Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	father_n	hour_n	worship_v	5,720	5	9.9299	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A93315	The worlds wonder, or the Quakers blazing starr: with an astronomical judgment given upon the same, from 2 Cor. 11.13, 14, 15. Proving them to be altogether deluded by Satan, both in their judgments and walkings: together with a probable conjecture of the end of the world, and the estate of things in the interval. / By Edmund Skipp preacher of the Gospel unto the people at Bodenham in Herefordshire.	Skipp, Edmund.	1655 (1655)	Wing S3949; Thomason E829_4; ESTC R207389	55,821	73

off such things but they did finde as they were wont to say their hearts hanging upon old dispensations ways discoveries and the like All these things they say must be burnt up in them and destroyed and because there is so much hereof remaining they understand it is that they are brought into so great sufferings agonies and passions which they reckon the fiery work going on to perfect what is amiss in them They esteem also the more the heart is brought off from the meditations and considerations of Gods former dealings and the more negligent it is become in hearing reading praying or any such heavenly and their own once exercise the more pure and perfect it is become and they say if it were so with them they could altogether cease from these things it would be well with them waiting onely for that great and mighty power which they say is of God to act them unto any such consideration or meditation reading praying or the like for they think that all that acted them hereunto formerly was the power of the first Adam and therefore being not of Christ it ought to be denied and thrown away as an abominable thing Thus in brief they are acted in judgment and practice in this particular here is the work or mysterious deceit let us now proceed to our second Rule which is to finde where Satan hath Scripture and instance to help himself and hide his deceit in this thing The second Rule Demonst 2. is the Scripture and instance First then whereas they exspect and desire the dying and perishing of all such former ways of God to them Satan covereth himself in these words Isai 65.17 Behold I create new Heavens and a new Earth and the former shall not be remembred nor come into my minde And that of Paul 2 Cor. 5.17 18. Lo old things are done away and all things are become new and all things are of God here is a deep and dangerous covert that he hath got Secondly for the giving over all those practices and exercises of the soul unless it be when they are so moved as they say you shall finde Satan coloring over this business very fairly with that instance and writing of St Paul Phil. 3.7 8. in saying that all which was once his gain he now counted loss for Christ for the sake of whose excellent knowledg he did desire to count all his former righteousness but loss and dung A dangerous place while it is so mistaken And there is a saying of Christs own mouth which through the deceitfull unfolding thereof by Antichrist doth much blinde them John 4 21 22 23. The hour cometh and now is saith Christ that neither in this Mountain nor eke at Jerusalem shall the Father be worshipped for he is a Spirit and he will be worshipped in spirit and truth And besides these they are beguiled by the instance of Pauls conversion and the command that Christ gave the Twelve to go unto Jerusalem and there to stay untill they should receive such a measure of the spirit as is there mentioned Acts 2. from the beginning to v. 20. together with the mis-apprehending of Joels Prophesie in that place No question if Satan had need he could finde out more hiding places than these but these I am sure he maketh great use of as I my self do very well know My own experience in this thing maketh me speak what I do for had I received these things by relation onely I should have judged it untrue But I will shew plainly and orderly the thoughts of my own heart about this thing The third Rule in Demonstr 2. my own experience while I was so much under those dark clouds Although I was not wholly deprived or taken off my former experiences of the ways of Gods dealing with me neither was I made wholly to cease from the use of those ways of manifesting love and obedience to my God which I had lived in and owned of long time before yet I reckoned it my weakness and imperfectness that I was not and although I did without any intermission continue speaking and praying with my people in publick so that they perceived not any thing at all yet I was exceedingly tempted to have denied it and given it over and I was wont to complain very much of the hardness of my own heart that I would not yield unto that thing being in my then apprehension utterly condemned onely there was a mighty power of God keeping that little spark of light alive in me by his own breathing upon it and I was not aware that I might say Surely God was in this place and I knew it not for I am perswaded if the Lord had suffered me to have been overcome in this temptation I had been wholly carried away as the lest are and had been to this hour for ought I know in bondage with them but the wisdom and love of God which kept me is too deep to be spoken of in this nature onely I tell all the world that I am not able to tell them what a mighty warfare I did undergo many days and weeks about that thing but Michael the Archangel who was most worthy had the preeminence in that duel all honor and praise be given unto him for ever and ever And note this thing further while I lay under this temptation I did finde some power denying me to use those gifts and graces I had so that although they were alive in me and me thinks I could have prayed and have spoke as I was wont yet there was something turning me aside and as it were forbidding me which I did most of all hearken unto and yield unto for the greatest part except it were on the first days among my people in publick Thus I do well remember it was with me in order to this deceit as I may justly so call it because I know it to be so through a most powerfull manifestation of Truth Rule 4. in Demonstr 2. is the reaching of the Spirit of God I am now come unto the Fourth Rule which I observe in my method and that is the way of the teaching of the Spirit of God in Truth in order to these things and Scriptures whereby Satan hath beguiled the hearts of poor creatures First in as much as they reckon it their perfection and happiness to be deprived of all as you have heard The Spirit of God doth neither so act nor so teach but on the contrary bringeth forth more and more ways and manifestations and fresh experiences of his love into the hearts of his people and David was glad many times to remember the antient loving kindnesses of God and because of the excellency and comforts that arise from much knowledg and remembrance of Gods love and formermercies the Apostle prayeth so as he did for the Colossians that they might increase and be filled up with all knowledg and spiritual understanding strengthened with all might Col. 1.9

