Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	ghost_n	holy_a	lord_n	23,094	5	4.0162	3	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A47127	The benefit, advantage and glory of silent meetings both as it was found at the beginning, or first breaking forth of this clear manifestation of truth, and continues so to be found by all the faithful and upright in heart at this day / writ for the stirring up and encouraging of those more especially who are lately convinced unto the love of them, and diligent improving them unto those ends and uses for which they serve by George Keith.	Keith, George, 1639?-1716.; Crisp, Stephen, 1628-1692.	1687 (1687)	Wing K145; ESTC R29891	18,469	27

esteemed as their Glory became now their shame as namely their large Profession and Righteousness and way of Worship which stood in Dead and empty performances in the oldness of the Letter in which they had a Life and which had a Life in them also but it was the Life of Death which Reigned in them and do Reign in all from Adam unto Moses yea and whose Reign is not put down until Christ the Blessed Seed and Life be Witnessed raised and revealed in the Particular and so this Day of God brought Death and Darkness over all that false Life and Light which had Place in them formerly and stained all their false Beauty and Glory even all the Glory of Flesh or of the First-birth in all the Wisdom Counsel and Knowledge thereof and in all its thoughts and apprehensions of God and in all its Words and Works and Practices and Righteousness whereby it came to pass that these who seemed to have and had much Knowledge and understanding of God and Christ but it was according to the Flesh or First Birth began now to See and be Convicted that they were very Ignorant so as even to say surely I am more Bruitish then any Man and I have not the understanding of a Man in me and thus many who were Teachers of others for many years came to be Convinced that they had need to Learn the very first Principles of the Doctrine of Christ and so these who had stood in a long and Large Profession of Words and attained to great Abilities that Way in Doctrine Exhortation and Prayer c. Whether through Education or frequent Practice being come to a true and Living Sence and Convincement that it was all but Carnal and Fleshly or at best stood in a great Mixture having more of Flesh then Spirit in it and more of Death and Darkness then of Life and Light which is hurtful as aforesaid came to be gathered out of all that Bulk and heap of Words into the waiting Place in the Measure of the Light which had Convinced them and given them some Sence of their Conditions so to wait upon the Lord in his Light in all possible stilness and quietness and silence of Mind not only out of all outward Performances and Words but even out of all Thoughts and Apprehensions of God or Christ and all inward motions and Workings which had not the Light or Word or Spirit of God in their Hearts for the Rise and Spring and this they were brought unto through the Ministration aforesaid which pointed or directed them unto this place even silence both as to Words and Thoughts and that both apart and together by which Ministration also they were called to assemble or gather together in the Name of Christ whose Name is the Light the Wisdom and Power of God and the second Adam the quickning Spirit to wait together in this Silence So in this Name they were called and directed to assemble or gather together to wit in the Light Wisdom Power and quickning Spirit of God so they were not to come in their own Wisdom and Spirit or in the Wisdom and Spirit of the first Adam as to Meditate Teach or Pray or give Thanks in the Words which that Wisdom and Spirit did teach them for that had been to meet in the name of the first Adam and not in the Name of the second whose Name is the Light and the Life and the Power and Wisdom of God as aforesaid and so this Wisdom and Power and Name was to furnish them in all they did or spoke in their Meetings or Assemblies and to this the Apostle directed the Believers in his day that whatsoever they did in Word or Deed they should do it in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ if they Taught it should be in his Name to wit in his Light Life and Power and if they Prayed it should be in this and if they gave Thanks it should be in this and then the Words uttered or expressed by them should be Spirit and Life that would both reach unto God for a sweet Savour and Odour before him and also unto his Witness in the Heart of them who heard for what they spoke should not be the Word of Man but the Word of God Christ the Word the Light and the Life speaking in them and through them as Christ said unto the Disciples It is not you that speak but the Spirit of the Father that speaketh in you and according to this Paul said That no Man could call Jesus the Lord but by the Holy Ghost for the Name of the Lord is a living Name and so cannot be named but by the Power and Vertue of his own Life indeed a Man in his own natural Spirit may pronounce the Letter of the Name but the Letter is not the Name for the Name is the Word of God but the Letter is not the Word and so it is one thing to pronounce the Letter or Letters but for another to name or speak the Word of God yea or inwardly only to conceive in it the Mind or Heart which none can do but by the Holy