Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	faith_n	lord_n	soul_n	7,621	5	5.0274	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A85140	The heart opened by Christ; or, The conditions of a troubled soul that could find no true rest, peace, comfort, nor satisfaction in any thing below the divine power and glory of God, breaking forth and appearing in several operations and manifestations, by the blessed spirit of the Lord Jesus, the Saviour of the soul, God manifesting himself in flesh, that he may glorified in spirit. With, a word to those that are for the approbation of ministers; and something to those that scruple about the receiving or not receiving that which they call a sacrament and communion of saints, at Easter, Penticost, Christmas, so called, and other festival and set daies, or any other time when it is to be administered by those priests that profess themselves to be ministers of Christ. Written in the year 1654. in the third moneth, commonly called May, by R.F.	R. F. (Richard Farnworth), d. 1666.	1654 (1654)	Wing F485; Thomason E745_7; ESTC R207062	17,335	24

word and power of God were preached in me by Christ Jesus my Lord which power did shake the earth sea and dry land and did overturn the mountains by the roots and put darkness to an end in me so that the true light of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ doth now shine in my soul and the heavenly treasure doth dwell in an earthen vessel as the Apostle did witnesse 2 Cor. 4.6 7. And my joy is in doing the will of my heavenly Father and the Lord Jesus my Saviour who hath called me by his grace and set me to declare against deceits and deceivers and all false waies false worships which stand in the will of man and being dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world as in Colos 2. I can never touch taste nor handle that which is to perish ver 20 21 22 23. God is a spirit and all his waies and worships are now in the spirit and his Ministry is in the spirit and his Ministers are made by the will of God and the son is revealed in them and they are able Ministers of the spirit and the baptism of Christ in the new Covenant is by one spirit into one body and we are made all to drink into one spirit where there is one faith one Lord one Baptism one God and Father of us all who are born again of water and the spirit and our souls are nourished with the milk of the word and Christ is our bread of life and water of life and feedeth our souls with the refreshing mercies of his eternal love so that we having received the promise of the Father which is the spirit of his Son crying Abba Father in our hearts guiding and leading us into all trut that we are made to exalt and set forth Jesus Christ to be the everlasting Minister of the new Covenant and his Gospel is free and he Preacheth glad tidings to our souls and giveth good gifts to our souls and we are made to cry Hosanna to the highest praises praises be to our God and Saviour the Lord God and his Son and the holy Ghost the Comforter whom the world knoweth not nor the Priests and Clergy-men with all their high notions and guilded pretences cannot find out Job 28.12 to 17 who open their bags to receive of our earthly Treasure but never made us to partake of any spiritual gifts I deny them all that are hirelings and teach for Tythes gifts or rewards they are Idol shepherds and Ministers of man and sent of man and obey man and received Orders Commission Power and Authority means and maintenance of man who are they that do not abid in the councel of God and do not profit the people of God Jer. 23 21 to 33. and now it is considered as in the Prophesie of Jeremiah 23.16.17 to 21. So I have cleared my conscience in declaring part of my experience of them and not by report nor opinion of others And being the desire of you the Commissioners that are for the approving of them your National Ministers as you call them The Book of affairs in the Nation pag. 3. Friday the 7. of April to 1654. who say you do humbly and earnestly beseech all the people of God throughout the Land who shall send any Certificate to you that they would not take things upon the opinion and reports of others but to certifie their own personal knowledg and experience of them your Ministers c. as in the book you set forth on the third leaf Friday the 7 of April 1654. as you say that you would not have any of the people of God recommend unto you them whom God disalloweth lest guilt be contracted by the Recommenders to whose Testimonials you say so much is referred that unfaithfull men whom God doth not approve of may not be commended to you lest they be admitted of by you to the dishonour of God the prejudice of the Church and the utter frustrating of the pious intents of your Honours besides the blot which will deservedly stick to them not only for the present but with posterity and succeeding times For as much as the Certificates now exhibited will appear upon Record So to this my Certificate and Testimonial of them the Priests of these times whith I do not know by the opinion or report of others but by real experience whether you do