some dross or counterfeit stuff in the stead thereof such as they take to be better and more pure metall than what they had formerly and therefore they seem very much to rejoyce that they lost it O the most unparalleld apostacy and delusion that ever was yet manifest But if any one shall ask what I do judg to be the reason why the Lord CHRIST did with draw his presence from these people and so consequently suffer Satan to rob them of their heavenly treasure in this kinde I shall by way of answer hereunto give one Reason whereof I am confidently convinced and another whereof I am but in part 1. I am really perswaded was their negligence in using those eminent gifts of speaking praying reasoning discoursing building up one another and the like wherewith they were endued and that so largely that I could not finde in my apprehensions such excellent attainments amongst other people generally which was the reason of engaging my affections so much to them above others and as they grew negligent in using those gifts so from time to time they neglected keeping communion together and became a scattered people every one giving himself over to a selfish retired condition because they were so full of knowledg that they found not one able to instruct another or to be a means of increasing any farther understanding and thus by little and little the bond only being broken which I reckon to be a close and strict communion of Saints under every atainment or discovery therein watching over one another and praying for and with one another Satan carrieth away their hearts into a very meer confusion loss and nothingness and having brought them to that pass he presenteth them with something under most fair and glorious pretences whereunto he gaineth their affections even as far as unto willing obedience and so acteth them therein according as you have heard all along Reason 2. Whereof I am but in part convinced is that peradventure the Lord would have his people walk in some one way administration or form call it what you will whereby they might be brought unto a perfect unity in heart judgment and obedience making but one eccho or voice both in their prayers and praises that so all that indignity and disgrace which is cast upon the servants of Christ and that in a great measure justly might be taken away for as yet the world say that we cannot be the Church of Christ because we are so divided both in our judgments and practices and me thinks I do apprehend the Lord as going about to take away all occasion of stumbling of that nature from before the eys of the world and to render his Church and people so like his people that the enimies of Christ may see and say they are so indeed and in truth And not onely for want of this is there a prejudice suspition and wrong judgment begot in the hearts of such who are without but also the hearts of the Lords own servants become very dead cold and unprofitable to others and uncomfortable to themselves and their gifts and graces for want of holy and continual exercises do exceedingly fade away I do not speak this by report but I have too much experience of this nature my self and so much it is that I hope I shall not give over untill I finde through an holy and humble waiting and diligent inquiry some way or means of having my former enjoyments refreshings and blessed communion with the Lord and his CHRIST restored unto me again for in the loss of the former means and way of God wherein he was pleased most of all to afford me the comfort which was in a strict and diligent maintaining communion of Saints I am very sensible I lost my comforts and therefore I hope when I shall be brought into the same way again I may finde my former mercies and much mercy and peace in Christ Jesus be unto all such who shall be solicitous at their Fathers Throne for the teachings of his Spirit in such casea of difficulty as this is to deliver any of his poor servants out of these straits I had once thoughts in this place for the confirmation of my apprehensions and exposition upon Heb. 6. to have presenced a rehearsal of a sad self-murther judgment which in these parts did lately befall one such creature carried away with these deluders and their delusions who was for many years in my judgment and so I think in most of the Lords people a Pillar of Truth in the Church of Christ and like a Mother in Israel but finding it to be an occasion of glorying or rejoycing among the wicked in all these parts I shall forbear to give any more of them this cause of bringing down their own judgments upon their own heads hoping that this brief hint may suffice to teach all the children of God to ake heed 1. Of living in a condition of idleness without any just or warrantable ●mployment 2. In growing cold in the ways and administrations of God wherein their souls had been richly fed by him 3. Of neglecting praying watchfulness c. Such things as these were the apparent and fore going causes of this sore Judgment And this instance maketh me afraid that but few such once eminent of them will ever be brought to repentance but have their end according to their works I shall here leave off speaking any further concerning this delusion and the doctrines thereof and would have fimshed with this were it not that there are two Questions of some concernment that I conceive might be urged in order to these things and persons whereof I have spoken Question 1. Why doth Antichrist act in this nature and with so much fierceness beyond what he hath been wont to do Answer First because he was necessitated hereunto for these creatures would not be taken with Hue and Cry nor with allurings and drawing back nor with the common baits of ungodly practices so that he was constrained to leave the pursute of them and to get before them disguising himself into some form or other that might best fit their dispositions Secondly he acteth with so much diligence and watchfulness thereunto because he hath a short time to effect his designs Rev. 12.12 We unto the inhabiters of the earth and the sea for the Devil is come down unto you having great wrath because he hath but a short time and it is short indeed according to my understanding of time to the end of the Creation to make up seven thousand years compleat The end of the world and no more I have in my apprehension a fair Scripture and reason for this and of this there are not above thirteen hundred and fifty behinde and out of this there must be a thousand taken wherein Satan shall be chained up and cast into the bottomless Pit Revel 20. Reade all this Chapter and see what you can understand therein The thousand years there spoken