Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	grace_n	holy_a	lord_n	14,167	5	3.6878	3	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A48759	A living testimony from the power and spirit of our Lord Jesus Christ in our faithful womens meeting and Christian Socity [sic] given forth in the universal union, and approbation thereof, according to our several proportions of faith and life in the same spirit.	Forster, Mary, 1619?-1686.; Society of Friends. London Yearly Meeting of Women Friends.	1685 (1685)	Wing L2598A; ESTC R21315	5,178	8

A Living TESTIMONY From the Power and Spirit of our Lord Iesus Christ in our Faithful Womens Meeting AND CHRISTIAN SOCITY Given forth in the Vniversal Vnion and Approbation thereof according to our several Proportions of Faith and Life in the same Spirit THe Spirit of Grace having freely visited all Mankind the Lord hath had regard unto the low estate of his Servants and Handmaids notwithstanding the Enmity and Subtilty and secreet Smitings of that Spirit which seeks to Divide and lay Waste the Heritage of God whom he hath Quickned and Raised up Heirs of Life together in the Fellowship of the Gospel of Peace which stands in the Vnity of that Spirit which gives Life and our Life Peace and Joy is increased in the Lord one toward another whereby we are made Living Members of that Body which Christ Jesus our Lord is Head Glory to our God forever And we being turned to the Spirit of Grace and Light of Christ do believe in the Light and are become Children of his Light of his Day and so Members of his holy Body of which Christ is the Living and Eternal heavenly Head and by the Spirit of Grace we are come into Favour with God and into the Order of his Gospel and are his Daughters Servants and Handmaids and we have a Heavenly propriety in the Light Power and Spirit of Grace and the Gospel being Heirs of the same so by Grace we are called into the Work and Service of God and Jesus Christ that they require of us in our Age and Generation and we have our Wisdom from the Lord Jesus Christ the Rock of Ages and the Foundation of many Generations who is made unto us Wisdom and he hath enlightned our Spirits which is the Candle of the Lord which his heavenly divine Light which is the Life that is in Christ the Word by which all things were made that we might all see and know the Will of God and do it and know our several Works and Services the Lord requireth of us in his Church we are not to put our Candles under a Bushel nor to hide our Talents in a Napkin as the sloathful do but we are to have Oyl in our Lamps like Wise Virgins to the Lord and our Lamps are to burn and our Lights are to shine that we may all see clearly our Work and Service namely To help Families that are Poor and have Children and to see that they are diligent to improve things to the best that they are not slothful in their business no Wasters and that they put their Children to some Imployment as soon as they are capable for the Truth hath a lively operation it brings People to be diligent in all things serving the Lord. For we which have been Mothers of Children and Antient VVomen in our Families do know in the VVisdom of God what will do in Families in Truth and Righteousness and according to the Families and so are able through the VVisdom of God to instruct such as want Instruction and so are Helps to them in their Families And as the Apostle saith The Elder Women are to be Teachers of good things and instruct and teach the Younger to be Sober and love their Husbands and Children and to be discreet good and chaste that the Word of God be not blasphemed So here is a great charge and care lies upon these Aged Women in the Truth who are to teach these good things that the Younger be trained up in that which is good sober and discreet chaste and virtuous so to be kept before they Marry and after they are Married sober and to love their Husbands and Children and bring them up in the fear of the Lord that the Name of the Lord be not blasphemed Here we Aged Women in the Truth have a Gift to be exercised in 〈◊〉 and such a care lieth upon us that the Church of Christ be not scandalized A●● we have a concern as in Tit. 2. relating to Marriage both before and after they are Marryed and such Elderly Women in the Truth are to be intreated as Mothers and so not to be Railed upon and the Younger as Sisters with all Purity and Widows that are VVidows indeed are to be honoured and if they have Children or Nephews let them learn first to shew Piety or Kindness at Home and to requite their Parents and Kindred for this is good and acceptable before God Now this is a good Lesson for the VVidows to instruct their Children and Nephews to Practice And so we may see such holy VVomen that were taken into the Number and Society in that day were to be well reported for good Works Lodging Strangers and Relieving the Afflicted and if she have diligently followed every good VVork these were of the Number of good Women that were taken into the Number for their good Works and Service in the Church of Christ and that were recorded for their Works and Service to the Lord. Now here is a diligent Practice and Exercise in the Power and Spirit of God and to be diligent in every good Work and Service To relieve the Afflicted and to bring up Children in the fear of God and to be Teachers of good things and Instructors of the Younger that the Name of God be not Blasphemed So here you may see the Apostle was of another Mind than those perverse corrupt Minds full of Envy and Strife Railing and evil Surmizing and some that wilfully scoffingly maliciously and revilingly call the Womens Meetings an Idol and an Image but such Raging Waves of the Sea have but foamed out their own Shame and manifested they are erred from the Spirit of Grace which God poureth forth upon Daughters Servants and Hand-maids which have received as well as Sons and are to improve their Talents and measure of the Gift of God and not to grieve nor quench the holy Spirit nor walk despightfully against the Spirit of Grace as some do whereby we are sealed to the day of Redemption And concerning Marriages it being God's joyning and his Ordinance we Women in the Spirit and Grace of God being living Members of the Church of Christ do see with the Spirit of God our Service concerning Marriage that both Young and Old that profess Gods Truth may go together orderly first having their Relations consent for many times we having seen and do see more in the Young People and Widdows State and Condition than some of the Men because we are more amongst them so in that we dare not neglect our Gift in the Spirit of Wisdom and Grace but exercise and improve it to this glory and honour and in that we are meet Helps in the Spirit of God to the Men our Brethren knowing that Male and Female are one in Christ for the Vnity and Fellowship of Sons and Daughters Widdows and Servants stands in the Spirit of God and we in the same Spirit know our great Service to look after and visit the Sick that want Nurses

