Selected quad for the lemma: world_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
world_n	darkness_n	light_n	shine_v	11,650	5	9.6082	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A34991	An epistle of tender love and brotherly advice to all the churches of Christ throughout the world who are gathered into the one living faith, and walk in the light, and therein have their fellowship one with another. From a friend and brother in the same fellowship, who hath long travailed, and still travails for Zion's prosperity, and for the gathering Zion's children out of Egypt and darkness, that they may walk and dwell in the light of Zion's Saviour, which is Christ the Lord; whose outward name is Stephen Crisp.	Crisp, Stephen, 1628-1692.	1690 (1690)	Wing C6929; ESTC R215184	11,866	17

and Choice and bowed their Spirits to take upon them the Work and Service to which they are appointed for the Lord's sake and for the Bodies sake which is the Church to whom it may truly be said as in the 20th Chapter of Acts Vers 28. Take ye heed to the Flock of God over which the Holy Ghost hath made you Overseers c. And such ought to be hearkened to in the discharge of their Trust as those that must give an Account to him that called them and gifted them for their several Works and Services in the Church And by these Ways and Means hath the Lord established among you a Heavenly Government and built as it were a Hedge about you that ye may be preserved from Generation to Generation a People fitted for the Glory that is and shall daily more and more be revealed among and upon the Faithful who delights in that Power that called them to be Saints and to bear a Profession for the holy Name of God against the many Names and Ways that men in their changeable minds have set up that the Name of the Lord alone may be exalted And dear Friends and Brethren I intreat you that the Considerations of these great and weighty things which God hath wrought for you and among you may have that deep and weighty Influence upon your Souls that ye may find your selves ingaged to answer the love and mercy of God in your Lives and Conversations and in all you have to do in this World that ye may shew forth the Honour of God in all things that the Light which hath shined in you may shine forth through you unto others who yet sit in darkness that all men may know by your Innocent and Harmless Conversations and by your close keeping to the Lord that ye are a People who are assisted and helped by a supernatural Power which governs your Wills and subjects them to his blessed Will and that guides and orders your Affections and sets them upon heavenly and divine Objects and that gives you Power to deny your own private Interests where they happen to stand in Competition with the Interest of Truth for these and these only will be found the true Disciples of our Lord Jesus Christ who can deny themselves take up a Cross daily and follow him in the guidance of his Regenerating Power which brings Death upon self and crucifies the old Nature with its Affections and Lust and raiseth up a Birth in you that hath a holy Will and desire to serve the Lord and do his Will in the Earth and such as these are Instruments in the hand of God for him to work by to do Works of Righteousness of Justice of Charity all other the Vertues belonging to a Christian Life to the Honour of God and for the comfort and benefit of his Church and People And all you dear Friends upon whom the Lord hath laid a Care for his Honour and for the Prosperity of the Truth and gathered you into the good Order of the Gospel to meet together to manage the Affairs thereof Take heed that you have a single Eye to the Lord to do the Lord's business in the leadings of his Spirit which is but one and brings all that are given up to be governed by it to be of one Mind and Heart at least in the general purpose and service of those Meetings although through the diversity of Exercises and the several degrees of growth among the Brethren not every one may not see or understand alike in every matter at the first propounding of it yet this makes no breach of the Unity nor hinders the Brotherly-kindness but puts you often upon an Exercise and an inward travailing to feel the pure peaceable Wisdom that is from above to open among you and every ones Ear is open to it in whomsoever it speaks and thereby a sence of Life is given in the Meeting to which all that are of a simple and tender mind joyn and agree But if any among you should be contrary minded in the management of some outward Affair relating to the Truth this doth not presently break the Unity that ye have in Christ nor should weaken the Brotherly-Love so long as he keeps waiting for an understanding from God to be gathered into the same sence with you and walks with you according to the Law of Charity such a one ought to be born with and cherished and the Supplications of your Souls will go up to God for him that God may reveal it to him if it be his Will that so no difference may be in Understanding so far as is necessary for the good of the Church no more than there is in matters of Faith and Obedience to God For my Friends it is not of absolute necessity that every Member of the Church should have the same measure of Understanding in all things for then where were the duty of the strong bearing with the weak then where were the Brother of low degree where would be any submitting to them that are set over others in the Lord which all tends to the preserving Unity in the Church notwithstanding the different measures and different growths of the Membes thereof For as the Spirit of the Prophets are subject to the Prophets so are the Spirits of all that are kept in a true subjection to the Spirit of Life in themselves kept in the same subjection to the sence of Life given by the same Spirit in the Church and by this means we come to know the one Master even Christ and have no room for other Masters in the matter of our obedience to God and while every one keeps in this true subjection the sweet Concord is known and the Oyl is not only upon Aaron's Head though it be poured on thee but it reacheth the Skirts of his Garment also and things are kept sweet and savoury and ye love one another from the greatest to the least in Sincerity and as the Apostle saith without Dissimulation and this Love excludes all Whisperings of evil things all Back-biting Tale-bearing Grudgings and Murmurings and keeps Friends minds cleane one toward another waiting for every oppertunity to do each other good and to preserve each others Reputation and their Hearts are comforted at the sight of one another and in all their affairs both relating to the Church and to the World they will be watchful over their own Spirits and keep in the Lords Power over that nature and ground in themselves that would be apt to take an offence or construe any Word or Action to a worse sence than the simplicity thereof or the intention of the other concerned will allow of And whereas it may often fall out that among a great many some may have a different Apprehension of a matter from the rest of their Brethren especially in outward or temporal things there ought to be a Christian Liberty maintained for such to express their sence with freedom