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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
truth_n	dead_a	everlasting_a	great_a	44	3	2.0674	3	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A64451	A testimony concerning the life, death, trials, travels and labours of Edward Burroughs that worthy prophet of the Lord who dyed a prisoner for the testimony of Jesus, and the word of God, in the city of London, the 14th of the 12th month, 1662 / [by] F.H.	Howgill, Francis, 1618-1669.; Whitehead, George, 1636?-1723.; Coale, Josiah, 1632?-1668.; Fox, George, 1624-1691.	1662 (1662)	Wing T809; ESTC R34657	20,023	27

everlasting Light which thou hast often testified unto according to the Word of Prop●esie in thy heart which was given unto ●hee by the Holy Ghost and art at rest in the perfection thereof in the beauty of Holiness yet thy Life and thy Spirit I feel as present and have unity with it and in it beyond all created and visible thing● which are subje●t to ●utation and change and thy Life shall enter into other● to testifie unto the same truth which is from everlasting to everl●sting for God hath raised and will raise up children unto Abraham of them that have been as dead stones whose Po●er is Almighty great in his people in the midst of their Enemies This same Edward Burroughs was born in the Barrony of Kendal in the County of Westmoreland of honest Parents who had a good report among their Neighbours for upright and honest dealing among men who brought up Edward in his youth in learning and good Education as the Countrey doth afford He was a very understanding Boy in his youth and his knowledge and understanding did far exceed his years He had the Spirit of a man when he was but as a child and I may say grey h●irs was upon him when he was but a youth for he was cloathed with Wisdom in his Infancy for I had perfect knowledge of him from a youth He was inclinable from his youth upwards to Religion and the best way always minding the best things and the best and nearest way of Worship to the Scriptures of Truth and always did accompany the best men who walked in godliness and honesty insomuch I have often admired his discreet carriage and his great understanding of the things of God He was never known to be addicte● to any vic● or malignity or bad behaviour neither followed any evil course of life from his childhood but feared the Lord and walked uprightly according to the light and knowledge received in all things In his natural disposition he was bold and manly dexterous and fervent and what he took in hand he did it with his might loving kind and courteous merciful and flexible and easie to be entreated His whole delight was always ●mong good people and to be conferring and reading the Scriptures and little to mind any sports or pastimes which there is an infidency unto in youth but his very strength was bended after God and was separated I may say from his Mothers Womb and fitting for the Works sake whereunto he after was called And when it pleased the Lord to raise up the a●cient horn of salvation among us who were reckoned in the North part of England even as the out casts of Israel and as men destitut● of the great knowledge which some seemed to enjoy yet there was more sincerity and true love among us and desires ●fter the living powerful presence of God then was among many in that day who seemed to make a great flourish who ran into heaps and forms but left the Cross behind them and indeed were strangers to it God out of his everlasting love did appear unto us according to the desire of our hearts who longed after him when we had turned aside from the hireling Shepherds T●nts we found him whom our souls loved and God out of his great love and great mercy sent one unto us immediately by his Power a man of God one of ten thousand to instruct us in the way of God more perfectly who laid down the sure foundation and declared the acceptable year of the Lord who indeed made the mourners to re●oice and the heavy hearted glad which yet was terrible to all hypocrites and all formal profession which testimony reached unto all our consciences and entered into the inmost part of our hearts which drove us to a narrow search and to a diligent inquisition concerni●g our st●te which we did come to see through the Light of Christ Jesus which was testified of and found it to be even what it was testified of and the Lord of heaven and earth we found to be near at hand and as we waited upon him in pure silence our minds out of all things his dreadful power and glorious Majesty and heavenly presence appeared in our Assemblies when there was no language tongue nor speech from any creature and the Kingdom of heaven did gather us and catch us all as in a Net and his heavenly power at one time did draw many hundreds to Land that we did come to know a place to stand in and what to wait in and the Lord did appear daily to us to our astonishment amazement and great admiration insomuch that we often said one unto another with great joy of heart What is the Kingdom of God come to be with men And will he take up his Tabernacle amongst the sons of men as he did of old And what shall we that were reckoned as the outcasts of Israel have this honor of glory communicated amongst us which were but men of small parts and of little abi●i●i●s in respect of many