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A60558
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The blessed works of the light of God's holy and blessed spirit exalted above the works of darkness with some informations how to escape out of sin and iniquity, and a clear way discovered into the truth : with a short testimony of the cry of Babylon's merchants by reason of the day that is coming upon them / [by] Stephen Smith.
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Smith, Stephen, 1623-1678.
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1673
(1673)
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Wing S4212; ESTC R37568
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21,102
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40
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in Thousands who are Witnesses of the Works of God's holy Spirit in some Degree or Measure viz. That it is in Christ God's Covenant in which we hope for Salvation and in no Covenant nor Work of Man's and in this Covenant we are made a good Savour unto God and one unto another And Acceptance with God is obtained no other way but by the one pure Offering without Spot or Blemish by the effectual Workings of the Eternal Spirit where the Blood of Christ is witnessed to be sufficient to purge Consciences of dead Works and so to serve God in the New and Living Way which he hath consecrated for us through the Vail his Flesh And therefore all who are thus Partakers of God's Works by the Revelation of God's Spirit being true Witnesses of the Blessing of God in this one Unspotted Offering we cannot but confess him before Men denying all imaginary Offerings in mens wills where their Garments are filled with Spots and Blemishes and their Consciences are defiled with dead Works of their own Inventions and Works the which having some outward Shew of Holiness may Recommend unto Man who lives in the same but not unto God and therefore Experience in the Works of God's blessed Spirit hath taught us to deny them And by this Christ of God the Mediator of the New Covenant we have Acceptance with God from whence the Knowledge of Salvation comes by the Remission of Offences and Sins and therefore we deny all false and vain Mediatorship of vain man in his vain VVorks of Conceivings Imaginations concerning this Mediator the which is really to be enjoyed and known by the effectual VVorkings of God's Eternal Spirit to the Consolation and Peace of Souls who partake thereof And through the blessed VVorks of this blessed Spirit of God the Deaf Ear comes to be opened to hear the Voice of the one true powerful Shepherd who alone doth feed the Sheep of his Pasture with that convenient and wholsome Food the which causeth Soundness of Heart and Mind and therein doth he take Care to preserve and keep his Sheep in a living Sense of his Love Fatherly Care who calls to his Sheep when the Lion the VVolf and the Bear appears and strengtheneth them who take Pleasure in hearkening and obeying his Voice So to the one Shepherd and one Fold Testimony is given unto whom all that are erred and strayed must return if ever they witness Deliverance from Evil and Preservation from Danger So we deny all false Shepherds whose VVorks of Darkness tend to the scattering people in their Minds and Understandings from the Sense of God's VVorks in Christ in reconciling lost Mankind and bringing them home unto himself the Substance of all of which the Law outward was but a Shadow of good things the which are injoyed in this one Shepherd and Bishop who takes Care and Oversight of Souls magnified and praised be his holy and glorious VVorks of Redemprion forever and ever And so to the Honour of this one blessed Physitian of Souls whose Works are certain and effectual the which has been tryed by many wounded Souls who could find no Cure without by the foolish and vain Physitians without who are meer Deceivers and Daubers up of people through their Inchantments and Sorceries by which they have made a long Prey of people through their fair Speeches getting their Money through meer Deceit and Flattery intruding into things they have no Knowledge of in which VVorks they are pufft up above the pure holy VVorks of God's blessed Spirit the Revelation of which they have denyed they in lew thereof have set up their own Imaginations and Conceivings in the Revelation of their Singular exalted Spirit the Flattery and Deceit of which having taken with people how are Nations corrupted by it and what Misery have these wicked VVorks brought into this Nation God having given signal Testimonies of Dislike unto them by Sword Plague Fire and Sword and by many Messengers whom he hath drawn near unto himself by his VVorks by the hands of