Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n
Text snippets containing the quad
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A56017
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A general epistle to friends everywhere who have received, believe and know the truth of God as it is in Jesus.; General epistle to friends every where.
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Parke, James, 1636-1696.
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1687
(1687)
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Wing P370; ESTC R216935
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12,984
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17
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A General EPISTLE TO FRIENDS EVERY WHERE Who have Received Believe and know the Truth of GOD as it is in JESUS Jesus answered Are there not Twelve Hours in the Day If a man walk in the Day he stumbleth not because he seeth the Light of this World. But if a man walk in the Night he stumbleth c. John 11. 9 10. Dear Friends and Brethren WHo are made partakers with us of Salvation and Life and Peace with God through Jesus Christ in perilous Times and have been made willing to take part with the Saints through believing in him and have suffered for His Names sake and in patience possessed your Souls as a People filled and furnished with power from on High to do the will of God and finish that work he hath given you to do in your day and Generation my dear love in the heavenly sence of that Salvation Life and Peace which we have received from God through Christ Jesus the Prince of Peace dearly salutes you all every where who patiently have given your backs to the Smiter and in the will of God have suffered Joyfully for well-doing and have not sainted nor been weary neither 〈◊〉 removed nor been shaken in mind when long furrows were plowed upon your backs but in Patience and Long-suffering endured and came through great tribulations for Righteousness sake the goodness of God in helping saving and delivering of us in the time of need is evermore to be minded and never to be forgotten but greatly prized by us all who have been and are preserved living Witnesses of the same to our abundant joy and comfort when things looked most black and dismal without O what Rest refreshment and consolation have a Remnant felt and experienced when others were amazed tormented and surprized with sudden fears to behold their expectations frustrated and their hopes perish your hope was in the Lord and your confidence in him that never fails them that hope in his mercy and put their trust in him And the Lord hath kept you in this Day of Tryal and Hour of Temptation as a quiet Habitation and as a Tabernacle that shall not be destroyed nor one stake thereof removed for all the shaking of the Mountains and the Earth and Heavens that have been and will be more and more to make way for that which cannot be shaken or removed but shall stand for ever and how doth all things work together for good to them that dwell in the love of God and Christ Jesus above all in this day of shaking of all false Foundations and all who have built thereupon How are the shaken in mind they have stumbled and faln and seem to have none to help them up their minds being from the only Helper Christ Jesus the tried Stone Elect and precious who is laid in Sion for a Foundation on which the Church of God is built and which the gates of Hell shall never prevail against and this Foundation of God it stands sure and all who are thereupon kept and preserved they are as Mount Sion that cannot be removed by all the shakings of the winds that arise Floods that come or the Rains that fall because they are built upon this Rock Christ Jesus which is immovable who hath been and is our Rock and Resuge to this day Glory to the Lord God for ever who hath gathered a Remnant to himself out of the World and the wickedness of it and hath brought out from the barren Mountains to the Mountain of his House even the Mountain of Holiness where his hand appears and is seen to work and bring mighty things to pass for and in the behalf of his chosen Heritage whom the Lord greatly delights in and taketh pleasure in doing good unto Now this Mountain of the Lord's House shall be established on the top of the Mountains and shall be exalted above the Hills how high and strong soever they may appear that are as Mountains lifted up or arise against the Mountain of the Lords House or is of another nature and contrary thereunto they must all be brought down and laid wast in man and woman before the Mountain of the Lord can be established in them and exalted above the Hills which Christ Jesus said must be laid low before the Lord alone be exalted And Daniel saw a little Stone cut out of the Mountain without hands that should fill the whole Earth here was no Crafts-man or cunning Artists hands at work in cutting out this little Stone cut out of the Mountain it was without hands no wit or power of man could do it but only through the Wisdom of God and his invisible power for with God all things are possible he can make a little Stone cut out of the Mountain fill the whole Earth he can make a little one become a strong Nation Now Dear Friends feel the Mountain of the Lord's House established on the the top of that which is of the House of Esau which must be as stubble and feel the House of Saul faln and the Tabernacle of David that was faln down raised up in you and that every breach thereof may be healed that the enemy hath made at any time to the weakning or the throwing of it down and when any falls into sin or commits iniquity that makes a breach upon the Tabernacle of David weakens the good in them so then the bad House of Saul grows stronger and wickedness increaseth in such to a great height O how many Mountains and Hills within and without hath the Lord our God already brought down and laid wast that he might set his King upon his Holy Hill of Sion and declare his decree that shall stand notwithstanding what man or men may decree contrary God will accomplish the thoughts of his heart and will bring to pass his Act his strange Act what he hath promised and purposeth to do in and for his undefiled Remnant he will effect it it shall come to pass not a Jot or little shall fail till all be fulfilled So dear Friends feel Christ Jesus Who is King of Kings and Lord of Lords set upon his Holy Hill of Sion who shall Reign for ever and ever and sit upon the Throne of Majesty on High I say in the Name of the Lord God witness his Reign and him to sway the Scepter of Righteousness in you till every thing that is contrary to him or that would exalt it self against his Government be brought into obedience and subjection thereunto that nothing may Rule or Reign but his blessed Life and Power in and over all for evermore and that he may be glorified in you all who is worthy of Glory Honour and Dominion feel and witness him come with power and great glory and taking to himself his great power whereby you will all know every Valley exalted and every Mountain and Hill laid low that would lift up it self to oppose or hinder the work of the Lord or would not the Lord