oth●rs as amongst men Howbeit thus it seemed good unto the Lord to choose the weak things and the foolish things of this World as to the aspect of me● that no flesh might glory that no man because of his parts might glory or because of his streng●h or wisdom might glory but that the glory which is his might onely be given to him unto whom be the glory of all his Works for ever and ever Amen And from that day forward our hearts were knit unto the Lord and one unto another in true and fervent love not by any external Covenan● or external Form but we entered into the Cove●ant of Life with God and that was as a strong obligation or bond upon all ou● spirits which united us one unto another and we met together in the unity of the spirit and of the bond of peace treading down under our feet all rea●oning questioning debating and contending about Religion or any part or parts or practice or practices thereof as to any e●ternal thing and we waited at time and times as God did grant u● opportunities and the more we had a●d could obtain from our necessary occasions of this present life the better we were and the more we were confirmed and strengthened in our hope and faith and holy resolutions were kindled in our hearts as a fire which the Life kindled in us to serve the Lord while we had a being and ●o make mention of his Name and Power whilst we did live and to hold forth that Testimony which was committed to us in the sight of men and Nations by doctrine by practice by a holy conversation and mightily did the Word of God grow amongst us and the desires of many were after the Name of the Lord. Oh happy day Oh blessed day the memorial of which can never pass out of my mind And thus the Lord in short did form us to be a people for his praise in our

Work of the Lord his whole business without taking so much liberty unto himself or about any outward occasion in this World as to spend one Week to himself to my knowledg these ten years He had ventured himself often for the Bodies sake and a great care I know was in his heart that them that he had ministred unto and others that had believed in the same truth might thrive and prosper and might walk as becometh the Gospel of Jesus Christ. He was of a manly Spirit in the things of God he hath engaged himself often upon the Lords account singly in great Disputes when there were many opposers he hath stood in the door and in the gap against all his Enemies for the worthy Name of God and taken the whole weight of thing● upon his o●n shoulders that others might be eased though often to ●he weakening and almost destroying of the outward man yet doing all in love to the Lord and for his peoples sake he did it with chearfulness and it was a grief to him if any opportunity was missed of doing good He was a man of no great learning in natural Tongues which men so much applaud yet indeed his heart was full of matter and his Tongue was as the hand of a ready Scribe and yet he had the tongue of the learned having had experiment of the Work of the Lord and being acquainted with many conditions which God had carried him through he could speak a word in season unto all who declared their conditions unto him of otherways in his publike Ministry he was very plausible and elegant in his speech indeed had the tongue of a learned Orator to declare himself to the understandings consciences of all men with whom he conversed by which many received great profit and their understandings came to be opened for his words ministred grace to the Heare●● and his words were forcible and very pleasant as apples of Gold in pictures of silver This young man of whom I am speaking was one of the first with some others who came to the City of London where he met with no small opposition both from professors of divers forms and also prophane who heeded no Religion at all and the way of Truth seemed contemptible and without form or comeliness to them all which made the opposition so great and the labour so hard that notwithstanding it pleased the Lord to reach unto the Consciences of many and many were prickt to the heart so that they cried out what shall we do to be saved And God made his Ministry very effectual to the conversion of many in the City of London whereby a great change was wrought in the hearts of many many hundreds brought to know the Lord their Teacher which are as seals unto the Word of Life through him unto this day And many hundreds I may say thousands heard the lively Word of God declared by him and were convinced of the way of Truth though still remaining in the disobedience to that of God in their own hearts unto which he declared and many have lost their day which they had of hearing and receiving the things of God for now he is taken away which might have been a help unto them while they had time and all such are not worthy of him He continued in this City very much at time and times betwixt eight and nine years together preaching the Word of God and speaking of the things of his Kingdom to all that looked after it and great watching travel and exercise in the Work of the Lord and his earnest desire was That all might have come to know God's salvation and the redemption of their souls And his great diligence was known unto many that his only rejoicing was in the prosperity of the Work of the Lord and the encrease of Faith amongst them