Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	find_v	heart_n	lord_n	5,269	5	3.7260	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A40935	The last testimony of that faithful servant of the Lord and minister of Jesus Christ, Richard Farnworth whereunto is prefixed a brief testimony concerning his life, death and travels &c. : to which is added a few words of exhortation unto those that believe in the light of the the Lamb : published for the consolation of the household of faith .. / by a companion of those who hold the word of God and testimony of J[e]sus Christ and suffer for the same, Josiah Cole.	Coale, Josiah, 1632?-1668.; R. F. (Richard Farnworth), d. 1666.	1667 (1667)	Wing F488; ESTC R27355	8,715	14

THE Last Testimony OF That faithful Servant of the Lord and Minister of Jesus Christ RICHARD FARNWORTH Whereunto is Prefixed A brief Testimony concerning his Life Death and Travels c. To which is added A few words of Exhortation unto those that believe in the Light of the Lamb. Published for the Consolation of the houshould of Faith and for the stopping of that mouth which is opened in Blasphemy against God his Tabernacle and them that dwell in Heaven By a Companion of those who hold the Word of God and Testimony of Jesus Christ and suffer for the same JOSIAH COLE Then I heard a voice from Heaven saying unto me Write The dead which dye in the Lord are fully blessed even so saith the Spirit for they rest from their labours and their works follow them Rev. 14.13 London Printed in the Year 1667. A Brief Testimony concerning the Life and Death OF That faithful Servant of the Lord and Minister of Jesus Christ Richard Farnworth c. FOrasmuch as it hath pleased God Almighty after the long night of woful gross Darkness Apostacy and Ignorance which hath been over the Nations amongst those who have had a Profession of Christianity again to make known and manifest the true new and living way which leads unto Life Eternal even by and through the Revelation and Operation of his Eternal Power and Word of Life in the hearts of a Remnant whom in this our day he first reached unto and visited and raised up to be Witnesses thereof that by them it might be born Testimony unto amongst those who were strangers to it and that thirsted after it that so thereby they also might receive the manifestation and knowledge thereof for want of which many perish and are strangers to the way of Life having only at best a Form of godlyness without the Power In which dead Forms or outside empty Professions some are at ease and rest as though they were in the true Heaven that should never pass away and some are at rest and at ease without any profession living in all uncleanness unrighteousness and abomination and some cannot find rest in either The faithful and true Witness of God being awakned in their Hearts and Consciences which takes the false peace from them and lets them see the emptiness of all outside professions which are without Life and Power and also the abominations and vanities of the world and makes sin exceeding sinful to them And by this true and faithful Witness are desires and breathings and pantings begotten in their hearts after the knowledge of God Christ after fellowships acquaintance with the Father and the Son which desire cannot be satisfied without the knowledge enjoyment of the presence of the Lord and of the light of his countenance And for this cause many run to and fro and wander like Sheep gone astray from the true Sheepherds fold and are wearying themselves upon the barren Mountains in vain looking thereunto for Salvation and seeking the living amongst the dead and so spend their labour for that which doth not satisfie And in these several states and conditions aforesaid the whole Christian world lieth who are not turned to the Light and Spirit of Jesus in themselves and true rest and salvation cannot be found by them until they return to the Light and Power of the Spirit of God in their own hearts which is that whereby a dislike of sin is begotten in them and also desires after Life and Salvation and freedom from sin is thereby begotten and that is it alone which can answer every desire which is begotten by its self Well But when it pleased the Lord to reveal the Son of his Love and to make known his eternal Power in these latter days for the rending of the Vail of darkness that had long been over the heart by which he caused the Light to shine out of darkness which gives the knowledge of his own glory he did not then give the knowledge and manifestation thereof unto all People but he chose certain Witnesses whom he raised up to declare of the manifestation of this Power and to preach the Word of Life nigh in the heart and in mouth and he furnished them with Armour of Righteousness and with all spiritual weapons which were mighty through him to break down the strong holds of Iniquity the spiritual wickednesses that were in the high places and impowred them as Instruments in his hand to turn many from darkness to the Light that the Salvation of God they might come to see and the Work of God greatly prospered in their hands and multitudes were brought to the acknowledgment of the Truth to the saving of their Souls and though they met with great opposition and persecutions by the Emissaries of Sathan even in all Quarters where they came yet that was not prevalent to hinder the prosperity of that Work whereunto they were called of God but it still prospered and doth still prosper to the spreading of the unchangeable Truth abroad even as is seen at this day And of this number whom God Almighty at the first raised up by his Power for this Work aforesaid the late deceased Richard Farnworth was one concerning whom the chief occasion of this my present writing is that so a Testimony concerning him and of what the Lord did by and through him may remain upon Record for Generations to come and that this present Generation of the Just may see and hear his last Testimony which proceeded from his own mouth a little before his departure out of the body and I doubt not but thereby the Consolation and spiritual Comfort of the Houshold of Faith will be added unto And for these Causes I could not well rest satisfied in my spirit without taking in hand to publish these things though I well know that there are many living Witnesses that knew the Life Labours and Travels of the said R. F. who are the Seal of his Ministry And also the many Writings of his own which remain upon Record will speak forth to those who are of a true Spiritual understanding what he was yet notwithstanding all these things were in my mind and divers of other Considerations which occasioned me to defer the publication hereof so long as till now yet being I could not be so clear in my duty towards God and my Brother in neglecting to give forth this my Testimony concerning him and in suffering so precious a Testimony as his last was wholly to be put in oblivion I have with freeness and cheerfulness of heart undertaken it And when it pleased God to manifest his Eternal Power in the heart of the aforesaid R. F. it is well known unto many how effectually it wrought in him insomuch that although he was before a man of great abilities and parts and knowledge accounted of among men even excelling many of his equals yet he was content and willing in obedience to the Power of God to become a