them Messengers hath he sent VVarning upon VVarning and Exhortation upon Exhortation with tenders of his Blessed VVorks of Reconciliation upon just and equal terms of his Enemies repenting and turning unto him by turning from their Wickedness But what Entertainment these Servants of the Living God have found by these foolish Physitians who are meer Time-Servers for their own Ends whose Refuge is an Arm of Flesh to defend their wicked corrupt Works which have filled the Nations with their Defilements who by their Flatteries have drawn a Compliance from Magistrates to punish the Messengers and Servants of the Most High God for telling the Truth from a certain Knowledge of the Works of God's Spirit of Truth and therein testifying against the Works of Error and Darkness But the Sufferings that have been for this Love of God in and through them who have been Instruments in his hands may through search be known so Testimony is given against them who are in the Exaltation of Works without and denying the immediate blessed Works of God's holy Spirit in its Operations and Revelations of the Mind and Will of God unto wounded Souls within And further concerning these Blessed Works of God's Righteous Holy Spirit the which are attended with Peace unto which Way many have been turned and because some loiter and are sloathful and yet remain unconverted of the Old Man's corrupt Words and Deeds and therefore not fit to put on the New Man Christ Jesus and some who were in the Way do turn out of it again and some fall head-long down to Perdition Oh! what Occasion hath the Watchers for Evil taken at this and thereby set at nought God's Works in his Holy Righteous Spirit and them that abide therein making Conclusions in their dark imaginary Conceivings of the Works of God That he hath no such perfect Works now adayes but that all are fallible and changeable and so measure and weigh the things of God in their corrupt false Measure and Ballance which things are Abomination in the Sight of God So Testimony is given to God's blessed Works though many are so brittle that they will not abide them yet notwithstanding God's Works in and through his holy Spirit of Truth are Righteous Holy Perfect in every Degree and Measure and remains firm in Goodness and unchangeable there being no Spot nor Blemish in them the which praises him forever out of which none shall ever find Acceptance of him Mutter Peep Whine and Scold as long as you will your Works of Darkness must down which have corrupted the Nations which is the Cause of the great Judgments past in this Nation and the greater yet to come For the Sword of the Spirit the Word of God is gone out against wicked Workers and works and thus saith the Lord No Peace to the Wicked their Prayers are Abomination in my Sight So whatsoever your Professions and Coverings therein be of your Talkings and Imaginations
Holy Men without us would have given us a Right to his Holiness though the Lust of the Eye the Lust of the Flesh the Pride of Life and Friendship of the World had never been wholely subdued in us but in such a part as might he consistent with our Gain and Profit in the World But Alas Alas Our Coverings be too narrow they will no longer hide us God's Righteous Works are abroad in the Earth who is inspiring his People with True Light of Vnderstanding and Mordecai sits in the Gate and will not bow to Wickedness Haman Alas Alas We have twined and twisted about through many Crafts and Inventions some of our best Arts-Men having called the Light a Devil some others a Natural Light and others a Bewildering Light and likewise many False Accusations have we raised with Evil Reports Scornings and Reproachings of the People called Quakers for Confessing to the Works of the Light of God's Holy Spirit yet all our Shifts do not at all help us but those Works prosper and they are generally a Faithful People to their Testimony Alas Alas Who would have thought our Mother had been such a Harlot What delicate Inchantments and Sorceries hath she used and trained us up in that we have been thus deceived and thereby have been Instruments of deceiving the whole Nations Alas Alas We can flee into no Corner nor Hole but we are found out and pursued Alas Alas can't all the Wisdom of the VVorld and Arts therein help to hide our Sins and Iniquities from the Light of the Lamb Is every Creature so clearly manifest in his Sight that made all things good in the beginning And is he now as work again And must all yield to his VVorks or be accounted his Enemies and be cast out of his Presence who is Lord of all whose is the Earth and the Fulness thereof Alas Alas VVords of Repentance of Sin will not serve now there must be a true Repentance and Forsaking Sin and Evil or else we perish