Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n
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A40336
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Englands sad estate & condition lamented in this just complaint taken up against the greatest part of her inhabitants because of their great abominations and treacherous dealings, both with God and man, for which cause the terrible and righteous judgements of the Lord are coming upon them and the land : wherein is also contained some prophecies and exhortations / by George Fox, the Younger.
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Fox, George, d. 1661.
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1661
(1661)
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Wing F2000; ESTC R16843
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11,145
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15
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of the Priests and such like Popish stuff that these things are Idolatry Folly and Vanity and butia mocking of God and yet some of these People will run after this Vain Worship for self-ends stavish-fear and to keep themselves in esteem with or amongst those who plead for it And others there are in thee who instead of being sorrowful for such Abomination and Superstition or reproving the Practicers thereof in the solid seasoned savoury Life and holy Dread of the Lord God they write and speak scoffingly of those things even to the stirring up one of another into vain Laughter and so make a Sport of others Idolatry and this grieveth the Spirit of the Lord also and doth not convince but exasperate and harden those that are zealous for their blind Worship and Superstition There are also a great number of brittle fiery rash unsatisfied people in thee O Land who are as unstable as Water and these rebelling against the Light not knowing the way of it because they abide not in the path thereof they are restless rouling and raging oft-times like the Sea One time they will have a Parliament and cry out They shall govern and heal them and when they have gotten them in a short-time they grow weary of them And then another time they will cry out for a King and say He shall heal them and make up their Breaches But there people are not long of one mind for they are much like the Athenians who spent their time in little else but either to tell or to hear of some New thing These People also are like mighty Tydes in thy Chanels O England which one while run with Violence driving all unsetled light unfixed things one way and shortly after run with as much violence the contrary way Therefore in a miserable condition are those Rulers whose strength is in such a People And until Rulers come to be setled and fixed in Him who is the Rock of Ages and singly to rule in and for Him whom the Winds and the Seas obey who maketh the Waters to stand on heaps and divideth them hither and thither and altereth the natural course of Tydes as he pleaseth as he hath done thine of late to shew thee the Figure of the People they can never be safe neither will the People be still'd long together but there will be Swellings Ragings Overflowings sore Breakin gs and Ruines Oh! that the foregoing Rulers would have been perswaded to have Received Him for their Teacher who Ruleth in the Kingdoms of Men then should they not onely have seen what the Lord cast out others before them for but they should have been taught how to have denied all those things which the Lord was angry with others for and they should have received Power to have abstained from the same but they would not hear and obey the Lord nor his Prophets and therefore were they cast out also And therefore Oh! that the Rulers that now are would be perswaded whilst they have their Day by the Lord and his Servants to receive the Lord Jesus Christ to be their King and Teacher and then they should not onely see for what cause the Lord cast them out and others in their Age but they should be taught to deny and forsake all those things which God was angry with them and others for and they should receive Power to do those things which they and others before them left undone But alas How few are there that will Hear Regard and Obey the Prince of Life and his Followers and therefore is Desolation coming as a mighty Flood which none shall be able to stop Now all People in what Sect or Opinion soever in whom there are any true Breathings and Desires after the Lord and the way of his Holiness Fear not neither be Dismaid because of the Rage that you may yet see the Waters of the Land in and because of the Confusion and Cruelty of the People But stand still in that Life which begetteth Breathings and Thirstings in you after the