Fool to the World and to be stript and emptied of his own wisdom and knowledge which stood in the state faln from God and his Power and to suffer the loss of all worldly reputation and favour and the pleasures and delights thereof that he might win Christ Jesus and be found his Servant clothed with the Righteousness of Faith preferring the simplicity that is in Christ beyond all worldly wisdom and honour whatsoever and his Sufferings for the sake of Christ beyond all worldly reputation and so great was the change that was wrought in him that he became a wonder amongst many and the Word of God and his Power was great and mighty in him and through him in which he was sent forth by the Lord who had manifested himself unto him to preach the Everlasting Gospel to the poor and to declare of that great Power of God of which he was made a Witness and of the Effects of its operation and so powerfull was his Message and Testimony that many were begotten into a firm belief thereof and believing the Report were turned from Darkness to the Light of Jesus with which they were enlightned and from Sathans power unto the Power of God which wrought mightily in their hearts to the changing of their minds and affections from things that are below towards things that are above all that is fading and corruptible and to the bringing of Life and Immortality to light in them And although they were attended with many foul temptations because of their obedience to the Truth and Light of the Spirit of Grace and brought in many distresses in their passage from Death unto Life yet was he so experienced in the Depths and Subtilties of Sathan and also in the Dealings and Goodness of God in such conditions and estates that he had obtained the tongue of the Learned and could as oft times he did speak words in Season to the strengthning of the weak and refreshing of the weary and to the reviving of that which was near ready to faint So that he was in the Lords hand even as a father to the fatherless and as eyes to the blind and feet to the lame and the eye that truly saw him blessed him and the ear that heard him gave witness unto him for through the Power of God which enabled him he delivered the poor and the needy and built up many that believed in their most precious Faith and confirmed them therein And went about from place to place through the Land of his Nativity turning many from Darkness to Light and confirming the Churches and doing good And his Service was very great for the Lord in his day for he was so furnished with Heavenly Wisdom and Understanding through the Grace of God and also so seasoned thereby that his Patience Meekness and Humility exceeded many And although God had so endued him with heavenly Vertues and Abilities exceeding many yet was he not pufft up therewith neither sought to exercise lordship over those that were weaker and younger then himself but gave place unto any that had the least Gift of God to exercise so that through the Spirit of Meekness and Humility with which he was adorned he was exceeding lovely and beautifull and the hearts and souls of many were affected therewith who in simplicity thirsted after Righteousness and such waited for him as for the Rain upon whom his Doctrine so dropped Yet nevertheless he was terrible to the Worker of Iniquity and the Sword of his mouth was very sharp for the Word of God was therein and when he had to do with any who opposed the Truth and VVay of Life and Salvation which we profess and walk in as oft-times he had his VVeapon was very sharp to them and they were not able to resist the VVisdom of the Spirit by which he spoke for thereby he confounded their wisdom and broke their weapons in pieces so that they were oft ready to Blaspheme God because of the plague that it was to them and a Conqueror he was over the Beast and false Prophet against whom he made VVar in Righteousness in and through the Power of the Lamb in whose Spirit he hath finished his Testimony and Course in the Faith And as the Enemies of the Truth of God were many and in divers shapes that this valiant Souldier of the Lamb had to encounter withal so he was always furnished with Armor and VVeapons fit for the VVork and Service in which he was exercised by which he was enabled to encounter with and Conquer all But at last that his Armor and VVeapons might be proved to be sufficient to encounter with the Enemy of Truth in all kind of Appearances and Transformations it was his lot with me and divers others of the Servants of the Lord to be engaged against the Enemy of Truth who had transformed himself into the likeness of an Angel of Light and under a seeming pretence of appearing on the behalf of God and his Cause c. and against Formality and Traditions c. begun strongly to oppose the Truth of God and the Ministry thereof in and through his Servants and Messengers who have approved themselves as the Ministers of God and as his Embassadors and to cry against our Assemblies and manner of Worship and our Exercise therein as only Formal in which we have alwayes found the glorious Presence Power and Majesty of the Lord amongst us refreshing comforting and strengthening of us even acording as our hearts and souls can or could desire so that we were engaged to justify the Lord in opposition to that gainsaying spirit of delusion by which many were beguiled and led away after Satan to their hurt And in our Testimony for the Lord and against that self-separating gainsaying spirit the Power of the Lord did greatly accompany and assist us and was as greatly with us as in any service that he had called us unto The sincere and upright in heart who have kept their first Love and their first Faith are Witnesses of it and how in Love we laboured for the restoration of those who were beguiled through the craft of the Enemy and for the preservation of those who hitherto have escaped his snare that is well known to many witnesses But if none were sensible of it the Lord he knows and is witness that in sincerity of heart in the Name of the Lord towards God and his People we were exercised and in our labour and travel for them the Blessings of the Lord and his Peace and the comfort of his Spirit did possess and fill our hearts beyond the understanding of the world although many towards whom we were so in love exercised could not believe but some withstood our Testimony and kicked against it in their hearts and resisted the Counsel of God against themselves to the grief and sorrow of our hearts Therefore it pleased the Lord in Love Mercy and good Will to his Servant my dear Brother R. F. that his