forever Even so it must be done to you Workers of Iniquity who have been and are as Props and Pillars strengthening the Old World of Transgression in Sin and Iniquity the Devil's works and therein withstood the Sufficiency of God's Love manifested to the World in his Son to destroy the Devil's works which works of Transgression the old subtil Serpent the Deceiver of the Nations in and through his Instruments is striving and labouring to maintain under several and very large and specious Pretences of crying out Lord Lord But come Workers of Iniquity these Good Words will not give you Admittance into the Kingdom of God it s not they that say Lord Lord shall enter therein but they that do the Will of God And was not his Will manifested to the World in his Son that they that believed and followed him in doing his Father's Will might not Perish but have everlasting Life And do not many of you confess to this in words who say in your set Prayers That we may follow the Example of Christ's great Humiliation and Patience that we may attain to his Resurrection c. VVhat brave VVords have you VVorkers of Iniquity got in your Old Bottle that can hold none of the New VVine And so in your corrupt VVills what will the using good VVords do you good but thereby add to your Condemnation who by Good VVords and corrupt and Bad Actions are withstanding and have withstood the Good-will Pleasure and Love of God in his Son to the VVorld So your works of Darkness and Falshood are clearly manifested and you can't hide them from the Light But the Light of the Effectual and Powerful VVorks of God's holy Spirit wherein his VVill is manifest is rising more and more to a more perfect Day of his VVill being done upon Earth to the Praise and Honour of his blessed and holy Name whose VVorks are Pure Holy Just and Perfect in every degree thereof and tend to the true Reformation Peace Prosperity and Establishment of all Mankind in God's Love and Mercy therein forever So worshipped be God that made Heaven and Earth and the Fountains of VVaters and all things therein who fills the hearts of the Upright with Joy and Gladness through the Shinings forth of the Light of his Countenance who sits upon his Throne and saith Behold I make all things New Amen AND now unto such who are in Doubt Whether God's Holy Spirit doth so effectually work now adayes as in the Primitive Times Unto you I say What Flesh could ever have indured such grievous and continued Punishments in Tryals of divers sorts by Imprisouments and Banishments and Hangings and Killings as in New-England and Imprisonments to Death and Spoiling of Goods in Old England and Cruel Mockings and Scoffings and Bloodshed by Unmerciful Men Indeed some in a Voluntary Humility have somewhat appeared in Sufferings but being in their own Willillings and Runnings and VVorks therein how have they been overcome their Strength being an Arm of Flesh as well as others and so Fleshly VVorks have been overcome by Fleshly VVorks But it s not so with them who are in Scorn and Derision called Quakers because they have bowed to God's VVay the which is quite different to Man's wayes was that Name given but in God's VVay hath his Arm been revealed and its Strength made manifest in our VVeakness So that to the Praise of him that lives forever the Operation of his Blessed Spirit is felt as in the Primitive Dayes and the Glory and Comfort of it hath ministred Strength and Refreshment in the time of Tryals though this Way of God's Proceeding hath been hid from the vulterous evil Eye So to the Praise and Glory of God is Confession made through the Operation of his holy Spirit through which Thousands have been preserved and kept from bowing to the seed of Cain Haman and the Beast which hath made the World as a Wilderness where wild Fruits and wild Actions spring So we can truly say to the Praise of God Let not the Wise Men in the Wisdom of this World glory in their Wisdom nor the Strong Men in their Strength nor the Mighty Men in their Might but let all wait in that pure Measure of the Light of God's Spirit in their Consciences that by it they may draw near unto God that they may know his Blessed Works of Mercy and Love and Judgment in the Earth wherein that true Glory and Honour of God is ANd further Concerning Ministry this I say As the Blessed Works of the Light of God's holy Spirit has place in Hearts and so opens Understandings a Discovery will be made from thence of the False Corrupt and Wicked Ministers who open their Mouthes for Gifts and Rewards from whose Works in fair and deceitful Speeches Prophaneness is gone out into the World where the Revelations of God's holy Spirit is denyed and set at nought they telling People Revelations are ceased they are not to be known now adayes