Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	know_v	scripture_n	speak_v	7,222	5	4.9707	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A47148	A general epistle to Friends by way of caution to take heed to the light, that they may be preserved from that lazy, idle spirit that veils the life.	Keith, George, 1639?-1716.	1671 (1671)	Wing K171; ESTC R30482	5,600	10

world hath his corrupt wayes and customs which savour not of a noble and virtuous spirit as the corrupting of men and womens Names as with respect of persons for Iohn to say Ionie for Iames to Iamie and the like which has not a good Savour but savours of that corrupting Spirit which spoiles and corrupts all things And Friends you know the Worlds Life and recreation is in words and discourse and if they have no profanity and scurrility in it then they think all is well how much soever they talke and spend time in unbrofitable discourse which after it is all done serves for no other end but to ease and refresh that which wearieth in silence and in silent waiting upon God but kills and hurts the tender Life of God For if even the Letter kill when a man speaks the Letter of the Scripture and not in a right Spirit how much more doth that kill which is bad both as to the words and spirit And you know Friends tha● when words are uttered frōm the Life and spirit of God then they refresh the Seed and Birth of God in all both hearers and speakers but when words are uttered from a contrary Life and Spirit yea though true and good words they deaden and burt the Seed of God but they stir up and refresh the bad seed the seed of the evil-doers that is for judgement and many times the effects of those idle and frivolous discourses which Men and Women beget one another into by answering one another is that the light aery frothy vain wanton spirit that wearieth of the Cross and is not subject to it is railed up and strengthened in them but that which is tender meek sober and breathes for righteousness is choaked burthened and deadned So dear Friends watch against all that leadeth out your minds into such things and b●ware of hurting one another and being occasions to one another of using superfluity of words for if you love the Cross of Christ Jesus and bear it you will love silence and fewness of words and it will be a pain and unease to you either to speak or hear words which have not in them a true savour of Life nor a true advantage for good in the speaking or hearing of them And dear Friends in all your Meetings to wait upon the Lord be altogether in a present and diligent mind having your loins girded about and trussed up and if you be diligent in applying your mindes to the Truth and Life of Christ J●sus in you then all laziness and heaviness and weariness of mind will vanish and the mind will be composed and ordered and that will make a well composed and well ordered Body so that no thing nor appearance of a weary or lazy mind will be found among you nor of wanderings of mind nothing of that nature will appear in the Body to be an evil savour but if the mind be lazy and sluggish and love not its present work it ought to be about which is to wait upon the Lord then will Signes of it appear as in particular to gape or gaunt in a Meeting is a ready sign of a mind that is sloathful and is not pres●nt nor dilligent in its attendance unto Truth though such a thing may lye near to some true and honest Friends and it may come upon them at unawars and I verily believe many have not a clear sight of the thing nor know not the hurt of it but a hurt it is and of no good savour at any time but much less at Meeting for it is that which even many men but as men can observe that when a man gapes or gauns in any exercife he is found in it shews a mind that is slack and is not present or diligent therein and besides the hurt that this thing of gaping does in ones one particular it hurts the general both that it is an evil savour and also that it begets others into the same if not watched against so that one gaping others will gape also by a certain secret influence which I have often observed with many others and this is not only a sign of laziness and weariness of mind but also feeds it yet if it be watched a-against it may be resisted and put back as I have had frequent experience and if at any time it so come upon any that they cannot stop it yet they may cover it by stoping the noise of it and covering the mouth with the hand or napkin that it appear not but the way to be rid of it and get Victory over it is by coming to a diligent attendance of mind into the Truth and this will put it quite away yea it will compose the whole Man and Body so that no marks of either weariness or wande●ing of mind will appear Dear Friends bear with my freedom in these things for they have a long time layn much upon me which may be for a service to some The Lord God make us in all things a good savour and a good example bo●h before one another and all the world that he in all things may be glorified in us and among us through Jesus Christ. Amen The 22 th of the 10 th Moneth 1670. G. K. Post-script AND dear Friends many of whom have been Professors and in a profession of Religion before you witnessed the possession of the Life and Substance of it and others who witnessed somewhat of the Life it was but very little and was accompanied with a great mixture of unsoundness both as to Spirit and Words and the hypocritical ground had a deep place in many as it hath at this day among all the Professors out of the Possession of the Life of what they profess from whence proceeds so many hypochritical shews and formalities hypocritical prayings confessions and professions hypocritical singings sounds tones and accents hypocritical sighings whinings wringing of the face and putting on a sour and sad countenance when they pray and their many other hypocritical wayes all arising out of the hypocritical ground and spirit in an apish imitation of what the Saints did and do in the Life and Power of Christ Jesus which Life and Power did and often doth work mightily in the Saints and raised in them deep and wonderful affections sometimes of greif and other sometimes of joy and gladness sometimes of fear and terrour and sometimes of boldness and courage all which had and have their natural impressions upon the voice speech and countenance of those which have been or are thus exercised Hence some mourn as a Dove so David some chatter as a Crane so Hezekiah some quake and tremble as did Moses Daniel Habbakkuck and many others some roar as a Lyon some sing and make a sweet mellody even with their voyces and some sigh and groan unutterably All which things in these holy men did proceed from the motions and workings of the Life in them and so were a good savour to the Life in others as having in them a manifestation of Life and as it were a Signature or Impression of Life upon them Which things at this day are witnessed by many of us and dearly owned so that it is only the hypocritical and counterfeit likenesses of these things made by the hypocritical spirit that we disown which not being able to reach unto the heavenly things themselves maketh Images of them which have upon them the very Signature and Impression of that hypocritical spirit which begot them and are an evil noisom savour unto the true Life and the Vessels in whom it is witnessed therefore let all Friends watch against this hypocritical spirit and all its deceitful Images and Likenesses and make war against the Beast its Image Number and Name that a perfect Victory over it all may witness and none may be found bearing his Image in any thing but the heavenly Image of the Lamb the Son of God in all things that all your words and works may bear upon them the Image of his Life and when you pray sing exhort teach or minister it may be done in the pure motion and ability of Life and you may be chaste waiters on and followers of it in its arisings and movings so as in all your exercises to begin go along stop stay and rest with it thus shall you be a good savour to God and to one anoter yea unto all men in all things Then shall you offer up the pure Incense and Sacrifice that is without spot or blemish that shall be pleasant and acceptable unto the Lord as in the days of old being delivered and purged from all mixtures of hypocrisie and deceit out of all the hypocritical likenesses bearing upon you in all things the Image of the noble royal and virtuous Seed Gev. Keith THE END