that did believe And his heart was much drawn towards this City and often times hath he said to me when suffering did come for the Gospel sake which he knew would come I can freely go to that City and lay down my Life for a Testimony of that Truth which I have declared through the Power and Spirit of God Which in the end indeed came to be his share and will for ever be his Crown who loved not his life unto death for the Testimony of our Lord Jesus Christ. And in the same year 1662. being pressed in his spirit to go visit them who were begotten unto the Faith of God's Elect at the City of Bristol and in divers other Counties at divers Meetings and divers particular Friends he took his leave of them saying unto very many That he did not know he should see their faces any more exhorting them all to faithfulness and stedfastness in that wherein they had found rest for their souls And said to some I am going up to the City of London again to lay down my Life for the Gospel and suffer amongst Friends in that place as having some sence of his suffering before And a little after his return to the City at a publike Meeting which the people of the Lord have kept these many years to hear and speak of the things of God to edification at the Bull and and Mouth near Aldersgate by certain Souldiers under the command of Richard Brown then General of the City of London he was violently plucked down and haled away in a barbarous manner and carryed to the guard and so committed to Newgate not for evil-doing but for testifying unto the Name of the Lord Jesus and for the Worship of God as though this were become a great crime worthy of Bonds and at last death he was had to the Sessions in the Old Baily and his accusers were Witnesses against him and them that had abused him violently their Testimony was received as good proof against him And at last after two or three Sessions he was fined by the Court one hundred Mark which at last was reduced to twenty Mark and to lie in prison while payment Where he continued a pretty long season above 8 Months with 6 or 7 score Prisoners be●ide upon the same account many being shut up among the Felons in nasty places and for want of Prison-room the natures of many were suffocated and corrupted till at last many grew vveak sickned and dyed At last this same young man grew vveak and though a special Order from the King was sent to the then Sheriffs of London for the release of him and the rest that were left in prison yet such was the enmity of some of the Rulers of the City that they did what in them lay to obstruct the execution of the Order that he should not be released And so weakness grew upon him daily though in much patience he was carried through all In the time of his sickness he was very fervent in prayer and that often both day and night unto the Lord as concerning himself and also his people and

appertaining to God in matters of Religion and Worship against the persecution and compulsion which had its Original ●nd Rise from the Power of the Beast which hath made war against the righteous seed that men might be left free to the guidance of the infallible Spirit of God which is not to be limited in these matters and not be compelled nor brought under the corrupt wills of men nor their fallible judgements nor invented forms in these cases And the Name of this Mini●●er of Righteousness is written in the L●mbs Book of Life and all the Enemies of his Life can never be able to blot it ou● nor extinguish his memorial Oh! the remembrance of his integrity uprightness and sincerity hath deep impression upon my heart that tender love and affection in God's Truth which he was filled with towards all the upright who are lovers of peace unity in the Lord is never to be forgotten by u● who are yet remaining in the Work of the Lord and the everlasting Gospel for which he hath left a glorious Testimony the glory of which shall never be extinguished but thousands shall praise the Lord our God because thereof yea even the Seed that 's yet in the lower parts of the Earth where darkness covers it and the child that 's yet unborn in many that 's curiously framed in the Mothers Womb w●ose Members are written in the Book of God shall glorifie the Lord on his behalf And this testimony many have already concerning him that though his Body be dead his Spirit liveth in the immortality of that Life that is immutable and shall never dye nor wax old and is felt among the righteous who walk in their integrity and constancy to the Lord. And this faithful servant of the Lord and valiant Souldier of the Lamb as in his day was evidently apparent as to live to him was Christ to dye was gain And though in his time many were the sufferings and aff●ictions which his life went under and his upright spirit suffered by both from his open enemies and persecutors in the World because of the valour and courage for the Truth of God and from deceitful and transforming exalted spirits which burthen the holy Seed but now his Life is caught up above them all and is out of their reach in the transcendent and unspeakable glory in the everlasting habitation and firmament of God's Power where he hath shined and doth shine among the Stars that have kept their habitations as one that hath turned many to righteousness and that hath overcome by the blood of the Lamb and the Word