your respective Families And thus indeed and in truth you become even Saviours upon Mount Sion through Christ Jesus who was to turn Ungodliness from Jacob and who saves his People who look unto him work together with him and put their confidence in him so we receive power from him to deny our selves and take up our daily Cross and follow the Lord fully in humility and lowliness of mind and by this power of the Lord so dwelling in it all will be inabled to keep in subjection that which would exalt it self against the appearance of the Lord in you It will bring down every high thought and vain imagination it will make self of no reputation in every particular and Friends never had more need to mind the Light and bring their deeds to it believe in it and walk in it than now when even Satan transforms himself into the likeness of an Angel of Light and Truth and his Ministers also as Ministers of Christ and as in the Light of the Lamb Christ Jesus all keep and abide walking you will see and be able to put a difference betwixt the Divine Light and Truth and the likeness of it howsoever transformed by the prince of Darkness for by the Light of the Lord you will all see Light to comprehend all the transformations of the Devil and Satan in all his appearances with what fair shews or under what specious pretences soever he may appear unto you or amongst you the cunning Serpent is at work with his transformed likenesses of the heavenly things of God let none look out at that nor think any worse of the Light and Truth of God because that even Satan transforms himself into the likeness of an Angel of Light and his Angels profess Gods precious Truth and talk of it with enticing words that mans wisdom teacheth all this God permits that they who are approved may be made manifest that all Friends may search and try their waies and works and be more confirmed upon the tried Stone elect and precious which God hath laid in Sion for a Foundation and another Foundation can no man lay than that which is already laid which not any thing can move or overthrow but it stands and remains the same firm Rock of Ages still upon this dear Friends do but keep and abide and then none of these things which only is suffered of the Lord to come to try us shall be able to move any of us from our stability in the Truth Light Life and Power of the Lord God The Gates of Hell shall never prevail against this invincable Rock of Ages Christ Jesus upon whom the faithful are built a Spiritual Houshold unto God and are become to him a chosen Generation and a Royal Priest-hood to offer up to him the Spiritual Sacrifice of Praise and of a broken Heart which is accepted of the Lord and surely we who are the Children of God and his day had never more need to be continually with God and see him in the mount than now when there is so much declining from God and departure from the Faith and I believe many of you are very sensible that the mistery of Iniquity now worketh whereby Satan sets himself and Agents at work to let and hinder the work of the Lord and yet they cry Lord Lord have not we prophesied in thy Name c. But are workers of Iniquity which coming to be seen and discovered by the Light of the Lord by that also is condemned which lets the Saints in Light see over it and the mischievous intent of such workers where they come that are workers of Iniquity their works manisest what workmen they are unto whom the Lord will say I know you not depart from me Now as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses so do these resist the Truth professed by them being men of corrupt minds and sensual altho they may still return good Words and fair Speeches and so deceive the Hearts of the simple with their seducing Spirit and sowing Discord Division and corrupt Seed which I do entreat you all in the love of God and care for your Souls good to beware of and not to believe every Spirit but try them with the Light and Spirit of God which he hath given you whereby you may see and discern clearly betwixt Spirit and Spirit the true from the false and the things of God from those things that are contrary which he never wrought nor ever delighted in all which is to be denyed and shut out for by the Spirit of the Lord God none can own or joyn with that which works against the truth scatters from it instead of gathering to it or that which under pretence of most Christian would lay waste the Heritage of God and set up fleshly Liberty instead of true Christianity In the Name of the Lord and with his Light and Truth see and fathom over all that which is not of God which shall not stand And Friends feel the Ear open that trieth words as the Pallat tasteth Meats that you all the Spiritual Meat may feed upon and not upon that which perisheth or dieth of it self but that which endures to everlasting Life at the Lord's Table all feed upon and be filled with that and a living Hunger will be encreased in you all after that which is pure more and more to the renouncing of that which is dirty defiled and impure under what pretence or colour soever it may appear or what fine dress or gloss soever it may be presented to you in by such as may presume to speak in the Name of the Lord amongst you that are not really of us but are gon out into a self-separation from us and impose their disunion and disorder in the Church of God in opposition to that wholsom Union and Order which that Church maintains and is in the practice of which tends to present it to God holy and without blame before him without spot or wrinkle or any thing that defiles works abomination or loves and makes a Lye all which shall in no wise enter into the Holy City which comes down from God out of Heaven the seducing Spirit is of the Enemy the Father of Lies and leadeth from the Truth into Lies and Error falshood and deceit and who are led by this Spirit they forge Lies and speak Lies in Hypocrisie having their Consciences seared they grow self-will'd stubborn and hard-hearted and appear hard through the deceitfulness of sin that dwelleth in them losing the true tenderness and brokenness of heart that for a time appeared in some of them before they let in this pernicious Spirit and gave heed to it that liberty which now they are in and wrangle for it was hateful to some of them whereby they corrupt one another so they raise their mountain and set their unholy mountain against and in opposition to the Lord 's Holy Mountain or the Mountain of the Lord's House which is to be established a top