Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
truth_n	service_n	spirit_n	worship_v	1,834	5	8.9813	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A26199	The suffering condition of the servants of the Lord at this day vindicated and some reasons given why the people called Quakers do own the doctrine of Christ, to continue in it, and to meet together in the name and fear of the Lord, to wait upon him, and worship him in spirit and truth, not withstanding they meet with sufferings in this present time for so doing : Bristol, the 6th month, 1662 / John Audland.	Audland, John, 1630-1664.	1662 (1662)	Wing A4198; ESTC R22605	21,740	31

not do it for we may not disobey the Lord because of these things Obj. Well then say they you will be ruinated have you no wisdom will you spoile your selves with these things Ans More is the pity say we that we may not serve the Lord and worship him but such lufferings will be exercised upon us by a people that profess themselves Christians and reformed ones too Well say we we must commit our cause to the Lord and even give up all to him who knows how to deliver on us by a people that profess themselves Christians and reformed ones too Well say we we must commit our cause to the Lord and even give up all to him who knows how to deliver the righteous out of all their trouble Obj. I but say they cannot you meet four and no more Ans We say We may not limit the Lord neither in the things of God must we order our selves And again if some could stoop to that it would not serve neither Obj. Then say they you must be forced and then you or some of you will yeild and then we will boast over you with those Ans But we say that force with carnal Weapons by pains and penalcies as it was not the way of the Lord nor the practise of the true Christians so neither doth it effect the end for it will never make men truly religious neither will it be for the better in the end to them that go about so to compel no nor yet any comfort in the mean time for there is a Prick that meets with the Persecutors now and then which stops their furious driving and gives them no ease in their Way as it was vvith Saul while he persecuted the Saints and brought them bound both Men and Women that believed in the Lord Jesus and he is not a good example in that to be followed for he made havock of the Church entering into every House and halling men and women committing them to prison having Authority from the Chief-Priests and being exceedingly mad against them Acts 8 3. Acts 26.10 11. as he aftervvards confessed and as he vvent to Damascus with Authority and Commission he vvas struck dovvn for all his Authority and heard a voice saying to him Why persecutest thou me it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks And it will be very hard for all such vvho persecute the Children of the Lord the Lord will smite them one vvay or another if they be not smitten to their Conversion But if the Lord smite them often and they still go on to sin more and more he will ease him of his Adversaries and avenge him of his Enemies and smite them vvith an irrecoverable stroke Obj. And if it be objected That these were Jews that did not profess Christ that thus persecuted the Christians and it was evil done of them but we are a Reformed Church and we do it in zeal to Christ that people might be all of one way and the Law doth allow us to it Ans 'T is ansvvered thus The Jews had a zeal for God which vvas not according to knovvledge and they had a Law also by which they judged the Holy One that he ought to dye but although they supposed they did God service and for the defending of the Law yet indeed they fought against God and they had as much to say for their vvay of Worship it being ancient and they vvhich differed from them their vvay vvas but nevv in appearance I say the Jews might plead for their Way far more groundedly than many novv especially people vvho neither live in their Way of Worship according to the Jews under the Law no nor yet according to the Saints in the Primitive times And those that profess themselves Christians and yet persecute the Innocent they are far more guilty than the Jews vvere inasmuch as they both profess more Light and also vvalk so quite contrary to their ovvn Profession yea and to the example of Christ vvhom they profess and the true Christians who said Love your Enemies pray for them that persecute you not persecute them that pray for you Neither had the Saints such Weapons to bring people into their Church as is now used but spiritual ones mighty through God and vvent forth in his Power this brought people to be of one heart and one vvay and to serve the Lord with one mind which force vvith carnal Weapons vvill never accomplish to bring people to be of one vvay Obj. And as it 's said But some will yeild and then we will rejoice in that Ans 'T is answered That 's a bad Work to force people and compel them to deny that vvhich God hath made manifest to them to be truth and the greater is their sin that so do 'T is said that Saul compelled some to blaspheme against the Name of Jesus when he raged so against them but he afterward confessed it as a great sin And though some did so or do so yet that is no confirmation to the persecutors that they are in the Way of God no nor yet a true Testimony against the persecuted that they are not in the Way of God neither doth it truly convert men at all Indeed force and compulsion may make some men conform to that outwardly vvhich otherwise they would not do but that is nothing of weight their hearts are never the better but are rather worse and more hypocrites than before for force doth but make Hypocrites at the most for it is God alone by his powerful Word of Life operating in the hearts of people that changeth them and reneweth them in the Spirit of their minds and brings them into the true Service and Worship even to draw near him with their hearts and to worship him in Spirit and Truth and it 's out of man's power and that which God doth not require of men at this day to force by penalties and carnal Weapons to this or that Worship and is absolutely against the practice of the Saints and the Spirit of Jesus as also against Christ's Royal Law which is Whatsoever ye would that men should do unto you even so do ye unto them Now let every man make it his own case He saith his way is the way of God and anothers is not Well then would he be forced to leave his own way and to go to the other vvhich he is not satisfied of to be according to the mind of God especially when nothing is offered to convince his Conscience or perswade his mind and understanding but force and compulsion Surely no man would be so dealt with in his own case Obj. But if it be said We have Power and a Law and we are wise and learned men and we would not be forced from our Religion but we would force people to ours Ans This hath no weight in it at all for you ought to put your selves in the same capacities as them you deal with are and to consider