to help them and sometimes assisting the Men our Brethren to the placing out our poor Friends Children to Apprentices and other good Services that the Spirit of God leadeth us to and into the practice of the pure Religion and that all such as do profess the Grace of God may live and walk godly righteously and soberly in their Lives and Conversation all such as profess the Word of God may be Doers of the Word of God for all that fear God and work Righteousness are accepted with God And so the Aged Women in the Truth were and are to be Teachers of such good things but such wanton Women or Widdows that are Tale-carriers and busie Bodies that speak things they ought not and such Men that are in Envy and Strife and are puft up with high swelling Words of Vanity and vain unruly Talkers Despisers of them that are good having got into the form of Godliness but not in the Power Such were in the Apostles days as well as now reproved by the Spirit of God and turned away from and we cannot receive their Chaff and Husks for the Seed Wheat or the Bread of Life neither their Earthly sensual Wisdom for the Wisdom of God and therefore have several of such unruly Spirits printed and written so many slanderous reproachful Books against us and made disturbance against our Meetings under a false pretence as though they would call us to our own as it was in the beginning which if they themselves had kept to that that first convinced them they would have shewed forth a quiet and meek Spirit who under a pretence of calling People to their own have drawn People from their own for we are come to our Light Spirit Grace and Word of Life and Anointing within which is our own which at first convinced us and which doth teach us to be Doers of the Word of God and to live Righteously and to practice the true Religion and them that do not the spirit of the Lord moveth us and teacheth us to admonish and exhort them to forsake the Evil and cleave to the Good and them that oppose the Practice and Care in the Spirit and Grace of God of Men and Women in their Meetings had they kept to the Light Grace Truth and Spirit of God and Vnction within them they would have been one with us in the same and in the practice of the pure Religion and in the Godly Care for God's Honour but many of them are turned Mockers Scoffers Writers and Printers against us and are become vain Talkers But we leave them to the Lord to deal with according to their Words and Works And we right-well know our Services which the Spirit of Grace hath led us to in the Church of Christ And as to our orderly proceeding toward Marriage we say and affirm the Man and Woman both ought to appear at the Monethly Meetings and Meetings for such Services where we and the Men may hear what both have to say that Men and Women may not be wronged of their Children and that they are clear from all other Persons that the Meeting and all others concerned may have satisfaction in that Life Grace and Spirit of Christ in which is our Unity and may be faithful Witnesses both to God and Man in our own Gift of Grace in which God hath and doth own us And all that write and print and speak against our Practice which the Spirit of Grace hath led us to in the Church of Christ reach us not neither are they of any credit with us For we have put on the Breast-plate of Faith and Love and for an Helmet the Hope of Salvation And so our desires are That whatever things are pure vertuous lovely sober honest and of good Report and that every one may follow that which makes for Peace and that they may study to be Quiet and do the Lords Business in his Spirit and Power and their own in Truth and Righteousness and walk as Children of the Light in the day of Christ and in meekness instruct them that oppose themselves If God peradventure may give them Repentance to the acknowledgment of the Truth Greet one another with a holy Kiss of Charity Peace be with you all that are in Christ Jesus Amen Rom. 16. 1 Cor. 16.20 2 Cor. 13.22 1 Pet. 5.14 Now this holy Kiss of Charity is wanting and not to be found nor expected from them that do not walk in the Spirit of God And the Apostle saith I intreat thee true Yoke-fellow help these Women which laboured with me in the Gospel with Clement also and with others my Fellow-Labourers whose Names are written in the Book of Life Phil. 4.3 There is one God and Father of all which is above all and through you all and in you all by his Spirit So all may see with his Spirit the Lord is near unto all to teach them to know their Service and if these do lack wisdom to ask it of God who giveth liberally and take counsel of him who is nigh unto you and walk worthy of the Lords mercies being faithful in every good work for to do good communicate is a Sacrifice well pleasing to the Lord and we who are made the Sons and Daughters Servants and Handmaids by the Spirit of God in the same Spirit we have Unity and Fellowship though we be absent in body one from another yet we are present in the same Spirit and by the spiritual Eye do see and behold and rejoyce in our spiritual Order and one anothers stedfastness in Christ Jesus And so we have a communion in the Holy Ghost both Sons and Daughters and if any thing the Men do see that is more proper for the Women to do and to look into they do let us know of it as Sisters in the Truth and if any thing we see that is more proper for the Men than for us then we let them know as our Brethren in the Truth so in this we do assist each other in the Spirit and Truth and are meet helps in the heavenly spiritual Union and Communion and Fellowship and Society and do know the unity of the Spirit of Christ which is the Bond of Peace and in this heavenly Spirit that reaches through all and over all and is in you all our dear Sisters every where in Christ Jesus 't is you we visit to whom we recommend this Epistle Farewel Postscript WE have been a People that have sought the Lord and now we have found him we are willing to obey him in his Power and holy Spirit that he hath given us to enable us so to do and though we are persecuted in spirit and other ways by unruly Tongues that have not power with their hands such that are Sayers of the the Word of God and Talkers of the Grace of God and of the Righteousness of Christ but not Doers of the Word nor walkers in the Righteousness and Grace of God their ungracious Languages and Words that they have Spoken and Printed against us shew the Trees and their Fruit whom we desire may come to the Light of Christ that with it they may see themselves and repent for we desire the Salvation and Eternal Good of all Signed by us in the behalf of the rest of our sincere Minded Members of our Meeting London from our Womens Meeting gathered out of the City and Suburbs the 1st of the 4th Moneth 1685. Mary Foster Mary Elson Anne Travice Ruth Crowch Susannah Dew Mary Plumstead THE END