Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n
Text snippets containing the quad
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ID |
Title |
Author |
Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) |
STC |
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A63480
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An epistle to Friends in the truth
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Taylor, Christopher, ca. 1615-1686.
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1675
(1675)
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Wing T263; ESTC R6565
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4,620
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10
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such things are and ought to be inquired into and such VVisdom the Lord doth guide and is guiding his Faithful Children in that they may have in a Readiness wherewith to stop the mouthes of their Slanderous Enemies upon all Occasions So that the weighty Service of these Meetings is known to them who are exercised therein and what a blessed Presence of God does go along with such Meetings there are many VVitnesses for the Power being kept unto it is impossible there should be formality or Form without Power in any of our Meetings whatsoever but clear Life and the Dominion of the Lord Jesus himself the Teacher and Lawgiver And such Meetings are the chief means to keep out Formality or Form without Spirit and Power and to keep out the unclean Apostatizing Spirit for that which goes from the Power of God apostatizes into Evil but in meeting to wait upon God we know was the good Exhortation in the Beginning and the Holy Spirit of Life and Power came upon us and filled our Hearts and strengthened our Souls to Salvation it is a Heavenly State and State above all other States in this Life when we approach unto the Lord in all our Meetings to wait upon him out of the Exercise and Cumber of other matters to be solaced and delighted together with the Presence of God only comforted and strengthened one in another the most Pure Heavenly State to the Faithful of all States Conditions here and the freest to enjoy the Lord's pure Presence thus it is in all our Meetings and Comings together in the Lord a perfect Bulwark against the Devil and his Kingdom and the Encrease of his Government will more and more be known here until we come to that Everlasting Meeting in Christ Jesus when Time shall be no more And the Faithful in all Meetings and Places will do faithfully and the Presence of the Lord Jesus is with them over all but the Disobedient have not nor can have their Lot in this Matter until they come into Faithfulness and then they will know that the God of Power and Life Heavenly Vertue and Wisdom is with his People in all their Meetings of which there will be a great Increase And all Good Spirits will bless the Meetings of the faithful and not reflect upon them but will see upon every necessary Occasion relating to Truth what Need there is of meeting to wait upon the Lord for Wisdom and Counsel from him that every Decision may be by the Counsel of the Lord alone opened in his Servants to judge for Jesus Christ unto whom all Judgment is committed whose true Judgment will rest upon the beloved faithful People that so it will wholely be the Measuring of God in all things in all to his Glory forever and evermore Ah dear Friends salute one another with this holy Kiss in the pure holy Life Counsel Spirit and VVisdom of Jesus that your Lips may forever praise that God who hath brought such great and mighty Things to pass in this Day of his Power My Tongue cannot express these Mighty Wonderful Things the Lord is doing for his People and the Glory he is revealing Oh this Mighty Ancient Blessed Power of God which we have so largely tasted of Honour be to his Name for evermore who hath thus loved us to pour his Spirit upon us and give us to live to behold such a Glorious Day as this Oh! arise and shine forth more and more dear Hearts and come out of all that 's visible to be united in the invisible Power of Jesus that we may behold one another here in that Love that is everlastingly Pure and Chaste forever The Apostacy came in in the Primitive Times by going from the Spirit of the dear Lord Jesus and then they became Proud Conceited and Self-ended and set up themselves and their own Corrupt Judgments and became Formal and Corrupt in all their Meetings and Counsels abusing the Power of God setting up their own Wisdom and Formal Spirit against it and so departed from that primitive Purity that shone forth in the Apostles their Councils So here was meer Formality indeed and the blessed ancient Services of the true Apostles contemned and their Work despised thus came in the Apostacy and the Earth got in and the Earthly Dark Spirit but they that kept to the Power were kept in the Good Order atop of the Apostacy and did not fall nor apostatize And so now they that keep to the Power of the Lord Jesus it is the same the Care and Oversight of all is committed to them and not to the Apostatizing Spirit that goes from the Power So in the Power is the Government and Good Order of Jesus preserved amongst us and the Counsel of God we find with us continued with a daily growth of Power and holy Wisdom so that Righteousness and Holiness is running down like a mighty Stream and what we have the sense of we are confirmed in in the same blessed Principle that first convinced us and wrought mightily in us and our Hearts are to God without Guile or Straightness that we may entirely serve him in all things and not our selves this is become the Delight of a chosen Remnant who cannot forget his ancient Mercies sealed to our Hearts and we know by what Means and Power we stand and abide faithful to the Lord to keep out the Enemy from amongst us to be clear and sound in the Judgment of the Lord Jesus that to nothing we may adhere or joyn to but to the same Eternal Power and Spirit of God we first begun in and here is our blessed Union and Fellowship preserved in the Strength of the dear Lord Jesus Unto which that all may be kept waiting for Heavenly Wisdom Teaching Counsel Instruction and Direction in all Counsels Meetings and upon all Occasions is the true Desire of him who is your Dear Brother and Fellow-Labourer in the Work of the Gospel Christopher Taylor Written at Waltham in Essex the 8th of the 11th Moneth 1675.