Ghost Now about this time that divers were convinced as aforesaid and gathered together in Divers Places through very Necessity their Meetings came to be Silent for some Time though the First Rice and Ground of their Meeting in Silence was that they were taught it of the Lord forasmuch as there were but few who were then attained unto that Soundness and Clearness of Condition in their own Particulars so as thereby to be fitted and Qualified in the Word Life Power and Wisdom of God to Minister unto others in Divers Places Friends being but very young at that first breaking forth of Truth and so their Works was mostly if not only to joyn together in a joynt Concurrence to wait upon the Lord for the indu●ngs of his Power from on High and to see the Work and Operation of his Word Light and Life in them every one being turned unto the Manifestation thereof in their own particulars For indeed in beginners or those who are but lately turned unto the Light and Life of Truth it hath much to Work through in them and they have many Steps of inward Tryals and Exercise to Pass through in the Light and Life of Truth before they attain unto that Soundness and Clearness in their own Conditions whereby they can safely and Purely Administer the Word and Words of Life unto others without mixture for First a Man must be in a good Measure gathered into the Life and Spirit of Truth so as to be well rooted and fastened in it in his own particular before he be in such a fit Condition as to Minister unto others with safety and advantage and the Word of Life must first have some free passage in a Mans Heart Mind and Spirit before it can have a free passage in the Mouth and it must have got some good Measure of Command

unto the Hearers and are a Sweet and Precious Savour and Odour unto God even a Sacrifice of a sweet Smell and so they witnessed the Promise fulfilled unto them upon the matter though the many Tongues and Languages with other circumstantial things be not as the Disciples did who were commanded to tarry at Ierusalem and wait for the Promise of the Father which was the pouring forth and effusion of the Holy Ghost or Holy Spirit and Life of God upon them and they wait so it came to pass that on the day of Penticost being assembled together with one accord they were filled therewith and began to speak forth the wonderous things of God as they felt them in their Hearts and as the Spirit gave them utterance And seeing they were not commanded to Speak Preach nor Pray nor Sing but in the Name of Christ that is in his Life Spirit and Power as it moved them it is manifest at times the Disciples or Christians in the Primitive Times had Silence among them as we now have seeing they were not to Speak but when the Life moved and surely there were among them who did not always feel the motion of Life to Speak nor were always in a Capacity or Condition for Speaking and though now since the glorious increase and growth of Truth few Meettings have some or other to whom a Ministry in Words is given more or less so that seldom or rarely Meetings are under a necessity to be wholy Silent from first to last yet because of the great Advantage and Benefit and Glory that is found in them Friends are many times willing and desirous to sit down and feed together in Silence upon the heavenly and invisible Life so as to reach unto one another in the Communications of Life and feel the States and Conditions of one another therein in Silence and enjoy that secret and hid Fellowship together which the World knoweth not so as even to be silent though both a Liberty and Ability in the Life may be present with divers where no pressure no pressing occasion is found to utter Words which indeed hath a great Glory in it that People should Converse together in Spirit and deep Silence and without all Words Now among divers great an 〈…〉 d Advantages and Benefits which they who came to be Convinced did find in the sitting down together to wait in silence there were some that in the silence their Minds being turned towards the Light and Life of God which had appeared to them they came to find their Mindes stayed therein and thereby for a great and mighty Power broke forth in the Light unto which their Minds were turned and did gather their Minds into it more and more whereby they came to know a being Planted and Grounded and Rooted and Setled and Established in the Truth and in the Light and Life and Spirit and Power thereof and so they came to be gathered out of all the Tossings and Waverings of Mind and out of all the Incumbrances and Wandrings into Stability and Steaddiness in the Truth which was even as to be delivered from a Stormy and Tempestuous Sea and brought to dry Land and thus also they came to be gathered out of all their own Thoughts and Imaginations and uncertain Conjectures and Guessings concerning the things of God and Religion into the clear and certain manifestation of Truth by which also they came to receive an inward discerning so as to distinguish make a difference infallibly betwixt things and things in them as to see and know and feel what was of God and what was not of him but of Man or of Satan and so as they waited in this silence their minds being turned towards the Lord they could discern the right and wrong Spirit and the Work and motion of each and came to see what was to be Kept and Spared and what was to be