Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n
Text snippets containing the quad
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A30525
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A general epistle to all the saints being a visitation of the Fathers love unto the whole flock of God ... : to be read in all the assemblies, of them, that meet together to worship the Father in the spirit and truth ... / E.B.
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Burrough, Edward, 1634-1662.
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1660
(1660)
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Wing B6005; ESTC R14865
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10,086
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14
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Enemies may have ought against you saving concerning your God and the Worship of him and the matters pertaining to good Conscience and then if any suffer affliction and tribulation by wicked men if it be for Righteousness sake and concerning the Law of your God and the matters of his Kingdom in such suffering the Lord will be with you and not forsake you but he will give you Dominion and carry you through it all in Patience and Faith which gives you Victory over all Enemies And nothing shall happen to you nor come upon you in the anger of God but all afflictions shall be turned to your Comfort and by Persecutions and Tribulations the Lord will but try you and not destroy you you being delivered from his wrath and from that which is the Cause of it And therefore Friends it being much upon my Spirit I do lay it upon you to be mindful in this very thing that you walk in all Wisdom so that your Enemies have nothing against you to cause you to suffer for but onely for Truth and Righteousness sake and concerning the Law and Worship of your God and then if the wicked one take occasion against you to inflict his wrath upon you by wicked men because of the exercises of your Consciences towards God thereby shall the Lord take occasion against your Enemies to destroy them in his season and he will deliver you and for this Cause doth the Lord plead with the wicked in his wrath even because of the unjust sufferings of his People for that alwayes drew down the wrath of the Lord upon Nations and Rulers and for this Cause hath many been destroyed and in our sufferings must be filled up the measure of the iniquities both of Rulers and People in this Nation that the Lord may over-turn them with his hand when their measure of oppression is finished and the burden of its guilt falls upon them Therefore let us have Patience towards all men in all Conditions and Faith towards God at all times for therein is our Armour of Defence and our Weapons to resist all our Enemies and giving up into the Eternal Will of the Father whether in Life or Death in Tribulations or in Rejoicing and giving our Power wholly to the Lord and not unto any other knowing That not one Hair of our Head can fall without him whose Power is over all and through all So that if we Live it may be unto him alone and if we suffer and dye it may be for him and herein Peace shall be with us in whatsoever cometh to pass upon us if we can receive all things as from the hand of the Lord and Live in the feeling of that Power which doth all things or suffereth all things to be done And blessed is he that is not offended in Christ who cannot be offended in him nor separated from him by Principalities nor Powers of Darkness nor Death nor Life of any thing And in this growth was the Apostle which the same is to be waited for blessed is he that obtaines it for that which takes offence against Christ is of the same with that which gives it for all offences against him ariseth from the Corrupted nature which knowes him not and that which receiveth any offence against him is the same which knows him not Yea though an offence may be justly given yet that in which the offence takes place knowes not the Father nor the Son And Christ said offences should come but woe unto him by whom they come and woe unto that which stumbles and falls through offences Therefore every one is to minde the certain evidence of the Spirit of God and of the Truth and Way of Salvation in his owne heart and being perswaded concerning the Way of Salvation by the Spirit of God that Spirit will judg every offence that is given and not embrace it and that Spirit which judges and casts out that which gave offence against God in that Spirit may a man be preserved above all offences so as nothing can separate him from the love of God but though this offence or the other whatsoever may arise yet such a one feels and possesses the Mercy Love and Peace from God in his own spirit and such a one lives in the heavenly Life and cannot make the evil example of another an occasion of iniquity to himself but he rather heares and feares and keeps in more diligence and respect to the fear and presence of God in his own heart yet he covers not the offence that is given in it self but with a Spirit of Iudgment treads it down and walks over it and this is the Right Way for a man of God to walk in and that Spirit is not right before the Lord nor that heart which takes unto it self an occasion to stumble at or deny the Power and Mercy of the Lord because another may abuse them But if one be from the Spirit of God in their own hearts their minde unsetled upon that and unseasoned with that then the offences enter and works darkness and prejudice in the minde and the wrong part being up it receives all things to a wrong end and it abuses Gods Mercyes and also wants the Authority to pass Iudgment upon offences and because hereof is a man undone for prejudice will eat out the good and destroy Simplicity and wound the Soul and bring men into Death and bitterness of spirit Therefore this is to all Friends that you may be kept in the Spirit of Iudgment which will not receive an offence into the wrong part but will Iudge all offences in themselves and hereby all will be preserved and Truth must travel through all his enemies and blessed is he that is kept faithful to the end in the Power of the Lord God that Reignes over and Iudgeth the Power of Darkness in every appearance of it Inwardly and Outwardly And as concerning the times and seasons and the present Confusions and Distractions that is amongst men much might be spoken but certainly the end of all these things shall be turned for good unto us and unto all that do abide in Faith and Patience unto the end and though the present times be of an heavy countenance towards us like as if we should be swallowed up through the roaring of the Sea and because wickedness doth abound by the Spirit that now is exalted yet in this let us respect the Lord for certain it is that Times and Seasons are in his Hand to change them at his pleasure and to take them from one and give them to another when he will the day is his and the Victory is in his Hand Oh! let not mortal men glory against him mans time is but for a moment and it is our Blessedness and Peace to be still to be still And to have a Respect to the Lord through all these overturnings And though the spirit that now is be wicked and abounding in iniquity yet the Lord will limit