of his Testimony with those holy Prophets and Martyrs who rejoice over Babylon and her abominations in whom their blood is found and against whom he was a faithful Witness and valiant Warrier whose living and absolute Testimony therein God hath blessed made prosperous and wil fulfil to the uttermost And though he be ceased from his labours his Works do follow him which wil be had in living remembrance and precious esteem among the upright when his persecutors shall be broken and laid low in the desolation and ruine of Babylon and all that continue in enmity and deceit and all the deceitful spirits that have burthened his righteous soul shall fall and their blossome wither and come to nought And if any of his persecutors or oppressors be yet so impenitent and obdurate as to triumph and be elevated in an exalted or prejudiced spirit because of his death and in their exaltation and pride of heart say he was taken away in judgment or in wrath To such in Gods fear I answer That thousands of the servants of the Lord are of another perswasion not questioning but it was in Gods tender love as to his own particular that he was removed out of the Earthen Vessel in which he though a man as in the prime of his years endured great travel in his time for the Truth 's sake and the gathering of many into the way of the Lord and in which his travel was the greater when the time of his dissolution drew near to be dissolved because of his suffering and the extremity of his sicknesse occasioned thereby which many others were partakers of who suffered persecution and imprisonment by unreasonable men in this City of London for the cause of God and of a good Conscience as chi●fly for their meeting together fingly in the Worship of God But this I testifie in the Lord as in him I have felt that his being removed was in judgement from the Lord against his persecutors who desired and sought his destruction and what they have done against him hath greatly added to the fulfilling of their iniquities that the blood of the righteous which cryes for vengeance may be avenged to the utmost upon them who would not suffer the righteous to have a being amongst men nor lay to heart their being taken away from the evil to come And they who in a byassed or prejudiced spirit of enmity are lifted up because of his decease they were not worthy of him nor of his Testimony and they have cause to mourn and lament amongst those that have pierced the just and slighted and despised the Messengers of Truth and Righteousnesse whom God hath therein honored and God will debase such and their vain glory unto the dust and exalt the testimony and life of his faithful Witnesses over all their heads But we who have been well acquainted with the deep suffering of the righteous Seed and with the worth of true unity in the weighty body and spirit of Christ and therein do behold the glory and compleatnesse of the City of our God which is at peace within it self cannot but prize the Ministers of Righteousnesse and every Member of the same Body and oh how blessed and precious is the memorial of the righteous in our eyes And how deeply is my soul affected with that comfortable communion and those many and living refreshments that we have enjoyed one with another even with him and others who have finished their course Well however in this I am satisfied that though we be left in travel and our days have been days of affliction and suffering for Christ and the gospels sake as in the World yet in him whom the Prince of this World hath nothing in we have peace being come into communion with the Spirits of just men who are the Family of God written in Heaven and called by one name both in Heaven and Earth and the God of Life is their portion and his glory is the Rereward of his called and chosen and faithful ones who have dealt their Bread to the hungry and brought the poor to their House even to the habitation of the righteous where the living Bread is received and the Heavenly Mansions lived in and enjoyed by all who abide in the Truth and retain their first Love and habitation therein in which true fellowship is enjoyed and the prosperity of the

elect Seed known blessed be the Name of our God for ever and ever G●orge Whitehead London the 12 th day of the first month 1663. A Testimony of truth concerning the Servant of the Lord and Minister of Jesus Christ Edward Burroughs FRiends a necessity is upon me and I am even constrained and pressed in my spirit to bring in and give my Testimony concerning my beloved Brother before-mentioned that it may remain and stand upon Record for Ages and Generation● to come And this first I say and declare unto all people unto whom this shall come That he was a man endued with the Almighty Power of God which lived and reigned in him ●nd the treasury of pure Divine Heavenly Wisdom was opened in him c. and understanding in the things that relate unto God's Kingdom of peace and righteousness and in the things that concern the everlasting peace and well-being of all mankind was plentifully manifested unto him by the good Spirit of God which I may say he had received in a plentiful measure And this many can testifie unto and his own Writings which remain upon record will in a large measure manifest the truth thereof And this spirit dwelt plentifully in him so that thereby he wa● able to