Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n
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A51587
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A testimony against periwigs and periwig making, and playing on instruments of musick among Christians or any other in the days of the gospel being several reasons against those things / by one who for good conscience sake hath denyed and forsaken them, John Mulliner.
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Mulliner, John.
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1677
(1677)
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Wing M3059; ESTC R31060
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19,265
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24
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your rule see how contrary you walk to it and say it is impossible to be done and Christ he said Mat. 7.14 Because strait is the Gate and narrow is the Way which leadeth unto Life and few there be that find it The Saints they were persecuted and imprisoned and Christ said For if they do these things in a green Tree what shall be done in the dry Luke 23.31 If they persecuted me they will persecute you also if they regarded not my Sayings they will not regard yours I pray you do but look back which look more like Saints those as assemble themselves together in your Assemblies or these whom Christ spake of who are persecuted for Righteousness sake and truly I look upon these to be Real Saints and had rather take my Portion among such in this day if it be in Persecution then to enjoy the Pleasures of sin for a season And when I came amongst this People at first what a strangeness did it Cause amongst my very Relations and Acquaintance insomuch that my nearest Relations were stirred up in Envâ—â—nd Bitterness against me some signifying as if I had not been fit to live upon the Earth and the Lord knows I had no other Desire in my Heart but to do that which my God-fathers God-mothers as they call them promised I should do as is the Custom now adays which People talk of but if they come to do it they rise up as an Army against them Father against the Son and Daughter against the Mother and All Evil-doers against Christ's Appearances spiritually so that in effect they say They will not have this man to rule over us and whoever he be that is a true spiritual Traveller will find these things to be true And that was That I should forsake the Devil and all his works the vain Pomps and Vanities of this wicked world the sinful lusts of the flesh and so forth but as long as I could talk of these things and not do them no notice was took of me as to be offended with me but when I came to do these things what a do was here and whath strangeness did it beget amomgst my very familiar Acquaintance And God is my witness at this time it is the very end of my Travel in Spirit To make my Peace with God when my dayes are at an end And now Neighbours and Acquaintâ—â—â—â— I being one that have had hard speeches cast upon me by some of you I thought I could not be clear in the sight of God and man till I had acquainted you how it was with me from a Child to this day which I hope will give no occasion of Offence to any but could heartily wish that you may not be alwayes Professors but Possessors of that Life which is beyond all the Profession in the world and that you may know the Lord's will to be done in your hearts as it is in Heaven and then you will pray as you should do and know what to pray for And truly my loving Neighbours and Acquaintance if it had been possible for you to have seen the inside of me I have told you the very Travel of my soul in these things and what I have here will I have had the Experience of and do not think it is a Whimsie or a Fancy and a Delusion to serve God it is your Concern as well as mine your souls lie in danger of Ruin as well as mine hath done and therefore for the Lord's sake consider these things which belong to your everlasting peace before they be hid from your Eyes for here is but a little while before your dayes be at an End and we shall see man no more and what is all this world worth then it is not all the words of earthly wisemen though called Teaches of this age or any man that can justifie you if God condemn you by his Light and Spirit in your own hearts theâ—efore for the Lord's sake think not that God will be mocked nor make not sleight of these things for such as you sow you must reap Your souls lie in danger of everlasting Misery anâ— it is an inward Reformation a new heart a riâ—ht spirit as God looks for of us all and it is the earnest Breathing of my soul you may seek after it as well as myself And now you my loving Neighbours and Acquaintance of this Town of Northampton where among you I have drawn my first breath how hath my heart been pained to behold the Ruins of this poor Town and I have and do from my very soul desire that this Affliction which God hath sent amongst us may be for the better and not for the worse And it is not long since there was another warning by Thunder Lightning and Hail-storm such that in all my daye I do not know I have heard or seen the like what Dread and Fear were the poor Inhabitants in at that time Oh that you would have kept your minds exercised as I do beleive some did and had some Sense of the Dread 〈◊〉 Fear of this Terrible God that can shake terribly the Earth 〈◊〉 make the Inhabitants fear bâ—fore him I say what Fear were they in at that time running up and down thinking that the Town had been fired by Reason of the Lightning that was at that time The Lord grant that you may be of that Principle or Religion as it hath been my desire from a Child to be of that Religion which would endure a Thunder-clap that is if God should have called me or you to Judgment at that very time we might be ready with Oyl in our Lamps and not Put it off to buy when the Bridgroom comes for blessed be God at that very time I do not speak it for any Praise among you God is my witness but as I felt it upon my Spirit at that very time I could sing for Joy in my Spirit when others were running up and down in Dread and Fear and for ever my soul shall trust in this God who is mighty to save and mighty to destroy God blessed forever And the very Inhabitants themselves could not but at that time confess that God had sent another Judgment amongst them in my hearing but yet for all this what blasPheming the Name of God is here and Drunkenness and all manner of Wickedness almost committed Envy Malice and Hatred and what not insomuch that some have told me several times that you think in your Conscience you are a great deal worse then you were before the Fire and why is it so with you for the Lord's sake consider what will become of you that go on in this resolute way God will not alwayes strive with you put not I beseech you this day of the Lord afar off but while it t s to day harden not your Hearts I would intreat you that you would look back for about this twenty years what have this poor scorned People of God called Quakers
