Selected quad for the lemma: kingdom_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
kingdom_n	great_a	heaven_n	know_v	2,359	5	3.7515	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A47127	The benefit, advantage and glory of silent meetings both as it was found at the beginning, or first breaking forth of this clear manifestation of truth, and continues so to be found by all the faithful and upright in heart at this day / writ for the stirring up and encouraging of those more especially who are lately convinced unto the love of them, and diligent improving them unto those ends and uses for which they serve by George Keith.	Keith, George, 1639?-1716.; Crisp, Stephen, 1628-1692.	1687 (1687)	Wing K145; ESTC R29891	18,469	27

known and witnessed and found at this day even as at the beginning by them who faithfully and diligently do observe them and improve them And by this means also the Truth came greatly to spread and gain Ground and so doth at this Day even in that these who were Convinced in all the parts and corners of the Land where the sound of Truth came did meet together though there were but two or three in a place and sat down together to wait upon the Lord in pure Silence out of all their own Thoughts and Words and Works which was a great and loud Testimony and did Preach all abroad far and near which gave occasion unto many who had some measure of Simplicity and Tenderness to consider the thing and the signification of it that in a time wherein Professors had so much a life in Words as if all Religion had been turned into Words and in Speaking and Hearing as indeed it was so with most part that they knew no more of it but to hear and talk Words and so their Religion was a Monster as if all the Body were become the Tongue and the Ear that a People should be raised up to meet together in Silence and in Silence to be Edified and Taught and Instructed more then in all the Words they had formerly heard or spoken and in silence to Worship God and Pray and give Thanks and be Helped and Strengthened one by another this gave occasion and doth and will give occasion still more and more unto many that have any measure of Tenderness and Simplicity to look beyond Words into the inwards and substance of Religion and indeed hereby many came to be Convinced more then by all the Preachings in Words that ever they heard the very Silence and Silent Meetings of Friends Preached unto them so Convincingly and reached them that they came both to confess and own the Truth and to sit down in silence with them who were formerly gathered turning in their Minds to the Light whereby they came to be partakers of the Benefits of Silence as aforesaid with them and so they came to see the proportion of the true Religion which is as a well proportioned Body and is not all Tongue or Ears but hath many other Parts and Members and these far greater for the Tongue as said Iames Is but a little Member and so indeed the Words which the Tongue can utter and answers thereunto are but a very little part in respect of these many other things which pertain unto the true Religion and even as in the Natural Body many other Members recei●e power to execute and do their proper and respective Offices before the Tongue as we see in Infants who can use divers Members of their Body but cannot speak with the Tongue so is it even as to the true Religion which first gives power as to the use of divers other things relating thereunto before it gives power as to speak of them so that obedience unto the Truth and the practice of a holy Life and Conversation doth most naturally proceed the speaking of or concerning the Truth and this is the order of Christ who said He that keepeth my Commandments and teacheth men so to do so her● is first keeping the Commandments before teaching unto others the same shall be great in the Kingdom of Heaven And so Friends being turned towards God to wait upon him for his Teachings in their Silent Meetings have not their Meetings to depend upon any Speakers or Speaker without whatsoever and therefore they can and do meet together with Advantage when they know not of any Speakers and thus their Meetings are constantly kept up for a Testimony to Truth and the Edification of themselves as also for the reaching unto others whereas among all other Professions and Professors it is quite otherwise for if they have no Speaker they have no Meeting and so their Meetings depend upon the Words and Lips of men as if they could receive no good in Meetings but what dropped from the Lips of men whereas the good that Friends look at and wait for in Meetings and do receive is far beyond all Words whatsoever even the very Words of Life which Words are precious unto them notwithstanding and desirable in their place and that Good is the Life it self which was before Words and will be when Words are not and in which all Words are to cease but the Life endureth for ever in which Friends have Fellowship with God and one with another And as touching Silent Meetings or Meeting together in silence it is not only traceable among the Disciples and Apostles in the Primitive Times as aforesaid but even in the Old Testament so called