Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
truth_n	holy_a	spirit_n	word_n	12,159	5	4.3929	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A59954	A small treatise concerning evil thoughts and imaginations and concerning good thoughts and heavenly meditations ... / by W. S.	Shewen, William, 1631?-1695.	1679 (1679)	Wing S3423; ESTC R33809	29,991	66

Christian Religion Now the true Christians Worship is in the Spirit and in the Truth not in the Letter nor in the Form barely but was before all Letters and outward Laws and Prescriptions were before all inventions were before all errors and the spirit of them was This was the Worship in Paradice when mankind neglected this worship he fell into evil into invention into error Sin was the occasion or cause of the Law the labour of the Prophets and the coming and suffering of Christ which was the cause of the outward Law and all other dispensations of God for the recovery of lost man And before he can witness a return out of his lost estate he must come again to the same Worship in the Spirit and in the Truth even the Truth in the inward parts for that is it which God loves to the word in the mouth to the law in the heart and the fear in the inward parts from all fear towards God taught by the precepts of men from all traditions of men of corrupt minds from all devices and inventions of men This is the blessed estate the true Christian is come into and is the end sum and substance of all holy Writings Forms and holy Traditions Ministrations and Dispensations before the Law under the Law and the Prophets Wilderness Jerusalem and Temple-Worship which stood in divers bodily exercises outward works and services variety of Offerings observing of Times Days Months and Years Meats Drinks outward Washings and Purifications New Moons Fasts Feasts solemn Meetings and general Assemblies once a Year at Jerusalem all these things were but shadows and typical And this is the antitipe and † The substance of all shadowy Services under the Law substance shadowed forth by them all To come to the Worship in the Spirit in the Truth to Mount Sion the City of the living God the heavenly Jerusalem and to come to the general Assembly and Church of the first-born written in Heaven and to God the Judge of all and the spirits of just men made perfect c. and to know the heavenly City that comes down from God out of Heaven even Jerusalem the Mother of all the living Citizens thereof whose Law and Covenant is spiritual and writ in their hearts whose love fear and obedience to God is engraven in their inward parts and from hence ariseth the true Worship in the Spirit and in the Truth And this is the Worship the Primitive Christians came to and were exercised in they prayed in the Spirit not at any set time or appointed place only but at all times and in all places according to the Exhortations pray always pray continually pray without ceasing I will that men pray every where lifting up holy hands without wrath or doubting always breathing to the Lord in Spirit though never a word be uttered in the closet when the door is shut the Lord heareth and answereth this Prayer and many times they were and are also led forth to pray in words publickly but mostly for the sake of others and in the behalf of others as Christ Jesus did The true Christian is also a preacher of Righteousness not only in Words Sentences and long Sermons at set times and appointed places but in life and conversation † A true Christian is always preaching in this he is always a Preacher a Teacher of that which is good always as a candle burning and set in the right place his lamp trimmed and his light shining always as a City upon a hill as the salt of the earth and light of the world to season and give light to others by holy example which preacheth lowder than words The true Christians singing or rejoycing is also in the Spirit and in the Truth and not in iniquity and with a good understanding he needs no art not invention to bring words into Meeter or Rhime that they may make a pleasant sound and a joyful noise The Christian Musick is not made by Art and Air. his Musick doth not stand in outward sounds made by Art and Air but his melody is in his heart in the spirit in the inward man in the hidden man of the heart which is the antitipe and substance of all outward musick used in the time of the Law under the first Covenant in the Worship and Service of God and as far exceeds it as the substance of a thing doth the shadow thereof And he that hath this heavenly inward rejoycing and pleasant melody in the heart will never invent to himself instruments of Musick like David nor delight in the sounds thereof Where this heart-melody is lost the outward invented musick is set up among Jews Gentiles and Apostate Christians for the true Christian is come to know Christ Jesus as a Prince of Peace as a peaceable Saviour as the Consolation of Israel and joy of generations as a giver of peace which the world cannot give nor take away which far surpasseth all the delights of the sons of men which by nature art and invention they can attain unto Now the Spirit of God is universal and the Truth is universal and the true Christian Worship that stands in it is also to be universal that is at all times and in all places not only when people meet together in a solemn manner to wait together upon God and to he or his word preach and be preached and to hear a Prayer Psalm Song or Hymn even from his own pure motion and Spirit one hour in seven The true Worship of God stands not in any outward observation of time or place or any bodily exercise therein but in doing the will of God bowing in his Spirit and obeying the voice thereof or one day in seven which is good and profitable in its place but every hour and every day bowing in spirit worshiping in the Truth which makes free from all error from all evil from all vain observations literal traditions and humane inventions about the Worship of God from all carnal Ordinances as Musicks Meats Drinks Washings Feasts Fasts Days and Times which ends vanisheth or perisheth with the using though holy and significant in their first institution these things are not to be touched nor tasted no nor so much as handled by the true Christian these things are but beggerly elements and worldly rudiments which had a beginning and must have an end And the root or cause of a Christian which is Christ is the end of the Law and all the types and shadows of it and fulfils all the righteousness of it of the Prophets and of John also and is a bringer in of a better hope a better Law a better Covenant a better Worship which Hope Law Covenant and Worship is inward and spiritual and not outward and carnal formal nor traditional and all that are come to this worship in the Spirit and in the Truth which is one pure eternal principle of light life and power and have their hearts tendred

