Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	truth_n	worship_v	worshipper_n	8,590	5	12.6710	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A89679	Some returns to a letter which came from a general meeting of officers of the Army of England, Scotland, and Ireland, sitting at Jame's Westminster. Also A blast from the Lord, or a vvarning to England, by way of exhortation to take heed, and not run upon their own destruction; which will be speedily, without true repentance. By a lover of the truth, and a prisoner for declaring truth abroad Ben: Nicholson.	Nicholson, Benjamin.	1653 (1653)	Wing N1106; Thomason E689_18; ESTC R203013	13,591	19

authority it cannot be but burthens vexations and grievances will be upheld for he that cannot rule his own house well or rather is not ruled by the Lord and all his passions subdued can never be fit to rule for the Lord. 3. That Liberty and protection may be given by a Law to all the truely Godly though of different iudgements to worship God peaceably without imposing upon or molesting one another but no encouragement be given to such as are Popish or prophane in the exercise of their superstitious forms and licentious practises Know that the worship of God is spiritual for he is a spirit and will be worshipped in spirit and truth And where there is a Government by the spirit of God living and ruling in those that Govern there will be unity with the worshippers and Governors in that one spirit where they both live and there will need no outward Law to protect the worshippers from being persecuted by the Governors for none ever hated their own flesh and surely the spirit of the Lord ruling in the Rulers cannot hate or persecute the spiritual worshippers neither was it ever known to persecute any but overcame all things with goodness nor since the coming of Jesus Christ in the flesh it was never read nor known that any of the Saints or servants of God did impose any corporal punishment in any manner upon any one but by exhortation reproof and correction with spiritual weapons beating down all the strong holds of sin and bringing into subjection every evil thought and imagination of the carnal heart 2 Cor. 10.4 5. which stands up in opposition against the truth of God which is the sire the Scripture speaketh of which shall burn up all the old earth and heavens the carnal parts of man it is that love that shall overcome all things and place it self only But we look for new heavens and earth wherein shall dwell righteousness 2 Pet. 3.10 11 12 13. ver Behold therefore what manner of persons ought we to be in all godlyness and holyness of conversation of life 4. That The Gospel of Iesus Christ you say may be dispenced to all the people in this Land and that all those that labour faithfully in that work may receive all due countenance and encouragement Those who are faithfull labourers in the Gospel of Christ dare trust Christ for maintenance though they be sent out without bag or scrip shoes or two coats Luk. 22.35 For God that clothes the lillies of the field and feeds the ravens when they cry unto him will not let those that trust in him want any good thing Mat. 6.26 For he cares for all those which cast their care upon him and if he spared not his only Son Iesus Christ but delivered him up to death for us will he not with him freely give us all things richly to enjoy Rom. 8.32 And all the Scriptures beareth witness with these things and I am sure that those who are the Ministers of Jesus Christ have faith to believe that their Master will provide for them in all things and so takes care for nothing but how to advance the Gospel of Jesus Christ wholly doing his will and can tell how to abase and how to abound Phil. 4.12 13. and are content with imprisonment as wel as liberty with wants as well as fullness and in all things shew themselves approved as the Ministers of God and Messengers of the everlasting Covenant 2 Cor. 6.4 to 10. As there is many now adays and not a few tryed ever praised be the Lord for it Further you say What the Lord shall set upon your spirits by way of Conviction either as to sin or duty if you communicate the same to us we shall take the same as a signe of your acceptance of this our brotherly freedom towards you But whether you mean to all or to the Souldiery onely I know not I as one who have obtained mercy from the love of God living in me and love all men without respect of persons see the Lord stepping towards Sion and he will speedily be in his Temple and I see the walls of Babylon falling and they will speedily be all thrown down at which the Inhabitants of the earth shall mourn but the Saints shall be exceeding glad and rejoyce But to the words as convicted as to sin or duty you mean what sin is to be punished and how and what duty is to be used and how I answer And guides my light forth or sets it upon the top of the Candlestick that if the Lord will all that read may see white from black light from darkness love from cruelty and saith thus All sin is to be punished with fire for Tophet is prepared of old for high and low the pile thereof is fire and much wood the breath of the Lord like a river of brimstone doth kindle it Isa 30.33 and the man of sin or all sin in man shall Jesus Christ destroy with the breath of his mouth and the brightness of his coming as experience doth plainly declare when God doth manifest himself to the creature then is the time of Christs coming and the time of the destruction of sin in every man yea he is that happy one that shall dash in pieces all the brats of Babylon every sin is a brat of Babylon and every Saint of God is a living stone with the which Jesus Christ shall dash in pieces all the children of Babylon and those living stones ere long shall be so common in every street that a brat of Babylon shall not look out but by them be dasht in pieces Thus the stream of righteousness shall run down our streets like mighty rivers and cleanse every corner from filthiness and the glorious Lord God shall be unto his people a place of broad rivers and streams wherein shall go no gally with oars nor gallant ship shall pass there thus shall the presence of the mighty God of Iacob cause the earth to fly away and the mountains to remove out of their place all the earthly powers and buildings of men the great men and Rulers of the earth are the mountains which shall be removed and the pillars that shall be shaken and all carnal actings of man is the earth that shall fly away when God appears as he hath already begun whose appearance is as the morning and there need no borrowed lights there this is new Ierusalem that the lamb shall be the glory of and there shall be no need of any outward Law to direct to walk but the inward Law of righteousness which the Lord will place and write in the tables of every mans heart and the Lord alone shall be the teacher and sole ruler of his people for I am God Almighty saith the Lord all in all all over all and will presently dispose of all things to his own praise and glory he will cause to walk uprightly to speak righteously to despise the gain of oppression and

