can do but by the Holy Ghost Now about this time that divers were convinced as aforesaid and gathered together in Divers Places through very Necessity their Meetings came to be Silent for some Time though the First Rice and Ground of their Meeting in Silence was that they were taught it of the Lord forasmuch as there were but few who were then attained unto that Soundness and Clearness of Condition in their own Particulars so as thereby to be fitted and Qualified in the Word Life Power and Wisdom of God to Minister unto others in Divers Places Friends being but very young at that first breaking forth of Truth and so their Works was mostly if not only to joyn together in a joynt Concurrence to wait upon the Lord for the indu●ngs of his Power from on High and to see the Work and Operation of his Word Light and Life in them every one being turned unto the Manifestation thereof in their own particulars For indeed in beginners or those who are but lately turned unto the Light and Life of Truth it hath much to Work through in them and they have many Steps of inward Tryals and Exercise to Pass through in the Light and Life of Truth before they attain unto that Soundness and Clearness in their own Conditions whereby they can safely and Purely Administer the Word and Words of Life unto others without mixture for First a Man must be in a good Measure gathered into the Life and Spirit of Truth so as to be well rooted and fastened in it in his own particular before he be in such a fit Condition as to Minister unto others with safety and advantage and the Word of Life must first have some free passage in a Mans Heart Mind and Spirit before it can have a free passage in the Mouth and it must have got some good Measure of Command

Dominion whereby his Life hath had its course through all that Darkness that stood in the way to the reaching the weak and small measures of Life in the others and so by its Influence quickening and strengthening Life in every particular till it was raise● over all that stood in its way and all were abundantly Refreshed Comforted and Quickened and such through the Goodness and Providence of God are sent unto others or raised up among them to be unto them as Nursing Fathers and Stewards and Shepherds unto whom as it were the Keys of the Kingdom were given that may open it unto others not but that it is possible to be opened even without all Instruments from without yea the Service and Benefit of Instruments fitted and prepared of God hath been and is found to be great unto the more abundant opening of it and helping the Weak and Feeble unto the more ready and easie entrance into it wherefore such cannot but be dearly Loved and Honoured in the Truth for their Works sake and because of that excellent measure of Life in them which hath such universal Influence and Service unto all And though the Unity and Fellowship of the Children of Light and Truth doth not simply consist in their outward Nearness Company or Presence for that though at never so great an outward Distance their Unity remains in that Spirit which reacheth over and through all yet it is certain that even their being together in the outward when they are gathered in the Name of Christ as aforesaid as in the particular measure of his Life and Light made manifest in them doth greatly conduce and contribute to increase and strengthen their Unity and to make their Fellowship and Communion of Life the more sensible as is known and witnessed by certain experience for that when they are outwardly present Life hath and oppertunity to convey it self unto one another by an through the natural Spirit and the very Face of one sharpneth another as Iron doth Iron for where Life is rased in the Heart it hath its Image on the very Face or Countenance which by a secret Vertue reacheth unto others Yea not only doth Life convey it self and its pure influence through the Voice and Sight but even through the taking one another by the Hand where it is done in pure and undefiled Love and by the laying on of Hands also as was witnessed in the Primitive Times so that those who were indued with a large measure of the Life and Spirit of God whilthey laid Hands on them who Believed Vertue went forth from that force and strength of Life in them an● reached unto these on whome Hands were laid whereby they came to feel the Life to be raised in their own particulars and the Power of the Holy Ghost to fall or break forth upon them as even so it is witnessed at this Day in and among the Children of Truth through the form●r formality of laying on of Hands that is in the false Church which hath only the empty and bare imitation is not regarded And thus now it being showed how great an Advantage and Benefit the Children of Light and Truth have in their Meeting together through the Communication of Life yea from all to every one and from one to all and that without all Words as well as with them the Benefit and Advantage of their meeting together even in Silence cannot but be manifest and this serves to answer that common Objection used by many who say We may sit silent at Home and wait in silence in our own Houses and so be as much edified a● to come to a silent Meeting where nothing is spoke for our Instruction or Learning to which I say nay if your outward Liberty and Health can permit you to come and yet you come not but stay at home you cannot Profit nor be Edified so much at home though you should give your selves to waiting in silence as by coming to the Meeting of the Lords People and waiting together with them in silence first because to meet together is the Ordinance of God which he doth bless yea he hath promised that where two or three do meet together in his Name he will be in the midst of them and this promise is to meeting simply in his Name though there should be no Speaking among them but secondly because as is said through that universal influence of Life which the whole Meeting hath upon every particular Life to raise and refresh and strengthen Life in every particular th●refore it is manifest that it is more profitable and edifying to wait with others where oppertunity can be had then alone for while we wait with others we become a strength and help unto one another in waiting which many can seal the truth of by certain experience who have found much more ready and easie access and entrance to wait upon the Lord and a much more freedom of Mind from vain Thoughts and Encumbrances while they were waiting with others then while alone as also many has been Convinced and brought to the knowledg of the Truth by coming to Silent Meetings and seeing as is showed that Life doth readily most prevail abound while they wait together surely these occasions cannot but be the more Edifing and Profitable when rightly improved for when Life is most raised and doth most prevail and abound in the Heart then a man hath the best opertunity to feel the operation of it in him to work and purge out the old Nature and Spirit with the Works thereof and to leven him into a new lump so as to mould and transform him unto its own pure Similitude and Image And so these who came together to meet after this manner in Silence so that they would sit together many hours in a deep Silence and Quietness came to sind great Benefit and Advantage in them yea and a great Glory though such Meetings became the Worlds wonder and natural and dark spirited men did scorn and deride them as they do unto this day yet the Children of Truth found them and do find them the most Profitable and Edifying Meetings that ever they were at where all Flesh is made Silent and the Lamb alone is waited for to appear in his Temple and speak forth his holy Mind Will and Counsel in such Vessels as are fitted and prepared of him and those who met together in this Silence where at that time perhaps not one in the Meeting had a Mouth opened or utterance gave them in the Life and Spirit of God came in due time to receive the opening of the Mouth in a very large and powerful and glorious manner as continues unto this day with them who yet remain alive in the Body and now many have received an opening of the Mouth and come to witness the Word of Life sprung up in great Power and Glory to the putting Words into their Mouths which are Spirit and Life that Minister Grace largely