A General Epistle TO ALL THE SAINTS BEING A VISITATION OF THE Fathers Love Unto the whole Flock of God who are called and gathered into the Spiritual Kingdom of Righteousness and Peace To be Read in all the Assemblies of them that meet together to Worship the Father in the Spirit and Truth in the silence of all flesh E. B. LONDON Printed for Robert Wilson at the Sign of the Black-spread-Eagle and Wind-Mill in Martins l'Grand 1660. live unto God in all that which is answerable unto him and your words and works will be accepted of him and well-pleasing to him even because it is him that worketh in you to will and to do all good things and he alone exalted in you and you subjected and the Maker is become the Husband and you married unto him and he lives in Power and Rule and Command and you live in subjection unto him and in fulfilling his Will in what he guideth in by his Holy Spirit And this life is very pretious Oh Friends live in it and dwell in it alwayes and then your Ioy and Peace will be with you over all this world and you will be Comforted when Fear and Terrour comes upon all men for the Lord God whom we serve and worspip in the Spirit will cause his Enemies to know his Power and that he doth and can do whatsoever he Will and will smite his Enemies and wound them in their Consciences for all Power Dominion and Authority is with him he is mighty to save and mighty to destroy and his Reward is to every one according to their deeds and this is the God whom we fear and worship and all flesh must bow before him when he shews his presence though men be high and lifted up and go on in Rebellion against him without fear yet the hand of the Lord will be upon them and he shall smite them with the Rod of his mouth Wherefore all Friends have respect unto the Lord in your hearts in all things that you do and in all things that cometh to pass for that is blessed in a people and they shall prosper their Souls shall be nourished and their lives refreshed with the mercies of the Lord even all they that do wait upon the Lord and have respect unto him and his Eternal Power which doth and suffereth all things that be In which Power you must dwell and walk and feel it in your hearts and it will be your Armour and Defence in all things and it will carry you through all that which worketh contrary And it is very pretious to be Armed with the Armour of God in the Day of Temptations and Tryals that you may not be overcome of the wicked nor spoiled of the heavenly Inheritance Oh Friends put on strength that you may stand and never be moved from the hope of Eternal Life and feel the renewing of your inward man even the increase and growth of the immortal Life in you that you may live in that unto the Lord God and Covenant with him may be preserved whereby you may be a praise and a glory to him in your Generation in the sight of the whole world even all you who have tasted of the Presence and Power of the Lord and who have known his Mercies and Iudgements and been acquainted with him that you may be kept faithful unto the end and not be subverted by the wicked one nor drawn from the Obedience to the Truth nor loose your Crown of Immortality neither by the flattery nor terrour of the ungodly but that you live in the Dominion of Immortal Life which keeps above all Mortal Temptations and Mortal Terrour and gives Authority over all And this Life is blessed where the Glory and Peace of this world the Troubles Sorrows of it also are seen over felt beyond nothing of it can move the Heart nor disquiet the Spirit nor work any Separation from the Fathers Love and in the Seed of God where it lives above mortal is this enioyed by us and all the faithful But if the mans part live above the Seed of God that will be drawn aside by the love or by the terrour of this world for that is changable and the evil one hath a part in it so that part is to be kept in subjection in you under the Seed of God and it must bear the Cross of Christ alwayes else you will be overcome of the wicked for in that part the mans part which is of this world the Devil hath something a place to receive him and a part to obey him but in the Seed of God he hath nothing neither place nor part And so Friends live in the Seed of God for in that is your Victory and heavenly Dominion and also your Election and your Assurance for ever even in the second birth begotten of the Father for that is the Heir of God and therein doth man inherit Eternal Life and Rest and Peace to his Soul and therein is Blessings and Peace and life inwardly and outwardly and all fulness is enjoyed where the Lord is the Teacher the Father the Shepheard the Master the King and Iudge and he is become to us the all in all and the Kingdom delivered to him and all subjected under him even God with us the substance of all the end of all and all the contrary put under even the Lyon and the Lamb laid down together and man lives in Peace according to the Promise and the Mountain of the Lords House is established on the top of all in which nothing can destroy or hurt the pure Life but life is in Dominion over all and Death is swallowed up of it Oh Friends this is the mark that is before you press on towards it that you may obtain the final end of all your travel and waiting of your obedience and suffering and the end of your hope and patience and the very end of the message sent of God and delivered to you by us The end of all is this That you may dwell in God and he in you and be gathered up to him to be ever with him and that he may be your all in all and you may be to him an honour and praise throughout the world in your Generation even he your onely God and you his onely people And Friends certain it is that the way of life and peace and of Salvation is made manifest unto you and you know wherein Everlasting peace and reconciliation with God standeth and you also know what the cause is of all trouble and sorrow and condemnation the Lord hath opened many hearts and given unto many a good understanding And seeing you know this live in the way of peace and escape the other that you may not come into condemnation for it is a fearful thing to fall into the condemnation and wrath of the Almighty And for this cause that men should be saved from wrath and have peace with God the message of Life