Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n
Text snippets containing the quad
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Author |
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A56071
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An epistle to Friends
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Parker, Alexander, 1628-1689.
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1660
(1660)
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Wing P381; ESTC R2937
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3,285
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7
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AN EPISTLE TO FRIENDS DEar Friends Brethren and Sisters in the holy Union of Divine Love who are called by Grace in Christ Jesus the Light and Love of God I your dear Brother in the same pure Love and Union being called and chosen of God to labour in his Vineyard do send Greetings of Love unto you and write these things unto you by Way of Remembrance to stir up your pure Minds that you may be encouraged to go on and press towards the Mark for the Price of the high and precious Calling whereunto you are called that none of you may faint in your Minds nor sit down by the Way neither set up a false Rest but with Courage and Boldness go on following the Lamb in the Light which Way soever he goes through Sufferings and tryals and all Hardships like good Souldiers of Jesus Christ be valiant in the spiritual Combat until all your Enemies be made your Footstool that so you may quietly sit down in Peace and Safety under the Shadow of Christ Jesus the Light Life and Power of God where none can harm you nor make you afraid And dear Hearts pure and holy is the Lord who hath called you and dreadful is his Name he is Just in all his Wayes and loves Truth and Righteousness and nothing can stand before him but Purity no Hypocrisie nor Deceit nor any feigned or false thing can stand in his Presence nor enter into his Righteous Kingdom but by the Fire of his fierce Wrath is to be burnt up and consumed Truth is his Delight and Holiness his dwelling-place without which none can see him nor approach unto him all his Wayes are pure and perfect and nothing can guide in his Way which is perfect but that which is perfect the Worldly Eye cannot behold nor Worldly Wisdom comprehend nor find out the Depths of his divine Mystery it is sealâ—d and hid from all the Sons and Daughters of Adam who be in the Transgression Sin and Disobedience separated from the pure Love Life and Presence of the living God But Glory and everlasting Praises be given to the most high he hath discovered and revealed that Light and Life and pure Truth which hath been hid and vailed under the thick Mists and Clouds of Darkness for many Ages but now is manifest unto the Children and Servants of God who fear his Name and tremble at his Word even the same Truth as ever was which abides and continues forever which makes free from Sin and unites and Joyns the Hearts of all those who faithful in it abide together in one pure Love and holy Life O my dear Friends prize the Love and Mercies of God which have been tendered unto you in the Light and continue in his Love and walk worthy of his Mercies as lively Patterns and Examples of a Righteous Life answerable to your Profession that you may be a sweet and good Savour to the Lord both in them that believe and in them also that perish resembling and representing him who hath called and loved you holding forth unto all the same Patience and Long Suffering of God even as the Lord loved you when you were his Enemies and waited in Patience and Long-suffering to be gracious unto you and to do you Good so do you shew Love and Kindness to them that are without though they be Enemies to you and speak Evil of you and labour to overcome you and to draw you back again into the Mire and Pollution of the World I say unto you in Patience wait and partake not with them in any Evil but stand Witnesses for God against the Evil be not overcome therewith but overcome Evil with Good and turn not ye to them but stand stedfast and unmoveable in the Light and let them return to you I know dearly beloved the Enemy of your Souls lies in wait to deceive you and ensnare you and will not cease to tempt and assault you as long as he hath any Interest in you to draw you back again into Sin and Evil for it is his Work to oppose the Work of God and to make War with the Lamb and the Saints he need not make War with the Worldly Ones who live in Sin for they are subject to him already and led Captive by him at his Will but his Enmity is against the Lamb and his Followers who come to spoil him and dispossess him and take the Kingdom from him and therefore doth he rage and go about like a roaring Lyon seeking whom he may devour therefore let none think strange concerning the fiery Tryals and many Tribulations the Followers of the Lamb do pass through but every one in particular wait upon God in the Light which makes manifest the Deceits and subtil Workings of the Serpent that in the Light you may behold the subtil Enemy in his approaching and in the Power of God resist him that so a Separation you may all know in the Root and Ground between the precious and the vile wrought in you by the pure Power of the most high God that you may know each Workman in their several Workings in the Mystery for as Godliness is a Mystery so likewise Iniquity is a Mystery and as God is a pure Spirit and works in a Mystery in the Light so the Devil is a dark Spirit and works in a Mystery in the Dark and as God doth work Mankind into his Image of Righteousness so the Devil he works Mankind who obey him into his Image of Unrighteousness and as these two Workmen to wit the Prince of Light and the Prince of Darkness have no Fellowship nor Agreement but are contrary one to the other even so the Followers and Servants of each of these have no Agreement but are opposite and contrary each to other and hence ariseth the War and the Strife between the two Seeds the Seed of the Woman and the Seed of the Serpent and no Man or Woman can serve these two Masters or be Heirs of these two Kingdoms but every one becomes a Servant to him to whom he yields his Members Servants to obey whether of Sin unto Death or of Obedience unto Life and so every man and woman is known whose Workmanship they are by that Image which appears in them and so are known by their Works and Fruits the Children of God who are born of the pure Spirit from above are marked out and have their Father's Name written upon them which is Meekness and Humility Patience and Long-Suffering Gentleness and Peace Righteousness and true Holiness Truth and Love hereby they are known even by their Fruits of Righteousness so also the Children of the Devil who are born of the dark Spirit from below are marked out and have their Father's Name written upon them which is Envy and Wrath Coveteousness and Pride Arrogancy High-mindedness Stubbornness and Wilfulness Lying and Swearing Scoffing and Scorning Jearing Drunkenness and such like and hereby they are known even by their Fruits of Wickedness Therefore my beloved Friends wait in the Light of Christ Jesus and try the inward Motions what Spirit it is that moves whether the pure Spirit that moves in the Light or the unclean Spirit that moves in the dark that so you may know a Separation in the inward Ground between the Good and the Evil that in the Power of the Lord ye may Joyn to and obey the Good and separate from and resist the Evil in the first Rise and Motion before it break forth into Action for before every Action that is done amongst men there is first an Inward Motion So in the Light of Christ try every Motion from what Ground it doth arise and dwell in Righteousness and true Judgment that Sin may be condemned in the Flesh and the Enemy resisted in all his Appearances both within and without for this you shall find by Experience that when the Enemy cannot overcome you by that Power which he hath within you but by the Power of God is resisted and overcome then he will stir up some of his Instruments without you in whom he bears Rule and make them Instruments to tempt and ensnare you and to draw you back again into the Sin and World of Darkness But all Friends stand stedfast and unmoveable in that measure of Light and Truth which from God is manifested in you and that same Power which gives you Victory over the Evil within waiting in Patience in it will also give you Victory and Dominion over the Evil-doers and Sinners without you whereby you may be able to say in the Truth GREATER IS HE THAT IS IN US THEN HE THAT IS IN THE WORLD So the Lord give you Wisdom and true Discerning to put a Difference between the Holy and Unholy and the Almighty Presence and Power of the highest accompany you and assist you that you may therein resist the Evil and obey the Good so shall you have Peace in acting and doing the things that are Righteous and well-pleasing unto God Live in LOVE So with my dear Love unto all the Upright in Heart I rest your dear Brother in the Truth Alexander Parker This to be read among Friends in the Truth as in the Wisdom of God they shall see it serviceable THE END