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A40949 The saints duty, and safety, in a trying time, and when they are attended with a suffering condition: or, The saints duty in meeting together in the way of God, as worshippers of him and their safety and happinesse in continuing and abiding with the Lord in that wherein the Lord hath appeared, & doth continue and abide with them, to minister unto them both in a time of suffering, and in a time of rejoycing. And also, the danger of being negligent in meeting together, to per- [sic] perform their duty and service to God, through any wile, and crafty mysterious working of Satan, whereby he labours to seduce and deceive them, &c. Written in the 4. moneth, 1664. by R.F. To be read amongst Friends at their meetings, and upon occasions, to such as there may be a service, R. F. (Richard Farnworth), d. 1666. 1664 (1664) Wing F502A; ESTC R215744 12,166 18

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Christ Jesus blessed be God even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort who comforteh us in all our tribulation that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble by the comfort wherewith we our selves are comforted of God for as the sufferings of Christ abound in us so our Consolation also aboundeth by Christ and whether we be afflicted it is for your Consolation and salvation which is effectual in the enduring of the same sufferings which we also suffer or whether we be comforted it is for your consolation and salvation and our hope of you is stedfast knowing that as you are partakers of the sufferings so shall ye be also of the Consolation as it is written and left upon Record in Scripture 2 Cor. 1 3 4 5 6 7. It is a pretious and an excellent thing to be in that power which measures spirits and lets forth it self in power and vertue in a ministration to several estates and conditions and doth acquaint one another with the way and manner of its working bearing of burdens when the soul is in sufferings To Simpathize with it therein as well as to h●ve fellowship with it in consolation or else how should we performe that Christian office and duty both in tribulation and consolation which in the spirit of love we are to do for we are to suffer with them that suffer as well as to rejoyce with them that rejoyce therefore it is good to know one another under sufferings that we may have fellowship one with another both in sufferings and in rejoycings and so be helps in the Lord one to another to do good unto all but not to hurt or destroy any that are weak in the Faith and attended with many weaknesses tryals or exercises so that we may alwayes upon the account of the Lord his service both appear and be found in that principle spirit wherein we and our services may be acceptable well pleasing to the Lord and helpfull one to another through Christ Jesus the Son of his love For assuredly God hath appeared spoken unto us in spirit and called us out of the way and worship of the spirit of the world hath made known that which is certain unto us that is to say the tryed known Truth and true way and worship of God in the spirit and we are not to leave or forsake it least it be said who required thee to forsake the way and worship of God the Lord hath made known the truth and way of his worship unto us and he hath called us unto it required us to continue and Abide with him in it and therefore it is our duty to meet together as God hath commanded and not to forsake the assemblies of the people of God when man doth forbid us for we have judged already that if God command us to meet and assemble together to wait upon God and true worshipers of him and if men do command the contrary and forbid us to meet under great penalties in such cases we are to obey God rather then man and the Lord hath given us this Testimony that he owns and accepts of us in so doing For if God command one thing and man command another thing It is better to obey God then man in such cases because the Lords power is absolute add his commands are righteous and just and therefore ought to be obeyed he hath power to pardon or punish as we are obedient or disobedient unto him and he hath right to teach order and dispose of us both by Creation and by Redemption who hath punishments for the wicked and rewards for the righteous and if he be offended or displeased by denying obedience to his just and righteous commands whose power is the highest power to obey the will and commands of men who are contrary minded to him to avoid a suffering condition no King nor Potentate upon earth can deliver from the wrath and displeasure of God for so doing but if we fall into the wrath and displeasure of men for denying their commands which are contrary to the commands and requirings of God to be obedient and subject unto him whose power is absolute and who hath right both by creation and redemption to claim our obedience and subjection unto him he can deliver us from the wrath displeasure of man and therefore it is the Saints duty to be obedient to God and it is for their safety and happinesse to continue in his word and doctrine and in all conditions to abide true and faithful unto him though we be attended with sufferings from men for so doing An Epistle to go amongst friends to be read in the fear wisdom of God DEar Friends Brethren and Sisters whom I dearly love in the Lord my dear love runs forth unto you hath an entrance within you and doth rest upon you It is a precious thing to feel the Lord possessing our hearts and spirits living ruling and reigning within us and to feel one another in the power of an endlesse life which is for our refreshment and great consolation they who are under the daily administration of the spirit and power of God do daily partake of the love vertue and sweetnesse of God for the power bindeth under or removes all obstructions oppositions and interpositions and besetments of soul and reacheth unto it for its relief and refreshment and carrieth forth unto it of the eternal sweetnesse that it feeds at the breast and is nourished with the milk of the Word which is the vertue of God and tastes of its sweetnesse so that it can say as David did Thy word is sweeter unto my taste then the honey and the honey-comb The Lord hath come forth in power unto us and we are witnesses thereof so hath he come forth in vertue and sweetnesse within us and our soules have tasted thereof he hath been with us in stroms and tempests so that the flouds of afflictions and waters of persecutions hath not destroyed us we have been kept in the Ark of the Covenant above the waters and carried over to the dry land of peace and rest by the arm of the Lord he hath stood between us and the dangers and hath kept back the force of the storms and violence of the enemy from us so that though he hath often tried us yet he did not thereby destroy us but had a way in his wisdome to keep and preserve us and though troubles and afflictions attend us yet the Lords refreshing presence is with us and his free spirit doth uphold us We have this testimony that we are a people blessed and beloved of God and though our troubles have heretofore been many yet our deliverances have been as many for many are the troubles of the righteous but the Lord delivereth out of them all And as we have had many deliverances wrought and brought to passe for us by the