and perswade one the other and sometimes compel one another by violence to walk in and make use of in order to arrive thereto as they think and imagine but it is in this age as of old the guides and teachers of the people cause them to err cause them to go astray and wander from the right way of the Lord they were in vision judgment and understanding themselves and cause all that follow and obey them to do the same being unskilful guides and blind watchmen are but as the blind leading the blind and so both fall into the ditch together Now the way to everlasting happiness is but one both to Jew and Gentile which way is Christ who is the wisdom and Power of God the Truth and the Life and the appearance of this Christ of God is within men in their hearts its first appearance is as a light shining in darkness and as a pure spotless Spirit that consenteth to no evil but reproveth and convinceth all that are found in it and to this Light or Spirit all who write or speak for God and the good of mankind do turn and direct the minds of men and endeavour to perswade them to give regard unto its reproofs of instruction as being the way to life and to obey its counsel and teaching as the only means of salvation and way of returning to the rock from whence they were hewen and to the hole of the pit from whence they were digged to their habitation and dwelling-place in God again and many thousands in this Island and other places can give testimony that this is the only way and means God hath ordained for the recovery return and restoration of lost man and that all other ways and means which they had been wearying themselves in availed nothing but walking in this heavenly way the Light the Spirit and Grace of God within and learning of the annointing within they come to witness salvation came to their house and to surround them as walls and bulwarks and to witness the fulfilling of that Divine Prophesie My people shall dwell in a peaceable habitation and in sure dwellings Isa 30.3 4.32.18 and in quiet resting-places The eye of them that see shall not be dim the ear of them that hear shall bearken the heart also of the rash shall understand knowledge and the tongue of the stammerer shall be ready to speak plainly These are the blessed effects of walking in the way and paths of righteousness which a remnant are living witnesses of and can praise and magnifie the name of the Lord in the sense thereof But none comes to enjoy this blessed estate nor inhabit this heavenly dwelling-place but as their minds comes truly to be exercised by and in the Light of the Lord and that by walking and abiding therein come to have their minds established settled and stayed upon him who is indeed the alone stay of his people and rock of his inheritance And nothing can be found in the heavens above nor in the earth beneath that is able to satisfie or stay the mind of man but the Lord the mind or soul of man is more noble more excellent than all visible things so they are not all capable to fill or satisfie his soul or stay his mind though he might possess or have the whole world to himself yet in the end will be made to cry out and confess with the Preacher of old Vanity of vanity all is vanity and vexation of spirit c. Eccles 1. But to have the mind stayed upon the Lord there is pleasure peace and content truly found and enjoyed according to the testimony of that Divine Prophet Isaiab who said speaking in the name of the Lord Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace whose mind is staid upon thee This is such a truth that none knoweth but he that hath it it may be soon writ read or spoken but to enjoy that estate is more than words it is the end sum and substance of all that can be said or done and is the reward of the righteous from the immediate hand of God viz. to be kept in perfect peace It 's the end of all holy breathings and desires it s the end of the Preaching the Gospel of Peace and Sal-Salvation even to know and feel and experience the peace of God to keep the heart and to keep the mind and to rule there This is a blessed state indeed worthy to be waited for and pressed after by all that have a sight and sence thereof and are in the way that leadeth thereto though not yet arrived thereat go forward in the name of the Lord even in that name Light by which he hath made himself known unto us in this age by which Light thou sawest the wandering and unstableness of thy mind and the multitude of thy thoughts imaginatious and inventions persevere in the same and thou wilt become not only a child of it but also grow from a Childs estate to the state of a young Man Elder and Father keeping the Faith and firmly believing that which sheweth thee the wandering and unstableness of thy mind will be as a Shepherds Crook unto thee and in due time will bring thee back into the fold of rest and that that holy Light that discovers and sheweth unto thee thy thoughts and inward enemies will also by the brightness of its arising disperse and destroy them for thee and bring thee into that estate thy soul descrieth panteth and looketh after even into the presence of the Lord where the fulness of Joy is and where the rivers of pleasures run where the reaping and returning with joy is where the singing for joy of heart is and the joy of Gods salvation felt the blessed Light of God or Son of Righteousness in whom thou hast belleved is the only way to possess and inherit those things And thy walking ablding and persevering in it is the means and there is not any other way or means appointed of God to bring man back into that Paradisical state of felicity he lost by Transgression and to the establishing him in it But all that walk not nor ablde and persevere therein after they are come into it never attain to that blessed end of its appearing and shining to them for a bare knowledge of the Truth and a profession of the Light and Spirit of God within if they walk not in it and are not guided and lead by it it avails nothing but rather draws down fierce wrath and vengeance upon the head of such who know their Masters will and do it not who talk and profess well but are found doing evil and thereby lay a stumbling-block in the way of the blind and cause the way of Truth to be evil spoken of and the Name of the Lord by which he hath made himself known in this Age to be blasphemed by reason of their ungedly deeds under a Profession of Godliness and Cloak of Righteousness such their damnation slumbreth not And this I testifie and declare to all people to whom this may come which may serve also as a caution and warning to them that if they meet with any under the Name Form and Profession of a Christian in contempt called a Quaker who in his Converse Trade and Dealing Commerce and Affairs doth not let his Yea be Yea and his Nay Nay but breaketh his word and promises there is need to have a special care of that man and look upon him as one false and deceitful to the holy Principle of Truth and as a Hypocrite under the Profession of it He that is false to God cannot be true to men thou hadst better trust and give credit to a Heathen or Infidel than to such a one No wickedness beyond that which is acted under a peculiar Cloak of Religion Such who gain Credit and Repute by wearing this Cloak and get Widows and Orphans Monies into their hands to create great Trades by Sea and Land and then break are some of the worser sort of Robbers and Cheats and the cry of the poor Fatherless and Widows cries lowd against them This is a short Testimony arising in my heart against this sort of Wickedness wherein I have a little eased my mind and in the Truth remain a Friend to all men W. S. THE END