Lord that you may come to see and feel his Salvation and that you may be gathered into that Patience Meekness Contentedness Rest Peace and Satisfaction which many of the dear Lambs and Children of my Father are gathered into wherein they Lye down and none can make them afraid though their Bodies and Estates be oppressed and abused Oh! Stick not Stick not in your Forms without Power neither Flee the Cross any longer but wait in the True Simplicity to feel God's hand of Tender Love which he reacheth forth to and manifesteth in you to lead and guide your minds into his Pure Worship which is in the Spirit and in the Truth Oh People This is the Worship that he will set up He will be LORD and LAW-GIVER in the Consciences of his People and those that will not be content that EMMANUEL should Reign over them he will Slay them with the Sword of the Spirit The Words of his Mouth Oh! Hearken hearken a little and stand still that you may bear the voice of the True Shepherd in your own Hearts who calleth for Truth in the Inward Parts and he will discover what lodgeth Within and He will shew you the Way wherein you should walk and he will let you see what the Cross is unto and He will teach you when you are alone in your Beds or where-ever you are if you will receive Him who giveth you Life and Breath whose gentle Reproofs and Instructions are the Way of Life Therefore you in whom the Breathings and Desires after the Lord are Consult not with Flesh and Blood neither reason against the Cross but submit to every Appearance of Gods Power in you which appeareth to Crucifie the Fleshly Birth and Nature which hath stood and doth stand in Rebellion and Enmity against the Pure and Precious Life and Requirings of the Lamb of God that so that Mind which is at enmity against God and that Nature in you which is disobedient to his Commands in Spirit may come to be Crucified that so there may be a Change Inwardly felt and witnessed by the working of the mighty Power of Christ in your Inward Parts and then the Desires and Breathings which are Begotten in you after Righteousness they will be strengthened and the Teachings of the Almighty will be Truly known and you believing in the Power you will receive Power to obey and Practise whatsoever the Lord shall make known unto you by his Spirit to be his Will and Requirings Oh People Let the Dread of the Lord Seize upon your Spirits in this the Day of his Power wherein he is Trying Sifting and Winnowing the Nations and wait to feel that Life arise within you which beareth Testimony against all evil within and without that so ye may become more and more acquainted with the Teachings Drawings and Leadings thereof that thereby you may be drawn and led out of those things which have kept your Souls in the Death
and yet are like Troops of Robbers Robbing and Spoiling of many of thine Inhabitants Oh! How have most of thy Prieâ—ts Temporized and Daubed with every Power as they have come up in the many Changes How have they encreased Envy Wars and Destructions amongst thy Rulers and People How have they one time Cryed up and Prayed for the same Thing which at another time they have Cryed down and Prayed against Oh! Who shall ever believe them Their god is their Belly and who is it that many of them would not Joyn unto if thereby they might be upheld in Pride Idleness and Fulness How oft would they Change again and again And what Idolatry is there that many of them would not Run into for their Bellies sake Ah poor Nation Are they not yet striving to kindle a Flame within thy Bowels Hath not the Lord divided them and are they not labouring with all their might to Divide and Rend thy Inhabitants yet more and more Yea surely and it is Just with the Lord to suffer it to be so because of the greatness of their Abominations which are daily encreased Ah poor Land How art thou overspread with Wasters and Spoilers who like Caterpillars devour thy Pleasant Fruit. Oh! the Whoredoms and Idolatries that are daily committed and acted in thee Who can Declare them Oh! thy Chief City thy Chief City that bloody City Can its Abominations be Parallel'd in the Earth Surely it hath Exceeded Sodom in Wickedness The Lord is very Angry with a great part of its Inhabitants and his Vengeance is nigh to come upon them Wo unto you Whoremongers Drunkards Gluttons Swearers Cursers Blasphemers Cheaters and Idolaters Wo unto you Proud Wanton and Prophane Vain Persons Wo unto you Mountebanks Stage-players Bear-batters Gamsters and all manner of Abominable Workers and you that Build up Towers Scaffolds and Vain Heathenish Representations and such like and make and garnish Images to draw peoples minds after Idolatry and for your Cursed Gain and Lusts in pretence of Honouring your King