arm and power of the Lord so we have had many testimonies of his love and refreshings from his presence brought home upon our hearts and reached into our spirits and therefore we have had many encouragements from him to continue and abide with the Lord when ever we are afflicted and tried The Lord hath given his Word unto us and we have the promise of the Lord that he will never fail us nor forsake us And therefore have we cause to believe in his Word for though we are brought forth into a trying time yet it is the Lords own doing and he who hath begotten us to himself through the Son of his love into a Covenant of Grace and brought us forth to appear for him in that principle and spirit of Jesus wherein we and our services are acceptable and well pleasing to the Lord though opposed and hated by the principle and spirit of the world he knows how to keep and preserve us to his own praise For the Lord hath appeared unto us and joyned himself with us in a spiritual way and after a spiritual manner and he hath signified by his good spirit that we are his people and he is our God and we have this testimony that we and our services are acceptable and well pleasing unto him and therefore we have good cause to continue and abide with the Lord. Dear friends be at peace amongst your selves and let the peace of God rule in your hearts give way to nothing that would obstruct or hinder it and let the word of Christ dwell plentifully in you Be diligent and faithful to the Lord for he hath been and is faithful unto you you have no just cause of complaint against him therefore let him have no just cause of complaint against you And for as much as he hath chosen you and manifested his love unto you and joyned himself with you deal not unworthily with him so as to forsake him break no Covenant with him neither do you separate your selves from him again but be true and faithfull unto the Lord and continue with him notwithstanding all tribulations and afflictions that doth or may attend you in a trying time and under a suffering condition Be tender and loving one to another as the Lord hath been and is tender and loving to you do not uncover one anothers nakednesse to the world nor to such as do or may seek an occasion against them and the truth for the Lord hath not dealt so with you therefore do unto others as the Lord hath done unto you and alwayes appear for the Lord in the principle and spirit of God that you may reach unto and be answered again by the witnesse of God Take heed of judging any appearance of God in one another but cherish every good thing and judge this rather that you lay not a stumbling block in anothers way to offend the weak or cause them to fall turn aside from the truth and way of the Lord. And be diligent and faithful in meeting together in the way of the Lord as worshippers of him and do not forsake the assembling of your selves together for fear of an outward suffering from men for it is your duty to assemble and meet together in the fear of the Lord and it is a danger to be negligent in that respect if men command you to neglect the assembling of your selves together in the way of the Lord as worshippers of him in such a case it is better to obey God rather then man for if you for your obedience and faithfulnesse to God in assembling and meeting together in the way of his worship wherein he hath enjoyned you to walk do fall into the hands of men and be liable to suffer by them for so doing the Lord knows both how to support you under the sufferings and can also deliver you from them but if you do forsake the way of the Lord wherein he hath appeared unto you and wherein he hath for many years owned you and given you many testimonies of his love and acceptation and fall into the hand and displeasure of God for so doing no King nor Potentate upon earth can deliver you therefrom Therefore it is better and more safe to obey the Lord and fall into the hands and displeasure of men for the same then to disobey the Lord to obey the will of man and fall under the displeasure of God for so doing because that no man can deliver you from the wrath of the Lord but the Lord can deliver from the wrath and displeasure of man and cause one to rejoyce and be glad under a suffering condition for tribulation worketh patience and patience experience and experience hope which makes not ashamed You know what the Lord hath been unto you in former trialls and how he hath taken all slavish fears and faintnesse of heart from you and hath letten forth his power and virtue within you and put boldnesse and courage upon you so that you have been possessed with the power of heaven and made to rejoyce and triumph under a suffering condition when you have suffered for the Lord and his truth so that he hath both armed and prepared you for himself that you may give up into his will to be ordered and disposed of by him for ye are not your own but are bought with a price Therefore glorifie God in your bodies souls and spirits which are the Lords that you may be the people of his praise The Lord hath a right to dispose of you both by creation and by redemption and hath delivered your souls from under the power of the enemy who sought your destruction and hath prevented him and preserved you unto this day and also been with you in many dangers and stood betwixt you and the danger and delivered you therefrom and kep● you to appear at this time for him and it would be great unkindnesse and unworthinesse in you now to deny the Lord and give him occasion against you Oh therefore be strong in the Lord in the faith in the love and power of his might and be bold and valiant for you who is worthy God blessed for ever Written in the 4. Moneth in the year 1664. By R. F. The End