approve of it or no I have done my duty in clearing my conscience to let you know part of my experience of them and according to your desire and humble request and rest A servant of the Lord Jesus Christ Rich. Farnworth A Word to you that are appointed to be Commssioners for the Approbation of Ministers TAke heed that you do not approve of those whom God Almighty disalloweth and so your Judgement prove carnal and you want salt to savour withall and be cast out of favour with God for so doing Take heed to your selves and the work you are about that you do not stand as Judges of the simple by your carnal wisdom and so seek to establish proud covetous self-seeking men men that follow pleasures and are oppressers that Preach for hire 100 l. or 200 l. per annum or Tythes Bribes and large augmentations to please you and the great men of the world and so dishonour the Lord and if you go about to approve and allow and establish those whom God intends to root out you must come to an account before the great Judg of Heaven and Earth and be punished for it take heed of sinning against the light of Christ in your conscience and against the holy Ghost then see what is said in Hebrews 10.26 27. Read and understand and act not according to the will of man lest thou disobey the will of God The everlasting Gospel of Jesus Christ is to be preached freely and the Proclamation is Come freely Isa 55. and the Ministers of the Gospel are not by the will of man nor approved by carnal men but by God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ John 4.22 23 24. God is a Spirit and all his Ordinances are spiritual Therefore a word to those that scruple about the receiving or not receiving that which they call a Sacrament and Communion of Saints at Easter Pentecost Christmas so called and other Festival and set daies or any other time when it is to be administred by those that professe themselves to be the Ministers of Jesus Christ First to the simple hearted whose desires are to walk in the wayes of Godlinesse and to do those things that are most pleasing and acceptable to God in the light of Jesus Christ our Lord And you conceive that which you call the Ordinance of Christ in the holy Sacrament so called in eating bread and wine at set times to be a Sacrifice well pleasing and acceptable to God by Jesus Christ and that it is as you conceive necessary to salvation and how shall

THE Heart Opened by Christ OR The Conditions of a troubled Soul that could find no true Rest Peace Comfort nor satisfaction in any thing below the Divine Power and Glory of God breaking forth and appearing in several operations and manifestations by the blessed Spirit of the Lord Jesus the Saviour of the soul God manifesting himself in flesh that he may glorified in Spirit With A word to those that are for the Approbation of Ministers and something to those that scruple about the Receiving or not Receiving that which they call a Sacrament and Communion of Saints at Easter Penticost Christmas so called and other Festival and set daies or any other time when it is to be administred by those Priests that profess themselves to be Ministers of Christ Written in the year 1654. in the third Moneth commonly called May by R. F. The Heart Opened by Christ OR The Conditions of a troubled Soul that could find no rest peace comfort nor satisfaction in any thing below the Divine Power and glory of God breaking forth and appearing through several operations and manifestations by the blessed Spirit of the Lord Jesus the Saviour of the Soul ABout the 16 year of the age of my natural life the Lord did begin to work under a cloud and let me see the vanity that I lived in and wrought me into some inward trouble of mind and I seeing that the wrath of God was revealed against sin in me knew not what to do to satisfie his Justice that was offended but by consulting with mine own heart and carnal reason together set on some self-acting to seek for life peace comfort and satisfaction to my soul and so concluded in my self that reading hearing of Sermons and prayer was the way and means to appease the wrath of God and to attain to salvation believing in the Declaration of the Scriptures Psal 32.5 6. v. Psal 55 16 17. Deut. 6.10 1 Thes 5 17. and Christ dying at Jerusalem to satisfie the infinite Justice which was offended by me a sinfull creature and so betook my self to read often and pray often at set times and to hear Sermons often that it became customary and I left off my sports and pleasures looking upon them all to be vain and heathenish and became very strict in observing what the Priests did press me unto and read three times a day and prayed as often and several times in the night and rose out of bed to pray upon my bare knees because David prayed several times in the night and what I did it was from imitation of others knowing no better way then at that present but as the Priests taught me who themselves were never taught of God and I got many Chapters by heart to meditate on as I went about my labour and applyed the Promises and Saints conditions to my self and went to Church as I called it and they taught me