SOME RETURNS TO A LETTER Which came from a General Meeting of Officers of the Army of England Scotland and Ireland sitting at Jame's Westminster ALSO A blast from the Lord OR A VVARNING TO ENGLAND By way of Exhortation to take heed and not run upon their own destruction which will be speedily without true repentance By a Lover of the Truth and a Prisoner for declaring Truth abroad BEN NICHOLSON London Printed for Giles Calvert and are to be sold at the Black-spread-Eagle near the West end of Pauls 1653. Some Returns to a Letter which came from the General Meeting of Officers of the Army of England Ireland and Scotland sitting at Jame's Westminster Dear Friends 1. WHereas you say that By seeking the Lord and humbling your selves before him he hath convinced you of your slothfulness in his Service and that your hearts have been looking after the things of this world and your own privat Affairs more then the things of Jesus Christ and his people Then consider that God which giveth light to discover them gross darknesses in the which you have lived in doth likewise require a departing from those evils and a walking up to what he hath made manifest in you For they that confess their sins and forsake them shall find mercy but if you again hide your sins you shall not goe unpunished 2. That A slothfull spirit hath overtaken you and you grew weary of the work of the Lord and were ready to say with Baruch that the Lord had added grief to your sorrow that you fainted in your sighings and found no rest Jer. 45 3. Then take heed and seek no longer great things for your selves for the determination of the Lord is to bring evil upon all flesh speedily and to pull down whatsoever it hath built and to pluck up whatsoever it hath planted and to establish truth and righteousness in the earth by his spirit 3. That Those who feared the Lord both in Army and elsewhere have not in this time of peace so improved their Interest or rather imployed their talent to the edifying each other as did the Churches in the primitive times boldly witnessed forth the truth in all places where they went Acts 9.27 to 32. then had the Churches rest c. Then be carefull for the time to come that like the slothfull servant you hide not your Talent in the earth lest the Lord take it wholly from you but improve it only to his use that he may establish peace amongst you that you may walk in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the holy Ghost that you be not cut off with the unprofitable servant c. 4. That The people of this Nation are subject to grievous oppressions through the obstruction of Justice and that the Lord might say to you What could I have done more c. as he said to his Vineyard Isa 5. And he looked for grapes judgement and righteousness but behold wild grapes oppression and crying c. Therefore beware that iniquity be no longer lived in nor oppression upheld by you nor any thing that may cause a cry or complaining of iniquity oppression or unrighteousness among you but bring forth the true grapes judgement and righteousness lest the Lord take away the hedg which he hath set about you and let you be eaten up as all they that have brought forth wild grapes are and troden down laid waste and not digged but there come up briars and thorns and he command the clouds that they rain no rain upon you as Isa 5.5 6 7. verses 5. That Through the corruptions of many in places of Authority some good men have been made to suffer for conscience sake and many bad men have taken encouragement to act in their licentious principles and prophane practises by reason whereof wickedness doth very much abound amongst us Then let it be a warning to all you who see these things in others that you live not in them your selves lest now you shall judge your selves afterwards and take heed that the corruptions which you speak against in others be not upheld by you that good men suffer not under you that by your injustice none take encouragement in any licentious principles or prophane practises and wickedness abound amongst us as now it doth being rather countenanced then truth to speak openly and reprove it c. Therefore like men of truth fearing God and hating covetousness be what you seem that in all things righteousness may be acted by you according to the will of God who made man only to serve him c. that as it is written Our Iudges may be restored as at the first Isa 1.26 to end That our Officers may be peace and our exactors righteousness Isa 60.17 18 c. That Kings and Queens all in Authority may be nursing fathers and nursing mothers of truth and Godlyness that all oppression may be taken off from the poor and all cruelties cease and that crying may be no more heard in the land nor complainings in the streets Isa 46.33 Psal 144.14 And seeing that upon all these considerations forenamed you are strongly convinced that it is a duty very much incombent upon your spirits to awaken your selves and by all lawfull means endeavour the procuring of these things following and surely to prevent the forenamed grievances Then be carefull if you be convinced to obey the Lord in all things you are convinced of and take heed of smothering any thing the Lord hath made known unto you for that is a strangling of the righteous one Jesus Christ which is forbidden Act. 15.20 but be valiant for the Lord and execute true judgement and righteousness every one in your place and let mercy be over all your works that mercy may be shown upon you I am 2.11 to end and take heed of judging for men but stand up for the Lord and judge for him that he may establish truth peace and righteousness amongst you The second Conviction as to duty 1. You say that For the many inconveniences apparently arising from the long continuance of the same persons in Supream Authority that there may be successive Parliaments consisting of men faithfull to the Interest of the Commonwealth men of truth fearing God hating covetousness Then it will follow that no untrue man no wicked nor covetous persons can have any right in the election or choice of or being in any place of authority for those only are fit to rule for the Lord that are ruled by the Lord in all things which power is ordained of God and is to be honoured and he that resists shall receive to himself damnation 2. That The Laws may be regulated that all things whatsoever is good in them may be maintained and whatsoever is really burthen some may be taken away c. Then whilst there is any Law made or upheld by the wisdom and policy of man or whilst there remaineth any evil principl'd or covetous person in any place of