THE SAINTS DUTY and SAFETY In a Trying Time And when they are attended with a Suffering Condition OR The Saints Duty in Meeting Together in the Way of God as Worshippers of him and their Safety and Happinesse in continuing and abiding with the Lord in that wherein the Lord hath appeared doth continue and abide with them to minister unto them both in a Time of Suffering and in a Time of Rejoycing And also The Danger of being negligent in Meeting together to perperform their Duty and Service to God through any wile and crafty mysterious working of Satan whereby he labours to seduce and deceive them c Written in the 4. Moneth 1664. by R. F. To be read amongst Friends at their Meetings and upon occasins to such as there may be a Service London Printed in the Year 1664. The Saints Duty and Safety in a Trying time and when they are attended with a suffering Condition c. IT is a duty to meet together in the way of God as worshipers of him and it is a danger to be negligent in that Respect therefore let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering and let us consider one another to provoke unto Love and to good works not forsaking the assembling of our selves together as the manner of some is but exhorting one another and so much the more as ye see the day approaching for if we sin wilfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth Thereremaineth no more sacrifice for sins but a certain fearfull looking for of judgement and fiery indignation which shall devour the adversaries Heb 10.23 24 25 26 27. It was the manner of some in the Primative Time to be negligent in assembling and meeting together with the people of God under the Gospel dispensation and when they did wilfully neglect that duty either out of prejudice against them that continued faithfull in a Godly exercise or to flee the Cross so as to grow secure and careless or else to avoid a suffering condition It was accounted all one with the sin of presumption by sinning not ignorantly but wilfully and that after they had received the knowledge of the Truth and as it was dangerous so to do then it is as unsafe and dangerous to sollow the like example and be so negligent now But perhaps some may think it will be the way to avoid a great danger and be for their saftey now to neglect assembling and meeting with the people of God in a way differing from the worship of the world to the number of five or above because they are prohibited by the Law of the Land under great penalties to meet upon the account of Religion and worship of God as aforesaid Contrary to the Liturgy or practise of the Church of England To such I answer Art thou truely acquainted with God hath he appeared in Spirit unto thee and called the out of the way and worship of the world called thee into the way and worship of God and hast thou obeyed the call of the Lord art thou departed accordingly out of the way and worship of the world and art thou admitted of and entered into the spiritual way and worship of God how was it with thee before thou left the one and come into the other was not God angry with thee when thou offered to tarry and stay behind in the way and worship of the world after he had discovered it unto thee and called thee to come out of the same and did not he by his good Spirit testifie against thee for so doing moreover did not the Lord pursue thee and withstand or beat down the carnal reasonings and gainsayings of thy heart and make thou weary untill thou didst depart and come out thereof if so was it not the Lords own doing and didst not thou own and confesse it so to be as first to unvail thy vailed heart and secondly to discover unto thee the spirit of errour and what it had led thee into and thirdly to advise and perswade thee to come out thereof and also to forsake the way and worship of the world That thou might be admitted into the way and worship of God and did not the Lord in making known himself unto thee make known his worship and either answer or beat down the fleshly objections and gainsayings of thy heart and call thee and guide thee into his own pure worship in spirit Iohn 4.23.24 and afterwards signifie unto thee how he owned the same and thee as thou didst abide and continue therein if so what cause hast thou to desert him or offer to depart from him and his worship again for fear of an outward suffering from men or hast thou any toleration from God so to doe consider well of it and let the Lord judge in this case as doubtlesse he will for he hath not called thee out of the way and worship of the world into the way and worship of God to allow of thee to forsake him in a suffering time so as to forsake the Lord and his worship to comply and joyn with that spirit and worship of the world which he hath called thee from neither will he tolerate and juflifie thee therein but rather condemn and severely punish theefor so doing To Sin wilfully after the knowledge of the Truth by forsaking the Assemblies of the people of God when they are forbidden by men Heb. 10.23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31. to avoid an outward danger or suffering from them is not the way to safety and happinesse in a way that God doth own but is the way rather to everlasting misery and ruine by turning the Lord against them 2 Thes 1.5 6 7 8 9. therefore how doth it concern all that offer to decline from the truth rightly beforehand to consider what they are doing and to be advised and take warning in time so as to mind their continuation and standing in the Truth and upon the sure and certain foundation 2 Tim. 2.19 And since you received the Truth have you not had many perswasions within and without 2. Tet. 2.4 5 6 7 8 9 10. Phil. 1.29 2 Tim. 3.12 to forsake it again because it is attended with a suffering condition but know this assuredly that when you are perswaded either without or within from the way and worship of God in Spirit which he hath called you into and doth own to depart and goe back again into that which God hath called you from that such perswasions cometh not of God who hath called you therefore you may justly deny them for there were some in the primative Time that once did run well and were afterward hindred that they should not obey the Truth but such a perswasion did not come of him that had called them as by the Scripture is evident and plain Gal. 5.7 8. The Apostle of Christ did account it a kind of witchcraft to be seduced and drawn from the Truth and