and I writ Sermons and repeated duty at the nights and observed both publique duty and private as they called it and I then followed their waies and worships resting in those outward performances and so went on in a fleshly joy that spring up from those fleshly performances acted in the will and by the reason and did increase in outward knowledg walking a little strictly to the outward appearance making some conscience of my way that I walked in and became zealous so that I could have persecuted even unto death those that were licentious and did not walk as exactly as I did And all this while I was but carnal and earthly knowing nothing of the new birth and the resurrection of the just but walked on in an outward profession believing all to be true that the Priests told me and was very zealous for them at that time and was Catechized by them observed to do as they gave me directions and would gladly do what was and might make most for the glory of God and as they told me that the Steeplehouse was the Church and House of God I did then believe them and as they told me that Sprinkling Infants was one of the Sealing Ordinances and that which they called a Sacrament was another I gave credit to what they said and was mighty zealous for those traditions three or four years and I did then loath all open prophaneness and sports and pleasures and Idle and vain company and grew solid and serious in my way desiring of the Lord to instruct me and teach me his mind and will that I might do what he made known unto me out of the integrity of mine heart and being strict in hearing reading and praying I was reproached by the rude people and called a Puritan Roundhead and the like and so rejoyced in that calling it the Cross of Christ but the Cross of Christ is a mystery And about the 20 year or 21 of my age I began to question many things that I had been so zealous for and something rose up in my spirit to work me into an examination of my way and worship that I then lived in and made me restless in my spirit and set me on searching the Scriptures very diligently and by the light of God in my conscience and the Scriptures together testifying Act. 20.28 1 Pet. 2.5 Act. 4 32 Eph. 1.22.23 Eph. 2.19 20 21 22. Eph. 5.26 27. 1 Thes 1. 1 Thes 2.9 to 14. I came to see that the Steeplehouse was not a Church nor the house of God as they had told me and I believed that prayer was more acceptable in that house then in any other place till the Lord convinced me of that error received by tradition from the Priests for I was made to see by the breakings forth of the light of God in my spirit that the Steeplehouse was no Church for the Scripture saith that Christ came to redeem his Church with his blood and not that Stonehouse and that the Church of Christ was made all of living stones elect and pretious and there is not one living stone in that and although there were a Temple commanded to be built by Solomon and that was but a figure for the time present till Christ came to put an end to the Covenant outwardly Temple and Sacrifices that were then offered up and Christ said that there should not be one stone left upon another in that Temple that was at Jerusalem and there were never any other commanded to be builded and now there are many Idols Temples which are no Churches for the Church is in God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ as Paul and Silvanus writ to the Thessalonians and the Church of Christ were of one heart and one mind but now in the English Churches or people that assemble together in the Idols Temple they are of confusion one saying one thing and another saying another both Priests and people divided But in the Church of Christ there is true unity and no jarring nor jangling and the Saints their bodies are

I lived a High-Priest who had been a Captain in the Army and examined me about it near unto an house and I did consent to receive it at his hands which was a thing that I very much did scruple whether I ought to do if or not to do it because in my examination in my own spirit I could not tell well what the body of Christ was though I could talk talk to him much and in many words about those things for I had got much to speak of though I did then little experience what I said but thought it was sufficient to talk and discourse of things and rest in the outward knowledge of the same There was great expectation of the Priest to come to that Town where I lived to examine and see who were sit to receive and who was not for he would not admit of any And great fear was upon many and that not of the smallest before the day of Examination came lest they should not have wherewithall to answer and so come to shame but it was so that he came to that Halls Place where I then was a servant and I was sent for in to the Priest and going into the Hall the Owners thereof went their waies forth and I would have followed but the Priest called me to him and asked me many questions and we continued our discourse near unto an hour so that the last question he asked me was the first he began with and I told him the same and upon that we parted and he stroaked me