Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n
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A42004
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An epistle by the life of truth in the love of God to all the bretheren in England greeting who are called Quakers ...
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Greene, Thomas, 1634?-1699.
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1665
(1665)
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Wing G1841; ESTC R28045
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4,789
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10
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AN EPISTLE BY THE Life of Truth In the Love of God to all THE BRETHEREN In ENGLAND Greeting who are called QUAKERS BUT More especially the South East and West parts of this ISLAND Throw him who daily wisheth Grace Mercy and Peace and the love of God may abound in all the Children of the First-born Printed in the Year 1665. An Epistle by the life of Truth in the love of God c. Friends MAny a time since my Confinement in this place of Edmondsbury both night and day I have remembred you and have waited for an opportuty to visit you with a few lines having no other way at present to manifest my love unto you therefore now it is upon my spirit to recommend these things following to your consideration for the encouragement of all the Travelers towards Zion and for the comforting of all the Mourners therein that none might faint in their journey nor be discouraged at these things which they may meet withal which will onely be for the tryal of their Faith that the approved may be made manifest and the Hypocrites discovered and every false birth be brought to its end and for this end is the Lord risen in these last dayes in which he hath gathered a people out of the many gatherings and from the mouths of the false Shepherds and hath brought them to the true Shepherd even to Christ Jesus the Light of the World and not onely so but hath given them power and strength and ability to walk in the same Light by which many of the mysteries of Gods Kingdom have been opened and the mysterious working of the power of darkness discovered by which many as the first born from the dead have walked in the Light of life and have witnessed the sweet refreshments and Heavenly comforts from the Lord to be manifested to their poor Souls which hath raised a love in their hearts to the Lord and hath kindled a zeal and raised a fervent desire in them to follow the Lord to the end by the guidance of his eternal Spirit this I know is the frame of the Spirit of all them that have received Gods truth in the love of it and since that day of the manifestation of the love of God in Christ the light and since we received believed loved and obeyed it the Lord hath been as a Rock unto us and as a tower for us and as a refuge in the times of our enemies pursuit for no sooner had we turned our backs of spiritual Egypt but we had many pursuers and mighty enemies within and without Oh how did we tremble and what fear was in our hearts and how did the Lord appear for us in the day of our Childhâ—od in the truth yet did he help us and deliver us out of the hands of our enemies and kept us to our admiration so that though we were cast down the Lord did not forsake us but brought us from the Oynions and Garlick and the flesh pots of Egypt and allured us into the Wilderness where he hath spread our table and hath spake comfortably to us and hath given us water out of the Rock and bread that the world knoweth not off and hath made us a way through the Wilderness and a path through many a thicket Well what may we say of the goodness of the Lord Oh how may we set forth his excellent Name who hath brought us into the way everlasting and hath lead us as with a cloud by day and as by a pillar of fire by night thus hath he taken care of us as a tender Father and hath not left us in a day of distress neither forsaken us in the hour of Calamity blessed be his Name for evermore Therefore dear Brethren and Sisters and Friends who are made witnesses of this the goodness of the Lord and have tasted of the incombes of his life and have been found faithful witnesses to his truth received by you Well your Names shall not be forgotten neither shall you miss of your expected end which is the Salvation of your Souls you are highly favoured in his sight and he delights in you you are a sweet savour in his nostrils and as a diadem in his hand you are his choice ones and he will never leave you yet shall ye not go untryed neither shall ye dwell at ease but shall be as a traveling woman and as one that labours to bring forth her first born and as labourers in the Vineyard who shall receive a reward Therefore every one who have tasted of the goodness of the Father and have drunk of the brook by the way look not out neither be discouraged at what tryals or exercises thou may'st meet withal for now is the Lord risen to plead with all flesh and to shake all that can be shaken and all things below begins to have upon them the face of blackness and people and nations are as the waters or as the rowl ng waves of the Sea that cannot rest fear and perplexity and distress on every side a day of darkness such as hath not been for Ages and Generations is coming a day of horror and woful lamentation to all the ungodly who live at ease as if there was no end of their riches neither time to wast their delicacies Oh the Lord hath seen and the Almighty hath taken notice and is now come to try all the Professors of his Name that the Professors may be known from the possessors and that it may be known there is a God in Israel who can do whatsoever pleaseth him Therefore dear Friends blessed are you that trust in the Lord and wait upon him in the Covenant of l ght you shall be preserved in peace with the Lord and shall enjoy his presence for that is the marrow of our Religion even Gods presence therefore put on strength ye children of the most high God who have none to fly to but unto him though the foxes have holes and the birdes of the aire have nests into which they are creeping yet will they be found out for the Lord is searching as with candles and the beast shall hate the Whore and shall make her desolate and she shall appear as she is and from the Lord shall drink a bitter cup without mixture because of her Fornication and of her treachery and hypocrisie holding forth the Golden Cup filled with abominations by which many have been deceived but much farther she shall not proceed her end is near her desolation is at hand and it shall be known that the Lord alone is to rule in the Kingdomes of Men. So happy will they be that are faithful to the Lord and have him for their guide and take not councel of man for rich men are vanity and poor men are a lie but of the Lord and of his truth there is none for he sets free and gives power to all his Children to obey him who is the God of Salvation who leads them through many