Denied what was to be preserved Alive and Cherished and Nourished and what was to be Slain and Famished and Starved and so in the Silence they came to find the pure Judgment of the Lord to pass over and through all in them as the Refiners Fire which purifieth the Glod and Silver but consumeth the Dross and maketh a clear Separation and the Power of the Lord God was found and felt to work mightily in them for the breaking down and Killing and Consuming and Destroyed every Evil Thing and Work which had place in them and removing and taking out of the way whatever Clouded or Vailed or Burthened the pure Life to arise and shine forth and so the Mountains which were raised over the Seed and burthened it came to be shaken yea the Earth and the Heavens by which these bodily Quakings and Tremblings did also seize upon divers and from this the Name Quakers was in scorn cast upon Friends that the Mountain of the Lord might be raised up a top of them all and so through the mighty working of Gods Power which was revealed in the Light to which their minds were turned in silence they came to be brought out of the mixture wherein they stood formerly into a clearness and soundness of Condition in the Truth both as to Spirit and Judgment in their own particulars and so they came to a clear and sound understanding of the things of God of Truth Religion and the way of Worship and to have clear and sound Thoughts and Apprehensions of them which did purely and clearly arise in the Light in which their minds became stayed and so in due time a pure and clear ministration in Words was given unto many of them so that they preached pure sound clear Doctrine in a pure and clear manifestation of Life unto which pure Ministration many came to be brought who had a Ministration formerly among People of divers Sects and Opinions which stood in the mixture aforesaid that was not clear Grain and Food and therefore hurt both themselves and others but being gathered together unto thi● pure Ministration which they received by sitting down to wait upon the Lord to learn together in silence with all subjection the pure and clear and perfect knowledg of things they came both to be saved themselves and to be made instrumental to save many others And so in silence they came to receive these many precious openings and discoveries of Truth and Religion and the Scriptures were largely and purely opened unto them concerning these many things which are the matters of Difference between the Friends and Children of Truth and the Priests and Professors and these together with many precious and excellent Gifts of the Spirit and also much inward Peace Joy Refreshment and Consolation in the holy Spirit and much increase of Life and Grace and Righteousness and much Beauty and Glory and Dominion in the Life were among the Blessed and Glorious Advantages they received in meeting together and waiting together upon the Lord in pure Silence and Stilness and which are all

THE Benefit Advantage and Glory of Silent Meetings BOTH As it was found at the beginning or first breaking forth of this clear manifestation of Truth and continues so to be found by all the Faithful and Upright in Heart at this Day Writ for the stirring up and encouraging of those more especially who are lately Convinced unto the love of them and diligent improving them unto those ends and uses for which they serve By George Keith LONDON Printed by Andrew Sowle in the Year 1687. The Benefit Advantage and Glory of Silent Meetings BEfore the breaking forth of this clear manifestation of Truth that now shineth in great Brightness and Glory which began in the Nation of England some twenty six Years ago or so there was many People both in that Nation and elsewhere in whom there was some true desires and breathings raised and begot after the Lord by the secret workings of his Eternal Power insomuch that many in that day began to seek the Lord in great Earnestness and Zeal upon whom he had caused his Light so far to shine forth that thereby they came to see their Poverty Nakedness and Emptiness notwithstanding of the large and much Profession which they had made in divers Sects and also by the same they came to see their want of the living God though they had learned a notional and litteral knowledg of him from them who spoke weakly upon the Scriptures what they had gathered from the Letter by their Hammerings and Toolings upon them and so it came to pass that many who were diligent and zealous followers of these Ministers of the Letter through these dawnings of the Light of God and Christ which began to appear in them became to weary and tire of that ministration they were under which was at best but that of the Letter and for most part also had much of Falshood and Untruth mixed in with it from the Worlds Spirit and Wisdom so that their Doctrine had neither the sound Words of Truth nor the Virtue and Life of Truth to make it Savoury and Nourishing into the Souls of the People so that many come to loath and refuse it for it appeared unto them no better then as Dead Corrupted Water yea as the Waters of Egypt that became Blood which they loathed to drink off and the same People who began to loath the Doctrine and Ministry of the National Priesthood and also of others who pretended more finding it both Dead and Corrupt they found great perpexity and heaviness of Mind as not knowing what