although it be thought such a strange thing among Priests and Professors generally for did not Iob and his Friends meet together in silence 7 days Iob 3.13 And did not Ezekiel sit among the Captives 7 days and did not open his Mouth to any till at the End of them when the Word of the Lord came to him Ezek. 3.15 16. Yea and the Ilands are bid be Silent before him Isa. 41.1 and said Zechariah Let all Flesh be Silent before the Lord for he is raised up out of his Holy Place Zech. 2.13 George Keith POST-SCRIPT The Copy of a Letter written from Germany by Stephen Crisp to Friends which doth suit with the preceeding Paper ALL Friends every where who have tasted of the Goodness of God keep in the Savour thereof and let not your Minds be stoln away from that which is Living for that which is Living cometh from Above and makes you Lively but that which is Corruptible cometh from the Earth and brings Death with lt over your Souls and therefore watch in diligence to retain the Savour of the Life of Truth that you may Live from a sence that Christ liveth in you who is the Seed the Truth the Noble Plant and grows and bringeth forth Fruit in you And all Friends every where who thus keeps and retains the Savour of Life in them they will come to feel daily Quicknings thereby and will have power over the Nature that is dead in Adam to all good Works and especially to waiting upon God with a stedfast and stay'd Mind Nothing so hard as this to that old and corrupt Nature which is soon weary This is that Nature which cannot watch with Christ one hour but let his Tryals and Sufferings be never so great this leads from Watching to Sleeping this hath no Fellowship with the Seed of God in its Sufferings and shall have none in its Dominion And where this drowsie Nature stands Uncrucified it keeps you in the Weakness out of the Power and this brings out of the savour and feeling of the Goodness of God and so makes Meetings unprofitable and as it comes through Custom to be allowed and subjected to it leads into Hypocrisie that is to say into a professing to waiting upon God and a presenting the Body in the Meeting and then letting the Heart which God requires depart far from him even into the Ease and Liberty of the Flesh in which the Apostle said they that lived could not please God. Therefore Dear Friends in the Name of God I exhort you consider what you do when you Assemble together and let it be in the Name of Iesus that is in his Power not in the Weakness nor in the Flesh like a Fleshly Meeting but in his Name and Power make War with the Flesh and with the Drowsie Spirit that lodgeth there and in the Faith overcome it and be not overcome by it for that is Bondage And hold your Meetings in the Spirit where every one is made alive and flourisheth and grows in Life and in Dominion and shines forth to the Glory of God and to the Comforting and Refreshing one of another For now as any one suffereth himself to be overtaken with Sleep in a Meeting he looseth the sence of the Power of God he becomes a Griefe to the Diligent and an Evil Example to the Negligent and brings himself under the Judgment of Gods Power in his own Conscience which when he awaketh riseth up against him and also he is under the Judgment of the Power in the whole Meeting which when he comes to a true sence of will be no light thing and further if any that are unbelieving come in among you and see such things among you that make a profession of an inward Power and an inward quickning Spirit and a Worship that is inward in the Spirit and Truth herein causeth such the Name of God to be Dishonored the way of Truth to be holden in little Esteem by such who know it not in themselves and a Stumbling-Block is hereby laid in their way to hinder them from any farther seeking after the Truth Oh Friends consider these things and be all diligent in this Matter and let not that earthly part have Liberty but let it be kept in the Cross till it Dies or else it will keep and hold you Dead and Unsensible of God or one another And this is that hath hindred the growth of many namely their Carelesness in coming to Meetings and their Slothfulness when they are there Therefore for time to come let every one that bears the profession of Truth be diligent in the Work of God and be good Examples to each other and observe your time and hour of coming to Meeting and set not one hour and then come at another and neglect not your middle week Meetings by reason of your outward Occasions for that will not bring a Blessing upon your Affairs but let all things give way to the Service of God and then all things shall work together for good unto you and there shall be no lack of any thing that is good for you So dear Friends in the true love of God have I writ this unto you as it lay upon me from the Lord as a word of Exhortation to stir up the pure mind in you all and the God of Power and Strength give you of his Might and of his Power to help you in all your Necessities and in all your Combates and strengthen your Faith in which and by which the Victory is obtained which is the desire of my Soul for you all who am your Friend in the Fellowship of the Gospel Stephen Scrisp THE END