The Suffering Condition OF THE Servants of the Lord At this day Vindicated And some Reasons given why the People called Quakers do own the Doctrine of Christ to continue in it and to meet together in the Name and Fear of the Lord to wait upon him and worship him in Spirit and Truth notwithstanding they meet with sufferings in this present time for so doing Bristol the 6th Month 1662. JOHN AUDLAND Hearken unto me ye that knew righteousness the people in whose heart is my Law fear ye not the reproach of men neither be ye afraid of their revilings for the Moth shall eat them up like a Garment and the Worm shall eat them like Wool but my righteousness shall be for ever and my salvation from generation to generation Isa 51.7 8. Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's Elect it is God that justifieth Rom. 8.33 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ Shall tribulation or distress or persecution or famine or nakedness or peril or sword as it is written For thy sake we are killed all the day long we are counted as sheep for the slaughter nay in all these things we are more than Conquerors through him that loved us for I am perswaded that neither Death nor Life nor Angels nor Principalities nor Powers nor things present nor things to come nor height nor depth nor any other creature shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord Rom. 8.35 36 37 38. LONDON Printed in the year 1662. The suffering condition of the Servants of the Lord at this day vindicated c THe good and blessed Day of the Lord is come and the Heavenly Visitation of Life wherein the Light of Righteousness is springing up unto many people and many have received the blessed Visitation of the Lord and are made partakers of his Heavenly Power by which they are quickened and raised up unto newness of life to serve him and to follow him in truth and righteousness and the blessed day wherein the Lord visited us and the notable works which the Lord hath wrought and his noble acts which he hath done are not by us to be forgotten but are recorded in our hearts as things remarkable and considerable to be remembred by us while we have a being upon the earth and that with fear and reverence in our hearts unto the Lord our God who is great and mighty whom we have known to execute Judgement in righteousness to the judging and bringing down of that which was once exalted for when the acceptable Year of the Lord came unto us Judgement was laid to the Line and the Lord did arise to shake terribly the Earth the loftiness of man was bowed down and the haughtiness of man was laid low that the Lord alone might be exalted and the Earth reeled to and fro and was removed like a Shepherd's Tent and the Light of Israel was as a fire and the holy One as a flame to burn up the thorns and the thickets in a day many faces gathered paleness and hearts grew weak and knees feeble and many had their hands upon their loins because of the great travel that was upon them because of the mighty Power of the Lord which was made manifest in them for the bringing down of that which had been exalted against him and for the restoration of the oppressed Captive that deliverance be known from the power of Satan and from the bondage of corruption that we being set free wherein we were held might serve the Lord in truth and singleness of heart and wait upon him and follow the leadings of his Spirit in the exercise of our hearts and minds in serving and worshipping the Lord our God And so the God of Heaven hath revealed and made manifest the way of Life and Peace the way wherein comfort and satisfaction to the soul is found the Gate of Mercy even the entrance to the everlasting Kingdom of Rest and Joy for evermore which although it be strait and narrow and a cross to the fleshly part and earthly ground and wisdom yet it is easie pleasant and delightful living in the Spirit and becoming little even as a Child for so must he become that enters in at the strait Gate to eat of the Tree of Life which is in the midst of the Paradice of God So we have found the way of everlasting peace through the rich mercy and tender visitation of the Lord walking in the Spirit and living in that which mortifies the deeds of the flesh being subject to the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ Here is rest to the soul here is the sweet visitations of the Lord known which are as the former and latter rain to refresh the lowly in heart and poor in spirit Here waiting upon the Lord the strength is renewed and here the Lord speaks peace to people even as they are in Christ the Power of God growing up in him who is the truth and the life they are possessors of lasting peace which God speaks not to the wicked which is the portion of the upright in heart and as the Lord hath made manifest the way of peace life and everlasting happiness he hath also discovered the contrary even the way of misery darkness and destruction the way which is broad and many in the lusts of the flesh takes pleasure in it following the motions of the flesh and the desires of the carnal mind resisting the motions of Gods good Spirit and hating the blessed Light of the Lord Jesus Christ and so spends away their precious time and in this state that is to say in the flesh resisting the Spirit of the Lord they cannot serve God nor please him nor worship him in truth though they may professe him in words and draw near him with their mouth yet being in the flesh contrary to the Spirit of Truth the ear turned away from hearing of God's Law their prayers are abomination their plowing is sin their sacrifice is as Cains not accepted by the Lord no peace from God no true rest no satisfaction no beholding the countenance of the Lord nor no assurance of the Eternal Inheritance which never fades away but an earnest of wrath pain misery anguish and trouble which will come upon all who live and dye in disobedience of the glorious Gospel of Jesus Christ And so we see the Way of Life to all that believe in the Name of the Lord Jesus and the way of death to all who live in unrighteousness and are not changed by the power of God and translated from death to life and from the Kingdom of darkness into the Kingdom of the dear Son of God And these things are of great concernment unto us and we see it is very needful to wait upon the Lord and to follow the motions of his Spirit that we may feel his power to preserve us in his will out of the evil of the World that so