to do whether to go they were pressed in Spirit to leave and forsake the Dead and corrupt Ministry they were formerly under as finding it hurtful yea killing for the Letter killeth but they knew not where to find the living and true Ministery which might administer unto them that which could answer unto the living desires of their Souls and could Satisfie and Nourish them at the same time there were divers in divers Parts who had some inward true and Living openings and Manifestations of Truth but they were not come to a Clear and Sound State and Condition in their own particulars nor to a clear discerning of the Manifestations and workings of Truth from their own imaginations And from the Enemies transformings and likenesses yet in this uncleanness unsoundness they went forth and spoke and declared and Preached and Writ many things which because they did in part issue or proceed from the Light of Truth were much taking into their hungring seeking Souls who had left the Dead and tastless Ministery they were formerly under and so because there was somewhat in the Words or Declaration of these men which did partly answer unto the Witness and truth of God in their hearts they began much to look after them follow and hear them and drink in their Doctrine even as the parched and dry Land drinketh in the Rai● of a Summer shower yet this came to prove much unto the great hurt and loss both of these Teachers and also of them who gave up to be taught by them For their Ministery not standing in that cleanness and soundness either of Doctrine or Spirit as was needful it could not but prove as unwholsom and hurtful food especially seeing there was not that discerning begot in People whereby they could make a clear difference betwixt the pure and the impure that which was of God and that which was but of Man and of the Enemy betwixt the pure and clean Grains and the Tares for indeed in their Ministry they did not sow altogether clean Grain but many noisom Tares with it and that in much more abundance then the true Wheat and the Tares sprung up and choaked the good Seed and hindered it so the good Seed withered in many and in many others was in a decaying and withering condition but the Tares waxed great and flourished and as for those Teachers who went forth as to sow for most part it proved most to their own loss and prejudice for not being brought into a cleanness and soundness in their own particular Condition neither as to Doctrine nor Spirit the Serpent who beguiled the Woman betrayed the simplicity in them and so through his subtilty drew them forth still further and further from the true openings of Truth which at sometimes were opened in them truly from the Lord out into their own vain imaginations and apprehensions and also into the Enemies transformings and likenesses whereby the tender dawnings and breakings forth of Truth became to be vailed and clouded in them and the Darkness prevailed to blind the Eye which had received some half opening and so their latter condition was worse then the first yea many of them became worse then others as unsavoury Salt having run out from the Sence and Savour of that which Savoured them in some Measure and thereby gave occasion of offence unto many People for some of these aforesaid having run out from the Measure of Truth in their own particulars vented and published both in Words and Writing Gross Unsound and Pernicious Doctrines and others of them became loose and desolate in their lives all which the Enemies of Truth charged upon Truth it self and spoke evil of the Way of it unto many Simple People who too much believed them and so were scared and offended even at the appearance of Truth it self And about the same time the People even those of them for most part who were most tender Ingenious and Zealous through a weakness of understanding and because of the customary Way they had been used to had too much an Eye to Words and too much a Life in them for they could not meet together but some behoved to speak in Doctrine Exhortation or Prayer c. Otherwise they would have thought the Time mis-spent so much as passed away of it without Words for their minds were much drawn forth seeking satisfaction and refreshment in outward Words Practices and

Observations which yet they found not but both their Words and Practices for most part proved their Burden and they Groaned under them and yet they knew not what to do for they saw no way how either to Worship God or profit their own Souls or one another but as they thought was in Words or outward Practises and Observations and yet they missed the Kingdom which they in some true Measure desired and so were scattered abroad as in Divers Flocks and Companies like Sheep without a Shepherd seeking the true Fold and Pasture but not finding it And the Lord who had Pity upon them of Old whom he beheld as Sheep without a Shepherd and whose Bowels Yearned over them in the same Yearnings of Bowels extended his tendrr Mercies and Compassion into these who at that time had Tender Breathings and desires raised in them after himself and to know and Worship Him aright and in the acceptable Way and he prepared Messengers and seat among them in a needful and acceptable time who having attained unto the soundness and clearness in their own Condition both as to Doctrine and Spirits through the Power and Grace of the Lord with