on the head and gave me his blessing the blessing of the Priest and the laying on of his hand but I did not receive any holy Ghost by him nor at that time knew not what the holy Ghost was Yet when the Priest and they came together soon after that day he told them he was never so answered by any except they had been at Cambridge as if God could not teach his truth without Cambridge and Oxford helps and moreover he said he would go forty miles on his bare feet if all his Parish were such upon that condition so reasoning carnally though then I knew not the same but sadled a horse and road to accompany him towards his house that night and he shewed much outward love but as the day did appear the shadows fled away And before the time came that we were to go to eat bread and Wine which they call a Sacrament and Communion of Saints but is not I say before the time came that it was to be given and I to receive it there was great reasoning in me and great preparation I made by reasoning and praying and powring forth my complaint to the Lord to fit me and prepare me and make me worthy to partake of that Ordinance and make me a fit Communicant and the like but after three or four weeks preparation still I was not right in my self and knew not what to do whether to receive it or not yet lest I should offend I went and when I was going all the way I prayed and pondered in my heart and desired of the Lord to seal up assurance to my foul that day by the same and when I was to receive the Cup into my hand I trembled in my heart for fear lest I should be unworthy and after I had received the bit and the sup I sat pondering of it in my heart and waited in expectation in my self to receive some divine operation and spiritual change and to receive assurance of the pardon of sin but none came in But the thoughts of my heart did exceedingly trouble me and Judas was brought into my remembrance how that Satan entred after that he had received the sop and then great questioning and reasoning did arise in me whether I were of the number of Gods Elect yea or no and great fear came upon me and I went home and prayed to the Lord and cryed and prayed a week or two before I was cleared and so it wrought for good for I saw then by the light of God in my conscience that it was not the body and bloud of Christ but a carnal invention and so did the Lord clear my understanding in that thing and let me see why Christ broke the Passeover with his Disciples and how the bread which the Saints broke was the Communion of the body of Christ and the cup which they drank was the Communion of the blood of Christ 1. Cor. 10 15 16 17 and so was I made to see the error of the Priests in that thing and that theirs was but a sacrificing to Devils and not to God as the Gentiles did so doe they 1 Cor. 10. 20 21. And so I saw the deceits of the Priests in many of their greatest Idols yet I durst not leave them off till I saw the Lord clear in leading me out of that way and went to those that I judged to be the best and left the worst and could not be satisfied in my spirit but my soul wanted longed and thirsted after the living bread And a death came upon all that life which I had received in hearing of them the Priests and so the best of them was as the worst nothing more but a refined subtilty and a higher deceit in the high notionary Priests and the free gratious and none could satisfie or give peace to my soul amongst them all and I was taken off from writing after them my memory failed me and my wisdom was confounded and the pure seed was burdened and groaned for deliverance but they could not help but wounded me and lest me and there I lay until the Lord visited with his loving kindness and took me into the Inn the Doctrine of his Son and healed and cured my diseased and wounded soul For a year or very nigh I was full of trouble and did see into the deceits of Priests but looked that some of them should be right and went from one to another and if I did hear of any that were high in notion I ran after him but he was at the rest and still my soul wanted and I knew not where to betake my self to find rest all outward helps and means failed and I was so wearied in my spirit that I could not write after them as I had done and I saw them to be confused in their sayings one saying one thing and another saying another and they confused themselves many times in their own sayings which did exceedingly trouble me for in hearing of them as the pure seed or God sprung in me and groaned for deliverance never a Priest that ever I heard or met with could deliver nor direct me where to wait till deliverance came but drove me further off for when all duties and performances failed and death passed upon them that I neither found life in hearing reading not prayer but was wearied and cryed out day and night weeping and wailing and was full of the terror of the Lord and

