Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n
Text snippets containing the quad
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A35232
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Female excellency, or, The ladies glory illustrated in the worthy lives and memorable actions of nine famous women, who have been renowned either for virtue or valour in several ages of the world ... : the whole adorned with poems and the picture of each lady / by R.B.
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R. B., 1632?-1725?
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1688
(1688)
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Wing C7326; ESTC R21134
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117,568
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206
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such willingness there was Till close approaches for we both it saw Made them Transgressors of the sacred Law Then from a corner of the garden whence We closely standing saw this foul offence Both of us made to the adultrous pair And came upon them e're they were aware To apprehend him but the sturdy knave Got from our feeble hands and did us leave And in swift hast out from the Garden flew As whom the guilt of conscience did pursue And she though much intreated ne'rtheless Will by no means the Criminals name confess These things are true which we here testify Now brethren judge if she ought not to dye The Assembly were in much consternation to hear this sever accusation against a woman who was renowned for Chastity but having the testimony of two grave Elders and Judges of the people to justify the truth thereof they could do no other but condemn her to death for this notorious crime Susanna having no defence for her innocence on earth appeals to heaven for her justification and cried out with a loud voice in the midst of the people O everlasting God who knowest the secrets of all hearts and from whom nothing is concealed or hidden for thou seest all things before they are acted I appeal to thy just judgment against these perjured and unjust Elders Thou-knowest O Lord that what they have witnessed against me is utterly false and behold I must dye for what I am not in the least guilty of thou knowest that it is all forgery and malice against me and that it is a conspiracy of these wicked Villains against my life in that which I am absolutely ignotant of Vindicate my innocence O God of truth and bring shame and confusion upon these false accusers O everlasting Lord to whom alone The thoughts of all men are entirely known O great Jehovah whos 's all seeing eye Runs through the circle of Eternity Thou know stand thou alone the wrong I bear From those who have polluted Moses Chair Have Law perverted and have witness given Against their conscience my poor life and heaven Gainst me that now must innocent dye and shame To after ages my disgrace proclaim It pleased divine providence to hearken to her request and therefore as she was leading to execution with a train of doleful mourners following her the Lord stirred up the H. Spirit of a young youth whose name was Daniel who cryed out with a loud voice I am clear from the bloud of this woman The whole multitude were much surprized to hear such words uttered by a young man and turning toward him asked what was his meaning Upon which Daniel standing up in the midst of them with an undaunted courage proceeded thus Are you such fools ye sons of Israel that without thorough examination and proof of the truth ye have condemned a daughter of Israel Return back into the seat of judgment and take more strict knowledge of this cause for though you have rashly sentenced this fair Innocent to death yet I am very certain that upon a more severe scrutiny into the matter you will find she as altogether faultless and that these old perjured wretches have born false witness against her Are ye such fools indeed In weighty things to make such careles speed Nay when a life 's concern'd For shame my friends See what dishonour all rash acts attends It makes us odious in the sight of those Who neither God nor yet true judgment knows When ere the truth 's discover'd or the cause You are so quick to execute the Laws And upon Israels daughter sentence give Who has done nothing but she still may live Return ye then unto the Judgment Seat Examine well for sure the impostures great And witnesses more false than Hell have stood To imbrue their hands in this Chast Ladies bloud Whereupon all the people being astonisht at the becoming confidence of Daniel whom they judged to be a Prophet inspiried from above turned back again in hast and the Judges commanded him to come and sit down among them saying Declare to us the truth of this affair since God hath bestowed the honour upon thee to be an Elder if not in years yet in wisdom and understanding Daniel then ordered that the two Elders should be put asunder and then he would examine them apart which being done he called one and said unto him O thou wicked wretch who art even grown old in malice and iniquity now is the time that the villanys which thou hast formerly committed are come to light and thy own conscience accuses thee that thou hast pronounced false Judgment and hast wilfully condemned the innocent and let the guilty go free though the Lord God hath said The innocent and righteous thou shalt not slay And now pray under what tree was it that thou pretendest thou sawest this chast Lady commit adultery Who answered Under a Mastick tree Then said Daniel Very well thou hast now wickedly lied and thereby forfeited thy head to Divine Justice and even now the Angel of God hath received commission to cut thee in two The first being set aside he commanded the other to be brought to whom he fiercely said O thou seed of Cham and not of Judah beauty hath deceived thee and lust hath perverted thy heart thus have you often done to other daughters of Israel who for fear of your power and malicious vengeance have complied and been polluted by you but the virtuous Susanna would not be frightned into wickedness and therefore you contrived her destruction Under what tree I beseech you did you see the young man defile her who answered Under an Holm tree Well said Daniel thou also hast lied against thy own life and the Angel of God waiteth with his sword to cut thee asunder and destroy thee Then pious Daniel to him mildly said Even now thou hast thy cursed life betrayd Gods holy Angel has commission ta'n Forthwith to cut thy wretched life in twain And with a sword attends this very hour Feirce vengeance on thy sinful head to pour At this strange discovery the whole Assembly were amazed and cryed out aloud glorifying and praising the name of that God who saves and delivers those that put their trust in him and finding these two base Elders thus notoriously convicted of perjury out of their own mouths they seized upon them and according to the Law of Moses executed the same sentence upon them which they maliciously and wickedly designed against this chast Lady putting them to death in the sight of the whole multitude who adored the divine Justice in their deserved punishment which had that day so eminently appeared in saving innocent bloud and punishing the guilty by the unexpected prudence of young Daniel who from that day was in much esteem and reputation among all the people And Chelcias and his wife gave abundant praises to Heaven for vindicating their daughters honour Joachim her husband and all her Friends joining with them in