instruct many in the way of life peace and true holiness and if any were afflicted in spirit or mind by reason of the wiles of the Enemy of their souls or if they met with any difficulty in their journey as they passed from death to life he was a man able through the large experience that he had of the dealings of the Lord and also of the wiles of Satan having followed the Lamb in the regeneration to administer a word in season to their refreshment and comfort and for their establishment in the most precious holy Faith and this I know the Witnesse of God in thousands must and shall testifie unto who are the seal of his Ministry And moreover he was a man that was able through the wisdom and blessed gift of God that was in him to convince and stop the mouths of all gainsayers of the truth which he with us professed and lived in And it is well known unto many that he was never backwards but always ready and willing to appear in a way of publike conference as in vindication of and against any that should oppose the blessed Truth of God which he held and professed and also to manifest the grounds and reasons wherefore we deny and dissent from the National Prie●ts of the World and their traditional ways of Worship and the hypocritical professors thereof who have not the life and substance of what they profess in words And these things it is well known unto many he was oft exercised in and he did not go about in corners nor creep into dark places hiddenly nor secretly but preached the Truth of God and Doctrine of our Lord Jesus Christ boldly and openly even upon the house tops and his valour for God's Truth on Earth was well known unto many and his voice was as the sound or ratling of the Charriots of God's Host upon the tops of the Mountains and was oft uttered forth in the Name of the Lord even like thunder and the voice of the Son of God was uttered forth through him by which the dead was raised the Witnesses are now alive let them bring in their testimony that the truth hereof may be confirmed His Doctrine dropped as the Oyle of joy upon the Spirits of the mourners in Sion His Life extended it self as a sweet stream into the hearts of the children of Light that thirsted after righteousness He was one of the Cloud of Witnesses that dropped down the dew upon the tender plants of God He pleaded the cause of the innocent suffering Seed and earnestly contended with the Powers of the Earth of all sorts in the behalf and for the freedom of the suffering people of God He fore prophesied unto them that were in Authority in the days past of their destruction and of their overthrow because of their deceitfulness to God and their false and cruel treacherous and merciless dealings towards his people who had made many fair promises both to God and man in the time of their adversity That they would grant free liberty of Conscience in things relating to the Worship of God and that Oppression should be removed and the like but in the time of their prosperity when they were waxen fat and grown great and lived at ease and in pleasures then they forgot God and regarded not to perform their Engagements neither to God nor his people for which cause the Lord cut them off in hi● sore displeasure and brought an utter desolation upon them according to the words of his Servants and this Prophet of God lived to see their desolation come which was sad to behold and his Prophesies was fulfilled in his own days And he also warned the present Rulers of this Nation to take heed of walking in the steps of them that are gone before And for these things and for the publishing of the Truth of God and for bearing his Testimony with boldnesse against all Oppression and Cruelty he was hated of the men of this gener●tion but chiefly by some of the Rulers of the City of London He sealed his Testimony with his Life in bonds and so they have wilfully brought innocent blood upon themselves and heavy will it lye upon them in the day of account which greatly hastens wherein the Lord God wil make inquisition for the blood of the innocent and reward every man according to his deeds then wil his blood be upon you as the blood of a thousand men and how wil you bear your sentence from the Lord of Hosts because you will be found guilty of the blood of his Prophets Messengers and Servants which he sent unto you in love to your souls to forewarn you of the evil which greatly hastens to come upon you Yet notwithstanding you have done all these things and the cry of innocent blood hath been heard so loud amongst you yet have you hardened your hearts and go on in stiff-neckedness and persist in your cruelty towards the servants of the Lord that are left behind and are found casting them into prison Oh wo is me for you where will a place be found for you in the day of the Lord or what covering will you hide yourselves under Or how wil you appear before the righteous God of Heaven and Earth Have you no consideration in you of your latter end Or else do you believe that the Lord sees not your cruelty towards his people that you will not answer his requirings which is to do justly and love mercy and walk humbly with the Lord and to do unto all men as you would they should do unto surely if the consideration of these things was in your hearts or if you had any regard to keep your consciences clear in the sight of God