Oh! How are people drawn into Gazing and Wondring after these Abominations It grieveth the Righteous Soul to behold such great Wickedness Oh! You Wicked and Abominable Workers and Devourers of the Creation The Lord God will meet with you in a time when ye are little aware of Him He 'l Stain your Pride Vain Glory and Idolatry and give you your Portion amongst Devourers except you speedily Repent and your Abetters Strengthners and Helpers forward of such Ungodliness that do it knowingly and Delighters therein The Lord will not acquit you He 'l smite you for these things and that right soon O! Ye Idolatrous people Do you think that the Lord God of Pitty and Patience suffered your King to Hide himself from his Enemies in an Oake for that end that ye might Devour his Creatures in makeing an Idol of it Is this the use you make of that which you say was Gods Mercy towards you Is not this the way to turn those things that might have been Mercies to you into Plagues and Judgments Oh! How do you Daily provoke the Lord against Your selves and your King Oh! You Wicked Workers How dare you make Representations of Destruction and Ruine How dare you make a Sport of such things Verily your Provocations are great wherewith you provoke the Just God And it will be Just with him to bring Ruine Desolation and Destruction upon you and your City Verily great is the Judgement that is nigh you and your sins draw it on you apace Do you think that the Lord cast out Back-sliders Hypocrites and Vnfaithful men to set up and establish Idolaters and open Prophane persons Nay surely Therefore Tremble ye Wicked Workers and Howl ye Prophane Idolaters for the Mighty and Terrible day of the Lord is near to break out upon you Thus saith the Lord God I 'le Scatâ—eâ— I 'le Scatter I 'le Split Divide and Separate I 'le Break and Dash to Peices and none shall be able to Gather Bind up or Joyn together For mine Anger is kindled and my Jealouse shall burn till I have devoured mine Enemies saith the Lord. Therefore ye people of England that yet live in wickedness who have not wholly finned out the day of your Visitation To you I now speak You that seel the Lord yet striving with you O Return Return speedily unto the Manifestation of his Spirit whereby he strives with you to shew you your Abominations and to draw and lead you out of the same O be not still Stiff-necked but hearken to the Word of the Lord which sheweth you the thoughts and Intents of your Hearts and hearken and be obedient to the Call thereof that so by its power you may Hasten out of Babylon both Young and Old Rich and Poor High and Low Noble or Ignoble Professor or Profane who yet are there For the Lords Controversie is great with Babylon her Merchants and Inhabitants and he will not much longer spare but he will suddenly smiâ—e and none shall be able to hinder his stroak Yea yea he will wound and none shall be able to heal For the measure of her Iniquities Idolatries and Whoredoms are nigh full and the Wine of her Fornications hath caused the Fatts to overflow and she is come up into remembrance before the Lord the Just God who will Plague her and all her Merchants and Inhabitants according to their Abominations whereby they have grievously provoked Him Therefore come out of her whilst Mercy and Time is offered lest you perish with her in her Judgments which the Lord is Strongly and Swiftly bringing upon her Oh England England A day of Sorrow and Calamity is comeing upon many of thy Inhabitants I have long been sensible of it even a day of such Breaking Confusion and Judgement as hath not been for a long space For thy People have Wearied out the Lord with their Iniquities and grieved his holy Spirit with their Abominations days without number On England England The Lord hath a Precious and Holy Seed in thee Yea He hath a Remnant which he hath Raised by his Power to for himself which are exceeding precious in his sight and these a great part of thine Inhabitants have Shamefully entreated and grievously oppressed and persecuted And they have Patiently born the same and have laboured in the Life of Innocency and Spirit of Emanuel to Inform thy Rulers and People in the Things that are Just and True and have shewn them the Wayes which have and do Displease the Lord and have Exhorted and Warned thy Inhabitants Time after Time But notwithstanding their Doctrine Lives and Conversations have manifested their Innocency and Vprightness of Hearâ— before God and Man Yet have many of thy Rulers Priests and People Oppressed them more and more Some Spoiling their Goods others Imprisoning their Bodies in filthy Holes and Dungeons till Severall of them have Sealed their Testimony for the Lord with their Blood which cryeth for Vengeance in the Ears of the