and upon them which others before them as aforesaid were not come into Preached the glad Tidings of the Gospel in Purity and Soundness upon a People whom the Lord had prepared to receive them as he had prepared them to Minister to them the first Principles whereof were to this purpose or effect That what was to be known of God was manifest within that the Kingdom of God was to be sought after and found within by every Man in a Heavenly Seed and Principle which was of God in every Man the Word near in the Mouth and in the Heart that God Christ was to be sought within found received and enjoyed within in the Measure of the Light wherewith he did enlighten every one that comes into the World and that whoever do truly believe in God and in Christ must believe in the Light wherewith Christ did enlighten them who is given of God a Light to lighten the Gentiles and the People and who so believe in the Light which convinceth of sin judgeth and reproveth it in thought Word and deed come to receive life by it and be made alive unto God so as to have a Sence of his Divine Power and Vertue and to see him and behold him and enjoy him and have fellowship with him in which Life they come to receive Power over Death Sin and Darkness and in the same they come to receive the true knowledge of God and Christ and the things pertaining to his Kingdom and therein and therefrom and thereby they come to receive right thoughts and apprehensions of God and also the right and sound Words which are fit to be spoken of him and concerning him and his Way and Kingdom and which thoughts and Words had a manifestation of his heavenly Life and Vertue in them as they were received in the Living and Eternal Word near and in the Heart and so that all thinking or speaking of God or to him or the things of his Kingdom behoved to have this rise the Word Light and Life of God in the heart otherwise they were all wrong dead and unsavoury and so neither acceptable unto God or profitable either unto the speakers or hearers and in like manner all practices and works which are not wrought in this Principle the Light Life and Spirit of God within are but dead and unprofitable Works and Fruits of Death and Darkness as not having the Life of God for their Rise Spring and Original and so the first beginning of the Ministry in great part was in the Life and Power of God to call off people from all their dead and dark thoughts Words and Works as to God and his Way and Worship which were not brought forth in the Life and Light of God in the Heart were not thought in the Life spoken in the Life done and practiced in the Life as being all but false unsound unprofitable and unacceptable and as the sound and clear Ministration g●ven them in the Light and Life of God was to call people off from all the thoughts Words and Works of Death and darkness so was it also to call them off and turn them from the Darkness it self unto the Light which lighted every one of them and from Death unto the Word of Life nigh unto every one and which would give Life unto every one who became turned towards it in the drawings and Vertue thereof and this was the clear and Sound Ministration which the Apostles received from Christ and particularly Paul who was sent unto the Gentiles to turn them from Darkness into Light and from the Power of Satan unto God which Ministration as it was greatly Blessed of God in the primitive times unto that effect so was it and is it in this our Day the Work of Labour and Love of him whom the Lord sent as the first of many others who came after did greatly prosper though in much contradiction into many who opposed some through Ignorance and others through Malice whereby in a small time many out of Divers Sects and Professions came to be turned into the Light and be convinced of it and by it that it was the very saving Light of Christ Jesus notwithstanding of all that Priests or Professors said or disputed to the contrary for the Ministration had that Light and Evidence Life and Authority yea Power Dominion of Truth in it which even by a Spiritual compulsion forced an assent in the Hearts of many and the Measure of Truth which was Clouded and Vailed in many came to be reached unto through this Ministration so as to answer unto it to the sufficient convincement of these in whom it is thus answered And as for them who came to be clearly and soundly reached so as to feel the Power and Life of God in the Ministration reach into the Measure and Seed of Truth in their own particulars O what a Day and Time it was unto them that was even such a Day as they had never the like of it before nor in some Sence after it for it was a Day unto them both of Joy and Heaviness Comfort and Sorrow Light and Darkness Life and Death their Joy and their Comfort was in the Morning Dawnings of the Beauty and Glory of God which begun somewhat to appear in the Light as they became turned towards it but their heaviness was in that they began to find the exceeding sinfulness of sin and how to feel themselves so hedged and compassed about with intanglements and hindrances both within and without but more especially within to stop them from entring into the new and living and perfect way of God which began to be revealed in the Light insomuch that they came to see that these things which they formerly counted gain were now Dung and loss unto them and that which they