when my dayes were at an End Then as to my Employment of Periwig making it is more then twelve years since I began to make them much might be said for the making of them by some yet much questioning reasoning have I had within my self for some years so that at some times I have been troubled when I have been making of them and I could not tell what was the Reason of my Trouble except that was and sometimes when I have seen some of my Friends come in I have been ready to put them out of my sight and could not go on with any Content but Trouble so long as they were looking on me and some have spoke to me and told me They thought I did not do well in making of them to this purpose they have spoken and many times I have reasoned with my self after this manner what need I make such ado and be so much concerned there is hardly any man but is desirous of a good Head of Hair and if Nature doth not afford it if there be an Art to make a Decent Wig or Border what harm is that Object But are there not several of thy Friends who wear Borders and are accounted honest men Answ As for those whose Hair is wasted fallen and gone off their Heads through infirmity of Body and for want of it do find that their health is impaired or lessened if such do wear short Borders so their health sake and for no other End or Cause whatsoever I judge them not but let none make a pretence that they wear Borders or Wigs for their Health when in Reallity another thing is the Cause for God the Righteous Judge sees in Secret and he hates Pride Hypocrisie the spirit of which is judged for ever to be judg'd with all its fruits by the Lord and his People And let all those who have Hair growing upon their heads sufficient to serve them I mean what is really needful or useful be content therewith and not find fault with their own Hair and cut it off and lust after and put on others Hair And further thus I reasoned is there not some of thy Friends who make them sell Hair for the making of them and drive a great Trade and what do J not think that they have not as much Care to go to Heaven as J have and what need J make such ado and be so concerned But all this would not do but here lay that which was very near me that was if God should call me to account at this very time while J am reasoning after this manner whether or no J could stand clear in his sight and make them for if J stood condemned in God's sight it was not this man's making of them nor the other man's wearing of them that would justifie me in God's sight for if God condemns me in my Conscience J know no man living who can justifie or take away that Guilt And here J stood in this Condition for some time and the Lord knew the travel of my soul in these things and J knew not what J should do to be cleared of them so that J have been almost out of Hopes sometime and said within my self and cried J am afraid J shall dye with this upon my Conscience and then what will become of me hereafter and how can J stand clear in the sight of God that am condemned for it in my Conscience But my Prayers and Cryes were for God to deliver me for J could not deliver my self out of it but here J lay one day after another crying to God to be delivered So suddenly after our dreadful fire in which J was wi h the rest of my Neighbours a Partaker of that Judgment then J was more concerned then before so that J knew not what to do to get over it it lay so hard upon me to bear But still this cursed Enemy of my Soul this SELF-END Spirit began to work with me again and reason with me after this manner what am I resolved to ruin my self and turn away all if J do leave this J must expect to lose a great deal of my Trimming Trade and J had better leave off that then leave off this Periwig-making it fits so well with me in the Condition J am in by Reason of my Lameness J had a considerable Trade in it with several of my Acquaintance in Town and Country and some of them are Persons of Quality and wish me very well and if J leave that J shall disoblige them much and what will J do then am J minded to undo my self But still there was an inward Cry in me Lord save my soul for that lies at stake and it is that J plead for and J care not what J go through so my soul may have Peace with thee when my dayes are at an End for my soul is for Everlasting but this Trouble cannot last long These things stuck very hard with me that made me cry out night and day Lord deliver me and help me over this Weight and Pain that is upon my Spirit and J care not what J do so J may be clear of them So through much TROUBLE OF SPIRIT J was willing to leave them But this would not clear me but as I had been a publick Professor of this Employment for some time I must bear my Testimony against them and that was I should send for my two men as I had instructed in that way and tell them how I was troubled and take a Wig and burn it before them as a Testimony for God against them But this was very hard but no Peace could I have before I did it and much Pain and Sorrow I had before I did it and no Comfort but Torment of mind I had till I had given up to do it so according to the Pain and Sorrow that lay hard upon me I gave up to do it and I thank God I have much Ease Comfort of Mind since I have done it for the Lord hath not put me upon any thing but what he hath given me strength to go through and he is not a hard Master and I have great Peace and Comfort in what I have done which is more to me then all the Perishing Fading things in this world And whoever he be that doth expect Peace with God in himself he must know a Cross to his own Will to cross his sinful thoughts Words and Actions and whatever he knows God requires of him he must do it though it be a great Cross to him though it is very hard to Flesh and Blood Flesh and Blood cannot inherit the Kingdom of Heaven but a man must be born again And as truly it is witnessed as ever it was writ in the Scripture God's People this day do know this spiritual Birth Blessed be God for ever and they travel in Spirit till God gives Encrease and delivers them And I am sure and can speak by Experience