tryals and maketh them white thereby and supporteth them in the deepest exercise though many at this day are saying as Peter did Master save thy self yet we know he that saveth his life shall loose it and he that looseth his life for Christs sake and the Gospel shall find it And because of this our faithful Testimonie many are saying as Eliab did to David who came down when they shouted to the battel I know thy pride and the malice of thy heart thou art come down to see the battel then David said what have I done is there not a cause And this is our cause at this day wherein many are defying the Israel of God though we have not neither shall we go out with Sword nor spear neither with pride nor malice in our hearts but in the name of the Lord and in the strength of the mighty JEHOVAH in the meek and the quiet spirit therefore let none discourage you ye valient ones for the Lord is with us and who can be against us we seek not our own glory but the glory of the Lord alone and for his sake have and do suffer grievous things because we love our peace with him he hath cloathed us with innocency which is the strength of our loynes and refreshed us with the incombes of his life which hath been the comfort of our hearts therefore let not the frowns nor flatteries of any prevail upon you in this cloudy and dark day but stand still and in patience wait upon the Lord so shall you witness him unto you your everlasting reward and as you wait upon him in whom you have believed so will you know him fitting of you for life and death or bonds or liberty for prosperity or adversity and in every state ye will be content so shall you be as a bride adorned for her husband and shall witness the Lord to be with you and though he take you from the Earth yet are ye with him and can make your appeals unto him and say as good Hezekiah did Lord remember how I have walkt before thee with an upright and with a perfect heart the Lord will have pitty on thee and the Almighty will spare thee and gather thee unto himself but fear a snare and the pit shall be the portion of the ungodly for the Sinner cannot stand in judgment nor the ungodly in the Congregation of the Righteous for now the anger of the Lord is kindled and his arrows are flying abroad and the destroying Angel is gone forth from the presence of the Lord by which already many Fathers are left Childless and many a Wife now Widow and many Children parentless and yet for all this few turn to the Lord by true repentance Well the Lords anger is not yet over but his hand is stretched out still it 's yet but the beginning of sorrow even that I may cry and say Ah sinful Nation ah people laden with iniquity a seed of evil doers will not the Lord visit thee and the Almighty be avenged of thee who hath given thee line upon line and precept upon precept who hath corrected thee in love that thou mightest return but thou wouldst have none of his Councel and yet the Lord through his infinite love hath plucked us as brands out of the fire and hath brought us to sit under the Vine where none can make us afraid And now dearly beloved Friends who are as the first fruits unto God keep your Habitations for the time is near that that Scripture shall be fulfilled which saith Nation shall rise up against Nation and Kingdom against Kingdom and every Kingdom devided against it self shall not stand And these things ye may hear and see yet be not troubled for what have we to do in this matter our Kingdom is not of this World neither is our Crown of rejoycing in visible things for it shall be as it hath been spoken The people of the Lord shall dwell alone and shall not be numbred amongst the Nations Therefore be still be still in this day while all people out of truth are as the troubled waters that cannot rest nor find peace nor satisfaction in all they enjoy therefore ye little Remnant who are called chosen and beloved of the Lord keep retired in the true breathing Seed which is only satisfied with the incombes of the Fathers love in that wait in the patience and in the meek spirit so shall the blessing love and mercy of the Lord be your portion and your daily recompence from the Almighty and happy for ever shall ye be that are kept faithful in your Testimonies and are found in Gods Worship in this his day wherein he is trying all the sons of Men and sifting them as wheat the faithful shall be preserved and by the Lord be into the Garner gathered where safety yee shall witness and daily satisfaction enjoy from the Almighty and shall be ready for your dissolution when ever it shall please the Lord to call you So to the hands of the Lord and into the armes of the Almighty do I commit you all making mention of you in my Prayers to God daily beging that the Lord may fill refresh and satisfie you with his own likeness that his power may be with you and his glory rest upon you that to him ye may be as a garden of Spiees and as Plants full of living virtue that glory to God alone may be given and to the Lamb by you all for evermore So the God of Heaven bless you and water you with the dew from above and keep you in an Heavenly watchfulness that as the Vallies receive the small rain so ye may receive power and strength from the Lord over every adversary enemy tryal and temptation that in the way of Righteousness ye may run to the end of the race to the glory of the Lord for ever Amen saith the Soul of him who for the Lord and his truths sake loveth you and remaineth your Friend and Brother in tribulation and rejoycing Fâ—om Edmundsbury Gaol the 17th day of the 19th Moneth 1665. Tho. Green Friends here are well and the Presence of the Lord is with us We are in all in this Prison upon all Accompts twenty four and their love is to Friends every where This to be read amongst Friends in the fear of the Living God THE END