have union withall who are of the houshold of God that live in Christ the everlasting sacrifice and he is meat and drink for the soul to feed on and have fellowship withall and not bread and wine John 6. As the living Father hath sent me and I live by the Father so he that eateth in me shall live by me saith Christ John 6.57 v. Tenthly This is not carnal bread nor carnal communion as the worlds is and conceiveth the Saints to be so here is no talk of bread and wine but flesh and bloud which troubleth both Jews and Disciples that were carnal so that they left him but had he been talking of bread and wine it would not so much have troubled carnal minded people they could have received it and carnal Disciples need not to have left Christ at that saying as they did but the spiritual ones aboad and their communion was in the spirit and is now the same and eateth the same bread John 6.58 and the bread which we break is the communion of the body of Christ and not a wheat loaf of bread that is but food for the body and none for the soul but Christ our Passeover is food for the soul and Saints communion is in him in being made partakers of his life and the cup which we drink is the communion of the bloud of Christ and not a cup of wine that is carnal and nourishing for the body but Christ is our bread and head and meat and drink to our souls now as he was to his Saints in former ages I speak to those that are spiritual to judge what I say 1 Cor. 10 15 16 17. and they that can receive it let them And if any stumble at the corner stone it is that they may be broken and fall he that hath ears to hear let him hear what the Spirit saith to the Churches Now to whom Christ is come they need not to observe that which did typifie or hold forth that he was to come and when that which is perfect is come which is Christ Jesus the perfection of beauty then bread and wine and carnal observations which are imperfect are to be done away and now people that professe Christ come and to be their Saviour do hold up a type and would have that to be a Coe-Saviour and look for salvation by it and in it but what spiritual operation hath that carnal imitation upon your souls I appeal to the simplicity that will witnesse to purity as it stands unvailed That when there hath been a sight of their souls wants and a discovery of their sins then they cry and pray to be fitted and prepared to receive Christ in that Ordinance as they call it and after three or four weeks preparation they are still as unfit as they were and go in fear and at the receiving of it are ready to tremble lest they be unworthy and after they have received it look for some change or new life by a spiritual operation to come into their souls by it but none cometh in at that dore then fears and doubts may arise in them and Judas is brought to remembrance and so are in troubles This is the condition of those that make a conscience of it but where hast thou met Christ or what life and power is come into thy soul at the receiving of it Judge thy self to that in thy conscience do I speak which shall witnesse for me as the book of conscience is opened then shall I be witnessed in wrath remember what I say all you that are in the flesh and walk on in the broad way And others there are that go to that thing as if they went to an Inn or a Tavern but all fleshly joy shall be turned into mourning and woe to all that are at ease in the flesh but blessed are they that mourn in Sion They who know their Teacher within shall not have him removed into a corner any more therefore thus saith the Lord Thou shalt hear a voice behind thee saying this is the way walk in it when thou turnest to the right hand or when thou turnest to the left And saith Jesus Christ My sheep hear my voice Isa 30.20 21. and they follow me and will not follow after strangers John 10.4 5. verses Dear hearts high and low rich and poor bond and free male and female Jew and Gentile every one every where in what estate and condition or dispensation soever you are in stand still out of your own thoughts and imaginations for they lead out your minds into cumbrances and vain janglings strife and covetousnesse and there you follow the voice of the stranger which leadeth to confusion and so one cryeth loe here and another doe there and so you wander and goe astray and do not follow the Lord and dwell in your Tents therefore O Israel to thy Tents And all wait that the Lord may lead you as in the light of the Gospel to dwell in peace and love one with another that patience may possesse your souls that you may obey the voice of the spirit of truth within which is checking and calling unto you to turn to the Lord and to deny your selves of all your self-actings and fleshly performances and to forsake all your vain delights and pleasures and to undoe the heavie burdens and let the oppressed goe free and break every yoke deal thy bread to the hungry and bring the poor that are cast out to thy house c. then shall thy light break forth as the morning and thine health shall spring forth speedily then shalt thou call and the Lord shall answer thou shalt cry and he shall say here am I if thou take away from the midst of thee the yoke the putting forth of the finger and speaking vainly and draw out thy soul to the hungry and satisfie the afflicted souls then shall thy darknesse be as the noon-day Isa 58.6 7 8 9 10 11. FINIS